At my knit night Andi asked me about the job I applied for, which I had twittered about earlier in the day. I replied that it was at UD. There was a chorus of what job, what department.
"Administrative Secretary for the Center of Catholic Studies"
Snickers, raised eyebrows followed, as did this comment: "Well that would kinda be an oxymoron wouldn't it."
Showing posts with label Andi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Andi. Show all posts
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Have cheeseball, will party
Being in the Midwest is really different from the other places I've lived. This afternoon I saw my friend Andi mention on Twitter that she was cooking for "Practice Thanksgiving". I asked if this meant that she got to have two thanksgivings and when I could come over. Within about 10 minutes she called and said com'on over to my moms around 6 tonight. Seriously people I was joking but who am I to turn down yummy food.
For absolutely no good reason I didn't get on my way to Huber Heights until five minute before six. In an attempt to cover my faux pas I called Andi to tell her that I was running behind. She told me to worry not as she was also running behind because the roasted Brussels sprouts had taken longer than expected (they were well worth any delay! Her Geekyness loved them too, I must have the recipe). Somehow I figured I would arrive after she had as she lives much closer to her mom's place, but no. I rang the bell to a house full of strangers. Andi's mom is a charming and gregarious hostess, introducing me to everyone in one fast sweeping motion before leaving the family room to check on something in the kitchen. After moving the large ottoman so that I would have somewhere to sit, one of the women pointed out the appetizer on the table "We have a cheeseball!" My immediate thought that cheeseball must be code for "the party has started!" A bit later another woman spread large dollops of said cheeseball on some crackers and handed me the plate. Alrighty then. Actually it was rather tasty and clearly homemade, not one of those rubbery molded in a factory concoctions.
Soon Andi, Hubs and Sprout, their adorable daughter arrived, complete with Sprout wearing cat ears and tail. So cute. We all chatted a bit and then there was food and I mean a lot of food! I learned the orgins of Practice Thanksgiving. Many years ago Andi's mom joined a sorority, after college years it seemed to me but I could have that wrong. Anyway, soon after her mom joined she instituted this tradition of them having thanksgiving together the weekend before so that they could share this ritual with friends and family without making oneself crazy trying to do it all in a day. I think this is a Brilliant idea and am considering franchising it. Sprout read us two books after dinner in between the adult conversation of Andi, Hubs and I, it was sweet.
I made a plate to take home to Her Geekyness and gratefully thanked Andi's mom for her generousity in inviting me into her home and this tradition. It was a really sweet evening stepping just a bit into someone else's world. I like doing that even though it can be a bittersweet experience. There continues to be no thanksgiving ritual for my family of origin. This will be Judy's first thanksgiving without her husband, Judy hosted our family yearly get together for almost thirty years. This year will be our second here in Ohio and already it is different from last year as the hosting home is switching this year. It's not a bad thing but her parents' home has become a bit of a base for me and I am sad to not be doing the holiday there again this year. It means it will be larger, different yet again. There are moments I feel too old, too sad for what is no longer to have no consistency in things that were once landmarks of my year, something akin to knowing the sun will rise - you don't know what exactly will happen, you know that it rises says nothing about whether it will be sunny or gray, but the sun is there somewhere. The family of my youth has shifted dramatically, there is a generation after me now, I know them less not more as I had always hoped, there are fewer of them than ever. Creating your own family rituals is fun but also challenging. Having to tweak them because of changes (like divorce), while it still has this air of "Hey I can make it anything I want", there is a piece of my that misses being a kid and just having it laid out for me.
For absolutely no good reason I didn't get on my way to Huber Heights until five minute before six. In an attempt to cover my faux pas I called Andi to tell her that I was running behind. She told me to worry not as she was also running behind because the roasted Brussels sprouts had taken longer than expected (they were well worth any delay! Her Geekyness loved them too, I must have the recipe). Somehow I figured I would arrive after she had as she lives much closer to her mom's place, but no. I rang the bell to a house full of strangers. Andi's mom is a charming and gregarious hostess, introducing me to everyone in one fast sweeping motion before leaving the family room to check on something in the kitchen. After moving the large ottoman so that I would have somewhere to sit, one of the women pointed out the appetizer on the table "We have a cheeseball!" My immediate thought that cheeseball must be code for "the party has started!" A bit later another woman spread large dollops of said cheeseball on some crackers and handed me the plate. Alrighty then. Actually it was rather tasty and clearly homemade, not one of those rubbery molded in a factory concoctions.
Soon Andi, Hubs and Sprout, their adorable daughter arrived, complete with Sprout wearing cat ears and tail. So cute. We all chatted a bit and then there was food and I mean a lot of food! I learned the orgins of Practice Thanksgiving. Many years ago Andi's mom joined a sorority, after college years it seemed to me but I could have that wrong. Anyway, soon after her mom joined she instituted this tradition of them having thanksgiving together the weekend before so that they could share this ritual with friends and family without making oneself crazy trying to do it all in a day. I think this is a Brilliant idea and am considering franchising it. Sprout read us two books after dinner in between the adult conversation of Andi, Hubs and I, it was sweet.
I made a plate to take home to Her Geekyness and gratefully thanked Andi's mom for her generousity in inviting me into her home and this tradition. It was a really sweet evening stepping just a bit into someone else's world. I like doing that even though it can be a bittersweet experience. There continues to be no thanksgiving ritual for my family of origin. This will be Judy's first thanksgiving without her husband, Judy hosted our family yearly get together for almost thirty years. This year will be our second here in Ohio and already it is different from last year as the hosting home is switching this year. It's not a bad thing but her parents' home has become a bit of a base for me and I am sad to not be doing the holiday there again this year. It means it will be larger, different yet again. There are moments I feel too old, too sad for what is no longer to have no consistency in things that were once landmarks of my year, something akin to knowing the sun will rise - you don't know what exactly will happen, you know that it rises says nothing about whether it will be sunny or gray, but the sun is there somewhere. The family of my youth has shifted dramatically, there is a generation after me now, I know them less not more as I had always hoped, there are fewer of them than ever. Creating your own family rituals is fun but also challenging. Having to tweak them because of changes (like divorce), while it still has this air of "Hey I can make it anything I want", there is a piece of my that misses being a kid and just having it laid out for me.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Books, we got books!
TGF, Jeriann, and I went to the Planned Parenthood book sale just up the road at the Montgomery Country Fairgrounds (fair warning the site bites rock). There are literally hundreds of thousands of books really, really cheap. Mostly they are sorted by categories and kept in them but once in awhile one could find "He's Just Not That into You" in multiple sections like: Women and Psychology. Psychology? Oh please. Well it's all done by volunteers.
Last year I went with Andi on the last day when it's $5 for a bag of book - a deep bargain. Today we paid the actual prices and between the two of us we spent $32 for three bags of books, still not a bad deal. I replaced my disintegrated copy of the Vegetarian Epicure more for nostalgic value than anything else. Because I cannot pass up southern based cookbooks often I snagged Special Recipes from the Charleston Cake Lady. In looking for links, I just noted that she died back in January, sad. The coolest find in this subject area was Esquire's Handbook for Hosts, published in 1949! I found this posting which includes great PDFs from this incredible kitchy book (Hi Squeezeknits!)
I purchased Family Keleidoscope by Salvador Minuchin with the notion that one day I will finish my degree and do family therapy work. In my studies I read lots about the man's contributions to the field but nothing by him. It seems like it might be quite readable unlike some of the pioneers in the field.
Once I learned we we going to this event I decided to scan the computer section to see if I could pick up anything that might be useful in my new job. The plan in my head had been to go to the library but since this was actually happening and getting to the library might not happen I figured it was worth looking around. For a buck I picked up MS Office 2000, yeah I know we are using 2007 but I figured it would at least give me a brush up on the basics; for the hell of it and another .60 cents I scored The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creating an HTML 4 Web Page, complete with cd-rom I mean I have a domain name and nothing on it plus I figure it could be a help in the job, or the next one.
I continue to dream, hope, and plan to write more so to that end I snagged The Right to Write by Julia Cameron (I had no idea she was married To Martin Scorsese!) and Writing for Your Life: A Guide and Companion to the Inner Worlds by Deena Metzger, whom I find inspiring in general though I have read little of her work. During the summer after a conversation with Sunny and starting a different book, I decided to ditch Woman's Book of Creativity because it just dragged which seems an antithesis to the subject, you know? The book which I started that I loved The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp who I almost worship. Almost only because I do not to worship people. It is hard to think that I would love to hang out with Twyla based on my reading because she comes across as demanding and a bit of a control freak. She also comes across as amazingly honest which is rather endearing. Here is what I wrote over on Goodreads when I started this book:
Last year I went with Andi on the last day when it's $5 for a bag of book - a deep bargain. Today we paid the actual prices and between the two of us we spent $32 for three bags of books, still not a bad deal. I replaced my disintegrated copy of the Vegetarian Epicure more for nostalgic value than anything else. Because I cannot pass up southern based cookbooks often I snagged Special Recipes from the Charleston Cake Lady. In looking for links, I just noted that she died back in January, sad. The coolest find in this subject area was Esquire's Handbook for Hosts, published in 1949! I found this posting which includes great PDFs from this incredible kitchy book (Hi Squeezeknits!)
I purchased Family Keleidoscope by Salvador Minuchin with the notion that one day I will finish my degree and do family therapy work. In my studies I read lots about the man's contributions to the field but nothing by him. It seems like it might be quite readable unlike some of the pioneers in the field.
Once I learned we we going to this event I decided to scan the computer section to see if I could pick up anything that might be useful in my new job. The plan in my head had been to go to the library but since this was actually happening and getting to the library might not happen I figured it was worth looking around. For a buck I picked up MS Office 2000, yeah I know we are using 2007 but I figured it would at least give me a brush up on the basics; for the hell of it and another .60 cents I scored The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creating an HTML 4 Web Page, complete with cd-rom I mean I have a domain name and nothing on it plus I figure it could be a help in the job, or the next one.
I continue to dream, hope, and plan to write more so to that end I snagged The Right to Write by Julia Cameron (I had no idea she was married To Martin Scorsese!) and Writing for Your Life: A Guide and Companion to the Inner Worlds by Deena Metzger, whom I find inspiring in general though I have read little of her work. During the summer after a conversation with Sunny and starting a different book, I decided to ditch Woman's Book of Creativity because it just dragged which seems an antithesis to the subject, you know? The book which I started that I loved The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp who I almost worship. Almost only because I do not to worship people. It is hard to think that I would love to hang out with Twyla based on my reading because she comes across as demanding and a bit of a control freak. She also comes across as amazingly honest which is rather endearing. Here is what I wrote over on Goodreads when I started this book:
OMG I am in love! My other creativity book (Ealy) has been dragging - it has good tidbits but it's a fairly dull read about creativity. But this? It reached out and shook me from page 1. It's library borrow but I think I might have to own this one to reread it from time to time.Consider this a recommendation without even finishing the damn book. I can only hope that the two books I just picked up begin to touch me the way Twyla's did. Now of course I need to borrow that book and begin it again. Maybe in December as November is pretty full what with my knitting goals, NaBloPomo, and work. All in all I am pleased with all I bought today for less than $12.00.
I have loved Twyla Tharp forever. In reading this book so far I can see she is incredibly anal, perhaps even would be classified as OCD via the DSM-IV but she is brilliant and honest in this book, asking really deep questions and opening up herself as an example. In reading the first 40 pages or so I spent the next day regurgitating tons of stuff - I was that enthralled. It's a joy to read.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
A quiz - just because
Inspired my amazing friend Andi, and because I'm not overly inspired to write since I've been sick for a few days....I give you a quiz result!
For an unscientific test I'd say it was pretty accurate. As always I find it hard to choose between two extremes in answers because so often it depends on my mood when I encounter the circumstance they are asking about. I tend to prefer scaled answers rather than the more black and white type. But oh well.
For an unscientific test I'd say it was pretty accurate. As always I find it hard to choose between two extremes in answers because so often it depends on my mood when I encounter the circumstance they are asking about. I tend to prefer scaled answers rather than the more black and white type. But oh well.
You Are An ENFP |
 The Inspirer You love being around people, and you are deeply committed to your friends. You are also unconventional, irreverent, and unimpressed by authority and rules. Incredibly perceptive, you can usually sense if someone has hidden motives. You use lots of colorful language and expressions. You're quite the storyteller! In love, you are quite the charmer. And you are definitely willing to risk your heart. You often don't follow through with your flirting or professed feelings. And you do break a lot of hearts. At work, you are driven but not a workaholic. You just always seem to enjoy what you do. You would make an excellent entrepreneur, politician, or journalist. How you see yourself: compassionate, unselfish, and understanding When other people don't get you, they see you as: gushy, emotional, and unfocused |
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Onto happier things
All in favour of distractions, say I!
So knitting it is then. A photo essay of sorts.
I saw this pattern eons ago back when I thought cables where hard. Cables are not hard but this pattern has errors. The yarn is my trusty steed, Cascade 220, colourway 9474. It's the same stuff I made a pair of Fetching out of so it's what's left from that adventure. While I have been loving this yarn and the needles (Inox circular size 6), I am not enamored of how it's turning out so although I am almost done, I think I will frog this one.
Pictures of entrelac have danced in my head for a very long time now, first catching my attention when the knitting blogosphere was all about the Lady Eleanor wrap. I had convinced myself for awhile that I had no interest in anything like that but I lied. When knitty.com put out a tiny pattern for a head wrap/ear warmer thingy that was nothing more than a test swatch of entrelac I became obsessed. I also used this as an excuse to spend about $12 on some Plymouth Boku which is a cheap alternative to one of the Noro yarns, I forget which one. It does break, or at least this first ball does, more than I like. This project is almost finished and the other ball will be used to make some fingerless gloves or something like that so it's a set. TGF really likes it so it may go to her. I do love how the colours are working out in the pattern.
My consignment project, Fans of Family is done! Done I tell you, I blocked it yesterday and wove in the ends tonight. I love this pattern. So much that I wo
uld consider making it again, which if you notice I hardly make the same thing twice, so this is high praise. The yarn was a delight, Misti Alpaca Laceweight, held doubled throughout. I ran into a snag with this as I seriously underestimated the yardage needed but Ravelry came to my rescue. I love this thing and hope the recipient loves it to. I struggled to find a pattern that seemed like a good match for the goal of something not too warm, but pretty, and would offer me a bit of a challenge. It took some time for the 20 row repeat pattern to develop into a rhythm but after 20 repeats of the pattern, I established a bit of a flow with it. It looks quite lovely to me, but I'm biased.
Yesterday my friend Andi surprised me with a visit and spindle spinning lesson. Jennie gifted w
ith a drop spindle and some GORGEOUS roving before I left the west coast but I really didn't want to start with it because well it deserves more talented hands. Andi brought me some more basic roving in blue and gray to spin. Somewhat foolish perhaps I decided to spin the two colours together, however the result is kind of nice. Like any good teacher Andi noted that my drafting was getting more consistent already. I love a good liar!
More knitting news soon I'm sure.
Notes on stripping wallpaper with ugly picture soon too.
With the luck of the Goddesses without Husbands as Glamour Gal would say, I will have positive job news for me soon!
So knitting it is then. A photo essay of sorts.
I saw this pattern eons ago back when I thought cables where hard. Cables are not hard but this pattern has errors. The yarn is my trusty steed, Cascade 220, colourway 9474. It's the same stuff I made a pair of Fetching out of so it's what's left from that adventure. While I have been loving this yarn and the needles (Inox circular size 6), I am not enamored of how it's turning out so although I am almost done, I think I will frog this one.
Pictures of entrelac have danced in my head for a very long time now, first catching my attention when the knitting blogosphere was all about the Lady Eleanor wrap. I had convinced myself for awhile that I had no interest in anything like that but I lied. When knitty.com put out a tiny pattern for a head wrap/ear warmer thingy that was nothing more than a test swatch of entrelac I became obsessed. I also used this as an excuse to spend about $12 on some Plymouth Boku which is a cheap alternative to one of the Noro yarns, I forget which one. It does break, or at least this first ball does, more than I like. This project is almost finished and the other ball will be used to make some fingerless gloves or something like that so it's a set. TGF really likes it so it may go to her. I do love how the colours are working out in the pattern.
My consignment project, Fans of Family is done! Done I tell you, I blocked it yesterday and wove in the ends tonight. I love this pattern. So much that I wo
uld consider making it again, which if you notice I hardly make the same thing twice, so this is high praise. The yarn was a delight, Misti Alpaca Laceweight, held doubled throughout. I ran into a snag with this as I seriously underestimated the yardage needed but Ravelry came to my rescue. I love this thing and hope the recipient loves it to. I struggled to find a pattern that seemed like a good match for the goal of something not too warm, but pretty, and would offer me a bit of a challenge. It took some time for the 20 row repeat pattern to develop into a rhythm but after 20 repeats of the pattern, I established a bit of a flow with it. It looks quite lovely to me, but I'm biased.Yesterday my friend Andi surprised me with a visit and spindle spinning lesson. Jennie gifted w
ith a drop spindle and some GORGEOUS roving before I left the west coast but I really didn't want to start with it because well it deserves more talented hands. Andi brought me some more basic roving in blue and gray to spin. Somewhat foolish perhaps I decided to spin the two colours together, however the result is kind of nice. Like any good teacher Andi noted that my drafting was getting more consistent already. I love a good liar!More knitting news soon I'm sure.
Notes on stripping wallpaper with ugly picture soon too.
With the luck of the Goddesses without Husbands as Glamour Gal would say, I will have positive job news for me soon!
Saturday, December 15, 2007
A new hobby
Thrifting for yarn. I have been thinking about this because my dear friend Jennie has been doing this for awhile. Let me make it clear I am not searching for skeins of yarn but sweaters that can be reclaimed for new projects. Now that I have a ball winder I think this will be easier. There are lots of ideas about the best way to process such yarn. Some folks think it should be dampened and "stretched" to lose it's pattern memory; some think it's unnecessary.
Thursday my new buddy Andi (MysticSpiral on ravelry), called out of the blue, offering to pick me up and take me to her favorite thrift store. As long as I didn't mind having the adventure with a toddler, her lovely daughter. So off we went to Village Outlet, or something like that, and I received an excellent lesson on how to check for the right construction for unraveling. This place is fabulous with a capital F. Great prices, awesome labels, neat and orderly.
For less than $10 I purchased three sweaters, two stuffies for Wyatt's stocking, a small surpr
ise for TGF, and a holiday door mat in perfect condition and something that would make TGF very happy.
Okay first up a beautiful, 100% merino wool sweater from Banana Republic for $1.75. Yes that's right less than two dollars. It's a soft lavender. No I have no idea what I will do with it. None but it's so soft.
The weather lately has been horrible cloudy and today when I shot this, well, it was snowing and now sleeting.
The second find is also Banana Republic top that I am almost tempted to keep as is because the tailoring is beautiful. But it's really too preppy for me. The colour is spectacular. I was thinking a hat and something when Andi suggested Mrs. Beeton's. Certainly something to think about! Or perhaps Delicato Mitts, or Anne's Orchid Lace Mitts! This lovely yarn source cost me $1.00.
Just whe
n Andi and I were just about ready to move onto the toy area so Micah would finally get to have a bit more fun I found this last item that I just couldn't turn down. An XL J.Cr*w 100% wool (worsted/aran weight) sweater in a gorgeous brick red. Lots of yarn to make something for TGF. Maybe even Central Park Hoodie, a pattern I have not been drawn too, probably in part because it seems like everyone in the knitting blog world has been. (Again I must apologize for the photo.)
I told TGF about this place and we went the next day coming home with three winter coats/jackets, a fleece balaclava, and a tablecloth to use as a curtain for the kitchen doorway to the mudroom/bathroom/laundry room - all for about $14.00. I found a Lond*n Fog rain coat for $3.00 but it was too big :-(. Really great stuff at this store, I'm telling you. I cannot wait until I have real money to buy some clothes there. If I ever get a job I am seriously going to need a work wardrobe I fear.
Anyway, I now have a new addiction but at least this one is inexpensive, involve reuse, and is creative.
Oh! If anyone doing this wants "labels" for their yarn Andi has designed some awesome ones, available here, it's a pdf file.
Thursday my new buddy Andi (MysticSpiral on ravelry), called out of the blue, offering to pick me up and take me to her favorite thrift store. As long as I didn't mind having the adventure with a toddler, her lovely daughter. So off we went to Village Outlet, or something like that, and I received an excellent lesson on how to check for the right construction for unraveling. This place is fabulous with a capital F. Great prices, awesome labels, neat and orderly.
For less than $10 I purchased three sweaters, two stuffies for Wyatt's stocking, a small surpr
ise for TGF, and a holiday door mat in perfect condition and something that would make TGF very happy.Okay first up a beautiful, 100% merino wool sweater from Banana Republic for $1.75. Yes that's right less than two dollars. It's a soft lavender. No I have no idea what I will do with it. None but it's so soft.
The weather lately has been horrible cloudy and today when I shot this, well, it was snowing and now sleeting.
The second find is also Banana Republic top that I am almost tempted to keep as is because the tailoring is beautiful. But it's really too preppy for me. The colour is spectacular. I was thinking a hat and something when Andi suggested Mrs. Beeton's. Certainly something to think about! Or perhaps Delicato Mitts, or Anne's Orchid Lace Mitts! This lovely yarn source cost me $1.00.Just whe
n Andi and I were just about ready to move onto the toy area so Micah would finally get to have a bit more fun I found this last item that I just couldn't turn down. An XL J.Cr*w 100% wool (worsted/aran weight) sweater in a gorgeous brick red. Lots of yarn to make something for TGF. Maybe even Central Park Hoodie, a pattern I have not been drawn too, probably in part because it seems like everyone in the knitting blog world has been. (Again I must apologize for the photo.)I told TGF about this place and we went the next day coming home with three winter coats/jackets, a fleece balaclava, and a tablecloth to use as a curtain for the kitchen doorway to the mudroom/bathroom/laundry room - all for about $14.00. I found a Lond*n Fog rain coat for $3.00 but it was too big :-(. Really great stuff at this store, I'm telling you. I cannot wait until I have real money to buy some clothes there. If I ever get a job I am seriously going to need a work wardrobe I fear.
Anyway, I now have a new addiction but at least this one is inexpensive, involve reuse, and is creative.
Oh! If anyone doing this wants "labels" for their yarn Andi has designed some awesome ones, available here, it's a pdf file.
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