Trying to Turn that Frown Upside Down

I was so pleased when I got into work Monday morning and found that the office still wasn't cold, but as the day went on, the temperature dropped, so I put on first the scarf, and then fingerless gloves, and then a fleece ... by mid-afternoon, I was shivering, and given that it coincided with my editing a report that, although well written, was full of things to correct, the same mistakes that every new person is making and we keep having new people because the good people keep leaving, and fuck, I am so sick of telling people* not to start sentences with numbers, to use an n-dash and not a hyphen in a number range, that they're citing a source incorrectly, that every source they cite has to be in the bibliography**, that a company is singular (it, not they) ... well, my mood really bottomed out. This damned job, man. This damned job.
*And when you see the same mistake 100 times in a report, you start to feel like it's 100 mistakes, and that the writer isn't learning, and is an idiot, even when you know that isn't true.
**I can type "not in the biblio" in my sleep

I am currently struggling to express my feelings about it in work-appropriate language, as you can see, which makes discussing it at work challenging*. And since I can't talk about the job opportunity/interview/waiting to hear** situation at work either, obviously, I feel like I'm spending a lot of time ranting in my head about things. When you imagine saying "I hate this office" would be appropriate***, well, no. I'm sure that everyone is tired of me complaining (though I've been trying to suffer in silence), but I'm tired of being miserable, and of feeling like no one gives a shit that I'm miserable. So.
*At one point today I said flatly (more or less verbatim), "Yes. I am cold. That's why I put my coat on." While the inside of my head turned blue from what I wasn't saying.
**Still waiting; I know, the week isn't half over, but waiting is hard.
***Points for no profanity, and for saying "office" instead of "company"

Having been so cold yesterday, today I went back to wearing extra layers, hoping they wouldn't be necessary, but while it wasn't awful this morning, it again got colder in the afternoon. Watching the leaves of my plant waft in the breeze, the cold, cold breeze, the self-pity level was pretty high at my desk. I did get a good laugh when I got to the part of the report where she said that a drug was packaged with a "needless" reconstitution system, meaning "needleless", but otherwise not a great day. The Bruins pulled off a win last night, can they do it for me again tonight? It's silly, but I kind of feel like I need something to go right.

Wait, here's something good! A friend linked on Facebook to a Slate story about a company making kick-ass engineering toys for girls, and I loved it! Kudos to the Beastie Boys for letting their song be used, and nice use of pink toys in a Rube Goldberg machine, girls!

There's also one to We Are the Champions that I like almost as much.

I'd never heard of GoldieBlox, but clearly they rock.

And one final smile, from Puck Daddy, here is the ultimate "first NHL goal face."

I love it.

A Quick and Fantastically Awful Link

It's Monday, which means I was "late" getting home (according to Carlos), and have much make-up cat maintenance to perform now, plus a third period to watch (go Bruins!). So let me show you something terrifically awful to goggle at.

NHL-themed snuggies.

Yes, really. I saw the story on Puck Daddy, of course, but they linked to a Groupon which showed the Bruins version, and oh mah gah.

You know how much I love the Bruins, and yes, I'm often cold, and still ... yes, I think I would rather set fire to the $20 bill. I believe so. What do you think?

Cats: Originators of the Blank Look

Carlos, have you seen the knit toy?

 Hmmm? What did you say?

 Knit toy...?

No, I don't know what you're talking about...

Of Interviews and Socks and Sunsets

My, how time flies when you have twice as many things to do as time to do them. Ah, life. Anyway, I had the phone interview yesterday, and I'd thought I might write about it last night, but after work I went to a sort of party that's set up annually by someone at a company where I used to work, for people who worked there to catch up. Some years I go and some I don't, but since I'm job hunting this year, it seemed like an especially good time to be networking. I actually kind of enjoyed it, but it's also exhausting to me, all that interacting, and by the time I got home and hit the couch, I was d-o-n-e done. I glowered at the TV as the Bruins lost (scoring only the first two of the six goals the teams combined for), but that's all I did.

As for the interview, it seemed to go well. I talked to the woman in HR for about 20 minutes, answered her questions, she told me a little about the company, and then she said she would be telling the hiring manager that we had spoken, and I will probably hear from her next week to set up an interview. I asked if they had a timeline in mind, and she said she expected that they would be having interviews in the next week or two. So, moving quickly, that's good! I will of course keep you updated; I know you want to know.

In other news, I had coffee this morning with one of my recent coworkers, heard about his new job and talked about the way things are at the current workplace, that sort of thing. It was nice to get out, on a chilly but sunny day, and get some fresh air and a short walk. I'm still going to bike tonight, though, as I missed the last two days and I don't want to get out of the habit, hard-won as it is. My only excuse Thursday night was Carlos. He's usually not a lap cat, preferring to sit next to me instead; he's still interactive, he'll lean against my leg and purr and ask for scritches, but not directly on. Thursday night, though, he settled down firmly on my lap,​ and not only was he much harder for me to move that way, he was giving off some pretty strong sleepiness vibes, and soon I was blinking and yawning. I ended up listening to the end of the Bruins game in bed (it went to OT, and they won that one). It's a scheduling oddity, this being one of very few Saturday nights they don't play. Thursday-Friday-Monday-Tuesday? Odd.

I have a sock-knitting update, as progress is being made on both the purse and the bike socks. I took their photos together today, and you can see each is close to done.

 

 

 

 I've done other little things, but nothing to show until after Christmas. Ahem. I've said too much already. Moving on, some recent sunsets.

 

 

I have someone draped over my left arm now, and since my back is complaining, I think it's time to move with him to the couch.

He says goodnight to you!

Sixteen Hours and Counting

All right, everyone! (claps hands briskly) The phone interview is set for noon tomorrow (Eastern time, obviously), so if we could at that time have a concerted effort of crossed fingers, lit candles, prayers, positive affirmations, or whatever suits you, sent my way, I would be very thankful.

By the way, in unrelated news, something crazy and radical happened at work today: they actually let the office management company know about the cold, and someone came in with a ladder and climbed about poking things above ceiling tiles, and the heat came on. I know! Isn't that nuts? Who would have thought such a thing could be possible? This was after lunch, and it was definitely not as cold by the end of the day. Tomorrow it will probably be 80 in there, and I won't be complaining.

All right, I'm off to watch the rest of the Bruins game while flipping through the AP Stylebook (fresh out of the library). And practicing my roar.

Metaphorically speaking.

A Surprise, but a Very Very Nice Surprise

As I told you, I applied for a proofreader job over the weekend, and as I said (more than once, I believe), I knew that I might very well not hear back from them at all, particularly not soon. Of course I hoped, but being realistic, no, probably not. I didn't even check my e-mail compulsively, just the usual amount, and my heart didn't lurch when I got a message only to sink when it was something else.

That changed this afternoon!

So, yes, as you may guess, I heard from them today, about setting up a phone interview for Friday. Aaaaahhhhhhhhh!

Ahem. If you could cross your fingers for me on Friday (time to be determined), I would greatly appreciate it.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to memorize their website. In the meantime, here is this for you: a tiger cub who did not wish to prove he can swim, thank you.

Book Thoughts, Hockey, Anticipation, and so on

I know it's not at all uncommon, when you loved a book by an author, to not like the second as much. However, I'm not sure that letdown is what I felt with Blackmoore, the second book by Edenbrooke author Julianne Donaldson. Edenbrooke is a Regency-style romance, almost a modern Jane Austen, and I loved it so much that I was afraid, when I first was reading it, that the end wouldn't work out as I so strongly wanted it to (non-spoiler: it did). I got Blackmoore from the library recently with high hopes, and was disappointed; I felt it had a more Gothic feel, which is a shame because I'm not as fond of those. So many mysteries: what did her sister do? Why do her mother and his mother not get along? Did she really hear whispering voices in the hall?

It's still very well written, and when she's describing how trapped she feels, I could feel myself tensing up sympathetically. But ... do I like it? I'm not so sure. Should I keep reading? I was already thinking no, when I picked up Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell yesterday at lunch and got sucked right in, kept thinking about it all afternoon, and picked it up as soon as I got in from knitting last night (the reason I didn’t blog last night), staying up too late in order to finish it (yawn). That’s what I want from a book! Well, not the missed sleep, exactly, but the pull. I’m not putting Rainbow Rowell above Julianne Donaldson, just that in the case of these two specific books, that’s how I feel.

In fact, Fangirl was my favorite of RR’s books that I've tried, by a long shot. I first read Attachments, which is adult (as opposed to kids/young adult), and liked it just fine, quite enjoyable, but nothing earth-shattering. Then I picked up Eleanor & Park, which has had such good press, and had mixed feelings: so good, so well written, but something that I think would have spoken to me so much more when I was that age, in middle school/high school somewhere. I was over 100 pages in when it was due back to the library, and I kind of shrugged and returned it. Fangirl’s main character is a college freshman, not all that much older, but it just grabbed me and drew me in so much more. Aren’t books and our relationships to them mysterious things?

I did have my mind taken off the book for a while, actually, since the Bruins played yesterday afternoon. Of course, I know that yesterday was a holiday (and happy Veterans Day to you), but it is one of those holidays that not everyone gets off work, so I found it very odd that the Bruins played a matinee. Mind you, they always do on MLK Jr. Day in January, which is probably a similar level of holiday in terms of who gets it off, but I guess I'm just used to that one. As Stanley Cup of Chowder said in their game preview, "We're going to skip the complaining about a matinee game on a day that most people still have to work, but just know this: we're not happy about it." 

I was able to listen to the game on the radio, so I didn't miss it completely, but it was an oddity: apparently it was the only game in the NHL yesterday, which is unusual*. I tried to keep my cheering silent, but I had to explain to a coworker that when I grinned at him, it was just because the Bruins scored at that moment; and when they scored just 20 seconds later, I let out a small but not inaudible "yes!" Whoops. The Bruins ended up winning 3-0, and other than a horrific injury to Steve Stamkos (who broke his leg) it was a pretty good game. They seem to be finding their rhythm as a team again, which is good news for the Bruins fans.

*The Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony was last night, so that’s probably why.

*****

Recently, I was working on a list of pros and cons about my current job, and was reminded of a line from Douglas Adams. Not from the hitchhiker's books, actually, but from The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, which I listened to on audio so many times that parts of it are burned into my brain. Near the beginning of the story, Kate is waiting in line behind someone causing endless problems, and is trying to think of other things, in order to keep her temper. She has read that the human brain is capable of thinking of only seven things at once, and that if one tries to think of more than seven, something else drops out. She quickly comes up with a list of seven things to think of, the final one of which is Jean-Philippe, who is "a set of at least seven subtopics on his own" (or words to that effect), and the man causing trouble in front of her falls right off her radar for a while.

I thought of this because, in my list of cons, there is first and foremost the Editorial Manager, and she is definitely a set of seven subtopics on her own.

It's funny how, though I am fully aware that just because I found a job opening to apply for, it's highly unlikely that anything will come of it, it does not stop me from fantasizing about giving my notice.

*****

Two weeks from yesterday, my mother arrives for Thanksgiving (yay); six weeks from yesterday morning, I set off for Christmas in Florida (yay). I love anticipation.

And in the case of the first event, I also love family that will not be shocked by the disarray of my home. I try to corral the chaos, but by its very nature, chaos fights back. (I think I haven't had house-guests for close to two years, Christmas before last. Clearly they need to visit more often, so I have to tidy up more often.)

*****

It’s still cold at work. Not only was I wearing my coat today, I was wishing it was longer. But I had dinner tonight with someone I worked with a few years ago, who happened to be in town this week, and it was nice to catch up with her, and now I’m going to get on the bike (I missed last night, because of the reading), and then get to bed early, or at least, not so late. That’s the plan.

A Job Not to Apply For

It's bad form to make fun of what someone puts on the internet, kind of; at least, try to say it the same way you would to their face, right? But I can't quite figure out how to nicely say what this job listing on Craigslist makes me think. Other than, "Wow. Good luck with that."

I am looking for a VERY experienced, REALLY intelligent writer/editor for my non-fiction book which is getting close to completion. I hate to write, and this has been a ten plus year's effort so far. If you have not had at least ten years experience in publishing please don't bother me. If you are not touched and compelled by human suffering don't email me. If you are not comfortable with science and even some mathematics, don't email me. If you don't have a strong ability to be critical and honest BUT also have the ability to be really supportive and encouraging and not overwhelmed by a grouch (maybe I am not really but would like to be more grouchy sometimes), please don't bother me. I think I may not be easy to get along with. I don't trust hardly anybody. If you are not intimidated (but maybe even inspired) by this posting, give me an email.

Can you?

Apply, Bike, Zzzz

There was a whole list of things I want to get done this weekend, and I didn't get to many of them today, but for a really good reason: I finally found a job to apply for, and spent most of the morning working on my resume and cover letter. Once I sent them in, I managed to get a few other things done, but tomorrow looks slightly daunting from here. Oh well, take it one thing at a time. It's been discouraging, all the looking and ruling out listings as not even worth applying for; finding a good one is heartening even if nothing else comes of it.

It crossed my mind that I may in fact get an interview from them, just because I have a monster zit coming up on my face. I mean, wouldn't that figure? But probably the auto-reply e-mail I got is all I'll hear. Still, it's something.

*****
My brother sent me a link to an interesting article about the mental aspects of exercise, which made me realize that I do sometimes pep-talk myself while I'm riding the bike ("Doing well, keep going," that kind of thing. I also thought about how when I'm at a turning point in the sock, like trying to get around the heel or something, I sometimes ride longer because I'm trying to get to a certain point, whereas I don't tend to push myself as hard when I'm just at a round-and-round part. So Thursday night, I pep-talked myself more consciously, and also incorporated the sock into that ("One more round!"), and did in fact go for longer than I've been managing lately. Interesting; we'll see how that goes. (I didn't ride last night; I'm about to get on tonight, despite being pooped; there may not be enough pep in my talk to make a difference, but just getting on is an achievement tonight.)

I'm also fitting into a pair of jeans* that until recently were too tight for me, which is another kind of motivation. I haven't lost much weight, that's for sure, but something is happening. It's a relief to be in these jeans**, as for a while I was in an awkward place where they were too tight, but the ones I was wearing were really too loose, and that's no fun. I get really sick of pulling up my jeans all the time.
*They're Lands End jeans, though if I remember correctly I got them at Building 19, a few years back. And that makes me sad, because Building 19 is closing its stores. Another childhood memory+ goes!
**Not literally, as they are still snug, but metaphorically; we'll hope that literally follows. Soon. Oof.
+I mean the memory of going there with my mother. Clearly I still shop there, since that's what started this whole cascade of footnotes off.

*****
Someone at work recently referred to something that's happening Monday, which is November 11, as happening on "corduroy day," which was a new one to me; I don't know how I missed hearing about it a few years ago, on 11/11/11. I found the idea very amusing, kind of like how I love calling December 23rd Christmas Adam (because it's the day before Christmas Eve).

Well, I may have missed 11/11/11*, but this year we get 11/12/13, in the US anyway; I know that day would be 12/11/13 in the UK. What do other countries do, formatting dates? Anyone know?
*In terms of calling it corduroy day, that is; certainly I was around for the actual day

Quick and Tired

It's awkward, trying to type and knock on wood simultaneously, but it was not freezing at work today. It wasn't warm, mind you, but "it's slightly chilly, perhaps I'll put on the fingerless gloves" is a vast improvement over recent days. What will tomorrow be like? Who knows. Perhaps the only thing more "fun" than the freezing is uncertainty. Also, it occurred to me this morning that with the extra layers I've been wearing to work all week, I'll have an extra load of laundry to do this weekend. Great.

*****
Every once in a while, I'm reminded that Miri is no longer my problem. I think, hmmm, I should check Carlos to see if his claws need trimming, and it breaks over me that I don't have to sneak up on, manhandle, and wrestle with a cat, and be pleased if no blood is shed in the process. When his lordship is unhappy with the process, he ... wiggles. Ahhh.

*****
It's been a couple of weeks since the doctor put me on medication (an ACE inhibitor) to try to lower my blood pressure. I took my bp last night and it was much lower than it has been over the last year, so that's good; maybe we won't need to mess around with types and doses. On the other hand, I do notice a bit of the cough he told me might happen, particularly when I'm lying down, so that's kind of annoying (though probably less dangerous than the high blood pressure would be). I'm reminded of the cough because I was just lying down for a few minutes, and I want to ask him when I go back whether fatigue could be a side effect. I'm never not tired, really, other than when I've been out of work and able to sleep longer at night, but I feel that it's been rather excessive lately. Could be a coincidence, sure, but I don't normally lie down after work because sitting up is too tiring.

*****
Time to watch the Bruins game. Please let the team I know show up tonight!

Forcing Thoughts of Sunshine

Today wasn't a great day; nothing bad happened, or nothing new anyway (brrrr), but I was just down about the job situation generally*; one of those days when I was hearing Gary Larson's angels. However! There are plenty of good things about having a blog, like keeping records of when things happened, and of course, having a place to complain! But sometimes, even I get sick of my own complaining (almost as sick as I am of having things to complain about), and it's time to focus on something more cheery. That's not the Bruins, not today (ugh), but on Sunday I was outside walking somewhere, and saw some prettiness. Shall we open the camera?
*Another person is leaving; this one doesn't upset me specifically, but it sure is a bad sign, isn't it?

It was really chilly out, but sunny, and isn't sunny nice? Just looking at things at a walking pace was a nice change. Mind you, my feet were slightly tender when I got home, after half an hour max, so clearly regular distance walking isn't something I'll be doing, but I like it for once in a while.

This first one actually isn't from my walk. I know, I'm breaking my own set-up! This was driving to work yesterday, and I liked the red-orange to gold to yellow to green swath.

 The rest of them really are from the walk. Honest.

As the first, rogue picture shows, it's still sunny on weekday mornings, but that will be ebbing away soon, and I'll be desperate for sunny weekends for a while to come. Oh, winter. Me no likey.

How's the time change treating you, if you're in a place that does it? I wish they'd stop bothering, myself, but for me, fall is the easier season, since it makes it a little easier for me to get up in the morning, which is most welcome (and unusual). Springing forward just about kills me; falling back, not so much. Well, other than the headlight thing. It's close to dark when I get out of work, so I'm getting used to lots of headlights in my eyes all of a sudden (there's a reason I want my next car to be higher up), as well as the idiots who don't turn their lights on because they apparently don't feel they need them. Hint: the lights don't just help you see, they help you be seen. This is also important. Theoretically.

Here I Am! Weather, Hockey on my Mind

I hadn't meant to not blog last night, but it was after 8 when I got in, and Carlos was very, very happy to see me and get attention, and I just didn't turn the computer on. It feels funny to miss a day, somehow; this is one habit that's become pretty ingrained. If I could just get exercising so firmly fixed in my day!

*****
Still Complaining About the Cold
No, not outside, though it is around freezing these days, which I could do without (seven weeks to Florida!). It's the temperature inside the office, still, that's on my mind.

When I got to my desk Monday morning, the thermometer read 66 degrees. I moved it over to an interior desk, and by mid-morning it was at 72. Ridiculous. I moved it back in the afternoon, and it started dropping again, down to 68. Which doesn't sound that cold, I guess, but even with my coat on, I was so cold where the coat didn't cover that it was hard to concentrate. On the way home, I had to change the radio station to avoid hearing "cold as ice" because it felt like insult added to injury. Kristin Cashore has been posting lovely photos of her travels in Iceland, and the ice in them is turning me off the beauty.

I'm looking for a new job anyway, for many reasons, but when I (oh please, oh please, let it be soon) find another one, I'm tempted to tell this one that I wanted to move on because I was sick of being cold all the time.

This morning when I got in, it was 65, but the boss mentioned in passing that they had tried to adjust the thermostat (gasp! what a concept! could it be that she values her employees? [naaaahhhhh*]) so maybe it would be warming up. Well, 69 by noon isn't all that much of an improvement, if you ask me. Considering that I was wearing long unders (top and bottom), corduroys, wool socks, boots, a turtleneck, a sweater, fingerless gloves, a shawl over my lap, and the mink shawl wrapped around and around my neck, and was only just teetering on the edge of "not too cold to concentrate"? Not much of an improvement. Does anyone remember me complaining this much last winter? I should go back and look.
*Is it passive-aggressive of me to think that she should be doing something about this? When multiple people are cold enough to wear their coats in the office? We shouldn't have to ask/tell her to do something, should we?

*****
If you're a Bruins fan, I don't have to tell you that they played an awful game on Saturday. I hope they shake off whatever ails them soon; that's no fun to watch. Dallas is in town tonight, first game since the big summer trade. Fingers crossed!

I was trying to knit something new during the game Saturday, and came to the conclusion that I'd messed it up before the game ended. Since I did the same thing with a different project during Wednesday's game, I'm putting a new rule in place, for now anyway: no challenging knitting during hockey games. New patterns, new techniques, challenges can be good things, but work on them when you can concentrate.

My, but there are a bunch of things I want to start these days, though. Start-itis much? One thing I'm looking at should be pretty mindless once I get it going, though. Hopefully.

Mostly Photos: Cat, Scarf, Leaves

I went to post from the iPad last night, nothing urgent, just a little video I'd made of Carlos, but it wouldn't work, the video and the iPad-Blogger thing. I thought I'd done that before, but either I didn't, or something changed. Anyway, sorry to deprive you of his cuteness. Here.

What?

In the week since we became Miri-less, he's been very cuddly and snuggly, but of course I had just been away, which usually ups his snuggle requests for a while. We'll see if over the coming weeks he settles back down. Not that I mind the cuddling! I love it, I just can't be at his beck and call 24-7.

It's been a decent weekend, and I've gotten a fair bit done, but it gets late and I'm tired, so I will leave you with pictures. The scarf I made for my friend's grandson:

 

 

Pattern: based on this one, but with the "keyhole" idea taken from this one. Yarn: Lion Brand Hometown USA, which produced a lovely squishy fabric on the big needles.

A recent Ridiculous Packaging Award winner. Look how deep the box is, and how not full!

Crazy.

Pretty leaves. It's getting colder and all, ugh, but it is still lovely around here.

The recent windiness threw leaves everywhere, and I was amused by how they stuck in my stoop.

More leaves, still on the tree.

And even in the rain this morning, beauty in the drops trembling on the wires.

Click on the photo to make it big. See? On the black wire?

Drawing a Blank

Today was a super-windy day, no kidding. I actually got an e-mail from the electric company that was more or less to assure me they were ready to handle any problems caused by the wind, which is less reassuring than you might think at 6-something AM. (My basic reaction: "...okay?") At work, I kept turning my head toward the window because the noise was considerable; I think my brain was trying to alert me that there might be a helicopter landing outside the window, or something else potentially dangerous. It's been a noisy week there anyway, since our side of the building has the loading dock and a company moved out of our building this week, meaning there has been a lot of disposal-of-stuff noises (think metal shelves being thrown into a dumpster for an hour; that kind of noise). I guess the windy day was the final straw for my personal-danger-warning system. It hasn't been as loud as the jackhammer was, but then that was one morning, not a week.

*****
I got to cross off a thing from my to-do list recently (always a good feeling) when I finally got the batteries in my car remote replaced. The remote I was using started acting up more than a month ago, and when I pulled out the other one, it was long dead too. For a while I kept using it, with mixed success, but it got to the point where I was standing outside my car clicking and clicking and getting more and more annoyed. So this week I finally got around to going in, after a week or two of manually locking (which is a pain that is a first world problem, I know, but it's one of those things that's hard to go back to). The nice man changed the batteries, and while he was ringing it up, I stood at the register looking around, as one does.

They had cleverly put a display of 9V batteries there with a sign reminding us that, with the time change this weekend, it's a good time to change the batteries in smoke detectors. I was unfamiliar with the brand (Werker), so I looked more closely, and commented idly on a surprising-to-me fact: Made in Belgium? This clearly startled the men behind the counter, as I had failed to notice a sign next to the display stating that they were Made in the USA. Someone fetched a different size battery of the same brand from the shelves, and it was in fact made in the US, curiouser and curiouser. We discussed how we would associate Belgium with fine chocolate before batteries.

And they took the Made in the USA sign down; I opined that it would confuse customers more to have AA batteries in a change-your-smoke-detector display than it would to have Belgian-made batteries next to a Made in the USA sign. Agree?

*****
I got my plane tickets for Christmas, ahhh. Relaxed time with my mother aside, Monday morning to Saturday night in Florida sounds good already, and we all know it will get colder here before then.

Zombies, Cold, and Science. Naturally.

There are a lot of zombies around Boston today, and not just for Halloween. Now that the Red Sox have won the World Series, there are going to be a lot of people catching up on their sleep, the way I did in July, though without the satisfaction of my team having won. Ah well. Are any of you wearing a costume? Or have you seen anything particularly good? I got to see an angel and a skeleton close up, as well as many small shapes wandering all over the sidewalks (Halloween is so nerve-wracking as a driver, isn't it?).

It's raining a little tonight, but on the plus side, not that cold (around 60). It has been really cold at work lately; seriously, I'm wearing my winter coat at my desk, I'm wearing long underwear, it's ridiculous. And what I don't understand, other than why the hell* it is that cold in the first place, is why no one else seems to think it is a solvable problem. I'm not the only one who is cold, though I seem to be the one most bothered by it (before I put the coat on, I'm the one with the scarf, shawl, fingerless gloves, and so on), but why is this acceptable anyway? It's a twenty-first century American office park, you know, not a yurt on the tundra. Mind you, those are probably warmer.
*Mmm, hell would be warm....

I brought a thermometer in to work, and got interesting results this morning: when I put it on the right side of my desk, which is the side by the window, it registered 68 degrees, and when I moved it to the left, it went up to 72. Doesn't that seem a little extreme for a move of two feet? Tomorrow I'm going to try moving it to a desk farther away, where it seems less cold, and we'll see if science backs that up.

For science!

Of Knitting and Knitting

I mentioned at the end of yesterday's long Rhinebeck-and-yarn post that I have knitting updates. So, what is up with my knitting lately?

Thanks to all the knitting time over the Rhinebeck weekend, I got the second sock for my friend to a point close to done by the time I was home again. It wasn't done yet, but it was at the point where it needed to be checked against the first sock for where to start the ribbing, and then for how long to make the ribbing. In other words, it wasn't going to make good knitting to bring to the Bruins game--not that I planned to knit during the game, but for traveling to and from, and while waiting.

So I cast on for a new sock last Monday, to be the next purse socks, which I had decided (before Rhinebeck) to make in the same pattern, the Dead Simple Lace Socks, but a smaller size, in hopes that it will fit me this time. I had wound the yarn (Foot Notes yarn, from Fiber Optic) before Rhinebeck, even though I knew it wasn't at all likely that I'd need it then, and on Monday I was glad to have the decision made and winding done when I needed it. I went to the other knitting group Wednesday night just to get the toe done, so the sock would be ready for Thursday.

And then, of course, we drove in, and I never knit a stitch. Oh, well, at least it was ready! I finished the pair for my friend this weekend, and it was nice to have the next one lined up. It's not a bad idea, given my level of knit addiction, to start the next one before I finish the current one--not too far ahead, but avoiding that nothing-to-grab stage.

The finished ones:

And the toe of the next:

They're farther now, of course; maybe this weekend, with daylight, I'll catch up on the picture-taking.


I finished a quick knitting project over the weekend (well, Monday night, anyway), which I need to photograph
better, but here's a hint (this has since been ripped, but it gives an idea).

I will say that "acrylic" isn't the kiss of death in terms of yarn feel anymore, is it? This is almost silky soft. Amazing. I have an idea for the leftover yarn, too; we'll see how that works out.

In other knitting news, I'm got the itch to make a super-warm hat for this winter. A few years ago, I took a stab at double knitting, and for multiple reasons ended up frogging it. I think I'm ready to try again!


Then, my friend who is pregnant cleverly posted this on her Facebook page recently.

Dear Knitting Goddess, I am so grateful for all of my knitting friends. They created such beautiful gifts for (first child) when he was born, from sweaters to hats to blankets to cocoons--all of which I can't wait to use again on the new baby in February. Please, if they're thinking of making gifts for the new baby, could you whisper in their ears that what I'd really like is a wardrobe of warm socks ranging from 0-12 months? It's hard to find warm woolies for such tiny feet.

Which made me laugh: okay, I won't make the blanket and the sweater, but will go for multiple booties instead (these, to start; do you have a pattern to recommend?). I'm still making her a hat, though. This pattern is just too cute for me to resist. Sorry!


*****
Is it bad that I'm already looking forward to an extra hour of sleep next weekend? Whoosh, time to fall back.

Now, Rhinebeck, This Time I Mean It

Well, I only rode the bike for five minutes last night before my legs were done. Hurmph. I mean, yes, better than nothing, but not by much. I had missed a few days of riding recently, what with the Bruins game Thursday, the attending exhaustion Friday, and the cramps on Saturday. I did get back on it on Sunday, not for that long, but I don't want to lose what little momentum I have. Still, those legs, ow. I do stretch before and after riding, but for whatever reason, some days are harder than others*. At least the sock is coming nicely, past the heel decreases (in two months of biking time, but hey, whatever).
*Have to agree with my aunt's suggestion that the seat might need either cushioning or replacing. Add that to the to-do list.

I did get to bed around 10 last night, not too-too late, but I've still been really tired today. As I was saying to someone recently, "Work full time, get enough sleep, have any sort of life: pick two."

On to a happier topic: Rhinebeck and the yarn thereunto appertaining! I was amused to read on the Yarn Harlot's blog that she "fell down" at the Fiber Optics booth (swiping her credit card on the way), since that's where my friend and I saw her, in my only celebrity sighting of the weekend. Come to that, there aren't that many knitting celebrities I would know on sight, so I guess I should be glad I saw the one I did! Other sightings of interest included more than one man in a kilt; I saw at least two different ones on Saturday, then on Sunday saw one that might have been a third, or might have been a repeat.

While on the topic of men and Rhinebeck, on Sunday afternoon, we sat for awhile on the benches opposite buildings B and C, and had a nice chat with a man there who was knitting an interestingly constructed sock. The way people stopped to ask him what he was knitting reminded me of a story in one of the Yarn Harlot's books, where she described biting her tongue while people gushed over her friend Ken and his garter-stitch knitting project, while ignoring her and her lace shawl. Gender politics in knitting, whoa; it is interesting to observe. There are absolutely male knitters, but they were vastly outnumbered at Rhinebeck, and a number of the men who were there were in the camp of the man who complained to my friends as they walked past him that he just wanted to go home, but "she" wasn't done (and also that "she" had claimed she didn't need to come, but he knew she wanted to, so he figured go Saturday, so he could watch the game in peace on Sunday).

Other random notes: the moon on the way home was huge and awesome to see; also, we saw a cloud shaped just like the USS Enterprise, which was unexpected. And a few notes to remember for next year: for the love of your sanity, either stop requesting library books by mid-September, or freeze the holds until the traveling is over; also, it's a good idea to visit the stash before going to Rhinebeck, just as a what-do-I-already-have refresher.

Now, yarns!

All that I got from Socks That Rock are Mill Ends, as I mentioned. On Saturday, a yellow-brown-gold lightweight and a medium-bright blue heavyweight, and on Sunday, two darker blue heavyweights. Will they all be socks, or will the blues aspire to something larger? Time will tell.

When I stepped into the Bittersweet Woolery booth on Sunday, the man working there, noticing my Sheldon t-shirt, said, "Dave Kellett is the nicest guy," and told me about meeting him at a convention. Then he pointed out my shirt to his wife, who told me that after Sheldon had that knitting storyline, they told him to put it on a t-shirt, because the knitters would buy it. I thanked her, both verbally and by buying a skein of yarn (no hardship); I bought a skein from them last year, and haven't used it yet, but it's damn nice yarn and I doubt I will regret the purchase.

Oh, you want to see it?

I know you're shocked: blue! Get ready for more.


Also, by the way, while I was in that booth, I found myself next to a knitter wearing her own Tardis shawl, which was fun. Since I wore mine to Rhinebeck last year, I wasn't expecting it to be a big deal this year, somehow, but over the course of the day, it got several compliments, and two different people asked if they could take a picture of it, including one woman whose teen daughter lurked in the background in an agony of embarrassment--and interest.

Next skein (this is in order of how I photographed them, not bought them) is this lovely blue-and-green skein of blue-faced leicester from Misty Mountain Farm. So soft!

After that, a lovely tonal green skein of alpaca-merino-tencel (60-20-20) from Snowshoe Farms that just wouldn't be put down.

Next, I decided that although I wasn't going to splurge on more mink yarn this year, I would try something else from Grinning Gargoyle, and got a lovely skein of her Seda Sock, which is 50-50 silk and wool. The colorway is called gun metal, but I think bright denim would work, too.

It amuses me that I bought an unknown-to-me yarn from Good Karma Farm the weekend before my week of extreme good karma. They're from Maine, and it's 100% wool in, I'm sure you are shocked, not blue!

Well, there's a little blue in there, but hardly like my fetish color.

The next one also isn't; one of my friends wanted to get more of a nice bamboo-wool-silk blend (52-43-5) that she'd gotten from Maple Creek Farm before. Since she was wearing the little shawl she made from it, so pretty, and had nothing but praise for its wear and non-itchiness, and since I liked other fibers from them, I followed her lead.

Next, the skein I mentioned that I bought from the trunk show Saturday night. The line is called Spencer Hill, and she uses all natural dyes, so I don't know how on earth she got some of those colors, they were amazing (the lighting wasn't great in the room, so I didn't take pictures). For me, I went with a soft lovely green.

Not quite as much green as blue purchased this year, but a close second, I think.

I mentioned before that my last purchase at the festival on Saturday was a skein of Briar Rose that I couldn't put down. This is it.

Technically, I did put it down for a moment, as I was going to be responsible and take a picture of the label and think it over ... but then I picked it up again in a fit of non-buyers-remorse, and that time, it clung. It's alpaca-merino-silk (50-30-20) and just delectable. Squish, squish.

I have knitting updates as well, but they will have to wait. Why am I so damned tired? Dunno, but I am. Enjoy the pretty pictures!

Well, Someday I Will

Right, now that I caught up on the Bruins game, time to wrap up the Rhinebeck weekend, with much yarn stash to flash!

But yeah, not tonight. Sorry! It's already 8:30, and if I'm going to ride the bike and pet the kitty and get to bed at a decent hour, well, there we are. Are you free tomorrow night?

Here, for now, ponder this, and non-knitters, answer me this question:

What would you change "knitting" to, in your case? What makes you happy?

Not *All* the Pictures Are Blurry

It's probably related to having my period, but I have had very little energy today, and combined with Carlos having a limpet day, I've spent more time on the couch than I'd planned, not getting a whole lot done. The annual end-of-October exhaustion! But Friday night (when, by the way, I was in bed shortly after 8) I promised more Bruins pictures, and I will at last deliver.

First, the only hockey connection is that this was seen in the garage. How quickly would I cut my leg open on the horns, if this was near me regularly?

The extremely artistic effect of someone (one of the officials, possibly) skating into the view juuuuusssstttt as I clicked the photo.

Lucic, looking, well, large as life, or larger!

Action shot of the snow barrel advertising the team's 90th anniversary. I honestly feel like they just celebrated 75. Sigh. Am old.

Tuukka! During a break in the action, obviously.

Reflections in the ice, half resurfaced.

Leaping out for the third period: I can fly!

I wonder if Vlasic has a nickname that is pickle-related?

Action shot: My puck! You can't have it!

Non-action shot: before the face-off, the linesman set the puck down in the circle. See, between the skates, on edge?

Coming right at me!

Finally, the money shot. Point eight seconds!

Meaning that:

Everyone celebrates with the game-winning goalie. Two Us, two Ks, two points!

Both Krejci (the second star) and Tuukka (the first) gave their sticks to fans in the crowd. Isn't that nice?

Some things I did not get pictures of: Bergeron taking a face-off and his helmet banging repeatedly into his opponent's. (Or vice versa: I don't know who started it.) And Marchand, standing around just in front of us in his best wiseass manner, while a linesman removed his (Marchand's) stick from the groin area of a San Jose player. Nice. He's totally a guy you love on your own team, hate on any other.

What a game. Is it any surprise that I'm knitting something for my friend? Specifically, for her grandson, a scarf in Bruins colors. I found some nice, machine-wash-and-dry yarn in Bruins colors, and after a few not-quite-theres, seem to have found just right, and it's half done.
Nooo... too many color changes.

Not that, either... not a big enough needle, no drape.

Yes, I think so!

I know, the pictures aren't that good, but they give an idea, anyway, and only time will tell if this is it, but I think so.

And given that I typed most of this with a handicap, it will have to do. What handicap, you ask? This one:

A loveable handicap, to be sure, but it does add a degree of difficulty to using the computer that I could do without.