Friday, March 31, 2006

Stream of consciousness: read at your own risk.

This is such a disjointed post that I'm warning you ahead of time. This is stream-of-consciousness. So close the window now if jumping from subject to subject distresses you.

I'm really good at setting goals and achieving them. Really. I am the worst designer, though. My designs are fine; I'm just reluctant to write them down. Mostly because I don't have time, and when I do have time, I would rather knit something else than type up what's in my head.

If only there were a sync cable so that I could plug myself into my laptop and just transfer my ideas, so that I could happily knit along, watching my Tivo, while I put the designs down for general use. But I have to write down the two patterns I promised Melinda for Maryland Sheep and Wool, which I will be attending this year. (Wooo!) That's going to get done this week, really.

Andrew is visiting his brother in Florida, who is opening a brewery... today. Or yesterday, EST. So it's me, Mom, and the schmoopies for the weekend. I have to take the dogs out for a walk; we couldn't take them to the park to run out their energy and they're starting to go stir crazy from the rain.

I want to go to Vegas again; this time, I'm going to NOT pull my groin walking. Girls can pull their groin muscles, right? I want to see Blue Man Group. And Avenue Q again. I will go prepared to the Star Trek Experience and not be mocked by a Ferengi again.

Work is great; I'm having a lot of fun there, but I am so tired today. Good thing it's Friday. They set me up with a second screen to work on side-by-side, and I must say that it is oh-so luxurious.

We need to do some work on the house; I want to paint, but we have this fugly wood paneling on one wall in the living room, and one side of the staircase. My aunt is giving me all of my mother's counted cross stitch (which she has been hoarding for close to 15 years), so I'm trying to figure out how and where to hang it.

I love croissants. Buttery goodness.

Ok, going to bed now.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

FO'ing like a Mo'Fo' and Knitting in Public

I've been on a crazy sock kick; AND I've finished 8 projects so far this month. Woo!

Knitting in Public
There was a thread on KnitFlame about how it's innappropriate to knit in meetings. One idiot woman posted that one should ask EVERYONE in the meeting's permission to knit through a meeting that the other members of the meeting ichat/gossip/play solitare/doodle/sleep through.

I think not. It's not because I'm a raging individualist. It's because it helps me focus. I knit in such a way that isn't distracting, and most meetings I knit through are the ones that are on my time (i.e. mandatory lunch meetings). Some meetings are appropriate to knit through, some aren't.

Don't tell me whether I can knit through things that I pay to attend. And I do. I knit through college, I knit through movies, and I knit through theatre. It's what I do.

I had this horrible journalism professor in college who had convinced herself that I never listened in class. Her class was useless; it was all about the "good ol' days" when she was a high-profile editor, not about how to interview or how to write a good article. I suppose that's what you get from someone who only has a Bachelor's degree. (This criticism has a point- the college has a policy of "only highing the highest accredited people in their field". All my other professors actually taught. Her journalism class was sitting around, wasting four hours of our lives each week chatting about how it used to be.) This particular professor also told me I was wasting my life by getting married. Oh, and she's such an independant thinker that she started smoking, andsmoked two packs a day to "fit in" with all of the other editors. Way to march to your own drummer, lady.

Anyway, the last week of class, we were talking about judgement in selecting photos, and she referenced a comment she had made the first week of class. None of her "stars" [read: "favorites"] knew the answer, and I let the silence hang in the room for a good thirty seconds before I looked around the room, looked her in the eye, and gave her the correct answer.

What did her dumb butt say? "Wow, all this time I thought you weren't listening."

I didn't answer with, "Wow, it's not like you're teaching."

Just for the record, of all of her "stars", none of them can hold a job that can feed them or clothe them. The moral of this story? People who think you aren't listening aren't saying anything worthwhile.

Oh yeah, and at my lunch meetings, everyone thinks it's cool that I can knit and talk, and not look at my knitting. Boo-yah!

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Success! (And 2 FO's!)

We got a note from the vet telling us that Niki was due for his bordetella vaccine (for Kennel Cough), so Andrew and I strategized.

We decided, since the dogs love riding in the car now, we would do a "happy vet" visit, then take them straight to the dog park afterwards.

Yesterday, I met Andrew and the pupples at the vet and we had the GREATEST experience. It took a little bit of coaxing to get them into the back room, but
Andrew and I both left the room and panic did not ensue. We went straight to the dog park and all was well. We dropped the dogs off at home and went out for Ethiopian food (which was A-FREAKING-MAZING!) with the DMC crowd (formerly the Hopf crowd). Then back to the DMC for Dr. Who, which I promptly slept through.

This morning we had a 9AM appointment with our vet, whom we LOOOOVE. She's been our vet for a little over 6 years now, which really says something. Especially since we drive across town to see her. I digress.

We get there, and everything goes so amazingly smoothly that I can't believe what I'm seeing. I had to help keep Niki standing when he got his temperature checked (Niki was trying to sit for treats, our method of distracting him). Elphie was super good. They both got their Kennel Cough immunization, so we can take them to obedience classes now.

We take them to the dog park after, things go great. Such a good day. Today is knitting, and that should be good. Let's just say that the dogs are whipped puppies and are napping right now. :)

FO's:

I made a hat to match the scarf that I finished, AND I started and finished the Confetti socks (Tess Yarns). Woo!

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Fromage, and Multiple FO's.

So, in sad rattie news, we had to put Fromage to sleep. She was two years old and had horrible, malignant cancer. We buried her next to Macy. That was Tuesday.

Andrew drove Contstance up to Auburn on Thursday, and came back on the train. The dogs were pacing and going crazy, since there was a change in routine, so I piled them into the car when it came time to pick up Andrew. Niki barked and growled at a police officer. The cop laughed.

FOs:

I finished the entrelac scarf I've been obsessed with, and Joey's socks. Not bad for a week's work. I've also got some designs sketched out (poorly, but they're on paper), that I'll be making demo's of.

Sunday, March 5, 2006

FO! and Sticking it to The Man

Since I've started my new gig, I've had more energy in general. I think working with people who are nice to you and doing work that is challenging has been really good for me. I have energy when I get home from work, meaning we're taking the dogs to the dog park 2-3 times a week (after work, even), and on Saturdays and Sundays, I'm getting things accomplished. Like...

6:45 AM- Wake up, and realize you can't fall back asleep. Plan for the morning.

Take a shower, get dressed, put on makeup, get to Cost Plus by 9 AM to do shopping for the tea party. Spend $45 on goodies (that I plan on eating the leftovers of).

9:35 AM- Leave Cost Plus. Realize that the LYS that I am no longer frequenting doesn't open until 10:30 AM. Decide to go to a truck stop-esque brunch joint that I love (also was mine and Zak's special place to get brunch, twice a week). Eat breakfast (Chocolate chip pancakes, 2 cups of decaf coffee, one of
Andrew's sausage patties).

10:15- Finish breakfast, pay, drive to LYS, make Andrew listen to "A Little Priest" from the Patti LuPone cast of "Sweeney Todd". Still get to the LYS before they open, so we walk our Netflix over to the Post Office next door.

10:35 AM- I returned the excess Lorna's Laces yarn. I was anxious about doing this, since the store I bought it from has always been rude to me, and I've never really felt any older than six everytime I've been there. They can stuff their snotty 'tude, I'm taking my FAT PAYCHECK (ok, not fat, but plumper than before) elsewhere. So there. That was $105, credited BACK to my credit card. Boo-yah! That's how I stick it to the man. And the best part, I smile at the woman at the counter and say in the sweetest way, "You know, the yardage on one ball of this yarn is enough for a WHOLE PAIR of socks for me! What a value!"

10:45 AM- Drive to Donut Joint to pick up the dozen donuts I promised my knitting group. Go across the street and reset the PIN number I have forgotten twice in the last year. (I don't really use the ATM, ever.) While we're at the bank, we take care of two other things.

11:35 AM- Head back home, vaccum, expecting the knitting group at noon. Niki sits on the chairs once they are vaccumed, supervising the quality of my work and defeating the purpose of vaccuming said chairs. Reposition furniture for optimum knitting group comfort.

1:15 PM- Knitting group shows up. Fun ensues. Chili/Sweet Corn Tomalito is served for Linner. Ice cream for dessert. We miss Cynthia, but still have a good time. Constance joins us for the last leg, on her last brain cells from an attempt on her life. The method of choice for her assassin? Boredom. The crowd is out by 8 PM, I'm out cold shortly thereafter.

See how productive the morning ALONE was? Today, not so much.

Knitting News:

I'm on a finishing kick, still, I finished another pair of Lorna's Laces socks for Andrew (who wants his Lorna's socks done BEFORE other ones, but that's okay, I'm knitting mine as soon as I free up a set of needles, and he's got MAYBE 4 pairs left after this one). I'm finishing a sweater that was originally for Zak (started, ahem, about 6 years ago). Thank goodness we're basically the same size for sweaters. It'll look great on me, although, the downside of this finishing kick is that I think the rest of the yarn for this sweater is in my mother's garage. I think.

I'm addicted to this scarf I'm knitting, it's on the bias and looks like faux entrelac. It impressed my nieces today, after our tea party (upcoming post on how I have "SUCKER" written on my forehead, and the tea party), as did my beaded stitch markers.

More later, off to watch "The Passion of the Christ". Woo.