Hope

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,

It asked a crumb of me.

-Emily Dickinson

Every Rose Has Its Thorn

really cool plants in the Conservatory at Longwood Gardens

On Thursday, my father and I drove to Virgina to help my mother clear 15' of 'road' in the middle of her 12 wooded acres.

We left at 9:30pm for a five hour drive.

I did, however, discover that I have very good aim with an ax. And that it is very weird to look in your review mirror and see a severed tree trunk floating in midair ... and that it is chained to the back of your pick-up truck.

for some reason, the shadows from the other side of this window caught my eye

I also learned how to change the alternator in a 1999 F-350 Diesel truck, should anyone ever need any assistance in that way. And that if your headlights slowly dim while driving, odds are good that your alternator is going and that you won't make it very far before the vehicle will shut down all on its own. And that such an event can cause your departure time to shift from 8pm on Saturday to 2pm on Sunday.

star lights that looked a little less cool in person.

Also, they make me think of Ikea.

All in all, I would call it a successful weekend as we got a lot of work done with the trees and no one was killed. In this family, spending 48+ hours with each other and no fighting is a major accomplishment.

The Christmas knitting continues - I will need to write another FO post for the pair of fingerless mitts, and I also need to finish up the second pair of socks. I'm on the toe of the first sock, so there is hope. Something won't be finished in time, but I think that shall be my father's hat and he'll just have to deal.

Magically lit berries.  It was beautiful out that night, if cold.

A few random observations:
1. Cats always Know when you are making the bed, and appear out of no where. I swear that I had checked the room for kitties and shut the door, certain that there were none present. Somehow, they made it through the closed door to jump up on the bed and "help."

2. It doesn't feel like Christmas without finals and papers and school. Nothing to really look forward to, other than Christmas in and of itself. And while I like the holiday, it isn't my favorite.

3. Winter sucks. Somehow, I forget every year that I get the Blahs around this time, thanks to the whole day-light savings, shorter days and longer nights, wet winter weather, and the stress of the holidays. Having remembered that this is actually normal for me, I'm finally starting to shake it off, but you'd think I could figure that part out as it happens every year.

4. The smell of a kitteh who has been outside for a while is wonderful when you're curled up and drifting off to sleep.

5. The kitten's paws still smell like popcorn.

Finished Object: Monkey Socks

I'm currently pissed off, frustrated, tired, and so the negative-emotions list goes. So pictures:

The Specs:
Pattern: Monkeys by Cookie A. 
Yarn: Classic Elite Yarn's Alpaca Sox.



Color: Number 1856, lot 5346 - Greens, blues, a bit of purple, and some PINK.
Needles: Knit Picks nickle-plated DPNs, US Size 1ish.
Start to Finish: Uh... Some time in the fall of 2009 to November 28th, 2009.  



For: My mother, for Christmas 

Notes:  I did these toe-up, using the star-toe from the New Pathways for Socks book.  Garter stitch heel because I didn't want to be bothered trying to hide the wraps.  Not sure about the ribbing at the top - I wanted to try to keep the flow of the money pattern, and I think it works.  Had a hard time binding off loosely, so I did a round of yarn over, knit two together, a plain knit round, and then a bind off that involves knitting two stitches, then knitting them together.  It works, and mom won't care.  Not sure I like the way the yarn stripped, but mom likes it, so who cares?  They might be a mite short in the foot, but that's the problem with this pattern.  Not all that adjustable.

Camera Obscura

Really, I need to get off my lazy butt and take pictures. And then find the 12-in-1 card reader and upload them to the computer. To upload them to the internet.

No wonder I'm so lazy. Too many steps involved!

But there is a finished pair of Monkey socks, toe-up, in yummy alpaca, that need to be photographed. The ends are already woven in and everything.

There is nearly a finished pair of fingerless gloves, but I'm gonna have to break into the second ball of yarn to finish the last inch or two of the hand and to knit the thumb. And then weave in the ends.

And then knit a second pair, and fine-tune the pattern that I made up on the fly. Or I could just buy a third ball and call it even. I think the yarn is like, $4 a ball. I can afford that. I think.

Also, pictures of the fornicating reindeer hat. And I need to cast on a second pair of socks, which are a Christmas gift for a not-family member. Which means they actually need to be done somewhat on time.

Good thing I have dad's new toy to play with, then ... a Canon EOS Rebel Ti1. Or something like that. Pictures tomorrow, I think. For tomorrow is play-with-new-toy day!

Random picture whatever hell day it is

 I am evil kitten, see me glare.

Longwood Gardens, at dusk.  I love playing with the settings on my camera.

I am currently in love with silhouettes. 

Hello, Mr. Grasshopper.  How are you?

I just bought a new-to-me camera - Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W170.  I'm still figuring it out, but so far, I really like it.  The options are pretty awesome, even if the menu is set up in such a way that I can never remember where, exactly, something was.  And the beep is very annoying, so the first order of business was to turn that off.

Maybe we'll actually get some pictures from Thanksgiving this year.  Or maybe I'll be too busy trying to finish Christmas knitting to have a chance.

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.
• 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

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.