Potential Thesis?

I would be writing this post in hopes of feedback, but since I have no readers, I’m writing it just as a reminder to myself not to forget Mike’s awesome idea. He was wondering if one could print on something knit (particularly screen printing, but I’m imagining gravure…too bad it’s too expensive to ever know!). And I was pondering the characteristics of pilly wool, felted wool, knitted cotton, blends… So Mike says I should go for my Master’s and do this for my thesis. In his words, “it’s something that certainly has a potential business application, it’s printing related, and it’s certainly novel.”

I might actually have to look into this!

Keeping My Job

Today, I had the pleasure of driving to Baltimore. Now, there’s lots about Baltimore to like. Really, I like it. But I always seem to get lost going anywhere near it, even to Hooters and even to the aquarium, even though I’ve been to both loads of times. Something about the Beltway makes my stomach clench and my brain hurt, right behind my eyes. But I had to go today and it wasn’t for fun like Hooters and the aquarium. I had to go get fingerprinted and I got to pay $38 for the privilege. What’s more, I also get to pay $45 to the Maryland Board of Pharmacy in order to keep my job…for the next month. Yeah, I’m not really thrilled.

Maryland passed a law that requires pharmacy technicians to be certified. Since I’ve been working at the hospital for three years (which one of the newest technicians found shocking - “and how old are you again?”), I didn’t have to take the test. This is good, because I probably wouldn’t have bothered and then something would have to go horribly, terribly wrong during my last year of school, forcing me to go back to this job - but wait! I wouldn’t be certified! Anyway, I got grandfathered in, so they just have to do, you know, a criminal background check. Dad seems to think I’m unreasonably irritated by this whole thing. Yeah, well, if I end up needing this job past August 31, I’m going to be a whole lot more irritated.

Summer Things

I went back to Rochester for a week for Ladies’ Summer Camp at the barn. Riding, drinking, and chillin’ with my barn bitches? Awesome. It had better happen again next year. I also did another horse show. Yeah, so, I’m a little obsessed. I’m planning to do another in October if I can afford it.

Work is stupid. By stupid, I mean I’ve been asking for overtime and I’m still broke. Yeah. A 56 hour week all went into new brakes for my car. Sigh. Funny thing, though, is I’m knitting a scarf out of $50 worth of yarn. Oh, yeah, and I bought enough (that’s another $50, yes) for a second one. But I haven’t really bought anything else, so I guess it’s okay.

I found out RIT got approval for a philosophy major. Damn it! Right before I’m supposed to finish! Oh, well. It may take me years, but I suppose I’ll get over it.

Pictures of the $50 scarves as I finish them. The rest of my current knitting isn’t as exciting. Pictures of camp if I ever get them. Bwahaha.

My First Horse Show

Last weekend, I went back up to Rochester to ride in my first horse show. I only did the beginner flat classes (no jumping) and got third out of four for equitation. I’m good with that, especially for my first show! Here’s a picture of me on the horse I rode, Lacey.

I had to borrow the ridiculous outfit. Am I the only one that thinks it’s weird to dress UP to ride a horse? I guess if I’d been doing it since 8 years old or if I had enough money to buy my own (go look up how much some of that stuff costs - it’s nuts), I might not think it’s crazy. And, I have to admit, even though my legs were too fat for the boots I borrowed and they hurt like a bitch, I think I rode better in them than I do in my half chaps and jeans. Not sure if that’s a good thing or not.

Next exciting horsey adventure? Adult horse camp at the end of the month! Haha, I’m pumped.

Step Away From The Car

I didn’t work yesterday and haven’t yet been home long enough to get my Chik-Fil-A fix, so I went to get some for lunch. This dirty guy with very few teeth approaches my car in the drive-through line and asks me for money, telling me his car was down the road and out of gas and his girlfriend had his credit card. Oookay. I’d seen this man before, last summer, in the same parking lot, with the same story. I give him two quarters, hoping it would make him go beg from someone else and get the hell away from my car. I don’t know how much two quarters will get one in the way of, um, substances, but whatever. Have at it.

So I get my food and go to leave the parking lot and the guy walks right out in front of my car. He comes around to my window and tells me his car is across the street and out of gas. I remind him I gave him fifty cents and that’s all I had for him. And I did laugh, I’ll admit, because he told me his car was in front of a different store this time. But he walks away and I think I’m done with him at least for the day.

I leave the parking lot and go to turn onto the highway. I wait at a red light, make my left turn, and he wanders across the median, right in front of my car, and stops. He stands there for probably thirty seconds, just looking at me. What the hell? I can understand wanting money, but trying to get hit by my car? If you want drugs so badly you’re willing to get hit by a car, you have serious issues.

Yeah, I realize there’s a chance he wasn’t trying to get drugs, but it’s a tiny chance.

Gravure

I have a difficult time explaining my major to people on the outside. I realized while taking a final for my gravure process class (and, by the way, Firefox thinks that “gravure” is a misspelled word) that gravure, flexography, and even substrate don’t mean a whole lot to most people. I know everything has jargon that outsiders won’t know, but at least when I was trying to be a stats major, “math” was a concept everyone could grasp. Oh, you’re a math major - I can understand that. But printing? I can’t explain that to the satisfaction of other people.

It irritates me when friends and coworkers ask me what I’m going to do for a job when everyone switches to e-books. I like to look at them like they’re crazy and mention cereal boxes. But seriously. Print is everywhere. Print is going to be everywhere for a long time. I know it’s not the most popular choice for a potential career, but it’s much less crazy than, say, philosophy, which I like a whole lot more. So stop looking at me that way. And, for the record, I hate trying to read e-books.

Riding Things

I’ve decided to come back to Rochester the weekend after I leave for the summer. Why? To ride in my very first horse show. Yeah, that’s going to be weird. Who starts this crap past the age of 8, anyway? I’m hoping I’ll get to ride my favorite pony, but that’s probably not going to happen. A ten year old told me I couldn’t buy said pony (she’s for sale!) because I would “just outgrow her.” His mother and I laughed at him. My dad got a good laugh out of that when I told him, too. And then it hit me - I am short. I mean, I’ve known this for a long time, but seriously, pathetically, kids-think-I’m-only-15 short. Damn.

I had to go buy my first “professional” looking clothes for a presentation on Monday. I thought I might as well get something I can wear for interviews next year, right? Well. I don’t understand why pants have to be so long. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not into high-waters, but pants that reach the floor instead of four inches under my foot would be nice. And I think this is a valid complaint, see, because supposedly the average height for American women is only about an inch taller than I am - so why is it that pants labeled “short” are still way too long for me? Shouldn’t the average pants be about my size? Or do I just have really stumpy legs or what?

And on the subject of riding things, I got to have my first ride on the back of Steve’s crotch-rocket last night. It was a little cold, but it was awesome. I feel like such a badass now and it just made me want to buy one even more (but I think I’d buy a horse first).

Why “Knit-blogging” Sucks

I’m made a decision. I’m going to forever give up the concept of “knit-blogging.” Maybe that deserves some kind of explanation. See, it’s not that I dislike blogs with knitting content, because that’s not the case at all. I love looking at all the stuff knitters are churning out while I have anywhere between 7 and 17 (yes, 17) projects in various stages of completion all over the apartment. But I’ve discovered the “knit-blogs” I enjoy the most are the ones with more than just knitting content. I like the ones that are all, “here are the socks I finished yesterday! And my two-year-old said the f-word today and here’s a funny story about it!” Or, “I finally made a hat that fits my egghead and here are 84 photos of my cat from this weekend.” I like a little bit of variety, of personality.

Besides, honestly, I just don’t knit enough for the old blog anymore. And I’d like to think, no matter how fascinating I find hand knit socks that there’s just a little more to me than yarn and needles. So there you have it, I’m going to attempt to be interesting.