Knitters Coffee Swap 4, etc...

In a weak moment (I've had a few lately!) I signed up for Knitters Coffee Swap 4 (you can see the button posted in the sidebar, but here it is, again, since I like it so much!)

It's a swap where we KNOW who our partners are (I've had bad luck before with swaps, and have decided this is the only way to go!). Yesterday, I got an email from Corinne that we were partners, and we've already swapped the questionnaire, but I believe we're also supposed to post it on the blog, so here it is:
QUESTIONS:
1. Whole bean or ground? Ground for Auto-drip
2. Fully-loaded or decaf? either - I don't have a lot of decaf and that would be a nice touch!
3. Regular or flavored? I love hazelnut and I love chocolate raspberry!
4. How do you drink your coffee? both hot and iced; with either Equal or Sweet n Low - I love lattes but have sworn off them for the time being - too pricey!
5. Favorite coffee ever? Hmm....Starbucks I guess, but Panera's is pretty good, too.
6. Are you fussy about your coffee or will any old bean do? I mix my local brewer's choco raspberry with Maxwell House French Roast (half and half!) every morning - to save on the cost of the flavored! lololol
7. Favorite treats to have with your coffee? I adore biscotti - the almond with a chocolate iced bottom...shortbread, Dove or Godiva Dark Chocolate!
8. Anything else about your coffee preferences? hmm...not that I can think of.
9. Yarn/fiber you love? merino wool, alpaca, llama, camel, mohair
10. Yarn/fiber you hate? acrylic (but if it's in a sock yarn - Opal, Reggia, Trekking - it's okay!) - but I also will use Caron Simply Soft for chemo hats
11. What's on your needles? socks and lace, chemo hats, and cables
12. Favorite colors? purple, pink, red, black, gray
13. Allergies? angora, cigarette smoke
14. Anything you really love, really don't like, or just need to get off your chest? hmm...I'm not a yellow/orange fan (and green isn't me at all). I adore Siamese cat trinkets and such...

I'm looking forward to this. Corinne and I have had a spirited email exchange the past couple of days - our decorating styles are similar (at least those that we WISH we could have!), and her blog has a lot of really neat photos that I enjoyed perusing.

On the car front? I think I lost the battle. I was "granted" the left tire to match the right paid for by the insurance company, but I was responsible for the "betterment" - I am an accountant and I do know what that means...But somehow, in translation between a "bottom line" from the dealership before the negotiation and today when I picked the car up? The cost went UP from the price of 3 tires at $XXX.XX to a cost of 2 tires, plus the betterments of the 2 the insurance company agreed to pay for less betterments, for $XXX.XX PLUS about $65. Hmmm...is it any wonder I feel a trifle violated?

The car was cleaned inside and out and detailed (at "no charge") and looks better than it did when I bought it (except that the NEW headlight is much cleaner than the old one on the other side - I'm assured I can clean it up with the proper materials from the auto supply store...)

Hmm.
I hope I don't hear that I have one light "brighter" than the other, because at this point? I'm not going to pay for the kit to clean it. Maybe DD and SIL would like to consider getting the kit and doing the work for my birthday in July (when the weather is warmer)...that's a thought.

I've been busily working on things for my Etsy store surprise/special promo on Sunday...It was better than watching the MSNBC lineup and getting even more depressed about the economy after spending more money on an accident I didn't cause and wasn't cited for. Grr. I thought sewing might do my blood pressure more good, what do you think?

Then...I decided to spend a few minutes getting a good shot of TM...she wanted to play with the camera strap and this was the best of the lot:


In light of the Knitters' Coffee Swap? Doesn't that sweetie look just like a wonderful cup of dark roast with cream?