My life, coming true.

This has been the best week ever. I'm exhausted and stressed, but it's all good stress and it's all awesome things.

This is what happens when your dreams start to come true!

First of all - my little man is doing well. In fact, here he is enjoying a pile of yarn in my house!



The boyfriend is also amazing, although he is younger-cousin sitting this week, so I haven't seen to much of him.

On to the good news:

I'd been wanting to move to the South side of my town- it's where I grew up, it's where the yarn shop is that I work at, it's where my new school is, it's where the Boyfriend lives and works... you get the idea. When I moved back home, I moved to the North end of town because it was cheaper and I needed a place fast.

Last week I realized that, with school starting in the fall, it didn't make much sense at all for me to continue my full-time position with the construction company in the next county over. Too much time commuting, too many work hours and too much stress. Plus, the shop owners were willing to give me a raise, increase my hours (from 5 per week- not difficult!), and contribute to a health insurance program. Sweet deal, right? So I started looking for a new apartment and began to dread telling my current bosses that I was leaving.

So I started combing Craigslist, and on Monday I went to look at The.Perfect.Apartment. Its on the south end of town, right across the street from one of my favorite parks. It's got a view of the ocean, a cute walkway and it's an adorably charming old building with tilty floors. It's perfect.
I get the keys tomorrow.

Also on monday, one of my favorite authors (academically) was in town giving a book talk. And I heard from one of my old students from Georgia- which nearly made me cry.

So- this all happened on Monday, and that would have been plenty of wonderful things for one week. I was getting so excited about moving, preparing to start school again and beginning a new stage in my life.

Then, I got an email from my school. They're offering me a full graduate assistantship.

What does that mean? It means that they're going to pay all but 10% of my tuition. It means that they're going to give me a stipend. It means that I will have health care... all in exchange for teaching, grading and/or researching. Completely amazing. This is what I want- I want to work in higher ed, I want to teach... this is step number one. My life- the things that I want for my life- are all coming true.

I'm still kind of in shock. It's completely unexpected as a first year student at this school- which is like all schools experiencing severe budget cuts. Now- I get to go to school, get paid for it, and play with yarn for fun... My life is about to be completely awesome.

Sir Shedsalot, for your viewing pleasure...

Since you asked for it...




Sir Shedsalot himself, looking regal.

Today was a completely awesome day- working at the shop was super slow, so I just sat outside in the sun and knit all day. I actually got quite the sunburn from knitting.

I also got to watch the world go by, and got lots of fun Knit-In-Public comments...

One passerby: "You've got the right idea!"

I watched a seven year old belt out Johnny Cash, and had this befuddling exchange:

Well Meaning Guy: It's a great day for outdoor knitting!
Me: It's a WONDERFUL day for outdoor knitting!
Well Meaning Guy: [something indiscernible], Good Luck!
Me: (in my head) do I look like I'm about to stab myself? What do I need luck for?

Knitting in Public... it's never dull.

Be Happy! Be Happy!

I present to you:

The Socks of Happiness.

These colors scream "Be Happy! Be Happy!" to me:



They are nice and squishy sport weight socks, originally intended to be bedtime socks, but may just end up being 24-7 socks because of their intense awesome factor. Just regular vanilla socks, knit on size 2 needles. I believe the yarn is 3 Irish Girls Sport Merino. The colors are incredibly vibrant and perfect.

I have more knitting, but no more pictures of knitting to show... there is much less sunlight here than there was in Georgia and on the Island! Picture-taking is difficult!

It's hard working full time after you've not been working full time for a while! Not to mention, I no longer have a spring break to look forward to- Memorial Day seems like a long time away! I'm working a lot with contracts and accounts receivable and things like that- which is a tad out of my league, so much of what I'm learning is completely new information. It's not hard, per say, but it's just a lot of new things- I've been going to bed at 8 every night!

The King hanging out under the covers: (He sort of looks like a Sumo Kitty in this picture... )




You can only see two of my quilts here, but rest assured that there are two more that aren't pictured. I am still not accustomed to the temperatures here... Both of those quilts were made by my mom for me... and hand quilted. Perhaps they will get their own blog post one day...

Overheard in the library today:

Apparently, according to the students in the library today, the use of nuclear weapons would signal a cold war. Nuclear = Cold is what this particular student said.

So... that whole nuclear fusion thing is apparently a frigid process...

Good thing they're not MY history students!

Invite to Strip?

The actual work part of the day today was a tad boring (read- we all wanted to run away screaming), so my cohorts and I skipped the large group dinner and went to a local pub/bar and had burgers and beer instead. Much better alternative.

As I was there, I was realizing the last time I was even IN a bar was over a year ago before I left the Island and the last time I DRANK in a bar was before I even left for the Island. Wow, a long time ago. So that was interesting. I learned more about my colleagues than I had known before- it was not a negative experience.

Then, once I got back to the hotel, I was riding the elevator up to my room with two (old) men from another campus, (one of whom knew my name, which freaked me out- I'm kind of low man on the totem pole) who invited me to a party in one of their campus hotel rooms. Okay- not too bad. Then, the other old man looked at me and says, "We've even got a pole around here somewhere."

WTF? okay- I admit, I'd had a beer at this point and this may have added to my confusion. Then he tried to make some joke about the "Pole" as in, a guy from Poland, but at that point- it was a bit much. And, what are you supposed to say to that? I said "No, but thank you anyways" and left it at that- but seriously? Making jokes about poles to some random girl who happens to work for the same employer? Can you say harassment? geez.

What a day. And tomorrow is going to be even longer.

Car Paranoia

I'm off to a three day workshop thingy for work. This happens twice a year, but this is the first time since I've been here that Ranger Man has been here for one- which I was really excited about because I thought it meant that I wouldn't have to leave my car at work the entire time and worry about something happen to it. I am paranoid about someone breaking into/stealing my car. It's only happened once (the breaking into part, not the stealing part), and ever since I have been completely paranoid about it happening again.

So, of course, even though Ranger Man is "home" he isn't going to be able to drop me off tomorrow at work (nor would he probably be able to pick me up on Saturday)- so I'm still the lame-o who has to leave her car in the parking lot because she has no one to drop her off. And I'm going to be worried the whole time that something is going to happen to my car. Ugh. Lame and Paranoid are not my best looks.

Call me Ms. LovesToRant

The Way To Annoy the Library Worker/SGA Advisor/Community Service Coordinator #897:

2.5 hours before a big meeting to plan for a brand-new and very exciting event, when I am frantically typing with my eyes glued to my computer and have an even greater amount than usual of random books and papers strewn across my desk-

Be sure to ask me what my ideas are. This will not only disrupt my train of thought, but it will take time away from preparing for said big meeting. Thus- doubly annoying me.

Especially if you had volunteered to contribute ideas but didn't follow through, leaving me to do it all.

OMG. seriously? The world does not revolve around you, Mr. Snowflake student. Since you obviously did not care to help out before hand, you will have to wait like everyone else for me to explain the process. Seriously, I think it's like some sort of a drinking game for them or something- how much can we annoy Ms. Library Worker today?

Geesh.

Why?

So Ranger Man's upcoming TDY (#4 this summer? can't keep track) got pushed WAY back. As in, he should be home for longer than he's ever been home before (which, at 5 weeks, isn't much of a record to break).

So why, then, is this happening at the same time that my job is taking me away and OUT OF TOWN every other weekend? I'm a freaking library associate, what is with the odd hours and the travel all of a sudden?

No, I'm not bitter.

And why do I think it is incredibly adorable (in a hot and handsome sort of way, of course) that Ranger Man is playing on a soccer team? I'm not a fan of team sports, as a rule, but I think this is great. The soccer team should only last a couple weeks or two, but it amuses me, and I've not even seen him play! I had the same reaction when he played football in Super Secret Army land once. and I am SO not a football fan.

Also, I want to know why I love knitting brightly colored socks, but I will never wear them anywhere. Especially not in Georgia- they're wool! It's hot! I'm getting way ahead on Christmas knitting this summer, but I can't resist casting on socks for me as well (my feet are small- socks are almost instant gratification sometimes). I'll never wear them, but I love making them. why?

This weekend will be full of writing, knitting and enjoying home-ness.

Attention Students:

This just in:

I can hear you. When you're griping and whining and complaining about your professors... I can hear you.

And I talk to those professors. I don't think you want me knowing exactly how you feel about them!

Please, save the "I hate Prof. X" talk until I leave for the day.

Also- just for your edification- if Prof. X says that you need to turn in a paper with 1000 words, and your paper doesn't have 1000 words... no. You have not met the requirements of the assignment, and Prof. X has every right to point that out and penalize you for it.

One more day in this quarter, just one more day...

Edited to add a note to the Nighttime Security Guard, who just asked me if I was "sure" that the students in the library weren't taking a test. Um, dude, seriously? I'm pretty sure I would know if I were administering an assessment of some sort.

Punchy.

Things I discovered yesterday (including unexpected things that came out of my own mouth, and others...)

When in doubt, Knit it out. (this is now my theme song)

I will make a good grandmother.

When discussing trivia about children's toys from the eighties, and "My Little Pony" in particular, my brain will come up with Teddy Ruxsben (sp?). wtf? I don't even know what that is, it's some kind of bear, right?

Old-school Marvel X-men are way better then Spiderman.

If the crazy library person launches an impromptu lecture about the Iran and Afghanistan during the Cold War in Afghanistan- some students actually will listen. Some students will then launch into a neo-con tirade, the remedial math instructor will launch into a liberal tirade and some students will nod and think contemplatively and move on.

The day that I"m not in the library is the day that someone will leave their car keys and wallet with credit cards out and they will get stolen. I will then get to play crime fighter and review surveillance footage to try to determine who it is. Moral of the story: Do not mess with the knitting crazy library person.


... I know you're wondering what happened yesterday ...

The student government elections (ostensibly run by students, in reality run by me)- were yesterday. I spent 14 straight hours sitting in the same chair with a total of 67 votes. 4 votes per hour. gr. At least I had my knitting. What a long day. Towards the end, coupled with the above-mentioned math teacher who was keeping me company, there was some punchy-silliness (how else would "My Little Pony" have come up?)

I did get a lot of knitting done. I'll see if I can't take some sort of picture soon. Of course, I have to go back to work today. And announce the results of the election. I may need a strong drink after dealing with a certain disapointed individual...

fail.

I did not finish that paper yesterday. I got five more pages done, and so I have five left. I failed on my mission yesterday. This paper has been HARD to write.

Is it bad that I'm really glad Ranger Man isn't coming home this week because I don't want to deal with any more stress? They can keep him this week. I'll start lobbying for his return after this week is over.

I did run yesterday though- so I ran, I wrote 5 pages, and I ate enough... I think that's a somewhat productive day. If I'd had a full weekend of days like that I would be done with this paper now. Instead I had to work- yuck. And now I'm back to work today, for hell week.

I must be stressed, I've been doing some yarn shopping lately online... way too much, but yarn is so soft and makes me feel better!

Here's a picture, for example. I actually got this for Christmas: Mountain Colors Bearfoot. (Barefoot? I should go find the ball band... )



See? Don't you feel less stressed now? I may take yarn to work with me this week, to put on my desk.

Overheard at the library. Ranty Edition.

O.M.G.

re: Chris Brown (A conversation between two women. MOTHERS, no less)

"It takes two" "She ain't so innocent herself" "I heard she swung first" "they need to leave him alone."

I will admit to not paying a whole lot of attention to the situation. But even so, he sent her to the HOSPITAL. No wonder domestic violence is so prevalent with attitudes like this. No matter who "swung first," the fact that she needed to go to the hospital signals that something VERY, VERY WRONG happened.

And for these women to sit here in the library, discussing how what he did wasn't really that bad? He HIT her. HIT her. How can that not be that bad? And how can you, as mothers, be willing to accept the idea that hitting your partner is okay, no matter who started it?

Wow. Sorry. Apparently I needed to vent. With capital letters.

Let me reiterate: Hitting your partner is not okay. Sending your partner to the hospital is not okay. Legitimizing and Justifying the actions of a role model/celebrity who did so is not okay.

vent over. phew.

Question

For all you work-out/creative types (two things that are not usually combined, but I know that there are both people that are fitness crazy and people that are creative that stop by here every once in a while, and this venture combines both. Perfect!)

I'm the team captain of an inter-campus fitness challenge thingy at work- basically people sign up to be on the team and then track the miles that they run/walk/cycle/whatever.

I want to somehow visually track people's progress in the staff lounge so there's some motivation- but I know that we're going to have people who struggle to get in 2 miles each week, and others that are going to do upwards of 20 miles each week, so I don't want to just have a number of miles race to the end of the timeline- I want to somehow represent that each participant is working hard and accomplishing something important to them.

I have some little sneakers to use for place markers to represent each participant, now I just need to figure out what I can measure and represent in public that is going to be motivating for everyone. Perhaps something cumulative to emphasize that it's a team effort? (the mileage gets averaged together each week). Maybe we need to set some sort of group mileage goal or something? Or the number of times per week the participants run/walk/cycle? What would be motivating, but not time consuming? I thought about asking them to set weekly goals, but that would be too much effort I think.

Any suggestions?

Week in Review

Finals week at work has thus far been interesting, and there are two days left (Thursday and Monday).

The ethics class has the opportunity to submit their final essays early and compete in an ethics essay contest- the winner of which gets some token prize. I am one of the lucky ones that gets to grade the essays... h.o.l.y.c.o.w. painful experience.

Thankfully, the prof took pity on us graders and only sent us the 9 "best" essays out of the 23 that were submitted. I made sure to thank her for that as the 9 "best" were all still pretty terrible. There were one or two that may have been OK, C type papers, but they were the best of the bunch. One of the papers didn't mention ETHICS at.all. It was probably the most well-written essay and easiest to read, but it had nothing to do with ethics, which is what the paper was supposed to be about.

There's also been a gaggle of rumors flying around that were addressed in an SGA meeting, so now I get to meet with them and explain why you can't discuss rumors in an official capacity in an open forum meeting on campus.

The powers that be decided that it would be fun to do a new student orientation during all of this and while classes are still in session. So yesterday was filled with botched orientations. (13 is not a small group of students when I only have 11 chairs in the library).

Blegh. How's that for a bunch of complaining? On the good side: I'm working on a new sock. I have a (very) rough timeline for when Ranger Man might be coming home. I'm a little bit ahead in my readings for class. Oh- and it looks like I may get to teach one class during the fall! yay!

Gratuitous Adorable Webster Picture (From us taking a nap a couple weekends ago)
Edit: You can totally see the thumb on his paw in this picture. My cat is cool because he has opposable thumbs!



One more day and it's the weekend! Finally!

Socks, Suds and Decisions

Yay, socks!

I love this colorway. The pattern is Simple Socks in Three Sizes by Cat Bordhi. The yarn is Cherry Tree Hill Sockittome in the Caribou Creek Colorway. I wasn't super crazy about it in the hank, but when I put it on the swift, even Ranger Man (obviously I wound it quite a while ago) noted "wow, that's really pretty!" I was captivated by the colors. It's mostly the mauvey colors, but it's also got pinker sections, blues and greens.

On an unrelated note, I got an answer to one of the deployment questions that has been bothering me:

Yes, I can hear my cell phone ring while I'm in the shower. I had a lovely conversation with Ranger Man yesterday with full-on suds. Webster was looking at me like I was completely nuts as I had a the shampoo lather still in my hair and I was standing in the shower with the door wide open, taking on the phone.

I'm contemplating applying for a different job. At the same school, but not in the library. A position just opened up- it's the on-post coordinator and heres the important part: It's part time. I'd have a chance to actually finish my thesis- so I can teach, which is what I really want to do. So I'm spending the weekend deciding if I want to apply for this other job (I do), and if/how this could adversely affect my current position if I don't get the new one. hm. One more day of weekend before I have to make any concrete "to apply or not to apply" decisions.

More knitting pictures tomorrow

Disappointment

I'm the advisor to the student gov't association at work. Not my dream job, but it comes with the territory and I couldn't turn it down.

The students, when I started were a government in name only, and in the past few months have made incredible turn arounds and have started to actually act like a student organization, and I'm proud of them.

Today, they had a vote. On the table was a motion to spend $35 of their $105 budgeted surplus for the month on a community service project, and they chose instead to either buy t-shirts for themselves, or a controller for their wii.

They went through all the right steps, they raised the right objections, but when it came down to it, they chose not to spend the money on helping the greatest number of people, and while I am glad they are on the right track procedurally, I am severely disappointed. They didn't do anything wrong... but I am so disappointed.

It must be deportment time, because my emotions are all topsy-turvy.

Overheard at the library...

What I dealt with today at work:


"What the h3LL are you wearing?" (this comment was addressed to me- that was definitely the highlight of my day... not) Actually, I'm wearing a skirt and some uggs. (ughs?) Because it's cold today and my hand-knit socks don't fit inside my regular work shoes that I got to wear in NORMAL Georgia weather that isn't below freezing. thankyouverymuch. Leave me alone about my dressing habits.

...and...

"Where's the paper that says how you, you know, get online."

To which my response was (in my best, librarian, wtf are you talking about voice) "What exactly do you want to do online?"

"Oh just, you know, get online, you know" right. get online.


This was similar to when a student called on the phone and asked me how to "log in to the website." of course, our school doesn't have just one (or two) log in/password websites- there's a different combination for registration, email, and learning portals... so "that one website, you know, the school one," wasn't so helpful.


Apparently it's getting to be that time in the term, when due dates come knocking and students completely forget that they can think for themselves. Instead they insist that I must do it for them.

(Actually today was a good day, punctuated by the funny. When it's truly discouraging, I can't bring myself to post about it because it is just too sad. Today was funny though)

What I learned today

I learned today that HPD does a fantastic job directing traffic when there's something wrong with the traffic lights. The cops here- not so much. They stand on the side of the road and kind of watch the craziness that is major intersections not regulated by traffic signals. Also- the road that I take to get home is apparently on several different power grids because about every other light was out. Apparently in Georgia the law is actually that if the light is out at an intersection you are supposed to treat it like a four-way stop. That's what I thought... but that is surely not what happens and it is kind of scary because there are a lot of cars going a lot of directions in no particular order. Good grief.

I learned that there's nothing to do at my job if there's no power and the college will therefore close.

I learned that as much research as I've done for this stupid paper- it doesn't matter if I don't have a thesis. My papers actually need to have a point and not be random analysis.

I think I have a start on the thesis, but more knitting and cookies will be needed in order to cement it and make it really great. Webster and I just took a nap and that definitely helped- I'm feeling much more clear-headed now.

I am also really, really glad that I don't have to take any sort of exams. I hate exams and all of the stress that comes with them, I'd much rather have the less intense but longer term stress of having a gimondo research paper to write. It's easier on me.

So far, that's all I've learned today. Hopefully the rest of the day will be devoted to sharing my brilliant insight through writing this paper (ha).

The Wicked Witch

I'm a jerk.

I made a student cry this afternoon! I'm not even a teacher...

I feel like a jerk. When I used to babysit eons ago, one of my kids called me the "wicked witch of the west." Today I feel like that title would apply again.

I don't think that I was overly harsh- merely realistic, and she deserved to hear what I told her, but at the same time... crying? really?

But then, I found out also that two of the kids that I used to coach have stuck with climbing and have made it to Nationals- that is awesome! One of them, in particular, was the reason that I loved coaching climbing, it allowed the inner-city kids that didn't have much else to look forward to a vision and a purpose and something to be truly good at. I am so happy for them. I obviously don't take any of the credit, I just taught them a very, very little- my colleague, ~M~, has apparently continued to carry the torch and do amazing work. That made me feel a little better, but I still feel like a jerk.

gah! political confusion abounds!

Overheard in the (college) library:

"Well, Mr. Student, what are you going to be for Halloween?"

"Well, I was going to be a communist, but Obama stole my costume."

Um, what? I realize this is Georgia, but some of these college students need to research what communism IS before they talk about it. Seriously. Not even socialist- he went straight to communist. I don't care what kind of politics you have, kid- but get your political persuasions straight!