Knitting, Botany, Mycology, Nature, Adventure, and Life... in no particular order.
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Vacation Wrap-Up
So I have now been home from vacation for exactly 1 week. It sure doesn’t feel that long ago, and it feels like ages ago. It was a wonderful time.
We started out heading out to Northampton to pick up the last member of our ragtag crew. I had shotgun for that leg and had the Madelintosh sock yarn ready to go to start the Kai-Mei socks. (Which I did cast on in the car.)
While there we played a LOT of boardgames, swam. boated, kayaked, I found some fun things in the woods
we relaxed on the deck with a great view of the lake
people went tubing with various levels of success. Our buddy was very successful so the boat driver took evasive maneuvers to try to knock him off.
while when handsome and I went I screamed my head off while he laughed and waved. Contrary to my ascertations, we did not actually die.
We all cooked together and cleaned together and had a great time. We had amazing hosts and everyone did a combination of individual and group things. I got up early every morning to either drink tea and knit, drink coffee and knit/read, or to run and then want to die. (Vermont has these strange things called hills. Cambridge isn’t sure what they are but I think Somerville has heard of them.) This means that in addition to playing a lot of games, swimming, boating, and tubing I also got quite a bit of knitting done. From casting on in the car on Tuesday to leaving on Sunday I was almost done with the heel flap and about ready to turn the heel.
And now I am well on my way onto the foot and working the lace. I also am well on my way to wishing we had another vacation lined up. Maybe we’ll get to go the other place on Vermont, the one with no electricity! (Gas lights = knitting for me but no computers for the fella!)
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Fast Friendships
So one of the deals working within academia is that people move around a lot. People in the field all know this and you make friends very quickly. Wonderful brilliant friends you feel like you have known your whole life. After almost no time you hang out a ton, laugh, cry, tell stories and secrets, and almost feel like a family. It’s like a friendship with the candle burning on both ends as bright as a star, and it feels awesome.
Then, perhaps the grant funding ends, a PhD is achieved, a Post-Doc completed, or a job with more permanence is found. It’s time to laugh and help pack and tell those last stories and maybe shed a few tears. You load a truck or a car or suitcases, and say your goodbyes and see you soons. Another person (or persons) whom you love in another part of the world.
Before you know it you have friends in all sorts of places. All around the United States for me, as well as places across the globe. You end up with a huge network of places to visit to see friends and travel with excitement. And with email and skype people really stay in touch better than I imagine they did before.
However, I kinda wish more people would stay put for a while. I haven’t gone anywhere… Then again, I probably feel this way because I have had another favorite family that I love head off into the wilds of the west. I know I’ll visit because I can’t bear not to, and there is the promise of seeing Mt. Rushmore, but right now that feels impossibly far away.
So, thanks for everything guys. You have been some of the most fun people to hang out with and I have learned from all of you. Each of you has really been great and I feel like my life is better and changed for knowing you. Safe trip!
Here’s a parting picture, which unfortunately is not of the whole family. I’ll remedy that next time I see them and make sure to get Dad in a shot too.
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PAX report
So, last month I went to PAX. I went with friends, with family, and with strangers. It was very different from my first time going to PAX in Seattle a few years ago. Then I really knew nothing of gaming culture and played pretty much only Dr. Mario on occasion. I used it as a great excuse to go on vacation in Seattle with friends (which worked out great as I had lots of time on my own to explore) and did spend some time at the convention having fun and being totally overwhelmed.
This time was different. This time I knew a lot more going in, and I had some plans. I wanted to do some console gaming (and I did! played a Wii for the first time), I wanted to learn how to play D&D (which I also did, rolling a d20 for the first time and now knowing what “roll for initiative” means) and I wanted to meet up with other knitters who were also PAX attendees.
The last of those is one of my favorites. Many of us worked through the PA forums and Ravelry to spread the word. The most difficult part was that the place we chose was very crowded so not everyone found us. However, we had a great time and I met some great knitters & crocheters (or hookers if you prefer). There is a great post by Rows Red over here with more pictures of PAX. Playing D&D and other games with friends, getting a Castle Crashers t-shirt, having Will Weaton walk by (and then later take a pic with my sister while I was learning to play D&D… the irony), going to panels, and hanging with my sister really made the whole weekend awesome.
So, here are some pictures, since detailing the convention isn’t going to be interesting for anyone. However this summer I am totally going to the classic arcade museum up in NH, so feel free to join me!
The Beginning! (Gateway to PAX)
KN1TT3RS!
Saturday Night Concert
My first D&D final dungeon!
Nerd Sisters!
And in a couple weekends the DM there is going to teach our parents to play!
That’s all for now. Next big summary: St. Louis!
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Best Present Ever
The other night a good friend of mine dropped off a present for me. The best. present. ever.
So, there is some back story here, in case you found the force of the sheer awesomeness a bit random. (Though why would you really)
First, my friend is a great and wonderful person who also has a baking and pastry degree and is expaning her portfolio. Second, I really really love Wonder Woman.
Wonder Woman is one of my (fictional) heroes. Not the T&A Wonder Woman, but the original one created by William Moulton Marston in 1941. The one created to be a symbol of feminsim and freedom and encouragement. The one who saved people and who told little girls they could be whatever they wanted. Also the one written and illustrated by some of the great women comics artists in the 80’s.
At one point years ago I decided I should look into getting a good costume to wear under my clothes in secret on those days you know are going to be really hard, to help get through them. Instead, a couple years ago I opted to get a WW symbol as a tattoo for my birthday. (You may not see pictures. It is hidden away most of the times in a tasteful spot because I got it for ME, not to show the world.) It helps to represent things I feel are important as well as be some extra personal support and confidence.
So yeah, chocolate, baked goods, WW and hours of love end effort pretty much combine to make the best gift in the history of the universe. That’s right, the UNIVERSE! (And if you disagree then you certainly aren’t invited over to share in my dessert.)
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Woah There
A lot has happened since the Celtics game and I just haven’t been able to mentally catch up.
We had a lovely Thanksgiving and managed to see all the respective immediate families. Dinner was with mine and my sister managed to cook us a terrific meal. She really knows how to cook, and with Mom and I helping out I would say there couldn’t have been a better meal. (Also I really love my family so spending time with them is always great.) I, of course, baked a pumpkin pie and everyone still loves me till next year.
Then, the following day, I had my 10 year reunion! Good Grief! We had a nice group come over first and then we took the T downtown to Felt where we grabbed dinner before heading upstairs to the party. There are a lot of things I could say here. I could wax poetic, make then vs. now lists, or even go on in detail about tons of people you aren’t likely to know. The sort version: it was super fun, it was great to talk to all different people and catch up, found out a bunch of people are in the area and we plan to hang out (boardgames will probably be part of that), and in the end I got to have some of my favorite people in the world in the same room as me again. I might have gotten teary, but it was probably the lighting.
Saturday I missed the fellas’ annual alumni high school ultimate game, but went out to brunch with an old friend and his lovely lady. After that though I caught up with all the rascals and adventures were had involving Blue-Ray players, Chinese food, and board games.
Somehow it is now the 2nd week in December. I have been knitting up a storm and having tea and cookies at night. Later I’ll share more on that and hopefully get the lights on the tree (YEAH TREE!) and post some pictures. At least now I don’t constantly feel like I am trying to show up time so I can catch up with all my thoughts. (Keep your slow comments to yourselves… especially you Dad!)
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Celtics
So last night I went to my first Celtics game courtesy of a good friend with his family and my fella. Since I hadn’t really watched basketball since I was a kid I was actually a bit nervous about the whole thing. I mean, I’d heard some names of new players but I probably had not seen a game in over a decade. (Keep all those comments about being old to yourselves)
It was GREAT! The game was fun and fast paced, it was easy to know what was going on, there were some good plays, and we won!
Here are a few choice photos:
I of course wore my Chucks… the original basketball shoe. It was thematically appropriate, which made my sweetie laugh.
My fella, our charming buddy, and his Dad behind who actually was responsible for all the tickets. Thanks again!!
Garnett may be a giant, but Pierce is an animal! (Cannot believe I caught this!)
Oh yeah, you all had to know this was coming.
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Beer differences
Things beer may make seem different (or actually be different)
- Role playing (especially if you are new/nervous)
- Knitting tension
That is all I am currently testing. Results to follow.
