My boyfriend is the best ever, and other subjects

This birthday (number 27, even though none of you asked, which was very polite of you) was, quite simply, the best birthday I've ever had in my entire life. :) Work was at 6am (which was lousy, but meant that I would be out by 3pm, not so lousy), and when I got to work, it was snowing. Birthday present #1; thanks Mom-nature. All the kids (and I can say that, since most of them are still on the other side of their twenties) I work with sang me happy birthday over the overhead pager before the store was open. That was embarrassing in that way that is fantastic. Everyone wished me a happy birthday, and no-one gave me a hard time all day. Love it.

Got home, and the Robb-man, who hadn't had time to shop before this, wasn't home. He'd mentioned that he was going to go out and do some errands, so I thought maybe he'd come home, presents in hand, but I was trying not to get too worked up over it. What good does that do, right?

He calls me, on his cell phone, from just outside the apartment. "I'm outside," he says, "And the presents aren't wrapped, so you have to close your eyes."

I did as commanded. Presents were on the line. Would you have argued? I think not.

First thing I got:


Are those not the comfiest looking slippers in the entire world? They're purpler in real life, but they have an inch or so of some kind of gel material in the sole which makes them soooo squishy to walk on, and they're purple, and they look like gigantic sneakers. I am totally in love with them. They might cause me to actually create a Halloween costume this year at work. It could happen.

Then, he gives me the "us" gifts. These were very well marketed gifts, I must say. They consisted of two DVDs and a soundtrack (Superman the animated series, Lewis Black, and Serenity, respectively) that we both like and wanted, but the way he presented them was cute: "I got me some DVDs, and you some cuddling time." I wouldn't have been upset about receiving either of the DVDs on their own, but that was a cool presentation.

And then, he pulled out this.
Isn't it completely gorgeous? Amethyst. He picked it out all on his own. He even got the right kind and length of chain, which is impressive, since he didn't know that pendants don't come with chains until he bought this one.

Yep, on top of being wonderful, caring, and loving, he has good taste in jewelry when pressed. He's officially a keeper.

Now, in other news! A week or two ago, I mentioned getting a package from a friend of mine, but didn't have time to tell you about the contents. Most of the package was made up of books that Artemis had borrowed from me so long ago that I didn't actually remember that she had them, but the real treasure...this lady took up spinning, what four months ago? And look what she sent me.


As usual, my camera is ganking the colors, imagine everything three shades darker and deeper and you'll be there. But this is merino silk yarn, and it is smooth, and constant, and gorgeous, and as far as I know, it's spindlespun, which makes my jaw just about hit my knees. Amazing, truly amazing work, and she sent it to me to see what I'd turn it into. !!!

I'm waiting for it to speak to me, but I have a few ideas. We'll see what the yarn decides to do.

And then, kitchener'd the toe of Rolling Thunder #1 tonight:


The only change is that, unless I'm *very* mistaken, the instructions should read that you put on 144 beads for an adult sock. I ended up four short, and I double checked my math, and then just figured out a way to stick them on, so that my beads wouldn't be all willy-nilly. I'll double-check when I make sock #2.

We're also going with the usual sizing theory, which is that the sock is a little too small for my monstrous feet, so it should fit someone with normal feet just fine.

My sock got a little bit...weird in the toe, because I'm being stubborn and refusing to knit this one on two circs -- there aren't any cables or any other funny business, so I couldn't justify it to myself -- and somehow, although I had the right number of stitches, they were distributed strangely, so I had to kind of wing the decreases, but it was all right in the end.

And how can I complain, when the cuff looks like this?

I was going to be good and cast on for #2 right away, but I'm a little bit overwhelmed by the pink tonight, so i think I'm going to crash on the couch with some Justice League and some Scheherazade.

Soon, I'll pin this out, and you can see how my pretty wine-red-pink mohair is fairing.

Until then, happy New Year.