Bookish and Boston

I got back from Boston late late Monday night or early early Tuesday morning (whichever you prefer). I had a blast hanging out with Wendy and her family. I didn't get to take a picture of the canine furbabies, but here's a couple shots of the feline furbabies.
. I got to share a room with these two, because Wendy was kind enough to let me stay at her place while I was in Boston for the big interview. Ah... the interview.

So, I got to meet the competition. They're not a stupid bunch, unfortunately, and all the ones I met and chatted with are QUITE accomplished with research in the field. We were split into small groups of 3-4 applicants, then we shuffled from interview to interview in different rooms. Each room had at least two professors, and one or two doctoral students. They took turns asking us questions, to which all of us had to reply. I definitely had a strategy going in, hoping to respond either first or last on the questions I felt I had a good answer to, and piping up somewhere in the middle if I hadn't a clue. primacy effect, and recency effect). See? Some of that psychobabble is actually useful!

The four subject matters that we were grilled on: research, clinical (therapeutic relationships with clients), social justice, and personal. I'm still trying to recover from the experience, and I should be hearing about whether they'll make an offer in a couple weeks. I really enjoyed Boston and am excited about the program, should they decide that they want me. They offer guaranteed tuition remission and a stipend for the first three years!

Back to yarn related activities: Bookish Girl and I met up on Sunday afternoon, and she and her husband were kind enough to schlep me around to a couple yarn stores! I am very impressed with Mr. Bookish's ability to look as if he is enjoying being in the LYS.

in olympic news, I have decided to retire Lady Elenor... she's on the injury inducing list. I have moved on to a new project, which I doubt will get finished, but am proud of the progress I have made so far:


I cast on for this shrug at our Friday night meeting, and knit three skeins in the next three days. Progress has slowed down considerably, now that I don't have hours on a plane or in an airport to motivate me.
aren't the colors OH SO pretty?


Last, I leave you with more sad news. I will NOT be moving to NYC. They (teacher's college and NYU) did not want me. I had to call them to ask what was going on, and was told that I was NOT being invited for an interview. Oooookay. The good news is that I have been invited to Seton Hall for an interview. Having applied to only four schools, I'm pretty happy that I've been invited to two of them for interviews.

in which i place myself on the IR list

OMG. Who the heck has heard of an injured reserve list for the knitting olympics? Seriously. Last night, I had to pop an advil and wrap my wrist in a thermacare heat pad b/c my hand and wrist were throbbing in pain. All that, just so I could get to sleep. For those of you who don't know me too well, I do NOT take meds unless the pain is pretty bad. I was unable to hold my paper back book in my right hand last night when I was trying to read myself to sleep (which I do every night).


That's a pic of my wrist, all taped up in the heat pad (I LOVE thermacare!).
I don't think that knitting is the only thing contributing to my knitting injury.

Typing on my laptop, around kitty Cosmo, is probably NOT ergonomically correct... and probably contributes to the pain in the right hand and wrist.

I'm on the 8th row of my Lady Elenor, and I think I have to bow out from the Knitting Olympics. While I woke up this morning feeling fine (or, my hand/wrist felt fine), the pain came back as I seamed up the mittens for the Scarf Exchange. I will persevere and attempt to continue, but will probably not be able to knit the 3,000 stitches per night I need to average in order to finish.

WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Weekend woes

As I posted over on the Team Colorado blog, I spent Friday evening at Stacey's home. She invited the team over to cast on during opening ceremonies. A nice sized turnout, and some of us stayed pretty late.

here's my progress on Lady Elenor so far... I'm knitting her on size 5s, and I cast on 88 stitches instead of 56 (11 repeates instead of 7). She'll be big enough for what I intended her for (a lap blanket... on which the kitties will sit when I'm on the couch).

The dyer's choice interlacements is a huge hunk of love.

About 7 inches in diameter, and I wound her up TIGHT. If I remember correctly, she's 1325 yards of a silk/wool blend. And here's a closeup of the project thus far.


Everyone seemed to make good progress... but I'm already a bit discouraged about being able to finish in 13 more days. I mean, I can't live in a time warp where I tell everyone in my life "...see you in two weeks after the knitting Olympics!"

A la Bookish Wendy, I spent a bit of time figuring out that I have over 46000 stitches on this puppy. Which means I need to knit about 3000 stitches per day to finish on time. uh oh.

Yesterday, I went to church for a class assignment. I chose this particular church because I scored well on the belief-o-matic. What faith are you?

Flattery will get you everywhere*

I'm tired. and grumpy. Or, I was tired and grumpy. I was at the office for over 11 hours today. Factor in the commute and it's a 13 hour day. Bleh. So, by the time 7pm rolled around (and I'm still at the office typing up case notes), I'm fairly grumpy. I had my cell phone on silent all day because it's just not proper therapeutic etiquette to hear "Hail to the Victors!" ring tone interrupt your counseling session.

So. I'm imprisoned by the computer, typing up case notes and out of the corner of my eye, I see the screen of my phone lighting up. Whazz that number? probably a freaking telemarketer calling me at 7ish to bug me about buying something. Grr. I answer anyway (so I can tell them to bugger off). Good thing I wasn't an immediate bee-yatch. It's Boston College calling. One of the four doctoral programs I had applied to this past winter... and they want to interview ME! Wanna know how flattered I am?
They had 461 paper applicants. 461. Invited 30 people to come interview. I was flabbergasted.

Guess where I'll be? travelocity. hotwire. orbitz. need a flight to Boston on Feb 20th.

Also exciting... i've finished the scarf for scarf exchange. pics to come when i've weaved in ends and blocked. agenda tonight: finish 2nd mitten (which is enjoying second 'sock' syndrome)

ESP*, stash enhancements, and a new knitter.

My SP emailed me earlier this week, asking if I had received her package... when i hadn't gotten anything in the mail by Wed, I was convinced someone at USPS was enjoying MY package! But lo and behold, I had a package slip on Thursday when i got home. I went bright and early to the post office on Friday morning, risking being late for work in Boulder in order to see what goodies I got... and was it worth it!!!!!!!!!





I wish I could have been more patient and waited until I had a camera to take pictures of the unveiling, but there was NO way I was going to wait! Thank you SP...

On Saturday, I met up with some local knitters at Borders, then headed over to String with Wanda and Michelle to check out the Noro Kureyon shrug that Stacey is making for the Knitting Olympics. And I met a new knitter!!!!



That's Cassidy's husband, Shawn. I've met him before, but Saturday was the first time I'd ever seen him knitting in his wife's store. Regardless of the fact that he went to the wrong school, any man that will pick up knitting so he can enjoy more time with his wife has gotta be a great guy. He's been knitting for a little over a week, and I think he'll soon be just as addicted as the rest of us!

Today, I met up with Stacey, Whitney (Stacey's sister), Drew (Whitney's husband), and Alice (we all know who Alice is!) for dim sum. Stacey and I wandered to a boutique... and I bought...



A very generously sized bag, and a matching cosmetics/notions bag! I love the style, size, colors,... big enough that I can lug any size knitting project anywhere.

*ESP: my secret pal has both. the conventional definition, extra sensory perception (how did she read my mind? i've been lusting after this particular knitting book for WEEKS) and she's an especially sweet pal.