1. I'm going out of town this weekend. Cousin is having an engagement party, and I decided that, despite the close proximity to comps (three. weeks. from tomorrow. holy...monkeys...), I'm only close enough to go to family functions for a few more months. And I've barely seen any of my relatives in the two years I've been here. (Although I've seen a number of them more than I would have had I not gone to school on the east coast.) So, I figured, why not. But, as is always the case with things that take me out of my routine (weekend routine being...doing nothing, and going nowhere, as much as possible), I'm all...squitchy about it. I'm leaving suuuuper early Saturday morning to meet up with my aunt and another cousin, at my other aunt's house, and then the three of us will drive up the rest of the way (to Stamford, CT) together. The party is in the afternoon, and we're staying at a hotel that night. I'm sure it'll be all kinds of awkward, hours on end with a majority of people I don't know in the slightest, but hopefully it'll be fun. I was a little concerned about the church thing on Sunday, since I don't know exactly what time I'll get back, but there's actually a basilica right down the street from the hotel! So I could even walk to it Sunday morning if I need to, depending on what time things happen. That made me feel better. :-) And hopefully, somehow I'll manage to get some studying done? Probably not, but you never know. But either way, it'll be good for me to get away even just for a day and a half. Probably won't check my email (or anything on the internet, since I don't have one of those fancy newfangled smartphones). I'll just be where I am, and hopefully where I am will be fun. :-)
2. Sheesh. Comps are in three weeks. That's terrifying, and awful, and oh my goodness am I going to fail or WHAT. Ugh. We're all freaking out a little, and in the last couple of days I've received insane amounts of study guides and notes from past years' classes. It's a lot of information. And I'm supposed to KNOW it all and be able to REGURGITATE it in a certain order depending on the question. Six times. How can you whittle 20 classes' worth of information into six questions? Or into information that can be stored and recalled at will? If I ever figure that one out, I'll let you know.
3. In other news, every new yarn I knit with is such a delight. I never knew this awesome non-acrylic world existed. (Of course, I didn't know anything about yarn until about a year and a half ago. All I knew was I like one specific kind and it was good enough for afghans, which was good enough for me.)
4. Several years ago (it was while I was in high school, which means...dang, like ten years ago), I checked out the Anne of Green Gables soundtrack from the library. It was probably when I first knew it existed. Anyway, it was magical. But, as happens with library material, it had to be returned. Last week, I thought about it again (possibly because I was watching the movie), and decided to check out amazon. Sure enough, they had some used copies, and unlike that other movie soundtrack I so covet (Homeward Bound), these were more reasonably priced, and I got one for under $10.
It came today. It is delightful. That music...it's so simple, and so part of the movies, and it just transports me there. I love it. A much-needed balm.
5. I also e-checked out an audiobook from the library. Did I mention this before? I might have. It's Emma, and the Springs library has a function now, which I'm guessing many libraries have, where you can temporarily download audiobooks. So that's cool. I've listened to a few hours of it so far. Planning to listen to more on my drive up to NJ on Sat. Fun times in the life of Susie.
6. My favorite yarn store out here today announced they're looking for someone to work part-time. I'm considering staying out here just so I can work there.
6b. Just kidding.
Mostly.
7. Sometimes I forget that some people aren't Catholic, and that the truths that are so obvious to me (because, you know, they're *true*), especially with regards to moral/social/cultural issues aren't to them. And then I don't know how to continue, because I can spout off what I know to be true, but they have their ideas, and it gets nowhere. And then it feels like everything I'm doing and learning here is a big fat waste of time because our society is so mucked up that it's all going to end badly anyway. They're not going to listen, they're not going to change, and we're going to run ourselves right into the ground. Of course, we know God wins in the end, but that doesn't mean it's going to be a pretty ending. Just read the seven Chronicle of Narnia. So true. Anyway. I had one of those days today. Everything with Planned Parenthood, DOMA, abortion, gay marriage, divorce, rampant hypersexuality EVERYWHERE. Sigh. Sometimes it's just too much for me to deal with, and it's hard to remember that there's good in the world too. (And if it's hard to see, at least I know there's always heaven!)
Friday, February 25, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Theologian I never will be. Knitter? I can handle.
I wish I could explain to you all the way I feel when I'm knitting. When I'm starting a project, with a fresh ball of yummy yarn. When I'm in the middle, and I see it all coming together so wonderfully. When I see that finished product in my hand, ready to wear or give away. And oh, when I make a baby item, out of cheapy acrylic washable yarn, and take it out of the dryer after it's been washed. How soft it is. How wonderfully cloud-like. I love that so much.
I went to a new yarn store today. (New to me.) Back in December, there was a groupon that was $10 for $20 at this certain store. I figured, hey, $10 for $20 worth of yarn? Sure. Even if their selection isn't good, even if all they have is super expensive stuff, it's still only $10 for me. So today I finally went over there, and brought along one of my roommates for company, which worked out well because I had promised her a scarf, and since I wasn't shopping for anything specific, she got to pick out some yarn she liked. So that was good. And I got another skein for a friend whom I promised a hat. Two different kinds of yarn, neither of which I've used before. Both so delightful. And the lady at the yarn store offered to wind them up for me, so they'd be smaller, since they don't have bags there. (Knitters are eco-friendly!) Since winding on an actual ball winder, with a swift and everything, takes approximately three minutes at most (estimating, since this is actually the first time I've seen it done in person) and it takes me approximately...oh, probably 20-30 minutes to do the same thing using my legs and a couple of double-pointed needles held together, I was glad to let her do that!
And now here it sits. Beautiful. So full of potential. The hat is already being worked on. And, since I've finished so many projects in the last week or so, I also may have wound another skein into a ball to start making myself a clapotis, which I've been itching to do for some time. And once I find out from my roommate what kind of scarf she wants, I'll be casting on for that one too. (Although...with comps now officially less than a month away, my mind is starting to tell me that perhaps I ought to tone it down for the next few weeks. Finish up what I've actually really started, for real, on the needles, right now, and then let it go for a bit. And also, after a discussion with my other roommate tonight, the thought occurred to me that maybe I ought to give up buying yarn/knitting-related items for Lent. It might be good for me. Most likely WOULD be good for me. And it's not as if I don't have enough yarn here to make...even just a something for no one out of, if I find myself in need of a project.)
You guys. You don't understand. I know you don't. I don't even understand it a lot of the time. It's an obsession, but it's so...worthwhile. I suppose even good things can be taken to an extreme. I can't remember the last time I sat somewhere without knitting. My mind goes crazy unless my fingers feel needles and yarn. I never watch movies anymore without knitting, really - which means I probably miss more than I otherwise would. I've even knit in class a few times this semester. (This doesn't happen often, though, despite what certain people might claim. Usually I'm too busy taking notes even to think about it. But sometimes, if there's a lull in the lecture, so to speak, and I have a mindless project in my bag, I might pull it out and do a few rows - all while listening, of course. I don't do this often, though, because I doubt most of my teachers would really be appreciative. Most people don't understand knitters, and how calming - and even focusing - it can be to knit while listening.)
My room is being overtaken by knitting stuff. I have so many projects going on, or recently finished, that I have needles of various sizes out of their typical storage place. I have finished products sitting on my window bed, waiting to go to their owners. And the yarn. Oh man, the yarn. It's everywhere. Just the way I like it. (Actually, it's a little ridiculous right now, and I need to re-organize to get things stashed where they ought to be.)
Here's the thing, though. Knitting is something I know. It's something I feel sort of good at. It's something I'm comfortable with. So I escape to it. I escape to it when I should be studying, because the more I study the less I feel like I know this stuff, and the less confident I am that I'll ever be able to pass comps. I take it everywhere with me because I'm never comfortable anywhere. I'm fine with being known as a crazy knitter. I really don't mind that. People at school laugh when they see me knitting (in the break room, or whatever), because I always have a different project going. That's fine with me. I can identify myself as a knitter, and I'm comfortable with that. I'm not comfortable identifying myself as anything else - especially as a master's student. And boy oh boy is that something I DON'T feel like I'm sort of good at.
Anyway. I'm not sure why I'm writing a post about it. Maybe it's my first step to acknowledging that I have a problem. haha. I hope not, though, because I love this problem. Even though I've stayed up late many more nights knitting than doing schoolwork. (I do know that I have to work on that. Switch it around again. Or better yet, go to bed at a reasonable hour. What a concept!)
Also: This semester - projects finished so far: 9, I believe. Three of which were started before Christmas. (Not to mention the three hats I made during Christmas break.) And five projects currently on needles. Plus two more that haven't gone very far and will probably be turned into something else. And a third that was started, finished, and re-wound because I didn't like how it turned out.
Conclusion: That's a lot of projects. In a month and a half's time. Ugh. Yes. Scaling back is necessary. Thanks for listening.
(I think I'm mostly upset because I'm going to the Capitol building tomorrow after/with work, and as I learned this summer, the Capitol does not tolerate those dangerous knitting needles on its premises. Thusly, knitting will not be in my bag tomorrow, and that makes me sad. Even though I never knit at work, so it really shouldn't bother me. I just like having it. Oh well.)
Sorry I'm so pathetic. But seriously. You guys don't understand. Unless you do, in which case, you do. But as I don't know what else to compare it to, I can't even begin to try to explain. To know that I can, with a variation on a few types of stitches, turn a pile of yarn into a plethora of useful objects, is just...marvelous. That's all there is to it. The feel of that yarn moving through my fingers, and the needles typically obeying what I tell them to do...oh. You guys. It's one of the best things I know. I'm not even that good at it, and there's so much I don't know or don't do well. But I know it's there for me to learn, and for me to understand.
Balthasar, JPII, Aquinas, Aristotle? Brilliant. But not often the most accessible for me, and usually very...above me. Sl1, k2, k tbl, k1, ktbl, k1, kfb? Makes total sense.
That is all.
I went to a new yarn store today. (New to me.) Back in December, there was a groupon that was $10 for $20 at this certain store. I figured, hey, $10 for $20 worth of yarn? Sure. Even if their selection isn't good, even if all they have is super expensive stuff, it's still only $10 for me. So today I finally went over there, and brought along one of my roommates for company, which worked out well because I had promised her a scarf, and since I wasn't shopping for anything specific, she got to pick out some yarn she liked. So that was good. And I got another skein for a friend whom I promised a hat. Two different kinds of yarn, neither of which I've used before. Both so delightful. And the lady at the yarn store offered to wind them up for me, so they'd be smaller, since they don't have bags there. (Knitters are eco-friendly!) Since winding on an actual ball winder, with a swift and everything, takes approximately three minutes at most (estimating, since this is actually the first time I've seen it done in person) and it takes me approximately...oh, probably 20-30 minutes to do the same thing using my legs and a couple of double-pointed needles held together, I was glad to let her do that!
And now here it sits. Beautiful. So full of potential. The hat is already being worked on. And, since I've finished so many projects in the last week or so, I also may have wound another skein into a ball to start making myself a clapotis, which I've been itching to do for some time. And once I find out from my roommate what kind of scarf she wants, I'll be casting on for that one too. (Although...with comps now officially less than a month away, my mind is starting to tell me that perhaps I ought to tone it down for the next few weeks. Finish up what I've actually really started, for real, on the needles, right now, and then let it go for a bit. And also, after a discussion with my other roommate tonight, the thought occurred to me that maybe I ought to give up buying yarn/knitting-related items for Lent. It might be good for me. Most likely WOULD be good for me. And it's not as if I don't have enough yarn here to make...even just a something for no one out of, if I find myself in need of a project.)
You guys. You don't understand. I know you don't. I don't even understand it a lot of the time. It's an obsession, but it's so...worthwhile. I suppose even good things can be taken to an extreme. I can't remember the last time I sat somewhere without knitting. My mind goes crazy unless my fingers feel needles and yarn. I never watch movies anymore without knitting, really - which means I probably miss more than I otherwise would. I've even knit in class a few times this semester. (This doesn't happen often, though, despite what certain people might claim. Usually I'm too busy taking notes even to think about it. But sometimes, if there's a lull in the lecture, so to speak, and I have a mindless project in my bag, I might pull it out and do a few rows - all while listening, of course. I don't do this often, though, because I doubt most of my teachers would really be appreciative. Most people don't understand knitters, and how calming - and even focusing - it can be to knit while listening.)
My room is being overtaken by knitting stuff. I have so many projects going on, or recently finished, that I have needles of various sizes out of their typical storage place. I have finished products sitting on my window bed, waiting to go to their owners. And the yarn. Oh man, the yarn. It's everywhere. Just the way I like it. (Actually, it's a little ridiculous right now, and I need to re-organize to get things stashed where they ought to be.)
Here's the thing, though. Knitting is something I know. It's something I feel sort of good at. It's something I'm comfortable with. So I escape to it. I escape to it when I should be studying, because the more I study the less I feel like I know this stuff, and the less confident I am that I'll ever be able to pass comps. I take it everywhere with me because I'm never comfortable anywhere. I'm fine with being known as a crazy knitter. I really don't mind that. People at school laugh when they see me knitting (in the break room, or whatever), because I always have a different project going. That's fine with me. I can identify myself as a knitter, and I'm comfortable with that. I'm not comfortable identifying myself as anything else - especially as a master's student. And boy oh boy is that something I DON'T feel like I'm sort of good at.
Anyway. I'm not sure why I'm writing a post about it. Maybe it's my first step to acknowledging that I have a problem. haha. I hope not, though, because I love this problem. Even though I've stayed up late many more nights knitting than doing schoolwork. (I do know that I have to work on that. Switch it around again. Or better yet, go to bed at a reasonable hour. What a concept!)
Also: This semester - projects finished so far: 9, I believe. Three of which were started before Christmas. (Not to mention the three hats I made during Christmas break.) And five projects currently on needles. Plus two more that haven't gone very far and will probably be turned into something else. And a third that was started, finished, and re-wound because I didn't like how it turned out.
Conclusion: That's a lot of projects. In a month and a half's time. Ugh. Yes. Scaling back is necessary. Thanks for listening.
(I think I'm mostly upset because I'm going to the Capitol building tomorrow after/with work, and as I learned this summer, the Capitol does not tolerate those dangerous knitting needles on its premises. Thusly, knitting will not be in my bag tomorrow, and that makes me sad. Even though I never knit at work, so it really shouldn't bother me. I just like having it. Oh well.)
Sorry I'm so pathetic. But seriously. You guys don't understand. Unless you do, in which case, you do. But as I don't know what else to compare it to, I can't even begin to try to explain. To know that I can, with a variation on a few types of stitches, turn a pile of yarn into a plethora of useful objects, is just...marvelous. That's all there is to it. The feel of that yarn moving through my fingers, and the needles typically obeying what I tell them to do...oh. You guys. It's one of the best things I know. I'm not even that good at it, and there's so much I don't know or don't do well. But I know it's there for me to learn, and for me to understand.
Balthasar, JPII, Aquinas, Aristotle? Brilliant. But not often the most accessible for me, and usually very...above me. Sl1, k2, k tbl, k1, ktbl, k1, kfb? Makes total sense.
That is all.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Working on it
The other day (yesterday, perhaps, or more than just one day), I had this odd feeling about me. Turns out it was a feeling of gratitude.
WHAT???
I know, I was surprised as you. Me? Grateful for something? HERE?
I'm here to tell you that yes. It happened. And it was odd, let me tell you.
I was grateful for the opportunities I've had here. Even as I've hated them, I know they've been good. Even as my summer here was rather disappointing and lonely, it also allowed me to explore places I've never been, and experience things I might not get another chance to experience, and I find myself almost sad that I won't be here another summer. (But then I remember bugs. And heat. And humidity. And Colorado's lack of those three things. And mountains. And delicious mountain air. And I stop being sad.)
Yesterday was a particularly delightful day, in that it was 75 degrees. Much as I love winter, and cold, and snow, winter and cold in DC is not up to my standards. So 75 degrees in February? It was a Godsend. Even if it's supposed to get back down to the 30s by Tuesday. 75 degrees is sort of a magical temperature, because it's so comfortable to be outside. It's like being surrounded by your own temperature (despite the fact that a person's body is more than 20 degrees higher than that...). It's a temperature that you can't really feel. Not cold, not hot. Just right. And I love it. Especially this year, especially in February. And it reminded me that spring is coming. I fell in love with DC in the spring last year. (Thanks in large part to azaleas. Oh, those azaleas. I cannot wait for them.)
In a month (exactly...from today), we have comps. And we will have more comps a week after that. And then, God willing, it'll be done. Or it'll be not, but it'll at least be highly lessened in intensity should I have to take one over (which will not be surprising or, hopefully, too much of a blow). And once they're done, the weather will be nice, the flowers will be blossoming, the cherry blossoms will be at or near their peak, and I'll only have another month and a half. Which, I know, will go by quickly. And then what? I still as yet do not know how I'll feel once it comes time to leave. I know there will be things I'll miss. I mean, I'm living in our nation's capital, with all the opportunities that affords. Not everyone gets to do that. I know I'm looking at things right now through rose-colored glasses (so colored by the fact that I know I'll be done with this all in a matter of months), so it's easier to see the good. I don't like change, and I get attached to things as they are, so I know it'll be weird for me not to see the Capitol building, the Washington Monument, and all those things that I see every single day. It'll be weird not to be part of the DC traffic anymore. It'll be very sad not to be able to go to or at least see the National Shrine every day.
I really can't imagine staying here longer. I can't imagine not being back in Colorado. I don't know what's in store for me there, but there will be new things to get used to, new things to get attached to, and that'll be good. I suppose a part of me is worried that I should stay here (for what, I don't know), but I've just been so tunnel-visioned and so determined not to get attached, not to enjoy it, that I'm missing out on something. But then I remember my family, and my friends, and everything about Colorado, and everything here that I don't have, and I'm back on track. :-)
I think the point is this: DC is a great place. It's nice for a couple years. It's wonderful to visit, on vacation. Living here indefinitely, without family or close friends nearby? Not my idea of a good time.
It's amazing how much upcoming events can affect one's outlook on life today. I know that I'm thinking fondly of DC right now because I'm leaving in a few months. I know it. Not that it's terrible apart from that, but last spring when I so enjoyed DC as well was greatly due to the fact that I was planning on being in CO for much of the summer. So, you know, it's easy to put up with annoyances of today when you know they're only temporary and will go away soon enough. Haha.
But for now, it's good to think fondly of where I am. Aside from the certain things I never will be happy about. And I'm determined to enjoy as much as possible those things that I know without a doubt I'll be sad to say goodbye to. (eg, my church.) And to make sure I check off everything on my DC to-do list that I haven't yet. Which, aside from visiting the Capitol, I can't think of what else is on that list at the moment...and I'm taking care of that one on Tuesday. Woot woot.
The moral of the story is: DC isn't all bad. But it's not all good, either. I'm sure that I'll look back fondly on this time I've spent here, especially once (if ever) God explains to me why I was here in the first place. I'm good at making the past seem more rosy than it was when it was the present. Not sure if that's a good or a bad thing, but I like to think of it as a good thing.
And now, back to knitting. I started a hat this afternoon and I intend to finish it today. (Despite the fact that I have at least three other projects I should be working on. But this one's time-sensitive! Unless I don't like the outcome, and then it'll just sit in my tiny pile of finished unclaimed projects.)
WHAT???
I know, I was surprised as you. Me? Grateful for something? HERE?
I'm here to tell you that yes. It happened. And it was odd, let me tell you.
I was grateful for the opportunities I've had here. Even as I've hated them, I know they've been good. Even as my summer here was rather disappointing and lonely, it also allowed me to explore places I've never been, and experience things I might not get another chance to experience, and I find myself almost sad that I won't be here another summer. (But then I remember bugs. And heat. And humidity. And Colorado's lack of those three things. And mountains. And delicious mountain air. And I stop being sad.)
Yesterday was a particularly delightful day, in that it was 75 degrees. Much as I love winter, and cold, and snow, winter and cold in DC is not up to my standards. So 75 degrees in February? It was a Godsend. Even if it's supposed to get back down to the 30s by Tuesday. 75 degrees is sort of a magical temperature, because it's so comfortable to be outside. It's like being surrounded by your own temperature (despite the fact that a person's body is more than 20 degrees higher than that...). It's a temperature that you can't really feel. Not cold, not hot. Just right. And I love it. Especially this year, especially in February. And it reminded me that spring is coming. I fell in love with DC in the spring last year. (Thanks in large part to azaleas. Oh, those azaleas. I cannot wait for them.)
In a month (exactly...from today), we have comps. And we will have more comps a week after that. And then, God willing, it'll be done. Or it'll be not, but it'll at least be highly lessened in intensity should I have to take one over (which will not be surprising or, hopefully, too much of a blow). And once they're done, the weather will be nice, the flowers will be blossoming, the cherry blossoms will be at or near their peak, and I'll only have another month and a half. Which, I know, will go by quickly. And then what? I still as yet do not know how I'll feel once it comes time to leave. I know there will be things I'll miss. I mean, I'm living in our nation's capital, with all the opportunities that affords. Not everyone gets to do that. I know I'm looking at things right now through rose-colored glasses (so colored by the fact that I know I'll be done with this all in a matter of months), so it's easier to see the good. I don't like change, and I get attached to things as they are, so I know it'll be weird for me not to see the Capitol building, the Washington Monument, and all those things that I see every single day. It'll be weird not to be part of the DC traffic anymore. It'll be very sad not to be able to go to or at least see the National Shrine every day.
I really can't imagine staying here longer. I can't imagine not being back in Colorado. I don't know what's in store for me there, but there will be new things to get used to, new things to get attached to, and that'll be good. I suppose a part of me is worried that I should stay here (for what, I don't know), but I've just been so tunnel-visioned and so determined not to get attached, not to enjoy it, that I'm missing out on something. But then I remember my family, and my friends, and everything about Colorado, and everything here that I don't have, and I'm back on track. :-)
I think the point is this: DC is a great place. It's nice for a couple years. It's wonderful to visit, on vacation. Living here indefinitely, without family or close friends nearby? Not my idea of a good time.
It's amazing how much upcoming events can affect one's outlook on life today. I know that I'm thinking fondly of DC right now because I'm leaving in a few months. I know it. Not that it's terrible apart from that, but last spring when I so enjoyed DC as well was greatly due to the fact that I was planning on being in CO for much of the summer. So, you know, it's easy to put up with annoyances of today when you know they're only temporary and will go away soon enough. Haha.
But for now, it's good to think fondly of where I am. Aside from the certain things I never will be happy about. And I'm determined to enjoy as much as possible those things that I know without a doubt I'll be sad to say goodbye to. (eg, my church.) And to make sure I check off everything on my DC to-do list that I haven't yet. Which, aside from visiting the Capitol, I can't think of what else is on that list at the moment...and I'm taking care of that one on Tuesday. Woot woot.
The moral of the story is: DC isn't all bad. But it's not all good, either. I'm sure that I'll look back fondly on this time I've spent here, especially once (if ever) God explains to me why I was here in the first place. I'm good at making the past seem more rosy than it was when it was the present. Not sure if that's a good or a bad thing, but I like to think of it as a good thing.
And now, back to knitting. I started a hat this afternoon and I intend to finish it today. (Despite the fact that I have at least three other projects I should be working on. But this one's time-sensitive! Unless I don't like the outcome, and then it'll just sit in my tiny pile of finished unclaimed projects.)
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Knitastic!
You guys know I occasionally blog knitting things on my knitting blog, right? Things like...this:
You know, if you're ever bored and want to check it out or whatever. :-)
(In case you didn't know, I really like knitting. And yarn. How much? This much.
Mmmmm.
Speaking of knitting, those needles I mentioned the other day? Now I'm not so sure about them. I have some hesitancies,which is probably partially why I haven't bought them yet. And then last night, I heard about a new brand that I hadn't heard of before. But from what I've heard, they're universally loved by those who have tried them. It's a pretty limited group that I know of, of course, since most people get the better well-known brands (like knit picks) but...I don't know. I'm waffling now. Of course, they are more expensive, and there are a few other drawbacks, but it's more of a sizing issue rather than a functionality issue. (Part of the problem with knit picks is their tendency to come apart, which I've experienced to a degree in the one pair of wood needle tips that I have. These don't seem as likely to do that.) And they're made in America, which is a plus. And look at those pretty color options! Plus, I'm a sucker for anything that comes in "hazelnut", as most of us know. Plus, the cables swivel, apparently, which I happen to enjoy greatly with the few pairs of circulars I have that do that. So anyway. Guess it's best to be prudent for now and continue to weigh my options. Maybe get a few filler tips from knit picks in sizes I use most often, and wait and see and try to find more people's opinions about this other brand. Maybe even order one of theirs, just to test it out and see. I might hate them, who knows. But...they're so pretty! The hazelnut, the rosewood, the sunrise. Mmm. We'll just have to see...
You know, if you're ever bored and want to check it out or whatever. :-)
(In case you didn't know, I really like knitting. And yarn. How much? This much.
Mmmmm.
Speaking of knitting, those needles I mentioned the other day? Now I'm not so sure about them. I have some hesitancies,which is probably partially why I haven't bought them yet. And then last night, I heard about a new brand that I hadn't heard of before. But from what I've heard, they're universally loved by those who have tried them. It's a pretty limited group that I know of, of course, since most people get the better well-known brands (like knit picks) but...I don't know. I'm waffling now. Of course, they are more expensive, and there are a few other drawbacks, but it's more of a sizing issue rather than a functionality issue. (Part of the problem with knit picks is their tendency to come apart, which I've experienced to a degree in the one pair of wood needle tips that I have. These don't seem as likely to do that.) And they're made in America, which is a plus. And look at those pretty color options! Plus, I'm a sucker for anything that comes in "hazelnut", as most of us know. Plus, the cables swivel, apparently, which I happen to enjoy greatly with the few pairs of circulars I have that do that. So anyway. Guess it's best to be prudent for now and continue to weigh my options. Maybe get a few filler tips from knit picks in sizes I use most often, and wait and see and try to find more people's opinions about this other brand. Maybe even order one of theirs, just to test it out and see. I might hate them, who knows. But...they're so pretty! The hazelnut, the rosewood, the sunrise. Mmm. We'll just have to see...
Friday, February 11, 2011
Seven Quick Takes Volume XXII
The "Random Thoughts on my Mind" edition. SLASH Happy feast of Our Lady of Lourdes!!!
1. Last Sunday, as did most of the country, I watched the Super Bowl. I went to a party up in Silver Spring, hosted by a few guy friends, which ended up being very crowded and mostly with people I didn't know. But it was ok, because I knew some, and it worked out fine. Plus, one of my good friends here (with whom I lived last year) was there, and she's always been one of the few people who can make me really, really laugh out here, for whatever reason. She just knows what makes me laugh. End result, my cheeks actually literally hurt on Monday when I smiled. (Which, thankfully, I don't do much in a typical day. Haha. Hence why they hurt so much in the first place, probably.) I realized sometime last semester how infrequent it is that I get a really good laugh here in DC. I'm not sure what it is. Well, part of it is that I have a very odd sense of humor, and not many people out here get it. Thankfully I have a few friends back home, and especially my family, who can really make me laugh. And I'm really thankful for the few out here who can manage it, too. :-)
Another highlight of the weekend (which was almost more fun than the Super Bowl party): baking cookies while watching ET. That movie is so fantastic.
2. Anything knitting-related. And/or about yarn.
3. Does something count as a "sacrifice" or as some firm value or belief if it's never challenged? How can I say I have specific standards if they're never put to the test? Hm. (I started to write a whole blog post about this a week or so ago. Maybe I'll finish someday. Let's just say it has to do, in part, with the whole dating issue and things related to that.)
4. Being in this program is making it difficult to watch...anything, really, without analyzing people's relationships and thinking "See, they're having these problems because they're lacking this aspect." It's sometimes fun, but sometimes annoying, and often depressing. (Because couples in TV shows? Yeah, they could definitely use some basics on things like Theology of the Body. But so could about 97% of people in real life.) Also, when I realize what I'm doing, sometimes I say "Hey, Susie, you're as single as single can get, so maybe you don't know as much as you think you know." And then I worry that if I ever do get married, I'll end up marrying someone completely wrong for me and get a divorce. The realistic part of me doubts this will happen, but, you know. Yeah.
5. I'm feeling more and more comfortable with my decision (not really a decision, actually) to go back to Colorado. What I've learned here has been important, and is important to tell the world, but I don't necessarily have to get paid doing it. It's important to be around family, to be around community where I can be me. I might find something related to what I'm learning where I can actually get paid, but if I don't, I can (hopefully) get a job doing something else, and give of myself by volunteering somewhere related to this stuff. There are great things in lots of places, but my family is only in one place. And that's where I need to be. I love my family. I love Colorado too, which helps, but I really love my family. I mean, who knows, maybe I'll meet someone next week and we'll be engaged by May and then I'll want to stay out here or something. (I can't really envision that happening, but I suppose weirder things have happened.) But right now, my family is the only family I have, and family is important. Our culture has become so transient, so independent, so isolated. It's not supposed to be that way. Families are supposed to stay close to each other. We're supposed to be part of a community. We're not meant to be our own little units all closed in on each other. It's one of the sadder parts of society today, I think, this lack of connectivity with one another. I dislike it, and I would not prefer to be part of it. My nephews, I'm pretty sure, have never once had to be babysat by a stranger, and that's awesome. So, anyway. Yeah.
6. The local library - and by local I mean the library that's approximately 1700 miles away from me, in Colorado Springs - has an online thing now where you can temporarily download audiobooks onto your computer (and transfer them to an ipod or mp3 player or something, if that's how you roll). I've been wanting to read Emma for awhile, but particularly ever since I watched the awesome 2009 BBC adaptation, which I highly recommend. I found an edition on their audiobook section (they don't have a lot of books on there, but they do have a good number), and put myself on "hold" for it. I think maybe they only lend out one "copy" at a time, or something, and you get it for like a month. So anyway, they have an option to listen to the first few minutes of it, and I liked this version - read by a female, whose voice I might have recognized but I can't remember now. It already had two other people waiting for it, though, so I don't know when that'll become available. Last night I was poking through to see what other books they had that are available now, and I came across another version of Emma, and it had no holds on it, so I got to download it right away. It took awhile to figure out how to get onto my mp3 player (I couldn't get it to transfer onto my ipod for some reason, possibly because I'm still pretty ipod-illiterate, so I ended up trying it on my Zune and that worked fine). So now I can listen to it in the car if I don't feel like flipping through all my music or the radio stations to find a good song. Or I can listen to it at home. Or while working out, I suppose. The possibilities are endless!
I'm not sure how I feel about audiobooks as a rule, since there's something to be said for seeing those words with your own eyes, but as a knitter I like to multitask whenever I can, and it's just hard to hold a book while both hands are busy knitting. Also, it's hard to read while driving. So, audiobooks certainly have their place. I'm not going to be giving up reading anytime soon, though. :-)
7. It's getting really, really hard for me not to buy this. Once I started knitting with them (I bought a set of the tips back in December, to see how I liked them since I'd heard so much about them), it's so hard to go back to my regular pieced-together bamboo needle collection. Those Harmony needle tips are delightfully sharp (not enough to hurt unless I really jab myself. Or you. But it's just harder to knit with larger, more rounded and dull tips), and yarn just seems to move more smoothly over them. I've found that they're certainly not perfect, but they are quite nice. I don't know, though. I don't want to plunk down that much money on an interchangeable set unless I know they're going to treat me well. I've been researching interchangeable sets for awhile, though, and it's so hard to tell what the best one is, because everyone has different preferences and experiences. As far as sets go, this is probably one of the better prices, but that doesn't necessarily mean I should get it. But I don't know. My plan was to wait, maybe, and get them as a graduation gift for myself. I should probably stick to that, I know. But man, my resolve is slipping. And the set of bamboo needles I have is only a full set in the 16" cable (which probably doesn't mean much to most of you - but that's the smallest size cable. Good for smaller projects, and hats and such), and I've had to get needles on larger-sized cables as I've discovered a need for them. But it's still pretty incomplete, and having the interchangeable set is nice because it comes with different lengths of cable, and all that. Anyway. Yeah. Well, we'll see.
1. Last Sunday, as did most of the country, I watched the Super Bowl. I went to a party up in Silver Spring, hosted by a few guy friends, which ended up being very crowded and mostly with people I didn't know. But it was ok, because I knew some, and it worked out fine. Plus, one of my good friends here (with whom I lived last year) was there, and she's always been one of the few people who can make me really, really laugh out here, for whatever reason. She just knows what makes me laugh. End result, my cheeks actually literally hurt on Monday when I smiled. (Which, thankfully, I don't do much in a typical day. Haha. Hence why they hurt so much in the first place, probably.) I realized sometime last semester how infrequent it is that I get a really good laugh here in DC. I'm not sure what it is. Well, part of it is that I have a very odd sense of humor, and not many people out here get it. Thankfully I have a few friends back home, and especially my family, who can really make me laugh. And I'm really thankful for the few out here who can manage it, too. :-)
Another highlight of the weekend (which was almost more fun than the Super Bowl party): baking cookies while watching ET. That movie is so fantastic.
2. Anything knitting-related. And/or about yarn.
3. Does something count as a "sacrifice" or as some firm value or belief if it's never challenged? How can I say I have specific standards if they're never put to the test? Hm. (I started to write a whole blog post about this a week or so ago. Maybe I'll finish someday. Let's just say it has to do, in part, with the whole dating issue and things related to that.)
4. Being in this program is making it difficult to watch...anything, really, without analyzing people's relationships and thinking "See, they're having these problems because they're lacking this aspect." It's sometimes fun, but sometimes annoying, and often depressing. (Because couples in TV shows? Yeah, they could definitely use some basics on things like Theology of the Body. But so could about 97% of people in real life.) Also, when I realize what I'm doing, sometimes I say "Hey, Susie, you're as single as single can get, so maybe you don't know as much as you think you know." And then I worry that if I ever do get married, I'll end up marrying someone completely wrong for me and get a divorce. The realistic part of me doubts this will happen, but, you know. Yeah.
5. I'm feeling more and more comfortable with my decision (not really a decision, actually) to go back to Colorado. What I've learned here has been important, and is important to tell the world, but I don't necessarily have to get paid doing it. It's important to be around family, to be around community where I can be me. I might find something related to what I'm learning where I can actually get paid, but if I don't, I can (hopefully) get a job doing something else, and give of myself by volunteering somewhere related to this stuff. There are great things in lots of places, but my family is only in one place. And that's where I need to be. I love my family. I love Colorado too, which helps, but I really love my family. I mean, who knows, maybe I'll meet someone next week and we'll be engaged by May and then I'll want to stay out here or something. (I can't really envision that happening, but I suppose weirder things have happened.) But right now, my family is the only family I have, and family is important. Our culture has become so transient, so independent, so isolated. It's not supposed to be that way. Families are supposed to stay close to each other. We're supposed to be part of a community. We're not meant to be our own little units all closed in on each other. It's one of the sadder parts of society today, I think, this lack of connectivity with one another. I dislike it, and I would not prefer to be part of it. My nephews, I'm pretty sure, have never once had to be babysat by a stranger, and that's awesome. So, anyway. Yeah.
6. The local library - and by local I mean the library that's approximately 1700 miles away from me, in Colorado Springs - has an online thing now where you can temporarily download audiobooks onto your computer (and transfer them to an ipod or mp3 player or something, if that's how you roll). I've been wanting to read Emma for awhile, but particularly ever since I watched the awesome 2009 BBC adaptation, which I highly recommend. I found an edition on their audiobook section (they don't have a lot of books on there, but they do have a good number), and put myself on "hold" for it. I think maybe they only lend out one "copy" at a time, or something, and you get it for like a month. So anyway, they have an option to listen to the first few minutes of it, and I liked this version - read by a female, whose voice I might have recognized but I can't remember now. It already had two other people waiting for it, though, so I don't know when that'll become available. Last night I was poking through to see what other books they had that are available now, and I came across another version of Emma, and it had no holds on it, so I got to download it right away. It took awhile to figure out how to get onto my mp3 player (I couldn't get it to transfer onto my ipod for some reason, possibly because I'm still pretty ipod-illiterate, so I ended up trying it on my Zune and that worked fine). So now I can listen to it in the car if I don't feel like flipping through all my music or the radio stations to find a good song. Or I can listen to it at home. Or while working out, I suppose. The possibilities are endless!
I'm not sure how I feel about audiobooks as a rule, since there's something to be said for seeing those words with your own eyes, but as a knitter I like to multitask whenever I can, and it's just hard to hold a book while both hands are busy knitting. Also, it's hard to read while driving. So, audiobooks certainly have their place. I'm not going to be giving up reading anytime soon, though. :-)
7. It's getting really, really hard for me not to buy this. Once I started knitting with them (I bought a set of the tips back in December, to see how I liked them since I'd heard so much about them), it's so hard to go back to my regular pieced-together bamboo needle collection. Those Harmony needle tips are delightfully sharp (not enough to hurt unless I really jab myself. Or you. But it's just harder to knit with larger, more rounded and dull tips), and yarn just seems to move more smoothly over them. I've found that they're certainly not perfect, but they are quite nice. I don't know, though. I don't want to plunk down that much money on an interchangeable set unless I know they're going to treat me well. I've been researching interchangeable sets for awhile, though, and it's so hard to tell what the best one is, because everyone has different preferences and experiences. As far as sets go, this is probably one of the better prices, but that doesn't necessarily mean I should get it. But I don't know. My plan was to wait, maybe, and get them as a graduation gift for myself. I should probably stick to that, I know. But man, my resolve is slipping. And the set of bamboo needles I have is only a full set in the 16" cable (which probably doesn't mean much to most of you - but that's the smallest size cable. Good for smaller projects, and hats and such), and I've had to get needles on larger-sized cables as I've discovered a need for them. But it's still pretty incomplete, and having the interchangeable set is nice because it comes with different lengths of cable, and all that. Anyway. Yeah. Well, we'll see.
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
The long day is over...
Man. This semester, people. It's a doozie. Which rhymes with Susie, so maybe that should mean it's AWESOME. I'm not sure why.
But anyway. Today was the third Tuesday in a row that I've had three classes. I know that back in high school, we all had like seven classes every day for four years. (And all those years before high school, too.) My junior year of college, I had to load up on classes the last three semesters I was there since I took that one semester off (what was I THINKING? haha), so second semester junior year my schedule was such that on Wednesdays, I went pretty much straight through from 8:30am to like 3:30 or 4, including a violin lesson. Maybe 4:30. I don't know. But those were rough days, with a lot of classes. This is just three - but that's six hours' worth of class, which is kind of a lot. Graduate level class. Anyway. They've been long days. Especially when I go to work between classes for an hour or so. Today I didn't do that, so I ended up staying inside our one building for around 11 hours. Mostly in the same classroom, too. It was a weird day. Thankfully, it started out with an awesome class. Our weirdly-scheduled psych class, complete with three different teachers, was taught by Vicki Thorn today (and tomorrow), who started a post-abortion ministry and is pretty much awesome. It was so different than the classes we typically get here, which are often very metaphysical and very esoteric. Often rather hard to relate to, and hard to translate into real-world scenarios. Very interesting stuff (well, sometimes), and really important stuff to know, but...hard to get into. Not easy to discuss with people who aren't studying this stuff.
Our psych class today, though? It was two (plus) hours of basic information about bonding (between mother/baby, both in utero and at and after birth; between father and baby; between mother and father; between women), chemical alterations of the brain and biological functions, differences between males and females in a variety of situations, and all sorts of things that are just...so real. So...this is how it is. SOO reinforcing that the Catholic Church really does have it right, even if society at large refuses to see it. It's not that the Catholic Church creates the truth. It just recognizes the truth that is written into our very biology, the truth that God created when he created us, and it tries to teach that truth to the world. To show them how things are meant to be, and how messed up things get when they aren't done as they ought to be. Man. This stuff just blows me away sometimes. For the most part, it's nothing I don't really already know, more or less, but it's just...YES. We talked today about how cells from the baby get transferred to the mother while the mother is pregnant (and vice versa), and those cells remain in the mother forever. AND, those cells also get transferred into subsequent siblings, too. Which means that surrogate mothers who have children after that are sometimes transferring some cells to their children, cells that are not at all biologically related to either the mother or the child, since the...what, surrogate child? isn't biologically related to the mother. Which can cause problems in the child (and the mother, having more or less "foreign" cells in her body). Cells that transfer from the mother to the baby sometimes result in autoimmune disorders, so imagine what can happen when it's cells from this unrelated baby going into the other baby in utero. Man. It's just all so crazy. I'm not doing it justice, and I really wish everyone could just sit and listen to her talk about this stuff for a few hours. It's so fascinating. Man. And how pheremones play a role in mate selection, and using chemical contraception can mess with that. And how men can perceive (even just subconsciously) women who are fertile, infertile, and pregnant (apparently sometimes men, based on pheremones, can tell when a woman is pregnant even before she knows. One of the (two) guys in my class told us afterward that he knew his wife was pregnant before she did. How fascinating is that?). And how men sometimes really do have physical reactions to their wives' pregnancies, feeling similar symptoms, and how their wives' pregnancies actually chemically alter the men themselves. How just having women in the room with them while giving birth actually releases oxytocin in the birthing mother, and reduces stress, labor time, increases satisfaction with the baby, and increases feeling competent as a mother after the baby is born. Man. You guys. This was a really long paragraph, but this stuff is AMAZING. God made us this way! He made it all to work perfectly like that! And boy oh boy do we sure know how to mess it up.
So. After that a couple of us just stayed in the classroom and chatted for about an hour, until our next class started. Sometimes it's so nice to do that. (Because, as we mentioned in class today, women deal with stress just by being with other women sometimes. We totally exemplified that after class.) Good times. Plus, I knit the whole time, which seriously reduces my stress level and anxiety. Usually.
The next class was more Institute-typical, and thus far less graspable for me...lots of lofty ideas, lots of metaphysics that made my head spin. Sometimes I think I get it, sometimes I think I have no idea what I'm supposed to take away from it all. I just have to hope I can sound semi-coherent in a month when I have to take comps!
Between that class and our night class, we always do a student dinner thing, where a few of us sign up to bring something for everyone, and we all take turns throughout the semester. Today I brought the bread and salad. Anyway, it was nice, and Vicki Thorn had agreed after class to come sit and chat with us more at it. Let me tell you, I doubt there are many places where you'll find a group of students sitting and eating dinner while discussing squatting vs typical birthing positions. It was weird. Also, awesome - especially since she had everyone's attention, including the first years and the bioethics second years, none of whom were in our class today. And it was funny a few minutes later to hear the guys (who were mostly grouped at one table, since there are like four of them, haha) talking about labor and delivery and stuff. One of the reasons the Institute is kind of awesome. We're all pretty like-minded, and we're all pretty pro-natural whenever possible. And we don't mind talking about things like birth. At dinner. But yeah. So, so fascinating. It was hard to break ourselves away and go to our next class.
Anyway. I made it through. The rest of the week doesn't look too bad - I have her again tomorrow for psych, yay, and I'll go into work for a few hours, and Thursday's class is canceled this week so I can just work all day Thursday, then Friday is pretty typical. Lots of knitting to be done. Oh, and school. Oh, and yesterday I got assigned to read unPlanned by Abby Johnson for work. Which I'm actually pretty stoked about. It's so good so far. Very easy to read. So interesting.
Also, I'm in love with alpaca yarn right now. It's amazing - for several years of knitting, I used nothing but acrylic. Maybe a wool blend once, and I think I did knit a hat last winter that was in alpaca without realizing it (or really understanding the awesomeness that is alpaca - plus it was probably also a blend), but primarily cheap acrylic. Which totally has its place, and I'll still keep using it (especially as I have quite a bit in my stash), but last semester I finally ventured out into the world of better-quality yarns. And I love it. I mean, it's more expensive, so I'm trying not to go too crazy, but I knit a neckwarmer/cowl thing last week with an alpaca/merino wool blend, and I am in love. I wish I had done the dimensions a bit differently, but holy goodness, it's like having a soft pet wrapped around my neck. And it's so warm. Just fuzzy softness. I just like to rub my face on it sometimes, I can't help it. I'm still new to it all, but I know I love it. It's hard to stop knitting it once I've started, because my hands just love how it feels. (Although, what with all the writing and the knitting I'm doing these days, my right hand is really starting to have this almost constant - but usually very slight, if at all noticeable - ache. Possible combination of new pens that maybe I hold slightly differently than I hold the pens I've mostly been writing with for the last two years, and/or the way I hold my yarn now when I'm knitting, which I only just started doing back in like December. It's so much faster, though. I don't know.)
Alls I know is, today was a surprisingly good day. And Friday is the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, which is my favorite Marian feast day. So that's good too.
Oh, and did I mention? Three months from tomorrow (the 9th): Susie graduates from graduate school. (God willing, as always.)
But anyway. Today was the third Tuesday in a row that I've had three classes. I know that back in high school, we all had like seven classes every day for four years. (And all those years before high school, too.) My junior year of college, I had to load up on classes the last three semesters I was there since I took that one semester off (what was I THINKING? haha), so second semester junior year my schedule was such that on Wednesdays, I went pretty much straight through from 8:30am to like 3:30 or 4, including a violin lesson. Maybe 4:30. I don't know. But those were rough days, with a lot of classes. This is just three - but that's six hours' worth of class, which is kind of a lot. Graduate level class. Anyway. They've been long days. Especially when I go to work between classes for an hour or so. Today I didn't do that, so I ended up staying inside our one building for around 11 hours. Mostly in the same classroom, too. It was a weird day. Thankfully, it started out with an awesome class. Our weirdly-scheduled psych class, complete with three different teachers, was taught by Vicki Thorn today (and tomorrow), who started a post-abortion ministry and is pretty much awesome. It was so different than the classes we typically get here, which are often very metaphysical and very esoteric. Often rather hard to relate to, and hard to translate into real-world scenarios. Very interesting stuff (well, sometimes), and really important stuff to know, but...hard to get into. Not easy to discuss with people who aren't studying this stuff.
Our psych class today, though? It was two (plus) hours of basic information about bonding (between mother/baby, both in utero and at and after birth; between father and baby; between mother and father; between women), chemical alterations of the brain and biological functions, differences between males and females in a variety of situations, and all sorts of things that are just...so real. So...this is how it is. SOO reinforcing that the Catholic Church really does have it right, even if society at large refuses to see it. It's not that the Catholic Church creates the truth. It just recognizes the truth that is written into our very biology, the truth that God created when he created us, and it tries to teach that truth to the world. To show them how things are meant to be, and how messed up things get when they aren't done as they ought to be. Man. This stuff just blows me away sometimes. For the most part, it's nothing I don't really already know, more or less, but it's just...YES. We talked today about how cells from the baby get transferred to the mother while the mother is pregnant (and vice versa), and those cells remain in the mother forever. AND, those cells also get transferred into subsequent siblings, too. Which means that surrogate mothers who have children after that are sometimes transferring some cells to their children, cells that are not at all biologically related to either the mother or the child, since the...what, surrogate child? isn't biologically related to the mother. Which can cause problems in the child (and the mother, having more or less "foreign" cells in her body). Cells that transfer from the mother to the baby sometimes result in autoimmune disorders, so imagine what can happen when it's cells from this unrelated baby going into the other baby in utero. Man. It's just all so crazy. I'm not doing it justice, and I really wish everyone could just sit and listen to her talk about this stuff for a few hours. It's so fascinating. Man. And how pheremones play a role in mate selection, and using chemical contraception can mess with that. And how men can perceive (even just subconsciously) women who are fertile, infertile, and pregnant (apparently sometimes men, based on pheremones, can tell when a woman is pregnant even before she knows. One of the (two) guys in my class told us afterward that he knew his wife was pregnant before she did. How fascinating is that?). And how men sometimes really do have physical reactions to their wives' pregnancies, feeling similar symptoms, and how their wives' pregnancies actually chemically alter the men themselves. How just having women in the room with them while giving birth actually releases oxytocin in the birthing mother, and reduces stress, labor time, increases satisfaction with the baby, and increases feeling competent as a mother after the baby is born. Man. You guys. This was a really long paragraph, but this stuff is AMAZING. God made us this way! He made it all to work perfectly like that! And boy oh boy do we sure know how to mess it up.
So. After that a couple of us just stayed in the classroom and chatted for about an hour, until our next class started. Sometimes it's so nice to do that. (Because, as we mentioned in class today, women deal with stress just by being with other women sometimes. We totally exemplified that after class.) Good times. Plus, I knit the whole time, which seriously reduces my stress level and anxiety. Usually.
The next class was more Institute-typical, and thus far less graspable for me...lots of lofty ideas, lots of metaphysics that made my head spin. Sometimes I think I get it, sometimes I think I have no idea what I'm supposed to take away from it all. I just have to hope I can sound semi-coherent in a month when I have to take comps!
Between that class and our night class, we always do a student dinner thing, where a few of us sign up to bring something for everyone, and we all take turns throughout the semester. Today I brought the bread and salad. Anyway, it was nice, and Vicki Thorn had agreed after class to come sit and chat with us more at it. Let me tell you, I doubt there are many places where you'll find a group of students sitting and eating dinner while discussing squatting vs typical birthing positions. It was weird. Also, awesome - especially since she had everyone's attention, including the first years and the bioethics second years, none of whom were in our class today. And it was funny a few minutes later to hear the guys (who were mostly grouped at one table, since there are like four of them, haha) talking about labor and delivery and stuff. One of the reasons the Institute is kind of awesome. We're all pretty like-minded, and we're all pretty pro-natural whenever possible. And we don't mind talking about things like birth. At dinner. But yeah. So, so fascinating. It was hard to break ourselves away and go to our next class.
Anyway. I made it through. The rest of the week doesn't look too bad - I have her again tomorrow for psych, yay, and I'll go into work for a few hours, and Thursday's class is canceled this week so I can just work all day Thursday, then Friday is pretty typical. Lots of knitting to be done. Oh, and school. Oh, and yesterday I got assigned to read unPlanned by Abby Johnson for work. Which I'm actually pretty stoked about. It's so good so far. Very easy to read. So interesting.
Also, I'm in love with alpaca yarn right now. It's amazing - for several years of knitting, I used nothing but acrylic. Maybe a wool blend once, and I think I did knit a hat last winter that was in alpaca without realizing it (or really understanding the awesomeness that is alpaca - plus it was probably also a blend), but primarily cheap acrylic. Which totally has its place, and I'll still keep using it (especially as I have quite a bit in my stash), but last semester I finally ventured out into the world of better-quality yarns. And I love it. I mean, it's more expensive, so I'm trying not to go too crazy, but I knit a neckwarmer/cowl thing last week with an alpaca/merino wool blend, and I am in love. I wish I had done the dimensions a bit differently, but holy goodness, it's like having a soft pet wrapped around my neck. And it's so warm. Just fuzzy softness. I just like to rub my face on it sometimes, I can't help it. I'm still new to it all, but I know I love it. It's hard to stop knitting it once I've started, because my hands just love how it feels. (Although, what with all the writing and the knitting I'm doing these days, my right hand is really starting to have this almost constant - but usually very slight, if at all noticeable - ache. Possible combination of new pens that maybe I hold slightly differently than I hold the pens I've mostly been writing with for the last two years, and/or the way I hold my yarn now when I'm knitting, which I only just started doing back in like December. It's so much faster, though. I don't know.)
Alls I know is, today was a surprisingly good day. And Friday is the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, which is my favorite Marian feast day. So that's good too.
Oh, and did I mention? Three months from tomorrow (the 9th): Susie graduates from graduate school. (God willing, as always.)
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