unsympathetic.net

I know it’s been awhile, but I actually started and finished something. In a fairly timely manner, no less.

A few weeks ago, the Yarn Harlot herself posted a pattern for an Unoriginal Hat. The moment I saw it, I knew that I absolutely had to have it. It was easy to justify the purchase of more yarn, since I didn’t have any chunky weight yarn in the stash.

I, of course, chose to use the actual yarn the pattern called for — Blue Moon Fiber Art’s Leticia — and can I say, totally worth the cost? This is one of the softest yarns I have ever used, and it totally made up from the hand cramps that came from using such large needles. I love the color, too, and if I had enough money, I would buy every shade in the Raven collection. I heart black with colors.

I absolutely love this hat, and would totally knit it again.

In fact, I’m looking for any excuse now to buy more Blue Moon yarn. I can’t wait to finish the socks I have on the needles now just so that I can cast on with the Socks that Rock that I bought. I’d do it now, but I don’t have a spare set of needles floating around, since there’s socks on them.

I’m working on another hat right now — a different pattern and for someone other than me — and it’s nice to have something to do with my hands while watching ME play video games, since I can’t read because I’m continually looking up to watch her.

There are only four weeks left in the semester, which means that I have more work than I know how to handle, obviously.

My procrastination has reached an epic high — I’m now putting off things that absolutely have to be done, like paper writing, and studying for tests. Not that I know how to study for tests.

I’m hoping that the month off between semesters will help me regroup and figure out how to reorganize myself so that next semester doesn’t feel like this, where I’m barely staying above water.

I need to find new organizational skills. I’ve got Schoohouse for my class work (although I could think of some improvements which would make it even better), a portable calendar that is helpful for jotting things down in a hurry — mostly when it’s too awkward to break out the laptop to get it onto the calendar — and a large monthly whiteboard that ME and I add to on a daily basis, but that we walk by numerous times a day, and can keep track of big events at a glance.

What I need is a program that I haven’t figured out yet to organize my life outside of school. Granted, I’m not sure what my life is outside of school, but it would be nice to be able to figure it out.

iCal is a good option — especially since the introduction of the integrated to-do list with Leopard. I just need to figure out how to set up the calendars for maximum productivity. It would be nice if Schoolhouse integrated with iCal — so that when I create an assignment in Schoolhouse, it adds it to an iCal to-do list. That way I wouldn’t have to remember to keep both apps open to see what’s coming up.

I’m sure I’ll come up with even more things I think I need to stay organized. And most likely, I’ll just become the most organized procrastinator ever.

I hope there’s an award for that.

– “This Week the Trend,” MmmHmm: Relient K

I actually wrote a post this afternoon between classes.

It wasn’t the best. It was actually quite lame. But I wrote it, which is more than I can say for other things I did today.

Somehow, I managed to lose the post. Perhaps Ecto decided to save the web from my atrocious writing. Perhaps I managed to close the window without saving. Whatever it was, the post is irretrievably gone.

The saddest part? That I had actually found a song quote to use as the title — the reason I hadn’t posted it when I wrote it — and now if I want to use that quote, I have to write it all over again.

I’m not in any hurry to do that.

Perhaps you’re wondering why I’m writing about the loss of a blog post, when it doesn’t matter what it is I post, or if I post at all. Mostly, it’s because I wanted people to know I had thought about writing, and that I had actually written something for the blog. And because poor Alturas was so excited about my blogging (she was next to me when I was writing it) that I didn’t want to let her down.

I guess I’ll try again tomorrow.

Yay! for finally getting to read some books for fun. Of course, I had to read part of Daniel Deronda as well for Victorian Literature, but I’m nearly done, so yippy!

1. Jack Sprat Investigates: The Fourth Bear – Jasper Fforde
2. The Dream-Hunter — Sherilyn Kenyon
3. Elemental Magic — Sharon Shinn; Rebecca York; Carol Berg; Jean Johnson

Slightly disappointed with Elemental Magic, only because I bought it thinking it was romance, but it wasn’t really. Four short fantasy stories, each with a central couple–but none felt like a romance story, really.

Good thing about being home: ice cream bars.

Bad thing about being home: being home.

It’s only been two days, and already I miss my stuff. I didn’t get to watch Chuck tonight–sadly the NBC site doesn’t have tonight’s episode up; hopefully tomorrow–and I spent this morning at work with my mum reading back issues of People Magazine.

ME has already given up on the week at home, heading back up to Chico on Sunday, and I dearly wish I could have joined her. I miss the video games. And my books. And riding my bike. And my yarn collection. And not living out a duffle bag at the foot of the bed.

There are good things to being home, though. I got to wander through Wal-Mart’s Christmas decorations with Dustin last night. I get to harass my siblings (that doesn’t happen nearly enough). K bought me random presents–and handed over a sweatshirt that was too big on her but perfect on me. And the chicken caesar salad for lunch today? Nearly made up for having to wake up at 6am. Nearly.

I haven’t managed any real work yet… I have a rough draft that absolutely needs to be hashed out before monday, and a class journal that really needs to be finished. And a paper for that crap Ag class.

I think, instead, I’ll fall asleep watching Joost (again), and see how unproductive I can be tomorrow. I’m thinking very. I had a hankering for fanfiction this afternoon that I didn’t get to fulfill.

–”Paralyzer,” Finger Eleven: Them vs. You vs. Me

Absolutely nothing.

It was a sad sad week indeed. At least next week is a vacation, and I do nothing better on vacation than read.

I’m home today. Home, as in my parents’ house.

With a week off for Thanksgiving, it was a given I’d come home eventually, but my mom really pushed for the whole week, while ME was thinking more along the lines of just Thanksgiving. After much wrangling and mind changing–first it was Thursday then Tuesday, then I was taking the bus or train on Saturday, then my parents were coming to pick me up, then it was Monday, then it was ME and me in the car Saturday–I finally made it.

This week is like a vacation, but not. Sure, I don’t have to go to school, but I have two papers to write, and have to get up freakishly early to go to work with my mom (and doesn’t that make me sound like I’m 12 again?) in order to organize a drawer I left messy, and see all my former co-workers. I’m so looking forward to a chicken caesar salad at Papaya’s, but not the 6:30 wake-up call, or the sharing the bathroom with the parents.

My dad is still remodeling the downstairs bathroom, more affectionately known as mine. Without a sink, toilet, or even walls, I must share mirror space with my mom come Monday morning. I’m sure she’ll not like it at all, but that’s the price she’ll have to pay for my presence. I should ask to borrow one of her many robes, though, since it’s damn chilly in the morning, and I’ll have to traipse halfway through the house to get ready.

This afternoon I helped my brother pick up some sheetrock for his garage, and it was nice hanging out with him for a bit. We don’t usually do any of that, so it was…interesting. And I got to see my dog, who I’ve missed, even though I’ve only just finished fixing the things she broke last time I saw her.

I’m feeling really chatter-box like tonight, so hopefully the change in pace and scenery will be beneficial for the blog. As in, more posts this week than all of last month. Not like that’s a hard record to beat.

– “Right back where we started from,” Maxine Nightingale

I wish I could say I read more but no. Only one romance, and it was from the junk pile to boot.

1. The Blanchland Secret– Nicola Cornick

It was decently okay, but I mainly picked it because I needed something to entertain myself while waiting for my carpool ride to show up, and it was raining. Might as well go with a book that I could stand to get wet. And still, it made me cry. It may move to the keeper pile.

Only one book this week (seems like I’m saying that a lot). This one is the second in the Looking Glass Wars series, and can I just say? Absolutely love it.

1. Seeing Redd — Frank Beddor

I can’t wait for the third book in this series to come out (and I seriously hope it’s longer than a trilogy), and I love it so much that I have been known to buy a comic or two, chronicling the adventures of Hatter M, when he’s not with Alyss.