Two at a time toe up socks.

They were not easy at first but it sure is rewarding to have a full pair at the end.

My biggest mistake, if you can believe how bone-headed I am, was mismeasuring my feet.  I think if I had given myself an extra half an inch, these socks would be perfect.  Even though I did the magic stretchy bind off, these are still pretty tight at the top.

So, I tried again, this time allowing for more wide feet.  And, I am using a self-striping yarn from Knit Picks which makes for more interesting knitting.

It's possible these will be too wide, but I have really begun LOVING hand knit socks.  They are warm (I am using superwash wool) and don't look like your run of the mill pair of socks.  Further, according to the girls who took this class with me, wool is better for your feet.  It keeps them warm, yes, but it also works to wick moisture from your feet.  Apparently, those who suffer from stinky feet benefit from wool socks.

Yes, this is a technique I'll be hanging on to.

I am trying to figure out when this country became a business looking for a leader.  Further, I don't know when we, as a country, decided that was the proper path to follow.

Mitt Romney stands for nothing.  He changes his mind on a dime and has offered no real answers.  The fact that he wants to repeal Obamacare indicates that he is out of touch with a majority of Americans who recognize that despite the cost, we need the government to put the brakes on insurance companies who deny coverage for those who are ill.  He may know business, but this country is not a business.  It's the "fat" he wants to cut that makes this country what it is.  The fact that we can have public broadcasting ensures fairness in reporting.  Perhaps he's never listened to BBC America.  It's valuable to understand how others see this country.  Cutting funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting could put us on the path to dictatorship.  Well, perhaps I go too far, but PBS has a value to this country.  cutting dollars would be a mistake.

With all the people running around bitching about the fact that "one nation under god" is supposed to be removed from the pledge to the flag, I wonder if anyone understands the need for government to separate church and state.  I don't want Paul Ryan's religious fervor playing a role in my day-to-day activities.  One of the best bumper stickers I ever saw was "If you don't support abortion, don't have one"  It's how I feel.  Why are we not looking closely at the contradictions of the moral majority.  Those who will not allow a woman to choose abortion but would allow a child to starve or live in squalor.  Where is the morality in that?

The Republican Party has hijacked this country by signing the contract stating they won't hurt the rich.  One of the problems in Greece today is the fact that they had a gross dividing line between the super rich and the rest.  We are on that path now.  I simply cannot understand why this country allows corporate big wigs to get away with their shenanigans.

There is something wrong with the gross difference between pay.  We need to fight it.  Rock on you Occupy Wall Street people.  We need more like you.  We need to fight insurance companies who charge way too much for so little.  We need to rise up as a group and say "NO MORE".

As a people we need to find common ground and get on board with what is wrong with this country and start fixing it.  We can begin by compromising.  It's how great presidents get the job done.

It's so nice to have power and internet back after a 47 hour absence. Super Storm Sandy did not hurt us here along the Hudson River.  When I see the images and hear the stories of others' loss, I feel so fortunate to have only suffered a limb through the roof of my old shed and a loss of power.  Still,  I feel news deprived.  I am having a difficult time understanding the damage done in New Jersey and around the city.   And, frankly, I am surprised to see so many people trying to get to work in the city.

One of the best parts about NYC is its public transportation.  Sure there are massive gridlock days, but people rely on mass transit.  In its absence, however, a mess ensues.  Do these people really need to get to work?  Or are they doing it because they can?  In this day and age, many of us can do our job -- theoretically -- from home.  Schools, obviously, cannot.  Nor can hospitals.  But where are these people going?  And why are so many not heeding the HOV rule?  As if traffic wasn't messed up enough, now there are rule breakers trying to drive into the city without the proper number of people in their vehicle.
Goodness.

Last night I was concerned about the concert we were to see.  thankfully it's been postponed so that traffic to the city will be back to normal.

so, it's easy for me to take this all in stride.  I had a loss of power in a house that has a generator and in a town that has power to run gas stations.  I simply cannot imagine the difficulty those in areas of Queens and the barrier islands and New Jersey must be going through.  A loss of home, power, property.  Cell towers are no able to run and they have even lost communication.  How can they face each day?  I wish I could drive in to New Brunswick and grab my friends and get them out of there.  Of course, maybe they have done that already.  This is a mess.

In less than a week we have, potentially, another mess on our hands.  What if Mitt Romney, man who previously stated that he did not believe the federal government should provide FEMA funds, wins the presidency?