I’m gone and back to Detroit, and I had a great time.  You can say all you like about the place (and I know people do) but I tell you this,  the people are the best.  I had several experiences that were awesome, and they were all human related.  From the friendly, welcoming service everywhere I went, to the knitters and the folks I met every where I went,  Detroit’s people outshone it’s architecture (which is pretty awesome) and it’s casino’s. (I actually really hate casinos, so I don’t think it’s hard for me to have anybody outshine that.  Poor example.)

Things that were awesome.

1. The Detroit river. All full of ice, with Canada on the other side.

2. This big ex-ferris wheel, where instead of tearing it down, they covered it and turned it into a giant tire.  I don’t know why I loved it, but I did.

3. The city itself is very pretty, and if you look, there’s some wonderfully beautiful things.  This is the third floor of the  library where I spoke.

3. The knitters.

I’m pretty easy to please, no matter where I go I like the knitters, so I suppose this one was a big of a gimmee.  I loved the requisite first sock knitters:
Jennifer, Meg and Lisa, who went over the top and presented  a first sweater.

And there was Steven,

who not only knit his first socks, but knit them for me, which was pretty outstandingly touching.  (I’ve had a good look at them too… they’re perfect. They look nothing like first socks.  Darned good knitting, even though he had to put a rush on them and finished them right there.)

There were babies too, Amy and Moira and Sara and David – who looks so charming in his sleep that I forgive him for not waking up to amuse me.

Juliet knit me a carrot.  (Very charming vegetable.)

I got to meet SpillyJane (maker of fine mitten patterns) and Knitterella and French Press knits.

4. Awesome thing the 4th: This is Brenna.

Brenna is notable because she met me in the bathroom and admitted right there that she had successfully defeated the urge to Kinnear me while I was in there. I loved her instantly, for having the urge,  for admitting it and most of all… for resisting it.  Other people have not been so strong.

5.  I got two more washcloths,  a St. Patricks day one from Jason (who was wicked on Twitter while I was planning this) and a UP one from Kristine.


(UP is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  I felt good that I knew that.)

6. I left my iphone in a cab, and the unbelievable cabbie picked it up, waited until I called it, answered and drove it to my hotel, then demanded nothing from me but a hug for bringing it. I gave him money anyway, but the point is that he was totally going to do if for no reason other than that he was decent.  I loved him.

7. Our lady Presbytera of the comments, who was my faithful native guide, and Alice, who showed up out of nowhere and was a pleasure to see, especially since she shared my love of the Olympics in grand style.

8. This.

Next time I’m going to Motown.  Thanks for being awesome Detroit!