Movin' On Up! Part One

I'm currently perching (yes, Nicole, perching!) on the edge of my desk chair, surrounded by mountains of boxes, tubs, and bagged up food (I'm glad I'm moving somewhere close enough that I don't have to stress about finishing all my food or throwing anything out), ready to take all this stuff to the new apartment!
It's been a really stressful two days, including a complete, tearful collapse last night when I was freaking out right before bed that I would never be able to get everything into boxes and over to the place in the limited amount of time I have. I also had a quiz this morning - just so you know, freaking out about moving and about studying simultaneously results in absolute awfulness.
Now that the quiz is over (I think it went well... I'll find out tomorrow) and my belongings are organized, I'm feeling much better. I'll let you know how I'm feeling after I've moved boxes for a few hours!
Thanks for all your friendly encouragement. I love getting your notes :)

Ah, Monday.

I had a nice, relaxing weekend! Cute BF was here, and while I'm sad it was only for 3 days, he's coming back soon, during my week of vacation between the Hebrew class and Fall Quarter. We walked all over Hyde Park, ate some delicious food, and took 80 billion pictures. This is my favorite.
It was good to have a mini break, because today I got to start up the craziness again. My first Hebrew class went really well, and I got a lot of packing finished this evening. I can't believe I'm moving in just 2 days! Hopefully I can get the rest of my stuff into boxes tomorrow night. At this point it's mainly clothes and kitchen wares left to pack. Most of my books are already on bookshelves in the new place, which is nice since they're the heaviest things I own.
This was a quick one since I have to get to bed - another intense class tomorrow followed by packing and paper writing and doing laundry. Wish me luck!

Etc.
61. I like to watch sappy or cheesy chick flicks.
62. I prefer highlighters that aren't yellow.
63. Bags are better than purses (I carry a lot of stuff).
64. I own way too many kinds of body wash and shampoo.
65. I like to wear flip-flops in the rain. It's easier to dry off my feet that way.
66. I used to be afraid to make business telephone calls or even call the pizza place, in case they asked me a question to which I didn't know the answer. I got over it.
67. I like to paint my nails.
68. I love the smell of PlayDoh.
69. I want to take a vacation to Maine.
70. I can't wait for school to start again.

Home Ec. At the Library.

Today at work I got to try out some fun new tools. Due to a serious lag in shipments for the front end of acquisitions, I got sent over the tail end of our department for shelf prep, the final line of defense between receipt of new books and all of you out there in the stacks (ok, and me too. I hang out in the stacks all the time). And it seriously felt like I was taking my first Home Ec class!
I didn't take pictures, but I'll try my hand at describing the wonderful technology I used that made work seem like a crafter's paradise.
The glue-roller for putting adhesive (basically a glorified rubber cement that sticks all your fingers together) on the back of donor plates (just pieces of paper naming the lovely benefactor whose moneybags paid for the book) is a metal roller that dips into a reservoir full of adhesive and spins around while you slide plates across it. How do you make it spin? Use a sewing machine pedal, of course! I had lots of fun with that one.
I also got to type up and print spine stickers with call numbers for about 250 books. They print out on a reel of tape that is only a little bit sticky. In order to really make it stick to the book, you put it on and press the whole thing to a ceramic plate heated to 145 degrees celsius. The tape backing melts and adheres really well. Guess what they called this whole process? Ironing!
Okay, so maybe I'm just a dork, but I got a kick out of doing little domestic tasks for BOOKS on an assembly line. I am very easily amused. Or does this mean I would be well-suited for sweatshop labor? Yikes.

A little more neutral knitting; some orangey-rust fingerless mitts I tried to post last time, when Blogger ate all my pictures.

I'm off to a Bon Voyage hour-o-fun and then it's back to finishing papers (it's going really well today, I'm so proud!). Happy knitting all :)

Listing Some More Stuff:

51. I can't help tapping my foot to music. It may be a holdover from years of playing in band
52. My favorite Disneyland ride is the one about Alice in Wonderland where you ride in a caterpillar.
53. I could eat a whole bag of Strawberry Twizzlers by myself.
54. I do better work on my papers when I have a hard copy instead of when I try to work on the computer.
55. I do even better work when I have a hard copy of the paper AND a whole bag of Strawberry Twizzlers. Tonight is going to be wonderful :)
56. In a game of Risk, I am only satisfied if I have captured the Congo. Doesn't matter if I win or lose; it's all about that one country. No idea why.
57. I am tempted to dress myself or my bed in stripes or polka dots.
58. Today was the first time I finished running full speed for 45 minutes on the machine at the gym and felt like I could have kept running for another 15 minutes.
59. I danced in a school Luau Sr. year of college. Hula is so fun!
60. I chipped my tooth a few months ago on a ceramic bowl because I was really excited about eating the peas that were in the bowl. Stupid peas.

Also? Go check this out. So unbelievably cute.

Not exactly neutral...

Hey! This is a knitting blog, right? I've been knitting. Here's something that I'd like to count for Project Spectrum neutrals month, even though it's only sort of neutral.
A stripey sock (there's grey in there! Look closely!):

Wendy! I am jamming away on these bendy needles, and I'm loving what happens to sock fabric with a switch from my usual US3s to US2s! I think I'm a convert to smaller needles :)
What a great weekend!
It was wonderful to catch up with my friend, the future Dr. We had a delicious dinner in Greek Town, got caught running around Michigan Ave. and Water Tower Place in a surprise downpour, and made up for it with Ghirardelli hot chocolate. I'm looking forward to seeing him (and his twin brother) again over Christmas break.
I have to admit that I didn't enjoy "Snakes" as much as I was hoping to. It did satisfy my craving for absolute ridiculousness, but the only part I really enjoyed was when the lights shut off on the plane and in the background you hear one man softly say "snakes!". If you can watch a whole movie just for that and the infamous "m-fing snakes" line, you should go see it; otherwise, hold off until you can rent it. Or avoid it altogether :)
The countdown for another wonderful weekend has begun (do you notice I seem to be living for the weekends? In my mind, that's a sad, sad way to spend summer vacation). Mr. Boyfriend arrives Thursday night - at 3am, crazy person - and I have vowed to have my papers finished before he gets here. Wish me luck!

The Latest List:
41. My favorite cookies are oatmeal raisin.
42. I go through phases of using lotion and not using lotion. Mostly this means I have many many bottles of lotion sitting around on my dresser.
43. I take more pictures now that I have a digital camera than I ever did with a regular camera.
44. I've been wearing glasses since I was 5 and contacts since 7th grade.
45. I have a collection of those smashed penny souvenirs from places all over CA.
46. Every time I've gone backpacking in the last 5 years, I've sprained one of my ankles.
47. My family makes leprechaun traps every year for St. Patrick's Day. They don't work as they're intended to, but we sometimes catch mini leprechaun clothes. And lots of glitter.
48. I'm hoping to go to Disneyland next summer on a joint graduation trip with my sister, who will finish high school when I get my Masters.
49. I'm moving in 9 days!
50. I love drinking smoothies for breakfast, but I truly dislike cereal.

Busy Bee (Fun Plans)

I've got big plans for this weekend, folks, and they kick off this afternoon!
One of my friends started going to the gym with me a little over two weeks ago, so we're heading to the best store in the world (Target, of course) to get some new workout clothes. I have to say, having company at the gym has been great. I feel more motivated, I'm less likely to cut a workout short, and she's really interested in strength training, so we've been using the weight machines more than I ever have in my life. Talk about instant effects! All of a sudden I have shoulder muscles I've never seen before. It's fun :) I had sort of resigned myself to working on a plateau, but changing the kind of workout I'm doing fixed that. So yes, I will be very materialistic and buy new workout clothes to motivate myself even further.
Tomorrow, I'm meeting up with a high school friend I haven't seen in about 4 years. He's in town to give a presentation at a medical conference (Mr. Smartypants), and we get to have dinner and catch up. Should be a good time!
Saturday is for ridiculousness. Didn't you know that? I'm going downtown to see Snakes on a Plane with all the pals. I can't believe I'm actually going to go watch something so dumb, but I hear there's an awesome pinball machine at the movie theater... It will be entertaining no matter what.
In between all of that (which shouldn't actually be too difficult), I'll be finishing up these stupid papers. Yes, I'm still working on them. I have about 6 more pages to write total, and I am determined. Because my boyfriend is visiting next week, and then I'm moving, then I start a Hebrew class, and I won't have time to write papers anymore. They must get finished right now!

The list:
31. I know how to drive a stick, but I would need a lot more practice before I felt safe actually taking to the streets. And, you know, driving with passengers or listening to the radio at the same time.
32. I hate doing chores unless I'm angry or need time to think.
33. I love knitting socks, but don't normally wear socks unless it's really cold out.
34. I never expected to end up studying Religion.
35. I usually read more than one novel at a time.
36. My favorite cartoon character is Spongebob Squarepants (absorbent and yellow and porous is he!)
37. When I was about 4 I would spend whole afternoons pretending to be Sleeping Beauty. As in lying on the floor with my eyes closed waiting for the prince to show up while I played the whole story over and over in my head.
38. The only genre of literature I've never really been able to enjoy is Mystery.
39. In 1st grade, my best friend and I dubbed ourselves aliens. I was from the planet Mazakan. I made up a planet theme song and everything.
40. I still remember the Planet Mazakan theme song. Frightening, no?

Contest Winners and, finally, some knitting progress

Ooh, aah, aren't you excited?!

Here are the photos of in-process winner selection :)

The knit-tea party in a box [preview below] goes to -
And the seed stitch sampler [preview below] goes to -
Congratulations to the two grand prize winners; please e-mail me your mailing addresses so I can send out these packages on Saturday (allisonlgray"at"gmail"dot"com). And to everyone who entered by commenting, thanks so much - congratulations to you for setting and meeting some impressive goals.

My knitting has taken a sudden leap forward, and here is the current state of the back of my silk camisole top from Vintage Knits. I should be able to start the front this week, and then it's time for some (Dun dun dunnnnhhhh) seaming.
Last but not least, I received the final package from my beyond-words wonderful SP8, and it's Wendy! I think I am set to knit socks for life on my bendy blue (yay) needles, and I certainly look fashionable with these great earrings. Thank you so much for everything, Wendy :)

More of "the list"
21. My favorite vacation spot is Lake Tahoe.
22. It may look like I enjoy planning, making lists, and organizing everything, but I get a huge thrill out of spontaneity.
23. Peanut butter and raisins on a banana is my favorite snack.
24. I think Christmas lights are cheerful, and I have some up in my room right now.
25. I haven't owned a TV for 5 years, and I don't miss it.
26. I'm allergic to angora yarn. It's very sad.
27. The city I'd most like to visit is Rome. Florence is a close second.
28. I always try to keep some kind of music in my schedule. At UofC, that's been singing alto in a Div School choir.
29. My first job was as a lifeguarding assistant. I helped teach swim lessons, and I was sometimes in charge of handing out those net clothing bags for people to use in the changing rooms.
30. I want to write a novel.

Dinner Party

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER THE CONTEST, OPEN UNTIL TUESDAY NIGHT! details in post "150". :)

As further evidence that my friends and I are utterly addicted to school, allow me to describe our evening for you.
[note: there are supposed to be pictures, but blogger is being a butthead]
After I made it back from a day of wardrobe enhancement downtown, I ran around like a madwoman putting together a dinner, making a last minute trip (which lasted far too many minutes, since I live far away and the buses aren't running on weekends this summer) to the grocery store for fruit salad fruits, and doing laundry in an attempt to have clean hand towels in my bathroom. And stealing flowers from the front of my building for a charming centerpiece.

Nicole and Steve arrived, were (gratifyingly) appalled by the disgusting heat of my apartment, and we had a leisurely dinner, followed by the most gooey, delicious brownies I've had in... months, made by Nicole.

We then pulled each pulled out a copy of Peter Brown's Cult of the Saints, and proceeded to dissect his arguments, quiz each other on the current state of religious studies, discuss the academic-faith brain disjunct/conjunction, and thoroughly enjoy ourselves for about an hour and a half.
Even in the summer, we've organized a little study group/book club, and each of us will be assigning a text relevant to our own field and hosting a dinner-and-discussion section. This has been really fun so far, and I can't wait for our next get-together, in two weeks.
So now I'm sipping on the dregs of our bottle of wine, debating the relative merits of knitting and an early bedtime (can one knit lying down? I might have to try), and admiring the bangs I just cut for myself.

10 more things:
11. I went to an all-girls' Catholic high school. Across the street from an all-boys' Catholic high school. Not a bad set-up, actually.
12. I am a magpie; bright shiny things seem to mesmerize me.
13. My favorite color is periwinkle.
14. I love country music.
15. Some of my teeth (molars) grew in without enamel on them. They're weird colors and require occasional fluoride treatments and sealants.
16. My sister and I used to spend summers pretending to attend a convent school, wearing inside-out t-shirts pulled back over our hair to look like nuns. (Have you ever seen the movie "The Trouble with Angels"? Hilarious)
17. I won a set of Crayola colored pencils at Old Navy today - woohoo!
18. I know how to play clarinet, french horn, marching mellophone, and tenor saxophone.
19. When I drive alone, I like to take the scenic route and sing along to the radio.
20. I wish I could recognize more constellations.

150

Welcome to magnificent post #150! As usual, a little later than I expected, but hopefully worth the wait.
First, a quick note to Cecily and Wendy, and any others wondering about the armwarmers - I didn't have a pattern, I just cast on 56 stitches, knit two inches of ribbing, knit until they seemed almost long enough, then did two more inches of ribbing. I tend to fly by the seat of my pants on things like this, and the yarn is so great it seems to do all the work for me!

Just a number:
My recent (and consistent) weigh-ins at 150 lbs. represent a fitness milestone for me that just happens to coordinate well with this bloggy milestone. That's why I chose to celebrate at 150 posts instead of 200 or some other number. For me, the number 150 now reminds me of perseverence, meeting goals, and feeling great. My grand total weight loss over a period of 15 months is at 30 lbs., and I think I've done it all in a reasonable and maintainable way: change of diet, increased exercise, finding supportive and encouraging friends, and feeling good about myself in school, living on my own, and working. Best of all, I'm feeling confident about my ability to keep up with my healthy habits and healthy weight. Hooray!
So in honor of the number 150, I'd like to share some of my current and future goals in knitting and life.
Lots of books:
I've read a ton of books this year. Not all of them have been page-turners, and, sadly, few of them have been novels, but I've learned so much and read such a wide variety of things for class that the lack of fiction wasn't unbearable. Nevertheless, my goal for this coming school year is to read at least 10 novels each quarter. That works out to one per week, which is definitely manageable. If you have recommendations, I'd love to hear them :)
Knitting madness:
I've never made a sweater that involved seaming. In fact, I'm downright afraid of seaming. I can just imagine myself knitting beautiful pieces and then botching up the whole thing when I sew them together wonkily. This year, I'm going to make a sweater with set-in sleeves. I might even try a cardigan (ooh, daring). I've yet to choose a pattern, but since I'm going to wait until September and (hopefully) cooler weather, I've got a bit of time.
I've also never made gloves. Something about having to make 8 fingers just doesn't appeal to me. But! Longtime readers may remember that eggplant never appealed to me either, and now I love it. So I'll give gloves a try. I have some pretty, light blue yarn and a basic pattern, so I have promised to make myself a pair of winter gloves.
Lacy scarf. Must do.
Travel:
I have friends in so many different places, and I've been able to save a little bit of money from working this summer, so I'm going to make some travel plans for school breaks. I might not go far, but I'd like to go someplace new, someplace I've never been. This one will take a lot more planning, but it's one of my big goals for opening myself up to adventures next year.
Lists (gee, I'm starting this one now!):
For my next 10 entries, I'm going to do that "list of 100 things" that's floating around on so many blogs. I think doing 10 at a time will be more pleasant than putting all 100 at once. I'd like to do more substantive blogging; sometimes I feel like I throw a picture or two up here and let it go at that. I personally am much more interested in blogs that offer more of a glimpse into real life, and I'm ready to make this place entertaining!

Here's my very first list, to show you I've reformed hahaha.
1. My middle name is Leigh. I couldn't spell it right consistently until I was 6, even though I was reading by the time I was 3.
2. I wish I had a pet goldfish, but I haven't actually gone to buy one yet.
3. The first thing I ever knit was a burgundy scarf that turned out too wide and full of holes, but I gave it to my sister as a blanket for her teddy bear.
4. I love to eat frosting on graham crackers.
5. This past year has been the most challenging and the most rewarding in my life so far. I pretty much think that every year.
6. I secretly want to name my first kid Oglethorpe, but I'll probably save that for the goldfish.
7. I prefer hot chocolate to drip coffee. Drip coffee never comes with whipped cream.
8. I'm afraid of all things supernatural (vampires, ghosts, things coming out of the mirror), but things like real-life serial killers or natural disasters don't scare me.
9. I am obsessed with stationery products, but I tend to save them and look at them and pet them instead of ever using them.
10. I've never seen the Godfather movies.

The contest:

Alright, everybody, I've shared some of my successes in the past year with you, and some of my goals for the next year. This blogging community has given me a lot of encouragement, so this little contest is a way of saying "thank you!" to all of you. To enter the contest, all you have to do is leave a comment telling me about a goal you've worked hard for and accomplished, something that you're currently working on, or something you haven't started yet but are planning to do soon. If it's your first time here, don't worry - de-lurking can win you some fabulous loot :) I'll accept all comments as entries up until Tuesday night, then put your names in a hat and draw for two grand prize winners.
Prize #1 - Knit-tea Party in a box
Prize #2 - Seed-Stitch Sampler

Can't wait to read your comments!

Found:

Pictures to share for some laughs.



Knitting pictures.

I ended up giving these socks to my friend Nicole, and she really likes them. Hooray!

The yarn for both of these is KnitPicks Simple Stripes.

Entry #150 is next - TOMORROW! Come back for a chance to win fabulous prizes :)