Category: Life

I haven’t had much chance to update the blog lately. Too many things going on and not much to tell. Big project at work and it was consuming my life. After 43 months of this pace made me re-evaluate my life … so I quit. Well, sort of. I’m taking a leave of absence from work to figure out what I want in a new job. I either return in a new position in the same company or I don’t. I’m giving myself the entire month of April to figure it out. This way, I miss the entire quarter close drama (I support the financial reporting systems — or should I say, “I used to support …”?)

But now that the decision has been made, I feel much calmer. And it’s really odd to be only working 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. I don’t know when was the last time that I actually worked 40 hours a week with time to have lunch!

So, enough of the depressing news. Bush is doing enough of that for us. I don’t need to add more.

On to more interesting things … I took and passed my Motorcycle Safety class! Now I can rider my scooter (150cc Vespa) legally. It really was a fun class. I was given the option of taking the class (and the riding exam) on my scooter, but I opted to take it on one of their “real” motorcycles — a Suzuki 250cc bike. Considered small by motorcycle standards, but pretty big by mine (only my toes can touch the ground). It was one of those really cold, rainy, and windy weekends in Seattle — just another normal wintry day. I think I caught a cold from that weekend that I’m still fighting off.

Not much happening on the fiber front. I’m having a difficult time concentrating because of all the stuff at work. I work on a few rows of this and that and then I lose interested. I did finish spinning and plying the LL Tahoe rovings (10 oz., 1152 yards, navajo plied).

Hopefully, I’ll be able to get some of the projects finished during my time off. I did sign up to demo at the Shepherd’s Extravaganza on Sunday, April 13th. If you are heading there, drop by and say hello! I don’t know what shift I’ll be doing yet.

That’s all for now. Ta!

I woke up this morning to an empty gas tank, and $2 per gallon of gas in Seattle. And to top it off, according to this morning’s paper, the gas companies have a formula for neighborhood-by-neighborhood pricing — basically what they think that neighborhood can bear. Unfortunately, I’m in one of those lucky neighborhoods.

But thank goodness for a very small gas tank and great gas mileage (50 miles to the gallon, 2 gallon capacity). Even though the gas gauge light was blinking at me this morning, it only took 1.5 gallons — $3. I won’t have to fill up for another month. Although, if things continue as they are, I will be using my Vespa a lot more! As long as the weather cooperates, that is. In Seattle, that can be a little dicey. But in an El Nina winter, there has been lots of opportunities for some really fun scoots to and from work. Hence the lost of knitting time on busses. As you can tell, I’m not complaining.

My department was just “re-organized” from IT to Finance yesterday. Today was the first divisional meeting. While I was standing in the back of the room, I looked around and there was this woman with fire engine red hair (color of my spinning wheel) from the roots to about half way down the length, then it faded to black, with some reddish brown in between. She had it way up in fluffy pig tails beginning at the crown of her head. (and yes, she was all dressed in red and black to match her hair) It was all I could do to keep myself from pulling the drop spindle out of my computer bag and grab a handful of that hair. I think it would spin beautifully! Is that bad of me?

And before you ask, yes, there are certain people in my company that pride themselves in being different. They seem to congregate in a couple of departments. Her department being one. The woman sitting next to her could have doubled for Boy George during his Karma Chameleon period. Boy, am I dating myself!

America’s Cup Update

Wow! Team New Zealand is just having bad luck on top of bad luck. Their mast broke today during the leg 3 of the 4th race. What a scary sight. I’m glad that no one was hurt during that not so little incident.

Score: Alinghi 4, Team New Zealand 0.

And in case anyone is keeping the other score:

Race 1: Broken shackle before the start of the race; took on 6 tonnes of water; broken boom during leg 1; titanium ring on the genoa shattered (still leg 1); blew out a second sail (yes, still leg 1) and then gave up and was towed home.

Race 2: Outsailed by Alinghi on the last leg of the race, minutes from the finish line.

Race 3: Bad wind call by Team New Zealand, and a great call by the Alinghi weather team.

Race 4: Broken mast in leg 3.