Quick Poll and Contest

I'm still undecided as to which socks to cast on for my trip tomorrow. So I thought we could turn this into a poll and a contest!

There are three pattern/yarn combinations in the running. All you have to do is vote/guess which one will make the cut. When I'm back, I'll pick a random person from those who got it right and send out a wicked awesome prize. (I'm practicing for Boston!) Comment by Sunday night at midnight Pacific time to enter.

Here are the choices... In no particular order...

1. Marigold Socks by the genius of Flint Knits in STR Sunstone. These socks have been in the queue for a long time.



2. Tesserae Socks from KnitSpot in Yarn Pirate BFL in Fog. This pattern looks really do-able in terms of travel knitting.



3. Jenny Wren Socks from Knitzi in Noro sock color 188. I've been wanting to knit up the Noro for a while now.



Good Luck!

I Have Flat Feet...

in the literal and yarny sense.

I've been stalking Paradise Fibers for a while now. They are carrying something that I want... Flat Feet. It's such a cool idea. You knit your project off the flat fabric, unraveling as you go.



The color is called Mystic Lake- purple, blue, and olive. The thing about this yarn is that I have no idea how it will knit up.



They must dip dye the natural colored yarn in fabric form.



There's a central join so you can do 2 at once if that's your style. Plus, I don't have to weigh the yarn like I usually do to split into 2 balls.

Now the tough part of my packing begins. What to bring to knit??? I am starting a new project for this trip. Socks probably. But there are almost too many options. Tomorrow I'll flash you the contenders.

Thank you to all the soldiers and military families! We really appreciate what you do to keep us safe. Take care of yourselves. And come home soon.

Pinning and Graduation

What a busy few days! Thursday night was pinning. The ceremony was only our class of 47 people. So it was really nice and intimate. We've all gotten to know each other so well throughout the year. It was easy to laugh and cry together. I gave the speech for the class and nearly yakked from nervousness. But everyone said they liked it a lot. We ended up at Scott's Seafood in Jack London Square laughing and talking until pretty late.

Friday was graduation at the Paramount Theater in Oakland. It's a gorgeous old Art Deco theater. The big ceremony was pretty impersonal as you might expect. Really, I only went to get good pictures of us in caps and gowns.

Remember this?



Tiffany, Martha, Me, and Colleen- After a day of our first clinical rotation.

Well, look how far we've come...



Colleen, Tiffany, Martha, and Me- Ready to walk. Lots more pictures on my Flickr stream.

Yesterday, Brian and I went to Napa for a celebration dinner with my in-laws. It was nice to see them. They were very sweet and very supportive. Plus, I received the bottle of champagne that I'm going to drink when I pass my board exam.

We have been sleeping like the dead for the past couple of days. I think I saved up all my tiredness for the year and it hit me this weekend. I've been up at 7am pretty regularly even when I don't need to be. It's like I'm finally allowing myself to relax.

In other nursing news, I accepted a job! As of July 28, I'll be a staff nurse on the telemetry (cardiac monitoring) floor of John Muir Medical Center- Concord Campus. The hospital specialized in cardiac and oncology treatment. It's not a trauma hospital like their sister campus. But I'll get lots of experience with cardiac rhythms and remedies. Hopefully, this will lead to an ICU position in the next year or so. They only hired 12 people for the new graduate program. It's a 5 month program where they teach you exactly how they want you to do everything- like a mini-nursing school and preceptorship all over but specific to the hospital. My friend, Martha, got a position at the Walnut Creek campus. Now we're just crossing our fingers for Tiffany to get a spot with me in Concord. She interviews in a week or so and it's looking pretty good. (Colleen wants labor and delivery. Those are probably toughest to get right now but we'll see.) Lucky me! I'll be surrounded by friends when I start work. What could be better than that?!?!

Rav Swag

I apologize now to non-Rav users. This post is a little heavy with Ravelry love. When the Ravelry mini-mart opened, I was lucky enough to snag (almost) everything I wanted. The signature tote was already sold out.



A gray "Daily Dose of Fiber" T-shirt. I love American Apparel's tshirt fabric but their sizing is total crap. It's a 2XL and still a little snug. (Hence, no modeled shot.)



A natural color "Daily Dose of Fiber" cotton tote. This is perfect for stashing in my purse as to avoid more plastic bags. It's cute but not that big. So don't get one if you think you can do a whole Farmer's Market run with it.



A logo pin



And no Ravelry order would be complete without a little bit of Bob.

Now that my school work is done. I've been able to get back to reading for fun. Paperback Swap is a great service. Lots of books for little money



Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld. A classic tale of high school angst set in an East Coast prep school. The beginning of this book really embodied how I felt when I went to college- a bumpkin in a fancy restaurant. I got annoyed along the way with the main character's behavior. I can't understand why she didn't even try to But overall I found it to be an entertaining read. Not going to change your life, but fun.

The rest of this week and weekend are going to be pretty busy. Then, I'm off to Boston for one of my roommate's weddings from next Wednesday to Sunday. The wedding is actually closer to Pittsfield. So I'm hoping for a drive through Amherst. I don't think there will be any yarn shopping. No other knitters on the trip. No husbands are coming. Just the girls. It's going to be a lot of fun.

Dunzo!

Last night I finished nursing school. After three 12 hour shift this weekend, I got to the required 120 hours of clinical preceptorship. I really can't believe it's been a whole year. For me it flew by. Some months were better than others but I don't regret for a minute going back to school. Here's where I give Brian a shout out for being so supportive. I'm so lucky to have a family that never doubted me. Thanks to all of you too. This blog has been a great place to vent and just talk about all I've been dealing with. One last interview this afternoon and then the tough (but wonderful) decisions will have to be made. Not a bad place to be.

But enough of all this emotional stuff.... Let's see some yarn!

I made a great trade on Ravelry a week or two ago. I sent Barb some roving and she sent me some lovely yarn.



Dream in Color Smooshy- Good Luck Jade



STR Mediumweight- Lagoon

I've always been a lover of blues and greens. So when the new Yarn Pirate Booty Club shipment showed up yesterday, I was very happy! (Hopefully that's not a spoiler!) Click here if you want to see a picture of the May shipment.

Now I have a few days off from official activities. I'm trying hard to finish the Anastasia socks before leaving for Boston in a week. Casting on a new sock for traveling sounds so good- especially for a cross country flight. But before all that I'm off to clean this sty of a house and pay bills. First things first, I guess.

The Heat

Everyone says, "It's not the heat, it's the humidity." After today, I have to heartily disagree. Another 100 degree day makes me want to just lay on the couch and drink beer. Luckily, I had nothing better to do today! Although, I should have had Chardonnay. It's a sad day around here. Maybe you never drank his wine. But you've definitely heard of Mondavi.

Sorry for the lack of photos today. But there's nothing too exciting going on. I'm working the next 3 days. So I probably won't talk to you here before then.

Have a great weekend!

Proof

that sort of smart people can do really silly things!

Behold...



This is the kitty feeder after a trip through the dishwasher. This morning Milo (black kitty) was going crazy because the food level was low. So I tossed what was left into another bowl and decided to wash the gravity feeder before I refilled it. Oops! I supposed the gravity flow wasn't ready for the heat dry setting. And, yes, I'm still using it. It's working. Maybe not as pretty before but I'm trying to think of it as Dali-esque.

Today's interview went well. I have second rounds on Tuesday. Little did I know this job thing would drag on past graduation. But like I said, I'm in a good spot. Thanks for all your good vibes. Even though Chemgrrl thinks it's all me, I think there's something to be said for you all putting positive energy out into the world. Thanks again!

In other news... It's hot as hell here. Around 100 today. UGH! You can't spring 100 on me. I need a week of 80, a week of 90, and THEN you can go 100. I'm from the midwest where 90 happens in July. Not May. Oof! It's hard to be ecofriendly and not use the AC when you are melting!

Last but absolutely not least... I'm so proud of California today. It's about time everyone is allowed to love whoever they want. Bravo California Supreme Court! You got this one absolutely right.

Busy Bee, That's Me!

First of all, thanks for all the sweet comments on the last post. Sometimes I think I'm a kook. But I figure if it works, that's OK.

Another crazy week. My last class was on Monday. I have 3 more shifts and then, I'm DONE! (You're going to hear a lot about... 1 more and I'm done talk around here.)

Yesterday, I had a screening interview in Napa. Brian grew up there and we always talk about moving. So I went up there to see if we can make that happen. For a smaller town, the hospital is pretty cutting edge. It's a trauma center and they have a wonderful cardiac service. We'll see what happens. Tomorrow I have the first interview at #1 hospital. So send good vibes my way. You guys seem to be bringing me luck!

Of course, while I was in Napa I had to visit Yarns on First. (can't find a website) It's a cute shop which is organized by color. While I see why this makes sense, it's a little weird to shop if you are looking for a particular yarn in a variety of colors. However, I did manage to score a couple of lovelies!



Colinette Jitterbug in Gauguin. It's GORGEOUS!!!! Although the yardage is a little short on this yarn, I just couldn't resist the color.



Colinette- Ginger Cinnabar. This is the most rich, delicious orange. I'm not usually an orange person but this one is so perfect.

Today, I went to talk at orientation for the new class entering my program. It was so funny to be on the other side of the coin. They were worried about lots of the same things we were when we started. It was so cute. And it made me see how far my class has come. Plus, I guess this means I'm really graduating. It feels pretty surreal at the moment.

Happy Mother's Day

As you can imagine, today is a tough day for me. I miss her more than I can say. But something funny happened at lunch. I was working at the hospital in the neuro ICU. (So far, my favorite unit.) I went outside at lunch to just stretch and be away for 5 minutes.

A bluebird hopped around me and looked at me quizzically. It was so blue and didn't seem to mind me staring at it while it snapped up crumbs from the lunch tables. I know this sounds crazy but I just felt my mom. She used to email me when a certain bird decided to hang around the feeder in the front yard. The week she died, a cardinal was there day and night.

The rest of the day was crazy and exciting and really pushed me. And now, maybe I think it was her. Nuts, I know. But for some reason, it feels very real tonight. (But I might just be emotional.)

I hope every mother in your life feels important and special today. Because, no matter how mad you are at her or how misunderstood you feel, you love her more than you know. And, without her, you wouldn't be the person you are.

This and That

I can't seem to get back on a good blogging schedule. Even though I technically have 4 days off, I seem to always be super busy. Between kickboxing, keeping a decent house, and just having some fun, I just can't seem to put together a decent post. So here's a week's worth of posts all in one. Hopefully this week I'll be a little more consistent with the postings.

Because of their charm promotion, I had to put in an order at Yarn4Socks. I got some nice O-Wool sock yarn.



Sage. The color is very soft.



Here's the charm for May. Cute, huh?

Knitterly Things started offering Wee Skein Sock Kits made from her Vesper Sock yarn. She did 2 and 4 color kits each totaling 100 grams. They are mix and match to create your own interestingly striped socks. By the time I got over there, only the 2 color kits were left.



Her packaging is always so cute.



Verbena and Vinca Vine. Not sure what I'm going to make with these yet. But I'm excited to have snagged one!

I'm putting together a prize for Claudia's Annual MS bike ride. There will be soap, yarn, and an extra goody or two. For every $10 you donate, you get 1 entry into her raffle. And she always gets great prizes. Plus, knitters have a way of really getting behind good causes.

On the school/job front, I'm working 12 hours tomorrow and again on Sunday. (only 5 shifts left!) Then, Monday is our last lecture. There will be much celebrating after class. But I have to be a little restrained since on Tuesday I have another job interview. Thursday- job interview. Then, three 12's in a row next Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. And that's it! About a week and a half to go. WooHoo!!! Although, I'm excited to be done, I'm also a little sad. I'll actually have to go back to work and be responsible. And I won't see all my classmates as much anymore. I'm also a little apprehensive about actually being a nurse. I know it'll be fine but there's a little doubter in me that'll vanish when I actually get started.

I spent yesterday afternoon at Lake Chabot in a electrically powered rowboat. Once I figured out how to actually steer the thing, it was quite a lovely day. And, with a midweek discount, a hour boat rental was only $15. I think the full day rate is $50. Split between 4 people and a picnic lunch, that would be a lot of fun. I'll just have to remember more sunscreen. Luckily, I'm only a little pink! I'll also have to remember my camera so you can see how lovely it is.

There are a few bars of Rosemary Mint Soap available in the shop if you're interested.

One last thing, I bought these adorable lavender dryer bags from Trader Joe's. They look like lavender tea bags that smell wonderful and only slightly scent the clothing. However, they are a pain in the butt to clean up when they explode. For a second, I thought we had bugs climbing out of the lint traps. But on closer inspection, it was just lavender flowers. Gotta tell you, my heart skipped a beat for a second. HAHA!

This Crazy Week

It has been a very crazy week. Sorry I've been AWOL but you really won't believe all that's been going on.

Monday- Found out I passed my exit test. You already know that.

Tuesday- Shopped madly for an interview outfit. And went to kickboxing.

Wednesday- Returned 1/2 of what I bought on Tuesday and fretted about interview. And went to kickboxing.

Thursday- Went to interview at #2 hospital. And... wait for it... they offered me A JOB!!! AND (this is the best part) they are letting me continue to interview at their other campus (#1 hospital) while they hold a spot for me. SQUEAL!!!!!! I'm almost crying writing this. I will actually be employed at one of my top choice hospitals when I'm done with this crazy year. They have a fantastic training program that's like mini nursing school. Plus, they are just a wonderful hospital. Amazing! Skipped kickboxing in favor of drinks with my friend to celebrate.

Today- Other hospital (#3) called me to ask for an interview. So I'm going to talk to them and see what they have to offer. I'm just over the moon. I don't know why I'm so blessed but this week I really see that things are coming together. And I'm so grateful. Thank you all for putting me in your thoughts this week. There is definitely positive energy coming toward me right now.

A bunch of my friends are also starting to get interviews. So good vibes for them too!

Along with good job things I got good mail! I received a package from South Africa.



I told you I love bags! This is from the wren's shop on etsy. I love it. Big enough to hold everything I need without looking like luggage.

Check out the inside...



There are pockets that you can't really see sewn in for my phone, a pen, etc. She even included a little lavender sachet to the package smelled fabulous!

I'm back in the hospital for 12 hours tomorrow and Sunday. BTW, my preceptorship is at #1 hospital. So I'm still hopeful that a position there will work out. But the huge pressure of employment has lifted. It's a very bright, sunny day!