A couple of nights ago, just down the block, there were about 8 cop cars and a big forensic van. It's kind of a rule of thumb that if there are more than 5 cop cars, someone is dead. And, sadly, that was the case this time around. Someone drove by and shot someone. It's unclear if this was gang related.

 

We learned this by reading an article and watching a video of the news on KOMO 4's website.  Next in the list was the story about the body being found in the former radio dj's house in Queen Anne so we watched that too.

 

I didn't know whether to laugh or get angry when the newscaster said, "Police are going door to door in this Queen Anne neighborhood to reassure the community that they are not in danger." So, there is a dead body that may or may not be a result of foul play and nary a bullet flying anywhere, and yet the police are going door to door to make sure everyone doesn't get nightmares? Incredible!

 

There have been at least 3 shootings in my neighborhood since last fall alone, and I tell you, not once have the police gone around door to door to do any reassuring or to tell anyone what's going on. We have to figure it out by reading the paper.

 

The juxtaposition of these two stories basically tells you all you need to know about the differences between Queen Anne and the CD.

The Myers-Brigg personality test is one that I've always found interesting. I like that it doesn't try to sum up the personality with one variable but with four. I took the test twice and came up with the same result both times. ENFJ. Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging. What this says about me is detailed here and here. I find it odd that this personality type is classified as a teacher or an idealist as I don't really consider myself either, but when I read the actual deschttp://riptions, I do see shades of myself in there. Maybe it's like a horoscope, though, and you see what you want to see. Or else, when answering the questions, you answer as how you wish to be as opposed to how you actually are. This is why I took the test twice - the second time correcting answers to be more "realistic," but I still got the same result. So who knows.

But I want to know what my friends are to see if I agree with the test results in those cases! I feel like I trust my objectiveness of other people better than my objectiveness about myself. So, if my friends' results seem accurate, then I guess I will have to conclude that mine are accurate as well.

 

*Updated to add that I took the test a third time, really thinking about each question and what seems like the majority answer for me, and I got a different result which feels more accurate. Because let's be honest here, everyone knows there is no possible way I could be a "teacher" what with all my impatience and irritability.

My latest knitting project (or rather my latest FINISHED knitting project – what with all the babies coming, there are many projects afoot) was this cute little tomato hat for my manager's baby.  

My last attempt at making a hat was SO bad that I had to give up. I don't know how I kept messing that up because this one was (relatively) a breeze. I did have to do one restart because I twisted it the first go around. Every hat pattern always warns you not to do this. And this time I was all like, eye roll, blah blah don't twist it no duh! And then I twisted it. Typical. I look forward to the day when I can complete a project without a single do over.

The only beef I had with this pattern is that it is a little unclear as to whether or not you should use circular or double point needles. And basically, once you start to decrease towards the crown, you HAVE TO use double point needles even though the pattern does not at all mention this. I figured it out without having to redo the whole thing which made me feel very proud. Even thought it's kind of a given that you'll need to use dpn's on a hat, they really should mention it. But I did not have the proper size dpns on hand, so I had to use a weird hybrid of the smallest dpns I had and the actual circular needles I used to knit the rest of the hat. It was a little awkward and a bit like wrestling with an octopus, but it worked out in the end.

The great thing about baby hats, I learned, is that they are tiny! And therefore quick to make! I made this hat in probably about 3 hours. I think if I made it a second time, it would only take 2 hours. It's nice that you can adapt this to be any "fruit" if you change up the colors, so I may actually make this hat again. Then again, it's a lot like traveling – once you've already been to a place, it's hard to justify going back again even if you loved it simply because there are so many other places to visit.

Mark declared this my best work so far. It only had one tiny mistake – a dropped stitch which I was able to repair so that it was not noticeable. I kept showing it to him and asking him nervously if he thought it was "gift quality." It's kinda nerve wracking to give someone something you made.  

I got back from vacation and found about 300 spam mails in my work inbox. I have never used my work email address for anything but internal communication, so I don't understand how this happened. To be honest, my paranoid conclusion is that someone that works here posted my email somewhere to get it spammed. I have someone particular in mind. But this may just be crazy thinking.

From the weekend in Southern California.  

1. I’M NOT MAD

Rebecca, 9 yrs old, is upset about something as made obvious by the way she is storming around the house.

“What are you mad about?” asks my Mom gently.

"I'M NOT MAD!!" Rebecca shouts at the top of her lungs as she stomps up the stairs.

Clearly. The rest of the weekend, we intermittently shout, “I’M NOT MAD!!!!”

2. No Child Left Behind

Breanna, 12, has a pathological paranoia about missing out on anything fun. She is constantly convinced that something fun is happening that she is not invited to.  She and Rebecca are going out with my Dad while the rest of us do our own thing.

Actual conversation we have while waiting for my Dad to show up:

"Dude, he is an hour late! I wish Dad would get here so we could go," I say. Big mistake.

"NO FAIR! You guys are doing something?" she screams petulantly and begins the wind up for one of her notorious fits.  

I just look at her and deadpan, "No, we're going to sit on the couch and wait for you to get home."

Remarkably, that shuts her up. I am proud of her for being old enough to understand sarcasm.

3. A Professional Opinion

At Father's day breakfast, my Dad's fiancee, who has a master’s degree in psychology and works in the mental health sector, gushes about my dad. Something along the lines of how she knows he's great because she "has good instincts about people" after years in her profession.

Suzanne, Kristie and I hear this and immediately all respond with a guffaw and a variation on the comment, “You might want to get some additional training.” Jinx.

We say this like we are joking, but we are not.

4.  Where’s Kristie?

My Aunt Carol, notorious for rampant inappropriateness and speaking without thinking comes into the graduation party and the first thing she says is, "Where's Kristie?"

Kristie is my 24 year old sister – since Carol has seen her last, she’s dyed her hair blond and lost a lot of weight. Carol just passed by her and my Dad talking out front.

Everyone is all like, “Um, she's outside with Dad, didn't you see her?”

Carol says, "That's Kristie?! I thought that was his girlfriend!"

The entire room erupts into cackling laughter. It’s safe to say that we are all laughing at the idea of any 24 year old wanting to go out with my Dad.

Meanwhile, his actual girlfriend, well over 50, is sitting right there looking deeply uncomfortable. We are still too busy laughing to clarify the mistake. So the girlfriend has to say, "Nope, that's me!" and introduce herself.

Ah, family. Good times.