a-ok

Well, I just got into work (I'm in the office in CT for a few days) from my appointment with one of my orthopaedic surgeons. I spoke with the doctor (it's been over 2 years since I last did) and got some x-rays taken, and he told me that I was walking really well & that he thinks I'm doing just fine. He doesn't even want to see me for another 2 years! This is the doctor who will eventually be performing my hip replacement, when it comes time that I need one. Right now, though, I am supposed to just continue consulting with both him & Dr. Millis (my periacetabular osteotomy surgeon), so all of us can track my progress together & decide what the best course of action will be. Thank goodness I have absolute faith in both of them. They are extremely competent doctors.

The doctor also told me it's just fine that I walk everywhere with a cane (he thinks it might even help my gait), and that I really should look into doing some exercising (swimming, upright stationary bike, elliptical, or NordicTrak). Sigh. And I had so loved getting away without doing anything exercise-y! Oh, well. I guess I'll finally have to get around to locating myself a gym with an indoor pool....

Otherwise, things are going well down here. I am staying at my parents' house, but they are away in China, so I'm all alone there! I got to spend Wednesday evening at the Trinity College carillon concert with Sarah, Liam, and Jen, which was tinged with a pleasant nostalgia. We went from there to my cousin's jam sessions at Black Eyed Sally's in Hartford; if you are ever there on a Wednesday night, he is the amazing harmonica player!

Yesterday I got to spend a really fun evening just hanging out with Tanya, Sarah K, and Jon. I love seeing them when I am back in CT! We ate a delicious Jon-made salad, and then gorged ourselves on cookie dough + Cool Whip (an awesome, if only-tolerable-for-so-long, combination -- thanks, Corey! haha).

I should get back to work -- lots to do today, because tomorrow morning I head back up to Boston with my *new work computer* in exchange for the old one! xoxo

Currently Reading:
	TITLE: Microserfs AUTHOR: Douglas Coupland
	TITLE: Misfortune AUTHOR: Wesley Stace
	TITLE: The Art of Interactive Design AUTHOR: Chris Crawford

at last

Finally, I feel somewhat more accomplished again! I'm tired, but I've gotten a ton of things done. Between last night & this morning, I felted the Sophie bag I made for Robyn


(and washed a few pairs of jeans, in the process), I baked some Splenda oatmeal raisin cookies (they are so good), I made dinner, I watched The Cave (a pretty awful movie) with Dan, I started a new book (Misfortune; it looks promising), I did dishes, I tidied up a bit, I did another load of laundry, I finished the second of a pair of basic baby sweaters


for my sister to bring to a couple of her coworkers, and I worked a few more rows (finally! I had been avoiding it) of Danny's camo socks. And yes, I did actually sleep, too.

All in all, I'd say it was a productive 15ish hours.

Unfortunately, I still have to do some more laundry, clean, and pack before I catch my bus to CT at 5.

Oh, and did I mention I also have to work? Right, that.

Currently Reading:
	TITLE: Microserfs AUTHOR: Douglas Coupland
	TITLE: Misfortune AUTHOR: Wesley Stace
	TITLE: The Art of Interactive Design AUTHOR: Chris Crawford

quick stop

If you are a fan of Kevin Smith, GO SEE Clerks II. (Even if you've already seen it. See it again.) You won't regret it. I think it's my favorite yet.

xoxo

life goes on

Although last weekend was a lot of fun (and very busy), life has been moving kind of slow ever since. Not in a bad way, just...I haven't felt the urge to post about anything, really.

Saturday, I ran some morning errands (post office, Haymarket), and then ran out to catch the 11 o'clock Fung Wah bus from South Station. I like to consider myself not a huge asshole, so when I climbed on the bus, I made sure to take the inside seat in an empty pair, and not leave my bag on the seat next to me (there was a girl who was doing just that a few seats up), in case someone needed to sit next to me. Unfortunately, I got repaid for my kindness by having this obnoxious guy take the empty seat -- he was very tall, and I understand that there wasn't much room in the seat area for someone of his stature, but that did not mean that he was just allowed to take my seatspace, or not pay any attention to where his elbows and knees were! So I spent most of the ride frustrated & shying away from his extremities. Sigh. I know, I should probably have spoken up, but I was scared he'd think I was rude. Ironic, because I was sitting there thinking he was! Oy.

In any case, I made it off the bus in one piece, and called up Luis, who I had told I would be arriving in NYC around 3. It was 3:15 when I called...and he wasn't ready to meet me! So I called up Bethany & Ashu, who were also wandering around the city, and we met up for a meal at a cute cafe on the corner of Broadway & Bleecker, where Luis later joined us. The 3 of us spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around SoHo, and then they walked me over to the bar where Bhavi & Viv's party was supposed to happen. I was the first one there, and spent a while sipping a drink at the bar, until some old college acquaintances arrived. From there, I spent the rest of the next few hours catching up with people I hadn't seen in ages, which was nice but not nearly adequate -- I really need to spend some time with those people not in a bar setting. It was way crowded & way to difficult to really have a good conversation, ugh.


I cut out pretty early (I'm not the partier I once was! heh) and went back to Ashu's, where we ate dulche de leche ice cream (yum) and talked until we all fell asleep.

The next morning, we got up late and ran out to get some fruit & other breakfast food, and then had oatmeal pancakes & fruit salad ... which I started to make, but unfortunately sliced into my finger with Ashu's new knife only a few strawberries in! So there was a bit of drama there, as we taped me up, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it first looked, and it's healing just fine now. Phew.

I have to admit, though, I do get kind of queasy when I look at a knife these days...but the feeling is passing. It's not like I won't ever use one again! I've cut myself before.

Bethany & I hopped on a 4:30 bus back to Boston, and arrived back in town late that night, exhausted. (The oppressive heat & humidity weren't helping.) And since then, it's been kind of a tired & lazy week. Dan & I went to see A Scanner Darkly on Tuesday night, I think, but otherwise I've just been staying in, nights. It's actually been too hot to even KNIT, *gasp*! (Also, I never realized how much I like to curl my pinkie finger when I knit, but it hurt too much the first night for me to be able to even get through a few stitches.) But luckily, that situation has been improving -- I even got a few rows in last night! :)

I have a headache now, though, so I think I'm going to go get a glass of water & try to get some more work done. Happy weekend! xoxo

Currently Reading:
	TITLE: Prep AUTHOR: Curtis Sittenfeld
	TITLE: The Art of Interactive Design AUTHOR: Chris Crawford

ahhh! more fun books!

I ran downstairs to meet my sister as she walked past our place on her way to work this morning; we had to exchange a few things, and that's always the most convenient way to do so. As we were standing there chatting, a mail truck pulls up, and a mailman walks over to us, holding a package. I glance idly down at it, and then exclaim happily, "Oh! That's for me!" What perfect timing. I hadn't been expecting a package, either, so it was the perfect way to surprise me.

It was from my almost-too-good-to-the-point-that-it's-freaky SP8 (no really, it's seriously fantastic, not creepy; I love it!), and it contained 3 wrapped books. (I'm sorry, I ripped the paper off them before I even got a chance to get a photo in!)


There are two published books in that stack, which I didn't take more precise pictures of because I figured Amazon could do the job better for me:




(Also, my camera has been really sketchy recently -- when I try to take a picture, everything is backwards, so it takes an extra long time to set up the shot, as if works out that if I move my hand right, the lens moves left...it's hard to explain, and even harder to use. So my pictures will be sparse for a while, unfortunately! But, the good news is that Dan & I are going out to this evening to shop around a few cell phone stores for a new family plan, hurray! I can't wait to get out of my stupid Verizon contract, despite how frustrating it's going to be to not be in the "In" network anymore...)

In any case, I digress. So, the books are fantastic (the pictures above are links, if you want to take a more in-depth look at them), as they are basically really fun grammar handbooks! I find this thrilling. My love of grammar, combined with vampires & "retro" turn-of-the-century illustrations! So awesome.

The third book is a gorgeous journal, which the following picture doesn't do any justice:


It's actually got a dark blue binding & is an adorable robin's egg blue, but of course my camera, as we've already established, ain't quite up to par. So, hopefully you at least get the gist. And the best part is, it's handmade! (By someone you know, SP8, or did you purchase it from a crafter?) I actually tore the packages open even before I read the card (but! I have an excuse! my sister was running late on her way to work, and wanted me to open them so she could see what they were before she dashed off!), and I remember noticing that the journal looked handcrafted -- that same sister is actually a sometimes-bookmaker herself (I have an address book made from soda cans!), and has in fact even taught me to make one (a beautiful white-fabric one for my friend's wedding), so I can definitely recognize a handmade book. But, don't get me wrong -- this one was in no way unprofessional! It could just as well have come from an assembly line; I noted the precise cuts & even pages & whatnot -- so I guess the only real clue was that it didn't have any sort of company name printed anywhere on it, haha....

Well, I've rambled on enough -- thank you, SP8! You really know how to make fantastic present selections. I really appreciate the gift, and I can't wait to delve into the books (and perhaps do a bit of writing, as well!). xoxo

Currently Reading:
	TITLE: Stop the Next War Now AUTHOR: Medea Benjamin & Jodie Evans
	TITLE: The Art of Interactive Design AUTHOR: Chris Crawford

yes, i am alive

Just keeping busy, that's all. There's always something to do. I'm so glad I got to see Tanya & Adrienne (not to mention Karen & Lisa! Sarah K, we missed you!!) the other night, and we had a lively book club discussion about The Glass Castle yesterday night at the 'La.

I've also been working on socks and a third baby sweater (the first, teeny one went to Boston Cares, and the 2 larger ones, once I finish this second one, are going to my sister's coworkers, I do believe. I do enjoy creating baby things because they are small (and thus knit up relatively quick) & adorable, but I need to find some better patterns; these are getting boring! Anyone have any baby-things knitting books to suggest to me?

I intend to go to NYC this weekend, possibly with Dan in tow, to visit some old friends & celebrate a few birthdays! I am looking forward to the trip, but at the same time I am such a homebody, and hate being away for too long. So I probably won't last more than 24ish hours there. (I think this homesickness is exacerbated by the fact that I never seem to get to spend any weekends in Boston these days! Which isn't necessarily bad, but it does make me miss it.)

I have been meaning to post this fantastic NYM article for the past week or so; I think it applies perfectly to Boston, as well: The Urban Etiquette Handbook. It got quite a few laughs out of me, as well as of course the expected "yeah, people need to be more conscientous about that"s.


Tonight: The Forest Hills Lantern Festival, one of my favorite Boston things. That is, if it ever stops raining... xoxo

Currently Reading:
	TITLE: Stop the Next War Now AUTHOR: Medea Benjamin & Jodie Evans
	TITLE: The Art of Interactive Design AUTHOR: Chris Crawford

long entry, sorry.

Hey all,
No idea when I last posted, even. It's been a long week! I participated in the Troops Home Fast on Tuesday (the 4th), spending all day on the Esplanade...and left about a half hour before the fireworks started, because I didn't feel like dealing with the crowd when the show was done! Haha. Oh, well -- I could see some of the show from our roof, so it was all right.

Wednesday was a busy work day, and then I took a bus to Hartford late that evening. It's always nice to see my parents. :) (Hi, Mom & Dad!)

Thursday I worked and then went to my doctor for my annual checkup. I was told that I have "the blood pressure of a 12 year old" and that I'll live to 100 at that rate! Hurray. (Funny thing; I am a very anxious person, but I guess that doesn't affect my BP!) My doc told me he couldn't find a thing wrong with me, and that I had grown an inch (according to their charts, hah -- I haven't grown a bit since I was in the 5th grade!) and lost 5 lbs. Not bad.

Thursday night, I joined Sarah, Karl, and a former schoolmate Brian for a ride down to New London to see Brian & Karl's show (the B-Flat Project -- my sister is designing the CD cover!). It was a small gig but I had a lot of fun, most especially catching up with Sarah, finally! :) (And being all sketchy when we went to get me a Rock Star energy drink, hahaha...)

Then today was a work-in-the-actual-office day, so my boss & I drove down to Woodbury and spent the day discussing program plans & such. Nothing too exciting, except that I am getting a 10% raise (not huge, but it's a raise!) and -- I'm more excited about this -- a new work computer!! Probably an Acer TravelMate, which is a tablet PC/laptop combo. Schweet.

Tonight I had a lovely dinner with the 'rents and then went for coffee with my friend Jen, who I haven't seen in ages! She gave me a great overdue birthday present (book & board game! what could be finer?) and we caught up a lot. Sometimes we just need to sit down together & talk for hours to catch up!

Tomorrow: breakfast with Tanya!! I cannot wait to see that girl. It's been way too damn long. 5/8-8/5! :)

Oh, and then my aunt's picnic in the afternoon. Whew. I can't wait to be back in Boston, though!

I'm especially looking forward to the World Cup game on Sunday...and to seeing Danny again. xoxo

TITLE: The Art of Interactive Design AUTHOR: Chris Crawford

thanks, SP8!

This weekend was nice & laid-back, which I desperately needed (although as always I didn't get done tons of things that needed to get done...). But on Saturday when we were leaving the house to go to Downtown Crossing, I did receive a fabulously excellent present from my SP8! It smelled strongly of pine, so I was very curious to rip it open. A postcard of the Crater Lake National Park described exactly what was inside, so I'll show them to you in that order:


First, was the wrapping job itself -- so fun! I clearly appreciate cleverly-wrapped packaging, and the tissue paper & cute bows were great. However, I had to kind of shove some wrapping & a bow back on because I realized I wanted to take a "before" picture of the package, so if that looks a little sloppy in the photo, it's not my awesome SP8's fault! It's mine. :)


Next was the reason for the beautiful odor emanating from the package: a bar of handcrafted soap made my Ellen April of PA. Mmm...I wish I could share that scent with all of you.... I can't wait to use it!


Aw, adorable cat socks! My SP8 was trying to make me feel better cuz I don't have a kitty of my own! :) I of course can't use the socks for a little while (unless the soap -- called "Snow on Cedars" -- actually does manage to cool me off! hehe), but I am looking forward to the cooler weather come this fall. These will certainly keep my toes toasty then! Fun.


And lastly, such cool cards!! I didn't get a picture of all of them (there are 3 different designs), but they are all of the woman's silhouette holding some yarn and wearing a knitted garment. SO fun! I think my SP8 figured out that I love to send & receive mail...hrm...wonder how she figured that one out! ;)

Anyway, well done and THANKS, my fantastic SP8! You rock.

For now, it's almost bedtime (work tomorrow, for me!), but more from me anon. xoxo

Currently Reading:
	TITLE: The Glass Castle AUTHOR: Jeannette Walls
	TITLE: The Art of Interactive Design AUTHOR: Chris Crawford