So.

What to post that is tres amusant and entertaining and wonderful, and does not ONCE AGAIN refer to the fact that it is so hot here, that if the devil appeared in the middle of main street, he'd go, man, I'm glad I live in Hell, at least it's cooler there?

the official high yesterday was 108. There was a heat index in Ardmore recorded at 112. It is supposed to "break" this weekend and "only" be in the upper 90s. Of course, I will be in Illinois then, where it will probably be a few degrees cooler but a few points more humid, and therefore a wash.

I did finish the Kureyon hat, put it in the box for Dulaan 2007. That makes three hats, a neck gaiter (someone on KR was asking for patterns for "neck 'gaters'." Hee. I wouldn't want a 'gater anywhere near my neck.) and a pair of tiny socks for a child.

I want to fill the box up well before I send it off.

I'm also up to the heel flap on the second Jaywalker sock. I do not know why these go so slowly. I don't think I'm the only one who has noticed this pattern seems to proceed slowly - I don't know if it's a denser stitch, or if the double decrease/double increase combo just slows things down, or what.

I have tentatively decided on travel knitting. I plan to finish the Jaywalkers, and also take the cabled "Hagebutte" socks I began LAST trip and have hardly worked on since. And I plan to take the Hiawatha stole and maybe the Monet laceweight scarf.

Among new projects, I think I will take (and start) the "Spring in Door County" socks from Blackberry Ridge. And also the Maple Seed Trajectory hat - I found the pattern on another science-knitting blog. (I'm too lazy to look it up again right now but I have the link somewhere in my archives of this past month). I have some pinkish Araucania wool that should work nicely for that.

And I'm also going to, as is typical of me, toss in a couple of balls of "just plain" sockyarn. You know, just in case. In case I finish or get bored with everything else I have. In case something horrible and terrible happens and all travel in the US is shut down for a week or two and I can't get back home at the end of my trip.

I'm still contemplating books. Probably a couple more simple-read mysteries which are good when travelling and distressed. And maybe one of the several biographies of Franklin that have come out in the past few years. Unfortunately none of my "ancient history" books about Rome or Greece or the Celts are small enough to be easily transportable; after reading that one about Roman Britain, I'm interested in learning more about ancient Rome or other ancient European cultures.

I also need to take my field boots this trip, which is a little tiresome, as they're heavy and take up a lot of room in the suitcase. But I don't think it can be avoided. I'm also a bit concerned about my poster-tube: it's big and bulky and if they're going to really be sticklerish about it, it will make 3 carry-ons on the train rather than the permitted 2. But I can't do anything else: folding the poster will only ruin it, and I can't NOT take a suitcase or a smaller case of "personal" stuff (including knitting). I also hope they don't make me take the posters OUT to prove that I'm not some kind of terrorist, it was almost impossible to get them rolled up and in, and re-rolling them on the train or the platform will surely be a way to get them dirty or torn.

Speaking of terrorism: my department chair's young (5 y.o.) son shares a name with a supposed terrorist. Thus, he is technically on a no-fly list. My department chair was talking about all the hassle they have to go through every time at the airport to prove that this small, bespectacled child is not a threat. (Seriously: he is small for his age, rather precocious and talkative, wears glasses, and is generally polite to adults).

I think if it were my situation, I'd give up flying altogether. But my department chair's parents are in New York State, so I guess the only "easy" way for the grandparents to see Michael is for them to fly.

I haven't flown since 1999. Honestly. I don't know what all it would entail but I know that my father has had some hassles (he has one short leg and has a lift inside his shoe, which always freaks the TSA people out). And one of my colleagues alluded to some "horrible ordeal" he faced the last time he flew (he wasn't forthcoming so I don't know if it was the actual strip-search or if it was just dealing with a rude agent. Knowing this person, it could have been anything from being asked to take off his shoes on up.)

I think I'll stick with the train, even though planes are (technically) safer. I go by the advice of a minister I knew, who always traveled by car or bus, never by plane. He said: "In the Bible, it says, "Lo(w), I am always with you..."" Okay, bad joke.