Trench

Well, it is Monday, the 23rd day of April, and I am still in Grad School. I have asked the Boss Lady to up the weekly meetings to two, as I am afraid I will never get the Fuck out of here.
This weekend I met TSB's father for the first time (mom is not in the picture). He has a slightly wonky eye, which immediately reminded me of Rodney Dangerfield. That likeness went away as the day wore on, and I realized just how much TSB and his father are alike. (TSB has never reminded me of R.D. That would be creepy) Same mannerisms, same quirks, all of the inside jokes one would expect. It was enlightening and offered me some further insight into TSB. Nothing Earth-shattering. Just more personal, intimate some how.
Also this weekend was some amazing sushi from Oishii with TNG and her boy. Alas, that may be the last of that kind of indulgence for a while, as the reality of the expense of moving is starting to dawn on me and TSB.
I have not yet made a final decision on where to go for the pd. As both places offered up a new home, it was simultaneously the best and worst of all possible worlds. Best, for who can complain with two offers? Worst, for now I must make a decision. I hates me some decisions. I decided to use this afternoon's session with the shrink to help me. I mean, that is why I pay her, isn't it?
Also, the brother is getting married this weekend. It is jam packed with other activities, so I am unsure of the logistics (Tri-state commitments and all) but I know they will include imbibing of some sort.

Ciao

a lot has happened in the last month

Live, from Las Vegas, I blog. Seriously. McCarran Airport has free wifi, so I thought I would post a little update. Las Vegas is surrounded by mountains. For those of you that have never been here, they are big.
I was in Dallas this morning and Vegas is my pit stop on the way to Cali. SoCal. Irvine to be exact. The weather in Dallas was wonderful (TSB said there was ice in Waltham this morning! tee heee) and the people were even better. I was visiting UTSW on a job interview (POSTDOC!) and I have another interview at UC Irvine tomorrow. I am excited but starting to get tired. There was not a lot of sleep had the week before I left, and the time changes are wrecking a little havoc.
From what I hear (and see), the weather here is making it hard to land, so there are a bunch of planes circling overhead. It is really dark out, like thunderstorm clouds in NE, but there doesn't appear to be any rain, at least on the ground.
Anyway, our plane is not here yet, but we are supposed to be boarding in about now. Hrm. I will take pictures of the outside, but I can upload them, since I don't have that cable with me.
I can say that I lost $3 gambling in the airport this morning. I was up to $6.50, but then got greedy and lost it all.
OK kids, off to take some pictures of some casinos and some nasty thunderheads. This place is getting crowded, since no one is taking off right now. I think that as soon as I leave my seat, it will be gone. Along with the power outlet.

Ciao.

Baaaaah, sheepy

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bummer

also, I forgot to mention that my necklace broke. I usually wear a diamond solitaire. Originally, I inherited a 1/4 carat diamond solitaire from my grandmother's estate, but I lost that when the chain broke at a Biochem/Biophys retreat several years ago. I was heartbroken.
Then, about three years ago, I came upon a simple necklace with a slide pendant with a diamond chip in the center. Not as flashy, but still, made of a metal that did not react with my skin and cause boils. I basically wore it 99% of the time, except when I needed to wear pearls.
Then on Monday night, while watching Heroes at Skeintilly Clad's, I reached up to play with the necklace and pendant and it fell into my hand. Well, really the necklace fell into my hand and the slide pendant fell right through my fingers. ACK!
My neck feels so naked! There is nothing for my left hand to play with while reading. I had been considering a gift for myself upon completion of grad school - this nifty bit o' bling - but that seems so far off. Also, I was considering adopting another one of these. Unfortunately, both cost money.
Feels. So. Naked. Exposed. Cold.....

long time, no post

well, I could say that I was insanely busy, but that would be a stretch. Really I have just been apathetic. Life seems such a labor lately. In no order, I have applied for 12 positions and been rejected from 5 (so far, there is still time), have massive pains in my lower back constantly, causing my legs to be filled with pain and leading me to suspect I have developed the dreaded sciatica, friends have had babies and more friends are incubating, research is going really, really slowly (see apathy above) and it just doesn't seem to ever end.
I have been working on several projects. I have started knitting a hat/scarf/glove set out of the alpaca that I fell in love with last year. So far, I have about three inches of the top down hat done. Apparently, there is a pattern that beckons from the fabric. I am calling it fractal. It is a series of weaving single ribs that expand in a predictable, numeric way.
I have also been swearing at, er, working on TSB's sweater sleeves. Man those things are working up slowly. It is a simple k4p2 repeat, but as I am trying to do the two sleeves on two needles at the same time, that yarns get tangled all the dang time.
I started a blanket for Niece O - it really just needs a couple of hours this weekend and I will be able to knock it out. It is a very simple flannel based blanket, but since it has Dora on it, hopefully it will go over well.
Also, I have been a bit stalled on Squirt's (nee Snurt) quilt. I obtained additional fabric to finish out the borders. But the fabric has just sat. Next to the sewing machine. Not attaching itself to the 80% finished quilt sitting next to it. Stoopid fabric. I did have designs of finishing the border this past weekend at the 'Rent's House, but there was not enough time. I did have to spend the two hours watching the Carolina-Dook mauling, after all.
What else am I working on....
You know, it occurs to me that I really do need pictures of all these things.
I attended a Yarn Swap/Ditch this weekend. The intent was to unload yarns that I would never do anything with. Well, I was mostly successful, except that I came home with more yarns than I left with. This was not the intent. The intent was to reduce the stash. Umm, yeah, failed miserably on that one.
I have almost all of the fabrics for the Huskies' pup that is on the way and expected at the end of this month. I even have the pattern picked out and I have promised myself not to tweak it. At all. I will follow the directions and not modify them in any way. Well, I have made that promise to myself, but I have not yet actually started to put the thing together. We shall see how long that promise lasts.
This past year and a half was marked with multiple favored pets passing. October 2005 Gabi passed on. In my mother's arms. Then this past fall, Bruno fell. I loved the quiet gentle nature of Bruno. Something about him made me feel as if we understood each other. Then, quite unexpectedly, Bandit took a turn for the worse in January and was helped to the Rainbow bridge by my parents. Bandit was Mom and Dad's favorite. Not sure why, I always thought he was a bit thick in the head. He was a sweet loving companion though, and he is sorely missed. All of these events make me hug Halley just that much more intently, when ever she lets me. Bopp turned 10 years old on February 1st. She has transitioned into her golden years with grace, most of the time. But I am reminded constantly that she is not a spring chicken anymore and it makes me lament all the lost time that I have been in grad school. I am determined to go somewhere with nicer weather than New England so that she may enjoy the rest of her years without snow and cold.
So, that is the update on the work and the projects and the friends. Two close friends are getting married this weekend and I am terribly excited to see this. They are great people who make each other happy. Should be a swinging time.

Ciao

New Post for the New Year

Hey - did you hear that it is the New Year?!?! Can't go more than two minutes without someone mentioning it. Well, I really enjoyed 2006. Seriously. I did lots of maintenance type things in 2006 to improve my quality of life. Now granted, I have not achieved my greatest goal to date - the Defending of the Ph. D. - but that will come.
Now, a list of things of which I am proud.
1. Treated my depression - terribly important as far as the quality of life issues
2. Got treatment for my OCD issues - see above
3. Successfully dated a man.
4. Maintained a relationship with said man - dealing with the first two issues allowed me to be more open to developing an intimate relationship.
5. Addressed my debt issues - not all, but this is a reasonably deep hole out from which I have to climb.
6. Cemented my relationship with my sister, her husband and their child - this one just keeps paying off, making me really happy.
7. Went to a professional conference - career development is always good.
8. Started the postdoc hunt.

Things that should have been accomplished in 2006 that have now been moved to the 2007 To Do List:
1. Defend the Damned Ph. D. - this needs no explanation
2. Transition into postdoc.
3. Start saving in earnest.
4. Take a vacation - Caribbean, Europe, Mediterranean...
5. Have Halley's teeth cleaned.
6. Take off the weight put on this past year and start triathlon training again
7. Practice more yoga and meditation.
8. Start paying back mom for all of the help these past years.

As a bonus, I am including a picture of me and TSB on New Year's Eve. Since we met one year ago on this night, we are taking it as our anniversary (no more monthaversaries!!!), though it was really some time in January that we started dating. I made my dress this year is just under a week, a mania that was sparked by SC. That's it - it was all her fault - blame her. Now, back to work on TSB's Boyfriend Sweater. Then again, it is supposed to be ~60 F by the end of the week - not like he is missing it.
Ciao

primer

I was rereading my previous post and realized that the spellcheck went a little haywire and I did not pay enough attention.
so here is a primer
nest Christmas = next Christmas
Satiate was beautiful = Saturday was beautiful
SEC's = SC's (Skeintily Clad's)
tempos hitting the 60's F = temps hitting the 60's F (rumored to happen again this weekend!)

As far as I can tell, those are the corrections.

Well, now for a funny anecdote, an update on craftiness and, not sure what else.
Anecdote: Since I have had Evil Gutt for a couple of months now, everyone in the lab is familiar with my Butt Donut. Well, a second popped on me (even with the 10 year warranty!). I was massaging my aching butt and lower back while getting a drink of my vitamin water when my boss looked at me and asked "Anything new?" Now a smart person would put in something about science or the progress I am making on my postdoc packets or the like. But no, I decide to answer her rather open-ended question in the following way : "My second donut popped and now my butt is sore." Followed quickly with "You'd think my ass would be cushioned enough on its own!?!"

Craftiness: I went to SC's on Tuesday to knit a bit while watching House. toiling away on BF sweater, which progresses painfully slowly. While there, I offered to help SC with a project, so I took some felt home and sewed them into stars. I return them today so that she can needle felt some designs on them. But the bit of sewing I did reminede me how much I enjoy sewing. Cleaning off my craft table, which was covered in dirty clothes and magazines, so that I could access my sewing machine caused me to uncover many started-but-as-yet-unfinished projects.

And yet, my postdoc packets are not yet complete either.

Ciao

Hrm...

The response from that last post was... deafening. Well, here is something way less interesting...

This past weekend was the four day Thanksgiving weekend-ishk. It started on Wednesday, when I really couldn't justify staying at work past 2:30. I wasn't getting anything done, and I needed to be doing other things. So I went home and began to bake (cupcakes for Thursday's feast) when I realized that I did not have cupcake tins and would, in fact, have to go to the market. Ugh - on the worstest day of the year. So off to the Hannaford I trotted. I picked up tins and some other things I can't remember, and then headed home. I baked up the cupcakes and then proceeded to decorate them like turkeys. TSB arrived quite late, after placing the bird in an overnight bath of salt and beer, and we ate some dinner.
We went to bed early, since we were expecting to leave my place by 9 AM!!! Thanksgiving dinner was hosted by some friends of TSB who live in Worcester. TSB was responsible for the Turkey prep and cooking - thus we had to be at their place quite early. I brought knitting - specifically a Boyfriend sweater for TSB. While the turkey cooked, I knit. I managed to cast on and knit up a good 2.5 inches.
Sidebar: the BF sweater is knit in the round. It is kind-a designed by me with heavy influence from Saranac and Lucky. TSB has also weighed in several times when I have been faced with too many options (like k:p ratio). We (he) decided on k4p2, which I think looks quite good. I am using Peruvian wool. I reminded myself of cable cast-on, managed to count to 252 after several tries and even managed to knit 2.5 inches. Go me! TSB is still teasing that he won't see the completed sweater until nest Christmas. Hey, it's a goal. end sidebar

Anywho, TG Dinner was great. We stayed very late and did not get back to my place until after 1. Which would not have been a problem, 'cept the Evil Gutt made an appearance. TSB and I had already promised each other that we would sleep in as long as our little hearts desired on Friday, so the two hours of pain and crying I experienced from 1 until 3 AM didn't really cut into our schedule too much. I am not sure what prompted this latest bout. I was this close to having TSB take me to the emergency room. I have been very conscious of what I have been eating and drinking lately, no caffeine, no liquor, no (little, much reduced) processed sugars, lots of fiber and veggies and water. I am at a loss. Hopefully the doc will have an answer for me next week.
Friday, TSB and I cycled between napping, sleeping and dozing for most of the day. I did not eat anything all day (like I would do for my dog if she had a bout of Gurgly Tummy or Messy Poopy Bottom) and drank a ton of water and gatorade. Finally we roused ourselves around 4 PM and headed out to SC's to take care of the felines.
satiate was beautiful and we were determined to be active during the daylight hours. We took a long leisurely walk to SEC's. While there, I spun while TSB played a silly game. The walk home was colder and the Evil Gutt was unhappy. Oh Well.
Sunday dawned just as beautiful as Saturday, and was warmer with tempos hitting the 60's F. TSB and I went for a hike for a couple of hours. It was beautiful and peaceful and I was sad we didn't think to take Halley, though again the late afternoon was cool and she would have been cold.
We got back home in time for the Bears-Patriots game, which I had wanted to watch. It was a good game. While that was on the boob tube, I cleaned the kitchen somewhat and make gallons and gallons of turkey soup from the carcass we snagged on Thursday. I also made some whole wheat rolls with herbs which smell remarkably like stuffing. They were yummy and the soup came out like Mom's, which made me really, really happy.
I am thankful for many things - among them, that I get to cook for TSB and me. In previous years, I would not even think of making turkey soup for just me. But since it is for someone else, I don't even hesitate. I like that.

Ciao