Monday, July 30, 2007

30's

When I was in my late teens, I thought people in their early twenties were so glamorous. Not that I am in my early twenties I know the truth: people in their early thirties are glamorous.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

home

I spent a lovely weekend at home getting to see the entire family. Mom. Dad. Greg. Tom. I brought my camera home to take pictures of the blanket I knitted for Mom.

Here are two pictures of the blanket: one close and one not.




And here is a picture of my favorite furry brother, Tom. Doesn't he look majestic in his old age!



And here are a couple of shots of our backyard in the rain. You can still make out Mom's beautiful gardens.




And, finally, here are the three mugs that Mom got at the Yale Co-Op in New Haven. We all had a delicious blend of green tea by Harney and Sons called Bangkok in these mugs after dinner.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Oh, boy!

The yarn for Greg's blanket came today. I am doing a pattern I found online called Twisted Texture Afghan by Bernat. This marks the first time that I have ever ordered yarn over the internet. But it's okay - I got free shipping.

I was worried that they wouldn't send all the same dye lot and that I would be forsaken forever, but fortunately the people at JoAnn know what they are doing. Fourteen (exactly, fourteen, although I am now thinking I should have ordered extra yarn...) skeins of Bernat Softee Chunky yarn in Circus arrived via the United Parcel Service at approximately 3.30 pm, while I was doing my abs workout with Denise Austin. I do not mind working with acrylic, and I think that this yarn is quite lovely.

I began the blanket with gusto! This is optimistic, since I am always afraid of beginning a new project (oh, the mistakes!). Lucky the blanket was going along fine, until I realized that the "tension" was off.

First off, the pattern is Canadian, hence tension instead of gauge. Second, the gauge offered was for the pattern, not the border, which is what I am working on now. Lastly, I don't usually check the gauge since I work with the no dye lot Red Heart Super Saver for almost all of my blankets (because it's cheap and with a blanket you need a lot of yarn). With the Red Heart, if I have to run out to the store for another skein, who cares. But not this time. This time the pattern I have calls for fourteen skeins of yarn, and I didn't buy extra. I hope this isn't a mistake.

Well, as it would so happen I did work up a swatch of the main pattern, and the "tension" is just different than the "tension" in the boarder. Whew. So, I should be okay. And, if not, the blanket can always be a different length because it is a blanket after all.

(And this blanket allowed me the first chance to use my new Denise Interchangeable set that Mom got me for a graduation gift. I am quite enjoying them now, although I almost broke my thumb trying to attach two pieces of cord with the connector. - I don't think I was turning it correctly. - But the needles and cord are together, the needles are light, and the yarn moves smoothly. What a great set!)

baby blanket

The blanket for Tracy's upcoming baby is finished!


Wednesday, July 25, 2007

blankets

I was thinking about how I had briefly intended for this blog to have a knitting focus. Obviously, that didn't happen. However, I thought I would take the opportunity to post pictures of some of the blankets I have made.

So far I have made five blankets: one for Seth's nephew, Matthew; one for myself; one for my mother; one for Seth's mother; and one for Mom's friends upcoming baby. Actually, the final blanket on the list isn't done yet - it should be by the end of the week.

I have pictures of all of the blankets except Matthew's and Mom's. I think I might ask the owners for images.

Below I have normal images and close-ups of all of the new baby blanket, Seth's mother's blanket, and my blanket.







Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Random Questions

Random
Do you have any pets?I had a kitten, William. At Mom's there is Tom, our cat and my "youngest brother."
What color shirt are you wearing?Bright blue.
Name three things that are physically close to you:My retro clock with tri-hands on the sides, a paperweight heart with the word love on it, a framed picture of Seth and me at our house in Connecticut.
What is the last book you read?*Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.*
Are you or were you a good student?Yes.
What's your favorite sport?Baseball.
Do you enjoy sleeping late?Yes, but I don't want to miss the day.
What's the weather like right now?It's night time, the temperature is comfortable, and it's not raining.
Who tells the best jokes?Conan O'Brien.
What was the last thing you dreamed about?I was driving in a car, scared and lost.
Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?My Freshman year of college I slid on some black ice rounding a turn and crashed into a telephone pole.
Do you believe in karma?I saw a woman hit her head after she yelled at my brother and me for no reason, so I believe in karma for at least that one case.
Do you believe in luck?I believe in making my own luck and working hard but there is also the element of chance that one might equate with luck.
Do you like your eggs scrambled or sunny side up?Scrambled.
Do you collect anything? If so, what?I collected key chains for a long time, although I don't really anymore.
Are you proud of yourself?About some things, yes. About other things, no.
Are you reliable?Yes.
Have you ever given money to a bum?No.
What's your favorite food?Matzo ball soup.
Have you ever had a secret admirer?He wasn't that secretive.
Do you like the smell of gasoline?Not especially.
Do like to draw?No, I am incompetent at it. (My brother is the better artist.)
What's your favorite invention?Inventions build on each other, so it is difficult to say.
Is your room messy?No!
What do you like better: oranges or apples?Apples.
Do you give in easily?Not about things that I consider important.
Are you a good guesser?No.
Can you read other people's expressions?It depends on the person.
Are you a bully?No.
Do you have a job?I start on Monday.
What time did you wake up this morning?9.30-ish.
What did you eat for breakfast this morning?A half of a raspberry-lemon muffin and a half of a chocolate chip muffin.
When was the last time you showered?After I exercised today, so around five o'clock.
What do you plan on doing tomorrow?Ironing.
What's your favorite day of the week and why?Saturday because it's the weekend, but I still have the rest of the weekend to look forward to.
Do you have any nicknames?Yes.
Have you ever been scuba diving?No.
What's your least favorite color?Of the basic ones: orange.
Is there someone you have been constantly thinking about? If yes, who?Yes, Seth, my boyfriend.
Would you ever go skydiving?Probably not.
What toothpaste do you use?Crest Vivid White.
Do you enjoy challenges?It depends.
What's the worst injury you have had?I got a cut and needed stitches.
What's the last movie you saw?*Hairspray.*
What do you want to know about the future?Nothing, wouldn't want to spoil it. Or everything.
What does your last text message say?I don't text.
Who was the last person you spoke over the phone to?Mom.
What's your favorite school subject?English.
What's your least favorite school subject?Foreign language.
Would you rather have money or love?Love.
What is your dream vacation?I want to go back to England.
What is your favorite animal?Cat. Or pig.
Do you miss anyone right now?I am looking forward to seeing Mom and Greg on Saturday.
What's the last sporting event you watched?
Do you need to do laundry?I just finished my laundry an hour ago!
Do you listen to the radio?No.
Where were you when 9/11 happened?Latin class.
What do you do when vending machines steal your money?Rant about it on my blog.
Have you ever caught a butterfly?I had a butterfly land on my at Magic Wings.
What color are your bed sheets?White or brown.
What's your ringtone?Depends on who is calling. The general one is "Round Here" by Counting Crows.
Who was the last person to make you laugh?Seth.
Do you have any obsessions right now?Knitting.
Do you like things that glow in the dark?Sure.
What's your favorite fruity scent?Ooo, that's difficult.
Do you watch cartoons?No.
Have you ever sat on a roof?Yes.
Have you ever been to a different country?Yes.
Name three things in the world you dislike:Evil in its many forms, poverty, dispair.
Name three people in the world you dislike:I don't want to offend anyone.
Has a rumor even been spread about you?Probably.
Do you like sushi?Somewhat.
Do you believe in magic?No.
Do you hold grudges?It depends on what happened.
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bring home

Baby blanket from Grandma
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Tea
Extra pajamas and jeans
Receipts
Tupperware box (if we're done with the doughnuts)
Baby blanket for Tracy's son

i should update my blog

a) I am starting my new job on Monday. I will be the Program Coordinator for Phonathon and Annual Support at Smith College. I get an office.

b) I finished the new Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book. It was quite good.

c) The baby blanket for Mom's friend is over 3/4 done. I can't wait to get the yarn for Greg's blanket in the mail!

d) I feel uncomfortably warm. Odd.

e) I wonder if I should get a lunch box in order to transport my lunch to work. Maybe Mom has one at home, and I can pick it up when I go home Saturday.

f) That's all folks.

Monday, July 16, 2007

New Quiz

[Famous Meeting]
If you could only meet one famous person, dead or a live, for the rest of your life, who would it be?Katharine Hepburn.
Why?I find her interesting.
What would you say to him/her?I'd have her read the paper I wrote about her and Spencer Tracy - I am sure that it would provoke some response.
What would you ask him/her?See previous question.
[Cell Phone]
How long have you had your current phone?Since Christmas time 2005.
What’s your current ring tone for a text message alert?Some pre-set thing. Only Verizon sends me text messages. If I want to communicate with somone one on my cell*phone,* I call them.
From whom have you missed the most calls?Seth :( Sometimes it seems like my phone doesn't ring when he calls. It's odd.
To whom have you sent the most text messages?See two above.
Of all the people on your phone, who do you talk to the least?I don't remember because I don't talk with them enough.
[Relationships]
Are you happy with your current relationship status?Most definitely!
Are there any previous relationships you wish could have lasted longer?At this point in my life I don't have any regrets.
Have you ever been in a relationship with someone while you had feelings for someone else?That's too much for the internet.
Of all your exes, who do you keep in touch with the most?I don't really keep in touch with either of them too much. Although, I guess I would say that I keep in touch with my first ex-boyfriend more since my second ex-boyfriend won't really talk with me.
[Movies]
What was your favorite movie when you were seven?Does the author of this quiz even remember what movie he or she prefered at that tender age?
What’s your favorite movie now?*Moulin Rouge,* probably.
What was the last movie you rented/pirated?I borrowed *The Magdalene Sisters* from the library.
Name one movie that made you cry.Only one: *Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?*
What’s the funniest movie you’ve ever seen?*Keeping the Faith*
Quote a line from a good movie you’ve seen.That's difficult to think of, although the Doctor had a good line about love on Star Trek: Voyager last night.
What upcoming movie do you really, really want to see?Harry Potter, like everyone else in this zipcode.
[Elementary School]
What games did you play at recess?Dodge ball.
Were you the bully, bullied, or neither?Neither.
Who was president at the time?It depends on what part of my elementary school experience. It was George H. W. Bush at the beginning and William Clinton at the end.
Name one famous event that happened while you were in elementary school.Carl Sagan died.
Did you eat the food from the cafeteria? Or did you bring your own lunch?I brought my own lunch.
[Your Job(s)]
What job(s) do you have?I worked for UMass.
At what time do you have to be to work?It depended.
How many hours a day do you work?Also, it depended. Usually around four though.
How often do you get paid?Every other Friday.
If you can remember your highest paycheck ever, how much was it?
What’s one job you wish you could have?The one I am waiting to hear back from.
[People]
Who’s the star of your favorite TV show?Kate Mulgrew.
Who was the last person you had a face-to-face conversation with?Seth, this morning before he left for work.
Do you remember the name of the waiter/waitress from the last restaurant you ate at?Not a chance.
Who was on the cover of the last magazine or newspaper you read?The last magazine I read was *Real Simple* - It didn't have a person on the cover.
Who sings your current favorite song?Counting Crows.
Who do you talk to the most on an average day?Seth.
[Holidays]
What did you go as last Halloween?I had to work, but I dressed up as a farmer.
Do you have a costume in mind for this Halloween?No, because it's July.
What did you do this past 4th of July?Went to Seth's parents' house.
How did you discover the truth about Santa Clause?I don't remember that either. The Santa thing wasn't a big deal.
Do you get drunk on St. Patty’s?No.
Where do you go on Thanksgiving?To Aunt Geraldine and Uncle Jimmy's with Mom and Greg. (Mmm, baked apples!)
[Family]
Where does your furthest living relative live?California.
What does your oldest uncle/aunt do for a living?My great aunts and uncles are retired.
Are any of your relatives famous?My great uncle on my mother's side is in the Basketball Hall of fame. On my father's mother's side, my great great great great great uncle fought in the Civil War (for the Union).
Who do you see more, your mom or your dad?Probably, my mother.
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Monday, July 2, 2007

May's Letters to Men

Letter One: Would it kill you to know that it was more a case of bad timing. Think that old movie Summertime. Think any cliché. Because it my vulnerable moments I had fancied you even though you are not my type. (Whatever that means.) Perhaps even when I fancied you I knew that it was not right. Perhaps you knew it too even in your dream-scape moments that ought not to have been. At least you taught me the lesson about full disclosure. And aren't we still paying for it in a way. Me with my half guilt. The funny thing is now you are the one with all the naiveté, when it was mine that caused all this difficulty in the first place.

Letter Two: That was a funny nothing that we had going on. Just perfect for that point of uncertainty in my life. You being so knowledgeable. And I was intoxicated by your attention, but who wouldn't be? I still think of you occasionally and fondly but not with a wondering of what could have been because that wasn't what it was about at all. You never really intended to leave her. I never really intended to ask her. (Both those sentences would still stand firm without the 'really.') I don't know what you got from me. I can acknowledge what I got from you and am grateful for the flirtation, the nothing that I did not endow with greater meaning. Because even thought we didn't know the line, in reality, we did.