PolarGrrlPurls

Gawddamnitalltohades!!!

Typepad is screwing up and has eaten 3 - count them! Three! - of my attempts to post these damn pictures. So, you're only getting the one that doesn't seem to cause the entire browser to freeze and shut down. It's a scarf I've knit for my brother's gf out of Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande in hot pink (her color choice, not mine). It's the "Ruffled" pattern by Vanessa Ewing and is made up of alternating wedges of short rows connected by 6-8 stitches in the center. The blocked scarf measures 51" x 7.5" and I used every scrap of 3 skeins.

I'm Back! And I'm Married!

June was extremely busy! Between my birthday and the wedding, I think I barely slept the whole month. Today marks Marikal and I's 1-month anniversary. We have been officially (legally!) married for 1 month today.

Seeing as how I've been in post-n-run mode for well over 6 months now, I thought I'd start regular blogging again (Can you believe it?! Me, neither.) I figured I'd start with my birthday and the wedding preparations and catch up semi-chronologically.

My mom sent me a beautiful edible arrangement for my birthday. It was so cool! I've heard about them and even suggested that my clients send them as gifts, but I've never received one myself before. Isn't it beautiful? Hard to believe they did that all with fresh cut fruit.

On the evening of my birthday Marikal and me and a few friends went out for dinner in Davis Square at Redbone's. I had forgotten how much I liked the catfish appetizers! And the fried okra was excellent in a cornmeal batter. (This coming from a woman who never touches okra.) After dinner we stopped at JP Licks where I was delighted to find that they offer ice cream for us lactose-intolerant people. (Not yogurt, ice cream! Icecream made from lactose free milk!) How cool is that? Bonus that it was in my favorite flavor: Limoncello.

Tomorrow: Wedding preparations, gifts, oddities, and such.

New Year's Recap and a Look Foward

Looking Back...

I am so far behind on FO posts as to be silly at this point, however, IIRC in the world of knitting I have completed 1 self-designed sweater, 1 scarf, a miss-matched pair of mittens, 3.5 pairs of socks, a baby sweater, and 2 hats. Not a lot of knitting, I admit. I also completed 12 credits toward my degree and signed on a new client for the biz. It has been a year of hard work, successes, failures, chaos, drama, and a pretty good amount of fun. I turned 30, returned to university, and got engaged. Those of you with long memories may be wondering how last year's Revolutions (resolutions) fared through the year. I am wondering that myself so here they are again, this time with the final results.

1. Refrain from buying yarn January 1st-March 1st, unless I am given a bunch of yarn as a gift this holiday season, in which case I will not buy yarn January 1st-May 1st. Success!
2. Buy athletic shoes for exercising Oops.
3. 3. Apply for transfer to uni and enroll.  Success!
4. Buy a stand-alone freezer to....
   1. Lower my monthly grocery spending by at least $100 Success!
5. Learn to cook another recipe from my Indian cuisine cookbook. Success!
6. Take a vacation Success!
7. Get 1 more client on retainer for my business. Success!
8. Save $600 more toward retirement in 2007 than I did in 2006. Success!
9. Track the food I eat 6 days out of every week. Not so much.
10. Knit another sweater for myself. Success!
11. Learn to quilt. Not yet.
12. Put together the website for my business. Not completed.
13. Buy a Sonicare tooth brush. Success!
14. Read 1 book/month that is not school- or work-related. 50% Success (I read about 1 recreational book/2 months)

Looking Forward...

Historically speaking, I have a habit of putting the needs of my relationship and my friends and family before my own. While I have made vast improvements in that area over the past 5 years, I feel that now is the time to really learn to focus on my personal goals. I've always had goals, but have never been what you could call organized in my attempts to achieve them. So, this is the year of organization, forethought, and planning.

My plans in the knitting world are: 3 more adult sweaters, 2+ scarves, 5.5 pairs of socks, 1 lace shawl, and (very likely) a bunch of hats.

And the 2008 New Year's Resolutions:

1. Read more books focused on aspects of building my business and my career:
   1. Ladies Who Launch: Embracing Entrepreneurship & Creativity as a Lifestyle
   2. Brag!: The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn without Blowing It
   3. Make a Name for Yourself: Eight Steps Every Woman Needs to Create a Personal Brand Strategy for Success
   4. How to Run Your Business Like a Girl: Successful Strategies from Entrepreneurial Women Who Made It Happen
2. Locate a PR/copy writer and put together content for my professional site
3. Launch the professional website
4. Launch a professional blog attached to the professional website
5. Complete 27 credits toward my degree (3 classes per semester)
6. Get married
7. Establish a will/living will, and health care proxy
8. Save $1,500 in the “Rainy Day” fund
9. Eat breakfast 5 out of every 7 days
10. Purchase a more professional wardrobe
11. Lose 30 lbs.
12. Take at least 1 7-day vacation
13. Do something fun for my birthday
14. Learn not to swear as much
15. Learn to quilt

And so now, with very little regret and no small amount of relief, I say Au revoir, Auf Weidersehen, Shalom, Namasté, Ciao, Slàn agat, and Beannachd leibh to 2007. I hope your year was as good as (or better than) mine.

Happy, Merry & Best Wishes

The subject pretty much says it all.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good:

1. My new digital camera arrived on Friday! I've only taken a few pictures with it so far but I really lke it. I figure it will likely take a few weeks to get used to it and then another month of experimentation to learn all the new features and settings and such. This camera has a few macro settings that the other one didn't (as well as being a higher resolution to begin with) and things like "face recognition" and "soft focus".

2. My work is offering OT! (This is good.)

3. I'll be seeing my dad and the rest of the family over the December holiday! I can't get into the details of how this has all shaken out in my favor, at the moment. Suffice to say that I'll be enjoying the warmer climes for a couple days.

The Bad

The dumbass (<-- I was going to use an @ symbol there, but the blog software read it as an email address, so y'all will have to live with my crassness) vendors that I bought my camera from miss charged me. I ordered 1 camera and 1 memory stick. They sent me and CHARGED ME for 2  cameras and 1 memory stick. As I work on a primarily cash basis, I had paid with my debit card and so this vendor has thoroughly f^cked up my checking account. They have already processed the refund (after about 90 minutes worth of harangueing on my part), but naturally is has not yet been processed through the banking system. Meanwhile, several (and by several, I mean 7) other transactions have been submitted for processing to my account and I am now overdrawn. I have already spoken to the bank and been avised that they will help me straighten out the overdraft fees an any other issues, but I must wait until the refund has cleared my account before anything can be done. So! Moral of the story: When buying online, use a credit card to avoid screw ups to your checking account. And caveat emptor if you choose to shop with these knuckleheads.

The Ugly

My house is an UGLY mess this week. And I have guests coming over for the Thanksgiving holiday in 2 days. Oy. Ugh. I suppose that tomorrow and Wednesday will be spent cleaning the house and prepping the traditional gluttonous meal that I so enjoy.

Happy Birthday Marikal!!!

Suprise for Dad

Yesterday was my dad's birthday and I, of course, called him to say happy birthday. We chatted and caught up on the news and he mentioned that he was going to a particular restaurant that he's never been to for dinner with his wife. I delicately pumped him for information about the name and location of the restaurant and then I used the "sway" of the concierge job I work for to talk the maitre d' into presenting my dad and his wife with a special desert at the end of their meal and charging it to my credit card. The restaurant told me that their signature dish is a mixed berry cobbler (my dad loves cobbler) and that they would have the chef make a special two-person sized version and send it out from me. My dad was so suprised! He wasn't expecting it at all and he had to ask the restaurant which Jennifer they were referring to (he thought maybe the chef's name was Jennifer). :-D Heehee. He called me when he got home from dinner and he sounded really really happy.

In knitting news, I've completed the back and front two pieces of the Accordion cardigan and I'm still knitting the second sock for my sock swap pal. It shouldn't take me very long to finish.

Finished Objects!

  I really do knit. Here's proof. I made two Flora scarves from a previous issue of Knitty and sent the blue one off to a Knittyhead in the UK. Then there's the Diamond Fantasy shawl that I finished knitting last August but only blocked the day before I sent it off to Painter for Christmas. (Nothing like the last minute, eh?) And Christmas yarn! The beautiful purple laceweight and the brightly colored sock yarn is from my lovely wonderful SO, Marikal. And the pile of yarn in plastic bags (the green and the brown) is from my Dad and Painter

Rattle Rattle

I have so many things rattling around in my head at the moment. The holiday was pleasant, for all I had to work 8 hours yesterday. My father and his wife were extremely generous in their yarn giving and I am truly stunned by the fact that I now have enough yummy wool to knit up two adult-sized sweaters. Marikal was also very generous with her gifts. I love the color of the Trekking sock yarn she picked for me and the books! The books! I've already started reading all 4 of them. At once. Yeah, I couldn't choose. ;-)

From what my Dad said, the Diamond Fantasy shawl I made for Painter went over very well. And Dad was a little suprised that I knit him socks. (I think he maybe wasn't sure what to do with them.) Marikal loved the books and slippers and other gifts I gave her, which is good, as I was feeling a little guilty that I wasn't able to finish the knucks on time.

I'm working a little overtime today and then going home to play with my new "toys". I'm so tired today. I was very relaxed until I got to work, but now? Eh. Now, not so much on the relaxed side of things. Sigh. This time it is my own fault, too. Double sigh. This too shall pass. I wonder what I'll make for dinner? Don't really feel like cooking, but I'm not in the mood for pizza, either. Maybe stir fry?

I'll have pictures of the yarny-Christmas gifty-goodness this evening. Oh yeah, and the ar ty farty fotos from last week, too.

On The Eve of the Madness

I had a wonderful pre-holiday holiday celebration last night. Marikal and I went to the house of our friend Fall's mom, Mama Mia. She served an absolutely delicious seafood pasta with red sauce. I haven't had a traditional seafood "Christmas Eve" dinner since I was a kid. Yum. We had a chocolate caramel gateau, apple pie, and blondies for desert. I taste tested everything. ;) Fall really loved the gifts we gave her (denim jeans, thermals, and turtle candies) and we sat for several hours chatting and just hanging out.

Today I am heading into work. Meh. But, I finished the scarf for Princess last night and gave it to Fall to bring with her to Colorado. I attempted to begin knitting the knucks for Marikal, but determined rather quickly that the Susan Bates #4 circs that I have are far too stiff in the cable to be used with Magic Loop. I had terrible laddering problems. So, I picked up an INOX off eBay for $4 and now all I have to do is wait for it to get here. So, instead of finishing the long-neglected Jaywalker for Pharmagirl, I started knitting Argosy in Noro Kureyon #92. Though, it's a bit brighter than that picture makes it seem.