changing course

A few days after I visited Teotihuacan I put up as my desktop this photograph which I took that afternoon: But, with my Spanish classes completed, my thoughts are turning to the next study-abroad trip I hope to take. Tonight I changed my desktop photo back to one of my favorite photographs of Tibet. The greens are so soothing: I hope it will not be too long before I can once again set in motion the KniTibet project. LC

breaktime

    Summer classes are over, and I have one whole week (!) to relax and piddle around the house before I go to back to work at the library over the break. Yesterday and today I managed to get a little housework done. And organized my old class notes and papers now that the semesters are over. Getting ready for the new one. And some knitting. And, hm... well, just odds and ends I guess.     Like tracking down the which hotel in Saint Augustine we stayed the last time we were there. Unfortuately, it took all afternoon. But, now I know the name.     As for the knitting, I've been working on a hat for the premature baby of an acquaintance. The first one was too small, but the second one is good, I think. And today I started a third, just because I wanted to try a little fuzzy thread with what I'd been using. Which is LB's Microspun. I pulled it out of my stash because I knew it would be very soft to the skin of the baby, and easy to care for by the mom.    Am still (slowly) losing weight, so I hope that my sugar is good when I get back to the doctor. I have an appointment soon. The size 14 capris I bought before I went to Mexico are loose, so I went to buy 12s -- they really didn't seem that much smaller, so I tried on the 10s. I like the way they fit, so I bought a couple pair. Admittedly, these are stretch capris, so I can't be that excited. Especially since I also bought two size 16 skirts that weren't stretch or elastic.     I picked up an underbed storage box for the tops and slacks that are too big, so that's a project for tomorrow. Late in the week, the plan is to get all the furniture out of the bedroom and finish painting it (don't ask), so over the weekend we can put down the new carpet.     Laundry calls. Had to rewash hubby's clean clothes that the cats pissed all over while they were sitting in the laundry room waiting to be folded. Cats are crazy.... LC

katrina +320

    After nearly 11 months, we have the living room back to normal at last. My father replaced all the carpet in his house back in the spring and gave us what they took up. Only one room in his house had been damaged during the storm, so the rest of the carpet was in fairly good shape. About two weeks ago, hubby and the two sons were finally all home (& well) at the same time so they went to Dad's to pick up it up. Yesterday, again, everyone was home (& awake) so we got the biggest piece put down in the living room and all the furniture back where it belongs. The best piece will probably go in our bedroom. I'd love to replace what is in the hallways, too, but I don't know if the sizing will match.     The cats were so funny inspecting the changes. The new/old furniture arrangement was like some kind of obstacle course for the first couple hours. But what was really amusing was how the female immediately seemed to command ownership of the carpet, lying in the middle like royalty while the males remained at the edges on the bare floor -- carpet doesn't quite cover the whole floor. After a couple of hours though, all three were enjoying the comfort of the carpet.     During the afternoon and again today, I have been slowly returning books, CDs, videos, etc., to their proper places. I hope to be able to spend many of the coming vacation (from classes) days cleaning and organzing my house. The clutter has gotten beyond even my tolerance level -- which is saying A LOT. For the rest of today, however, it is back to Spanish. And a little more knitting, I hope. The tote is coming along nicely. Into the second ball (of five) yesterday.     I've received good news about my grades for the classes in Mexico. I got an A in one, and should have at least a B in the other. The A is a surprise.     Hasta, chicos! LC

¡está bien!

    Although it wasn't the firts PPT presentation I have created, it was the first one I got to truly present in the format. During spring semester I prepared one for my capstone course, but I wasn't able to get the equipement in the classroom to present it. It was all text anyway, so the handouts and oral was all I presented. However, the classroom in which we are having our Spanish class is fully equipped for multimedia presentations. Considering that it was impossible to practice in the environment I had to present versus on my own computer, I think it went pretty well.     Of course, something I suspected would happen did. The sound files were only linked from their location on my hard drive to the presentation file, so when I used a flash drive with the .ppt file on it in the classroom system, the sound wasn't linked any more. Fortunately, I had my computer with me, and played the song clips through it. Tonight I found out how to save it with the files embedded, now it is all together. She asked me to bring it back tomorrow, so now the music soundtrack will play as it should.     The best thing was that she told me it was the first time she had put "Música Indígena" on her list of presentation topics, and that she had learned a lot. And, she loved my handout: I made an activity sheet very much like she has been giving us on the topics she presents. One would think I was a teacher candidate! I plan to do an English translation of the presentation for my sister (who *is* a teacher), in case she would want to use it in her classes. She's an art teacher who seems to end up teaching more non-fine art but still artistic, enrichment-type classes.     I took a nice nap when I got home. Lord, the heat was oppressive today! But, I feel like I can relax just a little tonight. Reading the last few stories in the Legends of Mexico book for a report due on Friday, and hope to do a little knitting on the purple tote later tonight. LC

birthday weekend

    My birthday was Friday, and along with a beautiful handmade stained-glass dragonfly pin from my sweet husband, I have received many special surprises from my friends. These included Facebook messages from new friends in and from Mexico, which led me to photo albums and pictures of people and places I missed taking while there. Phone calls from family and friends. Special gifts from friends including special silvercloth bags for the sterling silver jewelry I bought in Taxco, MX, a book on European Ayurveda (which should go nicely with Mediterranean Diet), and some beautiful bead stitch markers! Upon my father's gift I type this message: a refurbished (but seeming brand new) Averatec laptop I bought to go to Mexico, which weights only 4 pounds and is now also great to carry to class. I had dinner with hubby and #2Son on Friday night, then with Rissa & Ben, and Lisa & Mark last night in Jackson. Friday night I was good, but last night I indulged in a small amount of pan-fried potatoes, the top of a garlic roll, and a portion of chocolate cake.     During the EGA meeting yesterday afternoon I tried to knit; only Lisa had remembered to bring her drawnwork project, so there wasn't a lot of teaching done. On the way home I manged not to make any more mistakes and got back to and beyond where I had been before I ripped on Wednesday night. Coming through H'burg, we stopped at Michael's and I found some size 8 circulars -- so with my new stitch markers placed at even intervals I should be able to just as easily keep track of the count to help avoid adding stitches and at the same time not be dropping them off the end of the DPs.     Today, however, it is back to the Spanish. My PowerPoint must be ready to present tomorrow morning, so... hasta luega, mis amigos! LC

foolishness

    Well, the library job listing had been removed by the time I double-checked on it this afternoon. At least I didn't look foolish going to ask the woman about it. Nothing else interesting posted today.     I did do something foolish last night. Got to the end of round ten on the Berroco Knitting Tote and had three extra stitches. After counting and recounting several times (it was late), I started frogging. Two rows back I found where I had failed to psso. That accounted for one extra stitch. I just KNEW in my heart that the other two stitches were on the cast-on row. Couldn't, however, convince my brain and fingers. It was ONLY two little stitches that would not have mattered one little bit in the end product. It would NOT affect the patterning; there wasn't even any reason to decrease. But stubborn idiot that I am, I kept taking it back and back and back. Then, of course, I dropped one of the cast-on stitches. So today, I started all over again. Am now halfway through round four and going to bed... after I play some HexicHD on #2Son's Xbox.     Did I mention I have a Spanish quiz tomorrow?? At least class isn't until 3pm. LC

catch 22 and all

    I find myself in a bit of a quandry lately, brought even more to mind with an email I received yesterday morning.     I am 11 hours shy of fulfilling my degree plan, and scheduled to take 12 hours in the fall semester which will complete my double major and minor hours. While the courses won't be terribly difficult, they are upper level courses, and will require a large time commitment. (Translation: read books, write papers,read books, write papers, read books, write papers.)     At the same time, my honors thesis will be due about mid-semester. I submitted approval papers for my study prior to leaving for Mexico and still have not received any further information. So, I have lost the opportunity to use the summer students for my project (which requires at least five weeks of participation).     Now, all this could be resolved nicely, if I pushed graduation til May... and the best possible way to do this would be to get hired into a full-time position at the university. [The reason why not just any full-time job would be as good a solution is the benefits available as a university employee.] While I was in Mexico, I checked the current job listing, and amazingly, there was an opening (a good one) at the library. Perfect. I applied, and also emailed my former supervisor to check on the situation. Then, my son let me know that I had been called for an interview the following Monday. Oops. Calls were made, messages left emails sent and received, but the short of it is that the person doing the hiring wanted to do so by the 21st, and I didn't return until the 26th.     So, once back in MS, I checked the listings again and found another position annouced for in the Honors College office -- unfortunately, the above mentioned email informed me that I am ineligible because I am enrolled the Honors College.     Now here's what keeps going round in my head: one of the primary reasons for considering a full-time job is to extend the time available for me to complete my thesis as a student of the Honors College. If I dropped out of Honors College, thereby being eligible to apply for the job, I would no longer need to extend the time to complete a thesis.     Now the weird part is that the library job is still in the listings. Yes, I will go make myself look foolish tomorrow morning by asking about it. Alert! Knitting content follows!     While in Mexico, I finished LB's Open-Mesh Market Bag -- I only wish I had a photograph of how it looked full of (first) all the fragile items I packed in it to carry onto the airplane, and (second) all the things Continental made me take out of my suitcase because it was over 50 pounds but then allowed me to carry onto the airplane. I swear, if it had been red instead of yellow, all the little kids would have thought I had Santa's pack!     A couple days ago, I finally cast-on for the Berroco Suede Knitting Tote (materials for which I carried all the way to Mexico and back, along with supplies for about four pairs of socks -- what was I thinking??) At 210 stitches per round, I'm going pretty slowly. It would be faster if I had size 8 circulars.... think I'll go check eBay. LC