Jonathon Cainer Says: If you want a perfect example of what's going on in your life at the moment, think about the pop charts. They are full of artists who can't sing, can't play and won't be around for much longer. Yet they are being pursued by the media and adored by millions. Meanwhile, you can safely bet that not far from your own home, there will be musicians and artists who have ten times the talent but are likely to live their whole lives in comparative obscurity. That's just the way it goes sometimes. You don't want the wrong sort of fame or success, really, believe me, you don't! That's what you're being saved from now!

Can I get a "Holy Cow!"?

In other news, what a wonderful weekend, with a bit of a rough ending in traffic on the way home, but just sighs of delight and laughter otherwise.

I went to play with Jen Saturday. It started because I found out she was going to be doing a trunk sale for Spirit Trail Fiberworks at the Reston group Knit Knutz, and I thought that was enough of a push that I might want to drive down. But it's a bit of a hike, so I was still sort of hedging, when she suggested I come to her place in Warrenton Saturday, dye fiber and yarn with her, spend the night and spin with her, then head off to Knit Knutz together on Sunday. SCORE! It was such a wonderful time!

I took home with me some scarlet red Merino/Angora blend, and mostly green with small blotches of red and gold Merino/Silk blend. Then from her trunk sale, I bought two little ounces of superwash Merino, mostly white, with small blotches of blue, green, and brown. That's already spun up, sitting on the bobbin while I decide how I want to ply it.

Jen and I haven't spent much time "alone" together before (that makes it sound almost like a romance is brewing, but no matter how hot she looks in the corset tank top, she's just not my type) but she's someone I've always respected and admired a great deal. It was nice to find we have many similar beliefs and feelings. Both of us feel we were likely spinners in a past life because of how quickly we took to it, possibly in Scotland somewhere, to which we both have immensely strong attractions.

And we watched the Olympics together (Yay! Michael Phelps! I want him to win everything - even the events he hasn't entered!) and found ourselves riveted to the table tennis.

That's right, I said "table tennis" and "Olympics" in the same sentence. Commedienne Kathleen Madigan does a bit about this, and I must say I agree with her. Table Tennis is not an Olympic sport. Neither is Badminton. I am in no way denying these people are good at this. I am in no way denying they could kick my butt in these games with both hands and nine toes tied behind their backs. But it's just not what I think the ancient greeks had in mind when they developed the Olympics. I am personally of the mindset that if you could play it with a beer in your hand, it's maybe not so much of a sport.

But as we were watching, Jen and I decided we would train for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Her event will be Thumb Wrestling, mine Hide-and-Go-Seek.

Thoughts for the Day:

Kathleen Madigan - "Can you imagine the commentators for that? 'Well, Bob, the Canadian team has been missing for four and a half hours. The Polish team is still standing in the middle of the field.'"

Unknown - “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”

Charles Barkley - “I don't believe athletes should be role models.... We're a one-shot deal, one in a million, so we should be the least likely role models.... I think one of the problems in society today is that we don't stress education enough, because we glorify athletes, actors and actresses.”