The story, Part 1

So off I went to Maryland. I took the day off work, had lunch with my mother, and she drove me to the airport. No checked baggage, I had decided.

So I had my carryon, and my "purse", chock full of everything I might need on the plane: knitting, water, food, meds for migraines, chocolate, etc. I checked in: no problem. Got my boarding pass: no problem. Got to security: problem. Steel dpns with Little Boy's socks: stay with Mom. (It is solely the discretion of the security personnel what is or is not allowed on the plane. This airport didn't want them.) Fine. I brought two projects, just for that reason. So they throw my bags through the x-ray machine. Again: problem. I heard the dreaded words "Is this your bag?"

So I made it through the personal scanner without a hitch. My shoes and clothes also made it through the x-ray. It was the "purse" that had an issue. They took it, re-arranged it on the belt and ran it back through at a different angle. And then backed it up again. And THEN called another guy over to look at it, and not-so-terribly-discreetly pointed and discussed "Do you know what that is?" So these two guys in airport security keep looking at me while I'm putting my sneakers back on, and I'm watching them scrutinze my bag, thinking I'm going to lose my Addi turbos with the new lace I'm knitting (I checked, honest, they're only 24"! The regulations say under 30"!) and finally they stare at me a moment longer then give me my bag back.

So I gather up my jacket and my luggage and my "purse" and head for the gates, knowing I'm almost a mile from where I need to be, and never having been in the new terminal. About halfway to the tram I stopped. And started laughing out lod right there in the middle of the airport. After wracking my brain over what could have possibly caused such a sensation in my "purse", it hit me:

these were scattered all over in my bag. I had upended a whole bag of them into my "purse, which has multiple interior pockets at different levels.

Little foil packets. Lots of them. A weekend ticket to the D.C. area. No checked luggage.

I'm over 6' tall, and kind of curvy.

I bet those guys were debating whether they should open my luggage, and if they did, what they would find there! I'm sure they thought they'd find thigh-high boots and leather minis, spiked heels, and corsets! I'm still laughing over what they might think I was doing that weekend! (I wonder if they thought the Addi was a garrotte or something else weird?)

So I made it to Maryland, with my second migraine of the day. So nothing special happened Friday night except hugs and visiting with friends I hadn't seen in two years. The most wonderful hosts I could have asked for!!! And I brought a hostess gift of Opal yarn (of course).

Saturday morning was bright and beautiful, and my friend Sonya and I went to Sheep and Wool! Now, understand, that 2 years ago, the last time I visited Sonya and Dennis, I got her hooked on knitting, and Dennis is still complaining (mildly) about her growing stash. So she wasn't really intending to get into anything in particular, but enjoy the day, have fun, learn something new, and see some sheep.

Well, I bought a few things:

That's Gems Opal and Pearl, and Louet linen mill ends on the top left, Gems Opal in black for socks (already well underway) on the top right, an entire romney fleece (all 2.5 pounds) on the bottom left, and various lovely fibers for spinning on the bottom right including 8oz of superwash wool and 3 silk hankies.

I'll see if I can dig up the info on where everything came from. It's not in front of me right now.

The story will continue...

Oh! And a message for my Dye-O-Rama Mama, if she's browsing through! All dyeing is currently on hold in my house until after Memorial Day weekend, as I'm currently reworking a wedding dress for a friend's bride-to-be who was sold a dress that's 3 sizes too small! So until the white poof is out of my house, not even Kool-Aid will see the light of day! (I did say I do more than knit, right? Sorry, no pics of the wedding dress - I don't trust the groom not to look here and I promised the bride I wouldn't let him see it!))