I did have a teeny tiny little window (half of one evening) where I had finished one book project, and the yarn for the next had not arrived (it did the following morning), so I cast on a doll sweater for Voracious Reader. She came to a love for American Girl-style dolls a bit later than her cousins, so her dolly wardrobe is sadly lacking. I am looking forward to having time to sew some finery for her. This yarn is leftover handspun- I think it's from Twisted Fiber Art, but I can't remember for sure. I'm using the same pattern that I did on the many previous doll sweaters, which is an adaptation from Knit and Crochet Sweaters and Accessories for 18" Dolls, by Joan Hinds. I probably won't get to finish it until after the rest of the book projects are done.
Over the last couple of weeks while knitting, I watched Season 3 of Big Love, and am, as always, amazed that I root for The Hendricksons to make it intact (though most of The Grants could disappear and that would be fine with me). I've had the second, and unfortunately last, season of Rome on hand for awhile, and I've started watching that as well. Those Ancient Romans did a lot of naughty things...
And lastly- I decided to run the walking path in our city park yesterday, just for variety. We have a beautiful park, and the path is about a mile around the perimeter, so I figured I'd run it 3 times and call it good. I neared the end of the first circuit of a calm, lovely, quiet, and solitary run, and had just passed the Armory, when an extremely loud BOOM startled me (I'm understating here- I hate loud noises, especially unexpected loud noises. This was a LOUD noise, and my heart nearly stopped). At first, I thought someone had fired a shotgun very close by (accompanied instantly by an imperative command from my Mental Control Center: DUCK!!!!!). I did happen to look up, and near the bridge, about 50' away, I saw a puff of white smoke. So I knew immediately that #1 it wasn't a shotgun, because shotguns don't create big, smoky puffs, #2 it wasn't a firecracker because while they do make smoke, they're nowhere near as loud as what I had just heard, and #3 whether it was purposely or accidentally set off, what I had just heard was an explosion, to which I was a witness (okay, I didn't see it, but I was there, and no one else was around).
I ducked back into the Armory (which is left unlocked for walkers who use the gym), and called the Sheriff (and, yes, I hid in the Armory in case Explody Perps were hovering nearby- I didn't write six mysteries for nothing, lemee tellya). I waited there for the Deputy to arrive, told the impossibly young man my story, and then continued with my run (I'll admit I considered just packing it in, but I knew if I did that, that I would not finish exercizing). On the second circuit, the Deputy was still parked by the bridge. At the end of the third, he was gone, but by the time I got to my car and exited the park, a utility truck was there, and a workman was in the cherry picker up by the transformers on the light pole next to the bridge. Voila- a transformer blew.
I wasn't in the least disappointed for such a mundane explanation, though who knew that transformers could explode, much less so loudly? (Karen knew). And I'm heading to the park now, for another run. A calm, peaceful, quiet run. I hope.
Yep, transformers explode. Did you know they're full of oil, and under the right circumstances, maybe a short or surge or some such, the oil ignties and BOOM - lights out!
ReplyDeleteIt's just another thing to worry about late at night, since there's one on the power pole in my yard.
I was riding my bike through an intersection once, when I thought a bomb had gone off nearly next to me. It was one of those things on the power poles. One can't imagine how loud they are unless one experiences it. A genuine heart stopper!!
ReplyDelete