Inert Knitter

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both,
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could,
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be teling this with a sign
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by and
And that has made all the difference.

–Robert Frost

What has happened to me?  Really.

Super hiatus consisted of nothing. Just pure laziness….but that’s ok. Vegas was fun. Took a total of…meh…3 or 4 pictures. My shiny new camera barely got its use….well not in Vegas. So far, I’m in the land of the unemployed…which sucks, cause I’m used to having money. Not having it makes me wish I had it. So sad. So since i’m not really working, I decided to bulk up on my cooking skills!!!! I’ve been cooking breakfast for the past week with Dan. Not really with Dan. More like for Dan while Dan sleeps just to wake up again to eat then fall back asleep. Whatever. As long as I perfect my pancakes, then I’m fine.  I made chocolate chip pancakes.  I think I want to make banana mac nut pancakes next.  Hopefully next time, though, Dan will eat more than one.  With all this speculated moving and all, I’d like to have some cooking skills under my belt.  I’m sure a better arsenal of food stuffs would be good.

I’m in a big knitting rut now.  I had ideas and plans of what I wanted to knit, but I can’t figure out what I really want to do.  Kind of sucks.  I have a box of yarn on the floor next to my desk.  It contains more of my nicer yarns: wools, cashmere, alpaca, silk.  I don’t want to use it, just beause I don’t know what to make.  Its time for a yarn boycott anyway.  I shouldn’t buy anymore until I destash pretty fiercely.  So expect lots of scarves, hats and bags.  I’m more of an accesories kind of person instead of a knit clothing kind of thing.

I’ve been working on a skinny diamond scarf, but I don’t really have any luster for it anymore.  It looks nice.  I’m using cotton twist yarn.  I frogged the hat I was making, it was a bit of a bummer.  I’m thinking of making a basketweave scarf with it instead.  Basketweave sounds a bit easier.  I just couldn’t get a hang of the diamond stitches.

I started another Boku scarf.  I got four more skeins of Boku the other day.  I think I’m going to cast on more than 31 since the scarf is pretty stinkin’ long.  I’m pretty short, I don’t need a rediculously long scarf…unless it’s rediculously warm..heh.

I finally have something to block on.  We got yoga mats at walmart last night.  I forgot to bring my pins to do any blocking, but its not like I’m going to do any blocking today.  I’m just excited that I have a blocking surface.  Dan is excited to have yoga mats.  Priorities are different there, haha.

This year has had a real rough start.  Watching the news today was kind of a bummer.  So many vehicular accidents in two days, it’s troubling.  Just be careful when driving out there, folks.  Don’t drive too fast, unless it’s to work, then you better bust ass to get there.  Joke.

The basketweave scarf is bumming me out.  Like its sucking the life out of my souuuuuul.  I never thought a knitting project could do that.  But then again, part of me doesn’t think the recipient will appreciate it.  I don’t think many of my family members appreciate my craft.  That’s the sad part.  I carry around my projects, they’re like my own little babies.  I make them grow (literally) and one would think that seeing so much dedication to a piece of fabric would warrant more than a, “oh, thanks”.  The hats were a hit.  Only because slouchy hats are apparently in for the time being.  Slouchy hats will be in forever in my heart…forever, I say.  I asked Dan if I should just stop knitting it, cut it short, buy her one…blah blah blah.  He gave me that signature Dan look and said no.  I should continue on like a good soldier.  Work my way through the troubles and knit and purl that thing to oblivion….I mean, until it’s done.  I don’t particularly know when it’s done though.  I don’t know.  It’ll be done when I guess it’s done.  Or when my knitting soul really has left my body.

Speaking of body.  I took a good hard look at myself in the mirror the other day.  That terrifying mirror at the end of the hallway that makes you think that there’s someone else standing there at night after you come out of the bathroom in that weird haze, only to realize that it’s you standing there.  Yeah, that thing.  I have come to the major conclusion that I need to be a little more selfish.  Sounds terrible, no?  I’ve backed down on my own health.  It’s no one’s fault but my own, really.  I’m 23 years old, almost 24.  That terrifies me.  I don’t want to look at pictures of myself when I’m older with my kids and explaining to them, “Oh, mommy was just fat.”  No.  No, I refuse to have that future.  I refuse to accept that.  If one accepts crap, they’ll recieve it, everywhere they go.  I no longer will fill my body with crap…at least not everyday(baby steps, people).  I vow to eat healthier.  I’ve become a fan of fresh lettuce.  The packaged stuff just doesn’t taste as good.   I like making my own salad.  Cutting up the lettuce, adding a bit of chicken, some cheese, a bit of dressing.  I like knowing what I’m putting in my body.  I should know what I’m putting in it, it’s my body.  It’s kind of hard though, practically living in two homes.  I eat a slew of salad at  Johnson house and then I run around my house looking for something decent to eat.  I should give mum my grocery list and request fresh lettuce.  OR, I could buy some on my own.  I dunno, whatever.  I think the road to the lighter me will be a really hard one.  I can already see a lot of temper tantrums, a lot of arguments and a lot of walking away on my part, but I need to do it.  I need it for myself.  I walked for about an hour today with Copen.  I didn’t realize how tired he was until I saw him knocked out in front of the side door on the tile.  I felt kind of good.  My work out finally got the dog tired.  Hah.  I need to start with a real exercise regimen.  If I don’t go to the gym, then I spend a lot of time walking at home.  The dogs need exercise too.  I do home my passion for this continues.  I can do it, I need to try harder.  I need to be a little more selfish and think about myself in the long run.  I have dreams and aspirations and I need to be healthy to achieve them.  I’d like to say that weight loss is my number one goal, but over all health and feeling good…that’s what I want.

Last blog post of the year.  It’s 3:17am 12/31/08.  I drank an Amp.  Kind of regret it now.  Not like I’m going to work today anyway.  Unless they do call me, then….I guess I do work.  I’ve been on a real peculiar sleep schedule.  I need to go back to work to even it out.

There’s a lot of things that 2008 brought my way.

-I turned 23 :/

-We got Copen, our new addition to Johnson house.  Ansel needed a frenemy (heh).  Copen’s a bit slow, but he’s still very loveable.  He’s got the puppy eyes down pat.  What’s cute though is that Ansel is quite dependent on Copen.  He’s the alarm system.  I don’t really appreciate how he barks in my face sometimes, though.  It’s quite loud.

-I met Grandma Johnson and Dad Johnson’s step sisters and their husbands.  I got mistaken for a 17 year old by Dan’s uncle.  That’s ok.  Perhaps I should start dressing more like a grown up?  I dunno.  Maybe it’s just the Hawaii water that makes us look so damn youthful.  Heh.  They’re very good, very nice people.

-I started work at my old elementary school.  It’s quite the experience to see the change.  Some old staff is still there.  Mrs. Yoneda remembered me.  That makes me pretty happy, I’m remembered:). At first I didn’t know what to think of my client, but I’ve grown to love her and think of her of my own.  I feel like I’m making a big impact on her life and on the lives of all the kids that I work with.  I’m glad that I get to work with the staff there.  We’re like our own little family, kind of clique-ish (terrible, really). I think our expectations are high for substitutes and such.  We’re hard to infiltrate…sorry.  We lost Neeley :(, but I do hope her replacement is just as spectacular and wonderful.

-Daniel and I celebrated six years together.  Six.  Seis.  Anim. Rollercoastery, it has been, but I love him as much as when we first started, if not more. Though he drives me crazy, both negatively and positively.  He gets me.  He’s an enabler.  He bought me YARN for Christmas!!!!  Holy smokes.  Soft, gorgeous, super soft, REDICULOUSLY soft alpaca yarn.  He said that after they shave baby alpacas they kill them because…well, they’re no longer babies.  They don’t kill baby alpacas, they’re not one time use animals.  Terrible.

I hope 2009 is as giving as 2008.  I could do without the recession and job loss and everything like that…but y’know, gotta roll with the punches.  Take the good with the bad.

On the knitting aspect, I’m done with hats.  They liked them, I’m glad.  I was real worried they wouldn’t like it at all.  Noro striped scarf is going by swimmingly, but I need to finish Aubrey’s checkered scarf before her going away party. I feel so happy and proud that she got that nursing gig at Stanford.  I dislike deadlines…esp when it’s a scarf that needs to be blocked…ugh blocking.

I should be getting le photoblog up.  I need to upload all my junk, then we’ll get rollin’ with it :).

Long blog post, no pictures too.  Geez.  I should lay off the energy drinks.  Or at least drink them earlier than 11pm.  heh.

Christmas time is quickly coming. Yay! I do hope I get to work a few days this break. Vegas money would be greatly appreciated..:). Everything is happening so damn fast, I can’t even think straight.

I’ve finished two hats so far. I think I got three more to go, and then all pau. I’ll try to take pictures before I hand them out, but we’ll have to see. I’d like to write my own hat pattern someday. Perhaps more sooner than later. Maybe I can rock my own hat pattern when I go to Vegas. Sounds good to me…especially if it keeps on snowin’ there.

I think it’s time to do a what I’m thankful for list:

1. Daniel

2. My family

3. My friends

4. My dogs

5. Our cat Ansel

5. My Job and coworkers

Simple enough, now isn’t it.

That’s right.  Books.  Twelve books.  We went to Savers today after purchasing a new rotor for the right front break.  Blargh.  Total cost of break repair…180-ish.  Much cheaper than actually taking it in though.  Thank goodness for Daniel.  Anywho, the books!  I’ve always been a big fan of Crichton.  I read The Andromida Strain when I was 13.  It got me interested in DNA and viruses.  I guess this is our way of paying homage to a man whose talent at painting a worded picture was…amazing.  I wish I still had the passion for reading I did when I was 13.  Along with the Crichton novels we picked up some of Sue Grafton’s work.  Dan had to read A is for Alabi for a class and I read it for the hell of it.  I like whodunit type stories.  She released S is for Silence not too long ago.  I can’t wait until she gets to Z.  It’d be funny if it were Z is for Zebra….which I highly doubt.   There’s The Nanny Diaries in there too for Dan’s mom.  We made off pretty good.  The books were in really good condition…like some of them haven’t been read before.  All for about 21 bucks.  Had it not been the super Veteran’s Day sale at Savers, then we would have paid 40.  I don’t even want to calculate how much it would have been if we were to purchase the books brand new from Borders or something.  Crazy.  I’ve got a lot of books to read…thank goodness winter break is coming up soon.

I thought this picture was adorable.  Congratulations to President Elect Barack Obama!  I thought Senetor McCain’s consession speach was amazingly gracious.  Obama’s speech lost me towards the end…my attention span is rediculous, really.  Anywho, I’m happy.  I, sadly, didn’t think I was going to see an African American president in my lifetime..at least one that isn’t on tv.  I think he’s the best candidate for the job.  I think he’s capable of making good decisions.  I hope he runs this country with a more discerning eye.  I hope he takes more time to scrutinize and plan.  I wish the best for him and he has my full support….of course until he does something I don’t want.  Heh.

I took a break from working on Aaron’s scarf.  I really thought that I could pull it off….I think I just needed a break.  I’m working on everyone else’s presents at the moment.  Since my halloween hello kitty hat worked so nicely, I decided to make it for everyone else.  It’s really quick to make…I could make a couple in a day.  It’ll get through fast.  I hope.

So one rectangle can be a cute hat with ears?  Yes, yes it can.  And it’ll be adorable.  Yes, yes it will.  I hope.  Only a few people to do and then I can go back to le checkered scarf.  I’m happy with how much i’ve gotten done with it so far, though.

Haven’t blogged since the anniversary. I know i said that I’d post pictures of le loot…got lazy.  But there is pictures in this post…yay pictures. So, I got my first smart phone.  Le T-Mobile G1. 

Hooray for internet all the time.  Thanks to Aaron for telling me about it to begin with.  I’m quite happy with how this phone works.  Being online all the time, very helpful.  It’s great.

Chirstmas is comin’ up.  So Christmas present making is in full swing.  Very slow swing…but it’s goin’.

Aaron’s checkered scarf is going underway nicely.  I’d like to couple more feet to it, just to make it nice and long.  It’s very soft and comfy.  For a double knit project it moved along very well.  I hope to be done with it in a few more days.  Maybe the end of the week.