Chicago!

Well, technically, St. Charles. I’m at the Pheasant Run resort, teaching classes for the Sewing & Quilt Expo. I’m supposed to be printing out my class packets, but instead I’m dicking around on the internet.

If you want to take my Stash Shawl class (6:00 tonight) or my Hat Menagerie (gnome, bear, pony, kitty, lambykin, devil, etc.) class (6:00 Friday night), get yer ass down here. You can register here at the Mega Center (which is not an awesome bargain salvage outlet, as I hoped when I saw the sign, but a small expo center) at the Pheasant Run Resort. I think they’re about $60 for a 3-hr class & there’s plenty of room. Afterwards, Shannon & I will probably be having drinkies and knitting under the influence in the hotel bar. Shannon will be unwinding after a busy day, and I’ll be mourning my depressing unpopularity and poor choices in packing.

Last night at the Target next door, I responsibly put back the brown boots I was going to buy to make up a cuter outfit than what I had packed, but I think tonight I’ll be creeping back after class to get the boots in hopes of bolstering my faltering self-esteem. I keep telling myself there’s alluring classes actually in Chicago this weekend and it’s Stitches East, so I shouldn’t feel bad, but still.

I took the train up here yesterday. On the way up, roomettes were cheap, so I holed up in my adorable little private-closet-con-bunk and listened to the 10 records on my iPod and knitted stuff I later frogged, twice. It was fun, and actually went by too quickly for my liking. On the way home, the roomettes were expensive, so I’ll be in coach longing for the good life in the sleeper car. And the train gets in so late & stupid Topeka rolls up the sidewalks on Sunday, so I had to bail on the class I was so excited to take next week, because there’s no way for me to rent a car in time to actually drive to my class before it’s well underway.

I’m also hoping for some more good Mexican food  for dinner tonight (last night, I had some excellent tacos al pastor). Afterwards, I was so tired, I dropped like a log before I even had a change to imbibe in the chocolate and build-your-own-beer packs we’d assembled at the Target liquor store. (They have liquor stores in Target here! Now if they add a yarn store, all  my retail dreams will finally come true!)

Okay, I’m going to get to work printing out my glorious handouts. I’m starting out a new stash shawl for my stash shawl class, but I’m afraid I might be raiding some yarn I was tentatively planning on using in another Faux Fair Isle sweater. But it’s not like I can’t order some more Beaverslide. And I wanna new shawl!