Archive for January, 2008

Mmm…baby alpaca…

January 31, 2008 · Filed under G, knitting, shopping, yarn

Plymouth Bristol Yarn Gallery Buckingham 80% baby alpaca, 20% silk, colorways 5293 (green), 100 (cream)And from Plymouth Yarns of all places! I bought two skeins of their Bristol Yarn Gallery Buckingham 80% baby alpaca, 20% silk. A total bargain for $7.99 for approximately 218 yards (50g). I bought one skein in a soft chartreuse and one in a lovely cream. I’m going to knit myself the shortest of the stocking caps in the Whimsical Hats pattern from Blue Sky that I bought yesterday at Flying Fingers. Stripey for me, solid blue for G. I looove alpaca. It’s soft and yummy. From the BSA ball band: “Alpaca is a rare, small, curious, and intelligent fiber-producing camelid sheared once a year for the most luxurious fiber in the world. Alpaca fiber is warmer, stronger, softer, and lighter-weight than wool!” (grammatical errors and typos fixed by yours truly). Looking at the yardages though, I’m thinking I can get away with maybe even the medium stocking cap (218 x 2 = 436 yds vs. 120 x 2 = 240 yds), I’ll just keep knitting until I run out.

Sakura, by Bluestocking YarnsI was afraid of falling into the sock yarn while I was up at Cornwall and fall I did, if only a little ways. Here is Sakura from Bluestocking Yarns, inspired by Memoirs of a Geisha: “I thought of the petals I’d thrown into the Kamo River shallows…imagining they might find their way to the Chairman. It seemed to me that, somehow, perhaps they had.” I find myself actually not just stash-enhancing now, but buying for specific projects. Does this mean I’m becoming a more responsible knitter? Is that such a bad thing?

Higher mathAfter watching the Repugnican debate (most of which I slept through), I decided to cast on for G’s hat. Imagine my surprise when I realized that I had forgotten how to cast on any other way than the simple loop method! I quickly checked out YouTube and found some fuzzy, stuttery videos looking like they’d been shot using Skype. No help there. I went upstairs to tell G that I was having troubles and could he help. “But I don’t know anything about knitting!” he protested. “Yeah, but you’re really smart.” No dice. I ended up hunting up the Lucy Neatby DVDs I’d bought after her sock class last summer. Was I thoughtful enough to buy the Knitting Essentials DVD with basics on it? Yes I was! Minutes later I had two versions to play with, plus the bonus tip of doubling my tail to eight times’ length to create a super-strong and stretchy edge. Just perfect for a hat. The pattern calls for 144 co sts, but I may increase that to 168 (24″ circumference x 7 sts per inch). I could listen to Lucy all day. I’m going to go put the DVD in the player downstairs and watch her on the big screen.

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On this day: pms 2006

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“I’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints”

January 30, 2008 · Filed under friends

David Heimann, junior year photo, Mamaroneck High School“‘Cause sinners have much more fun, darlin’ only the good die young…” That was David Heimann’s senior quote. Ironic, that. He was attending SUNY Albany (I think) when he stepped out between two parked cars and was killed over twenty years ago. This was a kid who never had an unkind word to say about anyone. He was funny, pithy, and cute, and an all-around good guy. His funeral was attended by hundreds. He appeared to me in one of the two dreams that I remember from last night. In the dream, we were at a function at Beach Point Club, he was sitting, talking to me. “Please tell my Mommy that I love her,” he said. Oh, David, would that I could. I don’t think your parents live in Larchmont any more, at least, Switchboard.com has no record, not even an unlisted number. The photo at left is his junior picture; I can’t find my Mahiscan (MAmaroneck HIgh SChool ANnual) from senior year.

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Half skeins?!?

January 29, 2008 · Filed under friends, knitting, shopping, yarn

Blue Sky Alpacas #308 for G’s Whimsical CapYou have GOT to check out The Loopy Ewe. Not only do they have like a zillion colors of Colinette Jitterbug, but they also sell HALF SKEINS. That’s right, because one skein isn’t quite enough and two is just overkill. So I got myself a half skein of Blue Parrot to finish off my dad’s Chanukah socks (about two inches to go). They bill themselves as “your online source for sock yarns, patterns, and fun accessories.” I restrained myself and only bought what I needed at this moment (I have a Blue Sky Alpacas Whimsical Cap for G that needs knitting up, not even on the needles yet, but there’s the yarn at right, and I’m busy with Crazy4Dyeing’s “You Look Wonderful Tonight” socks, my toe-up recipe). I have it on good authority that they ship Priority Mail, so I’m looking at gratification within the week. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the size Addis that I need (Flying Fingers only had one size zero in the 24″ length. I bought it.), so it looks like I’m calling Cornwall again tomorrow. Not that I dislike that shop, I likes it fine, and they’ve moved into new quarters, I just end up falling into the sock yarn whenever I’m there.

I ran into Earthtones Girl today and we caught up some. I’ve missed her so much! I added her to my blogroll so you can see what she’s been up to as well. I’m busy reading back through her archives. We added each other on Ravelry and have tentative plans for playdates and dinner. I foresee time spent spinning by the fire…Hi ETG!

I’m calling Whitehall tomorrow to follow up on the interview, I’ll rehash here when I get more information. Fingers crossed…

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Free Rice

January 28, 2008 · Filed under charity

Play and help!If you click on the picture to the left (if I can get this to work), you’ll be taken to http://freerice.com, where you play a vocabulary game which works as follows:

  • Click on the answer that best defines the word.
  • If you get it right, you get a harder word. If wrong, you get an easier word.
  • For each word you get right, freerice.com donates 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program.

WARNING: This game may make you smarter. It may improve your speaking, writing, thinking, grades, job performance…

It’s pretty cool, I ended up donating 1,140 grains of rice with not too much effort and not too much time spent. I did use dictionary.com a couple of times (just a couple!), but for the most part, I knew or guessed accurately at them all. I wonder how many grains are in a cup of rice?

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On this day: stressed 2006

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I’m a little afraid

January 27, 2008 · Filed under books, knitting, movies, yarn

as I always am when reading a really good book; that soon the book will draw to a close and there will be no more story, no more involvement with the characters and their universe(s). We went to see The Golden Compass a few weeks ago and I have been fairly obsessed with reading the books. I’m through The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife; The Amber Spyglass waits for me by the bed. There’s also Lyra’s Oxford to be read, and others by Philip Pullman, but no more of the His Dark Materials series. Amazon has a really nice boxed set of trade paperbacks just like the ones I bought separately at Barnes & Noble (I couldn’t wait even for overnight shipping). I held off reading this evening so far by wasting (?) some time preparing the Chocolate Butter Cookie recipe for tomorrow’s baking, I have knitting to do (although not much, since I fear I’ll run out of yarn right before the last row. Damnit.), and I also have god is not great (How Religion Poisons Everything) to read (courtesy of my rather religious SIL by way of my Amazon wish list. Amazon makes for strange bedfellows.), as well as Stumbling On Happiness. So there’s much to do, but I’m itching to get my eyes on The Amber Spyglass. What to do, what to do?

Not gonna make itYou Look Wonderful Tonight socks, 1/30/2008, my standard toe-up recipeE2A: An Etsy package came today with some gorgeous yarn inside (“You Look Wonderful Tonight” by Ellie at Crazy4Dyeing). I’ve been watching her blog for some time now (last May she tagged me for the “8 Random Things” meme) and she’s really come a long way, both in her knitting and her dyeing. Would that I were so adventurous! To the yarn: The colorway is inspired by the Michael Bublé she was listening to and I must say, it is soft, subtle, beautiful. Just like his music. So I put up the swift and ballwinder and made myself a nice fat centerpull cake out of the yarn. I’ll start it on two pairs of size 1 circs when I run out of the Jitterbug. I’ll call Flying Fingers tomorrow to see if they’ve got any left (their website says no), or I’ll order from ThreadBear.

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Twelve reasons

January 26, 2008 · Filed under G, books, technology

apart from the ones I have, why geeks are better than regular men. I have to say that every single item on Ahmed Bilal’s list is the honest truth. Plus, penguins are so cute! This isn’t to say that geeks don’t have any drawbacks; they are men. They snore, fart, and belch, and get just as caught up in their own kind of sport as non-geeks do (although I haven’t seen any body-painting during a NeverWinter Nights game). I think for the most part that they are more solitary creatures, which suits me fine; I like nothing better than spending a quiet night home with my love and my knitting watching something the MythTV has gotten for us after a home-cooked meal. You see, there’s science in cooking, and my geek is all about that. There are even books about it, like this one:What Einstein Told His Cook. It’s on his shelves somewhere. There’s a sequel to it, I’ll have to check it out. He’s into the why and how of things, and if that seems aggravating, it is sometimes, until he gets to the bottom of whatever it happens to be. Then it’s a joy watching him explain the intricacies of whatever he’s just gotten his brain around.

All in all, if I had to choose my husband all over again, I’d do it in a trice, without any hesitation. Sure, we have our ups and downs, all couples do, but life is so much more interesting with him than with any other man I’ve ever known. Love you more, sweetheart.

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On this day: I am so cold 2007

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Sitting, waiting, wishing

January 25, 2008 · Filed under work

My job hunt has started in earnest. I had decided not to look for work immediately following the shitcanning from Crate because who wants to really be getting trained the month before Christmas? I got a “Work Search Record” from the Department of Labor that has spots to fill in where I’ve looked for work, and when, and who I spoke to. A lot of the stuff I’m applying for has online applications, and for some of those I haven’t received an email confirmation telling me that they got my applications. A couple of days ago I looked up the store directory for the Jefferson Valley Mall, because, while it isn’t a great mall, it is close to home (eighteen minutes door to door). Among the usual suspects (B. Dalton Booksellers, The Gap, Build-a-Bear Workshop) there were some jewelry stores. Not just run-of-the-mill dreck like Kay and Zales, but two upscale stores, Littman and Whitehall. If there’s one thing I know besides rubber stamps, it’s jewelry. Back in the ’90s I worked for D.P. Paul Jewelers in Hampton, Virginia, and I was the assistant manager for Lord & Taylor’s fine jewelry department in Scarsdale. D.P. Paul used to be the middle sister between Zales and Bailey, Banks, and Biddle. I went in to ask for an application at Littman; its dark blue walls made it feel like a cave, the feeling to be reinforced by the troll guarding the goods. I walked in, stood in front of the older blonde woman sitting doing paperwork, and waited. She finally looked up and said, “Yes?” How welcoming! I asked for an application anyway, so I could put it on my sheet. “We’re not hiring,” she said, “but you could come in and talk to the manager, I guess.” I met pretty much the same attitude at Kay and Zales; the drone at Kay preferring to talk to the UPS guy over me. I could have been a customer for all she knew, coming to spend thousands on their schlock. Not that there was anywhere near that much worth having, most of the nice-looking pieces were lab-created. On to Whitehall.

When I worked in Virginia, there was a Whitehall Jewelers in the same mall. I got friendly with the manager there (he had a gorgeous Afghan Hound), and they had a lot of the same-quality pieces at we did. We sold Rolexes, Movados, and Gucci; their highest-priced watches were Movados. So I was familiar with the caliber of merchandise. I walked in and was instantly greeted by two salespeople. I asked if I could have an application and was told, “Absolutely!” I said that I had prior jewelry sales experience. The gentleman who handed me the application said, “Can you come in for an interview tomorrow at two?” Stunned, I said yes. He handed me a pen and said, “You can fill this out right here, if you’d like.” I filled out the three-page application, hand cramping, and handed it back. He scanned it briefly and introduced himself, then said, “Tomorrow at two?” I introduced myself, and said yes. I fairly skipped out of there (stopping first at the pretzel place) and on home.

Yesterday was the interview, and I went, dressed in my best Sigrid Olsen top and black pants with my black Dansko Mary Janes, my great-aunt Ann’s pearl choker, a pearl bracelet I’d made, cubic zirconia earrings (small enough to look real but big enough to impress), and a deco diamond and ruby ring as well as my Freedom Ring and my Sundance wedding band. I explained about the discharge from Crate, and how ridiculous it was (neglect of duties, my ass!), and he put a big “X” through the explanation on the form as if to say, “Never mind that nonsense.” I turned on the charm, glowed when I spoke of my past retail experience, how I loved finding solutions for people, and my philosophy on jewelry sales. How good it feels to be part of such an important purchase. How pleased your help is going to make that lucky recipient. He asked me if I had any questions (I forgot to ask about the dress code; both women I saw had jackets on and I don’t have any jackets. Curses.), and then said, “I’m going to do the background check, but I’d love to hire you.” We discussed salary (I think I went too low. Crap.), commission, bonuses, and benefits. He introduced me to the rest of the staff, and asked if they wanted to talk to me. The assistant manager did (I want his job!), so we chatted for a little bit. Then came questions from the other full-timer, a woman who’s going to be moving back to Florida soon (”It’s too cold here!”). So hopefully I’ll hear from them today and I can get started making some real money!

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Where in the world..?

January 22, 2008 · Filed under WTF?, internet freakishness

Breast implants for tattooed boobs. Not breasts that have tattoos on them, but a tattoo of a woman’s breasts. The worst part, besides it looking like the guy has a tumor? It’s not even a good tattoo. As one commenter said, “is that carmen sandiego’s slutty sister?” I’m almost at a total loss for words.

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Well, it’s a bit better now

January 18, 2008 · Filed under bipolar, fiber, meds

I went up to the attic with the intention of finding Judi*Kins Diamond Glaze for the aforementioned errant eBayer. What I found was much more valuable. Yeah, I found the glue, but I also found my archival box with The New York Times from September 12, 2001 and the days afterward, the tape I’d recorded of September 11th (not that I’ll ever watch it, but I think it’s important to have. I don’t even have a VHS player anymore, I guess I could get it transferred to DVD…), yummy yarn that I bought at Rhinebeck last year, and some more cute stuff to eBay. I brought up two boxes to put back into the attic (there’s two more waiting downstairs). The reason for wanting the box of newspapers was simple; I bought The Times the day after Hillary Clinton won the New Hampshire primary and I want to preserve that. I also baked the cookies, slicing them whisper-thin. They came out crisp and delicious. They may not make it to tomorrow’s dinner. I’ll think up something else just in case. I remembered to take my midday dose of Geodon (technically not really mid-day but six hours after my first 40 mg dose of the day). I’ve kept the fire fed. I spent the last hour (goodness, time flies!) adding something cool to my blog that my friend Penguin Girl has on hers: for each day where there’s a corresponding post(s), I’ve added a link to my old LiveJournal blog. None for today, but if you look at my post from the 14th, “The Date,” you’ll see way at the bottom a link to the post “Grey Day” from 2006. I’ve only gone as far back as November 1st so far. My writing was pretty wretched back then; I totally blame it on the meds I was on (an Abilify and Wellbutrin cocktail, thankyouverymuch). My writing was never as dull and perfunctory as it was on those drugs, in school I was lauded for my writing abilities and in every honors writing class offered. At the very least, I was writing, bland as it was. I’m slowly getting back there.

I haven’t yet taken a shower, nor eaten lunch (just a few cookies and Diet Pepsi with Cherry), but I think I’ll go bring up the rest of those boxes and get a move on the downstairs. Thanks for the good wishes. :)

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not a good day

January 18, 2008 · Filed under bipolar, meds

I’m sitting at my desk with tears running down my face. I can’t type with the letters in the right order. I just don’t feel good and it is hard, this. I felt the same way yesterday and G suggested that I get under all the afghans I’d knitted, put my feet up, knit, and watch some MythTV, specifically, Needle Arts Studio with Shay Pendray. It turned out to be really disappointing, even though she had someone on from Lantern Moon, all she did was needle-felt some roving into the center of a sewn-on flower. So I watched three episodes of America’s Test Kitchen. All about chocolate. Chocolate in the Tasting Lab, chocolate cakes, mousse, chocolate everywhere. My goal was to get some “mental chocolate” to bring up my spirits. And it worked, for a time. I even mixed the recipe for Cook’s Illustrated’s chocolate butter cookies, to be finished today. Hopefully.

I know I’m not on the full therapeutic dose of Lamictal yet, but jeez, can’t it give me a break? I’m currently taking 75 mg twice a day, with 40 - 40 - 80 mg of Geodon. I know that you have to go up very slowly in order to avoid the death rash. However, I found no heart in reading psycheducation.org’s thoughts on the rash: “Why risk ‘blowing it’ by going up a little faster on the dose and thereby raising the risk of getting the rash, and having to consider stopping entirely at that point? For most patients considering lamotrigine, they’ve had symptoms for years. Waiting another few weeks because of using a slow dose increase — and thus buying a little more insurance that they might be able to benefit and stay on this medication — just makes more sense.” Um, because I FEEL LIKE SHIT NOW? Having had symptoms for decades doesn’t mean that I want to KEEP HAVING THEM. And whoever said that people in the throes of bipolar disorder had any way of making sense of things? The person who thought up that little nugget obviously has never had any dealings with mental illness from a personal vantage point. And it isn’t just another few weeks, it’s another four weeks at least for every level up. From Wikipedia: “Because the dosage must be slowly increased from a sub-therapeutic level to the therapeutic level of 100-200 mg, its utility in the management of acute manic symptoms is debatable; typically benzodiazepines or another anticonvulsant will be used to manage the acute mania until the lamotrigine reaches therapeutic blood concentration.” So I’m at 150 mg a day, I should be feeling some relief. But I’m not. One of the problems I had with Wellbutrin was that, while it was definitely working, it just couldn’t handle my abyssal depression. Maybe my depression is so strong that the Lamictal doesn’t stand a fighting chance? There’s a horrifying thought.

So to help take my mind away, I did some busywork, sweeping the steps to clear away the melting snow, laying and lighting a fire in the hearth with just the hot coals (look Ma, no matches!). I’m still fretting about all the eBay auctions I had that didn’t sell, and the woman with a feedback score of 8 who won two of them but hasn’t yet paid, even after I reported her as a non-paying bidder. She bid on and won two more before I had the presence of mind to block her, let’s see if she pays the total amount. I ticked the wrong radio button on my Unemployment Benefits Claim last week, and now they think I refused work. I sent in the form stating that no, I didn’t refuse work, I made a mistake, but they’re holding benefits until they get the form back. There’s no phone number to call to report my boneheadedness, no email address to write to. At least the claims are somewhat automated on my end, by a weekly web form instead of a phone call. I just have to remember to do it every Monday. And we have friends coming to stay overnight tomorrow; the house is still in post-Christmas mess. I guess that’s what I’m doing today. At the very least, the housecleaners are coming tomorrow before Dave and Shannon get here with the baby.

Small favors: the blower just came on for the woodstove, so now the fireplace will start heating the house, and there’s a log of chocolate butter cookie dough in the fridge that just might make it into the oven. And more busywork to keep me from thinking too hard.

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