Last Week Thursday

I am a bit behind on what I wanted to post. I wanted to remember the good night I had last Thursday. My coworker, Noah, had cued me in to the free Thursday night at the Museum of Fine Arts, specifically the special exhibition: Americans in Paris, 1860-1900. (FYI, I would have had to spend $39 to see this).



I ended up going with another coworker, Colleen and her fiance Mark. It was interesting viewing the collection with them. She was a bit more rushed going through, he was a bit more slower, contemplative viewing the exhibit and I was in the middle. This Sargent was one of Mark's favorites as it reminded him of his time visiting the gardens at dusk when he was last in Paris.



For me, I had fun remembering where I had seen some of the collection (they were paintings gathered from all over: Tate, Paris, National Gallery...). It was another hot night, but it put me in a pleasant frame of view (that's not quite the right saying, but hopefully you get the gist) and I thought I should really take advantage of the city sites more often (than I remembered the prohibitive cost). Still it was a good night and have made a resolution to visit the art museums more often.

Interesting Mail Day

The weather finally turned last night, but I was not feeling well this morning so took the first part of the day off and came into work after lunch. The T has been busier being the alternative mode of transportation these days and I ended up stuck for a half hour at Central station - not pleasant, but at least the air was going and so it wasn't too uncomfortable.



The upside was that I got my mail for the day - a letter from Jenny Telling an old friend I used to babysit for when I was younger. She had me to babysit when needed, but my regular gig was coming aftershool every Thursday to watch the kids. I started in middle school when it was just Sally but after 6 years it was up to three kids with Ned and Rob added to the mix. I go to college, they move to Vermont. We still stay in touch a bit. I stop by their place before heading off to California and Sally teaches me how to knit (she learned in her Waldorf school). I move out west and they move over seas and we loose touch. Fast forward almost 10 years and I hear that Ned (the middle kid, the one on the right who looks alot like my brother in this picture) is graduating highschool! They were frozen in my mind as kids - young kids - now it looks like they are all taller than me!



Second piece of mail is an email from a guy, Danny, that a friend set me up with. We are working out when to meet up and he included a picture. At first I was relieved, he seemed nice and was kind of cute. But now I kind of wonder about his photoshop skills and whose kids are those! It's a bit strange after you look at it for awhile. He seems really nice though and has parental approval in the form that Joanne's mom knows him.



The dilema is that my friend/coworker Collen is having a bachelorette party saturday, Jenny just invited me out to an island off of Martha's Vineyard this weekend (Sally and Rob will be visiting then), and Danny suggested getting together saturday night. Plus, I'm going to go out to the Cape next weekend (welfleet) to celebrate the opening of a building I have been working on and could visit Jenny then (but not Sally). I'm still trying to figure out if I could fit all three into the same weekend!

Missing Sleeve

This weekend was busy with my cousin Catherine, Tyler (her 5 year old) and Barry (her husband) being in town for several days. Saturday we went in to the city to visit Faneuil Hall area (when I first moved here it took me a month to realize people weren't saying Nathaniel) . It was a hot and muggy day and there wasn't much to do other than walk around a bit and watch several street performances.



The first act was a group I had seen before up in Salem, MA - the acrobatic family. They weren't as full of energy as before, but imagine it was due to the sun zapping their energy. They were funny and well polished and it was interesting to see them twice that day. The second act was this guy who did similar acrobatic and juggeling things, but wasn't as well practiced which was fine until he was up on a ladder balancing, trying to pull off his finale - wasn't sure if he would actually make it - it's not like there are any mats or safety harnasses. He survived though and all was well. The last act we saw was a group of dancers - a combination of acrobatics and break dancing. At one point they had Tyler participate from the audiance and he was tickeled pink.



This weather has not been good, but am glad I got the futon as I am using my back room the most as there is an AC unit in there and because it is such a small room, it cools down much quicker than the living room which has the high ceilings. Plus no real direct sunlight comes in so it is cooler in that back room. With the futon I can enjoy watching movies and still keep knitting in this humidity. I made good progress, (having finally, completely memorized the cable pattern, no need for the instructions), and am almost done a sleeve. I was looking and looking for the first sleeve I knitted to compare lengths and make sure they match up before I start shaping the top and I can't find it. I started questioning my sanity, thinking back whether I had actually knit a sleeve already or if I had imagined it. But I must have, I have been knitting this sweater for so long, it can't be that I still have a whole 'nother sleeve to knit. I'm supposed to be almost done! So it's been bugging me for several days now.



This morning I am checking my regular blogs I read, ending up with mine and reread my last entry. Besides realizing that I have been misusing a lot of words (i.e. 'core' instead of 'chore', 'there' instead of 'their' - and who knows how many misspelled words there are, since I never did master spelling), I am able to put the sleeve question to rest. I mention starting the first sleeve and this is last Wednesday, and with having company since Thursday, I know I haven't knit two sleeves in that time. So, sadly, it seems I still have one more sleeve to go. I am so ready to finish this sweater. I keep noticing some of my outfits I am wearing while knitting and think how nice the sweater would go. I need to rally and try to finish the last sleeve this week - although I think it might take me two weeks, as the subway and bus have been more crowded of late due to the big dig tunnels being closed due to the collapse and death last week. But want to finish this sweater up by the end of the month as I, along with the TA department, might be working at my boss's who also lives in Arlington, which means I get to ride a bike to work along the Minute Man bikeway. It should be a nice ride, especially in the early morning before it gets too hot. Only it means no more knitting during commuting!

Pounce

So, I forgot to mention my new thing for images (since I can't get my act together and upload photos taken - honestly, it just takes the first time and than I will fall into a pattern - so she thinks): SIGNS. You got to love the plethora of strange, unusual or in this case, contridictory signs there are out in the wide world. I have to admit that I found this on a personal post on craigslist (that is a scary place - the personals - the other sections are great - got a futon and an apartment from craigslist).



I have been good and even though my latest sweater is taking forever - the common knit and knit and no progress phenomina is kicking in, I haven't started any new knitting projects. Although I do have several ear marked and all lined up to jump into when I finish off the existing ones. The other day I thought I saw a ghost (or something in that venue) as I was reading my friend's blog and there my sweater was - all done and finished (but yet the first sleeve, half done is sitting in my bag, how can this be). I swear it looks almost identical. The same cables, the same pearl seed stitch along the button strip, the same rolled collar, the same color even. Once you see MY finished project (whenever that day might be) you will think it's eerie. One difference is that my version of the sweater is for me, hers for a baby.



And on a final "good thing in my busy life" note, even though it is chaos at work (too many people in one space - one room), there is a chore group of us that are hooked on a "new to me" card game called Pounce. It's like playing Speed or Spit (if you are familiar with those fast moving card games) combined with Solataire (similar structure), but with multiple decks and the more players there are the more chaos. I am addicted, but luckily so are three other people. So sometimes one of us can't play at lunch or during a break because of some deadline, but there is guaranteed that three of us will come through and play. I love it and it reminds me of my time in Wales during my study abroad. There were three of us (me, cec and joanne) who just would play Hearts endlessly and than we have other people we knew who would join us (as it is meant to be played with four really, especially if you are trying to shoot the moon - hee, hee). It was a great time to just chill but another aspect is you really get to know how each person plays, their style and then their is that added component to the game. Hopefully it will last, although at the end of the month we will all be separated (our office lease is up and our new office construction is completed yet, so we be splitting up the staff based on what makes sense of who goes where), so I guess we won't be able to play, but is only on hiatus until we move into our new space and are reunited once again!

Morphing

Do you ever morph into someone else? I remember when I was younger I had to be careful how I spoke. When I was around someone with an accent, after about ten minutes I'd start adapting it a bit, completely unintionally. But they didn't know that and sometimes they would think that I was making fun of them.



Well, being in my current work environment (i.e. one office with about a dozen of us cramped in together and spilling into each other's spaces - no walls), I've started turning into some of my peers. I've started talking like my boss, I've started dressing like a coworker, I've started laughing like another coworker, the list goes on. I noticed this yesterday on my way home when I realized how much the city was smelling. Now, I'm not a smelling type person, but a coworker of mine has a very heightened sense of smell and is always pointing out things. I was thinking how comments like that can greatly effect how you perceive the world.



Speaking of senses, there is a bloody blue bird (don't know if it's an actual blue bird, but it is blue) that does not have a pretty voice and insists on "talking" at dawn each morning which seems to be about 4:30 am these days. But what can you do - the cats get enjoyment out of it so at least someone is benefiting.



And on a last and final note, got a call today from someone I met last year at a conference in Atlanta. He is good friends with my boss (think they might have worked together or gone to school together). Anways, was looking for my boss, but wanted to talk to me as well. Long story short, he put it out there that if I was ever interested in moving to Portland, they would love to have me come work for them. I'm wracking my brain and I think this offer is solely based off of our initial (and only) conversation we had over drinks at the conference one night. It's always nice to know you make a good impression. So that was my pat on the back for the week (and what a tiring week). Looking forward to a bit of a respet (know idea how to spell that word) although I'm still undecided about taking monday off. Will have to see.

More past pics

Today has been a weird energy day. I've been having those tired days (too much work, not enough play), but today has been strange, really exhausted. So I'm on my way out the door on my way home. I'm looking forward to watching the second part of the Masterpiece Theater movie I rented, Shooting the Past. I've really enjoyed it as it's not similar to other Masterpiece episodes (it's not a period piece or a mystery), but it is set in the same locations - a grand old castle estate. It reminds me of an independent BBC film, kindof. I'm right at the point where they are trying to figure out how to keep the enormous collection of photos (thousands, if not millions), as the developers move in, wanting to just destroy them all as that makes the most financial sense (time is money). Anyways, something to look forward to watching tonight while relaxing.



On the bus this morning I realized I never knit a sweater for my friend Jill's baby out in Seatle. Or really, I couldn't remember if I had. And considering her name is Rowan (my favorite brand of yarn and patterns), she has to have a sweater. So to be on the safe side and since I love the pattern and need a break from my current project (and for some reason have been itching to knit baby clothes, hmmm...), I might start the Pea Pod sweater tonight, but for a larger size (think the baby was born last october) . Although, writing this I realize I should use some of my Rowan yarn (except it's itchy) and knit her a Rowan patterned sweater (except I don't have any for babies). Maybe when she's older.



To wrap this up, I thought I'd include a picture that my mom sent today of my brother and I with our cousin, Tyler, taken back during his graduation (I think, actually, it might have been before than on a previous visit - this is why I keep a blog, to keep track of things as my brain is just not on top of these things!) Remember those days when you used to ride on people's shoulders. This picture reminds me of those good old days when it was nice and pleasant and cool.



P.S. I figured out what to do for pictures until I figure out my phone - I have a plan, but will share it with you later.

Catch Up

I realized that I have been leaving things out that I meant to put in so thought I would play a little catch up, so hear go's (starting with last week):



Monday: I never sold the wedgewood. Saturday morning woke up at 6 am like usual, went and moved the car and than went back to bed. By the time I got up, the garage sale was up and running and I realized I hadn't quite reenergized enough to do small talk all morning so bagged the whole event. The box of china remains sitting under my ladder to the loft. Maybe I'll bring them to NYC to the replacement store.



Tuesday: I woke up super early to make my way to the BU campus to answer phones at WBUR.org. The last time I had done this was in San Francisco and it was paper based. It was all high tech, computerized with the headsets to answer the phones. I felt like a telemarketer, except they were calling me. Collected a several thousand dollars before heading off to work.



Friday: Finally got in touch with the person arranging the lecture on Saturday that I was standing in for a coworker. I got off the phone stunned. The audience was up to 75 people and the presentation was to be 2 hours. Remember, at that time I had about 20 minutes worth of slides. I just couldn't believe it - two hours! So friday night I ended up watching three movies back to back to back while preparing slides for the presentation. I realized I was getting better at this as I ended up getting to bed by midnight feeling like I would be in decent shape the next day.



Saturday morning: On my way out the door to the presentation, my one piece of mail was a wonderful package of pictures my Aunt Mary sent on that were from my graduation last year and my brothers graduation this spring. It was nice going through them while on my way to the lecture. There were a lot of great pictures, many candids that really captured people - especially my mom and dad as they look very different (in my eyes) in the posed pictures versus real life. I was able to scan in a couple pictures but made the mistake of taking them home before checking the quality of scans. So here is the only one that really scanned well - but it's a good one of me and my brother. Side note for this picture, I am wearing my tallest boots - 4 plus inches, and Nick is still taller!



Saturday afternoon: Fast forward and the presentation went really well! I wasn't sure how well I would do in front of such a large room but started off polling people about who they were and what level of knowledge they had on the subject and talked about who I was and how I came to be where I was now in life (from civil engineering to green building consultant) and it set a really good tone. Being relaxed I had fun with the presentation and my fear of running out of slides was transformed to running out of time and having to speed up the last part which worked out really well. I got a lot of people come up to me with additional questions and comments and praise. Always nice to hear, especially considering that while presenting, looking out in the audience I couldn't locate a single person even close to my age.



Sunday: Slept, knit, watched the movie Good Girl. Funny side note, the description on the back was completely off base, putting the movie into the genre of a comedy. She cheats on her husband and one of her co-workers dies from eating blackberries and the other one offs himself. The only funny thing was Jennifer Aniston fading into and out of an accent (I think she was trying for midwestern, but it was hard to tell).



Monday: Tried to download my phone pics onto my work computer. Why won't my phone share? I don't know how to get the pictures out of the stupid cell phone (I knew the cell phone was evil). The manual has nothing so will need to go into a T-Mobile place and see if they can help (very doubtful). Was going to clean the office but decided that it was not a job to do at night in the creepy dark.



Tuesday morning: Had a meeting in Watertown, so didn't have to go into work which meant I had a free morning until 9 am. I was going to tackle the office but it's just too scary. Instead I changed my sheets to the nice crisp summer ones (its getting hot and humid, but I won't go there) and tidied up the living room. I'm thinking of having a dinner party sometime next month so am trying to keep things clean (well at least tidy).



And that brings us to now. I need to prepare for a presentation for this evening on top of the normal job stuff so will have to leave you with this quote from the Good Girl description:



...quirky comedy about first encounters and second chances...