Hooray! I’ve been counting down the minutes til Max got home from his trip and found the birthday package I sent him. I’ve been reading Max’s site for nearly seven years now, from way back when he still had the old “Mr. Plow” domain. (I think this is the first official w-g mention.) Though we’ve never met in person, I’ve come to think of him as a really good friend. He’s always been super supportive of my schemes and ideas, and he’s introduced me to some great dance music. So I decided it was time to thank him! I sent off a secret e-mail to TheRealTimShady and luckily he was a fan of the idea. With his help (surreptitiously getting someone’s shoe size from overseas isn’t easy!), I cracked open Knitting Vintage Socks and whipped up a pair of “Gentleman’s Socks with Lozenge Pattern.” I used two balls of Sirdar Town & Country (with very little left over). Then I packed them into a box with a packet of Tim Tams and a selection of weird Australian candy bars. Unfortunately I was a bit off with my timing; the box made it to Atlanta before Max’s birthday, but he’d already left on a trip to New Mexico! So I had to keep mum about it til he got home. (Which – ask the Snook – isn’t easy. I’m terrible about surprises.) Today brought the happy news that Max is home, he got the package, and the socks fit him perfectly. So hooray! Happy belated birthday, Max.