expelliarmus!

Completely surprising myself, my husband, and my duel partner, I finished my hat before she had a chance to start hers!





I finished up the decreases and loose ends during the commute, then took it over to the campus post office when they opened.

Sorry Pandora! but I do hope you enjoy your red hat.

Picture Day!

This is from our wedding on May 25, 2008. We had the most amazing photographer, Anna Joy. You can find more pictures on Anna's blog.

cool clouds

After working during the retreat this past weekend, my generous boss though it would be good for me to take a day off. He told me this Tuesday morning, after I was already work. I looked at my calendar: a meeting Wednesday morning, Wednesday afternoon, student worker coming in Wednesday and Thursday, and the intern meeting early Friday morning. No chance to take a whole day and avoid the commute. Huh.

So I'm taking this morning off. Yay! And a lovely morning it is; it's been hot here for the last week (and I walk about a mile in it every week day), so imagine my delight this morning to see a nice, thick cloud cover hanging over Portland. Ahhhh. So nice and cool.

meet Puck

I got an owl just in time to move in to the dorms at Hogwarts. He's quiet, wise, and very happy not to be rooming with the cat anymore. I think he'll like it in the owlery. He likes to be read to, especially poetry. Meet Puck.

retreat!!!

The leadership retreat has finally arrived. As much as my boss assured me 2 days ago that I didn't have to go, I know I'm needed. It's my job to make sure these things get done...and done right.

We'll be carpooling up to the Mt. Hood area with the interns, squeezing 20 people into one cabin slumber party-style, and stuffing our faces with s'mores. Fun fun!

20 oz day

I wasn't joking when I asked for the 20 oz. latte. I am SO tired, and this pumpkin spice latte tastes SO good.

Olive woke us up at about 3am and wouldn't let us go back to sleep. Paul put her in her private room (the bathroom) and I drifted back to sleep, but since earplugs don't fit in his sweet ears, her scratching kept him awake. Sometimes she scratches for a few minutes, gives up, and goes to sleep. Sometimes she scratches forever. She hates being separated. Paul tossed and turned in torment and kept me awake. Poor thing; I feel so bad for him. I got up to use the bathroom, gave her some attention while I was in there in the hopes she'd calm down, and then gave her a q-tip. Sounds like a strange thing to give a cat to play with, but she's obsessed with them. She'll play with it for hours. We won't be able to use that one on our children.

When I finally got back to sleep, I have a very disturbing dream and woke up nearly crying. I couldn't go back to sleep for awhile. Paul woke me up at 7, about 15 minutes before I needed to be out the door. Yay. He made me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast and I stopped at the campus cafe (which serves Starbucks) on my way in to the office.

The truth is, Olive really has gotten better. Sunday and Monday nights she slept through the whole night without waking us up. Last night is an example of what I went through by myself for the first 10 months of owning her--she just wouldn't sleep at night and there wasn't anywhere to put her away that she wouldn't damage. So when she wakes us up at 4 or 5am after 7 or 8 solid hours of rest, I'm thankful. Paul doesn't have that perspective, poor thing. I really wish we could find earplugs that work for his ears. I think that'd make it easier because he wouldn't hear her scratching.

Oh. And as soon as I woke up and pulled out my earplugs, Olive pounced on one and ran off with it. Then she brought it to me to play fetch, like she does with the q-tips. Cracks me up! She won't do this with her squirrel, Pimento. I think Grass might be too big for her too. Maybe I should make her some smaller toys, like a mochimochiland snail or mushroom. Something like tiny little prey.

My alter ego, Olive Bumblebirch, is working hard on Harry Potter-themed knitting projects. I've completed both History of Magic quizes so far, and knit a cotton washcloth for Herbology. After messing up the gauge for the Hermione Hat, I went and bought smaller needles. It made me feel better about starting over on my Transfiguration assignment. Maybe my "new thing" is getting gauge. Quidditch is going well so far--we found another spinner and have gotten our patterns. It's a race!

The Hogwarts Kit Swap is also about to start! I hope more people sign up this week! We really need more Gryffindors. It was originally a sock kit swap, but this term there's a choice of bags, socks, dyeing, or surprise. Ever in need of totes, I asked for a bag. There's also trivia and knitting dueling, and lots and lots of competition. Yay competition!

mindless codes

I appreciate fire codes. All health and safety codes were put in place for a reason, and I remember studying them in college, so I know they're there for a reason: to protect building occupants. It's The Code.

But dumb codes, like room occupancies that don't make sense, really bother me. Here's the deal: there are 2 rooms on this campus in the Seminary that can open up and become one large room. The Seminary uses the large room for chapel twice per week. It's required for all Seminary students. Somehow, the lovely campus space coordinator has an occupancy of 100 for that large space. Sure, maybe when it's in classroom setup mode, with tables and stuff. I'll buy that.

But what if you remove those tables? You can certainly put a whole chapel's worth of students in there. And they do, about 160 students every week with wide aisles and extra room in the back. And what about banquets? Big round tables take up much more room than the skinny lecture tables, so there's NO way I would allow 100 people in there. So really, a blanket number of 100 doesn't keep the space safe. No logic here.

I need that space for my workshop!!

Entering Hogwarts

You may not know this, but I applied for entry into Hogwarts (through Ravelry, in case you're wondering). And I'm in Ravenclaw! How exciting! Not only am I taking classes, I'm participating in a school-wide yarn swap and playing Quidditch! Fun times ahead in the few months...

Tales of a Ravthlete

Well, the cheers of the closing ceremony have died down and all of the ravthletes have departed with their hard-earned medals.







These two medals are for the mug cozy.





This one is for the great purple tea cozy.







And these are for the fabulous Inga Hat.



I learned that I can, and should challenge myself. That finishing a project makes weaving in ends worth the effort. And that being part of a team was inspiring. It was a long journey, and I'm very proud of my team. Until the next Olympics!

this sums up Olive

Did I mention why I went to Stumptown this morning? why I needed a 16 oz latte? because monstercat kept waking us up all. Night. Long. We really value our sleeps, and she steals them. This is an extra-accurate pic because we squirt her with a water bottle when she does something bad...so it's not uncommon for her to be drenched in the course of the night and look completely disheveled when we get up.

*le sigh*

morning commute

-10 points for City of Portland for blocking the 39th Avenue roundabout this morning, blocking the bus stops, NOT telling TriMet, then blocking their own detour route. Steer clear if you can.

Good thing I stopped at Stumptown this morning before boarding.

the worst is over

This weekend has been a really, really good weekend. Praise the Lord! I just needed some of the weight lifted from my shoulders at work. Once that was done, I felt light, free, confident, and excited again. My boss is back from Japan, which of course is reassuring and energizing. That doesn't mean everything is going smoothly at work all of a sudden. Oh no no no. We had one of our speakers cancel, we're postponing an event, our journal went to print and we found editing errors in the proof, school is about to start and my boss came down with the flu in the middle of faculty training...but it's not overwhelming to the point of paralyzing me anymore. I feel up to the challenge again. It's better now.

I've finished 2 projects so far for the Ravelympics: A mug cozy (so my coffee stays warm in my freezing office) in the Cable Steeplechase and Homestuff Hammerthrow events, and a teapot cozy in the WIP Wrestling event. I've still got 2 more projects: finishing my green sweater for WIP Wrestling, and my Inga Hat for the Hat Dash and Colorwork Cross-Country events. I hope I can finish!

spelled just like escape

I've been wanting to hide lately. It's weird, but it takes a long time to realize when your own behavior isn't normal for you, especially when stress and life changes cause major upheaval around you. The dust has been settling and I can finally look around and...where am I? Not where I should be.

Paul's been encouraging me to knit more, which is much easier to do with movies in the evenings. He wonders why I can't just sit quietly and knit, even though I've explained it to him several times. It's not like a book, which engages your whole attention because you have to look at it while your mind is going. Even then I get easily distracted by the cat and other noises around me.

Here's my way: If I'm doing something with my hands, like simple knitting, my eyes and mind need something else to do. That means watching a movie or talking with someone as I occasionally glance down at my (boring) project. It also means I can't just knit while Paul reads, or else I talk to him and he can't read. Drives him nuts. If I'm working on a complicated project which requires my eyes as well as my hands, listening to something interesting is the best way to go. Then I'll want to "watch" something familiar or just chat.

I'm pretty excited about the Ravelympics! Well, not right now, because I haven't even gotten to cast on yet (I know, nearly 5 hours behind already). I keeps wondering if those Ravthletes who are competing with 10 projects have jobs?? have commitments?! sleep??? I wanted to commit to so many cool projects, but last night I decided not to add any more. I work full-time and half of my commute is walking. Paul & I have plans all day tomorrow and the following weekend. I don't exactly have copious amounts of extra time. But I sure wish I did.

Ah, burnout. I would be upset but I have no energy left for that.

think forward

My husband and I watched a documentary last night called "The End of Suburbia." Our interest was originally piqued by this article: http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/24/business/exurbs.php?page=1

This is all unsurprising to me, having gotten into sustainability while studying architecture in college. It all started with a professor who urged the use of natural light and ventilation when designing buildings. Then he encouraged me and a few others in my year to take some upper-division interdisciplinary courses on sustainable development. It blew my mind and started changing the way I thought...on more than architecture. My husband and I both did study abroad in Europe before we knew each other, and both experienced the European way of development and daily living. It was so much less stressful to get around, we spent more time connecting with friends and experiencing culture firsthand, and both got healthy from not being in cars so much. I ended up doing my thesis project on the strip mall development formula, how it is marginalizing the population in favor of consumerism, and then showed that the healthiest development to support the economy and living was a return to the planning and design principals developed in Europe.

So I get it: suburban development is socially unhealthy and economically shortsighted.

This documentary was made 4 years ago but seems as if it's responding to today's headlines. It features many prominent speakers, writers, and the Mitchell Energy CEO, who are all in front-row seats as we approach the impending and unavoidable consumption crisis. For the record, global warming was mentioned once, briefly. Most of the film concentrated on how much energy and raw resources we use to support our daily lives...and how that can't continue.

Now, they aren't a bunch a fanatics preaching about doomsday. Trust me, those people bug me. These are writers and researchers who are urging the public to WAKE UP and take control of the wheel. It was quite scary to hear them talking about how foreclosures would increase and people would rush back into the urban centers, and how crazy it will be when gas reaches $4 per gallon....we're there, people.

We're excited to watch the newest documentary from the same producer, "Escape From Suburbia," which was released on Netflix's Instant Viewing yesterday. In the meantime, we've been talking about how we can look forward to a time when energy and materials are much more expensive...how will we live?

up for bid

There's a live auction going on here at work. Up for bid: 3 chances for prestige, convenience, and display of wealth. Yes, it's the annual parking spot auction, most noted for the flood of unwanted email updates every 10-15 minutes on the bid status for each of the three parking spots.

Most of the people who work here at this non-profit can barely afford a home and decent second car for their working family, and many are now experiencing hardship just getting to work (but that's a different discussion, so I'll stay off my soapbox for now). Only the highest-paid employees can afford to participate. For the rest of us, the constant reminder that we don't make enough to justify such a frivolous expense as a reserved parking spot (when there is plenty of free street parking and reserved staff parking!) is only asking us to reconsider our salary and job satisfaction.

The only good thing about this elitist game is that all proceeds go to student aid (which all students here receive). But I still wouldn't be able to justify spending our total monthly tithe (a real 10%) on a parking spot just because it helps students. If people want to help students, why don't they just DO IT. Why in the world are we have a pissing contest about it? If two people are willing to give, why are you saying no to the person who cant give as much? And if they need a reward in order to give, that's not exactly sacrificial giving.

I did ask my husband if I could bid. We don't have cars anymore, and I walk and take the light rail daily. I don't need it, but I'd argue that neither do the other bidders. He asked what I would do with my prime 10 ft x 20 ft of asphalt if I won and I came up with the following ideas while procrastinating on a project:

Paint a mural on the asphalt
Invite artists to paint something on a rotating basis
Host a weekly craft market
Start a vegetable garden
Start a hemp garden then make cloth and sell it at my craft market
Build a fort and only invite select coworkers to come inside
Use it as a lunchtime sun-bathing deck
Host a camp out with a fire pit & BBQ

And perhaps the most lucrative idea: Go out to the parking lot at 10:05 and offer to rent it to the frantic circling student who is late for class and doesn't want to park down the street and walk. Oh, did I mention all proceeds would go to the student aid fund?

over

The Spring conference is over.

Well, the event, from the viewpoint of the attendees and volunteers, is over. I still have an office full of boxes, papers, programs, books, and registration supplies.

So exhausted. Can't even.

out of touch

Wow, does it feel good to have internet at home again! It feels like a year....oh, wait. Amazing how one simple tool can change the way I live life daily. No checking weather first thing in the morning (over-/under-dressed), no news feeds (who's Obama?), no myspace (everyone's getting married?!), no recipe help, no instant answers to burning questions at my fingertips, no bill pay, no ravelry, no blogging!!!

*breathes heavily*

Well, you can can all thank Paul for transferring the interwebs to the new apartment!

Awesome changes in the last year:

I survived my first set of graduates-that-don't-come-back at work. :( Mike? Alyssa? Jeff?! Come BACK!

I worked hard, and with lots of help, put on my second conference at work. Wow, who would have thought conservative Christians would get just as angry about global climate change as about gay marriage?

I moved out of the horrible, dirty, poorly-managed May Apartments. Still have a lawyer to deal with that.

I moved into an apartment in the Pearl. It's clean, updated-historic, great neighborhood, and manageable rent. Oh, and, my commute is shorter!

Olive has endured surgery, stitches, being opened back up, more stitches, the Cone of Silence, weird bacteria, hair loss, antibiotics down her throat every night, not getting a bath for months, and many, many trips to the vet. But she's finally healed!



And the #1 Top Change: Paul & I are engaged!!

Yes, part of the reason I haven't sought out the internet for blogging is I haven't had time! Ever since getting engaged, every spare moment seems gobbled up by the Black Hole of Wedding Planning. At first, Paul & I didn't get much sleep--we spent evenings staying up late, trying to decide on a place, writing emails to parents, and getting the budget in order. That was probably the hardest part. But now we've got all the major things done: I've got my dress, we've booked the ceremony & reception venues, got engagement photos done, made invitations, mailed them out, made a website, coordinated with our attendants, got our registry flowing, and last night we made some honeymoon reservations. Ah, the fun stuff!

Some things have surprised me along the way, and my reaction has been somewhat bitter. If the word "wedding" or "bridal" comes out at all, it's suddenly twice the price! A formal dress is $100, but a bridesmaid's dress is $300. A cake is $35, but a wedding cake is $350 (or more). A normal updo is $40, but a wedding updo is $95. You get the idea. Actually, the hairstyling isn't that bad, and we'll probably go there to get our hairs done. But seriously!! The wedding industry keeps pumping out more and more ideas of what you are supposed to have at a wedding, and they just sound like a waste of money to me!

My favorites "wedding must-haves" which we will be doing without: save-the-dates, flower girl, ringbearer, veil, rented tuxes, cheesy slideshow of baby pictures set to "I Can Only Imagine," videography, DJ, first dance, standard invitations, RSVP cards, calligraphy, liquor, valet, limo, wedding cake, bouquet toss, bridesclones, cut flowers, corsages, prenup, after-party, and on no account will we be having a morning-after bunch with our family! Awk. Ward. No. We'll be sleeping in thankyouverymuch.

After planning conferences, banquets, and making many print projects, all the other stuff feels like fluff. I feel so obligated, as a woman targeted from a young age by a particular industry might feel, that we must "choose colors," send out save-the-dates 18 months ahead, order invitations made by someone else, have a champagne toast, a signature cocktail, and a flowery cake, give perfect welcome baskets and favors, buy a new dress, have 10 bridesmaids, have a florist make you $150-apiece bouquets, and a honeymoon in Italy. No. You do not need all of that. All you need is to get married. Legally, that takes very little. So get real. There are way better things to spend $20,000. Even half of that would go far toward a down payment on a home. So think it over.

I bought my dress at a used gown sale. $199. I had tried on $3500 dresses at a nice boutique with my maid-of honor just to figure out what my style dress should be. Paul is wearing a nice suit he owns (boy, does he look hot!). I found resources on how to make bouquets, and guess what? It's easy! Why would I pay $75 for something I could make myself for $20 wit seasonal flowers from our local farmer's market? It's a nosegay, not a national monument! The flowers will die, so why make a big deal out of them? Paul's family is making tons of cookies for our reception--this will save us hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Caterers charge SO much for desserts, and at $1-10/person, that adds up fast.

The one thing we have splurged on is our photographer, Anna Joy. She is a friend of mine, and did some nice photos for my graduation (understand, I never had senior portraits done in high school, so my family all wondered what I look like). She's so amazing and tons of fun! She's bringing along one of my other dear friends as her assistant, so in all I completely trust that our photos will be spectacular!

Anyway, life is not all about the wedding. I have the spring conference coming up in 1 week, and I am stressed to my limits! I have a busy week ahead...

ice it

It's beautiful, summery weather out today! In general, this is a time for a lot of changes. June/July are always that way. One change: ice that coffee! It's too hot!

Sunday afternoon

Yummm.

In other news, Charliebear is reformatted AGAIN and now fully updated. *pets Charliebear* I have unofficially committed to supporting Google taking over the world. Blogger, Google Chat, Picasa, you name it. Google me, baby. Actually...don't. You might find out things you never wanted to know. You've been warned.

ground rules

I don't do well with nebulous ambiguity. I need guidelines. Hence, I have in the past few months decided there will always be ground rules. Like guardrails, they will keep me from careening over the edge.

• Simplify: Say goodbye. It's just stuff. You can't take it with you.
• Some things beyond life necessities simply must be bought: Tea, lotion, underwear, and knitting needles.
• Yes means yes, and no means no: Stop protesting and take people's word at face value. Use the right language to avoid obliging myself to things I don't really want to do.
• I always need time for certain things: sleep, eating food, staring at the ceiling, reading the Word, knitting, wandering, and baking.
• Out with the old, in with the new: If I buy something new, something old must go. When something is old, replace it, for goodness sake!
• One thing at a time: I am me, with only 2 hands and 24 hours in a day; no one, not even myself, has the right to expect me to do more than I am able.
• Be unafraid: Take the opportunities when they come.

Thank you to Mo ("You have to buy tea, it's a staple."), Paul ("You're you. You can't do everything everyone else does. And I like you."), Michal ("I said yes. I meant it. So stop.") and Amy ("I have way too many pairs of underwear, but ya know what? I always have clean, cute underwear on.") .