pantlessness

Okay, watching the news always makes me want to keep up a running commentary, but I promise this'll be the last post for now - I have to get ready for work.

Is it weird that I am kind of disappointed that I missed out on the No Pants Subway Ride? I had heard about it recently, but I didn't realize it would be happening while I was away.

Mostly, I am disappointed not to have been around to see the reactions of certain people. Since I would have felt "in" on the joke, it would have been hilarious to see the reaction of those who were taken by surprise! Haha.

Okay, for real, I do have to go get ready for work now. Eep. xo

watch instantly

So, I just saw them mention on CNN that Netflix was offering a new feature where you could choose to watch streaming video of some of their catalog, instead of waiting for the actual DVD to arrive in the mail, as per usual.

Uhm...I've had that feature for over a year now. Hasn't everyone??

the domain

So, I never did end up napping. Ava, the awesome administrative assistant down here in Austin (who had me call her when I got in, to make sure I made it okay - she was looking out for a fellow woman traveling alone, which was so sweet of her), convinced me that I should get out. I had kind of thought I should, too, but I was kind of overwhelmed, not knowing the area, and the places I was interested in possibly visiting (the sculpture garden & O Henry's house) were much too far away. (They would have been easier to visit last time I was here, when we stayed in the hostel down by The Lake. This time I'm much further north.)

In any case, she told me of a very classy outdoor mall-type thingy called The Domain, where I could wander around outdoors (and enjoy the beautiful weather!) and keep myself occupied/see a bit more of Austin. So I hopped in a cab and headed over. It is a very pretty - but very high-class - area. I felt like I was dressed too scrubby for it, but otherwise, it was a really pleasant afternoon. I stopped in some familiar stores, since most there were chains, but I mostly stuck to places I'd never heard of. (They may have been chains, but at least they weren't ones you can find up North.) I picked up a pair of earrings, a cute bag, and a birthday card for a friend, but mostly just enjoyed sitting in the sunshine and people-watching. When it started getting dark (and I started getting hungry), I stopped at this awesome (and totally local!) tea shop for one of the most delicious roasted vegetable sandwiches I have ever had (I think it was the butternut squash, caramelized onions, and goat cheese in it that really kicked it up a notch). I finished off my evening out with a pot of chocolate-banana-flavored rooibos tea. Sooo delicious!

I think that might have been the first sit-down meal that I've ever eaten on my own, and totally intentionally. I tend to worry about how it'll look to other people, to be seen eating alone. But I really didn't mind it at all, once I was actually doing it. I was seated at a window so I got to watch the goings-on outside, as well as get part of a letter written, and some of my book read. It was really pleasant, and the waitresses were so nice. We chatted about books and other such things. I do have to say, I find Austin people much more inclined to strike up a conversation than us cold Bostonians! I made friends (meaning, had somewhat lengthy conversations with) with two taxi drivers, the front desk guy (always someone you want on your side!), this guy who worked at White House Black Market, and the waitress at The Steeping Room. But even beyond that, I had small conversations with a lot of the people who worked in the various places I stopped. The guy at the coffee shop told me he liked my bag, and we discussed that. The woman at the bookstore told me she was afraid of sock monkeys, and we discussed that. I really like how much more friendly & open these Texans truly seem to be. Maybe part of it is the warm weather, though. I'm much less likely to linger anywhere when I am freezing, or in a cranky mood from being wet & cold from crappy winter weather! Haha.

Well, I am going to go get ready for bed...I definitely need to get some rest before my Big First Day tomorrow. Oh gosh, I'm absolutely terrified.

I just hope I can keep up. xo

Currently Reading:
	TITLE: The Poisonwood Bible AUTHOR: Barbara Kingsolver

from Boston to Austin (again)

Just checking in from sunny Austin, TX! I flew out of Boston at 8:50 this morning, and just arrived a little while ago at the Marriott here. The plane ride went pretty uneventfully (although I did get my bag inspected by security! I had ziplock-bagged my "liquids", but I hadn't removed them from my carry-on - there was no signage telling me to do so - and so they had to manually inspect my bag - good thing I had arrived my usual way-too-early - I almost boarded a flight to California because I got there when the plane before mine was still at the gate). I watched Zoolander & knitted & read a bit, and tried to nap, although that is never easy to do in-flight.

Anyway, so here I am in my cute little hotel room...well, not so very little; I guess I got upgraded to a king suite, or something like that. Nice, right? Here's a shot of my towel-bunny (I'm pretty sure that's a rabbit...right?)



and of my room (the glare couldn't be helped; I tried to close the blinds but then of course the room was plunged into total darkness!).



I'll check back in another time if I get bored enough here; for now, I think I need to go take a nap (I didn't sleep much last night, between dinner & a movie & then packing). Then maybe I'll see what I can do about exploring Austin...although I might get too lazy for that. I'll have to look into the bus system, see what the deal is.

Hope everyone's doing well - especially those of you in the Northeast who are expecting a snowstorm! Not too disappointed I'll miss that one. :) xo

yet another reason to hate public transportation

Oh, I was ripping mad to see this article today:

Wireless Services Launched in Subway’s Core

Like it wasn't bad enough to have to have half of my train ride (the trolley/above-ground part) taken up having to listen to obnoxious, loud, totally unnecessary phone conversations, now I also have to deal with those people underground, too?!? It used to be somewhat justified when we'd hit Fenway and I'd know that the obnoxious person talking loudly into their cell phone with no regard whatsoever for those around him having to listen to him talk about the latest rash on his ass or how his girlfriend's mother wouldn't take the money he wanted to pay her (because these conversations really must be pressing and got done now) was going to be cut off midsentence when the train went underground...I thoroughly enjoyed gloating while those people would yell a few last "hello?"s into their phone before getting frustrated and hanging up. Of course, I'd rather not have to deal with them at all, but I figured there really was no way to cut off cell phone reception above-ground.

And don't even try to tell me it's for safety's sake - even the MTBA doesn't attempt that. They fully admit that they already had a safety system in place, and that the reason they are wiring the tunnels is so that people can do business. ARGH! The last thing I want is to have to listen to some jerkoff in a tie yell at his suppliers about how they aren't getting enough toilet paper in their warehouse. Or something. I hate hate hate being stuck in enclosed areas, being forced to listen to people's phone conversations. I think it is perhaps one of the rudest things in the world, to subject people to listening to your half of a telephone conversation. I get so angry at those assholes who think the world revolves around them, that I'm at some points close to causing them bodily harm just to get them to realize that there - wow! - might actually be other people in their vicinity who don't want to hear all about their incredibly fascinating lives.

And does the MBTA really want to be implicit in murder, now? I highly doubt they could also afford that, on top of all of the other things they really need to fix (for starters: the old trolley cars, the leaks in the station roofs, their card system...those would have been good things to invest their money in!). I'm livid that they decided to spend money on wiring the underground areas for wireless phone access when they could have done so many more productive & wonderful things. Instead, they just subject me to more talkative assholes. Ugh. Thanks a billion, T.

miniature fo

[Cross-posted from SPK]


sweater ornament

Here's just a little sample of my holiday knitting, for now. I've got pictures of most of the gifts, but not all of them (one still has to be blocked! although it was luckily knit in time, anyway), and I want to wait until I can do a comprehensive post of all of them...all 3.5 of them, really. There wasn't as much holiday knitting to do this year as I had thought, especially because the majority of the pieces I had finished well before the holiday (some by March or so!). But I of course had a few things to finish (including final touches on the early ones) right at the finish line.

I hope to get started on next year's presents early again this year. We'll have to see. I have already found one present, but I haven't been inspired by any other patterns yet - and usually, I prefer to see a pattern and think "that looks like something [insertnamehere] would love", much like shopping, rather than think that I really ought to make this person a scarf and that person a hat, and I have to search out a suitable-enough pattern.

Okay, enough talking from me! I will just add that I knit the sweater ornament from some Claudia Handpainted Yarn that is much like KPPPM, because I picked it up on a whim when I was out shopping for the latter. The pattern was this one, knit with these same modifications (see sweater #2). I will be knitting another for my other sister soon. It's a lovely, lightning-fast little knit - I knit it all up on the train ride home from work on the Friday before Christmas. It was inspired by a sweater-and-booties ornament set that my grandmother once knit for my father - I hope to enhance my sisters' collections soon with some more miniature knitted goods. Socks would be fun. xo

so true.

metalgirl...to the rescue?

Was there an eclipse of the sun that happened recently, that I wasn't aware of? Because I'm pretty sure that I've recently acquired a new superpower. Of course, I don't yet know the full extent of my power, nor do I have control over it, as it's still new to me. But I'm really, really good at breaking through solid metal...inadvertently, of course. For now.

First, right before Thanksgiving, it was my cane - yes, it is wooden, but it was not the wood part that broke. Nope, the actual screw that held the 2 pieces together snapped clean in two. I reached down to tighthen the connection one morning (sometimes the head unscrews a bit from the base), and it came apart in my hands. The cut was smooth, and seemed unnatural.

The second time was this morning, when I was on my way out the door (and I left early, both because of the inclement weather and because this is Meetings Week at work). I stopped at the mailbox to post a couple of letters, and when I turned around, I felt something snap and go flying...turns out my awesome messenger bag, which I've been using 24/7 since I got it, decided it couldn't handle the stress anymore: the bottom of one of the metal buckles holding the strap to the bag simply snapped off. It's irreparable! Not to mention seriously uncanny.

So maybe this does mean I have special powers? That, or I just overuse the things I own. =\

Hey: save MetalGirl, save the world. Hah! xo