Archive for May, 2010

Do I know you?

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

Recently I received a friend invite on Facebook. I have so far stayed under the radar from any persons from my high school. This was the first. I have no qualms with this person, I barely knew him. He was a popular fellow, football player. And he is friends with just about every person that has ever passed through that school. But honestly, I have no desire to rebuild bridges once burnt down. I don’t care to reminisce about the good old times, or laugh about so-and-so, or see who became what.

Then I started thinking…what does this say about me? It sounds like I have this huge grudge against people I haven’t seen in 10 years. Why should this bother me? Why am I concerned that if I accept this request, 300 more will come flooding in? Maybe it’s just that I don’t even remember most of high school, and really don’t care to try.

Must think more about this. Maybe if I ignore him, he will go away…

Active

Monday, May 17th, 2010

I’ve been quite inactive lately. My day job requires me to be in a chair for 99% of the work day, I have a long commute, and by the time I get home all I want to do is sit and knit. Let’s just say exercise has not been on my to-do list for a long time.

Over the weekend my Mom mentioned that my sister has been using a workout game on the Wii, and has lost 20 lbs so far! And that was it, the gauntlet had been thrown. I determined at that moment, that I must get that game and lose at least that much weight; I attribute this to some subconscious sibling rivalry. I really would like to lose at least 30 pounds, but we will see.

So, yesterday I headed out to Walmart and picked up the game Active, by EA. I already have the balance board. I got it when it first came out with the intention of using the game Wii Fit, but quickly lost interest. Active is a serious game, less cutesy and supposedly much more focused on getting you in shape. It even came with accessories: a resistance band and a leg strap for the nun-chuck.

This morning I used it for the first time. The result? Jello legs and sweating. In 20 minutes today it said I burned over 100 Calories. So far so good! My goal is to work out for 20 minutes every morning before work. Soon I hope to feel less jello-y and more pumped – we will see.

Simple Truths

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

It seems like every so often I feel the need to give myself a pep talk. Today is one of those days.

Let’s start with listing some truths:

1. I get overly emotional about things I shouldn’t. For example, at work it is a very stressful time, two weeks before a new implementation. My piece is, for the most part, ready to go; however as a whole team, we are far behind where we should be. This stresses me out like you wouldn’t believe. Last night I couldn’t partake in my hobbies of knitting/design because I was so preoccupied with work issues. I wasn’t actively working, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Which only makes me more angry that I cannot escape the emotional storm of the workplace.

2. I want more time to do my stuff. Where “my stuff” equates to knitting design. I finally found something in the knitting world that I love to do that maybe I could make some money from. But, I have no time to do it. Actually, I have some time – a little here, a little there. I grab a few minutes in the morning before I head to work, and then I have a few hours at night after work. But this isn’t the intense focus I want to give it. I want to do it right. The problem is I still need to pay the bills. So, for now at least, I cannot simply quit my job and focus on my dreams.

3. Everything I do, I want to do well. This has always been the case for me. I want to become an expert in whatever I am focused on. I don’t want to leave things half done. This drive has been the main force behind my obsessions with knitting, spinning, and now designing. I am always pushing myself to get better, improve, learn every new technique. As a result, setting false modesty aside, I think I have become (or am becoming) quite good at these things.

When I attempt a new interest, I seek to evaluate if I will reach the level of success I strive for. If not, I don’t pursue it. For example, I tried my hand at dying yarn and fiber. I found it messy, time consuming, and ultimately not something I could see myself excelling at, so I let it go.

4. I want honest friends. To me a friend is not someone that thinks everything I do or say is earth-shockingly-awesome. I see plenty of that online, and it’s annoying.

Popular person: “I clipped my toe nails today!”

Followers: “OMG that is so freaking awesome! Good job! I’ve been meaning to clip mine too and now that you did, I’m so going to do it!!”

Seriously people, this is stupid. I’d rather have someone tell me, “Wow, that’s nice that you shared, but really, I would rather hear about your new sock design than your hygiene habits.” I respect the person that is able to tell it to me straight. Then when they do offer a compliment, I know they mean it and it means more.

5. I have health issues. This is something that I often try to forget, which is both good and bad. Good because I don’t think its a good idea to define oneself based on ailments. I know some people that do, and it is a shame because they are more than their disease. Bad because I often push myself too hard which leads me to take more time away from doing what I love. I haven’t found that balance of acceptance.

Where am I going with this list? I have no idea. Sometimes it just feels good to write some truths, helps me focus on what’s important and what my goals are.

Crafty CSI

Monday, May 10th, 2010

Ida and I have decided to take the law into our own hands and start a crafty crimes division over on Crafty Detour. Come check it out!

Something Exciting

Thursday, May 6th, 2010

Something exciting is starting to unfold over at CraftyDetour! Check it out and stay tuned for more information.

Wordless Wednesday 5.5

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010
Tulip

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Tulip

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Crafty Detour

Monday, May 3rd, 2010

Oh boy, I have been a busy bee! During the past few months my friend Ida and I have come up with this idea for a different kind of blog. And so, let me introduce: Crafty Detour – The Crafty Musings of Heather and Ida.

Stop on by and let us know what you think. We will be having some exciting crafting adventures and fun collaborative projects going on!

Maryland Sheep & Wool 2010

Sunday, May 2nd, 2010

Whew! It was a hot one! I spent a lovely Saturday with my friends Kim, Charlene, and Sherelle. By the end of the day we were all melted and ready to go home.

Best parts of the day:

  • Hanging out with great friends that I don’t get to see often
  • Chatting with Mr. Bosworth about theology
  • Meeting HappyNeedle
  • MeetingĀ  Fiber Optic
  • Spying Anne Hanson and her hubby (too shy to talk to her)
  • Eating a strawberry sundae in the shade
  • Being a rock star!

I ended up giving out about 60 business cards when people asked about Nancy&Judy!

Business Cards

Business Cards

Here are my spoils:

Yarn & Fiber

Yarn & Fiber

Tools

Tools

Lot’s of sock yarn for an upcoming project from left to right: STR medium weight, yarn and a lovely subtly sparkly batt from Spin a Bit, Green Mountain Spinnery Sock Art, Fiber Optic Foot Notes, and Cherry Tree Hill Yarn Supersock.

Also, a beautiful Russian spindle from Mike at The Spanish Peacock and my first set of Signature Needles in size 1.