Traveling Light

With all the traveling that Robert and I have done this year, it seems funny to think that we’re finally going to be on our first vacation of the year at the end of the month. (All of our other trips were business related.) We’re heading back to see Spunky and Co. in Alaska. Since this will be my 8th trip up north, this is going to be the “all about the Robert” trip (with some yarn shopping thrown in for good measure). We’re planning on going to the Alaska Zoo again, driving up to Talkeetna (the little town that inspired Northern Exposure), panning for gold at Crow Creek Mine, pizza and a movie at the Bear Tooth Theatre Pub, and a train ride to Seward, where if we’re lucky, we might get to see a bore tide at Turnagain Arm (Robert’s checked the schedule, and the train will be in that area at the right time – the problem is one really can’t “schedule” a tide, but we’re hoping for some good luck in that regard).
With all the fuss about airlines raising fare prices, charging for checked bags, etc., even though we’re going for free on frequent flier miles and the bag fee doesn’t apply to us since we booked the tickets a year ago, we’re taking a different route. This is a Chick-fil-A fry box, compliments of Steve & Ginger. The box has our clothes, personal items like shampoo and toothpaste, and some extra Space Saver bags (for the trip home). We shipped the box to Michelle today, and we’ll ship it back on our last day up there. We’ll have to do a couple of loads of laundry while we’re there, but the box means that all we have to have with us on our travel days is a small carry on bag. Robert bought a cool “MTS” or “Mobile Technology Solution” backpack to carry his laptop, MP3 player, a book, and his cell phone. Me? I just have to decide which knitting bag will be my carry on to hold some yarn, my iPod, and my Blackberry. I’ll also have my Chi and my makeup that I couldn’t ship ahead, but nothing that has to be pulled out for security screening. I wish all our trips could be like this – a true, no stress, relaxing vacation!
On the knitting front, I’ve been working on the 2nd No-Purl Monkey again, and am just a few rows of ribbing shy of being done. I will be so glad to get these finished. I’m a little frustrated, too, because I apparently miscounted the knit rows between the pattern repeat on the foot, and am going to have an extra repeat on the foot of the second sock. I don’t care. They are just going to be mismatched monkeys. I also finished my Denim Dive bag tonight, using the Everlasting Bagstopper pattern from Knitty and displayed by my lovely model, Zarah. It’s made using Rowan Denim in Memphis, and I loved Kate’s so much that I had to make one, too. Kate only made her straps 10″ long, though, and I wanted mine longer, so mine are 20″ inches. Well, the first one is 20″; the second one was about 17″ – at least until tonight. I ran out of yarn, but never fear – Ravelry is here! I searched for recently finished projects using the same yarn, and found a kind Raveler willing to mail me her leftovers. I only needed a yard to finish it off, and l got it in the mail this afternoon!
Counting down to Alaska . . .