Brains In My Fridge

Work has been getting progressively more interesting in the past week or two. The karate school lost three of its employees who, like myself, function as assistants, sales representatives, data entry clerks, and secretaries. As such, it’s just the bosslady and me running the two schools. For now, I have the pleasure of some actual job security and the ability to push a bit for more hours and a raise. That and I’m starting to get more interesting duties and am looking forward to taking over inventory orders and other things that will look great on a resume.

And so, Halloween. The schools are throwing parties tonight and tomorrow night. The one I work at is giving me some extra stuff to do at home, like…making brains…

…Which is lovely, of course, excepting the fact that I find Jell-o absolutely horrific (compared to actual brains, which are an intellectual curiosity). There’s nothing quite like the pleasure of handling congealed byproducts of substances derived from animal collegians first thing in the morning. But I’m getting paid for it, and I have in my possession a card on which to credit payment for whatever I should need for the job, which is kind of cool.

The bossman also brought in a few very interesting books on pressure points and anatomy for students and teachers to peruse. The ‘Anatomy Coloring Book’ is flat out hilarious.

Etc.

In real life, there have been somewhat dislikable family medical events I’ve been handling as best I can from 1,300 miles away (which isn’t much more than cheering phone calls). It’s a relief that everything has turned out all right, though the patient has been a real grouch. Now that all the fretting is mostly out of the way, I can do some personal research and find the whole thing to be an interesting bit of new knowledge.

I always did have an odd fascination with gangrene.

- Red

Finally

The weather’s cooling off to something like a proper Autumn. I actually need a leather jacket on Phee and my motorcycle rides now.

Work was in the a.m., so I got to see my first frost (likely not THE first frost, but the first for me) on my way there. Steam was coming off the ponds I passed and it could be noted that the sun was just a tad lower in the sky than it had been last week. I could see my breath.

With the advent of new house slippers for the apartment and the switch from light blankets to my full comforter, I’m enjoying the switch toward more tolerable temperatures. Summers are too long here…Yes, I’m complain of the cold, but I’d rather be chilled than suffering heatstroke for the fiftieth time.

Also means we’re a bit closer to Halloween. The traditional Hitchcock movies and other holiday favorites of mine are rolling in from the library holds I put up and there are parties at work and a friends’ to attend. And since I’m working the day of (a Wednesday (Oh, puns!)), I’m gonna dress up then as well.

If I get the opportunity, I’ll take some pictures of these nice mornings. And maybe of my costumes as well.

In the meantime…More work on the second to last scarf. The post-halfway-point loathing has set in. I keep making small mistakes. Things no one would really notice but me. But I’m too far through it and I think my patience with it wouldn’t survive having to frog the entire project. At that point I might be tempted to ball up the mess and hand THAT over as the gift!

- Red

And Homework? Gathering Dust.

I bombed. Been sort of failing at keeping up with the general pace of things this semester. It’s probably me more than anything. Worse yet, I can feel myself slowing down a little more as each day passes. I’m sleeping more, eating less, and all attempts of meditation leave me jumpy and strung out all at once. My knees ache, and with the oncoming morning chill, it’s harder and harder to leave the warmth of my bed.

I’d really rather ball up in my blankets and check out for another few hours. Or all week. Once I leave the house, it’s not a problem; it’s the leaving that’s the issue. It’s been a couple months since I’ve really gone out and seen anyone but for the same couple of people. And even then, it’s for briefer and briefer periods.

As of last spring, I’ve been diagnosed with clinical depression and bipolar and anxiety disorders. The slew of medications have had varying effects on them, and though I’ve settled on a trio that does some good, it doesn’t seem to be having the same effect as it was before classes started six weeks ago. I can see myself backsliding into the immobility of last spring. Honestly, I’m almost wishing I would.

At this point, throwing my hands up and giving up on this disaster of a year is probably the wisest thing I can do. It’s better to withdraw than to fail; looks better on the records and it’s less embarrassing to admit at the family Christmas parties. And even then, I’d probably need a bit of wine before mentioning it.

My only goal left is to finish a couple Christmas scarves and survive to the end of the year. Everything else can go hang.

Let’s Get this Show On the Road…

Bet you thought you’d never see the likes of  me again, eh? Well, it’s been a very long summer.

Very long indeed…

But let’s start out with the good stuff. Dr Mojo got herself hitched to her Aussie, the new Mr Mojo. And I was kindly invited to be the maid of honor. And, eek, the only one in the bride’s side of the wedding party. However, everyone in both families pitched in, and it was marvelous. Not to mention, with both Dr Mojo and me home an entire month, we got to hang out so much we were nearly sick of one another by the end of it; a very good thing, I promise.

Of course, the ceremony was beautiful. Out in the woods, up in the Maryland mountains someplace where they didn’t get cell reception (and good thing, because I’m fairly sure SOMEONE would’ve forgotten to turn off his or her phone in the ceremony, and then I’d have to take them out, as was my maid-of-honorly duty).

I could go into more detail, but honestly, I think photos are better.

Dr Mojo in her gorgeous dress.

Soon to be Mr Mojo.

Walking down the aisle.

The Handfasting.

Maid of Honor and Best Man…being twits.

Groom and pals.

Groom’s side.

Congrats hugs.

Cutting the Cheese ‘Cake.’

Papa Mojo and Daughter dance.

Dance, Aussies, dance!

…Face.

Last dance. Tom Waits’ “The Piano has Been Drinking.”
(Click pic for song.)
Girl still can’t waltz to save her life…

The Mojos.

Gorgeous, right? It was a fantastic event.

I’ll post about the rest later.

Ah, last picture…

Being epic. As usual.

More later. Toodles.

- Red

Coping

With finals but a week away, the dread is beginning to really mount. I’m feeling pretty solid in one class, but the other I’m totally lost in. Who would’ve thought librarians needed to know anything about web design or the various bits required by working with software? Not I!

To deal with the mounting frustration of waiting for finals to come around, I’ve reverted back to some pretty pathetic habits.

1. Reading manga.

2. Watching livestreams.

3. Knitting armwarmers for the Etsy shop while watching livestreams.

And my mom gave me a set of four beautiful bookmarks to embroider. Oh, the temptations. It’s so much nicer than studying when I’m marking up old tests with stitch counting. And with such beautiful yarn!

I mean, com’on. Self striping is awesome.

But not to worry. I have a study group on Sunday and I plan to be prepared. Hooah.

- Red

Final Exams

Make the pain stop…So many flashcards…

Middleton

I hate the library. Thank goodness the catalogs and online journals are accessible through my laptop safe in the coffee shop I frequent (or pretty much live in).

I swear Middleton Library is haunted. The stacks move around like the evil maze in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Like Florida Boulevard, which I’m not entirely sure is safe to drive in. I’m always afraid it’ll move when I’m driving on it and direct me into the scary hell that is Mississippi. I certainly don’t want that.

Worse yet, it’s always at least ten degrees colder in here than the temperature outside. As I have “reptile blood” (Mr Mojo’s-to-be words, not mine), this is not a survivable situation. It’s impossible to type when my hands feel like icy blocks of suckage.

On a nicer note, I’m donating a bunch of my books to a drive and friends, and have managed to find a replacement for them, because I have this nonexistent room in my apartment for them. The encyclopedia of world costumes is the one I’m most excited about, because I’m the weirdo who watches historical movies for the fashion and does extensive research on dress in my free time for writing. There’s also a bunch of Greek philosophy books that look interesting, and hopefully I’ll get to during the three weeks I have free between spring and summer sentences.

Oops, I mean semesters.

- Red

The Blog Comes in Handy

So I had a job interview today at a studio for an assistant and they wanted to be sure I was a creative personality. Since I didn’t have a portfolio on me (I wasn’t aware I needed one, actually), I remembered I had a few pictures up in the gallery here.

Go figure. Blogging IS useful. Kind of.

Hopefully I’ll get that second interview.

- Red

Happy Ostara

Easter, Passover and so on. Have some peeps on me! These virtual peeps are even calorie free, so you can eat the whole football team and fans!

From the Washington Post

So I’m back in Maryland for the next week and some change. School and work have sucked up a lot of my time, so this week off is going to be great. Dr. Mojo is also going to be in town, so we’re doing some shopping for her wedding, a caterer tasting and a celebration for Mama Mojo’s birthday. And some just plain old fun hanging out. Missed that girl.

Did I mention that I’ve been enjoying sunny 80-degree weather in Louisiana this spring? It’s wonderfully warm there. Coming to Maryland in April has been a shock. It’s prettier than the south (sorry, y’all), but cooooooold! I’m walking around the house in a jacket. My parents think I’ve lost it.

What I’ve been doing in school:

1. Building a webpage with my group for the St Amant High School library. I’ll throw a link up when we have the finished product. It’s looking great. After break I have to start working on the final reports, but so far, we’re way ahead of schedule.

2. Starting projects for my System’s Analysis class, in which we do something crazy, like analyze a system. Sounds like…not a lot of fun, actually.

3. Procrastinating on studying for finals, which are coming up in about a month. I’ll be starting that up soon as I get back from break.

Other things in life:

Back on meds (crud) and seeing new doctors in Louisiana. Am also apartment hunting, and with luck, I may have a new, quiet roommate, or a single place all to myself. I’m also getting a bike soon, if there’s money left over from my job and paying for wedding jewelry and the venue for the shower I’m planning for Dr. Mojo and Mr. Mojo’s fest. Because I am SO out of shape from my stay in the hospital.

Did I mention that? I was in for about a week a month and a half ago. Healing up well as can be expected, and managing fine.

Book quota:

23 read so far, 37 to go.

I’ve recently read (or am reading):

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (Pi’s suggestion)

Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice (Again)

Warchild by Karin Lowachee

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (Pheonix said this book isn’t supposed to be funny, but I don’t believe him)

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Again)

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Yes, I’ve hopped on that crazy train, but the movie was darn good)

Eight Lectures on Theoretical Physics by Max Planck

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

Abandon by Meg Cabot (Which I highly recommend to anyone who loved Greek myths as a kid, and which is going to have a sequel come out this month)

The Letters of Vincent van Gogh

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (Which was excellent, and something else I highly recommend to YA readers)

The Disappearing Spoon by Max Kean (Which I’m leaving unfinished. It’s a little dry, but a very interesting history of the periodic table, if you’re into that sort of thing)

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (Again)

The Antichrist by Friedrich Nietzsche (Again, for laughs, though Elly tells me this isn’t supposed to be a funny book either)

Suppose that’s all for now. Have a picture of the awesome cherry tree by our house! This is why I love Maryland!

Red

The 6s Basic Cabled Scarf

It’s my birthday today! And as my gift to you, I have a new pattern!

Also, this is my birthday cake. Which is awesome and gothy. Like me.

I designed a basic cabled scarf first as a Christmas present to a friend, and decided to reuse the design for a birthday gift for my father in July. The pattern is based entirely off the number 6 (since it’s easy and pairs up well with itself and translates easily for cables. The single rib stitches keep the scarf from rolling up into itself as purled stitches love to do.

6s Cabled Scarf (or Andrews Basic Cabled Scarf)

Skill level: Beginner-Intermediate

You will need:

Size 8 US needles
A cabling needle (the one with the curvy U shape)
Size 4 Medium weight yarn (Though this will also work with worsted, it’ll come out a little bulkier)
Stitch counter or pen and paper

Method:

Cast on 42 stitches.

Right side:
Single rib for 6 stitches
Knit 6 stitches
Single rib 6 stitches
Knit 6 stitches
Single rib 6 stitches
Knit 6 stitches
Single rib 6 stitches

Wrong side:
Single rib for 6 stitches
Purl 6 stitches
Single rib 6 stitches
Purl 6 stitches
Single rib 6 stitches
Purl 6 stitches
Single rib 6 stitches

Repeat until 6th row, then when you reach the Knit portion, cable. To cable, you will slip the first three stitches onto your cabling needle then drop it to the back of your scarf. Knit the next three stitches as normal, then pick up the cabling needle and knit those stitches as normal. Then continue the work as normal. Repeat cables every 6 rows where you would knit. Continue until you have about 66 inches of scarf and cast off.

This video was a huge help for me in learning cables. The pull the cabling needle to the front to have the cables leaning leftways, when I put it to the back to have the cables leaning rightways. It’s really up to you. Look up more videos on youtube if you need more help and don’t worry, after you finish this scarf, you’ll have the basic cables down pat!

Happy crafting,

Red