One down, one to go

One more week to go until I'm freeeeee. I've got an exciting new project coming up with one of my fellow knitters and I can't wait to get started. In Ravelry news, have you used the experimental pattern search? My new favorite tool and I'm just trying to spread the word because I don't want this one to go away! You can limit by yardage, yarn weight, type of project. It's amazing and kind of rolls all of the search parameters into one easy to use tool. Change one thing and up comes a new list of projects! Try it!

Covet! Wednesday

Covet Wednesday really will be full of things I want from here on out. But just this last once I splurged on this yarn. Sundara's special run of Tulip from her Flowers from My Mother's Garden in her 100% silk laceweight. If you're gonna go out do so with a bang. This will make a beautiful shawl or stole at some point. I received another skein of her silk for the Seasons yarn club and love to look at it and love on it and can't wait to see this one in person. It's not in my usual color range but I've been feeling a bit more adventurous lately. Do you think that has to do with the fact I'm leaving my job soon? I think it does. I've already scored a part-time position at my LYS that will just cover half of the rent and am looking around for something else part time that won't interfere with the possibility of more hours there while fluffing up the income a bit. I keep waffling between how great this is and how terrifying it is. Right now I'm leaning toward great. Good things come to those who are willing to take the leap.

Music Monday

While crafting at Jessica's place yesterday the subject of desert island albums came up. She said that for a long time her album was the White Album and it got me to thinking about what mine would be. It took about two seconds. David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is probably my most cherished album. It fits any mood, the lyrics are amazing and I think it's one of the most well-conceived concept albums ever. EVER. This was the first piece of vinyl I ever bought and it's got the original liner notes with lip licking pictures of a very young and sexy Bowie as well as the rest of the band. When I'm feeling ambivalent about my turntable I always reach for this and it gets my audiophile juices flowing again. Words can't express - just listen.

Good Things, Small Packages

garden #3
Originally uploaded by zombiegirl1

I met up with Jessica last night for dinner and a movie. Dinner was to die for. Ocho in Ballard has delicious small plates - fried artichoke hearts with aioli and beet vinaigrette, spicy garlic prawns, tortilla espanola, and basque tuna with bread salad. It was so good and if I could have kept eating without bursting I would have, plus they have a great sangria and the bartender has an arm for long pours. We headed down to the Majestic Bay to catch Miss Pettigrew which was charming and funny and had great great great costumes and sets. The only thing that hampered my movie-watching was the random woman wearing gallons of perfume which made my mouth taste like perfumey alcohol and my eyes itch. It was a wonderful way to celebrate my impending departure from my current job and fill up on tasty little bites. If only every Friday could be half so delicious.

The Happy Aftermath

After Wednesday's post about wanting a new job I made the momentous decision to put my notice in at the current place on Friday (today!) and to see what happens. It also serves to get my butt in gear and explore some different avenues open to me as far as what I want to do verses what I need to do. I've decided to focus my energy on my school work and getting my UW apps in and studying up and possibly even doing some writing to get back in the habit. Hopefully this Fall will see me attending evening classes somewhat full time at the U and also working at one or two part-time places with flexible schedules and good work environments. It's a difficult thing when you've worked at a job for 3+ years to get out of the comfort of being somewhere familiar with a steady income and suddenly have no set plans for more income (scary) but also freeing and exciting with endless possibilities. What are your dream jobs? What gets you happy and committed to a work place? How do you find a good balance between paying the bills and being fulfilled in your everyday work? I know it will work itself out eventually, but for the here and now I woke up happy this morning.

Covet! Wednesday

Continuing in yesterday's tired and stabby mood (nothing is working correctly, not even a little bit) - I want a new job. I'm working towards freeing myself but it takes time and I'm really trying to ask myself what I actually want (or need) in my life as far as income and work enjoyment and environment goes. I think this is the first time in a long time I've been present in the idea that what I'm deciding affects everything that comes after and just because I've been doing similar work for a long time doesn't mean I have to continue in the same vein. Lots of advice has been coming in from all directions and the consensus is that I need to do something else - what is that something? How is it going to improve my well-being? The way I live? How I feel on a day-to-day basis? My knitting is definitely improving with all of this pondering and hopefully inspiring my thinking as well.

Dog Tired Tuesday

Toward the locks
Originally uploaded by zombiegirl1

I'm super tired today and I can't figure out why, I didn't even do anything out of the ordinary for St. Patty's day - just my usual knitting group night. I even went to bed at a reasonable hour which has been unusual since the Man has been on tour. Everything is rather blah and to add to my annoyance at being so tired everyone at work has decided to wear some horrible perfume or body spray or bathe in disinfectant or something. I'm cranky and feeling 'stabby' and want to take a nap....or knit.