25 May 2008

Knitting Content!

It's been awhile since I've posted about knitting content (Thanks for the reminder, Niki). I'm working on some test knitting for SWTC and it's due to be finished this week. I've been knitting like a mad woman trying to get the project finished and they didn't send me enough yarn to finish.
So, I'm waiting for more to arrive and picked up Baby Blanket #1 of 2008 and finished it this week! I'm happy with how it turned out (600 stitches around) and can't wait to give it to the new parents.I've also been working on Mom's birthday socks which I had hoped to be finished by now, but I needed to check if they would fit. One sock is 99% finished and the other will get started on today!
Also, started was another dish/washcloth that will be part of a Christmas present. Cloths do not take long at all-if I really work at it, I can finish one in 2 hours. (Sometimes the brain and the hands just don't work that fast and it takes a whole day!) {This got frogged-undone-because I was using leftovers from another dishcloth and ran out of yarn. I hate when that happens!}

Since birthday socks seem to be the trend this year for me, of course I have another pair to make for Niki! I picked out the pattern and she picked out the yarn.
For now, the queue of knitting projects is overwhelming especially since there's another baby blanket to finish before July!

19 May 2008

Kansas City

Two weekends ago, Jason and I traveled to KC to see the Orioles take on the Royals. On Friday, we got to see American Idol Contestant, David Cook, throw out the first pitch and sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game". (Easier to take pics on the jumbo tron than on the field...looks too teeny tiny.)
We also went to the American Jazz Museum and the Negro Leagues Museum. The Negro Leagues Museum was self guided and had a ton of artifacts. I learned a lot!
We ate plenty of KC BBQ! We went to the big three: Arthur Bryant's, Jack Stacks and Gates. All were different and all were yummy! Gates had a stand at the ball park and served seasoned chips-sort of like crab chips, but the seasoning was HOT! (Those were my favorites!)

We also went to the Hallmark Visitor's Center, the College Basketball experience (Jason and I were never bball players and never will be!), the Truman Library (my first presidential library!) and the World War I Memorial and Museum. The WWI Museum was excellent-had multiple time lines, artifacts, hands on activities, actual trenches and many videos to see. The best part for me was walking over the glass bridge looking down on all the red poppies. Each poppy represented a specific number of deaths in WWI. Amazing.
(The museum is under the monument-sort of like the museum under the St. Louis Arch, but more like the Civil War Museum in Madrid, Spain. The tower has been in KC since not long after the war and one can go up in it-elevator ride then 45 steps to climb.)

We enjoyed our trip-there was a lot to do, but not too much. Even though the city wasn't busy on the weekend, it wasn't like Cleveland where the carpet got rolled up at 5pm Friday and laid back down again at 9am Monday.

17 May 2008

Funny Stuff

This week has been crazy...see previous post plus it was the last full week with the senior class. Typically the last day of that week, the seniors execute their prank. In years past we have had ALL the chairs in the building on the first floor, balloons everywhere, and even some fish heads and feces spread throughout the building. This year's prank was a cute idea but definitely lacking in execution-bubble wrap was taped to the entire floor on the first floor. If only the seniors had planned on spending a little more money and coated the entire three floors... So it was a noisy end to the week. **Another school in the area was the recipient of a prank that was much more interesting...check out this listing on Craig's List.

Yesterday, Jason and I went to my parents' house to celebrate Mom's bday (which is on Sunday-she'll be away). We were in the basement and Jason noticed the "no" list of things to put in the paper shredder-No hands, no beverages, no ties, no paper clips/staples, and the best one...NO CHILDREN!!! (I wish the picture would have turned out but the drawing was too small and I couldn't get a focus on it with the camera.)

13 May 2008

Day o' Crap

Coming back to work from being out for two days (trip to KC) is just plain crappy. I had the same substitute for both days (Friday and Monday). He was TOTALLY unreasonable with my students. I couldn't believe it! He posted a sign on my classroom door that stated if students arrived more than 5 minutes late that they were to go to the main office. He refused to let these students in the classroom. On their return with pass from the office, he refused to give them the work that I had assigned. He also left me about 6 pages of notes telling me how to do my job (one that I've been doing for 15 years) and that my students are the worst that he's ever seen. I spent the majority of today cleaning up his mess. UGH! (I know my students are not the most angelic nor are they devil's spawn...they are human. They make mistakes. They are teenagers. They know the rules and know how to bend them to suit their needs. You must be firm and kind with them. I knew things were bad when my sixth period students came into class saying that they missed me!

I haven't gathered my thoughts about Kansas City yet...we did have a good time and even got to visit Kansas! A post with pictures will be forthcoming...

08 May 2008

Yarny Goodness

Maryland Sheep & Wool was great! My knitting buddy, Knitea, mentioned that we seemed to be going more quickly through the booths this year than last. I agreed with her. I think we weren't as overwhelmed (last year was our first year going) and knew which vendors we wanted to look at first and even found a few new ones. I didn't purchase as much yarn as last year, but I did get three skeins of sock yarn-1 from Brooks Farm (acero) and 2 from Maple Creek Farm. I also succumbed to peer pressure and bought a drop spindle to spin some of my own yarny goodness. This purchase also required me to buy some roving so that I could spin some yarn! The roving that I bought is a blend of blues (surprise!) with some other colors as well. I bought this particular roving because I would like to ply it with some other fiber that I already have-from a blog contest that I won in the Fall. (Pictures will be coming shortly...)

We're off to Kansas City tonight for a mini vacation. Of course the mini vacation is centered around our national pastime-baseball! Hopefully the O's will win a game while we're there! (I'm keeping my fingers crossed!)

01 May 2008

The FInal Countdown, Another one for the Geek List and It's a beginning!

The final countdown has begun-I have my final exam in hand! I hope to have it finished by Saturday so that I can enjoy MD Sheep & Wool on Sunday and not have to worry about finishing before our trip to Kansas City next week.

The GeekList #8: Jason and I have this bill to pay. I ask him why we don't round the amount to the nearest $100 mark. He says, "Because it's a great number. It is the blah blah blah of blah blah blah." My brain went into Charlie Brown mode and I just smiled and shook my head. 'Nuf said.

The beginning: I've become a test knitter! I answered an ad and the company sent me a pattern and the yarn to make it. It's not a paid position at least not in dollars, but in yarn. IMO, that's the best payment! I do have a time constraint-the end of May. Oh my...I think I'll be able to finish. I know I will!

Other knitting-almost finished baby blanket #2 of 2008. Only a few more rounds of 600 stitches to go.