A Great Yarny Day

This past Tuesday, I had the day off from work. And the stars lined up so that I got to see two good friends.

First meet up was with Ruth. She and I have been blog friends for awhile but we've never met in person. Her HS reunion was in Clovis over the weekend and she was flying out on Tuesday from San Francisco. So her mom and I tag teamed the 3 hour trip. We met in Dublin at one of my favorite breakfast places. Yumm! After we were fortified with coffee and bacon we headed for the airport. But we did manage a picture.



Ruth's on the left. Me on the right. Some poor, unsuspecting breakfaster was nice enough to comply with the picture requests.

And Ruth was sweet enough to leave me with a couple of gifts.



Red Rocks Fiber Works Aspen Sock Yarn in New Aspen Tree. Very pretty, soft, and local to Denver where Ruth lives.



She also made me one of her great stitch saver keychains with my name on it! You can snag one from her here. Thanks, Ruth!!!! Hopefully next time we can meet up for longer than a couple of hours. :)

Then, I headed back to Oakland to pick up my friend Elena from nursing school. She and I had a big vent about new job tension and feeling like idiots. Just what we needed!

She'd never been to Imagiknit and it was a beautiful day to be in the City. Over the Bay Bridge we went. The staff at Imagiknit was super helpful and patient. Elena picked out a bunch of projects for Christmas presents. I picked up yarn for a Super Secret Project. (My sister can't/shouldn't peek on ravelry!) With our yarn bags full we walked over to BiRite Creamery. Salted caramel and creme fraiche ice cream.... YUMMY!!!! It was such a great time, we even had free street parking.

Wanting to beat the traffic out of SF and not having quite our fill of yarn store, we went back to take a look at Article Pract. I picked up some gorgeous Prism lace weight that's destined to be a Hanami. See... pretty, huh?



I'm not a pink girl. So purple will be a really nice substitute.

What a fun and relaxing day! I really needed it.

The Happiest 4th of July

I hope everyone is off enjoying their holiday!

I'm just popping in to announce that I passed my board exam. YAY! I'm officially an RN. Phew! Who knew one test of 75 questions could be so dramatic!?!?!? Thanks again to all of you for your support! It made the waiting much easier.

Now, get away from your computer and out into the sunshine!!!

Back to Normal

The test is done. I got 75 questions which is either really good or really bad. I think the questions I got were hard enough that was performing "above the line." The better you do, the harder the test gets. That way you are guaranteed to leave thinking you failed and pretty depressed. Gotta love computer adaptive testing! UGH! Luckily I've had enough friends go through this that I knew I wouldn't feel good. Or maybe I'm just to tired to care. I never sleep well the night before something important.

Whatever the outcome, I'm done. And I can resume my life as a productive member of society. (instead of the crazy biotch I've been!) Thank you for all the good vibes and thoughts. I really believe that any positive energy that goes out into the universe helps!!

I owe you a post about dyeing class with Scout. Coming soon, I promise!

The Bitter End

I'm still here. Still studying. Starting to get really burnt out on it though. I can't wait for this test to be done. Most of my friends are finishing this weekend. So I'm trying to stay focused but I'm definitely starting to be really done with it all.

The end came today for the Central Park Hoodie too. I came to terms with the fact that it wasn't going to be right. But just in case, I measured my favorite old sweater (FOS) to compare to the CPH. (Yeah- I know. I should have thought of that a LONG time ago.) So not only was the CPH 3 inches longer than FOS, it was 4 inches narrower. In my mind, I live in a fun house mirror where I'm 3 inches taller and 50 pounds lighter. What on earth was I thinking?!?!?!? Knitter denial. It's a powerful thing.

I'm not casting on again for CPH quite now. My sweater attention has turned to the very popular February Lady Sweater. (Rav link. And if you aren't on Ravelry yet, what are you waiting for????) I've had some Elann Peruvian Highland Wool in a beautiful chocolate color that has wanted to be something for a long time. This sweater is perfect for that yarn! Thanks to Poppins who sent me the yarn as part of a secret pal swap!

I also cast on for the Tesserae socks in Yarn Pirate BFL in Fog. These are gonna be so pretty. But the yarn is so thin, I'm getting 10 stitches to the inch. Granted, I'm a tight knitter but the fabric isn't even that dense. Maybe the rest of my BFL becomes lace. These socks are 84 stitches around!! They are going to take forever. Oh well!

And just so this post won't be picture-less...



The Sanguine Gryphon Eidos sock yarn in Phaedrus from TLE.

Have a great weekend!

Things I'm Loving Right Now

I usually don't do product laden posts- except for yarn. But I've tried out a couple of things lately that I really love. So much so that I figured I'd pass them on. I realize this just shows that I have too much time on my hands at the moment.



CoverGirl Lash Blast Mascara. For years I've been a devoted follower of the Maybelline pink and green tube. Lash Blast is far better at making my lashes pop. Plus... the brown is really brown. Not brown-black. I'm pretty fair so the darker colors often make me look silly. And this never, ever, ever clumps or ends up underneath my eyes. Yes, the large brush takes some getting used to but it's well worth it. My friend in Boston practically dragged me to CVS to pick some up. She was absolutely right!



After reading a review in Lucky Magazine, I was really interested in Carson Softsheen Magic Shaving Powder. I found it at Long's and Target for around $3 a can. You mix 2 T. of the powder with 2 T. of water. Spread it on and wait 5-7 minutes. I used an old jelly jar to shake it up. Yes, it's smelly. Yes, it made a mess. But my legs are very smooth. Just be sure to follow the direction since I have read some reviews about skin irritation if it is left on too long.



I have rediscovered the beauty of homemade ice cream. YUM! In the past week I've made mint chocolate chip with mint from my "garden", Strawberry Frozen Yogurt, and Orange Basil sorbet. Did you read about the Harlot's adventures in ice cream at TNNA? Well, Jeni of the famous ice cream shop published some of her recipes in the June 2008 edition of Food and Wine magazine. I made the Cherry Lambic sorbet. And yes, it is amazing! Next up, roasted peach when I pick up some peaches on Saturday at the Farmer's Market.



Nartian and Tapmouse let us in on a Bay Area store- Ichiban Kan. It's a Japanese dollar store. There are adorable pens, erasers, and lots of Bento Box style lunch sets. My favorite are the sheep totes. Cute, cheap, and environmentally friendly!



Finally, I'm loving this sparkly yarn I picked up at Yarn4Socks. It's Aura from Lotus yarns in Prayer for Rain. I think maybe a shawl???? Seriously, I need to knit faster. Too many projects! Psst- there may have been yarntini sport up last night at TLE. There's still 1 color left if you hurry!

I'm still studying for my boards. I'm going to finish the content portion today. And then questions, questions, and more questions... 2 weeks from today...

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?!?!

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.

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.

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!

Woot!

I got the best news today. After working 12 hours on Saturday and Sunday, I found out (through my exhaustion) that I passed my exit exam. OMG- Seriously, I don't know how I pulled it out. A bunch of my friends did too!

So... only 1 big test to go... The Board Exam. Luckily, this exit exam has a positive correlation with board passage. Things are looking good.

I know I still have a ton to learn. And I'll never know everything. But it is nice to feel like I know SOMETHING.

A proper post tomorrow... right now, it's beer thirty!

Lest You Think

I'm a one trick pony... I can actually cook (or assemble) when called upon...



Beet and Toasted Goat Cheese Salad. Delish! I threw in some grapefruit sections for fun. The beets are prevalent in the CSA box lately. So I'm looking for more creative ways to use them. This salad has golden and red beets- Yum! But let's be honest, you can put toasted goat cheese on a bumper (as Emeril would say) and I'd love it.

OK- Here's where I need your help... I'm taking my exit exam tomorrow. Please send lots of nursing knowledge vibes my way between 9am and noon PT. Even if you don't have nursing knowledge, hugs and any knowledge at all will help. I tend to get nervous during these things! I'm pretty sure I'm going to fail. (I can take it again.) But it would be great to pass. Then I could cruise in to graduation. So good thoughts everyone... I hope the power of the knitters will carry me through!

I also have a job interview at one of my top hospitals on Friday. YIKES! I feel kind of bad about it because my friends who applied for the same job haven't gotten the call yet. But I'm nervous and freaked at the same time... OK- 1 thing at a time... exit exam. Then we'll worry about interviews.

What a week! I took two finals today. (all went well) Exit exam tomorrow. Interview on Friday... I can see this being a barely sober weekend! (just kidding... mostly)

Meltdown

Today was a tough one. I had 2-three hour lectures, 1 midterm, and a career fair. The test did not go well. (OK- I got a B) The career fair turned into me getting free pens while I was referred to the website of each hospital to apply for jobs. And while we were waiting to leave after the midterm, I lost it. I just burst into tears. Too much stress built up plus hating the classes I'm currently in. It all lead to me sobbing in the bathroom for a few minutes. I don't want sympathy. I just want you to know that I finally broke. I admit it. I just wish I hadn't been dressed up in interview clothes (career fair) when the breakdown came.

It's all OK. I'm good. Seriously. I just needed to let it out. And now, Spring Break has come. No crazy trip to Cabo for me. Lots of school work and sleeping late.

I'm hoping to get lots done. And lots of posts. I know I've been absent in the last few weeks. I promise to be better. There's only 2 months left in school. Can you believe it???? Me neither. Now I just need to land a great job. Hopefully before I graduate. Cross your fingers! The end is near!

It's Christmas!

At least for me, it is. So I popped a cork and have settled in to watch the show.



It's the Oscars. I love this night. Really, really love it. When do you get to see so many famous people interacting. And the dresses! OH!!! The dresses!!! I just love it!

Did you see Gary Busey acting crazy on the red carpet with Jennifer Garner??? Classic Oscar moment. Even Ryan Seacrest looks a little nervous. Awesome.

As for knitting, I finished the back of the Central Park Hoodie. I live in fear that it will be too small. But I persevere.

School is going fine. I just feel a little over scheduled at the moment. I'm having a great time working with the homeless in San Francisco for community health. But the faculty are very difficult to manage. Mental health is great. Too bad it is completely getting overshadowed by the pain in the patoot that is community health. Less than 100 days to go until graduation. So I just get through whatever I need to get through each day. What else can you do?

OK- Back to the show!

How to Waste 8 Hours Without Really Trying

For my community health class we have to find additional clinical hours. You would think that means volunteering somewhere and actually doing something. Unfortunately, all the volunteering suggestions I've made have been shot down. So I spent yesterday at a research conference. How that relates to community health, I do not know. What I do know is that, although it is really tacky, I got a lot of homework done in the back row. It's really frustrating to have to sit in a chair for 8 hours wishing you could really be contributing. Oh well. I have to get 15 more hours in by the end of April. A diabetes conference in March. And one more. I'd much rather be doing a Habitat for Humanity build day. But that doesn't count. Sigh! Here's the big question... How tacky is it to knit in the back row. I almost pulled it out once my homework was pretty much done. The meeting was sponsored by my school and there were a lot of professors there. So I didn't dare. Maybe I'll be braver at the next one where everyone is a stranger.

Speaking of knitting. I made a purchase. Now, I didn't go on a yarn diet in 2008. I promised to be more mindful of what I bought. And I was because I bought yarn with a specific project in mind...



Rowan Felted Tweed in Herb. 10 balls from Webs for the Tangled Yoke Cardigan. I saw one in this color on Ravelry and knew it was the color I had to have.

Now I just have to finish the Central Park Hoodie.

Fat Tuesday

It's Fat Tuesday and I've been thinking.... I'm chubby too! I'm not religious. But there is a certain appeal to the whole giving up something for a very defined length of time. So the diet starts tomorrow with the start of Lent. Famous last words, right? I think I have a good shot here since I'm also starting a better schedule. (Classes Monday through Wednesday) And I'll have a lot more time during the week to workout and such. Anyway, that's the plan! Something has to happen or I'm really going to be out of pants.

A while back, Ruth was looking for computer speakers. I happen to have a pair and it's no big deal for me to send them her way since I'm not using them. Well, a package showed up in my mail yesterday. And I thought maybe I had bought something and completely forgot. But I've been really good about yarn buying lately and I was actually kind of mad at myself for a second thinking I'd broken one of my rules. Luckily for me, I wasn't drunk shopping. It was a thank you for the speakers from Ruth!



Fearless Fibers- Spellbound. Isn't the color PERFECT!?!?!?! I love it. And it's 550 yards! Can you say knee-highs???? It's all I can do to keep from winding it and casting on straight away. Thank you so much, Ruth!!!

Last night, I stayed up WAY too late to finish Atonement. So good! It took a while for me to get into it. The descriptive writing is lovely and really sets the stage but I'm an action girl. And not a lot happened for the first 100 or so pages. The story is intense and you really feel for the characters. I would recommend it highly. And now I can go see the movie! I've been holding out to finish the book.

I'm finished with pediatrics. Tomorrow I start mental health and community health. I'm not particularly interested in working in either of these fields. But I think the classes and exposure to them will be really interesting. I mean, it has to be exciting when you're warned not to wear a necklace or scarf to clinical in case someone decides to strangle you. Exciting!

I have today off. But I'm going to school to see a screening of The Business of Being Born. It's Ricki Lake's documentary about giving birth in America. I've heard good thing. I'll let you know tomorrow.

And don't forget to vote!

Don't Judge

IrishGirlieKnits and Peaknit gave me a You Make My Day Award! How cool is that!



And Marisol from Purls Just Want to Have Fun gave me a You Make Me Smile. YAY!!!



Thanks, Ladies! Right back at-cha! I'll do my picks in a couple of days.

Yesterday I took my final for peds. I have 2 more days in the hospital and then I'm on to mental health and community. I think those will be fun and really interesting.

I do my booze shopping at a local store that has a "club card." So every once in a while, they send me a coupon for spending x amount of dollars. I thought a post-final shopping spree was in order. We were out of everything. Except apple pucker which never seems to go away!

Here's what I bought...



Plus a case of Heineken. We will not need to go back to said liquor store for long, long time. They were having a Super Bowl Sale. So the bigger bottles were cheaper. When Brian saw that I had purchased a handle each of gin and vodka he was a little shocked. There are only 2 of us living here and we generally are a beer/wine family. But a 750 ml of Absolut was $20. The handle (1750 ml) was $22. That's just value shopping people! Same with the gin. So not only am I boozy but I'm frugal. Hate to be a spendy drunk! HAHA!

The best thing happened today. I've been on pins and needles waiting to hear about my preceptorship. This is like a senior project where I slowly take over the job of a real nurse in the area I want think I'd like to work in. Almost everyone I talk to has been hired based on their placement into preceptorship. It's kind of a big deal. I got a call today from the clinical coordinator. She was able to place me in the critical care department at my first choice hospital! I am THRILLED!!!! Sure, it's 12 hour weekend day shifts. But I got exactly what I wanted. Good thing I have supplies for a toast!

Vacay Today

Tonight was my last clinical for Maternity. I didn't hate it as much as I expected. In fact, I'm pretty in love with NICU babies. And I could definitely do labor and delivery.

But for now, there are many hot chocolates and movies in my future.

Tomorrow, two FO's. The Child's Placket Neck Sweater and Koolhaas revised.

For now, I've got beer and the Godfather Part II. Bliss!

Catching up with you!

Oh my goodness! I just emerged from the crazy fog of finals. I still have 2 more clinical shifts this weekend. But all the class work is done. YAY! Starting Sunday, I'm on vacation until next year!!

First things first... I have to send out a HUGE thank you to Kristin from Knitting Kris. I was one of the random winners in her blog contest! The package arrived yesterday but I couldn't get it until today.



Her favorite Christmas movie- White Christmas. Yummy candy cane kisses. And a great card. The best thing? Inside that card is a gift certificate to The Loopy Ewe! That's the best gift EVER! And there's a certain yarn that I'm going to stalk in the next sneak up. I hope I can snag some.



Finally, check out these great earrings that were also in the package. They are the perfect color for me. I've been wearing lots of gray and blue lately. Thank you so much, Kris!!!!

Knitting Update- I ripped out the top of the Koolhaas to make it longer. I think 2 more repeats total will make it perfect.

The Baby Surprise Jacket for my friend Susan's son was finished in time. But it was a complete disaster. I forgot to take a picture before ripping it all out. The whole thing was misshapen and looked much more like a bolero than I was comfortable with. So I cast on last night for the Child's Placket Neck Sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I'm making good time and although I missed the shower (there were back up gifts), I think I can get it to her before we are officially on break.

Finally, I learned to make cheese. I know. It's totally random. Once I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingslover, I wanted to make cheese, raise chickens, and live off the land. Unfortunately, the only land I have is a 4x6 concrete balcony. But cheese making I have the room and the means to try. So I ordered the 30 minute mozzarella kit from New England Cheese making. Last Monday night became home made pizza night. Plain dough from Trader Joe's, canned organic sauce, portabello mushrooms, and my cheese. Check it out!



Yummy! I made the pizza and then threw it in the freezer for 30 minutes so that the dough would crisp up on the oven rack. Even Brian raved. I think I'll be making cheese again soon.

Now, I'm just vegging out, knitting, and waiting for grades to be posted. More regular blogging to resume immediately!