Way out in the Middle of Nowhere

Hey Google? I don't have a cell phone, stop asking me to give you it's number! Back to the original plan; which was...I didn't have a plan really. I've got 2 geese that collapse in the morning when let out of their pen.  It's like they have asthma or something.  I isolate them in the pen and after about 10 minutes they recover. It's inconvenient but I am dealing with it. It takes a morning chore that was 1/2 an hour and now it's an hour-long. School is eh: I was 20 minutes late to my first Algebra exam because I was studying FOR it.  I got into class, apologize and grabbed the test. My brain froze and could only remember the quadratic formula.  Yeah...got a D on that bugger. Chem is fine.  I hear I have to watch an ice cube melt for Engineering fundamentals.  great. Knitting: I can only focus for about 10 minutes at a time.  Other than that, I've got a cat that needs my lap every stinking time I sit on the couch, whether or not I'm studying...

Honestly, I have been knitting! The thing is though, when you're working on a new design, you have to keep it secret.  This is a cowl that I've designed and now I need to write the pattern out and publish it. It's a nice, close knit pattern great for guys. This morning I wore it outside to test it out since it's 41 here in WI. I'm also working on a stranded hat.  There's about 10 skeins of Knit Picks Palette that I scored for 50 cents a piece at Goodwill some time ago.  I've been playing with different stranded designs.  Sometimes I just want to mess around without a real aim.  The Aidez is taking a time out mainly because I am afraid to mess up the bind-off on the sleeve re-design. I know, ...get over it! It's getting colder, so that might be my impetus to get it done. I find that some of my homework reading is done better if I am knitting at the same time.  I concentrate better. Bantam chicken update: we have 10 baby chicks under two hens i...

Hey, wanna see what I look like these days?  I had to take a picture of myself for my online profile for school.  That's me, in the kitchen with my hair down. Which usually doesn't happen due to the fact that it gets in my face or gets eaten by geese if I leave it down. School: Yeah, it's going pretty OK right now. I'm taking Pre-Calculus, Organic Chemistry and Engineering Fundamentals.  The last one is online. The 3 classes keep me plenty busy, thanks.  That and driving back and forth between Janesville, Beloit and Orfordville.   Once we get another car for me, I'll stop having to be in the van for about 3 hours a day driving 100 miles just to go to school. I've got 3 options for cars: 1988 Mustang Convertible, 2001 VW Bug, or a 2005 Aveo.  Really? I want the Aveo. It's new but costs more than I'll be getting for financial aid this semester. Unless we can come up w/ about $2000 in financing, I'll be driving a Mustang Convert...

Lots of people will give you great and moving tributes to those who died on 9/11/2001.  Lots of tributes. And me? I remember the feeling of emptiness, helplessness and horror as we saw what unfolded that day. I start work at 8, so I was in by 7:45 doing my thing.  Dave and I carpooled and he needed to be across town by 8, so I got dropped off early.  As I slipped in the front door, my boss Jeff came out of his office directly across from my cubicle, "A plane just hit the World Trade Center." he says incredulously.  I was thinking Cessna with a student pilot.. small plane got out of control thing.  Jeff walks back into his office. The next time he RUNS out of his office.  "Another plane just hit the other tower!" he says.  My first words were, "Terrorist Attack?" He nods and says, "Seems so." Now as the day unfolds, not much work is done.  We had radios dialed into whatever we could. I scan for any type of info online as the IT Gods would allo...

Yeah.  Sauteed is fine. Setting on a nest of eggs somewhere in the 30 acres we call home.  I see her every morning. Today was the first day of school, which is daunting at 42 years old.  Even worse? Most of these kids could be MY kids! I sit in classes with a bunch of 18 year olds trying to look inconspicuous.  Yeah, right! I put the shop in semi-permanent vacation for now. Still getting used to the whole....not having to do stuff all the time thing. Not having to check for orders, sew bags, finish bags, answer questions, ship orders...it's odd.  I've spent the last few days wandering around doing *something* to keep from going bonkers. So...one thing I've been doing is gleaning feathers from where the geese and ducks lie. When they huddle together and preen, they leave feathers behind.   So I gather them in plastic bags and then dump those into a 2 1/2 gallon zip bag.   That is the first one, I am working on bag #2. From what I've read, gee...