Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Quickly
Quick post for your reading pleasure, many exciting things have been happening that I need to update you all about, but it will have to wait until next week. (Are you waiting in suspense? You should be.) Something I was thinking about the other day was how disappointed I am when some of my favorite bloggers don't post every day or even every week. I always think to myself "Hey, I'm trying to keep up with you and your creative life here. Throw me a bone!" Then I realized what a hypocrite I was being! I don't post weekly, though I try, and I definitely don't post daily! Who am I to judge? I always have a rationalization for it though, "I'm in law school, I'm busy" "I'm too tired to post after classes" "I'm always on the computer for school and work, I just want time to knit/sew/relax" So if those are all my excuses, what do you suppose a mother of three's excuses are? Or a photographer with baby's excuses are? Or anyone elses excuses are? Surely they are at least as good as, if not better than mine! In that vein, I have decided to be less of a judgy-judgerson until I can get my act together. No promises, but I will attempt to be a bit better about the old blog here. Even if it's just a quick update. Well, I'm off! Two big projects due for two big classes!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Why Hello There!
Oh my goodness! I can't believe I haven't posted since August! I will, of course, summarily blame school. Normally I wouldn't because I usually use class time to catch up on things like e-mail, blogging and ravelry. This year however, I've been shockingly engaged in my classes. Leave it to me, last year of law school and I'm finally taking classes that are engaging.
First things first, there's this young woman in one of my classes, she's well spoken, very pretty and as cute as a basket full of kittens. One day we were discussing a case involving arbitrary discrimination against women as corrections officers in jails and prisons. It was an arbitrary limitation not narrowly tailored for the particular business purpose. (Still following me? It gets better, I swear.) So this little Kitten speaks up and says that she feels the regulation is fine, and that she doesn’t believe that women should be corrections officers anyway. (WHAT!?!?!) When pressed why she thought that she stated it was because women are nton intimidating enough, nor are physically or emotionally equipped to handle the job. (Yeah, I know what you're thinking. I was thinking it too.) So when one of us suggested that perhaps, the state correctional facilities in question could impose rigorous strength and fitness tests, just as the fire department does, she said "I don't think women should be firefighters either." My school is very liberal and many of the women that teach and that attend are all subscribers to varying levels of feminism, but one of the mainstays is that nearly all of them believe at least, in equal pay for equal work and the right of a woman to have any job she can handle, regardless of her gender. So to come across someone that has had so much education and has even gotten to law school that feels that way is a bit, well, shocking. I'm not saying I would expect her to be a crazy left-wing feminist. I'm just saying that I would expect more from her than that.
Moving right along, Ry and I celebrated his 30-something birthday last week and one of his requests was a homemade yellow cake with berries, something light and summery. So I scrounged the internet and found a Strawberry meringue cake (I used a boxed yellow cake mix for the base. It was just a bit easier for me, this time.)
with homemade whipped cream frosting. Wow! What an endeavor, but I am happy to say that the meringue turned out and the whipped cream frosting was pretty easy to make. It was just a delightful cake.
I finished my Belle Cardigan, and I have to block it before I decide if I like it or not. I knit it in Rowan Spray, in a mottled red color way and it is very cute, but I need to see how it fits after blocking before I make my final decision. I'm still plugging away on the February Lady Sweater, although I'm a bit disenchanted with it at the moment. (Totally me and my yarn, not the pattern in the least.) I have to cast on for 3 pairs of mittens this weekend and I have a BSJ in the works as well. Whew! A lot of knitting to work on, it seems.
This weekend Ry and I are taking a trip up to Woodstock, VT for a special little outing and will be staying at a quaint little B&B. We are both very excited about this trip, and Ry's sister K will be looking after the dogs, so it'll be just us. It'll be a nice change to sleep in a bed that isn't full of dogs for a night!
First things first, there's this young woman in one of my classes, she's well spoken, very pretty and as cute as a basket full of kittens. One day we were discussing a case involving arbitrary discrimination against women as corrections officers in jails and prisons. It was an arbitrary limitation not narrowly tailored for the particular business purpose. (Still following me? It gets better, I swear.) So this little Kitten speaks up and says that she feels the regulation is fine, and that she doesn’t believe that women should be corrections officers anyway. (WHAT!?!?!) When pressed why she thought that she stated it was because women are nton intimidating enough, nor are physically or emotionally equipped to handle the job. (Yeah, I know what you're thinking. I was thinking it too.) So when one of us suggested that perhaps, the state correctional facilities in question could impose rigorous strength and fitness tests, just as the fire department does, she said "I don't think women should be firefighters either." My school is very liberal and many of the women that teach and that attend are all subscribers to varying levels of feminism, but one of the mainstays is that nearly all of them believe at least, in equal pay for equal work and the right of a woman to have any job she can handle, regardless of her gender. So to come across someone that has had so much education and has even gotten to law school that feels that way is a bit, well, shocking. I'm not saying I would expect her to be a crazy left-wing feminist. I'm just saying that I would expect more from her than that.
Moving right along, Ry and I celebrated his 30-something birthday last week and one of his requests was a homemade yellow cake with berries, something light and summery. So I scrounged the internet and found a Strawberry meringue cake (I used a boxed yellow cake mix for the base. It was just a bit easier for me, this time.)
with homemade whipped cream frosting. Wow! What an endeavor, but I am happy to say that the meringue turned out and the whipped cream frosting was pretty easy to make. It was just a delightful cake.
I finished my Belle Cardigan, and I have to block it before I decide if I like it or not. I knit it in Rowan Spray, in a mottled red color way and it is very cute, but I need to see how it fits after blocking before I make my final decision. I'm still plugging away on the February Lady Sweater, although I'm a bit disenchanted with it at the moment. (Totally me and my yarn, not the pattern in the least.) I have to cast on for 3 pairs of mittens this weekend and I have a BSJ in the works as well. Whew! A lot of knitting to work on, it seems.
This weekend Ry and I are taking a trip up to Woodstock, VT for a special little outing and will be staying at a quaint little B&B. We are both very excited about this trip, and Ry's sister K will be looking after the dogs, so it'll be just us. It'll be a nice change to sleep in a bed that isn't full of dogs for a night!
Friday, August 29, 2008
No More HumDrum Mittens Questionnaire
How long have you been knitting & how did you learn?
I am a self-taught knitter and have been knitting since 2006.
Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I would say I am an advanced intermediate.
What are your favorite colors? Any you dislike?
I love all colors especially purple, red and turquoise. I do not like mustard or olive colors.
Do you like Latvian type patterns? If so, what are your favorite patterns?
I do like latvian type patterns, although I have no favorites, they are all too lovely to decide on just one.
Do you desire mittens for yourself, your "special someone else" or your child?
For myself! (Selfish, I know!)
What is the measurement from your wrist to the tip of your longest finger?
About 7.25 inches
What is the circumference of your hand at it's widest point?
About 7.5 inches
What other things do you enjoy knitting?
Socks, sweaters, cardis, baby stuff (love those little booties!)
What sort of needles do you enjoy working with? (straights vs circs, bamboo vs aluminum)
I enjoy working with wooden needles the most, I ususally use DPNs for smaller things like mittens and socks and circulars for everthing else.
What’s one project you’ve not yet tried but are dying to make?
I really want to make the mittens from Fall Vogue that say "Let it Snow" on them. Other than that...I'm not really sure.
What’s one yarn you’ve not yet tried but are dying to work with?
I guess something cashmere based. I haven't worked with anything remotely like cashmere yet.
What other hobbies do you have? Do you spin? Sew? Garden? Cook?
I cook and sew and would like to get into spinning, but have decided i should wait until after I finish law school.
Besides yarn, do you collect anything?
I wouldn't say I "collect" anything, but I do love matroyshkas (nesting dolls) and nativities.
What kind of goodies do you enjoy? Sweets? Salty? Anything you hate or are allergic to?
I enjoy sweets and salties. I love choclate covered pretzels and peppermint bark!
Do you have any kids? Pets?
I have a finacee, two great dogs (Sam and Molly) and no kids (yet).
What is your favorite part of Winter?
The first snowfall, snuggling up under the covers with my sweetie, Christmas with family, you get the idea. Those warm precious momets that are so abundant in winter.
What is your least favorite part of Winter?
Getting dismissed from work in the middle of a blizzard and having to drive 30 miles to get home. When all the other places just cancelled work at the beginning of the day! (Can you tell that happened to me, more than once?) Driving on icy roads. That's it, other than those driving conditions that I love winter!
I am a self-taught knitter and have been knitting since 2006.
Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I would say I am an advanced intermediate.
What are your favorite colors? Any you dislike?
I love all colors especially purple, red and turquoise. I do not like mustard or olive colors.
Do you like Latvian type patterns? If so, what are your favorite patterns?
I do like latvian type patterns, although I have no favorites, they are all too lovely to decide on just one.
Do you desire mittens for yourself, your "special someone else" or your child?
For myself! (Selfish, I know!)
What is the measurement from your wrist to the tip of your longest finger?
About 7.25 inches
What is the circumference of your hand at it's widest point?
About 7.5 inches
What other things do you enjoy knitting?
Socks, sweaters, cardis, baby stuff (love those little booties!)
What sort of needles do you enjoy working with? (straights vs circs, bamboo vs aluminum)
I enjoy working with wooden needles the most, I ususally use DPNs for smaller things like mittens and socks and circulars for everthing else.
What’s one project you’ve not yet tried but are dying to make?
I really want to make the mittens from Fall Vogue that say "Let it Snow" on them. Other than that...I'm not really sure.
What’s one yarn you’ve not yet tried but are dying to work with?
I guess something cashmere based. I haven't worked with anything remotely like cashmere yet.
What other hobbies do you have? Do you spin? Sew? Garden? Cook?
I cook and sew and would like to get into spinning, but have decided i should wait until after I finish law school.
Besides yarn, do you collect anything?
I wouldn't say I "collect" anything, but I do love matroyshkas (nesting dolls) and nativities.
What kind of goodies do you enjoy? Sweets? Salty? Anything you hate or are allergic to?
I enjoy sweets and salties. I love choclate covered pretzels and peppermint bark!
Do you have any kids? Pets?
I have a finacee, two great dogs (Sam and Molly) and no kids (yet).
What is your favorite part of Winter?
The first snowfall, snuggling up under the covers with my sweetie, Christmas with family, you get the idea. Those warm precious momets that are so abundant in winter.
What is your least favorite part of Winter?
Getting dismissed from work in the middle of a blizzard and having to drive 30 miles to get home. When all the other places just cancelled work at the beginning of the day! (Can you tell that happened to me, more than once?) Driving on icy roads. That's it, other than those driving conditions that I love winter!
Ahhh, that's a bit better
After having pinpointed the source of my melancholy, I'm feeling a bit better. Part of it was money woes, part of it was that weekend, and part of it is my job.I am completely disenchanted with my job, in fact I detest going in every day. It's not because it's uninteresting, believe me I could regale you with many, many interesting stories from my job. I dislike my job so much because in order to stay busy for the week I have to work at less than half of my ability. Which means that I often forget that and end up with an end of the week involving very little work. I know that seems like it would be luxurious to have free time at the end of the work week, but the reality is that it is no picnic being tied to your desk for eight hours everyday bored out of your tree trying to find something, anything, to do with your day.
In any event, I started classes this week and have found out that I only have ONE FINAL this semester!!!! I am soooooo happy about this, granted that means I have to write papers for my other two classes, but who cares? One FINAL! Awesome. Additionally I found out that the school has to readjust my tuition so I'm getting money back and we decided to resell our law books on-line and we're getting money back there too. When it rains it pours! Now we are fairly financially secure until Ry gets regular employment. What a weight off our minds, we were pretty concerned for a while, but are feeling much better about things now. AHHHHH, relief.
In knitting news I'm working on the February Lady Sweater and I hope to finish it before Rheinbeck this year, and I hope I can wear it over a brown turtle neck because it will be cold-ish and I am knitting it out of linen. (I began when it was hot and couldn't fathom knitting it in wool.) I am also working on the Belle Cardigan in wool, so that may be the way to go; although in order to finish it for Rhinebeck, I should probably pick it back up again! I am working on 2 pair of socks but I have kind of set them aside for a bit, my inspiration for them is at a bit of a standstill, but I am sure it will be recovered in time to finish them for the gift-giving season. I'm getting the mitten knitting itch again, so thank God for No More Hum-Drum Mitten Swap 3 and Deb's willingness to run it again. I guess I have a lot of projects coming up, now that it has gone back down to the low eighties here I feel like really hard-core knitting again, so this fall and winter season will be jam-packed with knitted goodness.
And in case you were wondering I am feeling better, thanks to good friends, Ry, the pooches and a little time to myself.
In any event, I started classes this week and have found out that I only have ONE FINAL this semester!!!! I am soooooo happy about this, granted that means I have to write papers for my other two classes, but who cares? One FINAL! Awesome. Additionally I found out that the school has to readjust my tuition so I'm getting money back and we decided to resell our law books on-line and we're getting money back there too. When it rains it pours! Now we are fairly financially secure until Ry gets regular employment. What a weight off our minds, we were pretty concerned for a while, but are feeling much better about things now. AHHHHH, relief.
In knitting news I'm working on the February Lady Sweater and I hope to finish it before Rheinbeck this year, and I hope I can wear it over a brown turtle neck because it will be cold-ish and I am knitting it out of linen. (I began when it was hot and couldn't fathom knitting it in wool.) I am also working on the Belle Cardigan in wool, so that may be the way to go; although in order to finish it for Rhinebeck, I should probably pick it back up again! I am working on 2 pair of socks but I have kind of set them aside for a bit, my inspiration for them is at a bit of a standstill, but I am sure it will be recovered in time to finish them for the gift-giving season. I'm getting the mitten knitting itch again, so thank God for No More Hum-Drum Mitten Swap 3 and Deb's willingness to run it again. I guess I have a lot of projects coming up, now that it has gone back down to the low eighties here I feel like really hard-core knitting again, so this fall and winter season will be jam-packed with knitted goodness.
And in case you were wondering I am feeling better, thanks to good friends, Ry, the pooches and a little time to myself.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Sigh
This weekend was difficult. I really can't say why, but it was hard for me and Ry this weekend. Sort of a lackluster and disappointing end to an otherwise uneventful week.
Something nice did happen in the week, though. Deb and Lexi, in my knitting group, brought me birthday presents. I was supposed to have gotten them on the 30th of July, but due to a massively bad migraine I missed that week. (It was BAD, people!) So this past week the Lovely Deb and the Cute-As-A-Button Lexi brought me two lovely and gorgeous skeins of sock yarn (which I do not currently have a picture of, but will post it as soon as I do.) That was a fun night, and I shared something personal with Deb that planted her ever more firmly in my heart. She is a wonderful person, and I am so glad I was fortunate enough to meet her.
In other news, classes start back up again next week. I'm so tired of law school, this is my last year and I can't wait for it to be over. It's not so much an excitement I feel about finishing, but just the gnawing wait for the inevitable conclusion. How's that for a positive attitude? :)
Lately, here I have been too tired to knit. I am fatigued and recently a bit too downtrodden to really want to work on any one of the four projects I have going. It makes me sad that I feel this way, but hopefully I'll snap out of my funk soon. I have so many projects lined up for Christmas gifts and I really want to be working on them, but I am just so tired and a little sad, which does not make for fun knitting. Perhaps I'll change up my projects and focus on something new for a little while, maybe that will cheer me. If nothing else, it will give me a small change of scenery! Well, best get going. Stay tuned for a more cheerful person in the coming weeks! (I hope.)
Something nice did happen in the week, though. Deb and Lexi, in my knitting group, brought me birthday presents. I was supposed to have gotten them on the 30th of July, but due to a massively bad migraine I missed that week. (It was BAD, people!) So this past week the Lovely Deb and the Cute-As-A-Button Lexi brought me two lovely and gorgeous skeins of sock yarn (which I do not currently have a picture of, but will post it as soon as I do.) That was a fun night, and I shared something personal with Deb that planted her ever more firmly in my heart. She is a wonderful person, and I am so glad I was fortunate enough to meet her.
In other news, classes start back up again next week. I'm so tired of law school, this is my last year and I can't wait for it to be over. It's not so much an excitement I feel about finishing, but just the gnawing wait for the inevitable conclusion. How's that for a positive attitude? :)
Lately, here I have been too tired to knit. I am fatigued and recently a bit too downtrodden to really want to work on any one of the four projects I have going. It makes me sad that I feel this way, but hopefully I'll snap out of my funk soon. I have so many projects lined up for Christmas gifts and I really want to be working on them, but I am just so tired and a little sad, which does not make for fun knitting. Perhaps I'll change up my projects and focus on something new for a little while, maybe that will cheer me. If nothing else, it will give me a small change of scenery! Well, best get going. Stay tuned for a more cheerful person in the coming weeks! (I hope.)
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Birthday!
Well, that was it. Saturday was the BIG "Three-Oh". My mom called and asked me how I felt, I said "Old." All in all it was a nice day though. I slept in a little, Ry bought us some breakfast, then I met up with my friend M and I went to lunch and a movie (she is such fun). I went over to whole foods afterwards to buy a bottle of wine for dinner and then headed home. When I got there Ry was done studying for the day and we ordered dinner,Indian food, yum! Afterwards he sent me upstairs with the dogs to hang out for a bit while he brought my presents downstairs. When I came down he sang me happy Birthday and had the candles on my cake lit. (only 3, not 30 thank goodness!) I blew them out and made a wish and chatted for a bit with Ry, when he left to get a knife and plates I noticed a bike! Ry had hunted down a pretty purple bicycle for me for my birthday! We didn't take it for a ride that weekend because of the rain and Ry's bar studies (almost done). The I got to open my gifts from Mom, she got me two great books, one knitting, one baking and a lovely flatbed scanner that can also scan my negatives! She also got me Friends Season 1, but I opened that earlier. My Dad got me a purse from Turkey and sent me a check which I promptly spent on clothes and yarn! My grandparents also sent me a little birthday moo-lah, which I am still hanging onto. I'm looking for that perfect thing to get with it, and Ry's parents chipped in on a plane ticket to get me out to see my Mom and my brother in August. I am so grateful to have such loving friends and family. My Dad even managed to call me from a castle in Austria where he was camping for a bit. I missed the call, but appreciate the fact that he made it! My dear friend Amy called me too, but I missed that call as well. I am so lucky to have such great family and friends. (And my knitting pals had something planned for me for Wednesday, but I went home from work early that day with a migraine. I'll see them next week though, and I feel terrible about ruining their plans! I'm so sorry, ladies! You wouldn't have wanted me there half blind, cranky and shushing you every five seconds, trust me!)
Thanks everyone, you made my birthday very special!
Thanks everyone, you made my birthday very special!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Oh no!
Oh. my. GOD. I sent my boss's boss an e-mail that said "What the hell? Has this even been assigned yet?"
It was supposed to go to the office administrator.
Not my BOSS'S BOSS!!
Oh.my.God. Hopefully I don't get fired or severely reprimanded over this.
Update
I didn't get fired, I sent my boss's boss an apologetic and self-denigrating e-mail, and then met with him in his office. He said not to worry about it, I was over-reacting and he didn't care. (Thank God) Still. How embarassing. I'm going to have to double check if I hit "forward" or "reply" from now on.
It was supposed to go to the office administrator.
Not my BOSS'S BOSS!!
Oh.my.God. Hopefully I don't get fired or severely reprimanded over this.
Update
I didn't get fired, I sent my boss's boss an apologetic and self-denigrating e-mail, and then met with him in his office. He said not to worry about it, I was over-reacting and he didn't care. (Thank God) Still. How embarassing. I'm going to have to double check if I hit "forward" or "reply" from now on.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)