Shocker: I'm knitting a lot lately (more than usual). As I mentioned before, I'm working on Christmas stockings for my family and last week I started my first one. Of course it's taking more time than originally anticipated which is mainly due to all of the color changes and the fact that I'm making these fairly large. I sized everything out before I even cast on, but I'm still kind of surprised at how big it looks now.
The first stocking I'm working on is turning out great! Even though I was really excited about how the stockings looked on paper, they are turning out even better than what I planned. It's going to take many, many hours to finish these so it's actually not such a bad thing that my IT band has been bugging me (it's getting better, mainly because I've been resting it a lot).
I've also been watching Grey's Anatomy Season Four from Netflix which has made the time just fly by while knitting. I have been measuring the progress in my knitting by the length of one show. Ridiculous, but fun.
25 October 2008
18 October 2008
Haven't been busy doing much...
...besides getting migraines and complaining about my IT band.
The fun thing has been planning out Christmas stocking for my family. I got all the yarn and planned out all of the patterns (I did all the charts in Excel) and I'm really hoping that I'll be able to complete them before Christmas for obvious reasons. Yes, it's an ambitious goal, and I'm going to try my best to complete them.
Right now, I'm working to finish a pair of socks that I started knitting for Chris this summer. I got a third into the second sock and put them aside since it was still warm out. But then Chris asked me a week ago where those socks were...hee hee. So that's first priority, then starting the stockings.
The fun thing has been planning out Christmas stocking for my family. I got all the yarn and planned out all of the patterns (I did all the charts in Excel) and I'm really hoping that I'll be able to complete them before Christmas for obvious reasons. Yes, it's an ambitious goal, and I'm going to try my best to complete them.
Right now, I'm working to finish a pair of socks that I started knitting for Chris this summer. I got a third into the second sock and put them aside since it was still warm out. But then Chris asked me a week ago where those socks were...hee hee. So that's first priority, then starting the stockings.
03 October 2008
Fall is finally here!!!!
Have I mentioned how much I love fall? The cool weather, the colors of the trees, the cool weather, being able to comfortably wear sweaters again because of the cool weather. It's a beautiful time of the year!
I started riding my bike to work again and now I'm able to ride on a parkway almost the entire way in instead of wondering if I'm going to make it to the Stone Arch Bridge. The price of the parkway is that half of it is in kind of rough shape and it runs along the river meaning that it's got quite big hills. I've been able to conquer all of the hills without stopping or walking my bike, so I'm quite happy with myself.
The only problem with me at this point is my IT band. A couple of weeks ago, before the weather became as perfect as it is now, I decided that after not doing much activity for the past couple of months, I would try running...outside. I figured that it had to go better than before since the main reason I thought it didn't work in the past was because I was under the false belief that I had asthma, which I don't have.
Anyway, I tried running outside...for two days straight. Nothing like easing myself into it! After doing that, my right knee started to hurt. I asked Kimmi about it and she said that it was likely my Iliotibial Band since the pain presents itself in the knee, but is actually more likely a problem with the whole band that runs up the thigh to the hip. She suggested I do certain stretches and use a foam roller to loosen it. That has been helping (and hurts a lot when I find the tightness in my hip) and I've been icing it over the past couple of days and wearing a compression sock which all helps, but it's still bothering me.
Other than that, I've been addicted to Sex in the City. I'm watching the last season part II and I find myself getting emotional at times. Dammit - why do I get so emotionally involved with fictional characters??? Oh, and I really want a dog. Not going to happen for a while, but I want a dog. And my eyes are doing great. Still find myself reaching for my glasses at times.
I started riding my bike to work again and now I'm able to ride on a parkway almost the entire way in instead of wondering if I'm going to make it to the Stone Arch Bridge. The price of the parkway is that half of it is in kind of rough shape and it runs along the river meaning that it's got quite big hills. I've been able to conquer all of the hills without stopping or walking my bike, so I'm quite happy with myself.
The only problem with me at this point is my IT band. A couple of weeks ago, before the weather became as perfect as it is now, I decided that after not doing much activity for the past couple of months, I would try running...outside. I figured that it had to go better than before since the main reason I thought it didn't work in the past was because I was under the false belief that I had asthma, which I don't have.
Anyway, I tried running outside...for two days straight. Nothing like easing myself into it! After doing that, my right knee started to hurt. I asked Kimmi about it and she said that it was likely my Iliotibial Band since the pain presents itself in the knee, but is actually more likely a problem with the whole band that runs up the thigh to the hip. She suggested I do certain stretches and use a foam roller to loosen it. That has been helping (and hurts a lot when I find the tightness in my hip) and I've been icing it over the past couple of days and wearing a compression sock which all helps, but it's still bothering me.
Other than that, I've been addicted to Sex in the City. I'm watching the last season part II and I find myself getting emotional at times. Dammit - why do I get so emotionally involved with fictional characters??? Oh, and I really want a dog. Not going to happen for a while, but I want a dog. And my eyes are doing great. Still find myself reaching for my glasses at times.
27 September 2008
First shot at swimming
Since the new athletic center opened up at Macalester, Chris has gone swimming there a couple of times and he has asked if I wanted to join as well. I haven't been there yet, but I'm guessing that the facility is similar to the one that Scholastica finished my senior year and that was pretty darn nice. So I now have a membership. One of the activities I want to do is swimming, but I don't know how to do it properly (the swimming lessons as a kid only had me do this once).
So what am I talking about? I'm talking about being able to swim like triathletes do, like the swimmers in the Olymics do (but much slower and less powerful). I want good technique that will give me a good workout. I asked Kim a.k.a. Ironman if she would teach me. Today she taught me some basics. I feel like I made some good progress though in that Kim taught me some good drills to practice technique.
I shockingly found out that I can't handle having my nose underwater without pinching it closed. I've had this problem for a while. To remedy this, I am going to get one of those nerdy nose clips. Hopefully the nose clip will help me feel more comfortable and not like I'm going to suck in a ton of water and maybe then I will feel comfortable enough to try breathing out underwater.
So what am I talking about? I'm talking about being able to swim like triathletes do, like the swimmers in the Olymics do (but much slower and less powerful). I want good technique that will give me a good workout. I asked Kim a.k.a. Ironman if she would teach me. Today she taught me some basics. I feel like I made some good progress though in that Kim taught me some good drills to practice technique.
I shockingly found out that I can't handle having my nose underwater without pinching it closed. I've had this problem for a while. To remedy this, I am going to get one of those nerdy nose clips. Hopefully the nose clip will help me feel more comfortable and not like I'm going to suck in a ton of water and maybe then I will feel comfortable enough to try breathing out underwater.
24 September 2008
Michelle, Guidance Counselor
I was contacted last week by a current student from St. Scholastica about my career as a financial analyst. He is very interested in working in the public sector and wanted to know more about what I do. It was very fun to talk to him and tell him about my job and about the key skills you need and about the various projects I work on, and about my educational path and what courses really helped me. It was great to here how enthusiastic he was about the things I was saying and it made me feel good to put him at ease a bit about not having to know everything when you come into the job; you learn as you go.
It amazing how easy it is to talk about a job you really like. I love the variety in the work that I do. Even though I may complain about it from time to time, I really do like my job and I'm so glad that everything worked out the way it did (meaning I'm grateful I got the internship and later the job!).
It amazing how easy it is to talk about a job you really like. I love the variety in the work that I do. Even though I may complain about it from time to time, I really do like my job and I'm so glad that everything worked out the way it did (meaning I'm grateful I got the internship and later the job!).
20 September 2008
Carl
Our friends James and Autumn are heading out of town for vacation for a week and they asked me if I would watch their mouse Carl. Anyone who knows me knows I love mice, so you can all imagine how excited I was! They dropped him off last night and since he's active all night, he was running around all over the place. So cute! You'll be hearing more about him as the week progresses :)
17 September 2008
Out of summer hibernation
I finally biked to work today after the too-hot-for-me days of summer, but then it turned out to be a pretty warm day for me on the way home. Weather really is unpredictable.
My body feels like mush, and that's exactly how it should feel based on how I've been treating it. I'm looking forward to cooler weather and I'm looking forward to trying some swimming with Chris soonish. It felt good to ride today even though I was struggling some this afternoon.
I really need to start doing physical cardio activity on a regular basis because I know that I'll feel better and look less mushy. It's going to be a challenge to break my non-active routine and let the brisk air of fall wake me from my summer hibernation. Wow - that sounded really lame and it's going to stay that way.
My body feels like mush, and that's exactly how it should feel based on how I've been treating it. I'm looking forward to cooler weather and I'm looking forward to trying some swimming with Chris soonish. It felt good to ride today even though I was struggling some this afternoon.
I really need to start doing physical cardio activity on a regular basis because I know that I'll feel better and look less mushy. It's going to be a challenge to break my non-active routine and let the brisk air of fall wake me from my summer hibernation. Wow - that sounded really lame and it's going to stay that way.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
