Getting in that Christmas Mood

I had such a nice, Christmassy day today, with a group of good friends, with whom I went to Salem, MA (yeah, witch city, who knew that it existed the other eleven months of the year, right?). Christmas in Salem is a tour of multiple historic houses decorated for the holidays, and although my hips are currently informing me that it was a lot of walking and standing and walking, it was also so, so beautiful. Some of the houses we saw are museum-like, but others are actual homes of real people, as well as one that is a sort of boarding house run by the Woman's Friend Society and another that is almost a rest home, the Brookhouse Home for Women, and when we saw some of the residents sitting in a lounge area while we were leaving, I wanted to sit down with them and talk knitting. One of my friends is working at a nursing home; perhaps in the new year I will ask her if we can visit and she can point me to a knitter who might want to chat.

Anyway, you can read all about the houses and things here; the history was very interesting, though at times presented in a bit more depth than I was interested in--I want to look more than be told about--but anyway, it was a neat experience and one I recommend, if you're local and want to mark your calendar for next year.

And of course, I took pictures. You knew I did, right? The usual assortment of randomness. This first one is actually a bird that flew into the tree across the street while I was waiting to be picked up. My friend tells me it's a woodpecker. I can confirm that it was, in fact, pecking the wood.

We had a really nice lunch in the restaurant at the Peabody Essex museum, good food and not at all rushed, and I had to take my camera and go back to the ladies room after I saw this little graffito.

Another place we had thought of eating had nice signs outside:

I approve of their vocabulary choices.

All right, to the houses. Awesome circular stairs:

I didn't ask what these were (the guide in that spot was very involved in telling us about a clock), but don't they look like metal clogs (or some kind of footwear), for stepping out on ice to pick up the newspaper?

They were just inside the front door.

A decorative bit at the end of a mantel:

Lovely view down a side street:

Then the next one had a vivid reminder that Salem is on the water.

Oh, right, Masts. Ocean, and all.

Three pineapples mean we were trebly welcome, right? I also liked the lime wreath. Fun and different.

Masts again (the same masts, in fact), out the custom house window.

And a tree that laughs at your fences.

It captures a slice of the day, anyway! I didn't take any pictures at our last stop, being too busy nibbling and noshing. Fortuitously, Harbor Sweets, which is normally closed on Sundays, was having an open house, and we got there just in time. Mmmmmm!

Now, I'm going to watch the Bruins game, but before I go, I wanted to share this. Earlier, I was paying some bills online, and had to laugh when I saw my totals. If only I'd charged a penny more somewhere!

I mean, really!

Looking Back at January

Last year, a blog I enjoy reading (and I'm sorry to say I don't remember which one) had a feature in December looking back at each month of the year, and what she'd been doing, or at least blogging about. I thought that was such a nice idea that I made a note to try it myself, so here goes: my January 2013.

In January of 2013, I was still very full of the Florida trip over Christmas 2012. Pictures, words, trip! Already I've forgotten things like the home movie of our own dance party, the one that proved no one in my immediate family has rhythm. Mum, we should watch that again!

There was the mention of the annoyingness of my boss, then referred to as My Least Favorite Coworker, showing that my dislike of her is unfortunately nothing new.

Then there was the first rumor that the hockey lockout might wrap up! I'd been missing the NHL for months, and even a hint of accord was most welcome. It's good to remember to be grateful for a full season this year. I was also showing the mink shawl in progress, back in the fun days when I only dreamed of how much I'd love wearing it. And I do!

I wrote about all the reading I'd done in 2012. My numbers are going to be way down again this year, and I'm sure it's because I spend more time knitting. I'm okay with that. I enjoy both.

Some more of the presents that I got for Christmas, and a new book I was excited to read, got their own entry. I also wrote about some of the presents I gave, specifically, the ones I knit. It amuses me to see that last note at the end of that entry about an idea for a shawl, since it's the one I'm working on now. Off topic a bit from January, but hey, here's a progress picture anyway.

It's knit from end to end, so this is one end of the shawl (not the middle, or anything, I mean). After I took this picture, I put in a lifeline, in case when I add the maple leaf part in, I don't like the way it looks. Make it easy to fix, which should negate the need for it, right? In theory.

By the way, how ironic is it that I'm doing the shawl this way because I couldn't find one with a maple leaf motif, and I just now saw this maple-leaf-shaped shawl? I'm going to go on as I am, but that's irony, I say.

After that, I wrote joyfully about going to training camp, as the Bruins were finally, finally going to play again. So excited! And when I got to go to the scrimmage game, it was enough to draw me into a rare-for-me weeknight excursion, leaving me tired enough the next day that I spilled my soup ... but so, so happy. More pictures the next day!

By later in January, I was already forgetting that I'd written about Christmas knitting, and wrote about it again. Whoops! No harm done; from here, it's kind of funny. In fact, since some of it seems to be word-for-word, I think what must have happened is that I had a draft written, and when I wrote about it on the 12th, I copied instead of cut it out. So, a week or so later, I saw it and (probably saying to myself, "I thought I wrote about that already,") I put it up. And no one said a word!

I had some work stress in January, when a bunch of bigwigs and sales people invaded for meetings (and "it felt like a centipede had been dancing on my brain"? really?), but I also had friends over for lunch and a movie and it was great fun. Ah, life, ups and downs.

Then there was the office project, the "no, I still haven't tackled the office project" project. Hmmm. Will 2014 be the year? I want it to be ... but will I make it so? It's certainly true that the desk I currently have my computer on is bigger than I need for that ... I could make it a craft table, a space to keep the swift and ballwinder set up, and use the other desk as an actual desk. Motivation, perhaps? Step one is to get rid of the futon, and then I can move the loveseat out of the office and free up room. Anyone around here want a futon? Seats two, folds out, free for the picking up?

At the end of January, I went to the chiropractor for the first time. Has anyone noticed that I'm having fewer headaches lately? Because I've noticed!

I ended January on a peaceful note, with a video of a swimming manatee*. Because who doesn't find that soothing?
*I know, I know, when aren't they swimming? But you know what I mean!

And that is January 2013, as blogged by me. Kind of fun to look back! Although, I wouldn't bet a huge sum that I will finish the whole year. But watch for February!

Friday Night Respite

Well, it's been quite a week, hasn't it? I can't be the only one who appreciates something lovely and seasonal. I've put of flash mob videos before, but this one from the US Air Force band really touched me.



I know, I'm tired, but isn't that nice?

If you prefer dance, here's one from a few years ago, swing dancing in an airport, that's also good (though not seasonal ... but maybe that's what you'd rather; I'm not judging).

This and That, Knit and Physics, Cute Cat

I'm currently working on a last few knitting projects for Christmas, but I've also started thinking about what I'll be knitting when that push is over. Such as, what will I bring for on-the-plane knitting? I'll have a sock with me, of course, but other than that? I have a shawl in progress, and I also want to start on a double-knit project, maybe a hat. There are plenty of items on my list, but it's a question of what I'll have time to start before I leave...

It comes back to that Venn diagram of knitting. Usually, I choose to knit what falls into the overlap: something I want to knit AND something I want to wear/use. (Knitty's Winter 2013 issue just went up, and as usual, I had a good time working my way through the pattern index, rejecting patterns for one reason or the other, if not both.) The TARDIS shawl was always for me. Mink shawl? Mine, and don't even try it. Once in while, though, there's something I want to knit but don't feel strongly about wearing or using. The shawl I'm making now is one I want to make, but when my mother asked me who it was for, I said I don't know.

*****
Quote of the day: "You know you're an introvert when being iced in sounds like the best weekend ever, as long as you have power." ~~Shanna Swendson

*****
Can anyone tell me why, at work this morning, I suddenly had the misfit song from Rudolph running through my head? I haven't even seen it yet this year, and I wasn't reading about misfits... I can't figure out the trigger.

*****
Do any of you know physics at all? I never studied it, and I recently found myself wondering if I was correct when I chided the driver of another car for trying to move into a space that was already occupied by a third car because "it's just physics, you can't do that." Am I right? Is it a rule of physics that two solid objects can't occupy the same space simultaneously? Or do I need to correct my ranting-to-myself-in-the-car language?

*****
It's a good sign that I'm beginning to be able to laugh at not getting that job, the one I talked to last Friday. It was with a company whose name I see in things at work, being "in the field" as it were, and when I ran across it today I felt a mild twinge. Then I laughed to myself, remembered Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot, lamenting that she'll never be able to forget the rich man jilting her because "No matter where l go, there'll always be a Shell station on every corner." Moving on.

*****

...But ... but ... you have steak. You no share? With the baby?

Grump Alert, Grump Alert, Whoop, Whoop, Whoop (followed by cute pictures)

So, yeah, last night was kind of a down period Chez Cat Hair. Though, to be clear, it was a night of sitting on the couch eating ice cream, but not sitting on the couch sobbing into the ice cream. In case anyone was worried! Definitely disappointing, but not despair. Anyway. Now that I'm officially 0-for-2 on the interviews so far this year, I just have to keep looking. It isn't a case of just finding something/anything to apply for, after all; I'm not looking for A Job, I'm looking for The Right Job. I have A Job. It pays the bills. It hasn't given me an official ulcer yet (although, the high blood pressure...?). I don't want to be indiscriminate when I don't have to. I want the right fit, a good company, all that stuff. It's hard to find, but I have to believe I will find it, eventually. (Right?)(Lie to me.)

I will say that with these recent disappointments, it's harder to deal with the annoyances of my current job this week. For instance, it's still cold in the office, and apparently no one in charge finds the fact that I have to wear five layers in order to not be too cold to work at all important. Way to value the employees, there, guys. If only my righteous indignation warmed me, but I don't find that to be the case.

We did just hear about the "holiday party" for this year. Thankfully, we are not repeating last year's mid-afternoon, three-plus-hour marathon at the fondue place. Instead, we'll be having lunch brought in to the office*, with champagne**, to go with an hour-long "year in review presentation summarizing our key achievements for 2013 and goals for 2014". Whoopie. Nothing says holiday party like PowerPoint. There may also be an after-work outing for drinks or dinner, but on the day they chose, I have a haircut scheduled after work, so I'll have to see if she can fit me in another night; if not, I'm not passing it up for the joy of socializing with my coworkers.
*And if I have to make arrangements for said lunch, I'm going to be pretty annoyed
**Which I don't drink

I know, I'm very grouchy. Just call me Eeyore. Hopefully some good sleep this weekend will help me get back to minimal, usual levels of grump. I'm going out with friends on Sunday for some Christmassy fun, and that should be a mood elevator, too. Though don't discount the importance of sleep. I suffer from a chronic condition I call NES: Never Enough Sleep. (Though the full name would be NESEWLO: Never Enough Sleep Except When Laid Off.) Anyway, to show that I haven't completely lost my sense of humor (it's dented but not destroyed), here are some things that have amused me recently, beyond enjoying (or snarking at) the Christmas lights while driving home.

Waterstones has a great response to the news about Amazon testing drones for delivery. Love a corporate sense of humor!

So like cats:

I like to think I give off this vibe on the subway, enough to not need the vest:

This looks so uncomfortable. And yet, would kitty be asleep if it was?

What a good dog:

And yes, I totally do this:

Who doesn't? Like I'm not going to answer him? Mind you, sometimes I say, "I love you too, baby," and sometimes I say, "What is your fucking problem?" But still. We talk.

Not Really Good News. Then, Thanksgiving Recap!

So, good news and bad news! And more good news, and more bad news!

The bad news is that the place where I had the phone interview on Friday, as I mentioned in passing yesterday, is going with an internal candidate, so dead end there. The good news is that I actually heard back from them, and super-quickly, which is a rare thing these days. Still. Sigh. Too bad. The job sounded like a good fit, and with a great company. Bummer.

Then, as I still hadn't heard anything from the other place where I had a phone interview a few weeks ago, despite having reached out to follow up with them, I e-mailed again today, and more good news, I heard back! Aaaaaannnnnnddd, more bad news ... they're going with another candidate. So. Good to know, yes. But still. Doubly depressing. I was already planning to go to Target tonight, being out of the usual Random Bunch of Stuff, and can you blame me for buying some therapeutic Ben & Jerry's while I was there? (Remember, when life gives you lemons, have ice cream for dinner. Words to live by.)

Anyway, on to happier things! Thanksgiving Week recap! Here we go...

I picked up Mum on Monday night, and we went to dinner at her favorite restaurant, then hit the grocery store for a few things before coming home to a rousing reception. Carlos was deeply unsure of why I brought someone else home with me, and why I seemed to think that was okay. Why doesn't anyone tell a cat that change is coming? So he can veto it? Change is bad, everyone knows that! Who was this person who acted like she knew him? He wasn't upset, he didn't run or hide, but he was hanging back, and spent even more time in the bedroom than usual all week. (He would come out to meow for food-more-food-different-food-better-food, and to sniff at things, then retreat again. He allowed himself to be approached, and suffered himself to be petted, but he wasn't as friendly as I might have hoped.)

Tuesday morning, I went to work, and Mum spent the day befriending the cat, doing laundry (it's her hobby), and making a batch of chili for my freezer, mmmmm. Tuesday night we went to dinner at Bertucci's, where our server was ... well, hopefully very new to the job; fortunately, we weren't in a hurry, but there's no excuse for bringing a pizza that's practically room temperature, you know? Particularly when it wasn't all that busy. The pizza was still good, but, umm, you need practice, ma'am. Good intentions and apologies only go so far.

Wednesday I got off work early, hooray, and was home mid-afternoon. Mum had spent the day doing more laundry and making beef stew, more mmmm. We had another lovely meal out, then in between intervals of watching the Bruins utterly flame out (seriously, 6-1 and they didn't deserve the 1), I made the angel salad for Thanksgiving dinner. Then early to bed, because...

Early Thursday morning, we picked up my brother, who'd taken the red-eye from San Francisco, god love him, without complaining, and brought him happily home to hang out and catch up, before getting cleaned up and going to the House of Friends for Thanksgiving dinner mid-afternoon. Oh, it was good! The food and the company and all. Fourteen for dinner, turkey and stuffing and potatoes and angel salad ... okay, I ate some other veggies, too, but mostly it was the standards for me. I didn't have dessert, didn't leave room for it; for me, Thanksgiving is the one day of the year when I don't focus on dessert. I'm not a big fan of the standards, pumpkin pie or pecan pie, and honestly I love the meal so much that it's hard for me to leave any room to try other options. I had a wonderful time, and ate so much I didn't eat another thing that night, and fell comatose into bed around 9. Whew!

Friday morning I had that phone interview, then we went to a local diner-style place that was low on pretensions but cheap and delicious for breakfast/lunch. The Bruins played their traditional Black Friday matinee, and thankfully put in a much better effort than the previous game, pulling out a win over the Rangers. For dinner, we went back to Mum's favorite restaurant (since my brother likes it, too), and did a little bit of errands-and-Christmas-lights afterward.

Saturday we went into town (slightly hampered by the fact that the Orange Line was busing to Sullivan Square) and to the Opera House to see the Nutcracker. It was fabulous! The music, the dancing, the spectacle, the little girls in party dresses and patent-leather shoes ... happy sigh. After the show, once I thwarted the efforts of the lady* at the coat check to give me the wrong coat (twice), we walked over (brrrr) to Legal Seafood and had a perfectly lovely early dinner (technically, they were on the lunch menu, but they were happy to make steak, which is on the dinner menu). The food was wonderful, the service perfect, and amusingly enough, the couple that had been sitting next to us at the ballet was at a table nearby. (They recommended the Boston creme pie, but Mum and I shared the bananas Foster, which was amazing.)
*Why did they have only one person working the coat check? When everyone gets out at once? She was understandably harried .. though asking for 198, 199, and 200 doesn't seem too much to ask...

Since my family loves me, they didn't object to having the Bruins game on when we got home, and I got to see them win again, almost erasing the memory of Wednesday night (almost). Sunday morning, they got their ducks in a row, packing-wise, before we went out for a last lunch, and did some driving around admiring houses in my little town and environs. Some final tidying away, and it was time to drop them off, and return to my suddenly empty home.

It was a wonderful week, but man, exhausting at the same time. Carlos and I sat on the couch Sunday night and just vegged out. And now, I think, more of the same.

​ Are we all this tired?

Oh, I am so tired, folks! I had a great time, but wow, did the last week ever knock me sideways. Does anyone else need a jump-start to shake off Thanksgiving? It amazed me this morning, as I got ready for work, to think that in three weeks, I would be going to the airport instead, heading to my mother's for Christmas. It's one thing to know that Thanksgiving falls late this year, but whoa!

Anyway, too tired tonight to get into all the crazy fun wonderful events of the past week (including another phone interview, for a different job!), but we'll see how tomorrow plays out. Hopefully I can get it all down before it's too-too old news. I'll give you some hockey-related holiday fun to watch: the Chicago Gay Hockey Association, singing All I Want for Christmas is You.

Not just dancing along while lip-synching, but singing! Conga line, or crack the whip! Some of them have better voices than others (which lends an air of verisimilitude, anyway), but overall they do a great job, and I love the kick line on skates! Thanks as always to Puck Daddy for the share.

Turkeys, Sharks, Whatever

Today we introduced my mother to the idea that cats ride Roombas, and much laughter ensued. In the process, we found this.

Happy Thanksgiving! Or random Thursday, if you aren't American.

Tired, But Satisfied

It wouldn't pass the white-glove test in every corner, but my little Casa de Cat Hair is in decent shape for the incoming family. All three of us can sit down simultaneously in the living room! This is progress for the clutter-bug.

I am tired, though. I solicit your best wishes for my mother's safe travel on Monday, and am off to put my feet up for a bit. And perhaps eat an apple.

Saturday Afternoon, Getting Things Done

So far, I do not have a panicked look on my face, though I still love this Sheldon cartoon:

(Click on it to see it bigger)

Kind of true... But mostly, I'm tidying more than cleaning. Things pile up, when you live alone, and especially when you would rather sit knitting or reading than get things put away. As I read elsewhere this week:

"Company coming is our motivation to attend to all those little things we've been meaning to do."

So there I am. Not panicked, but busy. Some errands, a little laundry, dishes, rearranging. My mother tells me not to worry about it on her behalf, and I mostly don't: as I told her, I'm not cleaning the top of the stove (and, frankly, it needs it). But I will do a few things. In an unworried way.

The Bruins won this afternoon; they shouldn't have had to go to overtime to do it, but I'll take it. I follow a bunch of NHL blogs (official and not), but in general when I get busy, I don't always read that much detail that isn't Bruins-specific. I've noticed quite a lot of, "Wow, the Western Conference is so strong," coverage this year, and let it go in one ear and out the other. This week, though, I noticed that the Bruins, who moved into the top of the Eastern Conference after Tuesday's game, were still only ninth in the league overall. Eight teams in the West have more points than the top of the East? Eight? Okay, then. West is strong. I get it now.

There has been knitting progress this week. Last night, I kitchenered the sock toe on the bike (and started to cast on the second sock), meaning I finished one sock on the bike in about three months. Not so bad, actually. What, you want to see it? Sure! Whole sock:

 And from top

 To bottom

 As well as the turn.

Ta da! That's hours of exercise, that is. And a nice, soft sock.

After my long day Thursday, I was still tired yesterday. In fact, I was so sleepy at work that in the afternoon, so I got out the MP3 player in an attempt to get myself moving; a one-person dance party. Unfortunately, the headphones rubbing against the zipper of my jacket somehow made a noise/vibration that drove me INSANE. I had been pleased because it was merely chilly and not freezing in the office, but after that, ugh. The fact that I had a fleece over a hoodie over a long-sleeved shirt over a t-shirt, only to achieve "not freezing," seemed less like a win.

I put my scarf on, and that kept the wires from rubbing on the zipper, and the music helped me wake up. Still, how ridiculous.

Random thought: Periodically, I check the website of the cat rescue place that took Miri back, but she still isn't listed there. Perhaps they are not finding it quite as easy to make her the perfect, social, adoptable animal as they thought they would. They were certainly full of ideas when I dropped her off! But that's a month ago (praise the heavens), and yet, no listing. Interesting, eh?

Right, I'm off to put dinner together. Happy Saturday night, all!

Up Early, Home Late

Very tired! I got in to work late (like, lunch time) today, having gone to Worcester this morning to provide moral support to a friend at court (her husband can't be her ex-husband soon enough, I'm just saying), and it was surprisingly discombobulating to arrive at what should be the middle of the day. I stayed late, if not as late as I arrived (I'll make up more time tomorrow), and now I'm going to collapse on the couch, staring vacantly at the Bruins game while petting the kitty.

That is, I'm going to do that after I ask you a question. Yes, you! What do you think? I want to know. The boss sometimes will forward a message to all of us from the office park people about fire alarm testing or some such thing that's happening, and I find it kind of weird that the woman who sends these messages signs them with "Warm regards". It doesn't strike me as business-like, somehow, between people who don't have a working relationship, anyway.

What do you think? Would you sign a message to numerous strangers that way? "Warm regards": skeevy or no? Discuss.

Look! Over There!

Nothing to report here. Still cold at work. Still no word about an interview. Things to do. So here, look at stuff from the internet.

Interesting stuff, to word nerds: The History of English in ten minutes:


Lava engulfing a can. Hot, or super-hot, is cool:


Jimmy Kimmel on Norway's recent knitting show (sheep to sweater)

Cute cat (and a duck) things:

And

And

And

OK, then, you're on your own. Anything you want to share with the class?

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.