Random Tuesday Night

I really have nothing to say, but feel the need/urge to write.

Of course, I'm also feeling the urge to grab a calc text book and to start relearning calc.  Evidently, I feel the need to do a task with a clearly defined goal and method.  

I signed up for LiveMocha, to teach myself Hebrew.  For a while, they didn't actually offer Hebrew 101, which isn't too surprising - the website is free, after all, and Hebrew isn't that common of a language to easily throw together lessons.

I finally logged in to find that they now have Hebrew 101 - for those with little to no experience with Hebrew.  "Great," I thought, "that's me!"

Yeah, no.  The first lesson?  On pronouns?  Has words written out in Hebrew characters.

They never teach you the Hebrew Alphabet.

In other news, I am slowly falling victim to a cold.  Tickle in the back of my throat, wanting soup, slight headache?  Yup, got 'em all.  I'm just glad that the slow addition of symptoms means that I do NOT have a version of the flu.  I have no plan to get the flu and many, many plans to avoid in.  (No, said plans do not include a flu shot.)  I don't work with the public for a reason.

Speaking of needles, I can now sedate a horse with intravenous medication.  And the horse, in theory, is the only one that ends up woozy.

I'm riding in a horse show this weekend.  I refuse to be sick for that.  I am a bit nervous, as the LAST time I rode this horse in public, he bucked me off.  Goals for the weekend: don't die of illness, don't fall off, no refusals or rails in cross-country and stadium.

There is a stink bug on the bed next time.  Kittens are being woken up, sheets are being changed.

A random thought or two.

I am convinced that almost all automatic telephone systems start with "Please listen carefully as our menu options have changed."

Which basically is about as helpful as "new traffic patterns ahead" when you've never driven on that road before.

Energy*

Yeah, so I thought no longer being in school would mean that I would have free time?  THAT was a silly thought.

Rather, I have free time now and don't feel guilty for NOT doing homework, so I do fun things like riding, rock climbing, reading books, watching TV, knitting, and hanging out with friends.

However, I miss writing.  And the knitting mojo is back in full-force so I think it is time to dig the blog back out of the grave again.  (ooo, zombie blog!)

Things I am currently doing:

• working.  I like work, I like most of the people with whom I work.  I like the 9:30am start of my day and the flexibility to up and take off for a weekend.
• which brings me to: football.  I LOVE football season.  Sure, Penn State's not playing nearly as well as they could (or should), but I got to see them play in Illinois. 
• which meant that I got to see the vast majority of my friends from Illinois.  They are good people.
• I'm having a blast at the Holocaust Awareness museum.  Yes, I realize that sounds ... wrong, but I feel very strongly about the cause and enjoy the work.  It is very very reassuring to realize that I have found something I can be happy doing for a long time.  Now, to find a paying position doing such a thing.
• there is a new boy in the picture.  Thanks to CPaAG, he is known online as Captain Awesomepants or CAP for short.  I rather like him.
• I purchased an NES.  Ah, childhood.  I need to find a copy of Super Mario Bros. 3 and play that.  Like, soon.
• there is an awesome Belgian beer bar in Philly.  I would like to live there, but I think the commute to work would suck.

Life is good.  I'm finally coming off the high of moving home and having all sorts of good things happen.  Which means I'm also finally back to being grumpy and having bad days, but over all?  Life is DAMN good and I am happy.  Plus, I'm finally sleeping well for the first time in a few years again.  That ALONE is worth it.

I love fall in Pennsylvania.  

Now, to watch Eddie Izzard on DVD while knitting in bed and snuggling with cats.

*The Apples in Stereo

People Have A Way*

A random mishmash of thoughts:

• I am back in Pennsylvania.  There's even a rumor that all of my stuff is back in PA as well, and that I need to go pick it all up tomorrow.  I am not so much looking forward to that.
• I need to go running.  Which means it needs to stop raining.
• I need to do laundry.  I am out of shorts, and soon will be out of skirts and pants as well.
• Kit is very happy to be able to go outside, not so happy about the rain aspect.
• I will be cataloging reference resources for a museum.  This boggles my mind, but is seven kinds of awesome as well.
• Orbitz can suck it.  And then pay me for the privilege of doing so.
• There are a lot of people I need to see, and soon.
• There are a lot of people I want to see, and won't - not for a while.
• I've been here less than 48 hours and I'm already trying to figure out how soon I can move out on my own again.  Even roommates will be acceptable.
• Dinner tonight shall be sushi with awesome people, one of whom is leaving in a week for college.  How'd that happen? 
• One thing I've figured out about life: there's never enough time.  Never.
• I need a good, solid bear-hug.

*matt pond PA

We Are Nowhere and It's Now*

Huh.  Imagine that.  Dead silence for a few months.  Like that's never happened around here before.

The universe has a cruel sense of humor and timing.  But hey, new friends are always a good thing ... and new friends who give excellent hugs are even better.

At the Getty, in LA. Drinking wine and enjoying awesome weather and better company.

I finally got new sneakers.

I've been running 3-4 days a week.  Up to about 2.5 miles.  I really love it.  I'm hoping to continue this in PA, and have scouted out a few running groups, races, and trails.

While Mom was out here, we went to a local cemetery.  There were some beautiful old stones.

I move back to PA on August 11th.  That is very soon.

I don't want to leave IL, but I also do not want to not be in PA.  Why hasn't a personal tele-porter been invented  yet?

 The Getty has some beautiful grounds; I enjoyed them more than the art inside.

I am getting really excited for the coming football season.  I might even drive back out to IL for the PSU/UIUC game.

Yes, I am insane.

 CPaAG has some of the nicest, most caring, and thoughtful people around. RAWR!

The idea of being done with school at least for a few years is finally starting to sink in.  What is life like without homework?  Or papers?  And with free time to read for pleasure?

However, with two part time jobs and a volunteer position at the Holocaust Museum in Philly, I might not have that much free time.

 I don't think I spent nearly enough time in Chicago.  Guess I'll have to come back.

Summer went by very, very fast.  Almost too fast?  At least, these last few weeks have been too fast.

I went to Chicago, I went to LA.  Lei came to visit, Phil came to visit.  Mom came to visit.  I spent very few weekends at home.

Rusty colicked and had to be put down on Thursday, May 28th, 2009.  He was 33.

I did get to say goodbye to the old man.

*Bright Eyes

On Accountability

Evidently, the weather has decided to look at a calendar and behave accordingly. Which is awesome, til I look out the window at work and pout cause I'm stuck inside when it is beautiful out.

Today, however, I went for a run after work. All that walking to class has paid off, as I managed to jog a respectable .4 miles before needing a break. And I haven't actually been running in a couple of years. All told, I managed a good 1.5 miles, and probably ran about 40% of that. Sadly, my leg muscles gave out before my lungs really did.

Really, I'm only posting this here cause a) I want to be able to go back and look at this info later and b) I don't want to fall off the wagon in a few weeks, like I normally do.

However, I really need to go get me some solid running sneakers.

Sometimes, I forget how much I love poetry.

Of things vnseene how canst thou deeme aright,
Then answered the righteous Artegall,
Sith thou misdeem'st so much of things in sight?
What though the sea with waues continuall
Doe eate the earth, it is no more at all:
Ne is the earth the lesse, or loseth ought,
For whatsoeuer from one place doth fall,
Is with the tide vnto an other brought:
For there is nothing lost, that may be found, if sought.

Edmund Spencer, The Faerie Queen, Canto II, xxxix

Meijer vs Wegmans

I like creme brulee. There's nothing better than an excuse to play with fire in the kitchen, and it tastes awesome.

So it is no surprise that I decided to try some of Meijer's creme brulee ice cream. At the very least, it would be ice cream, even if it did taste nothing like creme brulee.


However.

I was distracted by the realization that "WEGMANS" was written on the container. WTF, mate! Wegmans is an East coast brand which I miss way too much out here in the midwest. They have the best sushi for a grocery store, and great bruschetta and bread and mac'n'cheese. NOM.

Weird. They also both use the same picture of creme brulee with the tiny spoon and violet on the saucer. My google-fu has let me down, as I haven't been able to find anything about a merger, or being owned by the same company. There were a few mentions of supermarkets teaming up to deal with supply train problems, so I suppose that could be it.

Creme brulee AND a taste of Wegmans. NOM.

I would walk 500 miles

Another shot from last weekend up at Greene Valley. I love water.

Another glorious weekend over. Lei came to visit and we were our typical boring selves. Xtension Chords concert on Friday night (and I was rather disappointed, as the group used wireless body mics rather than corded standing mics, and as a result, you could almost NEVER hear the soloist(s). GAH). Then, doughnuts and shopping and ice cream and good TV and a puzzle for the rest of the day.

And then we made cakewaffles this morning. Any day that involves cakewaffles can't be that bad at all. Plus, it is suddenly and gloriously spring. (Well, late spring, what with the 80-degree temps, but that is ok.)

I'm itching to be outside, in the sun and the breeze. I want to go running, but I need new running shoes or I won't be able to walk in a few weeks. I've promised myself that once the really crazy part of this semester is over, I'm allowed to start working out seriously again. I miss riding like crazy all the sudden. Here's a picture of the best horse EVER.


He's currently 32? 33? years old and still going. He is happily retired and still hates to have his face cleaned. He recognizes me and never knows if I'm good news or not. So I just feed him treats every time I see him and give him a great big hug.

And since my mind is now back at the barn, here's an awesome picture from last summer. I heart the macro function of my camera.


In other news, Schrodie has taken to sleeping on top of the cabinets above the fridge. This is bad news, as I had moved my stash on top of the fridge so I could stop coming home to discover that SOMEONE had unwound balls of yarn all across the living room and really really really wants to help rewind it again. Oddly, his help always makes the job take longer.

Just two more weeks, and then almost everything will be over. One class is over already, another one will be done by Friday. The reading levels have really tapered off, which is good as I have to write a 10 page paper this week and put together a presentation on said paper to be given on Thursday. At the very least, two pages of that paper will be taken up by a transcription of this:


And in still other news: It was the Blue/White weekend, and I didn't get to go. BUT, it looks like a few PSU football players did well in the draft, so I'll have a few more teams I need to watch from now on, to follow my PSU favorites. Like the Hawks.

And The World Is Made of Engery*

I had the best weekend in quite a while. Drove up to Chicago-land, to spend the weekend with Farmer John. We watched lots of How I Met Your Mother, made yummy food, and went hiking in the Greene Vally Forest Preserve. Sadly, it was not quite spring yet, so there was a lack of pretty flowering stuff and the day was kinda cloudy and overcast, but at the very least it was warm.

We saw a baby snake! He wouldn't stick his tongue out for the camera though. Maybe he was actually a teenage snake?

I got kinda frustrated as many of my shots didn't turn out as I had them in my head. However, I think a lot of things could be quickly solved with some cropping and other simple editing. One of these days, I'll get around to doing that sort of thing in iPhoto. Til then, will be lazy and just post pictures anyway.


PLUS, I got to meet up with a few Chicago-land CPaAGers from Ravelry, and I got to spend the morning (while Farmer John was, of course, playing frisbee) knitting and sewing the zipper into my Urban Aran. I need to pretty up the zipper, but other than that, the cardigan is mostly done. You know, just in time for spring. I'll need to ask those who took pictures if it is ok if I steal them and put them up here. So more on that topic later. At the very least, I promise FO pictures of the Urban Aran.

Now, to face/deal with the homework, etc. that I ignored in favor of actually relaxing. I made the mistake of making a list of EVERYTHING that needs to be done between now and the end of the semester. It didn't fit on one page. However, three things have since been finished and crossed off the list.

Why I never manage to get anything done: There is always a cat that wants to sit on me. But she was purring. (And as I type this, the kitten is curled up and using my left arm as a pillow. [snickers: I have Zombie Nation playing, as I am missing PSU football lately, and he's looking around for the source of teh noize. I don't think he likes Zombie Nation.])


Also: I knit Sheldon for a coworker's baby. Another coworker is pregnant with twins. Two girls. I want to knit her something similar in cute- and -easyiness levels. Sugguestions? I found a cute goldfish (ravelry link) which I think would be cute in a slightly varigated yarn. Any one known of another cute, easy, and free fishy pattern?

*The Apples in Stereo