When people talk about loving their job...

so much that it doesn't feel like work, I don't EVER believe them. I just don't think its physically, mentally, or spiritually possible to do the same thing every day for the rest of your life and love it each time. It's GOT to feel like work at some point.
I'm hating on the whole idea of emplyoment right now. I don't even know why my boss is bothering to pay my salary. A student worker could do anything I do for minimum wage. I was hired to do research, but all I've done for the past year is check others' calculations. Last week, they let me put labels on cds. Every time I come up with a research proposal, they tell me to put it on a back burner, like there's something on a front burner I should be doing. It drives me nuts to do nothing all day and think about all the things I need to be doing at home. Then I get home and I don't have two seconds to get anything done because its so crazy. I feel insane.
And before you suggest it, I can't really do anything fun in my "downtime." They don't care if we do actual work as long as it looks like we are working. No knitting, reading, etc. I've got lots of interactive grocery lists in excel, organized by department even, but that only goes so far.
Anyway, I'm sending out some apps- one to Chicago (faculty), one to Austin (research), and one here with my current agency which would technically be a promotion, but in a different division (research). I'm kind of nervous about taking a job involving a move since we just moved in to the new house, but my husband is supportive. I've also spoken to one of my former professors about taking some adjucting gigs. We'll see how that pans out.
In the meantime, there are two papers I should be working on in case I get accepted at a conference, or to submit to journals. Maybe those can keep me busy for a while.

Fun stuff:

• Still working on the skull cable hat. Found some more things to tweak.
• Need to make duvet covers for girls' bunk beds. Have black and white toile and ticking. Need time.
• Getting motivated to start swatching for fair isle sweater.
• Internet down at home. No photos for you.

Ok. That last one wasn't exactly "fun stuff," but it fit with the bullets.

Good, Bad, Ugly

RS_Knits Yahoo group is starting to pick up. There has been new activity and new members the past few weeks and it looks like we might be able to schedule some meet-ups. I've also picked up a chart I made a while back for a skull-cable pattern. I'm working on a hat. I've already frogged it back once, but the second version is looking good so far. This is good.
Work sucks, on the other hand. One of my "friends" got offered a promotion that was previously aimed at me. There was a huge conspiricy to cover it from me. She finally told me and has since been very hyper-sensitive to everything I say, finding insult in very innocent conversation. I've decided to put this relationship on a back-burner because it's small fish right now. I haven't been offered any teaching jobs, which surprized me based on the shortages and my qualifications. Maybe the "right" job hasn't come along yet. If you guessed "bad," you're right.
Ugly is home life right now. I just typed a whole explanation and then realized I'm not ready to externalize it yet. I try not to focus too much internally (someone said depression is the highest form of selfishness), but I think I need to examine my motivations more before putting any details out into the universe. One day I'll find someone to confide in. I just don't have that amount of trust in anyone yet.

So the yarn I mentioned in the previous post hasn't come in yet...

But I've got the design all charted. I'm trying to decide what kind of neckline I want.

Unfortunately, I only have time to think about knitting while I'm at work and, of course, I can't knit at work. I can't knit at home either because we finally got occupancy permission for our new house and we've been slowly moving stuff over/ trying to clean up/ getting used to kindergarten and daycare/ otherwise going nuts- this week.

The girls' new bunk bed won't be in until tomorrow, so if we sleep in the new house tonight they'll have to camp on the floor. I really only want to bring the stuff that I intend to keep, but we're going to fast it looks like all the crap will come over too and I'll have to get rid of it later. So the new house will probably start of as cluttered and messy as the old house. *sigh*

Oh, and since it's August- here's some photos of the balloon races in Baton Rouge.

Please excuse the wonkiness of the photos. I took them with my phone while driving down the freeway at 70mph on my way to work. See what I do for you?

Boy, when I come Back...

I come back with a vengence! Call me Samuel M*therf*cking Jackson.
I've got an itch to knit again. And this time I'm going to throw it down Eunny Jang-style. I've just ordered twelve, count 'em, TWELVE skiens of Palette from KP, all in different colors, and I'm going to design me a fair isle. I've got ambitions for a full sweater, but come on- this is me. You'll be lucky to get a vest. No sketches but think along the lines of Venezia.
I've also got designs on a cabeled boat neck where the whole thing is knit in two tubes. Think tubey, but with two holes in the top tube. One for the neck and one for the bodice. Oh, and a herringbone jacket.
I've decided to set aside time to knit each day. I need to reclaim some sanity. Maybe a half hour before bed. Do you think that will be enough? Talk amongst yourselves.

In other news. What's up with House, MD? Would anyone in the real world put up with crap like that from a coworker without knocking him on his ass at least once. And they're all, "We love you. Let us be your friends!!!!" That show is thisclose to jumping the shark for me.

No posts lately, blah, blah, blah...

Bad Blogger, yada, yada.
In real news, we are almost done with the house. We have the elec and plumbing all hooked up and should begin moving in within the week.
Haven't been knitting much because I used to knit while M was in gym class and she went and got kicked out. Behavior problems. Yeah, proud mommy<> me.
I finally got a Ravelry invite. I'm ShannonAnn there, so add me if you're on. I'll try to do something interesting in the mean time so you can laugh and point.

No motivation to write.

Enjoy these photos instead:

Widdershins in Socks that Rock: Lucy

Wavy Lace Stole in Cascade: Lana D'Oro Alpaca

Endpaper Mitt in Knitpicks: Merino Style(?)



Final Spoil package of awesomeness from Staci:

Kidnapping attempt mentioned in previous post: Successful!

Wish me luck.

I posted a while back about maybe wanting to take a teaching job so I could have more time to spend with my kids. Well, a position opened up at a small regional university (the univ. where I got my BA.) andI applied for it. They weren't very clear about what courses are involved so it would either be my dream job, or something I'm not even qualified for, and it will involve supervising student teachers, which is not my goal in life. (Not so sure about the grammar in that last sentence.)
Of course with Univ. ads, you never know about teaching load, salary, tenure requirements, or any of that good stuff so I might not even want it in the long run. But right now I have a really good feeling about it.
So anyway, feel free to send any positive vibes my way.

As if you care...

If anyone visits this site, it's probably in hopes of knitting content or delicious yarn pron. Of course there's seldom any of that. In truth, I did finish one endpaper mitt, and I'm up to the instep of some Widdershins in some loverly Socks That Rock in Lucy.

But I don't have photos.

I also don't have photos of the great stuff my PRGE pal, Staci, sent me this weekend. Purse kits for my girls (they love) yarn for a clapotis (I love) and more random, yummy yarn to do with as I please ( I also love) Oh, and a dragonfly clip. How did you know I have a secret love of bugs? I'm pretty sure I didn't put that on the questionnaire.

I do however, have a few house photos. The house is of course, getting most of my attention these days. Especially the studio, which just got cabinets and a lovely pink marble countertop.

Yes, that's MY studio. For knitting, painting, sewing, soaping, and other general craftiness. The blue-green walls are an homage to my love of all things Tiffany.

Another thing I am loving is my guest bathroom sink and countertop. The sink is from overstock and the counter is granite.

Isn't it lovely? The faucet will look like bamboo and I will paint a few strategically placed Louisiana iris on the wall in a corner.

My kitchen is also coming along. We just need the granite on the island. We won't have wall cabinets on the right, just open shelving.

We also need to figure out what to put on the wall behind the stove that will tie in the slate floor with the granite counters. Here's a close-up of the antiquing I did on the island:

Here are two exterior shots so you can see the final color. Eventually, we'll put up black shutters and have black rockers on the porch.

Here's the front.

And the back/left side ( I don't know what's up with the gray stuff at the bottom):

In other good news. I might get to meet my PRGE spoilee in person! Kate will have to drive right through my town when she moves later this month, so I am trying to figure out how to kidnap her and take her to lunch! Wish me luck.

I can't believe it!

I treated myself to a lunch break at my local MegaBookstore!(tm) and while perusing the loverly selection of knitting-related print, I. got. bored. What? Uh, yeah, furreal. I had to leave the store even to get something to eat because nothing, not one single book, compelled me even flip through much less purchase.
I looked at some new things like Runway and Twinkle City, and some of the old Vogue Quick Knits. All I could muster was, "meh." Maybe I'm just saturated. I know my "to knit" list is way longer than my "will knit" list will ever be, but that's never stopped me from dreaming before. It just seems that nothing in the new books is, well, new.
Come on guys, inspire me! Or else I might have to try to design something. And, trust me
NOBODY wants that!

Mommy Wars Revisited

I'm a working mother. I tried to stay home with my first two kids and was. bored. out. of. my. mind. I couldn't wait to get back to work, to have real conversations, to feel some semblance of sanity. By my third child, I realized three months was the max. I nursed all of my children for a full year each and my sister was able to alternate caring for them with my husband. I chose to work, not because of money, but because I needed more to do in a day than what staying home offered.
MSN today has a report:

NEW YORK - If the typical stay-at-home mother in the United States were paid for her work as housekeeper, cook and psychologist among other roles, she would would earn $138,095 a year, according to research released Wednesday.

I've been a stay-at-home mom. I was raised by a stay-at-home-mom. I've also been to a psychologist (perhaps as a result of my experiences with my own SAHM.) I can tell you, a psychologist, my mom ain't.

I can understand lumping housekeeper, cook, nanny, maybe some other things into the monetary value of mothering. But when you start to sneak in specialized professions like psychology or nursing, who are you really trying to kid? A SAHM can kiss boo-boos or stroke developing egos as well as I can, but until they put in the hard core academics and hours it takes to earn an LPN or PSYD, let's not call a chicken a duck. And let's not inflate the hypothetical salary of someone who chooses to not earn one so she can feel important. Because that's what this is really about isn't it? SAHM's wanting to feel like what they do has value. And, believe me, it does have value. Only its just to you and yours. You cooking and cleaning and raising your own kids, doesn't mean a hill of beans to me. Just as my salary shouldn't matter to you. I don't try to make you value my choice, don't inflate yours to try to sway me.