New Bird

Oh look, it's the Crested Caracara, known colloquially as the Mexican eagle (but NOT the national bird of Mexico, no sirree, that's the Golden Eagle or some actual eagle). This here bird is a falcon kinda raptor, and they have them down where Lee's dad lives. I thought they were ospreys, which they strongly resemble when sitting.

I am always excited when I see a new kind of bird, so I thought I'd post this one! Taxonomizing is my mind's favorite activity, apparently, and it was fun to see how it worked when I thought I had fit the bird into my neat little "osprey" category, then got the idea that maybe I was wrong (someone mentioned Mexican eagles in conversation). I had to run home and look it up in my bird book--and sure enough, the osprey's underwings are all white. BZZZT, failed taxonomy. I am all calm now, though, since I have a nice category of raptors with white wing tips whose wings are not shaped like buzzard wings. Go me.

Finished Object, part 1

This is a close-up view of my first placemat. The center is at the top. It's in lovely Peaches-n-Cream yarn, which Jody and I could not find more of over the weekend (eek). Must next try Wal-Mart.

This one was made according to the instructions, with the center starting out as a circle, which had to be sewn closed. It does not particularly look nice in the center, so I am trying other methods.

The rest of it looks pretty good, though, and it is placemat-sized. Lee ate off of it yesterday and didn't even spill sauce.

I started the second one yesterday, using the magic cast on for toe-up socks. The cast on looks gorgeous (will post a picture), but, after I was well into the mat, I realized the ends looked funny--they curve. Then it dawned on me that you actually start each "round" on a corner, not the middle, so the cast-on did not remain parallel. I have been thinking and thinking of how to get it all balanced, and think it will involve casting on one stitch at each end (the base stitch to the short sides of the placemat rectangle, then knitting until I get to where the round really should start. I should draw a picture. So, I figure that placemat #3 will actually be the first "good" one.

Yay, Interview

Quickly--after waiting all week and deciding to give up on that position, I did get a call from the recruiter and they want to do a phone interview on Monday for the job I am most interested in. They even changed it to include "change management," which cracked me up--they worried I had no experience at that. I guess I subliminally eliminated references to that in my resume after the experience my last year at the Dysfunctional Nonprofit Organization. But, manage change, I did. Not well enough to suit Mr. Buzzword Factory, but well enough to say it's something I did.

Anyway, yay to me. And yay to Lee, as he got a good performance review. And yay to NJ for getting a fine new job.

I am also thinking hard about some friends who have had some bad job things happen to them--one had to quit after being treated very poorly by her boss, and another, a teacher, got a reassignment out of the blue. I was surprised at how strongly I felt for them both. I really know how both of them feel, having been in both situations.

Tick Tock

So, I am finding this British butler clock that Jennifer linked to on her blog mighty entertaining. If you click the link, be sure to go to the page with additional sayings and the hilarious FAQ page (where you find out that the clock really doesn't like getting new batteries and insists on going off every 12 hours). I can't stop laughing at what the clock says.

And, I think life would be good if I could be awakened by Stephen Fry every morning.

I wish I had the time and resources to find all the cool things Jennifer(beanmom) finds. She is the most Internet-connected one human I ever knew.

Lee and I were thinking of US American versions of the clock, such as the redneck, hip-hop, President Bush, Hollywood psuedo-starlet and such versions. Ooh, a William Shatner as Kirk, or an entire Star Trek alarm clock would be fun. Enough...

Cheer

General

These little marigolds represent all the flowers we planted in the back yard on Monday when we took a day off from work (and Lee even got paid for it!). Flowers tend to cheer me up, too, and the word "cheery" seems to be my word of the week. I used it every day in my tarot blog this week. No telling why, unless I am subliminally trying to keep my own spirits up.

It's getting harder and harder to keep plugging away, even though I can tell myself that one of the many positions I am up for will come through eventually (the recruiting company is still working on that interview for the good one--not out of it yet). I can also tell myself that Austin's Largest Employer will end the hiring freeze in the next week or two, then I can finally either get the job I interviewed for across the street from here or get another one in my own dept. (Noting that with the quality of projects assigned lately, that looks less and less appetizing.) I only have 40 hours left on the contract, so it's really coming down to the wire, though. Hard to believe it has been over 8 months already! And I got my big love prize from this job, anyway, so it will go down as a success, regardless.

What is going on? Last weekend was good. We really got a lot accomplished in the yard. Lee has been so industrious and patient, and it shows. You can walk ALL over the back yard now. What a guy! Here's a blow-by-blow of recent days:

Specific

Last Friday was a coffeehouse concert, the Austin Lounge Lizards. We coped with the crowds pretty well, and Lee pitched right in and helped with set-up and keeping food available on the break. My friend Janet showed up later, and that was a big bonus. She seems so happy in Arkansas—it’s weird to have both of us happy in relationships, for the first time since we have known each other. It’s just good to see good things happening to your friends. After the concert, we all went to Juniors, where a drunken softball dad with a blue and yellow face (local high school colors) tried to sell us gutters. I was in such a good mood that I found it VERY amusing.

Yes, I was in a really good mood most of the past week. Not sure why, either. I guess having Lee around and thinking positive has worked.

Saturday I did the usual knitting, but at least taught a different class. I got two people on their way to making cute cable bags and another one making a nice lace dishcloth. Woo. Jody didn’t show up again, so that was a bummer. It was a quiet Saturday, so I got to have some nice conversations, though. Always good to relax. After a bit of yard work, Lee and I went over to Bill and Carolyn’s, where we joined the rest of Trey Bone plus spouse, along with Janet VS and Craig F (minus spouses). Mostly it was a good time, though I have to be careful around some church folks, so was a bit guarded. We drank Bill’s home brewed beer and ate homemade pizza. That was quite fun. After everyone played darts, to Bill’s very specific rules, we had birthday cake for Lee. I had bought a black-and-white cake from the grocery store, and it was WAY better than we’d have expected! Paying extra for a “premium” cake means good frosting and better cake. People even had seconds.

Sunday was Lee’s actual birthday. Whew, we are the same age again! To celebrate, we skipped church and had our own fun. We took the Younger Boy with us for a day out, since his brother was off on his band trip to New York. We first saw every house Lee ever lived in within the Round Rock area. Then we went out to lunch at a good Chinese buffet (even the sushi was edible, and most buffet sushi is scary). That made YB’s day. After that we drove out into Hill Country and looked at redbud, plum and other blooming trees. We even saw a couple of very early bluebonnets. A little gift shop in Burnet called our names, so we stopped and found some gems amid the “interesting” overly Texas-themed items. We got a wooden wall plaque to put on the outside of the house (a floral pattern), a lovely mesquite chalice, and for me a lampwork beaded pendant. It turns out the lady at the shop makes beads. That was quite fun to look at—her work is lovely. After the buying frenzy, we drove out to Work Boy #2’s house, where we got to pet the horse and goats, and see two incredibly precious puppies they are fostering. One looks JUST like an ewok. Or a living teddy bear. Here's a link to his photo, at least while he is up for adoption... Mostly we were visiting to get some tea I ordered and show the YB all the WB’s toys—it’s action figure world over in rural Burnet County, like heaven for YB! Anyway, we had fun, then raced home to avoid rain storms.

Monday we did not go to work. That is to stretch out my work time, mainly. Also, we needed a break. So, the skies cleared enough that we could totally get rid of the contents of the mosquito factory known as my garden pond (the root ball to which was MIGHTY huge). We turned it into a planter, rearranged things on the patio and were mighty pleased with ourselves. Then Lee, YB and I went to the Home Depot and got a lot of plants, and a wine barrel to put flowers in. The barrel still smells like wine, which has made the back yard quite fragrant during the recent rains. We (mostly Lee) planted the flowers and hung my decorative plaque, and now it looks great in the yard. In addition to tomatoes and peppers for the former water garden, there are a lot of marigolds, which may not be happy in the shade, but they will be great for a while, anyway. I also got a bunch of begonias, knowing they will do fine (the one from previous years is coming back for a fourth year—not bad for an annual). Nicer plants will have to wait until I have a job!

Now, have we enjoyed those new plants? Not much, since it has rained all week. But, of course, the rain is very welcome. The work week has been pretty standard, the usual irritations, then resting a lot in the evenings. The Older Boy came back from his trip very late, so I spent Tuesday night worrying about him, but all was well. Just rain delays. We heard all about his trip last night, and I think he had enough fun to make it worth it. He really seemed to like seeing where Saturday Night Live is filmed.

Off to sit and wait for the phone to ring. It does ring, at least, so recruiters are out there recruiting for me. Go them. My dearest pal NJ got a “real” job this week, so I feel hope. She so deserves a good job after all that time at the Dysfunctional Nonprofit Organization! I’m thinking a lot about the stuff going on for so many of my friends, too. It’s a lot to think about, and I know positive thoughts help. I appreciate all of YOURS for the job stuff!

Looking up!

A quick note to say a few nice things. Other than having a very unhappy stomach (musta eaten something BAD yesterday), it's going well.

I have been interviewing like crazy for a contract position at another large local company. And some of the resumes I have sent out in the past week or two are getting me call-backs or emails. I am just SO relieved to be hearing something back from someone! It sounds like I will be interviewing next week with the actual client, after talking to two folks at the recruiting place, so wish me luck!

And there's another one I am working on with a different recruiter. That job sounds weird, but pays well, so I will not turn it down.

And one really interesting one in the nonprofit field that I am actually quite qualified for, but am afraid won't pay well enough even though it's a director level position. Sigh. Nonprofits. Sigh.

PLUS one more that wants really amusing writing samples that sound like they are from the olden days of software documentation, but I think I can churn out for them. At least they are not asking me to write how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (how I got my current position).

There is a lot afoot in the current place of work. Much confusion and reorganizing, so who knows what it will be like there in a couple of weeks, when rumor is that hiring might start up again. Well, I still DO care about it there, since Lee's there, and would like to come back, even if it is different...

OK...that's all I can get to right now. More later. The older boy has to pack for his band trip, I have to figure out why this blog won't load for Lee, and I need to figure out even MORE tiny details than my brain can hold. I sure hope to get to go on a little trip Sunday and Monday. I could really use a break.

Just Being Alive

I am happy to just be alive, at the ripe old age of 49. I was a bit down last night, thinking I was this old and still not able to support myself, but honestly, I think I will support myself--the answer to how just isn't here yet.

I also was a bit bummed by some other weekend stuff, but I am getting over it. Just the usual birthday blahs and feeling sorry for myself.

Some nice stuff did happen this weekend. I had 6 in my knitting class on Saturday, and that is always good. All really quick learners, too. What fun! And I have been playing with a shrug out of the Noro Aurora yarn I just finished a lovely scarf in (picture to come, once blocked). I just like the yarn; all shiny and pretty colors.

We had a tarot gathering on Saturday night, and we celebrated the lunar eclipse and did a ritual to bring us all the work energy we needed. We had more dogs than people, as you can see from the picture, which has all 5 dogs in it, somewhere. Tina brought the sweet and calm Valentine, who you can see looks surprisingly like Rose. Rose's shiny, wavy coat, her head shape, and her markings were pretty similar to Valentine's. So, perhaps ole Rosie has more border collie in her than anything scary and huge (whew). She is still the most amusing puppy ever, the way she flies through things and lands so awkwardly.

Anyway, Tina, Shannon, Lee and I had a nice time and enjoyed many candles, and the end of the eclipse. We would see a bit better in the back yard than usual, because Lee has been intrepidly hacking away at tree branches. He's almost got the back yard in usable condition. Shocking.

More shocking was the fact that he and I neatened up the garage on Sunday. This is all exciting because I literally hadn't touched a thing in it since the Ex left. Jeff has put his music stuff in there, and thrown a lot of boxes in piles, but that is about it. Lee and I made space for his scary motorcycle, cleaned up, and got rid of a lot of junk. Stuff we were keeping got put on SHELVES--what a concept! So, I am pretty proud of that, and grateful that Lee would help with such a dirty job. I am lucky.

He was really sweet and said happy birthday to me in joys and concerns at church, too, and said how nice everyone has been to him. I am so glad he enjoys it. I was so tired of going by myself and being alone at church. He's been asked to play bass for some instrumental thing at a service, and that is so nice, too. Good to be a part of a couple that can do things together.

Last night was supposed to be the family birthday dinner, but Jeff got a gig and could not come. But the rest of us ate at a Texas Road House steakie place. We were cramped into a tiny corner space and could barely get out--my poor sister really looked smooshed. But it was nice to have everyone there.

So, things are not bad. Work may turn up soon--lots of possibilities. And I got kind wishes from many of my friends, which I really appreciate. I am also reminded that a lot is going on for many friends, and I am thinking of all the sicknesses, deaths, and other sad things going on. There's always so much good AND bad at any time. Just glad to have my hilarious kids, sweet work friends, wonderful other friends and my precious manly companion to support me.

Ooh, and I think Jeff may have a job prospect. Woo.

Sick-Lee

OK, last night it was funny that I called Lee "sick Lee" and then realized it came out "sickly."

But today I am also feeling sick. I think is it mainly sinus stuff, from sitting in a really dusty stadium watching older boy play lacrosse. He did well, too, and actually ran a while with the ball and looked like a lacrosse player. But wow, my head began to feel like it was about to explode, which had started in the knitting store, in any case.

It was interesting at knitting--there were some new people there, leading to a new dynamic. I like meeting new people in an atmosphere like that. I also learned a lot about the holocaust from one of the ladies there who is a teacher and had gone to an interesting workshop on it. I wish I had been there--she got some really neat materials. Since I have so many emotional issues with it, I'd like to learn ways to teach it sensitively without overwhelming people. We had a couple of interesting snippets of conversation with others, including a couple of Jewish people, one from eastern Europe. Makes my day to have such talks.

Work was good yesterday. Even the frustrating parts were interestingly so. It is continuing to be good today, as we evaluate the weird assessments we have been writing. They have ended up better than I thought. I surprise myself. And Lee surprises himself, too. We are good little assessors and facilitators.

Lunch over, back to work in a weird classroom where I cannot check my email. Which is frustrating because I can SEE it, but not check it.

Making a Home

The last few days have been really nice, other than some physical ailments cropping up (I went home with a bad headache yesterday, and Lee has some really awful nose-running disease that made him fall asleep really early last night and do nothing but hold onto tissues while awake--really sexy, hee hee hee). But otherwise life has been very domestic and pleasant.

My house feels more and more like my home now. Lee and I have done a lot of work trimming back bushes, getting rid of evil sticky dewberry vines (see photo) and pulling down the Virginia creeper off the front of the house. It looks like civilized people live there. And yesterday we got a really good start on the back yard, aided by the Younger Boy and only slightly impeded by the Dog Pack. A great deal of sawing of oak limbs occurred, and I have been mighty impressed with the results. We can almost use the space again! The Younger Boy was thrilled to get entrusted to use the electric Saws-All thingie on a branch. Very manly, even if he didn't get very far with it (still learning). I mainly trimmed smaller branches, thinned out the woodland glen area and weeded MORE prickly dewberry vines. I cannot believe the web page says these are "delicious" berries either--mine are sour and nasty, when I allow them to live. Note, if you click the link above that it says, "Not suitable for gardens." And I don't believe they are blackberries. They are not the delicious ones we had in Gainesville. Hmph. In any case, they are sure persistent. As are the Virginia creepers. Why would anyone plant those things on purpose???

Anyway, it's feeling homey, and it is nice to make plans to fix things up more. I just wish I could buy mulch, grass seed, flowers, and fertilizer. That would really help. Wish that job lady would call...

What a Guy

I put a picture of Lee on here, so you can see he isn't as scary as his profile picture makes him out to be, and also because I want to say how happy I am with him these days.

We are having a good time, even with all the challenges we are dealing with (money woes, divorce, work irritations and such). He is still treating me like the most precious object in the world, respecting me, and being patient with me (even when I got peeved at him yesterday--ooh, the first time).

I am so relieved to have a partner who will help me around the house. My back door looks so nice now, all trimmed up and ready to paint. And he did a bunch of work on the lawn and garden today. It is not embarrassing to be seen outside my house any more. All the overgrown bushes have been trimmed, lots of things ready to grow back up, and things just neatened up nicely. I have been inspired to put some plants out, even fresh new fake ones on the porch (too dim there to really grow things). I am happy with these changes, and know I am doing OK if I feel like cooking, cleaning and neatening things up inside the house.

We've been enjoying the seasons changing. It is warmer, and birds are migrating. A couple of days ago we pulled into the driveway and I said, "I hear a different bird." And sure enough, I turned to see the neighbor's two trees completely filled with cedar waxwings. I only see them once or twice a year! They were doing their sweet whistling. Then, last night, I woke up in the middle of the night and discovered Lee was awake as well. We both heard geese flying overhead. And the windows were closed! That was cool!

So, I had a good day. I got to see Katy at the knitting store, and met Tina's precious new dog. What a cutie. I am a bit worried about Jody, who couldn't come due to an unforeseen emergency, but hope to see her soon. Tomorrow my sister comes for dinner, so I will have quite the social weekend. Jeff also comes back tomorrow. His mom is having health issues, and I am worried about her, too. All weekend the kids have had friends around, and that is fun. The older boy is SO good at picking nice friends. That pleases me.