Ed Pilkington

A very sweet professor who retired from my undergrad department was riding his bicycle in Boone and got hit by a car. The Watauga Democrat article is here. What gets me is that I just happened to sign on to Myspace, which I do about once a month, and happened to see the bulletin mixed in with all the ridiculous crap that gets posted. Does anyone have a status update?

I hadn't thought about Ed in at least two years, and this kind of thing makes me worry about all the other people I care about who I haven't thought about. But I know a guy who worries about everyone he knows all the time and he seems miserable. So, hmm.

Pictures! Pictures!

Yay!
Yay!





pics by K. Shimizu!

Ikea!

Woke up this morning, realized that if we scooted the fridge over a few feet (why not? there was just blank wall there) that we would have room for a kitchen table after all. To my surprise, Kenny agreed to be driven almost to D.C. (he read law school books while I drove) so that we could shop for a table.

We ended up with a medium-sized beech wood table and two cheap-o folding chairs (that look swanky 'cause they're jet black). Also, two black plates, two bambooish place mats, a wooden bowl for fruit display, and a new quilt cover for our down blanket (the best thing we own, IMHO).

Yay for IKEA! It was my first time. I feel very cool and maybe like I'm on the verge of a new addiction. So many pretty things...

Also, I finished my sweater. Pictures by tomorrow night.

I'm over overeating

This morning on my bike I realized that I have been inexplicably stuffing myself this last week or so (possibly because I upped my exercise), and that today needs to be the day that I quit it already. Kenny also mentioned that he feels stuffed. So now it's lunchtime and I'm proving myself capable by not going back into the school kitchen for another serving of (hot, free) mac n' cheese.

I can't hear you, cheese. Stop talking at me.

So there.

Sore arms

Somehow, my paper is finished. It's due (to be emailed) today, and I finished it last night. At a reasonable hour. Hmm. Maybe things have changed since undergrad? And I'm pretty sure this paper is going to be the hardest one I have to write, seeing as all my other "courses" are the ones I've designed to be enjoyable and interesting, and this one was the one assigned course. On something that while important and very informing was just a little bit boring. But you know what, I cranked out an 18 page paper about research methods, which is something I never thought I'd be able to do without crying. And I so did it.

Now the small problem of my AWOL advisor. I emailed a week ago just to make sure she knew I was going to be sending her my study packet electonically, but no word from the other side yet. It usually takes her a few days, but... come one, lady, today is the day! I have a feeling the entire year and a half is going to be like this. Do first impressions really hold that much truth? Am I seeing this all wrong? Rhetorical questions, y'all.

So I totally screwed up my Anemoi mitten when I tried to increase from the cuff to the mitten body. After confusing myself and making fudging sort of guesses, I realized I should just rip back and give myself a second chance. That frustrating experience was enough to make me pick up the purple sweater again, and I'm so glad I did, because after the last knit night at the Knitting Sisters, I had done enough sleeve decreases to begin the colorwork. Oh joy joy joy!

I'm writing like a zombie this morning mostly because I'm a little burned out on the laptop. Only a few more things to do (cover letter, bibliography) and I'm ready to send off the packet. Also, went to the gym and did my weight training circuit this morning (for the first time in a week? how did that happen?) and I can barely lift my arms. Shaky shaky...

Time to save and send.

Musings on a Friday

(That is, musings that are happening on Friday, not musings about Friday...)

Notes from a young child's world: I'm at a very low table, and I can't fold my knees at a right angle (like when you normally sit) and so they're kind of angled in towards each other and stretched out so that my legs can fit under the low table. Unfortunately, I am not in a low chair. I am in an adult chair at a kids' table. Sigh.

Last night we braved the world outside of our apartment in a new way: we got into the car and drove to Newport News to hang out with people who would hopefully become our new friends. And they did! Hilarity and great conversation ensued amongst us: two law students, two particle physicists, one person getting ready to fly to California to begin her PhD, and one Montessori teacher. Plus two pitchers of red ale, plus a loud bar in the neo-urban suburban shopping mall. Oh yeah, plus the old balance board which had lurking in our back seat and had been spotted by one of the physicists. Which lead us to cheer on the way back home: Hooray! We have friends!

This week, since after school doesn't start yet, my primary job has been to ride the bus (we have 1) back and forth with the big kids in the morning and the afternoons. It's about a 15 minute drive, and we have a great time. I remind them of their manners and their bus-riding behavioral expectations. They remind me that ten year olds are really, really smart. We all have fun. Today I got my first present (not bad for not actually having started my job yet, eh?) which is a delightfully colored ceramic cat, housed in pink felt inside of a (clean) yogurt cup. Yay, kids!

I'm supposed to be writing my 1st study packet. As a responsible student i decided to do my research course first, so this packet much contain a 15-page paper about research. Blehhhh. But I'm getting it done, and I think it'll be ready by Monday night (my deadline for sending it away).

Last night I went to our LYS's free knit night, and worked manically on my sweater for two solid hours, achieving at least four inches and I am now *almost* ready to start the colorful yoke. Praise the lord. I started new mittens, too, which might be a Xmas present, so I can't write much about them here.

Ok, off to paper it up.

But quickly: one fantastic thing about working at this sweet little private school is that our lunch is made for us every day. We are welcome to partake or not partake daily as we see fit. So far I've really liked not having to pack my lunch. Sweet.

All together now

Just a quick break in the research reading to announce that last night, I finally reached 17 1/2 inches on my sleeves and have joined them to the body of my sweater. Hooray! Finally!

It's my own fault for taking a summer-long break from working on this (who wants a lap full of wool in July?) but it just feels like it's taken forever to get to this point. In a few days I'll be starting the colorwork, and my life will be complete. Here's the baby so far: