2.23.2009

for kandi and her weird gas station food obsession. sassy pickles? really?

when jeremy moved to colorado for the summer i would send him care packages, and sometimes they contained bagged pickles. sometimes they also contained his very favorite t-shirt which i was returning after he sent it to me so i could smell his scent on it, wear it and send it back to him for the same reason (how sickly sweet, right?), which happened to be a shirt of a band that no longer exists, and also a shirt that is now impossible to get another one of when the post office loses the box you put said shirt into, no matter how much you seach ebay and random hardcore message boards in hope of finding another one. sigh.

google jason molina and get everything he's done. it's good. i'm obsessed with okkervil river and magnolia electric company lately. it's all i want to hear.

i took a trip to charleston with some girls this weekend and it was fun. much more fun than i had expected, and i'm glad i didn't wuss out and have a social anxiety attack like i had figured i would. i also taught another person to knit this weekend, and i'm so happy to spread the knitting love around! i'm no expert, but i'm so happy to pass on my very limited knowledge. after i taught kandi she took off with it and is so much better of a knitter than me now (much to her husband's chagrin since she tends to be obsessive with crafts and hobbies). perhaps it won't be a dying, obsolete art! hooray! now i need to find someone more experienced than i am to help me finish this tank top i started. i got most of the front side done, but now i'm stuck and have been stuck for so long that the project has been on the shelf for months. i know, a knit tank top? totally lame right? but it's just a stepping stone between scarves and sweaters for me. doing a whole sweater freaks me out, but i've got to break out of just doing scarves and simple hats sometime. the tank doesn't have sleeves, so it's not as intimidating as a whole sweater. if i can finish it, though, the sweater attempt is the next. and then maybe CARDIGANS! ah! the thought makes me giddy. hand-knitted CARDIGANS? i've got to settle down before i start getting too excited at work.

anyway. i hope it warms up soon. i'm ready for some beach trips and sunshine.

2.20.2009

2.18.2009

car inspections are lame.

in arkansas we didn't have to get car inspections, so this whole process of registering my car every year and having to get it inspected first is throwing me for a loop. lucky for me, my entire tax return will be spent getting new tires, alignment, and windshield wipers so i can pass my inspection and get my car registered. yay for me!

i'm ready for spring. and sunshine. and lazy sundays in the yard drinking sweet tea with a good book and my feet in the kiddie pool.

i've broken two sets of headphones this month. and my dog ate one. i need to buy like 15 pairs of them and have them laying around everywhere.

i'm going to charleston this weekend and hope it's fun. i figure i'll freak out at the social aspect of the trip and spend most of the night in the hotel reading a book and knitting leg warmers, but that's actually fine with me. i need to get away from itchy little dogs and consistently cluttered apartments, even if it's just for a day or two. i get so overwhelmed sometimes at the clutter and to-do-list and walking schedule.

i know i have it easy, so don't think i'm melodramatic. i just need a day to NOT do those things. i think we all do.

i applied at AB Tech for the fall semester in the baking and pastry arts program. i'm not sure if i can afford it, how i'll make it work, where i'll be employed while i do this, but i figure if i don't just apply and try to jump in it will never happen. there's always going to be something in the way, so i need to just do it. their system is kind of weird, so i'm waiting to see what to do next. i had my transcripts sent and hope i don't have to take some kind of placement test since i already have a bachelor's degree. maybe that will get me out of some of the basics i would have to take too.

2.05.2009

they're liking each other more every day! i've started leaving them together during the day instead of separating them. i haven't noticed any issues yet, so maybe they're past trying to dominate each other. they're still completely different personality wise, so that is definitely taking some getting used to. i think once it warms up and we can play outside more they'll like each other even more. i've been wondering how much it would be to get a little fenced in play area for them in our yard. nothing big, just something so they could get some sunshine without being leashed and without having to pull porter off of the other dogs at the dogpark. he's kind of yippy and slightly aggressive at the dog park, and i'm just too anxious for that to work.

i did my taxes and got that over with, and also filled out a fafsa for the 2009-2010 year. maybe i'll start the baking and pastry arts program a bit early. the economy is looking rough, and it might be a good time to start it. i don't think i'll really be able to afford it, but it's going to be one of those things where there's NEVER a good time to start it. i just need to jump in.

i'm going to be sending valentines out this week! i'm excited about it. i've already made a list of about 50 people who will be receiving them, and a select few are getting a mix cd as well. i don't have time to do one for everyone, and i'm sure not everyone would even want one.

i used to really hate winter and snow, then we moved here and it seemed more tolerable. the snow is fluffier, it actually accumulates instead of turning instantly into packed grey ice and sludge like in arkansas, and it's prettier here in the mountains than it was on the fields back home. i was a little happy when it started snowing the other night, but after two days of walking the dogs in the bitter cold with wind blowing snow and grit onto us, we're ready for it to warm up. i also think the salt on the road hurts the dogs' feet. they'll be walking and suddenly stop and flail their little paws around like something is stuck in it. i've had to alternate carrying them on our walks until their paws warm up. this is the kind of weather that makes me wonder why i couldn't be a cat person instead. it's supposed to be 60 degrees this weekend, so maybe me and the boys can hang out in the yard with a good book, some chew toys, and some sweet tea. yay!