Saturday, May 24, 2008

Rest In Peace, Geoff

I know the whiskey it won't soothe my soul
And the morphine won't heal my heart
But if you take me down to the infirmary
I won't have to sleep or drink alone.

So, take me down
To the infirmary
Lay me down on cotton sheets
Put a damp cloth on my forehead
Lay me down let me sleep
Lay me down let me sleep

-- David Lowrey

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Wish I never had to ponder
what to wear
to a rock and roll funeral

Knitting Meme

"Mychawd", who possesses mad knitting skills and devotion, tagged me for this meme.

1) Bold things you’ve done,
2) Green thing you are currently doing
3) Red out things you’ve abandoned or will never attempt
4) Italicize things you want to try

Afghan
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Baby items

Bobbles
Button holes
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Cardigan
Charity knitting
Continental knitting
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
Darning
Designing knitted garments
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Drop stitch patterns

Dyeing with plant colors
Dyeing yarn

Entrelac
Fair Isle knitting
Freeform knitting
Fulling/felting
Gloves
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Hair accessories
Hat
Holiday related knitting
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)
I-cord
Intarsia
Jewelry
Kitchener BO

Knitting a gift
Knitting and purling backwards
Knitting for a living
Knitting for pets

Knitting for preemies
Knitting in public
Knitting items for a wedding
Knitting socks
Knitting to make money
Lace patterns
Long Tail CO

Machine knitting
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Moebius band knitting
Norwegian knitting
Olympic knitting
Participating in a KAL
Pillows
Publishing a knitting book
Purses/bags
Rug
Scarf
Shawl
Short rows
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Slip stitch patterns

Slippers
Socks: toe-up
Socks: top-down

Steeks
Stockinette stitch
Stuffed toys
Swatching
Sweater
Teaching a child to knit
Teaching a male how to knit
Textured knitting
Thrummed knitting
Toy/doll clothing
Tubular CO
Twisted stitch patterns
Two end knitting
Writing a pattern

The only other knitting blogger I know who springs to mind is Heidi, so I'll tag her. But feel free to join in if you're a blogger who hasn't yet "come out" about knitting.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Voice of a Jumping, Screaming Flea

Finals are done. Papers are graded. Grades have been submitted.
So, I'm done, right?
Mmm, not really. My desk is still looking like a war zone. I am on a mission/rampage to make this institution acknowledge the importance of Asia in a 21st century education and as a result am all over the place trying to create new contacts and work the ones I have. It's an even rockier task now that a hiring freeze has been effected and everyone is set to hunker down and protect their own turf. It's the lack of foresight that gets me. I mean, isn't it obvious? No matter where you are, you can't ignore Asia.
I've got the mindset of a leader and the qualifications of a peon. It sucks that I'll have to go back and earn yet another degree if I ever want anyone to give credence to my ideas. Either that or I need to find someone to front for me. I don't care if I get the credit. I just want to see this place move its ass out of some other century (20th? or 19th?) and into this one.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Mother's Day

My mom gave me a wonderful Mother's Day present this year. Many of them, actually. A big bag full of old pictures and letters sent home from camp. I've gone through the pictures. Generally I can say that I was a cute baby and toddler. Also kind of cute in the early years of elementary school. Something went horribly wrong late elementary school and into junior high because suddenly I look like a white, girl version of Urkel in all the photos. (Big glasses, striped or plaid shirts, no suspenders, at least. But there is evidence of white overalls worn with red Nike sneakers.) There seem to have been a few sane years during high school before I so unwisely decided to capstone the period with a permed, "new wave" mullet. Nice.
What really stuck me was how many of the photos were of me and my younger sister, Kate. We were born exactly one year apart. Our mother often dressed us in matching outfits. In most of the picture Kate was there, standing to my left. Two peas in a pod. She has been gone for 14 years now. Until I saw those pictures again I had kind of forgotten how we were always together. It makes me miss her all over again.

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Haiku-ish, sorta

Forsythia
Acid yellow fills my eyes
Makes me dizzy