Update June 4, 2010

Whew! Spring has skidded by with summer coming down the pipe right after it. Winter decided to make some final surprise appearances, but we all made it through, hardy Canadians that we are.

Still working. Weeks are flying by. So are the months. I blinked once and saw April for a half second. May was even slipperier.

June will be busy as well since Miranda and I are moving into a townhouse in the west end on the 26th. Jess has bought our house and can't wait for dear old mom and pesky little sister to scram. He's got two buddies moving in with him and they're both stoked to get moved in.

Perhaps I'll get around to posting again in the fall...if summer doesn't whiz by at Mach 8!

Prairie Girl Rocked Outta her Seat

Those opening ceremonies last night were incredible! I particularly appreciated the Prairie Girl performance. AWESOME. As a prairie girl myself, I was happy to see our home honoured.

The death of Georgia athlete, Nodar Kumaritashvili, was remembered at the start of the games. So sad for his family, friends, Olympic team-mates, and country. The people of the world will hold him in their hearts as the games progress.

I kept waiting for Leonard Cohen to appear...waiting...hoping...and right after the proclamation to open the games, when I thought the entertainment was over, up comes KD Lang belting out "Hallelujah." I was blown away! Not a song I'd pick for that particular moment in the ceremonies, but I was so, so glad Cohen was honoured and presented in that way. And who better to sing that anthem? Who better to represent the freedom, choice, and open-heart of this country. I was rocked outta my seat.

Then, the Olympic flag carriers appeared: Donald Sutherland (Love him!), Betty Fox (Terry's mom), Bobby Orr (Love, Love him!!), Anne Murray, Jacques Villeneuve, gold medal figure skater Barbara Ann Scott (first Canadian figure skater to win gold [1948]), Roméo Dallaire (Shake Hands With the Devil author), and Julie Payette (Canadian Astronaut).

It all made me so very proud to be a Canadian Prairie Girl.

So Far So Good!

Job's going well. Tomorrow'll be my 4th day. I'm almost through the new-job-jitters, and feeling better.

Yesterday my best brother in the whole world had a heart attack, but he too is doing well, thank goodness.

Here's another pic from Ireland...I think. Could be Isle of Man. Three hour tour anyone???

Looking forward to the long weekend!

Finally...Somewhere...Somewhere Awesome!

Today, my "nowhere" turned into a whole lotta really cool "Somewhere." I was offered a position with a firm in Edmonton to do technical writing and instructional design, which I happily accepted. I start Tuesday.

So the blog posts may get few and far between again, at least until I get my sea legs on the job.

Fire in the Soul

I was catching up with a friend last night and telling him all about my job hunting activities, and we got to discussing job postings. Most of them leave you feeling like they're looking for super man/woman, and feeble little you would never measure up. But we decided that if you have the skills we were blessed to gain in our academic pursuits, and you have a strong work ethic and integrity, then the fire in your soul is all that's necessary. That's what all those Herculean traits add up to in the grand scheme of things--soul fire.

Think about your job right now or any you've had in the past. Were there any super men/women working there? Did anyone measure up to all the attributes most employers advertise they're looking for? Do any of the employers match up? I highly doubt it. Most of us are just normal human beings doing the best we can on any given day.

Can anyone ask for more than that?

Hurry Up and Wait

It's been another busy day. Amazing how busy you can be when you're NOT working. My efforts yesterday to build a profile on Monster.ca paid off. This morning I awoke to an email alert from Monster about a job opportunity that required my skill set, so I sent off a resume. Haven't had a chance to do more job hunting today cause I got busy with a pattern edit and other things.

Got a call on a possible short-term temp job yesterday, but the recruiter needed to touch base with the client for more particulars about the contract before I decide on it. Haven't heard back from her yet. There's a whole lotta that with job hunting. Hurry up and wait...

Walked the terrorist again this afternoon. Here she is with that sweet little face of hers.

Last night we had both dogs loose in the house with their muzzles on. They were fine. Not interested in each other at all. We'll do some more of that tonight, and try to expand on it every day. Myzee's more likely to get crazy if there's excitement going on like someone coming home, or Jenny coming in from a walk and doing her tremendously-excited-to-see-us

routine. There she is below. She's SUCH a good dog. When I walk her I have to keep looking down to see if she's still with me cause she stays right beside me and puts absolutely no tension on the leash. I never have any doubt with Myzee on the other hand; she pulls like there's no tomorrow. Actually she's getting slightly better.

Myzee's a good dog too, she's just wound a little tighter than most, but she's learning to relax as we perfect the alpha training. I can't say enough about how good this alpha training works. I wish I'd found it as soon as we got Myzee two years ago. Her issues began long before we got her, but we could have started out stronger with her and wouldn't have exaggerated her problems with our inexperience.

Do you have pets? Are they crazy or pretty laid back?

Busy Day

Busy day, but it seems I don't have much to show for it...I did send out three resumes, which takes up a lot of time getting the cover letter just right and such. Seems like I'm getting nowhere, but if just one of 'em lands me a job, it's somewhere!

I also got some groceries, developed a profile and resume on Monster.ca, and walked my little terrorist, so not all bad.

This weekend I was able to sort out my DVD/VCR so I can watch movies in my room. HEAVEN! I also ravaged my file cabinet so now we can actually file things without too much trouble. I shredded six bags worth of paper if that tells you anything.

I decided to try knitting without using my left hand much. It proves to be a huge challenge, but I have to do something with yarn in my hands or I might start killing people. So far I've rigged up a carpal tunnel wrist brace on my left wrist, which I set the needle in to hold it. Then I hold my fingers on that hand straight out so they don't go into the pinching position usually needed to hold the left needle. I've discovered that fingers have their own ideas, and I have to focus quite intensely to overcome their urge to hold the needle. I'm hoping this will alleviate the tennis elbow. So far it's working ok and it's giving me the zen-like calm that I crave so bad.

I polished up a piece I wrote on The Old Stone House, which is owned and operated by our alpaca ranch owners. They've restored an old house which was built in the 1930's to its original splendour and now are offering it as a wedding site, business day retreat center, and tea house. It's absolutely gorgeous and oozes history and character. The piece I wrote will be published in a local paper in the next few weeks.

Here's what I like to call an alpaca sandwich. That's my Harley in the middle doing what he loves best - eating!

Friday

Well, this morning I've meditated, eaten breakfast, and applied for jobs online. I'm ready for bed now...

Not really. I didn't get much movie watching done last night. Not sure why. Just wasn't in the mood, I guess. So today, after I scrub some walls and walk a dog or two, I'm going to declare this a movie day and watch all three of the movies I took out of the library the other day. I'll even have some popcorn (sounds wonderful, but those who know me know popcorn's kind of an addiction these days).

My friend Denise suggested I check out a book called The Lost Garden, by Helen Humphreys, and it looks so good I can hardly wait for it to arrive at my library. I have a feeling this'll be one of those ones I don't put down until the end.

Speaking of AWESOME books, a friend's brother, Wes Funk, wrote a first novel titled Dead Rock Stars. I was so connected to the main character that within 20 pages my deep sorrow that the book was going to end began. The novel is a short and fast read, and Funk was chosen as one of the top five new Saskatchewan authors of the year. I can't wait to read more from this insightful author.

What are you reading?

Libraries Rock

Well, today, I hope my day will fall out like this: Send a resume or two, run an errand or two, and then start mudding nail holes around here. Maybe later I'll get some fleece cleaning done while I watch a movie or some TV.

I went to the library last night to pick up a movie I had requested (The Ice Harvest starring John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, and Oliver Platt). It was an adaptation of a Scott Phillips novel with Richard Russo writing the screenplay. Another in my Russo research. I wound up going home with two more DVDs (Cool Hand Luke, The Devil Wears Prada), and a couple of books. Couldn't resist another Paul Newman flick. And its the one where the image I posted yesterday originated.

Libraries really do rock. I've decided I'm not buying anymore books or magazines. They just pile up and pile up, and I really don't have the space to store them. I usually only read 'em once, and my impending move will be so much easier if I don't have so much clutter to haul. So my local library is really there for me. They'll bring in anything as long as it's available at a library somewhere in Alberta. Who could ask for more?

What's on your agenda today?

2010

Well, Happy New Year to all. What does 2010 have in store for you? For me? 2010 is a HUGE transition year. Once I get through it all, life will contain some peace again. It's exciting and scary all at the same time. Kinda like falling into a lava-spewing volcano...more scary than exciting most days.

I'm between contracts so a lot of my energy is going to securing a permanent job, or even a juicy contract job, although those are few and far between these days. I've been doing some small jobs and some knitting editing, which is a wonderful challenge.

Yesterday I bagged up all the knitting that was decorating my living room, cause when you can't knit, it just makes you sad to see it all. I've been nursing tennis elbow and even knitting one row causes severe pain. I'm going to try to rest it for at least two months. Also, I'm gearing up to sell my house and move to the city this spring or summer, so I'm sure I'll be busy. Lots of painting and fixing to do. Doesn't hurt to get the yarn out of harm's way.

It's winter here in Alberta. We've had quite a bit of snow this year, but not so much since Christmas. The picture above was taken on one of my walks nearby. The setting sun was doing its darndest to shine as long as possible before it disappeared below view.

Since knitting is out, I've been doing more reading. I've come across the writing of Richard Russo, and I'm reading everything of his I can get my hands on. He won a Pulitzer prize for his Empire Falls, which he also wrote the teleplay for. I saw the movie and fell in love with the story and the telling.

It was Paul Newman's last film, and also starred Joanne Woodward, Helen Hunt, Ed Harris, Philip Seymour-Hoffman, Aidan Quinn, and Dennis Farina. The cast alone is worth a watch. Anything with Newman in it is worth the watch.

Baby!

This is my new little male alpaca who was born yesterday afternoon. Mom and baby are doing fine. Not sure what his name is yet, but should have that sorted out in a day or two.

Holidays!

Three weeks of naps, knitting, naps, knitting...did I mention the naps....and the knitting?

Pics

As promised...pictures of my hot water bottle in progress. This one's for our riding coach. I'll do another like this one for my 'paca Mommy, and then maybe one for me. Seen here with some of my deck plants. I really do have two black thumbs, but so far this year the flowers are thriving. (it's early yet...)

Nothing Too Fiddly

Last night I went to my daughter's last band concert of the year. As usual, the music was staggeringly beautiful. There are 70 or 80 kids in the high school concert band playing every kind of instrument under the sun. The high school kids played "Robin Hood Soundtrack Highlights," "When the Saints Go Marching In," and "Instant Concert," which was a medley of many interesting songs. The junior high kids bands played beautifully as well.

I, of course, was knitting the whole evening, working on a hot water bottle cover I'm knitting out of Cascade 220. The pattern is free on Ravelry. I'll do some pics this evening. 

An older woman was seated beside me in her walker chair. At one point during the evening, she tapped me on the shoulder to ask me, "where did you learn to knit like that?" She was referring to the two circular needles I was using. I explained I learned this technique at a knitting store, and that it was just like using 4 dpns. She nodded with great knitterly wisdom, and then told me how much she loved knitting, but that her eyes wouldn't allow her to read the patterns any more. This nearly broke my heart. Here's a woman who definitely gets the addiction that is knitting. It's crack for her too. And this one thing that would bring her joy in her final years has been taken away. So, I got her phone number and address and promised I'd blow up some patterns for her on my computer so she can once again knit. When I asked her what she liked to knit she said, "nothing too fiddly; I don't think I have the patience anymore." Gawd...I love her already...

In other news, after the shearing weekend at the alpaca farm I came home with 15 lbs of fleece. So under the weight of all that fleece as well as the fleece from last year and the year before, I started cleaning fleece this week. And I hand carded some of Harley's cria fleece, and I couldn't WAIT to try spinning it...and to my surprise, it spins great! I was thinking it would be sooooo slippery and difficult to spin, but this is going great so far. But the cleaning is going to take until next year's shearing time...Oh, well. It's a relaxing endeavor fondling all that softness.

And, my friend Mo and I went to see Deepak Chopra last week, and we just may have gotten a picture of "Big Daddy" holding the sock. More to come later...

Peeling

Remember when you were little and your nose would get sunburnt? Remember how much it hurt when you got slammed in the face with a pillow when your nose was sunburnt and peeling? Remember how pink and tender the skin on your nose got after said slamming? Sigh...Growing up with three brothers was really big preparation for the slings and arrows of the real world, don't 'chya think?

And then, there are the dish towel scars...but that'll keep for another day.

Ahh...summer...

Hello Again

Wow. Give a girl a job outside the home and she drops a few plates. Plates have been smashing all over around here, but it's ok. I've been terribly busy teaching ESL to Filipinos and editing knitting patterns, and I'm loving every minute of both jobs. When I'm not working, I'm knitting or spinning. 

                         

I've been knitting Classic Elite's Premiere V-Neck Lace Medallion Tunic, 

a gorgeous design from Pam Allen. I loves me a v-neck and I loves me a tank top. 

I'm knitting it up in Ella-Rae Silkience in a deep purple (shade 18) which the image above does not show. The pattern has you knit the front and back separate, but I knit the body in the round and split it at the armholes. It's knit bottom up so the body and the front is done, and I'm nearing completion of the back.

  I've also been plugging along on the Odd Sock kit I purchased from River City Yarns a few months ago. Can't say I'm crazy about the whole knit two rows of main colour and knit one row of contrast colour. I'd rather just knit with a hand-painted yarn using a plain recipe so my socks can be knit up lickety-split-like. Oh, well. The colours are quite pretty so my plebeian brain is kept happy as I go.

Summer is on its way here in the prairies. We've had spring on life support a few times, including earlier this week, but its back on its feet once more and we're enjoying the sunshine. I hope it's sunny wherever you are.

Time...Where'd it Go??

Some time has passed since my last post, but life has a way of sweeping you up and before you know it, almost a month has flown by. I've been busy. I started my new contract February 23rd teaching grammar and writing skills to 10 ESL students from the Philippines. My second group starts tomorrow, and I have a third group starting in April. I'm really loving this one. The guys are very friendly, polite, and happy to learn. Nice change from some of the college students I've taught.

I've also been knitting a fair bit. Doing a good job of finishing UFOs: (Click to embiggen.)

Mrs. Beeton's for Miranda, and a couple of pairs of mitts for me. I love knitting mittens.

    

My first hat, and then my first Fair Isle. Turned out better than I thought it would.

      

My first hot water bottle cover. That's King Cole DK wool. Had to fiddle with the pattern, but it's sooooo cozy when it's full of hot water.

  

Today, after a 4 week absence, I finally got out to see my alpacas. This is Harley. Looks like I hit his sweet spot, but looks can be SO deceiving. I was trying to scratch his chin, but he wanted no part of that. Doug just caught the moment before he bolted outta there. He's my best friend... until the pellets run out!

 

Today was his close-up day, and he didn't disappoint.

    

Hmmmm...maybe if I hide behind this guy, no one'll see me....yeah...that's it...

 

We also got a few shots of Kalamara. She's so sweet. Still a bit timid, but she's much better than when we first got her.

   

I just finished the Mock Cable socks in the hand painted yarn from Barb at WildGeese Fibres. As soon as I redo the toe graphs, I'll take some pictures. My Kitchener stitch leaves a lot to be desired. I prefer a toe chimney graph. 

I've started a his and hers sock kit I bought at River City Yarns. The kits were sitting by the cash register...and the colours were calling me...deep reds, blues, and greens. Like I've said before, I'm drawn in by the colour, and overtaken by the softness. Not sure how it happened...really...they just wound up in my basket. And I'm still chugging along on Chase's sweater. I also started Agatha, but I hit a snag on row 8 or so, and haven't had a chance to sort it out yet. All in good time, all in good time.

Shawl Pics

1978

I just read Rick Mercer's latest blog post. In it he tells that "a billion seconds ago it was 1978." Wow. That's a crazy amount of seconds and a crazy mountain of time. He refers to how much our current government is planning to squander, er...I mean spend. And he uses the billion seconds to show us the enormity of what a billion is. We love Rick...he tells it like it is.

Hmmm...I wonder if I've knit a billion stitches yet?

New and Different Mac

Today I bought a MacBook Air. Now this is largely different from our other Mac. This one's pretty in a different way. And so much more schleppable; it only weighs 3 lbs, and it's not measured in 4 inch increments. I think I'll call her MiniMac. Now that I've gotten through the wireless Internet snarlies, things are good.

One day soon...very soon, I'll have knitterly pictures and news. I've been working on Mrs. Beetons', a hotwater bottle cover, EZ Mitered Mittens, a Doodlebug sweater for toddler Chase, and I bought a skein of Lucy Neatby's Cat's Pajamas in the Fiesta colourway (80% Merino, 10% Cashmere, and 10% Nylon). The colours remind me of the vibrant colours seen on Macaw parrots: intense blues, reds, yellows, and greens. This yarn is meant for socks but I'm going to knit up her Sea Lettuce scarf with it.

The Snowdrop shawl is still kind of in a time out. It hasn't really misbehaved; I just need some distance from it for a bit...what with the mohair and all.

I bought Elizabeth Lovick's Fair Isle Workbook. It came highly recommended from Barb of Wild Geese Fibres. Check out some of the hand painted yarn Barb sells, and her patterns are lovely.

To quote Elizabeth's site, "It [the workbook] is arranged in separate ‘lessons’ on the theory and practice of Fair Isle knitting, including detailed instructions with lots of clear photos of topics such as ways to hold the yarns, steeking and dealing with mistakes." I told Barb I was preparing to make the Snowbird mittens, and she sent me the book link. I'll update as I progress with the mittens.

Now, back to my downloading...