Two Black Sheep

I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair)

Actual email sent to Lola ten seconds ago

Dear formerly loving sister who called to gloat today -

While I am so thrilled for you and your happiness, now called "the book," let me explain the horror of that call. Sitting at my desk at 5:30 PM, after losing yet another battle with the photocopier earlier in the hour and wondering why this weekend's quote from the Stitch n' Bitch calendar completely applies to me, I picked up your message. Oh joy of joys . . . you have the book. Seeming to capitalize on that joy, I checked my status on Amazon only to discover nothing . . . NOTHING!!! As in zip, zilch, nada . . . no order! The order, dear formerly loving sister who called to gloat today (and I just typed that, not copy and paste), has been deleted by Amazon as the book is no longer available to them! What the fuckity fuck fuck fuck is going on?! Is this book giving away state secrets that terrorists will wield and unleash on us like a plague of fleas? Does Brad Pitt jump out and fondle your tits whilst singing "Hit Me Baby One More Time" encircled by his wife and children? UGH . . . which is all I got going for me at this point. Enjoy it, bitch!

Love you (otherwise Mom would psychically pick up on the bad juju and call telling you to talk to your brother . . . and he's all yours),

Ava

Edited: Amazon nicely responded to my email to say that they didn't lose my order but I had two accounts with one email address and perhaps, in my infinite wisdom, had checked on account two while I had ordered it on account one. Thank you, oh kind internet book seller, for pointing out my woeful ineptitude in ordering a book you still can't lay your world wide web tentacles on! I ordered it from the site Jenifluer suggested right after I posted the letter. It should be here sometime next week. I'll believe it when I have it in my hands and no grading on the couch. Oh, that would include hell freezing over.

5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

It's been a little shitacular over here at Two Black Sheep.  I'll sprinkle some progress photos & doggy shots to help liven up the post.

Friday started off horrible.  I woke up & started some bread.  I was startled when my phone rang with my supervisor on the other end.  Our company decided to cut my department by 25%.  I have a job, but now I have a larger territory.  If I weren't 6 months pregnant, I wouldn't be phased.  Currently, 2.5 hours in a car  is difficult.  I have a hard time imagining 4+.   The loss of some of the people has really hit me over the last couple days.  I don't work in an office, I speak with co-workers through voicemail, & see most of my friends 3 times a year.   But I'm so sad that I will no longer see or hear from these people.

After the news, SK & I hit the road to spend time with ILs & pick-up Gus.  Figuring this little vacation would take my mind off of work, I was thrilled to leave the house.  Ava, twins can still bicker even at 32 year-olds.  I just kept thinking, "How can 32 year-olds act like 12 year-olds?"  Of course, I think the BIL is the root of the problem.  However, I'm sure SIL would say that SK was the problem, and I couldn't really argue with her at this point.  I'm sure it's the hormones, but I really wanted to crawl onto the floor & curl up between Gus & Pup.

This week has just been full of conference calls, questions & exhaustion.  The realization of a larger territory & cleaning up missed appointments has sent me to the couch every night.  One shiny moment, there is a Michigan store that sells BMFA.  I'm taking a side-trip & loaded up on yarn.  That will make it all worth it; at least until the next trip.

And finally, the joys of pregnancy.  Until Tuesday, TBA has been moving with a smoothness.  If SK would feel it, it resembled more of a nice big gas pop.  He knew what it was, but it was still a nice sized gas pop.  Just yesterday, TBA started to move like a real baby.  I grabbed my belly after a good solid jab & could really tell that it was either an arm or a leg.  Let's be real honest.  Yes, pregnancy is a miracle, blessing, & amazing.  But if you really REALLY think about it, it can become a frightful disgusting thought.  Yesterday, it really dawned on me that there is a live human being punching my insides.  Those punches yesterday weren't sweet or cute.  Just icky & uncomfortable.  It's just the next phase of the pregnancy & I'll get used to it.

Here's the WIP basket.  No pictures of Tilted Duster, but I've got one sleeve left to seam on the Tilted Duster!  I'm getting much better on seaming.  I actually get giddy when I've done a nice job.  I want to shove it in SK's face & gush.  I'll try to contain my emotions for the moment.  I'd love to have it done before our trip to the apple orchard this weekend.

I have one more repeat on the Honeybee stole.  I was almost to the point of boredom when I realized that I've got 20 rows until I'm ready for a new pattern.  Maybe this is the genius in Anne's madness.  I'm so energized that I should have it done by tomorrow morning.  I'm still in awe of my love for this color.  Look at it!  The camera did a great job of representing the true richness of the yarn.  I drove up to Cleveland yesterday & couldn't help but think of the the yarn every time I passed a changing tree.  Last night while I was working with it, I felt the calm of a crisp fall day.  It was what I needed & by the time Bionic Woman was over, I felt refreshed.  I'm still doing pretty well with the current chart.  I have one issue, but it doesn't seem to ruin the pattern.  On row 19, you should move the inside markers to the right.  I have never had a count issue, so I've skipped this step each repeat.

I also finished a hat for a baby shower we have tomorrow.  I used a pattern I found through Raverly & decided to break out some Cotton-Ease.  This is the first time that I've ever used this yarn.  It was a pleasant experience, but the project was so small that I couldn't get a good impression.  The hat doesn't look long enough, but I could care less.  There won't be any knitters at the party so no one will call my bluff.  Instead of the normal diapers, receiving blankets & gowns, we thought we'd share our favorite books with the soon-to-be parents.  Ava bought the bottom book for SK before Gus arrived.  He buys this book for every single one of our pregnant friends.  Goodnight Moon is my go-to book, and I still haven't found a book with artwork that I appreciated more than The Snowy Day.  I hope that they'll love them as much as our family does.

This week is almost over & I couldn't be happier.  We're going apple picking this weekend, which means I'll have the sheer joy of making applesauce all day on Saturday.  Maybe I'll try to bake a pie.

-L

These Are The Daves I Know

Any Kids In the Hall fans out there? The best part about spending our eight months in Ann Arbor (besides a super cool grocery store chain and the best damn pizza ever) was getting the CBC on cable and watching first run episodes of KITH. The Flyer and I would tune in without fail and even taught the girls to perform most of the Chicken Lady routine. Maybe not the brightest thing to teach 2-year-olds but hilarious nonetheless.

Bruce McCulloch of KITH fame has a song called "These Are The Daves I Know" because, well let's face it, we all know a couple and not just the famous ones (Beckham, Tennant, Walliams, Foley, Hasselhoff, Copperfield, Blaine, Grohl). Here is a run down of the Daves I have known in the past 37 years.

• elementary school Dave - can't remember much about him other than he picked his nose and would often ponder the booger on the end his finger before eating it. Occasionally we read in groups together, but usually I read with Nick or Chris.
• high school Dave - dark curly hair, tried to grow a mustache, had a thing for my best friend, went to see Star Trek IV together while picking out a Christmas present for my best friend, held my hand, no thank you. Is currently married to said best friend with two children.
• high school Dave number two - straight brown hair, had a thing for another best friend, played golf all the time one summer, got caught in the rain and hid next to a tree, went a little crazy, left school for a while. No clue where he is but I hope he is well.
• college Dave - wavy light brown hair, had a girlfriend when I met him, was an awesome supervisor, kissed like nobody's business, liked to drink gin by himself, impressed with my gin drinking ability, gave mind-blowing back rubs. Currently married with twin daughters and a loving wife who likes to knit in her very spare time and is glad she no longer live in Ann Arbor and appreciates her husband's need to stay gold.

Happy birthday, Dave. I love you every bit as much as I did 17 years ago when I cooked you that sad excuse for a romantic dinner (we'll be eating Wegmans' finest tonight). You're a Dave worth keeping.

Ava

Eight Days a Week

The theme for this school year is that oh-so-famous line from Caddyshack, in which Bill Murray's character relates his story about the Dali Lama gifting him perfect enlightenment and he says, "So I have that going for me, which is nice." That line has been repeated so often this week that I think it should  be tattooed on my arm where I can read it. Patience may be a virtue, but I was absent when it was doled out.

On the bright side, I actually picked up the sticks and knit this weekend. My friend Teresa is due in a week or so and I am still working on her baby's sweater. Granted it is a 6 - 9 month jobber but still not having it done before the bambino pops wouldn't be good. She is a big General Hospital fan, a la Cara, Lola, and me, so I am compiling a list of reasons she should be happy she isn't delivering in Port Charles (seriously, click on that link - mind numbing). Right now, I have: might raise someone else's baby for five years before realizing your mistake; potential for giving birth in an elevator during a power outage with only a nurse trainee and a mob hit man; rapid growth of said infant (0 to 12 years in less than a month); really homely child growing up; baby could be used as a cunning blackmail plot/extortion scheme/hostage/plot twist; and lame name. Can you think of anything else?

About two weeks ago, the Flyer and I traipsed down to the valley for a movie and some shopping. We hit Kraemer's for some yarn (Mandy - the box is on its way on Tuesday. You must have been there when they were passing out patience); I completely forgot that they were renovating their store, so the pickings were slim, but I did get enough Summit Hill to make a sweater of sorts. For some reason, they are selling Summit Hill in hanks, not skeins, and clearanced what they had left. The woman working said it because people liked to stroke the yarn better in hanks, but I think it is a global conspiracy against me since I suck at winding hanks into balls. After the movie, I decided to look in one more yarn shop for the book (better luck finding the Holy Grail at this point). I really don't like this yarn shop because it has that cliquey feel, which even the Flyer picks up on. So, we walk in, the owner says hello and goes back to her pattern writing, and we walk around. A few minutes later, some of the regulars come in and she engages in a lively conversation. I can't find the book, but she does have a lovely stock of Debbie Bliss so I get three balls of some lime green stuff for a baby sweater and head to the cash register . . . and wait . . . and wait. Finally, one of the regulars says, "Oh, I don't think she sees you. Hey, (insert name here), you have a customer." Response, "I didn't know someone else was here." At the register, I ask about the book; she responds, "I have one copy, but I am knitting a sock from it right now. Would you like to look at it?" At this point, I nearly throw up my hands and walk out, but instead I say, "No I don't want to look at it - I want to buy it." She counters that there are six more on there way and should be in the store by Wednesday and I could come back then and buy one. I thank her but state that I live 45-minutes away and can easily order one from Amazon instead. This is the straw that broke my fucking back. Never again will I shop in that store - never.

So, the Bro and his fiance have decided on Las Vegas. Our little bit of the family are tickled pink . . . until we learn of the date. For some reason, sending him all the dates that won't work when he asked did little good as they picked the day after the girls and I get out of school, which means we can't go. When I told him I was contractually obligated to be there, he kept telling me to get a substitute. I guess when you have never had a contract, you might not understand what the word means, but that is beside the point. So now, it is down to a day I can't make it or Christmas . . . which means Lola, you can't make it what with being all pregger pop time and all. Even if they do pick another date before school gets out, it will make things tricky for me and getting time off. My choice might be: marriage of youngest sibling or birth of TBA. Solomon, where are you?

Ava

PS - the Super Kid Seta in all those colors? This wrap from Knitting Daily. My LYS (one that I really, really like and it is local) bought enough to make 13 wraps and set one aside for me. I am thinking of making it for another friend (we share the same birthday - I have about three weeks), but don't tell her, Tricia . . . she sits on the other side of me on Monday nights, capice?

PPS - I just had a melt-down with our new mower not working - the type of melt-down that requires a teenager to hold  her mother and shush her and hand her tissues and ask if she can help and surreptitiously call her sister and tell her to come home because Mom is losing it.

Monster Mash

   

Boo!  It's the time of year that gets into SK's bones.  Dry ice & motion detector chainsaws are common topics around our house starting in August.  We decided to decorate the house for Gus as a little homecoming surprise.  I'm sure that we'll be hearing lots of "Oh look at that scary guy" when he walks in the house.  We also decided to eliminate the majority of the the Scary Guys this Halloween.  SK has a large collection of classic horror movie figures.  Usually our mantel is home to Freddie, Jason, Michael Myers, Terminater & of course, Ash figures.  I doubt that Gus would have been tormenated or overly frightened, but the on-slaught of questions would have been horrifiying for us.  Call us selfish, but I call it being responsible parents.

I made myself promise in June that I wouldn't buy any knitting books until I got my hands on Last Minute Patchwork & Quilt Gifts.  I haven't broken that promise; really, there haven't been any books that I've needed to add to the library.  I have been stalking many bookstores for Purl's latest with no reward.  Finally, I broke down & ordered it with another book that I've been waiting on.  And guess what?  SK & I wander through a store after dinner on Wednesday,  & BLAM!  There she is!  Royally pissed, I broke my promise & load up on books.

KnitKnit is a gorgeous & inspiring book.  I bought it for the articles, but was surprised to find patterns.  Some are not doable, but others are going to be swatched next week.  Who needs another cardigan & excuse to make a "diaper" bag?  Me.  Cardigans are my sweater of choice & I've got just enough Silky Tweed to make Bridie.  The bag is really an excuse to knit something by Norah Gaughan.  I've yet to find a practical knit bag.  I've also yet to find a reason for a diaper bag.  Since I breastfed Gus & plan on doing the same for TBA, I just used my existing big purse for diapers.  I won't go into my Why-do-You-Need-a-Back-Pack rant of mother's of newborns.  I don't want to offend anyone on this lovely Thursday.

The Best of Interweave Knits was an impulse buy.  Most of the patterns that I really like from Interweave's are in a huge binder in the basement and some of those patterns are in the book.  I'm trying to clean-up & felt that I could really toss the binder.  There's so many patterns in that binder that are plain crap.  I started using the binder before I really discovered knitting on the web & my own confidence as a knitter.  I don't need 3 universal sock patterns!  The book is also full of their Beyond the Basics column which is a handy reference guide.  Here are a couple patterns that aren't in the binder & I was pleased to see in the book:

There's an earthy granola touch to each of these patterns.  I must be getting back in touch with my hippe side.  I will probably never make the bag or the Burma Rings patterns, but both are intriguning & would have been ripped out of the original magazine.  I will make the Lite Lopi pullover & probably before or shortly after the pregnancy.  It's a timeless crunchy sweater that can always be thrown on whether it's 2007 or fall of 2008.

Ava, look the week is almost over!  Good for you & bittersweet for me.  SK & I really look forward to seeing Gus tomorrow afternoon.  We've missed his funny phrases, telling him bedtime stories, & seeing his sleepy grin when you answer his "Momma" calls in the morning.  But it has also been nice to stay up late knowing that you really don't have to get up early in the morning.  Not having to explain why it's important to hold Daddy's hand in the parking lot.  Having dinner at a restaurant without have to clean the floor before you leave.  Ah until the next time...

-L

p.s.  I have one more button hole row & then an inch left of the collar.  Once that's done, it's sewing the sleeves.  I tried it on after the bottom hem BO.  It's was much longer & larger than I had expected.  Without the sleeves & the collar, I looked like Sony from his famous duet with Cher.  I'm hoping that the finished sweater doesn't resemble anything like yesterday's performance in the mirror.  My belly really pokes through the hole, but at this point, my belly pokes through everything!  So I'm curious to see the sweater minus the bump in the spring. 

Heart of glass

Please pour yourself something yummy (My new obsession is the Pumpkin Spice Latte).  And slather some jam on something tastey.  I finally got around to making some homemade bread.  Is there anything better than a house that smells like fresh bread?  I think not.

Let's talk about what's been going on around Lola's house.  I've been playing with the new camera.  I've read the manual enough to get me through a couple clicks, but I need to read it again & highlight certain passages.  I enjoy fact that I don't miss photo ops, but still need to learn how to focus & find the light.  But I enjoy how the colors & details pop with ease.  Now if I can just get Gus to like the camera as much as I do.  This is one of the only "cheeses" Momma could squeeze out of him.  At least his smile is in focus.  All other photos of him are candid shots. 

Gus is with SK's parent all week!  We're thrilled & have a week of baby-free events planned.  Movies & dinners, nothing dirty, people!  I'm using the time to finish Tilted Duster.  My little scratch pad shows that I've got 5 more groups of the skirt piece until I can bind-off.  Since you increase 2 stitches 3 times during each group, it gets increasingly longer each row.  But with the air getting crispy, I'm getting very anixous to finish it.

I'm almost finished with Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.  I have about 20 pages left & I've been putting them off for the past 2 days.  I'll actually be really sad when I shut the book.  I used to get jealous when people would talk about books, movies or songs that had an impact on their lives.  What's wrong with me that I can't connect with something?  I've loved books, & had moments where I've wondered, "Did that happen or was it part of a book that I read?"  But no more!  I've got myself a book!  Kingsolver doesn't bully you into only buying organics or push for Vegetarian (quite the opposite).  There's no condescend tone in the chapters; she gives you facts in a polite and mature way.  We've added more local vegetable dishes to our dinner schedules.  I'm trying to skip meat from restaurants unless I know where the meat has come from.  Not an easy task.  Chipotle has info on their website (how much I can trust from them is up for debate, but I don't want to live life like that).  It's also a nice way to eat more fruits & veggies for TBA.  I've always eaten very well during pregnancy, but I think this time the habits may stick once TBA pops his head out.  We haven't gone crazy & only bought organic produce, milk, & meats.  We just eat less meat.  Our farmer's market has a great vendor that provide free-range meat at almost the same cost as grain-fed.  Also I can't go the Organics-Only route.  I don't find it's always necessary & there is a huge cost difference.  For example, I bought a butternut squash at a chain store for $6+.  The next day at the market I bought one for $1.50.  Listen, I do have to kid to put in daycare.  I'm not saying that I'll never enjoy a Quarter Pounder again, everyone falls off the wagon at some point.   

Speaking of Butternut squash.  I've been stocking up on veggies for TBA.  I started roasting the squash & after 45 minutes both pieces were still rock hard.  I had read somewhere that a little bit of water in the bottom of the pan helps.  So my dumbass added water to the dish.  It was one of those moments when you just knew not to do something, but you still did it anyway.  Ta-Da!  One good thing, SK cleaned the stove & it looks like the first day we bought it.  I'll start over tomorrow.

-L

p.s. I sat down & forced myself to finish the last 20 pages of AVM.  I was a bit weepy at the end when she talked about her first Turkey chicks.  Maybe she'll write another book about food, but until then I've got How to Pick a Peach waiting for me at the library.  Probably not wise to throw another food book in right after my beloved, but I'm getting crazy with Gus at the in-laws.

Knock Me a Kiss

Tap, tap, tap . . . Is this thing on? Mic check . . . one, two . . . one, two.

Ah, remember me? Ava? One-half of this blog? This school year got off to a craptacular start, almost to the point of tears. Please, please don't let this be any indication of the rest of the year because there are 170 more days to go. Our classes are huge - HUGE - and growing every day. In addition, the kids are needier than before and rougher-around-the-edges. Add to that new administration as well as a new team member and you get the perfect storm of back-to-school. Should be an interesting year, to say the least.

How the last two weeks have looked and felt

I actually was to the point of tears  Friday, but only because SK answered the phone when I called Lola and he told me they just started dinner and I try to respect people when they are eating dinner. However, I wanted to vent to someone, and I already used up Betty's ears. See what you missed, sister dear?

How I would like the rest of the year to look and feel

The weekend has been better (Steelers victory, hot wings, bonehead experiment from the Bro debunked), but the school week looms large. Fingers crossed that it gets better before I truly lose my mind. Even knitting has taken a back seat with school. Normally, there is a dip for the first day or so, but this is extreme. One of my colleagues is having a baby in early October; so far, I have the front done. I told her that as long as she promises not to go early, I promise to have it done in time . . . felt like an ass telling a pregnant woman to hold it in just a little longer. At this rate, Ariann is not going to be done in time for my birthday nor will I be participating much in the Persuasion discussion on Ravelry. The only real highlight of the week was the Flyer buying Springsteen tickets (Cara, I know you will get tickets). He is a huge fan, so this will complete the '80s music triumvirate for us (Duran Duran for me, the Police for us, Bruce for him). All I can think of now is  my college roommate Amy and how we would rock out to "Cadillac Ranch" before a big night out. Yup, we were dorks.

Ava

PS - the Bro's dumb-ass experiment, you ask? Take a piece of card stock (an index card works well) and poke a hole in the center with a thumbtack (or a size 00 needle) and hold it up to your eye. Voila! 20/20 vision without glasses. Granted, you look like a dipshit holding an index card to your eye, looking through a pinhole, but he swears you get perfect vision . . . you don't, by the way.

Bad Moon Rising

Thank you guys for all of the nice compliements on the Grad Quilt!  I started cutting & arranging a quilt for Gus' move to the big boy bed.  It won't be happening for a long time, so I've got some room to relax.  Please don't climb out of the crib today.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.  We've had a good Saturday so far.  Gus got a long overdue haircut.  He was starting to look like a hobbit.  I got my car back.  Yep!  Almost 2 weeks before they had quoted me.  I got to cruise the Farmer's Market alone.  Always helpful.  I came back with a small farm.  I'm planning on steaming & freezing some veggies for TBA's first foods.  I've also had a craving for fresh applesauce.  Nothing to do with the pregnancy.  It always happens to me the first part of September.  And that big pile of tomatoes will be chopped, frozen & turned into sauce.  But for now, me & my Old Millwaukee N/A are going to sit down,  watch some football & work on Tilted Duster.  God, I love fall.

-L

p.s. Someone got a new camera...  I'll be playing around with it later tonight.

It's Just that Simple

I must say, the quilt isn't folded very often.  I'm going to have to put it away our it will be very difficult to part with.  Shortly after I finished our blanket, I decided to make Betty & Veronica graduation quilts.  I thought this was a great plan since I gave myself a 2 year deadline!  And why not?  B & V deserve some handmade lovin'.  I adore my B & V!  ADORE!  This post is another reason why it's a good thing that our mother doesn't know about the blog.  As soon as she'd finish reading, I'd get a call or a comment full of tone.  "You should declare your love for all of your nieces & nephews equally.  Post about all of them.  Now!"  But as I've told her numerous times, B & V are different.

Ava had B & V while I was in eighth grade.  Our mother was very good at reminding us that we had all of our lives to be adults.  There were no drop-offs at the mall or pseudo-dates while we were in grade school.  We were simply dorky kids.  I'm aware that being in the eighth grade now is completely different than in 1990, but I'm pretty sure our mother wouldn't have budge on her strictness.  When B &V came to visit, it was all about them.  A number of things made their visits memorable.  First, since they're twins no one got to hog all the baby love.  Second, they were the best babies on this earth.  This fact has made it very difficult for me to call Ava & ask how to calm an irrational 18 month-old.  Her response is always, "I don't know.  B & V never did that."  Third, when they came to visit it wasn't for a day.  We got to play for a week on most visits.  In every sense of the phrase, I grew up with B & V.

They have have grown into smart, funny & beautiful people that I enjoy hanging out with.  Our conversations have grown from Beannie Babies, to college bound boyfriends, to inappropriate American Idol chatter.   Someday when I call to talk with Ava, I know that they won't be there but they'll be studying in their dorms.  I'm about to cry right now just thinking about that day.  So yes, I love all my nieces & nephews very very much.  But B & V are different.  They taught me how to be an aunt.

For these lovely ladies, how could I not give them the best I can push through my sewing machine?  I stuck to a simple pattern.  First, I wanted to show off the material.  Second, I wanted to make sure that I could complete a quilt without a lot of ripping & screaming.  There are a couple of things that I will do differently on the next one.  I will cut the quilt sandwich even prior to sewing the binding.  I will have my mom help me with how to connect the end to the beginning of the binding strip.  I fudged it after a couple of attempts, but I don't think she'll notice.  It's a good thing Ava had twins.  I've got another reason to hit the fabric stores.

Betty & Veronica,
When you go to college, try not to spill beer on the blanket.  If you have hippie friends (we all have them), don't spill bong water on the blanket.  And please, don't drop pizza on the blanket.  If you do, wash & dry it!  Just don't leave the laundry room or someone will take it.  Trust me, I've had less stolen.  I have a feeling that you won't need those words of warning.  You'll be studying, drinking healthy amounts of water & snacking on almonds.  Right?  Just say "yes" or else SK will go insane.
Love,
Auntie Lola

p.s.
I can't even comment on Ms. Spears performance.  I missed it, but have seen enough to feel sad & wounded.  I had such high hopes, Brit.  Someday you'll be back.

Touch of My Hand

I'll plan a proper post on Betty's quilt once I can photograph it in the correct light, but I couldn't resist a little peek.  I finished the binding on Friday, & it has gotten plenty of use since that final stitch.  I really couldn't be happier with my first rush into hand-binding.  Actually, it was the less work than the quilting, and very enjoyable in the end.  There was something calming about each little tug on the thread.  This thing HAD to be tossed in the wash.  I've been piecing it since I finished our home's Amy Butler quilt.  Betty's quilt has been dragged through our basement and up the dog-hair covered stairs a number of times.  When I crumbled it up & started the water, I said a little prayer to the Quilt Gods, "Please let the binding stay on. Please let the binding stay on."  When she emerged, every yard was properly stuck to the rest of the quilt.  And the invisible stitching on the binding, disappeared even more. Like I said, once the sun breaks, I'll post some pictures. 

As for now, I'm curled up in the guest room with Honeybee & some Zucchini Chocolate Chip (pdf.)  cookies eagerly awaiting Ms. Spears performance.  Can it happen?  Will it happen?  I'll be watching.

-Lola