Z and I just got back from a week-long trip up the Oregon coast, with many detours. One of these detours included a visit to the Cape Blanco Lighthouse, which features a first-order Fresnel lens. I know that has nothing to do with knitting at all, but Fresnel lenses are really beautiful.
Composed of interlocking steel-framed plates of molded glass (and weighing nearly a ton), the Fresnel lens is designed to refract the maximum amount of light in a horizontal direction. Before the development of the Fresnel lens, the average lighthouse beacon was visible from three miles out; after Fresnel, that distance increased to twenty-one miles. I was particularly enamored by this lens, as my reading material for this trip was Ahab’s Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund.
We also spent some time in Portland, where I got this fabulous shirt:
I bought this shirt at redbird studio, which is located at 2927 NE Alberta in Portland. It’s a wonderful store where all of the cards, shirts, and other stuff are designed and created by the people who work there. I would have bought every card on the rack if I could have. They all managed to toe the line of sentimentality without actually stepping over it, which is really hard to do (and regular readers know how I feel about “cute”). If you find yourself in Portland, or already happen to live there, please visit this store . . . and don’t ever buy another Hallmark card again.
The other item you see in that picture is a big black rubber band, which I am using to exercise my shoulder. I’ve finally started physical therapy for my knitting injury, and it’s definitely working. I would have started a lot sooner, if it weren’t for this little ditty:
Some poor woman is wondering why her insurance company has approved her for four physical therapy sessions for a repetitive-strain injury. As for me, I’m not sure whether to be relieved that my mysterious pap smear came back negative, to be concerned that my physican is under the impression that I have a cervix, or to be impressed that she was able to perform a pap smear without me being aware of it. I know a few women who wouldn’t mind that kind of pap smear.
And speaking of gender trouble, thanks to everyone who commented on my last post. You all had really interesting and insightful things to say. I’ll be doing a follow-up post soon!