Jeez Leweez & Weekend Photos Too!

Jeez Leweez ... no, not exasperated, it's a yarn store review . Actually, 3 reviews in one. I'v made the rounds and seen the shops. This weekend, on my weekly sojourn to Captiva, I visited Jeez Leweez, a lovely little shop on Sanibel Island. It's primarily a needlepoint shop so I was a bit disappointed. The owner couldn't be nicer, as friendly as they come the moment I walked in. Unfortunately, they don't do finishing or really have much of a yarn selection but if you're in need of a canvas or other stitchery, Jeez Leweez is the Miss Congeniality of knitting shops in southwest Florida.

I also visited Idle Hours. This shop is practically around the corner from home and has a nice selection of yarns - a lot of cotton blends but it is Florida after all! Again, the owner was really friendly but I definitely got that "why is this man in my store vibe". Once we started chatting though, she told me about their special events, best times to come and their secret knitting night when the locals gather after hours! I'm sure this will become my shop of choice based just on its geography. If you live in the area, I'm sure this is a great place to learn to knit.

The last shop was in Naples, Knitting with Nancy and definitely had the widest array of yarn. This place was jam packed with stash options. One of the owners, who never really seemed to get over the "why is this man in my store vibe" was extremely knowledgeable about knitting. This was not someone who jumped on the bandwagon as knitting got popular but someone whose been knitting a lifetime. She will be my finisher for sure but her shop is just too far away for weekly/everyday "drop in" knitting. I'd also highly recommend this shop to anyone looking to learn to knit or advance their skills.

It's funny, Knitting with Nancy is run by two or three women and reminded me of a knitting shop in Chatsworth, CA run by two elderly sisters who fought like cats and dogs and spoke to each other like Liz and Dick in Who's afraid of Virginia Wolfe? It was always a hoot stopping there. I heard through the grapevine they recently closed (and had a huge sale). I'm sad they closed and even more sad that I missed the sale!

Otherwise, the rest of the weekend was spent in the sun and working on my photography skills. I'm appreciating foliage, those that know me in L.A., are roaring!

P.S. Saw the new Viggo Mortenson film, could have been great but missed its mark. In one scene, Viggo's naked in a Haman and gets into a "to the death" kind of fight with 2 other thugs and all I can say is they edited it very carefully cause I was looking and I didn't see a thing. What's that about?

Hot Dogs & Sunshine!

The Jets & Sharks! Venus & Mars! East Coast & West! You can't beat an east coast mentality – enter Joey and his Snack Boat!

Here on Captiva Beach you catch some rays, watch the dolphins, take a walk on the beach and you belly up to the boat? This weekend I met Joey of Joey's Snack Boat! Here's a guy who drives his pontoon boat around to local beaches selling char-broiled hot dogs, ice cream, and candy bars. And they're pretty good -- Joey doesn't do turkey, veggie or chicken anything either. You're lucky if he puts what you like on it and you like whatever he puts on it. He's selling up the real deal and you're expected to spill some mustard on yourself and wash up in the Gulf. Napkin, Shmapkin! No frills, nothing fancy.

In L.A., I tried to find Joey's-style anything but rarely hit the mark. Oceanside eateries sometimes seemed less about the sashimi they're serving up and more about being seen a la Paris Hilton. These days I'm digging my east coast roots and my vote's for Joey. After all, us Joey's have to stick together and every now and then, everyone but Paris apparently, needs something that sticks to their ribs! There's a reason Joey Chestnut is famous in Coney Island and not Catalina!

On the knitting front, I've sent the current WIP off for finishing and I'll be starting something new (that's code for posting about knitting), just for me as soon as my Knitpicks order arrives!

P.S. Today was "Talk Like a Pirate Day", no shit! Have a great tomorrow, matey!

Peace, this Joey, knitguyla

Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore....

As a sat watching pre-Emmy coverage on E, the Emergency Broadcast System chimed in with the infamous, "This is not a test". What! "NOT a Test" They said there was an emminent alert for a tornado touching down in Lee County and to go into an interior room and put your head down immediately.

What the hell! This only happens in the movies.

Cape Coral is only minutes away but the storm itself headed north and left us with only lightening -- a full sky, electric assault. Incredible!

Moments later, there on the news, there was damage, worry for friends in the area and every emergency vehicle going in one direction.

I thought the beauty of Florida was that there were warnings as hurricanes approached unlike L.A. where earthquakes just happened!

As I sat knitting my socks on the bathroom floor trying to distract myself I realized that knitting has a place in any circumstance.

Tomorrow I'll spend the day at the LYS but until then I'll safely head off to bed -- knitting close at hand. Joe

9/11

A Bird, A Turtle and Sunset oh my....

Yes, knitting has been slow going in these parts but I'm still exploring my new surroundings. Today, I share with you "Sunset on Sanibel Island" and my "Day at the Beach"

I have to say that I'm really digging the beach these days. I never really got its appeal but I'm learning more with every visit. First off, you can swim in the Gulf waters because they're so wonderfully warm! I saw a jellyfish and screamed like a girl but other than that, it was uneventful.

There are turtles just hanging out everywhere, holding up traffic on the road and wandering any place they want -- gotta love a protected species who's not afraid to use it.

And the clouds, they bring an entirely amazing dimension to the sky. They move with lightening speed and do amazing things to the sunsets. I was never very fond of the sunset in California because the sky is so empty but not the case today!

Yes, the perpetually urban guy, who "hates" the outdoors is loving the beach - even if I don't particularly like taking my shirt off -- YET! But that's another post coming soon!

Discover this....

I can't put my finger on it but .....



he's single
he lives in San Francisco
he's a professional opera singer
he's is a former host of QVC where he sold simulated diamonds

and he's 6 feet tall. He's got future ex lover written all over him, no?

I don't think the fact that he's regularly covered in poop really fits into my equation but it's my blog right?

If you haven't seen Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel, the show's a hoot and one of those pleasures that no one is willing to admit they love! Mike Rowe's the host and as charming and self-depricating as they come.

Somehow I don't think the mud we use at the spa is going to qualify for an episode! Drats.