*Sob!*

Carla's closing the store!! Nooo! Leesburg is a little bit more of a drive for me, but I always loved going in to Carla's store when I could. You know how some yarn stores give you that snooty we'll-tolerate-you-because-you're-here vibe? Totally NEVER the case at Carla's. She knew my name on my first visit, and called me by it every time I walked in. She laughed at Travis, asleep at the table in the front of the store (he's precious). She's jovial and loves yarn and has amazing sales and is just a super person. And while I do also frequent other yarn stores that are bigger or shinier, none of them have the warm fuzzies that Carla's store does. (None of them have the Lorna's, Cherry Tree Hill, or giant wall 'o Malabrigo that Carla does either and she has the yarn snob market around these parts cornered, for which I was totally crazy about her, but I digress.) She also has really fair prices, which is harder to find around these parts; seems like most yarn gets marked up a bit in the Sunshine State.

I'll miss her. But! The Tampa people get lucky, AGAIN. The shop is being packed up and transported to Tampa, where there's a good new mommy waiting for it. (Well, an additional mommy - the old mommy's not going anywhere. Carla, from what I understand, will retain ownership, but she has a new fabulous job so she won't have as much of a hands-on thing going.) God, stupid Tampa! They have so many good yarn stores already!!

The A/C is fixed...ish. It's always way colder in my zen yarn room than anywhere else upstairs, which throws off the curve and makes the other rooms feel warmer, so I always think it's not running properly. But we think it is...who can tell. All that matters is that it's liveable up there, and the wool is safe (and for now, so is our bank account,) and I can finally spin again. I NEED to get some things finished!!

We went to see The Order of the Phoenix last night and DUDE. It. Was. Awesome!!!! I don't want to spoil a single thing, but the acting was superb and I absolutely loved the whole thing from beginning to end. (And maybe I'm crazy, or maybe I just didn't notice as much in the first four movies, but I could SWEAR this movie was way heavier on the knitwear. Do you think they've caught on to the whole Harry Potter knitting craze? Because honestly, there wasn't a single scene where I didn't find myself studying a piece of knitwear and scribbling notes in my head.)

Oh!! And I keep meaning to mention this, but I always forget; Pure Knits is having a sale on some nice stuff. I have to pick up some of that Dolly Maxi superwash wool to knit Travis a hat that won't end up felted in the wash. (We're not always super-cautious around here.)

Also, do not read this post. I read it yesterday at work and sat at my desk weeping like a little girl. (If you do read the post, which actually you should because she's one of the best bloggers ever, just be prepared that there's a sad bit coming.) And like an idiot, I read it again when I pulled up the link and now I'm sitting here crying AGAIN. (It's hard being a cat person sometimes.)

Ending on a happy note: Movie Night is fun. Dinner last night? Cheese fries and root beer. Yay cinema! I *heart* gluttony!

Oooh, a happier note: Ms. Gadabout gave me a really great idea for a contest yesterday, so look for that sometime in the next little while!