We Just Aren't, OK??

We absolutely are NOT going to talk about how much Lost I watched today! We just ARE NOT! Got it?? Now, if I were to permit talking about it, I might say that I'm on episode twelve now...Yeah...
It isn't as if I was doing anything constructive all day! Look!



I made a hat! Remember that yarn I got for my birthday that was so pretty and I didn't know what to do with? I picked it up on Friday and did a half inch or so, then yesterday I worked on it while I rode back from Sprachfest, and today I finished it during Lost.



So there! I DID something! And I have about a half skein of each left over, so I could make another if I wanted.



I attempted to blog the hat with my cat, Steve. Steve was not really enthused with the idea.



This is what the sky looked like in Texas today. Pretty dreary, huh? (Note: We are also not going to talk about the fact that I'm changing the setting of each picture so I can justify showing you the same hat over and over again.)



Is it just me or does this look like it's a very old picture because of the quality? Sorry about that. (Please forgive my appearance, I've been sick all week. I normally look much better than this.)



Basic concept: Casted on 80 stitches, did a 2x2 rib for an inch or so, switching colors every two rows, then I worked in stockinette until it suited me, then decreased accordingly.

Thing to be grateful for today: Rest.

Dissapointment

I'm writing a quickie today, because I've been up since five thirty this morning. I had to get up and drive (or rather, ride, someone else drove) to San Antonio for "Sprachfest", a German language competition. Once there, I had a chai tea latte, did a poetry reading after which the judge asked me if I was a native speaker of German (I've been taking German for four weeks now, the fact that she can understand me at all is an accomplishment), and then finally totally arsed up a duet acting skit. Somehow both things managed to be worth sending me to state for (fortunately state is closer to home).
I just got back from my High School's talent show where I thoroughly disappointed myself. I was supposed to read a poem, but I got afraid and decided that I really didn't want to do it, so I took my name off of the list. Then I found out that there was a program...DUDES, I was ON THE PROGRAM! So I spent the entire night getting asked why I hadn't read, and feeling awful.
It isn't as if I haven't read poetry in front of crowds before, I used to do it all the time. Somehow though, I just got very nervous (I always do, I guess the difference here is that I succumbed), and that just thoroughly messed up my self esteem. Anyway, I'm going to bed now because it is almost eleven thirty, which would mean that I've been up for going on eighteen hours now...Yeah, night...

Thing to be grateful for today: Hindsight

This Could Be Bad...

So guys...I think I might have made a very serious error...
Despite months of telling myself that I would not do this, or if I did I at least had to wait until July, I watched Lost today. Season 1 Episode 1.
Now, I'm not at all the type to get addicted to specific television shows for periods of time, especially if they have really cool plots...but let's just say that I might have been down this path with Heroes, Charmed, Card Captor Sakura (that one was long, long ago), True Blood, Queer as Folk, and Glee. What's happened in the past, is that I will watch the first few episodes of a show and become hooked...I then have to watch as many as humanly possible in as short a time as humanly possible so that I might catch up to the show's current running time as fast as possible.
As you might have guessed, this can have drastic effects on the state of my homework load, room, general hygiene, and social life (Let's not talk about when I first started watching Heroes...or how long it took me to watch the first three seasons. That was not one of my proudest moments).
It may be too late at this point to get me to stop watching Lost, but I may, if certain measures are taken, not completely lose my ever-loving mind and watch it in it's entirety over the next three weeks. That's six seasons, please let's not let me go that crazy. Here's the plan. If I've finished season 1 before the end of February, there's to be an intervention (something involving high levels of reading/bathing/thinking might be in order). I'll let you know where I'm at at the end of February, shall I?

Thing to be grateful for today: Self Control

Getting a Little Distracted

I realized something today. I realized that this is not the blog I had intended. Now, that isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just is. I had not intended for this blog to be a straight up knitting blog, but somehow (probably because I love knitting a lot) it has become one. I started off talking about knitting and other stuff (there's stuff besides knitting??). I've decided to go back to that for a couple of reasons.
a) It's more accessible, and I like it if people read what I write (as far as I can tell right now, not a lot of you are, but that's just because I can only tell if you comment...HINT HINT).
b) There are a lot of really interesting things I like to write about other than knitting.

Now, there's another reason that this blog is not the way I had intended for it to be, and that is that the posts have gotten shorter...and shorter, and that is not good, so I am as of today writing longer posts (hopefully with more pictures. I don't have any pictures for today, but God will I when I get back from Massachusetts).

Speaking of the Massachusetts trip, why don't I explain. I've been wanting to go to this awesome (I typed that as "shit awesome" the first time...odd) college in Amherst, Massachusetts called "Hampshire". Yes, it is indeed confusing that a college named "Hampshire" is in Massachusetts and not New Hampshire. Please don't ask me why.
Anyway, Hampshire has been my dream college for two years now. I know that makes me a total overachiever because a lot of people don't even start seriously thinking about where they want to go until eleventh or sometimes twelfth grade, let alone pick a personal favorite college. There's nothing wrong with that, that's just not how I roll.
I'm a complete planner, I always want to have everything planned and timed with exactitude so I can do as much as I can with as little amount of time as possible (sometimes the thing I want to do is relax...I try not to time that). That's why I choose my ideal college so early. It isn't as if I didn't keep my options open, I've just always circled back to Hamshire.
Ahem...back to the Massachusetts trip.
I'm leaving next Friday for my grandmother's house in Tyler, Texas with my mother. The next morning the three of us will be getting up at the ugly crack of dawn so we can get to the Dallas airport for our early flight to New York City. We'll spend about fourteen hours there. The plan is simple/near-impossible. We fly into New York, rush to our hotel, have dinner if at all possible, go see my favorite my favorite musical ever, "Next to Normal" (Great show, you should listen to the music), return to the hotel, sleep, wake up the next morning, have brunch, walk through Central Park, and then leave. We will be taking a rented car out of New York. This means my mother will quite possibly be driving in the snow. She has never done this. My job is to cover my grandmother's eyes throughout the entire endeavor.
We will arrive in Amherst that evening, hopefully before nightfall (if it's dark and my mother is driving in the snow, I don't know what we'll do), and check into our hotel. The next morning, I'm going to Hampshire to take classes all day, visit with students and faculty, and have an interview. We have the following day to explore Amherst, but after that, we must return to New York for our flight out.
That's quite an itinerary, isn't it? I'm still dumb-founded that my mother pulled it all together and she gets complete props from me.

Thing to be grateful for: My mother's amazing organizational skills.

Three Things

Thing the first: I am near recovery. I should be returning to the real world on Friday (I haven't been outside of my house, even into my yard, since Sunday...it's driving me absolutely APESHIT).

Thing the second: I'm thinking that my knitting olympics project is going to be a pair of socks knit out of yarn that contains real flecks of silver...this is blowing my mind...now, the question is, what kind of pattern? Any suggestions? (I'm looking at you, Lauren and Sue)

Thing the Third: This is really more of a silly, whimsical fun fact about myself. Ever since I was little and saw Mary Poppins, whenever I take cough syrup, I think of that scene where she's given them medicine, and pretend my cough syrup is magical and can be whatever flavor I'd like it to be. It makes the whole process much more exciting and lovely (I'm still a five year old at heart in some ways).

Some Explanation

So, I know posts have been short recently, but honestly everyone, this flu hit me HARD. It's been pretty terrible. Enough excuses though! On to today's topic!
The Knitting Olympics!
I realized today that, although I've referred to the knitting olympics in the blog before, I've never actually explained what they are, so let me tell you. The Knitting Olympics is an event that coincides (obviously) with the olympics. The basic premise is that, from the moment the torch is lit to the moment it is extinguished, knitters who take the challenge are to knit a single project. Here's the catch; every knitter chooses their own project specifically to challenge themselves! Some people (by which I mean many) have been known to knit entire sweaters. I'm not up to that.
Speaking of sweaters...I did not finish the cardigan on time. I've been working on the blanket (because it's garter stitch and therefore has no fiddly bits like the cardigan), homework, and recovery. However, hope springs eternal, for I have until the twelfth (that's when I leave for New York...I'll talk about that trip tomorrow)!!
Back to the knitting olympics; previously my plan was to knit a fair isle hat (a hat made of two colors), which would train me in at least two skills: Knitting with with hands at once, and keeping my tension regular when using two colors (for those of you who don't knit, both of those are difficult skills at first). However, I've been wondering if it might be better for me to finish a FREAKING PAIR OF SOCKS!! I never have. I've cast on three pairs. Basically finished one, it wasn't a good one, so I ripped it out, knit an entire knee-high rainbow sock (that failed), and have half a pair lying on my desk. The obvious skill here is stick-to-it-iveness, plus it has the benefit of giving me a pair of socks to wear that I've made, which is pretty awesome.
I want everyone to vote in the comments!! (Please vote) Socks or Hat??

This Sucks

I am sick as a dog. I'm not talking a slight ache and fever, I'm talking about your Grade A "Can't Get Out of Bed" sort of sick (though, I suppose I did get out of bed...then promptly curled up on our couch). I don't really have anything to say, because I'm so sick, and haven't done anything today. I really did just sit on the couch all day. I was too tired to read the Yarn Harlot!! That's appalling!

Thing to be grateful for today: Oscillococcium (The ultimate in homeopathic flu meds)