Short-lived spring

Picture Kelly took of the tree outside my apartment building. The short week of unseasonably warm weather has got the trees in a tizzy. So pretty!

Quote of the Day

"If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men." - St. Francis of Assisi

Hat

I've finally picked up the knitting needles again. Other than a shawl/lap warmer that was just straight knitting on HUUUGE needles that Michelle gave me for my birthday long ago and a started-but-never-finished white acrylic Coronet, I've knitted nothing in almost three years. But I've been inspired by some of the PPKers, mostly Nebraska, and by Hannah's adorable knit and crocheted creatures.

Necessity and a desire to make something tangible (other than the proliferate baked goods) finally drove me to knit this:







...a hat made of yarn thin enough to fit under my bike helmet, just warm enough to keep my giant brain from freezing, and earflaps to keep the wind away from my delicate earses. I tested it today and it works beautifully.

I used the Kitty Hat pattern from Stitch n' Bitch by Debbie Stoller (the pattern is available here, but changed the colors (obviously), changed the earflaps a LOT (used same base number of stitches and decreases), and used size 8 circular needles and DPNs, because for some reason I can't find my size 7. Hence the hat is a little big, my attempt at intarsa on the earflaps is a little wonky (and one is JUST bigger than the other), and my ineptitude with decreasing reared its ugly head. (there is ALWAYS one section where I forgot to decrease and have an extra stitch floating around, ALWAYS).

The yarn is a thinnish cotton that I bought in Tübingen, Germany back in 2005 (yay stash decrease!), and has these lovely flecks of brown and tan, giving it a homespun look. I think I bought it to knit myself an iPod cozy and just never got around to it. I still have a little left over though, maybe I'll knit myself a tank cozy with it!

I love it. It looks very Oregon-y. Now all I need is my puffy vest and hiking boots and I'm set.

Since my friend Erica reminds me of all things German-, bike-, and Portland-related, I've decided to call it my Erica Hat.

Everybody work AAH!

Clerks animated series reference.

Was ill with the plague, am finally feeling better a week later. Had to take a whole 1.5 days off from work and still felt like a dick. Apparently they fired an office coordinator before me for taking off too much time from work? Sigh. This job really isn't worth turning into a weepy puddle over. Must have been the 102 degree fever. Have become pretty disenchanted with it but don't want to give up money and benefits. I don't hear back from MACSME until end of February/beginning of March.

Spent my time sleeping and watching 30 Rock and As Time Goes By. Yes my life is very sad. Feeling disgusting over the lack of physical activity, as of tomorrow I will not have ridden my bike or gone running for a week. It's vomitous. I stress way too much when my routine is thrown into disarray. I'm already, in my head, figuring out how much fat I'll have gained that I need to burn off ASAP. As it is I'm still not feeling perfect, I'm hoping I can start riding my bike again on Friday and running on Sunday. Cross your fingers for me.

Really behind in test baking, hoping to do some tomorrow and some this weekend.

Random update

Passed the CSET and the CBEST (holla!), making friends, reading, test baking for Hannah AND Isa & Terry, bought some nice vegan lotion because my eczema is going fucking nuts, drinking a lot of tea, running (and looking pretty fine because of it), hair is long enough that I have to brush it now, made amazing pizza yesterday, starting to be fed up with my job but not enough to look for something better, feeding a sourdough starter, going to Napa tomorrow night for dinner, actually being social and staying up late, applied to UC Berkeley but don't think I'll get in, knitted a green shawl, had the shifters on my bike replaced and am very pleased, wish I could sell my car but also don't, turning 24 in less than three weeks and am not excited about it.

Quote I liked

"It seems we are often willing to go to far greater lengths to avoid what makes us uncomfortable than to do what is responsible. The putting aside of superficial self-interest is implicit in any decision for the benefit of others."

(From an article about the use of slave labor in cacao farming,..can apply to many other things, no?)

Harrumph

Really unhappy with everything right now. Pretty sure I failed the CSET. Feeling like my life is purposeless and a waste of time.

Dunno what's wrong with me.

Peter Camejo died

And it sucks. He was awesome, and I voted for him twice.

I need a lot of sleep, cause I have a lot of dreams.

Who IS this dorkus?


Passed Pt 1 (of 3) of the CSET. And only didn't pass the 2nd by like 9 pts...and I didn't even study for that sucka mofo at all. I only have to retake the 2nd part and pass the third. I'm feeling it right now. I can do this.

Tim Wise is amazing

This is How Fascism Comes: Reflections on the Cost of Silence