It’s First of May celebrations in Finland, so new situations arise. I just received a text message from a friend:
Can I drink champagne that’s four years old? It’s going to taste bad anyways, but am I going to die?
Conference call, the Teddy style Monday, Apr 27 2009
It's not me - my friends are crazy! and Lessons in Logic and Teddy 5:03 pm
I had a conversation with my friend, and the mother of my goddaughter today with her on speaker phone so that Teddy could participate too. We were discussing the fate of few of her skirts.
Me: The brown one was cut apart to make Teddy’s leather trousers, wasn’t it?
My Friend, the Mom: Yes, it was. But the black one wasn’t, right? I decided to keep that still.
Me: Oh yeah, that’s true. *pause* You know what could be made of the black one? A biker jacket for Teddy!
the Mom: No, you’re not making a biker jacket to Teddy out of my old leather skirt!
Teddy (that is, my goddaughter in her ’Teddy-voice’): See?! I never get anything! This is so unfair!
Me *laughing*: Teddy, you just got a ton of new things when you visited me.
Teddy *in an innocent voice*: Can I come visit you again?
the Mom: No!
Me: *uncontrollable laughter*
Well, you asked… Monday, Apr 27 2009
Confessions of a Shallow Mind and Must-haves 3:57 pm
I’ve spent a lot of time and energy talking about Generation Kill lately. And you’re asking me why. Well, mon petites, because…
it has the one in the middle in this video (Warning! Do not open this link while at work!) in US Marine battle gear, all cool and professional and lethal and ‘frosty’. Which is to say, ’steaming hot’.
And yes, I did label this post as “Must Have”. Of course, I’m talking about the DVD box set. Nothing more!
Must Haves: Things I do NOT want to hear right now Friday, Apr 24 2009
Must-haves 11:28 am
- Wish you were here from BF. Yes, I wish I was there too. You’re living the best time of your life, having a blast, and I’m stuck running ARCH analysis on a time series data. I wish I was there too, and saying it doesn’t make it any easier.
- Are you done yet? in relation to my school work. No, I’m not done yet! I have a ton of things I didn’t tell you about to do, because I screwed up earlier, and didn’t want to tell you. So no, I’m not done. I’ll tell you when I’m done.
- Could you do this/see that this is done? about some project or another. I don’t have time for anything extra right now, and I don’t want to say no, so please don’t ask.
- I think you drink too much coffee. I know I do, you saying it won’t change a thing. Now give my my coffee.
Not my pattern Tuesday, Apr 21 2009
knitting 6:28 am
Last summer I knitted myself this top from Novita:
I made it in hot pink. And it turned out pretty good, even if I say so myself, in the end. Of course, there were some troubles while making it, despite the really simple pattern.
See, the upper part of the top, the lacy part, is knitted from one edge of the sleeve to the edge of the other one. In on piece, really. You just have to part the section into two for a while to make the neckline. Which I forgot to do. So I had to undo like 15 cm of that. Not fun.
Lately, I’ve been working on a blue version of the top, as I really really love the model (plus it looks awesome on me!) and the yarn used (Tennessee by Novita, a 100% cotton). Now, despite the simplicity of the pattern, and the fact that I’d already done the top once, or maybe because of those things, this one had its problems.
First, as I was making the two separate sides for the neckline, I made the first one too short. So after making the second one, I had to add a little bit to the first one, then cut the yarn again and start from the edge of the second one again to match the pattern correctly. Confused? Sufficient to say, I had to end like 10 yarns once it was over. Not fun.
Then, as I moved on to the waist-section, which is knitted from the opening left by sewing the bottom seams to the sleeves, I was being smart. You see, the way it’s done, you sew the seams to create the sleeves, so that you have a tube with a hole on the upper side (that’s the neckline) and a hole in the bottom side (the body). Then you pick up from the bottom hole to knit down to the edge.
Now, with the pink one, the waist is a bit too wide, so I sewed the sleeves together for a bit longer, creating a smaller hole for the body. Still with me? Good. Then, I continued to pick up the stitches, and knitted for 15-something cm of the waist section, feeling all good and accomplished once I finished.
Yesterday I tried the finished top on and started wondering. “Did I really make the waist this small? Hmm… Oh, well, it’ll stretch.” It was on the borderline of being too small. Then I noticed the seams on my shoulders.
I’d knitted the waist-section to the neckline.
Once again, undoing was to be done.
For such a simple pattern, I sure seem to be having huge problems with it!
And bagels! Friday, Apr 10 2009
Teddy 3:17 pm
Okay, I promised you stories…
I have a goddaughter, who is absolutely adorable. And she has a teddy bear, called Teddy Bear (okay, not really, that’s the translated version. But anyways.) While I speak on the phone with my goddaughter several times a week, the person on the other end is most often actually Teddy. What she says, Teddy says. What she does, Teddy does. What she breaks, Teddy gets the blame. You get the picture. So for all story purposes, ‘Teddy’ means them both, really.
The thing about Teddy is that he’s almost alive. He has a very distinct personality and strong opinions. He hates chicks. As in baby chickens. They’re so yellow and fluffy. He doesn’t like them one bit. He has a lot of clothes, and he’s always coming up with more things he absolutely needs. For example a reflector vest. You know, the type you see on road workers, so they can be seen in the dark? He needs one of those. Because “now someone can drive over him”.
When the family moved, I made him a moving box. It’s a box covered in teddy-patterned gift paper, with cut-out letters on the side spelling “Teddy’s Moving Box”. But because he has so much stuff, he needed a fairly big box. A box so big he can’t possibly carry it himself (he’s only 33cm tall, after all). So I put wheels under it. And a rope so he can pull it behind him.
Teddy has a favourite number: 3. No matter what the question, if a numerical number is needed, it’s 3. Also, if your seat on the plane is on row 3, you are expected to inform him immediately.
Now, why I’m telling you this, is that I have a project. For a while now Teddy and I have sent each other Power Point presentations. Instead of post cards, you see. Teddy loves clicking the space bar to see the next slide and/or the next animated picture on the PP presentation. And now I need to send him an Easter PP. But no chicks. He hates chicks.
Angst? Aren’t I too old for that!? Thursday, Apr 9 2009
The Thesis and blog and general and random stuff I can't figure a category for and school and stuff you didn't need to know but I'm telling you anywa 10:08 am
Okay, so I though I’d tell you stories. It’s about time, I know. But. I decided to talk about myself instead. Quelle surprise!
With too much things going on at the moment, I’m feeling very overwhelmed. I’m exhausted. On top of all those things (to which I’ll get in a moment) I’m off any reasonable sleeping rhythm, and I’m stressing completely random things for some weird reason. Like, that I maxed out my credit card. Which is not important, as I have another, and can pay them both off if I need to. But until the bill gets here (read: is automatically payed for from my account), it’s maxed out, unless I actually do something. And for some reason this is stressing me out to no end.
What I have to do, then? Well, there’s school work. I still need to graduate, remember? So there’s an essay on using your non-native language (in this specific instance Finnish) in a working environment, with a questionnaire to be sent out and so on. There’s an essay on French wine industry. There’s the development essays I still haven’t turned in (one on South African economy, one on food price crisis). There’s few exams (micro and macro) in a week. There’s econometrics essay (and the other essay and exercises and the bigger assignment I still haven’t received).
And there’s the thesis. Although, to my defence, every time I sit in my car for any period of time longer than 10 minutes, my mind turns to my thesis, and I start working that out. So really, all I have to do is sit my butt down and WRITE IT!
On top of this all, I’m throwing a party to Funny Friend. I was roped into helping with the Student Union play outfits, so I have about 8 dance tops and 9 tunics to sew. (I hate the fabric the tunics are from, it’s really annoying to sew.)
I’m trying to get the design thing off the ground.
There’s a huge pile of laundry I need to iron. And I still haven’t thrown away enough stuff to give me a piece of mind.
I’m ranting. I’m complaining. I’m being boring. I know. I’m sorry. I’ll tell you stories the next time.
Must Haves: things I simply HAVE to get Thursday, Apr 9 2009
Confessions of a Shallow Mind and Must-haves and general and stuff you didn't need to know but I'm telling you anywa 9:51 am
- Generation Kill on DVD. I love that show. I don’t want to get the book and read that, most likely, as I’m not too keen on reading the gory details. But I love the show. And while I’m getting all confessional and all, I might as well admit that I find the Marine battle gear totally sexy. Not in a “oooh, that’s a big gun!” way, but I think it’s hot when the guys are all decked out in their gear. I think that gives us Reason 462 on Why ii Should Never Join The Military. I’d jump half the guys as soon as I make visual contact with them.
- Milk. I have to get milk, I’m completely out. And no store is open tomorrow, and I need my daily coffee in a pace that cannot be achieved without the cooling effect of a dash of milk. ‘Add milk, drink more coffee faster’, you know?
- on that note: Food. I’m out. Someone’s eating all my food around here.
- Time. I have too much to do, no self-discipline to speak of, and way too little time to do it. You do the math.
- Henry back. Ski Guy still has my camera, after Val d’Isere, and I really need to get it back.
