Well, buncha stuff:

I got the dress all cut out. I don't have the energy to start sewing on it just yet. I have to be in the right mood for that sort of thing.

I also am almost done with the Lightning Bolt sweater! I only have a few rows to go on the sleeve-tops, then I bind those off, then I sew the thing together, then I make the collar, then I block it (I've never blocked a sweater after finishing, but that's what the pattern suggests...).

today has been declared "International socknitting day" by the people on the socknitters list, but right now I'm bent on finishing the sweater, so I don't think I'll knit any on socks today.

I received my two big book orders - one from Bas Bleu and one from Powells. I've been drooling (again, now that I have my own copy) over the beautiful personal libraries in "At Home with Books" (many of those library pictures remained in my mind as the "safe place" I think of when I'm in the dentist's chair or facing turbulence on a plane). I've also been enjoying two of the books from Powell's: I found a used copy of "The Knit Stitch" (Sally Melville) and I'm reading Oliver Sacks' "Migraine".

"The Knit Stitch" is interesting. Even though I generally find all-garter-stitch uninspiring, Melville has done a really good job with design and yarn choice on these. I plan to make one of the lighter-weight "Einstein coats" one day.

She also makes an interesting comment in the book: that 80% of the people knit a sweater in the same color and yarn they see it presented in, and only 20% can "visualize" patterns in different colors. (I would debate that the number is that small...). I am in the second group; I almost never make a pattern as presented. Part of the fun for me is choosing exactly the yarn I want to use.

Sacks' book is interesting, too - it's more straight neurobiology than the other books ("Anthropologist on Mars", "The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat") of his that I've read. But it really grabs me because I get migraines - not as frequently or as severely as most sufferers - but a lot of the "weird" stuff I noticed going on when I get a migraine is actually not at all weird, many people get it.

he also describes some pre-menstrual symptoms (like insomnia) that I've never heard any other woman complain of, but that I've noticed in myself. I feel more normal now.

Oh, and the cat? I finally made a "coffin" for it, and passed it on to friends who have land (where there is more than 6" of soil over the limestone rock). They took it and buried it. (I'm baking them a loaf of whole-wheat-raisin bread as a thank-you). Still, it ticks me off that I can't get the people whose JOB it is to deal with such things to deal with it.