There's a word for that . . .

"Knitastrophe" - what happens when you're knitting a Seaman's Cap in black wool in the dimly lit cacophany of The Fun Spot's arcade in Orlando. I dropped a stitch nearly every round of knit 1 purl 2 and finally just frogged the blasted thing.

"Knitguise" - how to camouflage metal double-points to get them through security check-in. I rubberbanded them tightly, tossed them into a bag with a pen, notepad, and needle gauge, and crossed my fingers. Either the checker is a knitter (God bless her) or actually had read the TSA advisory.

"Needle neck" - the craning, longing looks of other people as we waited through four interminable hours of delays thanks to synchronized thunderstorms in Atlanta and Orlando. I had my Seaman's Cap. They had a must-read book club recommendation that just didn't hit the spot.

"Kid magnet" - when a kid is totally bored with every nook and cranny of the boarding area (four hours will do that), anyone who knits becomes the most engrossing entertainment of all time. I had an audience of thumbsuckers, pants-tuggers, dress-lifters, and jiggle-jagglers nearly the entire time.

"Yarn exchange" - a mental calculation of just how much luscious yarn I could have bought for the cost of a single ticket to Epcot, Universal Studios, and Islands of Adventure. Combined.

"Lucky" - With Atlanta's airport shut down for four hours or so on Sunday, flights stacked from here to kingdom come, multiple cancellations, and a plane full of citizens of Ireland, England, Belgium, and more, all wanting to make connections in Atlanta and JUST GET THE HECK HOME . . . the pilot's welcome upon arrival in Atlanta - "we're all lucky to be here" - was certainly heartfelt and appreciated.

Honestly, the Knitternall Clan had a wonderful time in Orlando. We made new memories, walked about 20 miles in 2 and a half days, and are thankful for every moment together.

Plane knitting

Normally, the Knitternall clan is not much into spontaneity. We have issues. There's the "gotta plan it" mentality of the parents, the busy-ness of the girl child's summer schedule of camps, friends, and pool time, and the everpresent Crohn's flare-ups and AP World History assignments for the teen.

Still.

T and I decided on Tuesday that it's time to go to Orlando. We haven't been back since the dreadful trip five years ago, when A was in such excruciating pain and we couldn't figure out what was happening to him. A few short months later, diagnosis, perforations, surgeries, septic shock, etc. etc. etc. Now we'd like to replace those days with some happy memories, especially since A has been somewhat stable lately.

Decided Tuesday, booked tickets and hotel last evening, packed today, and we're flying off in the morning.

Whew.

We'll spend four days hitting the parks and having a blast. AG saw a castle last visit and asked if we could ever stay there. Eureka! Room available and booked. Epcot, DisneyQuest, Islands of Adventure . . . since we're hopping from Mouseland to Universal Mayhem, staying off-property makes good sense. We're packing light and rarin' to go.

On the needles for the trip: Seaman's Cap in black wool for A and a baby hat for one of the bloomin' youngin's coming this November. Easy knits for tight quarters on the plane and sure to keep me from thinking about takeoffs, landings, bumpy air, maintenance hiccups, weather delays, overbooked flights, crazy people trying to shove their entire wardrobes into the overhead bins, and all the other fun of flying.

Whoo-hoo! Can't wait to play!