The Candy Man

Who can take a sunrise, sprinkle it with dew… 
Cover it with chocolate and a miracle or two 

Yawn. If I go to bed now I can get a full seven hours of sleep. Or I can play Candy Crush for a few minutes first and still get enough rest. Sweet! Delicious! Oh, Candy Crush, how do I loathe thee? Let me count the ways. Wait, is it how do I love thee? Sometimes. Maybe. Once in a while.

Who hasn’t heard of Candy Crush? Not many I’m sure. If you watch TV or have a computer you’re bound to have seen an advertisement. It’s one of the top games today. Remember when it was a big deal if a song would crossover from the country chart to the rock chart or vice-versa? This is the techno version I guess, but it’s the first ever to be number one on iOS, Android and Facebook, all at the same time! Candy Crush is available and a bit addictive.

There are a few flaws however. It’s obscene to think that I will pay to play their game. They have no idea the patience I have. After all, I’ve just spent a year on level 125, so I can endure any level they throw at me! Maybe not a full year, but if I thought of the things I could have been doing instead of playing this silly game, well, I’d be embarrassed. Thankfully, I only have five lives and they pass quickly. That’s the part that’s supposed to make you spend money. You can buy more lives. Not me. I look at it as a relief. That’s done so now I can go on to something productive.

I’m a Tetris fan from way back. Little falling pieces of color navigated into place to form a solid structure, all while being timed. It was mindless fun for me and I spent many hours, days probably, placing the pieces together to form a block. Maybe it’s hereditary.

My Grandmother played something called Hexed. It was a box of plastic pieces that formed a rectangle when they all went together. She would complete the puzzle, carefully take it out and trace around each piece and keep the recorded solution in a notebook. That’s probably why I like office supplies too!

Pre-historic Tetris!!

When I finally got past level 125 the other day I got to the challenges, completed two in a row and was getting to the third one when I ran out of lives. (“Challenges” is for cheapskates who won’t pay to play the game.) I was doing so well I didn’t want to wait the 24 hours before the next time I could attempt the third challenge so I decided to try a trick. Actually, I decided to cheat. I set the clock on my phone ahead so that it looked like 24 hours had passed. I played, didn’t win and felt guilty for cheating so I set the time back as it was. I went back to Candy Crush and what the heck? Is said something like I had to wait 1400 and some hours to play again. Really? Isn’t that like a couple of months? Desperate, I went to Google to see what I had done wrong. Apparently the CC gurus had figured out the cheat and ‘fixed’ it. The only thing I could do would be to delete and reinstall the game. If that happened it would take me back to, gasp, level one. Or, I could give them money.

I won’t pay. Delete and reinstall? I couldn’t do it! I had to figure out something else! I’d spent too much time to throw all my efforts away. More research said if you back it up to Facebook then you delete and reinstall it saved your history. I don’t play on FB because I never want some abstract random message popping up when I am at work. But I figured I could back it up, delete, reinstall and then delete from FB. It worked. My history was saved! I was still on the last challenge which I quickly conquered.

It’s been said that desperate times call for desperate measures. That’s what happened. There was a contest between me and the game. The game won. It doesn’t know but when I get tired of it I’ll delete it for good. But in the meantime I still have five lives. Gotta go.

Who can take a rainbow, wrap it in a sigh.
Soak it in the sun and make a groovy lemon pie...

A long time ago I had a pattern for a “Knitted Scarf” my friend Debbie gave me. It was a copy of a boutique scarf that was a hot item back then. I made many and even sold them. The yarn cost so much that I sold them at $20.00 each. And nobody batted an eye.

Of course I lost the pattern for years. It’s a simple triangle scarf, and I could figure it out but there were a couple of little things that made the drape better. Then I found it again! I have a bunch of thin novelty yarn that I thought might be perfect so I got out the needles to make some new ones. It’s quick and fun. I like these because they are versatile. They fold up or spread out. They are light and airy. Just right!

An old scarf, red with black fun fur.

A new one. Green rayon yarn.

Orange rayon and ribbon. Squishy!

Just ribbon.

Other than that I’ve been working on quick things. I wound yarn around this heart, just because and will hang it on my deck.

I finished the mohair cape. It’s cute. Even if I didn't like it what a pain it would be to rip out! I think it would be good over a tank top or in a chilly office.

Cowl, capelet/poncho, skirt??

I’d get a lot more done if I’d keep my hands on the needles and off Candy Crush!! Believe it or not there are some patterns for Candy Crush items out there. Hmmm....

The Candy Man can 'cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good!

Don't Ask Me No Questions

And I won't tell you no lies… 

I ran across something the other day that said we live in a culture of Tell. I know most people just expect but I’d never really thought about it like that. It went on to say that telling puts the other person down. It’s supposed to be a sociological thing.

Personally, I have never liked people telling me what to do. That’s not to say that I won’t do something when I’m told (by my mother or someone like my boss) but I don’t have to like it. If I’m asked to do something, however, the chances improve considerably. It makes all the difference in the world.

After looking up synonyms of “tell someone what to do” I found the list surprising. Words like order, command, and dictate came up. Phrases included “to say that something should be done, in a way that shows you have authority”, “to tell someone exactly what to do and how to behave”, and “to keep telling someone what to do in an unfair and unpleasant way”. Doesn’t that make you want to rush out and do whatever someone TELLS you to do? Ask and you might receive!

It doesn't hurt to ask...

Asking questions however, is another story. My mother says, “Ask me no questions, I’ll tell you no lies.” She especially likes to repeat this when we pester about what Christmas gifts were under the tree or anything else that involved her not wanting us to know! Even though I would rather be asked than told I don’t particularly enjoy being questioned. If I want to share information I will. If I don’t there is no point in asking. I especially dislike those soul searching questions; “What are your strengths?” I freeze. I can’t think. I don’t have any. It’s not really any of your business. When forced I’ll think of something. Pressured, I’ll speak. The tepid reception seals it and I vow never again.

Ask isn’t always nice. Callye was the first class in our town, of pre-kindergartners. It was open to anyone so we had to decide whether to send our tiny four year old to ‘school’ or risk her starting out behind because everyone else was sending their babies. She came home the first day and I asked her, “How was school?” “I don’t know,” she replied. “Why not? Didn’t you have fun?” Her little face clouded up, she frowned and in a teary voice said, “Cameron called me a dumb-ask”. I guess that would put a damper on your day!

Then there are the people who are constantly seeking your opinion on something or other yet always doing the opposite of what you tell them. Why even bother? These people are called askholes. (I wish I had coined this term myself but it’s from the Urban Dictionary). How about the brutally honest? We all know those who feel “don’t ask if you don’t want to know” is the best policy. Alas, it’s not always a pleasant experience.

Generally, it’s usually better to ask if you want something done. Just try a kid at bedtime. They will run any errand for you! Beware the empty questions and remember; only a true friend will ask you how you are and actually wait to hear the answer.

Well, I appreciate your feelings and I don't want to pass you by.
But I don't ask you about your business, don't ask me about mine...

Next time someone says “How are you today?” or maybe “How have you been?” Try saying something nonsensical. It most likely won’t even be noticed. The ‘asker’ will continue on, probably responding with, “That’s nice” or some other such phrase. And you can laugh because you’ll see what I said is true!

If I could, I’d stay home all day and knit. Or crochet. Or anything. I don’t want to get out of the house but I don’t want to be productive when I’m home. Well, productive in the ways I need to be that is. I guess it’s a funk and it will soon pass. Hopefully sooner than later.

I spent (wasted) a lot of time knitting on a Lace Capelet and was close to the end when I decided I wasn’t going to have enough yarn to finish. I don’t know why I didn’t just bind off and make a pretty cowl…but I didn’t. I ripped it all out and started again with another mohair yarn. I didn't even take a picture. Mohair is not fun. If you mess up you might as well just toss it.

Airy...but will it be cool enough?

There's a tiny thread that shines woven throughout this yarn.

But I persevered and even after ripping back a couple of times on this new project am on the way to the finish. I don’t know if it will even be wearable as hot as it is here. It’s something easy though, and hopefully it will knit me out of this mood! I’ll let you know…don’t ask.

But when I come off the road, well I just got to have my time 
'Cause I got to find a break in this action, else I'm gonna lose my mind.
So, don't ask me no questions...
And I won't tell you no lies.