my sci fi character

I took the sci fi character test...I'm no Jean-Luc Picard, but Galadriel works for me.

WOW

I can't believe it's been an entire month since I've blogged. I must have been crazy busy or something. I've opened some residence halls, started the school year, dealt with situations, attended my 15th college reunion and made it through homecoming. I'm looking forward to the final month of campaigning. It's not so bad with the commercials here, since we're a blue state and all. I am wondering a few things, though, like: what does Dan Seals do when he's not running for congress? who decides which schools get to host? and why would anyone want to spend the money to host a debate? and why is the daily show so bloody funny???

The other wandering thing I have to add is this...is this girl cute or what???

the DNC

I'm trying to be interested in the DNC speeches tonight. I enjoyed Hillary a lot, and do miss her. But I am behind Barack. I am just not behind John Kerry -- he's boring. It's cool to have a former general on our side, though. She isn't the best speaker, but is good to have.

Classes start tomorrow, so I should be getting into a schedule of some kind. I will miss training, since I won't see the staff all the time, but it will be good not to be running from one thing to another. Don't they look fabulous???

ravelympics

I had high hopes for my ravelympics projects, but I did finish the rainbow marley hat (I am waiting for pictures). I started a long stocking cap, but the striping on the hat turned strange when I started decreasing and I didn't like it, so frogging ensued. It's back to a gorgeous ball of rainbow yarn (I must be in a rainbow mood). I have not done any more on the tunic, so that's not probably going to be done either.

At least my staff made the daily click on the lake forest website today...

olympics

So, I LOVED the opening ceremonies of the olympics! Of course I wept as the kids came out and the pictures of children around the world were projected on the scrim. I'm such a schmuck... I was amazed at the choreography and the drumming and the tai chi moves -- I can't believe how many people were involved, and without a mess up. It reminded me of the LA olympics when zillions of piano players did rapsody in blue simultaneously. I was only slightly annoyed by the concentration on the American team -- I could care less about Kobe Bryant -- it is times like these that I wish I had CBC like my parents. It's less blah blah blah and more about the athletes.

I did start my ravelympics projects -- I made the rainbow marley hat (pictures later), and will continue on the ever present tunic. I think I will make a hat or two more from the itty bitty hat book (thanks Michelle for pointing it out to me). If Matt's baby ever comes out, then I can decide whether to send him or her the marley hat. And I will get cracking on some hats for the twins, as well as for various other worthy children (and people).

Meanwhile, here's a picture to spice up the blog.

blueberries

So, mom and I picked over 30 pounds of blueberries over the weekend, and I have 40 cups in the office freezer (I need to make room in my freezer). So I should be baking something, but just haven't been in the mood. The summer is over, so I think I am a little sad about that, and am not in the mood for anything other than mindless tv and working too many hours. :)

So, maybe some crisp will be baking tomorrow night...we are going to the city as a staff, and that should be fun.

my fateful meeting

So, last night was my fateful meeting with one of my high school "boyfriends," Joshua Bell. When we were in high school, he came to MHS and met with the orchestra. We were in love at first sight.

PM and I went to hear him play the Sibelius, one of my favorite concertos ever. The annoying people next to us wouldn't stop TALKING, and in the last minutes, a woman starting talking on her cell phone AT FULL VOLUME. I was not happy. I stalked off the blanket and went to the pavilion, where I shoved through some people and I saw his head and his movement as he completed the final chord. it was transcendent, but I was so annoyed by people that I came back to the blanket and told PM I was ready to leave. I didn't even care about the Beethoven symphony, and had decided to sit down grumpily when I heard an announcement over the loudspeaker, "Joshua Bell will be signing autographs outside the dining pavilion." I yelled, made PM jump up and spill beer all over herself, and we ran to the pavilion. We got in line, and then found out we needed to buy a CD. I grabbed two of the red violin concerto CDs, and ran back. We were giggling and shaking, and felt like two sixteen year olds. PM looked at me and said, "how does my hair look?" In fact, when he got to the table, some 16 year olds screamed! We were telling people in the line that we felt like kids waiting for BSB or NKOTB. So we waited...

PM and I were at the front of the line when some bossy mothers pushed their child prodigies in the way and took pictures. But soon, it was OUR TURN! We walked up together, and I said, "thanks for coming to our high school 20 years ago." He smiled and said, "oh, when I was five." and I replied, "well, I was three." We were flirting!!! It was our special moment. Actually, he signed "Joshua" on our CDs, and we ran away like schoolgirls. We couldn't stop shaking and giggling. Then we called our moms and my mom laughed so hard she couldn't stop coughing!

This morning we found out PM's mom called our orchestra director from high school, and he said he had video of the whole thing from the '80s. I bet all the girls were going crazy...

I know it was love.

p.s. When I posted my status on facebook this morn, excited about JB, one of my friends asked me if he was of "Drake and Josh," some nickelodeon show. whoops, wrong josh.

frustrated

I am excited and frustrated. Excited, for I am happy that our candidate is not another white male. But I am upset that my prediction is coming true...it took 50 more years for women to even be able to vote, so it will be at least that for a woman to be president. It was interesting to hear HRC say that she had met women who were alive when women couldn't vote in all the states.

I am tired. I am tired because I was up watching two and a half overtimes last night, and the red wings were denied, and I am tired of the sexist crap in our country. It's all talk...nothing really will change. I think I will sulk and knit.

lots of random thoughts

So, I have been ruminating on many things this week, probably because my new facebook app on the kiersey temperament sorter reminded me that I am a healer (along with less than 1% of the population). So when I was at the Green Festival yesterday (I'd post a link, but I noticed it wasn't up today...greenfestivals.org), I was thinking about my passion for social justice and fair trade and how I see environmentalism through that lens, rather than through the fear of global warming and the future of the United States. Oxfam America, Heifer Project and of course, Ten Thousand Villages have so much opportunity to end poverty and injustice, and the environment is a piece of that. I think that perhaps through framing environmental causes through the lens of global poverty and injustice may help disbelievers understand the green movement better. I think it can be frustrating for people to be yelled at when not throwing things in the proper container and having others lecture you for driving a less than ideal mpg car.

I know I'm a hippie. I blame my (when growing up) long-haired mom who made me listen to PPM, the new Christy Minstrels, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, and some other hippie-esques who I still love today. In fact, right now I am listening to Storyhill, a male folk duo beloved by some of my granola-y friends (the things that happen to you in Minnesota!). But back to my hippie mom, who made baby food from scratch (you can do this at home too). Anyways, now I can't even remember where I was going with this whole thing. My brain has been corrupted by my consumption of a sketchy salad kit that was lurking in my fridge. It seemed to be ok...or was it?

Anywho, I wanted to also mention that I read an interesting thing on the happiness project this afternoon -- 50% of your propensity for happiness is genetic, 10% depends on circumstances, and 40% is through your own devices, such as blogging, reading, eating, drinking coffee, kindness...OOPS, for others it could be exercise, or some such crap (exercise being the crap part). At least yoga will count. We did try to go to a yoga session yesterday at the Green Festival, but it was a demo. So instead we did beer tent yoga, where we got beer and sat cross legged in the corner. But we did meet the owner of Great Lakes Brewing Company, who was super nice and told us about his beer. It was tasty, and now I am a fan (and it comes from Cleveland, which is also faboo!).

So, today's happiness was boosted by not driving to the city, listening to good music, blogging, cleaning my kitchen floor (I know! a miracle!), and now I will read. I have the second sisterhood of the traveling pants book to start. In the last link, I used the book site Better World Books, for whom I worked four hours yesterday to earn my pass for the festival. They are really cool people, and I will try to get some of my reading from them. We scanned all of the books that were donated yesterday, and some of them I really wanted.

Next time I will try to have some pictures to post. So instead of my photos, I will link you to the daily click, the new feature on our college website.

no politics today

I found a lovely tract about knitters here. It was posted on my friend's blog, so I stole it. I do think knitting is definitely a religion sometimes. I spend so much time on it, it must be a spiritual expression. I am in the midst of making a tunic with lovely yarn from River Knits Fine Yarns in Lafayette, IN. If I get a chance, I will post it on ravelry.

I have heard that the Purdue Communications PhD students are enjoying my baby blankets for their various offspring. It's a lot of fun to make the blankets, and I like that people are enjoying them. However, I keep forgetting to put my labels on...oops. I will have a zillion left. Maybe I could start putting them in various sweaters I've bought and pretend I made them.

I will go back to knitting and watching random TV. I have my rugs in the dryer and should put them back where they belong. I did laundry, for EH had mice in her apartment, and wants to stay away until they are gone.

thoughts on Hillary

I watched Hillary give her speech after the Penna primary, and this is why I like her:

1. She said that the moms and dads in the room with their daughters can whisper in their ears, "see, you can be anything you want to be."
2. She said that each generation was able to see change, and that our children will be able to say that that an African-American or a woman can be president.

I really really hope that I can be wrong, and that a woman can win in my lifetime. I still think it might be impossible. But it was a great speech, and I think she connected. It will be an interesting convention. I can see this splitting apart the party...oh, I hope it doesn't.

I am getting a little cranky about the patriarchical society I live in -- I am feeling v. silenced somedays, and it is frustrating, to say the least. I have not really been in this situation before, so it's even more frustrating...

I will post more this weekend I hope, but wanted to get this out (it's been in my head since the night of the primary).

i am the worst blogger ever

I guess I didn't have the laptop for a while, and have been crazy busy, but I have not blogged for a long long time. But in the meantime, I did get a year older, and now am "older" than our Administrative Services Director (who claims she is 32).

But I have knitted...















This is my latest baby blanket. I did finish three blankets as well for the Purdue grad students (as commissioned by P), and am looking at what next. I bought a sock book and another toy book, but I think I have made enough toys for A & J so far.

What else have I been doing? I bought the Martha Stewart cookie book, and have made one yummy creation so far. I will make another kind tomorrow, and bring it to the women in student affairs book club. We read full frontal feminism, and I am excited to discuss. It's interesting to see what younger feminists are writing.

I will stop now, and watch the daily show. Soon I will get better at this whole thing...

it's been a while

So, here I am in Oshkosh, WI, relaxing in my hotel room after an exhausting but fun OPE. It has been a week and a half of interviews -- both student and professional staffs. But now I have a little time to enjoy my hotel room and relax. I can't believe it's only two weeks until the big day, and I feel a bit old. Hopefully soon that will pass...

At least I have been able to visit my favorite coffee shop and get the wonderful chocolate from hughes' -- I can't get enough of that! I didn't do any outlet shopping this year, but I don't really need anything. One of the crazy things that happened is that my former boss (and now friend) and I were talking about a colleague, and she CALLED while we were at dinner! How strange the world is...

I am on blanket number two of the three commissioned blankets for purdue grad students -- the spring green is gorgeous. I start on the sunshine one soon. So my knitting world has been mainly baby blankets, but I will find something new to do soon.

Enough of blathering for tonight -- I must sleep.

What kind of liberal am I?

My Liberal Identity:

You are a Social Justice Crusader, also known as a rights activist. You believe in equality, fairness, and preventing neo-Confederate conservative troglodytes from rolling back fifty years of civil rights gains.

Take the quiz at www.FightConservatives.com

ice skating...

Daisy has a new second name: Zamboni. Daisy Zamboni helped me drive 90ish miles in four hours yesterday on ICE. Sometimes I hate the fact that Michigan is on the other side of the lake... Snow was falling, snow was blowing, and freezing all over 94. So it was crazy driving, but this stubborn girl didn't want to stop. I got home and unclenched my entire body just in time to watch Mr. Darcy on PBS. I am loving the Jane Austen series on Masterpiece. I do miss the original theme, though. And does Gillian Anderson have some crazy blond highlights in her hair, or is the lighting and the lame background? Oh well..at least I get to indulge in some major Mr. Darcy/Captain Wentworth moments. At least I could take out some of the kinks in my yoga class tonight.

So, here's daisy's butt -- how unladylike of her to show it off! :) But when have I been so ladylike?

Speaking of ladylike, I watched "miss austen regrets" on masterpiece classic tonight (instead of the second half of the superbowl), and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I enjoy Austen -- so much flirting and nuance and subtlety. It is much sexier than a series of tongue sucking and naked butts. Maybe I could be a spinster authoress as well. If only I had the wit and sparkle of Miss Jane.

And here's the side view. Does she not have lovely posture? I have adjusted to a smaller trunk and a few other things, but I didn't always need all the cargo space.

Today I finished a fabulous book, dream when you're feeling blue, and did clean my dining room table. So I feel much better about my roommate (she is such a pig sometimes!). And now I'm enjoying house -- hugh laurie makes me smile, whether jeeves or gregory house. It is odd to listen to him without a british accent -- and people find it odd to hear him with one.

Well, I should get off this and work on the first of my three baby blankets for Purdue grad students. It gives me something good to do, without me buying more yarn for random things. I do need to find a new project -- I've made more stuffed toys.

Recruitment 2008

So, here I am, helping with recruitment here at Lake Forest. So not much sleep and a LOT of waiting. We'll see how the rest of the weekend goes...*yawn*

I did start a new relationship...I have a new car! She's a lovely honda civic, and I have some pictures, but they're not on this computer. I did drive her around today to see how she handles in the snow and cold, and it was a good time. :) I was so sad to leave my little 13 year old at the dealer, but it was time...

This is the most exciting post ever, so I will close and go back to playing freerice.

You're Watership Down!

by Richard Adams

Though many think of you as a bit young, even childish, you're
actually incredibly deep and complex. You show people the need to rethink their
assumptions, and confront them on everything from how they think to where they
build their houses. You might be one of the greatest people of all time. You'd
be recognized as such if you weren't always talking about talking rabbits.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

I stole this from Heather... You Are Italian Food

Comforting yet overwhelming. People love you, but sometimes you're just too much.

What Kind of Food Are You?

The Galimoto adventure!

So, I bought galimotos for the kids, and they love them! Josh runs around with it all the time. So my aunt decided to get one for the neighbor boy. I picked it up last night, and sent it today. Now the postal service charges by the size of the package, not the weight. It cost more to send it than to buy it...oh well, hopefully the boy will love it as much as the kids do!

I hope my first picture posted is fun!

the 2007 Recap

In the spirit of saving trees, this year I have decided to do my holiday letter online. As frequent card recipients know, I have also written some crazy and fun letters. I am feeling especially uncreative this year, so I thought I'd just write a list of the things that happened for the first time in 2007:

In February, I went to Delaware for a conference on residential curricula. If you are a higher education geek like me, you'd know that the residential curriculum at UD has been in the news for "indoctrinating students" by a national conservative group. I learned a lot, and was able to spend a little time with Linda and Jim on either end of the trip (might as well fly into DCA!).

On April 26, Ally and Josh had their first birthdays and are now walking! They are a lot of fun, and I try to visit them as much as I can. They are enjoying their new home in Battle Creek, just off I-94.

This summer I left the board of Ten Thousand Villages Grayslake. They needed someone with experience in marketing, sales or other retail adventures, and as anyone who knows me knows, I don't have such experience. I still volunteer at the store most weekends, and enjoy learning about the artisans and sharing their stories with others.

In July, I went to my first Harry Potter book release party at Borders and Juliana Wamelink went to her first catholic wedding with her mom Jennifer and I in Lawrence, KS, where we were able to share the special day of Matt and Marian Friedrichs. I did get to finish the seventh book within the first day, even though I had to interrupt my reading for the wedding. On the trip, I realized I didn't miss the drive through Iowa (sorry Iowans), but I do miss Sonic a LOT! I did have as many cherry limeades as I could...soon they will come here, right?

At the end of August, I spent my first night in the hospital since I was born. I had a pulmonary embolism -- I am the minority that they talk about on the birth control commercials (even though I don't smoke). So I am on blood thinners, and have been lamenting the loss of cranberries and alcohol (no cosmos for me!).

This fall I have been enjoying my second year as Associate Director of Residence Life for Staff Selection, Training and Development. We did have a RD leave us, so I have been able to work directly with a student staff again, which is fun. I have been trying to connect more with friends in the area.

I saw the new science buildings at Albion this fall (an area I only spent time in to see movies on the weekends), but connected with some people I haven't seen in a long time. Jim took me to his 15(!) reunion, and I realized that the incoming students were born the year I graduated from high school.

I did make my first knitted toy, a snake that the kids seem to like, and have an elephant waiting to be stuffed (the part I don't like). I am a knitting fiend, and have been working on hats...

And as the year ended, for the first time, I seriously considered replacing my beloved honda. She has been a wonderful companion for 13 years, but it might be time for something new. Who knows what the future will bring...