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Wednesday, July 30, 2003


Which HP Kid Are You?

Knitting celebration! I finished Michelle's socks last night. They fit great and are really cute. I took a picture of them and hopefully can post it soon. They are some crazy socks but I feel lucky that I love a girl who is just crazy enough to wear them!

I now have two projects on the needles- the pixie hat and the VBB. Argh! Michelle says I can't go see the new Mom and the baby until the VBB is complete. I think she has a good point. I really need some motivation to get this thing done. Anyhoo, the pixie hat is moving along and I think I will make some booties to match. Procrastinate much?

Gay tv thoughts- Love, love, love Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. This is why: Yes, the guys are totally stereotypical. Yes, it does not think outside the box about gay people. BUT, we see straight men who really embrace the opportunity to learn from gay people...even if what they learn is how to organize their bathroom and how to make a really great dinner for that someone special. I was so touched last night when I watched two episodes of Queer Eye and saw how sincerely grateful the straight men were for the amazing things the Fab Five did for them. Face it, we all like to look nice. We all feel better when our surroundings are pretty and welcoming and have a good energy. We can't all put words to it but I challenge anyone who says that getting into a messy bed feels the same as getting into a freshly made one. Being in a nice surrounding can pick you up. Looking good can make you feel better. It is the sincerity, appreciation, and openness to change that I like about these straight guys.

Boy Meets Boy- whatever. It is gay tv and I will watch it. I had a good time last night trying to figure out who is gay and who is straight but dating shows have never been my favorite reality tv genre. I much prefer the MTV offerings such as Real World, Road Rules, Made, Flipped. Not so much into Survivor, Fear Factor, Big Brother, or any of the Bachelor/ Bachelorette/ Joe Millionare shows. In truth, I am only watching this dating show because it features gay men.

By the way, where are all the lesbians?

Just in case you are wondering, I am considerably less than thrilled about the President's statement today about homosexual unions. I don't understand why the Defense of Marriage Act is not enough for these people. I know he says he is not in favor of a Constitutional Amendment but I am not sure how else he plans to put new restraints in action. So frustrated. Michelle wants to move to Canada. As much as I have a crush (still) on Jamie Sale of Olympic Scandal fame, I just can not imagine leaving the USA. I am too much of a flag waver, albeit a crazy left-wing liberal one.

Off to knit!

Tuesday, July 29, 2003

Another busy day.

Finished The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The end got a little too touchy-feely for me. I think Covey has some good ideas though. I am actually sort of looking forward to going to the Facilitator training for the Franklin-Covey time management seminar in September. Call me a glutton for punishment, organizing punishment that is.

One of the things I like so much about reading and learning about organizing and being more effective is that I feel proud when I already practice the tips they give. I feel so good when the apartment is clean, everything that needs to be done at work is done and I can really enjoy myself knitting or reading. When I was at my other job, I had so much guilt about how inefficient things were that I literally could not stop thinking about work. My therapist and I had to sit down and figure out a detailed plan to keep me from thinking about work in the morning while I was getting ready. I would literally think myself into a panic attack. I noticed this morning as my mind was wandering in the shower that I never think about work in the morning anymore, not in a stressful way anyway. This morning I was thinking about my boss who had a baby boy yesterday (and a big one at that- 9 lbs 9oz- three weeks early!). I sometimes think about what CDs I want to bring in to listen to while I work. But I don't have guilt. I will chalk that up partially to good time and effort management. I concentrate on getting things done well in advance so they do not become stressful. Hooray!

Knitting news: I am so close to finishing the socks for Michelle that I can taste it! I can not wait to finish them tonight. I think I will have a little of the yarn left over and they will make adorable baby socks. Since I know a ton of pregnant people, these will definitely come in handy. The idea of a speedy project like baby socks really appeals to me.

I have been perusing knitting blogs whenever I have a chance and have really been enjoying them. I even signed myself up for the knitting blog webring. I figure, I write about knitting on here in just about every entry so why not direct traffic out to other knitting blogs and have some traffic directed to me. Wish I had a digital camera so I could post pictures like so many bloggers do. I love looking at the projects people have just finished or the yarn they just bought. So fun! Anyhoo, the webring gods will approve me or not in the next few days and you will be able to browse other knitting blogs just by clicking on the icon on the right.

Big night ahead: finishing the socks and watching gay tv night on Bravo: Boy Meets Boy and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. I'll have a full report to deliver tomorrow.

Happy knitting.

Monday, July 28, 2003

Gay news:

Today there is tons.

On Thursday, the Catholic Church is releasing a seven page document impressing upon us the Church's stance on gay marriage. Did they think it wasn't clear?

Brides magazine has run their first feature on same-sex unions. Maybe they just want our business, maybe they realize that we are here to stay. I don't know. Regardless of their motivation, I am glad they did it and plan to tell them so!

NYC is funding the first public school for queer kids- I am not particularly a fan of that term but it covers everyone, so I will use it. There is a bunch of money for it and it will be for way more kids than the Harvey Milk school currently serves. I understand the torture gay kids go through in high school...trust me, I understand. But I am not sure what I think about this initiative.

Knitting news- I have nearly finished Michelle's socks. I am to the toe decreases. I hope to finish today or tomorrow. They are really big but the gal has big feet so what can I say! More or less, I am happy with them. For some reason, the heel flap and the heel seem to be in reverse stockinette but I know I did not purl every row. The length of the foot looks fine though. Bizarre. I have two other projects on the needles right now- a pixie hat and the very boring blanket (hereafter known as the VBB). To be honest, I am considering scrapping the VBB and just finising the pixie hat, making some booties to match and do an additional hat and booties in the yarn I am using for the VBB. I don't know. At this point I feel like I should finish it but as I have said a zillion times, it is boring.

So many other projects I want to do: the Suki bag (love it!) and the Cleo top (bold but I think I could pull it off) from Knitty, the ChicKami from ChicKnits. I think I will make the wide strap version and then I may be able to wear it to work on a Friday. There are a few patterns in the Fall issue of Family Circle Easy Knitting that I would like to try. Some Fruit hats for Joshua (definitely the pumpkin), the twins (Megan and Jessica), Julie's girls (Cassidy and Gracie), the Higher Ed babies (Kyla, Katharine, and Leah Joy). So many babies!

If anyone is interested in seeing the shirt Michelle knitted for herself, check out the Family Circle Easy Knitting page. She made the wrap-around sleeveless top that shows up in the first preview frame. Hers is in a lovely shade of orangy-peach. I am so proud of her!

So much knitting, so little time!

Granny knitter
You may not be a granny, but you've got the
mentality. Hard work and artistic vision lead
to your beautiful knitted results.


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Friday, July 25, 2003

TGIF! This week is nearly over. I have to comment on my new job... I like it...ALOT. Each morning this week, I have realized that I like coming to work. While I am often tired when I wake up and wish I could sleep a little longer, coming to work does not make me sad. When I was at my other job, it was torture to go to work. I knew that when I got there, I was going to feel badly about myself. I knew people did not like me. I knew there were people in central administration who thought I was an idiot who did nothing all day. The whole situation was a bad one. This whole thought process was clarified further when I met a former coworker yesterday for smoothies. Hearing the horror stories of what has been going on for the past four months just bolstered my satisfaction at having left. I knew, for my own mental health, that I could not stay in that environment and let me tell you, more than ever before, I know I made the right choice.

I think part of the reason why I have been feeling so good at work is the Flylady site and Stephen Covey. Random I know! Flylady is all about organizing and cleaning. It is mostly for stay at home moms but I like the ideas she has and I feel like I have been keeping her messages in the back of my mind and it is helping me feel a little more organized. As for Stephen Covey, I have been reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People every afternoon in work. A coworker and I have to develop a workshop for students based on this book so I am trying to get through it. I am not sure how we are going to turn it into a workshop but on a personal level, I like what this guy has to say. It is alot more touchy feely than I expected it to be. In truth, I did not think I liked the book, but the more I read it, the more I want to read and I think that says something. Something about the combination of these two philosophies is making me feel that I am doing something concrete to make myself more productive, more effective, and a better me. Maybe it is fleeting but I like it!

TGIF!

Monday, July 21, 2003

What a long day! We have had a long weekend and it is so hard to start out the week with almost no down time. We had a good weekend though so I will try not to complain.

Michelle is realizing that I am yarn and knitting obsessed and for some reason, it is bothering her more than my many other obsessions seem to. Since the knitting obsession does not make her sneeze or mess up the living room, I think she may prefer it to the kitty obsession though. The kitty obsession is still in full swing although I am doing my best to adjust my thinking. I just don't think we are going to get a kitten any time soon. Our new place is small. It has carpet. Michelle is just not ready. I accept that. I do think about a new kitty an awful lot though. Hopefully, I can focus on the knitting and not on the kitty.

Looking forward to a quiet night at home. Michelle is making dinner. We may watch a movie. I am working on Michelle's socks and have one heel flap complete and another about 1/4 done. Moving along. I may get to turn a heel tonight. So exciting!


Saturday, July 19, 2003

Check out my sister Cathy's blog. She has been writing every day this week and let me tell you, she has interesting and fun stories to tell. From teaching music at a vacation bible school to trying to get my darling nephew to say a word other than "meow," this stuff is funny and fun. Take a quick read- I guarantee it will make you smile.

Thursday, July 17, 2003

Hey. I know I have not blogged in too long. I feel like I have no time!

Well, okay, I admit it, I do have time. But...I use it all to knit! I have hardly even been reading because of all the knitting. I took a sock class at Sophie's Yarns last weekend and I loved it. I am working on a pair of socks for Michelle in Regia sock yarn- rainbow colored and self-striping. They are looking really cute. I am making them on size 1 dpns but am working on both socks simultaneously at Therese Inverso's suggestion (she taught the sock class). She got this tip from the books by Elizabeth Zimmerman and I have to say that I agree that it is better than completing a whole sock and then starting over again. Each time I pick up my knitting, I just start on the sock that has less done. This way, when I finish I will have a pair of socks rather than feeling a sense of accomplishment after one but then realizing that it is useless without the mate. I am still working on the blasted boring blanket for a friend who had a baby a few days ago. This was supposed to be a pre-baby gift. Good grief...I just can not stand working on this boring pattern. I am also working on a pixie baby hat that will probably go to this same baby although it is not from the same yarn and will not match the blanket. Oh well.

Michael and I are going to the Phillies game tonight. We have great seats that I won from work. I am excited about the game and know I will have a good time once I get there but for now, I am tired and sort of wish I was napping.

Off to work on the socks a little before it is time to get ready for dinner and the game.


Tuesday, July 08, 2003

Michelle and I are sick! I hate it. I have eaten up two paid days off for a stomach virus. Yuck. Well, yesterday was not entirely due to the tummy issues- I was in major distress based on side effects from not taking my Paxil for a few days. I was waiting for my new insurance card to come so rather than going through a big thing with the pharmacy I thought I would wait to renew my medicine until the card came. Big mistake! I have made this mistake once before. I am lucky enough to not get those electrical shocks that some people get. I just get terrible insomnia. I did not get to sleep until around three on Monday morning and even then, it was only because I finally gave in and took a xanax. I have since gotten my medicine and am on the mend. The stomach bug is killing me though.

I realize that I have not blogged since Michelle and I finished reading the new Harry Potter. We loved it! I definitely want to read it again.

I am down to one knitting project in progress. I have finished a scarf and a hat in the past 36 hours. All I have done is watched movies and knit. I am working on a baby blanket for a friend and I am totally bored with it. I am not wild about the yarn. I am knitting it on aluminum needles which I do not really like using. Overall, it is much less satisifying than most of my other recent projects have been. I am hoping to take a sock class at the local yarn store this weekend though and then I will be ankle deep in sock projects. Michael is already putting in his sock requests!

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