In which my new hat is almost patriotic (just not sure for which country)

My knitting mojo is back! I guess the job was making me more nuts than I realized. So glad I found a new one!

I cast on Scopes again. I love the pattern, it is super easy, and it looks amazing. I wanted to use up stash yarn (I’m not quite SABLE, but it’s getting close). Found yarn that refused to be a Christmas stocking, and cast on.

Looking at my color choices later, with the big, bold stripes, I realized something.

“I think I’m making a flag hat by accident.”

Quinn, who is sitting next to me surfing Reddit, looks at the hat, and starts googling for flags with white, red and green.

Depending on where you are in the pattern, a case can be made for the flag of either Hungary or Bulgaria. I still love it. I’m just going to call it the Hungary Bulgarian hat on the project page. ?

The soon-to-be Hungary Bulgarian hat.

Hi Astronauts!

So, I do this thing. I go outside at night to spot satellites.

Tonight, I went out with my tea and a plan to spot at least one satellite, despite a wicked bright moon, before bed.

I spotted one right off. It was really bright, the brightest I’ve seen. And it was moving really fast, too fast to be a plane. I yelled for Quinn and told him the International Space Station was passing by.

We waved at the astronauts, I spotted another three satellites (one flared twice!), and we called it a night after the kids yelled at us.

If you want to see the ISS, check here. Spot the station will give you times it will pass overhead!

In which Quinn is thwarted

Me: When this cup is completely empty, I will get ready for the day.

Quinn: Really?

Quinn: <casually gets up, stretches, starts walking towards me>

Me: <grabs the cup>

Him: <stares at me>

Me: <takes a little sip>

Him & Me: STAREDOWN

Him: WHAT?

Me: I can’t tell if you are going to take my cup and dump it out or not.

Him: <laughing>DAMMIT!

My almost empty coffee cup

Meteors!

The Girl Scout troop was going to do some late night thing for a badge – go somewhere people work late, go to Panera for dinner, watch a movie, blah. I have to say, I thought Girl Scouts would be more like the Boy Scouts (Hiking badge YEAH!). But no. Girls apparently don’t do the cool stuff.  I mean, hosting an “extreme nighttime party” as a badge requirement?!

Yesterday, we figured out that the Lyrid meteor shower peaked tonight, April 21. Faced with the choice of seeing Stop and Shop getting restocked, and heading out with blankets, 3 layers of hoodies, and some Dunkin’ hot chocolate, the choice was clear.

Screw Stop and Shop.

We went to a recreation area in Tewksbury, the closest we could find to a good, dark, publicly accessible field. After setting up a blanket under us, and another on top, we cuddled together and started watching the skies. We saw multiple meteors, two normal satellites, and one Iridium flare. Every one of those satellites was spotted by Beta, the Champion of Satellite Detection. She pointed out the Iridium satellite before it had a chance to flare, so we all got to see it.

We hung out in the field for about 45 minutes before it got too cold, and we were tired.

And of course, on the ride home, Beta saw one last  meteor. Awesome end to the night.