Happy Birthday, Cat Lady

After I found all the surprises in Vicki's quilting box, we ate vegan carrot cake, and Gavin Paddock (our one-time Marques-Houston-cover-artist friend) sang "Kimberly" for me, we shared funny web sites and YouTube videos.

Have you seen the Cat Ladies? I asked Dan to make me one someday -- and he did it right then!


I have the best friends ever.

And it was a super 25th birthday.

Fall Activities

Autumn in California is significantly different from the autumn I'm used to. We even failed at an apple-picking attempt after a local near Red Rock Canyon raised an eyebrow and said, "Pick your OWN??"

We arrived in Los Angeles a year ago this December, and by then we were enough into the dead of winter that it actually seemed a bit fall-ish. But the actual fall? Not so much.

There was a cool spell a while back that called for the use of our down comforter, but we're back to just a sheet now. The Santa Ana winds are picking up, but they're not doing much to keep us cool.

So we fake it.

I've decked out the inside of the apartment with fall-scented candles and other Halloween (and soon I'll switch to Thanksgiving) decor. And with the air conditioning on, I can even eat maple cookies and knit mittens for friends.


I don't dislike it. It's just different.

Important Rule of Baking

There aren't any calories in there if you're just licking the spoon and bowl. I know this for a fact.


The same rule applies to the beaters.


Test it out on the lemon version (which I made with lemons from a friend's tree) of Great Vegan Cake and/or Vegan Old-Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies. I can't vouch for the finished cookie product yet, but I can say the dough is divine. (I've made Great Vegan Cake a few times, and I love it.)

UPDATE: First sheet of cookies is out of the oven. I'm speechless. Best gosh-darn pumpkin cookies I think I've ever had.

We're gonna crack open the bigeg!

I was reading the Redshirt Knitting blog and learned about how eggs go on a conveyor-belt-like journey out of the chicken. Sometimes, like what happened to her chicken, you get an egg with no shell. Or sometimes the egg goes backwards for a while, and then forward again, and a few steps are repeated.

Check out this crazy egg:



I think this guy is super silly and charming, and I like how he makes "big egg" one word. I also like the lady in the background who prompts him so well and does great commentary, and the copy-cat kid who thinks the egg is "weeeeeeeeeeird!" They seem cool.

(Also, I've watched this video a few more times than is normal for a reasonable person.)

Clear Chucks

I finally got my clear Converse sneakers! They're as awesome as I ever hoped they would be. Dan bought them for me as a congrats-you're-a-college-student-again present.

I found out about them on Wendy Bernard's Knit and Tonic blog (this post), and I've wanted them so bad ever since.

The salesperson (a girl a little younger than I am, probably) tried to get me to buy their colorful socks. ("They're only nine ninety-nine.") I declined, and I didn't mention that I'm buying these to show off the fact that I can knit my own darn colorful socks, thank you very much. It just seemed weird at the time. And I don't think she would have been impressed. I also plan on getting some awesome one-dollar socks I saw at Target. (I have my eyes on the orange argyles.)

And these were the last pair in my size out of the two or three total pairs left in the back! They didn't even have them on display anymore!

They're a little stiff, but not in an inhibiting way. They just need some breaking in. As for the sweaty-feet factor: I'm not sure. I think socks will lessen that, but who the heck would wear plasticky shoes with bare feet anyway? Ew. I haven't had a chance to wear them out of the house yet. I've only done some amateur modeling for the photos you see here.

I have a few single socks that need their mate knitted, and then you can expect a lot more pictures of my feet in plastic shoes. First, I have to finish knitting and then block the lace shawl I'm wearing to my brother's wedding in September. For now, though, you really should do a search on Flickr for "clear converse" (Oh, fine, just click here. It's easier.) Pretty great stuff, huh?

The clear Converse All-Stars are only available at Journeys. It seems like getting them in the store won't be easy, but you can still buy them online. If you get some (or if you already have some) send me pictures! I'd love to see the socks you've deemed worthy of such fabulous shoes!

Why I Freaking Love My Life

I love my life for a lot of reasons, but this is one of them:


Tonight we rode our bikes to In-N-Out burger, ordered two grilled cheeses and one order of fries, then went to the mall to buy me the new clear Converse sneakers (for showing off my sock-knitting handiwork), then bought our week's vegetables and a container of hummus at the farmers' market.

Despite the mildly prodigal* elements of my behavior, the fat is melting off my body, and I'm going to be smoking hot at my brother's wedding. (But don't hold me to that because you might not think I'm smoking hot, but I totally will.)

Also, after work and before we left for our cross-Northridge journey to the mall and back, I managed to do all my reading and write 3 out of the 7 briefs due on Saturday. I love my new class, and it feels super great to be back in school again and using that slowly-crippling section of my brain.

I guess that was a few reasons I love my life. But I swear there are tons more.

*Please don't think "prodigal" means "the son who came home." "Prodigal" refers to all the horrible things he did while away from home. And so, clearly, I am exaggerating when I use the term about my own behavior.

Hot Pepper Healing

For about 15 years, I spent at least 30 minutes after almost every shower in total agony. My legs and arms were so itchy I often made them raw with scratching. At its worst, I rubbed a sharp hairbrush all over my shins and thighs. My legs shake, and sometimes I can barely stand. A few times I've cried.

Sometimes after washing dishes, I walk around the house scratching both wrists at the same time. I probably look a bit mental.

But scratching doesn't help.

Many years ago, when the Internet finally became a useful place for lay research, I found out I had "aquagenic pruritis" -- water-based itching. I'm allergic to water. But there was little help available.

The dry air in California had lessened my symptoms, but the last couple of weeks have been very humid (for CA standards). I've also been working out regularly, and sweat, being water-based, also causes the itching. After working out, a shower gets me clean but doesn't stop the intense discomfort.

A couple days ago, I did more research out of desperation. I found a few articles that confirmed I have aquagenic pruritis rather than some other more severe (but at least openly recognized and treatable) condition. Several sources recommended the use of a capsaicin cream (more commonly used for athritic pains).

I bought some yesterday, and it worked!

Capzasin's active ingredient is capsaicin (0.15%), the stuff that makes hot peppers hot -- and it WILL burn your skin if you're not careful. I applied too much to a section of my legs when I thought it wasn't working fast enough, and I woke up several times last night with fiery legs. I even had a dream that I had black patches of burnt skin all over them. Get the no-mess rub-on applicator, and apply a thin layer wherever there is itching. Within 10 or 15 minutes, the itching was gone.

Be sure to read all the warnings and directions on the packaging. (You DON'T want this burny miracle juice somewhere sensitive!)

Here are some things I've done to help control the itching of aquagenic pruritis:

• Dry off quickly and well after showering. Apply a lotion or body spray, but not excessively. Get dressed as soon as possible. Making sure the skin is not exposed seems to help.
• When the air is humid, and especially at night, wear sleeves. People thought I was nuts for going out on a hot summer night in Massachusetts with a long-sleeved shirt on, but being a little too warm is vastly superior to being itchy. Cotton seems to be best.
  
• Walk around. Don't sit still and think about the itching. Walking also helps to minimize the legs tremors.
• Scratching doesn't help, so try not to touch your legs. Make a quick scratch with the toes of your other foot, but don't scratch until it stops or you'll be there for a long time and end up damaging your skin.
  
• After swimming, it's best to get in the hot sun and dry off thoroughly. I've had much better luck with this in CA than I ever did in New England (where I had pretty much stopped swimming altogether because of my condition).
  
• Use Capzasin! My legs are still a little burny as I type this (and the packaging warns of this, but also says it will go away in a few days, and I should start to get used to it). Capsaicin is a lung-irritant, so be prepared for a little coughing and sneezing. Next time, I'll apply the medication in a well-ventilated area (probably on the patio).

I hope this is useful to some other sufferer out there. Some people are selling "miracle cures" guaranteed to stop the "itching terrors," but I think this information should be shared freely if it means relief for another person.

I am extremely thankful to have finally found something that works!