Perseverance...

Plucky Petunia

I haven't decided whether this is "bloom where you are planted" or "go with the flow."

Either certainly describes my life at the moment. 

I got word that apparently the Dean "doesn't know what to do" with my position, so it looks like, after 8 years of happy employment, I'm facing the dreaded "reinvent yourself yet one more time" thing. 

The problem is that jobs like mine don't grow on trees. Or sprout up between patio stones, either. And other jobs I can do? I can do lots of things, but employers in this tight job market only look at the "recent" job experience. Eight years is a long tenure for some folks. 

I'm moving forward, though. Like this Plucky Petunia (wouldn't that make a great name for a hand-dyed yarn?), I'm going to just move on and see what there is to see. 

My boss has been entirely supportive and incredibly sympathetic - even passing job leads to me. I have an alternative, if I want it, but I'm not sure I want it.

Don't be picky, you say. Well. The option involves something that would require me to work with a difficult person, commute in one of the busiest business corridors in the state, and work odder hours than I already do. 

At what point do you say, "You know, this just isn't going to be a good thing"? I'm not exactly a newbie on the job scene, which works both ways. It makes me slightly more expensive, but frankly, I'm an extraordinarily hard-working person. But it also makes some employers look at my "tenure" and think, "She'll be retiring soon." Which isn't likely. 

However, as Plucky Petunia seems to say, "there's always hope." Will keep you posted. 

Knitting...

This blue stuff is Lorna's Laces, "Shorewood" colorway. I can't wait to knit it up. It'll be socks, but I'm not sure how, because I'm not sure how the colors will lay out. I think this might be the pair where I try for a cable. Just one. No need to be greedy. Just on the leg. I'll search around. I don't think I'd like to do socks that are definitely "right" or "left" leg - because the wear patterns would be pretty immediate. Maybe a mock cable would be cool, too. 

Sounds like I'm a chicken about cables...and that's probably right. I've never done them, and I know it's like reading a chart: sooner or later, I just have to dive in. 

It's only knitting... 

So here are my "voodoo socks" -- I had ordered this Lorna's Laces (colorway "St. Charles") in the deluded hope that perhaps this would bring me luck in a possible transfer. 


Oh well. At least I'll have socks. 

This is the Vanilla Latte pattern free on Ravelry. It's a cuff of my own creation, a bit of a mishmash of things, and I'm really (a) loving the autumnal look of these; (b) enjoying stitching this up because the yarn is gorgeous on your hands; and (c) anticipating what will happen with that purple spiral/stripe thingie. 

These were initially for a KAL (knit-a-long) in my FB group, but since I have to buckle down on the baby knitting, I definitely know I won't make the deadline on the socks. But that's ok. I'll have socks. 

So I needed a "mental health day" and I (obviously) headed to my LYS where the lovely Kelly had set aside two of these beauties. And of course, I grabbed the 3rd one. Never pass up a new Opal colorway. This is Sweet-and-Spicy2 -- a reiteration of their first Sweet & Spicy, which was nice. But this is kind of nicer... From left to right, we have: Watermelon, Honey, Peppercorn. 

So many people on my FB group love a watermelon yarn that's hand dyed. I love it too, but it's a bit pricey. This Opal will knit up just fine. And I'll have watermelon socks. I have to figure out what to do with them, because EVERY one of them are self-patterning. So you want something that will not be boring (as in Plain Vanilla) but not too busy so that you are fighting the self-patterning bits. 

Maybe a pinstripe or some variation of K3, p1 or the like. I have time. Gotta get to finishing the baby knits! Today will be dedicated to the sweater, and then I'll crack on with the blanket. I'm really only worried about the blanket now, because I think the sweater will be done in about a week, if I do nothing but knit on that. Which I'll do because babies have deadlines...

And since this is a newborn layette, I want to make sure that the kid has a passing chance at actually FITTING into the garments! 

These are the buttons I got for the sweater. Since we're doing the whole "snowflake" theme, I knew that while my "vintage" white buttons would certainly have sufficed, I really wanted something a little more into the idea. Of course, the child and parents reside in North Carolina, where snow is but an image on a Christmas card. But the mom grew up here in Illinois, so she knows what winters are supposed to be like. Anyway, it was a whole $2.60 for the pair of buttons, and if you count what I've already spent on yarn, it's a small price for cute. 

The War that Isn't a War...

Shades of Korea. The air strikes in Syria are all the news lately, pushing a lot of other important topics to the background. What I find interesting is the coalition, which now includes Saudi Arabia - heretofore, they were only going to "allow the US to use their airspace." 

I guess when you're looking a caliphate in the face, you change your mind. A caliphate, in case you're not familiar with this kind of ancient word, is an Islamic state led by a supreme religious leader. This is a clear and present threat to the monarchy in Saudi Arabia. 

Anyway, my reference to Korea is somewhat historical too. It's known as the Korean War, but actually there was never a formal declaration, so technically it's the Korean Conflict. Which conflict lasted longer, I believe, than BOTH World Wars. 

I'm afraid that's what this War That's Not A War will be. And I'm afraid of what it will cost us. In the many layers of that "cost," I'm considering the political cost, economic cost, body count, and history. Why do we have to be "all war all the time" lately? 

And how about a "War on Poverty" or a "War on Corporations" to keep them from taking advantage of paying -ZERO- in taxes while us average folk pay a bunch of money - to keep our government running while the corporations who've purchased our politicians continue to bemoan the "lack of talent" in the US workforce and the "lack of opportunity because of oppressive regulatory rules."

Ha. You want an "oppressive regulatory rule" then how about paying your fair share and stopping the shipment of manufacturing and jobs to cheaper overseas locations? 

That would help. 

Health Issues...

Well, aside from not sleeping because of the aforementioned job issues, I'm hopeful that the cardiologist will give me a good report. I have my annual physical too, wherein we'll have the "why didn't you do anything about this long-term anemia?" discussion. And another visit with the hematologist to reaffirm that my iron levels still stink, and probably get me going on the iron infusions. 

I'm sort of back on track with the food issues; less junk, more fluids. Working toward more exercise, too. 

Random Picture...

Of the elusive Siberian Husk-Cat. Raisa is about 50% cat. I'm convinced. She uses her paws just the way a cat would. Here, she's emphasizing to Hubby that she REALLY wants to have him continue to give her belly rubs. 

Or otherwise she will pummel him with her big fat Husky Paws. 

I still expect that if I was not sitting directly next to it, she would completely try to climb up on the canary cage table when Arlo isn't there. Just to get a better view. 

Yesterday, she apparently thought that my knitting chair was her personal province while someone came to the door. The other 2 dogs were yowling at them by the window, so she clambered up on my chair to add her voice. 

Hubby says, "OFF!" and she LEAPS from my chair to that couch in the picture. 

Yep. At least 50% cat. And 50% idiot.