Nearing 31 November 30, 2007

My 31st birthday is just a few days away so this is the time of year for me to think back on what’s happened since I turned 30. LOTS! I have had so many changes in my life during my 30th year. Mike had major spinal surgery and recovered, we got engaged and married, and I am now switching careers – I’m not sure how public I am going to make those particular changes but if you know me in person I’ll let you in on what’s going on in the next few days. This year has been huge for me and it has flown by. Looking back at my 30 goals for my 30th year post from last year here’s where I stand:

1.Knit a Fair Isle project – Done! I took a Fair Isle hat class and at least got the concept down, now all I have to do is finish the hat.

2. Read 50 books in a year – Not this year, there was WAY too much going on for this to happen. I will do it someday though.

3. Become a better continental knitter – Done! I am much better continental knitter than last year. I still like to throw but am glad I know both methods.

4. Blog more often! – Ummm not so much. I like to blog but it never seems to happen!

5. Finish the knitting projects that I start – No comment. This was an unreasonable goal, I never finish what I start. It’s good to keep in mind but I am just not that kind of knitter.

Recreation:

6. By a road bike and use it! – Lack of funds due to wedding made this impossible. I will try to do it this year.

7. Swim on Saturdays – I ended up joining a new gym and swam lots during the week.

8. Follow Triathlon training program. Done! I loved this program and will use it again this year.

9. Cut another 15 minutes off last year’s Danskin time. – I really feel that I would have done well at Danskin had I signed up and not gotten distracted by my wedding (I didn’t sign up because I was supposed to be on my honeymoon at that time). I lost a dress size this year training so that’s good in itself!

10. Hike more! – Nope, got distracted by training for the triathlons and the wedding.

Personal

11. Decide about eating meat. – Done! Eating meat now.

12. Try to let go of control – or not be such a control freak! – Done! I was much less controlling this year and completely let go when planning the wedding.

13. Go to yoga/reduce everyday stresses – Nope, I didn’t have enough time to reduce stress, but I did work out a lot which helped.

14. Follow through with my promises. – Done! I promised to get married and then I did.

15. Keep in touch with far away friends as well as those close by more often. Done! I saw lots of people at the wedding. Perhaps not so good lately…..

Now I just have to come up with 31 goals for this upcoming year. I’ll have to make them pretty broad though. After the craziness of this year, who know what will happen while I am 31!

Not much going on November 19, 2007

I don’t have much to post about lately. Here’s what’s on my mind today

1. We are going to the Tri-Cities for Thanksgiving. It snowed in the passes today so let’s hope it’s pretty going over the mountains and but not snowing on the road. Also, the WADOT has this great link for those of us who are traveling by car around the state so we know when is the best time to leave.

2. My brother wants a hat for Christmas (I don’t think he reads my blog). I want to make Center Square and he’s not a super manly man but I’m not sure if this is a girly hat or not. He looks great in blue and I liked this colorway. Thoughts?

3. I hate it when it’s dark outside at 3:30 PM. I know I live in the Northwest but really…

It Was a Wedding in Walla Walla November 9, 2007

SJL_0238Originally uploaded by RN to beMike and I went to his brother Jason’s wedding in Walla Walla in October. Jason married a great woman, Shawnita. She sent me this great picture of Mike and I dancing. Check out the rest of her wedding photos on Flickr and also her blog. It just happens that she’s a knitter too! I’m so glad that she’s also married into Mike’s family – we should have lots of fun in the next few years with gifts!
I would also like to note that I am wearing my Clapotis in this picture, I need to wear it more often!

Reading the paper November 6, 2007

I like to start my workday off skimming the Seattle Times and PI, just so I know what’s going on in the world. This morning was full of blog-able stuff!

This story caught my eye about the Seattle Public Library and how many hundreds of people have stuff on holds. I actually switched my library hold list to the King Count Library System becks of that and because the Issaquah library is actually much more accessible for me. It’s great to know that so many people are using the public library system! It makes me happy.

Also this morning, the PI’s Daily Find was the Tom Bihn Knitting Bag! Wow.

Where did October go? November 2, 2007

I don’t understand how it can be November already! I have been super busy in October with lots going on since the last blog post. I cheated a little and added a post for October so be sure to go back and check it out!

I’ve been knitting. I finished the back of the Veste Everest and am about a 1/4 done with the front. I am so happy with this project, I can’t wait to wear it. I also cast on for Monkey from Knitty.com but I fear that I am knitting too tightly on my size US 1 (2.25mm) needles and will have to go up to a US 2 (3mm) I am thinking about ordering some 2.75mm needles from knitpicks because I worry that they will be too big on a US 2. I am using Socks that Rock lightweight in Kryptonite and am loving the colorway. Here’s a picture:

I also took a sewing class at Stitches in Seattle with Meg! It’s been lots of fun! It was more of a refresher class for both of us but was a great reminder that I pretty much knew what I was doing. Luckily before I got a big head and thought I was not only the queen of knitting but had a handle of this sewing thing too, I nearly sewed the wrong sides of my pants together. Thankfully a helpful class member noticed that ours looked different from one another and the problem was solved! I don’t have a picture of the pants yet but here’s the fabric:

Meg and Mara at the Cabin October 15, 2007

Meg and I had a great time at the cabin this weekend! We ate really good cheese and crackers, drank lots of wine and had a kind of scary adventure at the end that turned out to be all about my disorganization. I won’t go into it here, but let’s just say, it’s a good thing that Meg is a pretty mellow gal!

We talked pretty much the whole time not getting the reading or knitting we had planned accomplished. It was lots of fun though and we had some of the best weather I can remember! Here are some great pictures:

This is the view from the bluff where the cabin sits:

And from a slightly different angle:

The same island from down on the beach next to the river:

Another picture from the beach, I just love driftwood.

Here’s Meg comming down to the beach from the trail. Isn’t she a hardcore outdoors woman?

And just becasue I liked how it was sitting, some beach grass

I also got a little knitting done on the Veste Everest, here is is overlooking the ocean:

I can’t wait to go back…….

Can’t wait for the weekend…… October 12, 2007

This web-cam is all that’s keeping me going at work today! I can’t wait for the weekend to get out of town and head to the coast! The weather is supposed to be nice, so cross your fingers for us!

Speaking of web-cams, when I am feeling trapped in Seattle I also like to take a look at these:

Hurricane Ridge

Mt. Rainier

Hood Canal

Hopefully I’ll take lots of good pictures and will post them on Monday when I’m back in town.

So Cute! October 11, 2007

My friend Melisa and I have a fascination with libraries and librarians. So when she had her baby girl I HAD to give her this onesie:

How cute is that! 

National Book Awards October 10, 2007

The National Book Award nominations for 2007 are out! I haven’t read or heard of any of them and am feeling out of the loop! I usually have read one or two of the nominated books but may have to wait to see who wins this year and just read that. I feel like my library hold list is pretty long already. Has anyone read any of these books and have suggestion for me?  

The Deadliest Catch October 10, 2007

I love the TV show The Deadliest Catch and several of the boats featured on the show are based in Seattle and/or the guys who work on or own the boats are from this area. So this article in the PI this morning about the crab fishing industry and it’s relationship to the show was really interesting.

I am especially interesting in crab fishing because my family also has a cabin on a remote part of the Washington coast where I have grown up seeing crab fishing boats off shore quite often. I love seeing their lights at night way out when there are no other lights anywhere. We also often see crab pots that have washed up and become part of the driftwood on the beach. I believe that it’s  Dungeness crab the boats off the Washington coast are catching which is different that what’s caught in Alaska on the show.  

I’m headed out to the cabin on the coast this weekend and am so excited! If the weather is good and it’s not pouring rain, I’ll try to find an old crab pot and take a picture – they always look cool among the driftwood.