10-22-14

 I had a meeting this morning with a bunch of visitors from Brazil. I came home, had lunch, and started working when my graduate student asked me if I would go with her to the yarn store and Opelika. How could I turn that down? So we went to the store, and then went to get a coffee afterwards. Feeling pretty good, I ordered a cappuccino.

10-21-14

 Frisbee Whippet is not doing very well.  He was acting very strange tonight, hardly able to stand up, vomiting and seemingly in pain. We thought that this would be his last night on earth. I held him on the couch for quite a long time and he seemed to relax and enjoy that. Poor Frisbee.

10-20-14

 Dan has been working on painting the inside of the windows in our living room. They were a white enamel, and he had to pry the windows open and scrape off all the old paint and caulk all the drafty places, tape the windows,  paint the metal parts, and then paint the trim around the windows.   He even takes off all the hardware and repaints it in a silvery tone.

Today was a really busy day for me. It was the day of our accreditation visit, and I was in meetings all day long and then I taught my class tonight.

10-19-14

 I started playing with some of the yarn I bought on Saturday. I'm making a gift out of the red yarn. I'm using a really interesting stitch called the linen stitch. This is a very special cup of coffee because The Squirt made it for me and followed some very exacting scientific steps.  He had to make sure that the temperature was just right, he had to make sure that he poured the water at a specific rate over a specific amount of grounds. It was a delicious cup of coffee.

 Today I had to go to some interviews for our accreditation process. I got all dressed up and felt very fancy, but unfortunately I couldn't eat anything at the reception because of the ongoing problem with my digestive system.

10-18-14

 CJ called me today. We talked for a long time. I thought she might appreciate some pictures of the camellias that are blooming in the yard, so I went outside and took lots of pictures of them and made a collage. I also found an amazing spider web and photographed it as well. I think that the dashed lines on the scaffolding around the web are fascinating. I really like the way that the photograph turned out with the light shining on it. It's not knitting, it's actually a process of weaving,  but I like the fact that animals participate in fiber crafts just like we do. I wonder what spiderweb yarn would look like.

10-17-14

 Today I felt really down, depressed, sad, and crabby. I've had this intestinal ailment for a long time now and it just saps my energy. As part of my self-inflicted therapy, I drove myself to the yarn shop in Opelika, where I bought two skeins of my favorite brand, Malabrigo.  I also bought a skein of hand dyed grey wool for a Mobius scarf I want to give to a friend.

10-11-14

 I'm sick again. I'm back on a clear liquid diet, and it's been over a week since my digestive tract worked properly.  Today I ate a lot of blue Jell-O, drank a lot of blue Gatorade, and ate blue Gummy Lifesavers. 

10-10-14

It was this:

 The baby surprise jacket is ready for buttons and a seam along the shoulders. But first, I want to bring it to my students at the high school and show them how it works.

10-9-14

 This is my latest project. The yarn I chose is an acrylic/wool  blend. It's a pattern called  Baby Surprise Jacket.  it's called that because it's made in one piece and then when you're done, you just folded up and  seam the shoulders,  and it's like a surprise. Making it really has me thinking about how garments are constructed with increases and decreases.

10-8-14

 Dan spotted this little guy in our carport hanging out upon the ledge, peering down at us. I thought it was an adorable little creature and so I took a picture of it.  Today I met with a research evaluator at the coffee shop. I drank another machiato.

10-7-14

I went to the coffee shop and met with my friend Drunken Waffle today. This is a picture of what I drank this morning-a machiato.  I'm not  sure how to spell that, but I ordered it because it has less milk than a latte. 

10-6-14

This is a flourless chocolate cake. I made it for a luncheon at work. However, I did not go to work today because I still have a really bad intestinal problem. I actually taught class online tonight from bed.

10-5-14

Baby Surprise Jacket in progress!

10-4-14

Tailgating before the game with my friend Doug. Dan got a ticket and went with SwimBikeMan. I got the house to myself to knit! 

10-3-14

Today I got a nice yarn donation for my project. Also visited with the geology faculty to discuss the new degree program. I was really tired today and was at school from 9:30-4:30. 

 Today the intestinal ailment began.

10-2-14

I discovered a gem- a store just a few minutes from my house with all this fresh produce and unique things. I had lunch there in the cafe with my friend Drunken Waffle. 

9-30-14

Last day of September. This morning I went and had coffee with my friend Drunken Waffle, and a student came by to chat also. I guess I was holding court from the coffee shop. It was enough just to hobble into the coffee shop and back to my car. My student encouraged me to see a doctor. So I went. And, I got two amazing practitioners who diagnosed me with a sprained mid-foot. They put me in this brace, and it really has helped me walk today without the severe pain I'd had since Saturday night. It fits in my shoe too... so it was a good decision to stop by the clinic. I like having a medical clinic on campus for stuff like this!

9-29-14

I've fallen and I can't get up!

Seriously. This happened.

Saturday night I hurt my foot while walking. Yes, just walking. It was dark in the house, and late, so I must have stepped wrong. Today, after spending a day as an invalid yesterday, I had to be at school for ELEVEN hours so I brought a bag for ice and wrapped it up a bandage. My student loaned me her mother's cane. I bent down in the hallway after class and FELL and landed my butt on the cane. 

I'm laughing in this picture.

And I asked my student to take this photo for my blog, so I would remember this day

and 

never take walking for granted again.

9-27-14

It's been a while since I crocheted anything, but I decided to crochet this thing to make it go faster. It's a device for my curriculum designed to keep a soda can cold. 

The top flap folds in. Now to find a soda can to test it with.

9-24-14

I was determined to teach my young students how to make knitting needles today despite the past week being full of daily migraines. It was successful.

9-20-14

My sister Sta sent these to me. That was the sweetest thing ever- and it makes me realize how easy it is to show love. Send flowers. These were to congratulate me on my tenure. Don't they look lovely in my dining room? Today I was in bed all day with the migraine that started yesterday. Not Fun. I did take a Maxalt and a Tylenol/Codeine this morning and felt pretty good for a few hours. 

9-19-14

Today Vicki visited campus and taught science to some preschool kids on campus. She also talked with colleagues in my department. I started to get a migraine and had to skip dinner.

9-18-14

Today was my promotion and tenure reception. Vicki came, and here is a snapshot taken by the photographer there. Vicki looks great, but what in the world am I doing? Gazing longingly at the florescent ceiling lights? Invoking the holy spirit? I look like a very strange person.

9-16-14

I've been meeting an old high school friend for coffee every Tuesday morning and it feels so good to have a regular social activity in my week. Tuesday evening is the knitting club meeting, so it's a good social sandwich.

Today I taught my knitting class. This is a hat one of the students made.

9-15-14

I was really crabby today. Woke crabby, stayed crabby. Gave a pop quiz at the beginning of class because kids were skipping... then came home and got on the couch to knit and watch The Wire episodes and the crabbiness faded away. 

9-14-14

Sunday dinner at Mom's. Shrimp cakes over a pepper/garlic sauce and rosemary+thyme biscuits.

9-13-14

Woke and said, "Today is going to be a great day!"
I worked on my evaluation report all morning until it was time for a late lunch, then worked on this hat for my knitting class. It's the project I'm teaching them next.

9-12-14

Today I woke up and was cured of the migraine I'd had for most of three days. I went to work, met with some of the folks I had to cancel on yesterday, got a letter with my raise for the year (!), and then Dan and I went to dinner at the best restaurant in town, Acre. It was really good. Afterwards we picked up ice cream and went to my mom's to have ice cream with her. She gave me my birthday present- this lamp with bugs on it. I love it!!!

9-11-14

I spent this, my 51st birthday, in bed with a migraine. I cancelled all my meetings and just hung out in bed checking Facebook on my phone for birthday wishes. This was my view:

I'm working on a fingerless mitten pattern called Prickly. It uses two colors of wool, and looks neat. It's slow going, that that's OK today.

9-9-14

I invited to students from a local high school to visit for the day. We worked on designing wind turbines, we took a tour around campus, had lunch with some of my graduate students, and had a great time. We even found some time for knitting!

9-8-14

I invited a guest speaker to my class tonight. She is currently in ninth grade student at the local junior high school. She spoke as well as any professor at this university, and my students were completely enthralled with the things she had to say, and the perspective she brought to us as a student in the system they are preparing to teach in. It was a great class.