Dark Mark Illusion Scarf

Good Morning. Here is another of my actually completed knitted items. This is called “Dark Mark Illusion Scarf.” When you look at it straight on, it merely looks like a bunch of green and black stripes; however if you look at an angle, you will see the skull images pop out at you. Pretty cool stuff this illusion knitting!

I belong to a group dubbed “South End Knitters,” which began somewhere in early August. It all started as simply me, my BF Jerry and our good friend Beth responding to a post on Ravelry pertaining to meeting up at a cafe/bakery called Flour in Boston’s south end one evening in August to hang out and knit. To get to the point, we have grown to 12 + people at this time, and still growing. We actually appeared in the January 12 edition of the Boston Globe, LOL. The reason this happened mainly effects from a “tag” we placed on a pole directly in front of Flour on halloween night. A tag is basically a “wrap” that is knitted and then sewn around the pole. You can check out the Boston Globe article and see what I mean in the photo they provide.

The photos below show me at Flour with my scarf on the table in front of me, as well as a photo of the scarf in progress and a final photo of the finished item.

Illusion knitting is pretty cool if anyone out there has ever contemplated making something. You’ll be amazed as you progress and can begin seeing the image appear. Give it a try!

Cedar Point Amusement Park

Well it’s that time of year again, the holidays are behind us and now that long boring stretch of the remainder of winter, UGH!!!  Jerry and I are totally looking forward to May 16th, opening day at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky Ohio.  Whoo Hoo!! The two of us have been going to Six Flags (both New England and Great Adventure in NJ) since the “Turn of the Millennium,” almost every year. We kind of gave up on going to Six Flags New England anymore as it totally SUCKS! We typically go to Great Adventure 2 or 3 times a season, at least we try to get there as much as possible.

Anyway, we have watched dozens of youtube videos and DVDs over the past several years involving roller coasters, and many of these videos have shown footage of Cedar Point Amusement Park. Due to one of us not wanting to fly after 9/11 (who could blame anyone for that!) we kind of never thought about seriously going there. Living in Massachusetts, it’s easily a 10-12 hour car drive, and almost as long on the train. Well we finally bit the bullet and went for the 1st time last summer in August. OMG….the Six Flags parks that we have been to can not shine a light on this park!!! There are SEVENTEEN coasters, not counting the probably 60 + other rides in the park. It’s no wonder that Cedar Point has been dubbed “Roller Coaster Capital of the World!”

Here is a video of Jerry and I riding on a coaster called Raptor. This is an inverted roller coaster, with seats similar to ski lift chairs. The seats are suspended below the track. There are something like 6 loops on the ride as well, and it’s a pretty lengthy ride!

This year, three of our friends are going to take the trips with us, so that should be a blast! I can’t wait!

Reversible Cable Knit Scarf

Good Morning!

So I mentioned that I am a newbie knitter, and here is my “finally finished” 2nd project, my Reversible Cable Knit Scarf. Back in November, me, my BF (Jax Riley for you Plurkers – CWJerry for you Ravelers), and a few good friends from our South End Knitters group on Ravelry decided to head up to Salem Massachusetts on a Saturday afternoon to look around a yarn store located there, Seed Stitch Fine Yarn. During my browsing, I could not stop myself from being drawn to this sample garment that was on display, which was this particular scarf that I just completed. The displayed item was actually in an awesome charcoal gray, which I would have loved!!  I guess I kept walking away from it because I totally figured this is something I could never accomplish!  But, the friends with me told me to go for it, so I did.

As usual to my luck, there were not nearly enough skeins of that particular color in stock. So…I opted for the burnt orange color, which is also a favorite of mine. I can’t wait to wear this! It feels very soft, yet has a lot of weight to it on account of the thick cabling.

Many thanks to Jerry (my BF) and all my South End Knitter friends for the umpteen times I needed their help with dropped stitches, twisted stitches, and other numerous encounters I came upon while working on this scarf. You guys are the best!!!

Now I am off to continue on my Illusion Scarf. Whoo Hoo!

The Incompetancy of DirecTv

I find it totally amazing the number of useless employees a large company like DirecTv can have in it’s employ!!! I share the miserable on-going experience I have been dealing with for about a month or more now:

11/26/08: My DVR (digital video recorder for the non-techies out there) was not working, so I called customer service regarding replacement. I spoke with a woman named Tiffany (sorry if I offend anyone, but when I hear that name, I immediately get a visual of a blonde bimbo who is chewing gum and twirling her hair with her finger), and explained the situation to her. I had only had this unit for 3 months at the most. She told me I can either have a house call scheduled or they could ship me a new unit. She told me the house clal costs $49.95. I told her ABSOLUTELY NOT, explaining that I refuse to pay for a house call on an item that was defective by no fault of my own. She then tells me they can ship me a new unti and I could send back the old one, at my cost of $19.95. I said “wrong again Tiffany!” Did you hear anything I just said to you??” Tiffany then transferred me to someone named Mike. He could get me no where either, so I asked for a manager. I then got disconnected. Called back, spoke to Henry this time – told him I needed a manager. Ten minutes later a man named Bruce answers. He was not a manager, but assured me that he would take care of waiving the shipping charges on the defective DVR and that I would see the credit of the shipping charges on my online account within the next 20 minutes or so (being that I was already charged the shipping costs as Tiffany jumped the gun and already charged me those costs!). Never saw this credit. I decucted the 19.95 + 1.00 tax from my November payment

12/31/08: my online account shows a past due amount of $20.95 + 5.00 late fee (due to my deduction of this shipping charge on the November bill.) I call up and get Kim – she put me on hold for the longest time to get authorization for her to waive this shipping charge, and the late fee. She finally returns to the line and says I should see the credit of $25.95 on my account within the next several hours

1/1/09: There is STILL no credit on my account as promised, so I make an online payment for December, once again deducting the $25.95 from my payment.

1/2/09: My online account still shows a past due amount of $25.95, along with a bold faced notice that my service is scheduled for interruption on January 14 unless I pay the past due amount of $25.95. I again call up and get a woman named Clover this time. She told me that the original arrangement to have the shipping charges waived was done by the shipping department, so she would have to transfer me to that department. I told her “absolutely not! I refuse to be passed along on this matter that has been unresolved for over 30 days now!!” I told her why doesn’t she get the authorization from them and then come back to me on the line. She simply said “I am not going to do that!” I then said I want to speak to a manager. TEN minutes later, a woman named Sonya picks up. I asked her if she was a manger, she said NO. (This is incredible – after I was on hold for 10 minutes waiting for a manager). She was then putting me on hold for a manger again when I got disconnected!!

So – I called back once again, this time to cancel my account. Amazing!!!! To keep me from canceling, this woman was truly trying to help me. She said the computers were having issues but that she would continue to attempt to credit my account. But Alas…I looked tonight and I am still being shown an outstanding amount due…so I don’t even know where to go at this point. This is sooooo frustrating!!!

Anyway – my entire reason for sharing this with you my friends is that if you are thinking of setting up TV service….unless you are already set up with DirecTv, do your self a favor and DON’T!!! You’ll be happier in the long run. Thanks for listening (or reading I should say, LOL)

Introducing Bugsy

This is my little Bugsy.  She was adopted from the North Shore Animal League on 11/9/08.  She is about 2 years old at closest guess.  Already she has made herself at home as if she was always meant to be here, LOL.  Gotta love that little “milk-mustache!”

Bugsy's 1st day home

“Hello World”

Hello World!!  So, I thought that it was about time to start a blog.  A lot of my friends are doing it, so what the hell!  My name is Chris and I reside in the beautiful suburbs of Boston Massachusetts (beautiful…NOT!!!!!).

Anyway, I am a recent knitter newbie (couldn’t tell from my username? lol), and I have to say I am loving it, considering all of my ups and downs thus far. I was very frustrated in the beginning and never thought I would have come as far as I have.  Mind you, I’m still a scarf guy here, LOL, but I have dreams of socks and sweaters in my future!

I am a transportation company manager, and I pretty much have to say I love my job…well at least I love most of the people there!  Some people I must refer to as the “C word”, so I’ll stop there for now…

I’ll be posting more in the days or hours to come, but I guess this is a start, LOL.  Hello Everyone and Happy New Year!!!!!