Psst! is anyone out there?

Ok Ok. I was the one who was missing. Well, most of you know where I am/was, and believe me, I'd rather be blogging and knitting. Er, knitting and blogging about the knitting.

Surprise (not), that I have no actual knitting content to discuss. I am casting on like a mad fool, with almost no actual intention of finishing any project anytime soon. Recent cast on projects include another sweater for my adorable niece, who has just begun to crawl, the ubiquitous Noro Striped Scarf, and the Modern Log Cabin.

Reasons that I barely knit
1) a belief that I have carpal tunnel or tendonitis in my left wrist. very uncomfortable, which is made worse when I knit for prolonged periods or on larger than usual needles (anything bigger than a US 7)

2)my doctoral comprehensive exams. basically, the faculty assess whether we have learned what we were supposed to have learned in the last three years, by way of torturing us slowly and surely over a period of almost a month. First up, is two days of writing in class, where we are not allowed to use our notes or books, but expected an answer a series of essay questions thoroughly and citing relevant literature. A stupid futile exercise in memorization. THEN, they send us home with a take home portion, a 20 page paper where we address another three questions. THEN, we wait while they read our written portions, and then schedule our oral defense. Three faculty and one student. Where faculty can ask us any question they want. I am waiting for my orals defense, which takes place on Tuesday. Knitting girls beware: if I fail, I'm packing up and coming home, b/c I am NOT doing this again.

3) Cosmo: sigh. My lemon kitty has earned a new nickname. Lemon kitty is still appropos, but his recent surgery has left him looking a little... frankenkitty-ish. He looked like he had an eye infection, but several vet appts discovered that he had a tumor wrapped around his eye, and that he has lymphoma. So, we removed the eye, and now he looks like a rakish pirate.


"Arrrrrggggghhhh. I'm a pirate kitteh!"

so. to sum up. I am alive. and sorta knitting.