Finally Off The Deep End...

I've become a knitter. Or at least, I hope to become a knitter. I suppose that one week molesting yarn does not a knitter make. I've really come to enjoy knitting, even though it's repetitive, makes my right hand and arm and my back hurt, I still enjoy hearing the gentle clickity clack of the needles, I love gazing at all the gaping holes and tangles of my mistakes, and chuckling when I catch myself berating my ball of yarn for being such a tangled mess...

Mini yarn ball on top of the soon-to-be scarf

It's nice to be creating something that I'm not going to end up thoughtlessly ingesting. And the great thing is that knitting is a solid conversation starter, not only with strangers, but with people I already know. Everyone I know either knits or knows something that knits, and even though -yes I'll admit- I took my knitting to a dinner party the other night in an effort to speed along my scarf, and also because I needed some entertainment for the trip over, it really turned out to be a great thing, I learned alot of new things about friends, as well as became the object of some friendly ribbing, and have been deemed the "old lady" with my knitting, shawl and glasses at the end of my nose (temporarily pushed there, mind you).

Now that graduate school is over, and my only academic goal is to find a job, it's nice to have some creative outlet, something I've been yearning for the past few years. Cooking does it, but it always felt like such a waste when my labors turned out to be inedible.

At least with knitting, I can chalk up something ugly and misshapen to beginner's technique, label it and stow it away for future laughs...

Click on the picture to jump onto flickr for more snaps of what I've been working on...

It's Mostly Brain Power...

The brain power I'm referring to is what is needed for me to do multiple posts within a short amount of time. Honestly the last few months have been pretty good -relatively speaking- nice friends, good teachers, it was just alot of work for one super-short semester. But I survived, with on the only casualties being this blog, which I completely neglected. As well as non-school friendships. Oh well, I've started back up and hopefully things will grow all over again.

There is another "brain power" thing I wanted to talk about, and that is this game I just started playing called "Shift", a puzzle and skill game, which I've found fascinating only because it requires speed as well as problem solving, and it's completely spatial, which appeals to my visual brain. I'll even go as far as to say I like this better than Portal. It's slightly less creepy too, another plus.

Start getting addicted with Shift, Shift 2 or Shift 3.

No screen shots, you can just go explore for yourself. Boo hahahaha.

When You're Feeling Sad And Lonely...

No I'm not going to start singing Astrud Gilberto, but I was feeling a little down, and I found the perfect free and fast remedy.

Of course, it's Huey Lewis and the News.

Honestly, from the hilarious premise of six men singing to a sleeping (and I'm assuming naked) woman, to Huey's jerky movement singing into the camera, to fact that he's got a nice color of blush on his cheeks, you'll find something about this supreme 80's hit that will cheer you up.

So Good...

It's been a while since I've posted something that I read on an online comic, but this one actually made me laugh so hard, a piece of chocolate I was eating went flying. That made a little sad as the chocolate was a really good one, part of a very thoughtful present.

I don't even play Gears of War, I've watched W play it once in a while, but it's still funny, as long as you have some war/shooting/angry video game as reference:

This Is Getting Ridiculous

So, after much testing, I've come to realize that Pandora Radio slows my computer down too much for me to play it while I'm working at school. I usually have AutoCAD, Photoshop and 3DSMax open at the same time, so I'm sure you can understand why the computer practically keels over everytime I try to change windows.

So instead of Pandora, I've taken to listening to the only radio station that works without downloading some weird program, and plays songs that I either like or are entertained by. Granted, sometimes I actually have to take the earphones off because the song is simply too corny to listen to, i.e. "I just died in your arms tonight..."

But the "this" that I'm referring to in my blog title is how enamored I am with some of the songs I hear on this radio station. Of course if I bring up how much I like certain songs, I either get the cock-head "baroo?" expression of those who have as much knowledge about 60's, 70's and 80's hits as I did pre-semester. OR I get the totally bewildered "Why are you listening to that crap"-look. The main ones that I've been singing constantly are...

Hey Jude by The Beatles c. 1968
(which totally brings tears to my eyes when everyone chimes in)


If This Is It by Huey Lewis & The News c. 1984


Fooled Around And Fell In Love by Elvin Bishop c. 1976


Baby Come Back by Player c. 1977