Vancouver Trip Photos

I went to Vancouver! There was a training for work, and Dan has an extra week of vacation than me, so he tagged along. It was really great having him, since work trips on your own without any coworkers can get really lonely. It also gave me an excuse to go out and do touristy stuff (it can be awkward doing that stuff on your own - I did it this summer in Frankfurt and New Orleans when I went, so I know I CAN do it, it's just depressing!)

Obviously there were a lot of obnoxious couple selfies - but I figured for my blog, it'd be better to share the good photos that I took! So, here they are:

Pulled pork pancakes at the Red Wagon Cafe. I strongly believe everyone should make a pilgrimage to experience these. I ate them two breakfasts in a row.

Lights in Gastown. We spent a lot of nights walking around downtown Vancouver, since my training was 8-5.

Looking up a tree in Capilano Forest. We went to the Vancouver Art Gallery a few days later and I saw a painting that looked just like this. I guess great minds think alike!

Sun shining through the trees in the Capilano Rainforest. Yes, we spent two hours (and paid a ton of money) walking through a rainforest in Canada! I thought it was worth it, but of course I spitefully read every sign did every activity, and took a bazillion photos to get my money's worth :)

The view walking across the Capilano Suspension Bridge.

A flower at the Bloedel Conservatory. I'm actually really proud that I managed to take this on my phone. (My camera lens had fogged up.)

Weird cabbage plants at Bloedel Conservatory. They actually weren't even planted, they were sitting in a bucket by the door. It was actually pretty ugly looking, but I used artful cropping.

This last one might be my favorite picture of the week. We were looking at all the finches eating from bird feeders, standing back so that the drove of toddlers can get a closer look, when a guide comes up and asks "Have you seen the nests?" We say no, and he quietly shows us this nest up in the branches! The two finches in it were looking out, and we watched them watch us for a while. After a minute, the Dad (on the left) flew off and you could see chicks peeking out! 

Anyway, that was my week. I brought 1 knitting project (Dan's striped socks) and made good progress! But nothing really worth photographing. Sorry!

Checking In

I'm not knitting very much, mostly because of the hand - I've got to take it slow. Before, most of my "spare strength" that I had went to knitting, but now it's all going to strength training. Which, by the way, sounds way awesome-er than it actually is.

But I've been making little bits of progress! I'm also stuck, though, which is tough.

First road block: Puppycat.

He looks like a puppycat! Hooray! But... I lost my notes for him. Though I could finish him free-style, I was really excited to have the notes to put up as a pattern. It's been a long time since I've published any patterns. Really long. So losing the notes has been a bit demoralizing. So, he's in time out until I find them.

Second road block is on my pretty little blanket. Can you see it?

How about now?

Okay, I'm sure it's actually really hard to see... but I can't un-see it! This row is supposed to be red, but it's orange. ORANGE. And I had to find it after I finished the entire row. No, I couldn't figure it out after the first square. Or the third. I had to realize it after laying out the pieces to bask in my pride.

So, I have to tear out that entire row and re-make it with the right color. I just haven't gotten enough guts together to do it. 

My other projects are going along slowly but surely. I've got a baby sweater that's almost done (!) (Yes, I might finish a project this year!) which I don't have pictures of. I've also got two socks going.  The first is a pair of socks for me, designed by the amazing Anne Hanson:

The second pair is... you guessed it... more waltz socks! I started these in Rochester for Dan. He picked out the yarn, but I'm a little worried that they won't make very good socks. But I don't really care, because the colors are great.