September 9, 2007
· Filed under Halloween, books, knitting, spinning, work
has been finished. I cried my silly eyes out at the end, and I’m still teary just thinking about it, but I’m happy. Happy to have the conclusion, happy knowing that it is a series that I will definitely read over and over again. And for those of you who’ve also finished reading Deathly Hallows, happy for all the reasons you, erm, know about. What drama!
Today was register training day at work. Although slim, the training was sufficient to get me through the first few sales and returns without fear of catastrophe. Working retail for twenty plus years has given me a great appreciation for the ways of the cash register, with all its individual tweaks and oddments (”Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!”), and the register at C&B is no different. Well, very different, but in essence, exactly the same. You ring things up, you collect money, you give a receipt and the merchandise. There’s a great parting of the ways between the culture at TCS and at C&B, and for that I am truly grateful. C&B stands behind her employees much more firmly, with little to no exception being made in the running of things. I won’t go into the gruesome details, but there is a much stricter adherence to policy; there are definite rules in black and white, where at TCS, every single thing was a shade of grey, open to discussion. I thrive on that adherence, it seems, I need people to play by the rules. I spent a good portion of my therapy in learning how to stop trying to get everyone to play by the rules, learning that it was not my responsibility to be the policing faction, to just “go with the flow” (something I still rail against mightily) and let people get away with, if not murder, then some semblance of unfairness. I don’t believe that the squeaky wheel should get the grease. Straighten up and fly right, and stop asking for what isn’t rightfully yours. Stop trying to get over on everyone. No one owes you anything special, just because you think they do and you happen to have a big mouth. End of rant.
Tomorrow’s another day off (my new, regular day off, besides Saturday). I’ve got errands planned (bank, stupidmarket, nail salon) and perhaps I’ll get in some spinning. I’ve got questions about the pattern for the Hallowig, but no one to turn to in real life; I bought the yarn at WalMart and can’t very well go to a reputable yarn shop and beg assistance. Maybe I can email some of the Ravelry members who’ve knit it and ask for help. It’s worth a shot.
August 24, 2007
· Filed under spinning, work, yarn
except for when HH told me that they usually exit you right away, like NOW. I told her right after huddle, and she asked me if I wanted to finish out the day, to which I replied, “If I leave and don’t say goodbye to JA, she’ll hunt me down and hurt me bad.” So she said to “keep it between us until 6 pm, and then you can go home.” Because she got off at 6 pm, and didn’t want to stay until 8 pm (when I usually got off) to do my exit paperwork. Fine by me. I proceeded to tell my closest friends that it was my last day, but keep it on the down-low, please. So now I have two weeks off, thank you very much. I even have Labor Day off, squee!
We’re up in Syracuse at my sister-in-law’s house staying with her family for a long weekend. I spent the bulk of the day spinning at The Wool Center at The Fair. I brought my own god-knows-what lovely dyed red merino blend, and there was a guy there who was spinning alpaca mixed with angora rabbit, and he gave me some of that. Then, when he was carding some angora rabbit with merino, some angora fell off the carders and I spun with that. I also took a break to visit the sheep (pictures when I get home unless Gary has a card reader with him), and petted some lovely unshorn Cotswolds with very curly locks.
I talked to the gentleman who bred them and he said that they were very nice sheep, and he liked them so much that he bred them to the exclusion of all other breeds. Tomorrow’s supposed to be another scorcher (it was 95˚ today); we’ll go back to The Fair on Sunday.
August 21, 2007
· Filed under Zeke, cats, knitting, spinning, work
involves me giving TCS my two weeks’ notice. Starting tomorrow. Although, from what I’ve seen, they’ll probably tell me, “If you don’t want to be here, we’d rather you not be here. Today’s your last day.” My new job starts in two weeks, plus a few days for recuperation (very thoughtfully allowed me by T, my new manager). Which means that we’ll be able to go to The Fair and not worry about any of this shit any more. Dress code is business casual; no more jeans and company-branded t-shirts (no more blasted free advertising). I have some shopping to do! Luckily, there’s one in the Cortlandt Town Center, so I can go try on and not worry about stuff looking like shit not fitting.
Knitting news: I finished Zeke’s second pair of booties/socks! I almost got them all matchy-matchy; they’re just a little off. I’m glad I’m not obsessed about stuff like that. Here’s another picture with a quarter thrown in so you can see just how teeny they are!
Gratuitous pictures of Mademoiselle Pyewacket: 
Our neighbor to the north of us gave us a glowing recommendation for her cat-sitter, Libby. Libby came over on Saturday to meet the kids and us, and we were both instantly smitten. She’s a real cat lady, and the kids really seemed to take to her nicely. So I’ll have no worries (I’ll worry anyway, this is me we’re talking about) when we go away, and I won’t have to guilt my mom into driving 45 minutes each way to feed the beasties. I’m going to be demonstrating spinning at The Fair, on my wheel!
August 11, 2007
· Filed under Life in Peekskill, knitting, pampering, spinning
This morning I went to a strategy meeting for Councilman Bill Schmidt. I’m going to be circulating with a petition to get him on the ballot on the Libertarian line. I’m supporting him in his run for Mayor of our fair city. A Republican with a platform I can get behind. Amazing, that. The only other time I voted for a GOP candidate was in revenge for an offensive campaign run by Martin Rogowsky for County Legislator back when I lived in Harrison. Not a day went by when my mailbox wasn’t full of campaign literature from him and my phone rang nearly every day with a canned phone call from his henchpeople. I was so sick of hearing about him that I looked up his home phone number and called it around dinnertime right before the election. I spoke rather tersely to his wife, letting her know how disgusted I was by his campaign and that I was going to be doing something anathema to me; crossing party lines to vote for his competitor. Unfortunately, he won that election, albeit by a very slim margin.
The Democrats in this city all want to destroy the city by adding even more low-income and subsidized housing to an already-overflowing plate. I didn’t spend what I spent on this house to see the city get flushed down the toilet along with the housing values and quality of life.
After the meeting at The Peekskill Coffee House (a large mocha on Bill - yum, and thanks!), I went to the salon to get my nails done. French and French, mani and pedi, as usual.
Most of this spinning was done last night, but I’m trying to fill the bobbin today so I can ply it with the last, thicker-spun bobbinful from ages ago. I sent off an email to Valerie of the Wool Center at the New York State Fair, letting her know that I am still spinning, in case she’d like me to spin at The Fair again this year. I bought my Ashford Joy secondhand at The Fair last year, at Gary’s prompting (thank you, G!)
Finished the Jitterbug booties for Zeke! I’ll mail them out Monday. Now I’m going to start on three pairs from the leftover OnLine Supersocke from two sock pairs ago; one pair for Zeke, one for Michelle at work, and the third for Tracy at work.
Dishes are away, laundry’s started, groceries bought and away. Phew!
