No news is NOT good news…

Well, I went for the interview (thanks for the well wishing etc!) – it was for an assistant librarian post, and was the first interview I’ve been to in years, plus my first qualified post interview. I wasn’t awful, which was good. I was only very slightly nervous, which was vvvv good considering how sick with nerves I’ve been all week about it. But I wasn’t good! That’s the problem! I did ok considering, but I might as well have been interviewed for a job in nuclear physics for how precise I was, and how many times I repeated myself! But I am ok 🙂 It was a very good learning experience, and I now have a good idea of what kind of questions to expect for future interviews. I know how to learn from mistakes 😉 No news from my interviewers here is most definitely not good news…
Secondly, Oscar is still not back. DB still thinks he will be back, as does anyone I say anything to about him, but I reckon most of them are just being nice and supportive. He won’t be back – he’s found his way back home and they are keeping him in, having had the shock of seeing him in the slightly camp collar. I want to get a cat of our own – I need a cat to call mine, and there are plenty of them who need someone to love them, and haven’t just been running around all over the place and eating kind people out of house and home (plus being bought toys, scratching post, collars (albeit camp sparkly ones), dishes, and a fire guard because they demonstrate a worrying fascination with the fireplace). I miss him like mad, but ultimately he isn’t really mine, and if he has left, then I need to find a cat who really needs me. But not till after November. That is because DB has been asked to go to a conference in Minneapolis, and has asked me if I fancy the trip over. My boss has already said yes (I asked her, she said no (jokingly, but realistically too – it is our busiest month), DB asked her again and she agreed :D). We just have to look at whether DB can get there himself – his passport needs updating, and we aren’t sure if it needs to be x number of months old before he can travel there. But that could be quite a cool trip. It will be my second ever trip abroad (Prague was the first), and it could be fab if there are some good yarn shops. I may take an empty suitcase… 😉 If we go that is.
Finally, some knitting action. I’ve finished the body of the lace leaf pullover. I still can’t post a pic I’m afraid cos of this lack of permissions problem, but it isn’t really worth it… The pattern is lovely. I’m even reasonably happy with the kitchener grafting I did (first time too, apart from on socks, and that doesn’t count compared to this one!). But, yet again, the question of the yarn rears its ugly head. It is lovely to wear, light as a feather, goes a massively long way (it took less than 3 balls to make the body with it – how cool is that?!), but it is really irregular on the big needles. It looks nice with an open gauge, but it just can’t keep neat and tidy. It has this lovely bohemian look to it, but it just isn’t right with the pattern I think. I need something a bit more offbeat for it. It would look fab with drop stitch patterns and the like, but I’m not quite sure what it wants. Failing all other things, because there are 7 balls of it, I can make a plain jumper, and add a drop stitch rib or something. Maybe. Dunno really! I can get it to match Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky tho for gauge, so I could make the bolero shrug from simply soft if it looks ok, but as I say, it seems to call for something a little different. That I still love the yarn is the only good sign of the day today…
So now I need to find a cheap and easy sub for the lace leaf pullover. Which is a bit of a bugger. Wonder how Leah is doing with hers in Polar… And I can cross off another project from the needles for now too! (woot – that means starting something else ;D)

Poo

Very bummed out today 🙁 I haven’t posted much because of the cat taking over and work being mad mad busy. But the cat has disappeared. He went out last night, and hasn’t come back since. He’s been living with us just over two weeks, and has always been very very prompt, there are no signs of squished kitty on the road (v good), so I can only assume that he has either found his home again, or has found someone else to look after him. Either way, I can’t believe how much I miss him after just two weeks – I feel like I’ve lost a piece of me. I feel horrendous. I know that whoever lost him probably felt that way too, but we did what we could to find them, and then claimed him when we had no luck. We even named him (Oscar), and bought him a collar that reflects the light so that he wasn’t as likely to meet an end on the road. Poo.
Regardless, I have to try and pull myself together. I have work to do. I have an interview on Friday, so I need to get some research in before I go. I also should be doing research for my dissertation now, but I just can’t move on it yet. Not till Friday is done with. But right now it is hard to concentrate on either of them. I’m such a wimp. But I always knew I get attached too quickly. Poo.

Blagh.

Sorry about that title, but it pretty much sums me up at the moment. I came home sick on Thursday after having hot flushes and major nausea, hence lack of posting, and also lack of knitting. I’m feeling a little better now, but I’ve not eaten all weekend, so I’m taking the day off to get some energy and strength back – working on a front line customer service point when you haven’t eaten for 4 or 5 days is not good. I felt guilty when I phoned in, as the lady I spoke to seemed surprised that I could be poorly for so long (this is the first time I’ve been sick in about six months, since I gave up wheat – I used to be ill more often and quite regularly because of the intolerance, so I feel I’ve been doing well). But then I went upstairs and realised that getting tired from climbing the stairs first thing in the morning is not normal, and I’m doing the right thing resting today. It’s just that guilt feeling of not going to work and feeling like I’m betraying them or something :/
Anyway, here is a little bit of niceness 🙂 DB and I have been claimed by a kitten! I was in the bathroom getting ready last week and I heard a noise. Then this little kitty face appeared under the blind at the window. He’d seen me open the window and decided to visit 😀 And he hasn’t left since. He’s beautiful – I can’t upload a pic at the moment because WP seems to have reset permissions for uploading 🙁 He’s white with black patches, is almost fully grown but still at that lanky stage, and is the most affectionate, loving and good natured kitten I’ve met in a long time. He reminds me of my last cat, Holly, but this little fella is more needy. He likes to be near you almost all the time, likes to snuggle up a lot – if he can’t sit on your lap he’ll sit right next to you. He also likes to sit on the laptop/computer keyboard, or sit on your arm/hand so that you can’t actually do anything. Having said all this, he appeared in pretty good condition, so he must have been living with someone, so we need to check if he is chipped, and look in the local paper for the lost ads. He hasn’t wanted to leave us to go home though, so maybe he was unhappy there. We’ll see anyway – I’m already really attached to him, and no matter what impression DB may present, he’s certainly fond of him (but not of his poo – he has said that if I clean the poo up, he’ll pay for all the cat food and litter, which is a good deal for him at the moment!), but we need to make sure that there isn’t a family missing him and upset over him first.
Finally, I’ve been tagged by Leah at Use Your Hands.
TEN YEARS AGO: I was just about to meet DB, and was still studying law in Manchester (please note that I am not clever enough or interested enough in it – I only did one year). I worked in a bar to top up my living allowance – these were the days when students still got grants, and my mum and aunt had clubbed together to pay my rent for the year to avoid me getting a loan. I was busy loving the city, enjoying the clothes shops and being slim (something I haven’t been since meeting DB – that’s relationships for you!).
FIVE YEARS AGO: I had just graduated from my English course, and was looking for a proper job. Because I’d been working as a Saturday assistant at the public library, and quite enjoyed the environment and people, I was looking for work in libraries in general. This was a complete change to my original desire to work in publishing, but I didn’t have much chance getting work in the area, so I did the right thing in changing direction. I got a job in a university library, and loved the academic environment, and started thinking about where a career in libraries could go.
ONE YEAR AGO: I was stressing about course work for my MSc, looking at my promotion and hoping that it wouldn’t have too much of a negative impact on the people around me, as well as hoping that it wouldn’t make a difference to my studies.
FIVE SNACKS: Yuck – this is not the best time to think about this! Mature cheddar with cheese biscuits, Skinny Cow ice cream cones. When I ate bread, I’d love toast – just slightly golden with a lovely splodge of spread on it (low fat may I add) or Laughing Cow cheese spread. Pickled Onion Monster Munch is a good one. Finally, just to prove that I do eat fruit and veg, there is nothing like a pack of mixed melon. Watermelon and Gala particularly.
FIVE SONGS I KNOW ALL THE WORDS TO: There are quite a few Sleeper and Salad songs I know by heart, for those who remember them! I also know Gigantic by the Pixies (one of my fave songs ever), Hand in Glove (the Smiths version rather than Sandy Shaw’s, but both are good by me), Never So Lonely by the Kostars, Dress by PJ Harvey, and Cherry Lips by Garbage
FIVE THINGS I WOULD DO WITH $100 MILLION: 1) Give some cash to my brother and buy him a house, 2) Pay off our mortgage, and finish decorating the house, 3) Buy a car/scooter and learn to drive, 4) Give my mum some cash too to keep her mortgage free, 5) Give at least 50% to charities across different issues (animal care, child protection, hospitals, the homeless and any others I’ve forgotten that are dear to me).
FIVE PLACES TO RUN AWAY TO: Prague, the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, the woods near my house, and Japan, despite never visiting there (I SO want to!)
FIVE THINGS I WOULD NEVER WEAR: Batwing tops or anything else really 80s (including puffball skirts), shell suits, velour tracksuits, real fur, ponchos.
FIVE FAVORITE TV SHOWS: The Simpsons, Futurama, People Like Us (one of the best spoof documentaries ever), Spaced and Lost.
FIVE BIGGEST JOYS: Knitting and shopping for yarn, reading a good novel, learning new things, snuggling up to DB, walking in the middle of nowhere and feeling like I’m going to get lost.
FAVORITE TOYS: Knitting needles and yarn (naturally!), my MP3 player, the DVD player (largely in conjunction with Studio Ghibli discs), our high speed internet connection, and my orchids.
PEOPLE TO PASS THIS ON TO: I’ll pass this to BlueADT, Little Lixie, Deb on the Web, Xtreme Jen, and Kimberli NY (even if she is galivanting around China at the mo!).
Anyway, I’m sleepy now, and the laptop battery is running down, so I’m going.

Not much…

Well, this session of Secret Pal is over, and it has been wonderful. The organiser has done so much work to get it all set up, and angels sent out, and maintaining everything, and has done a fantastic job. My pal has been brilliant. I am most definitely signing up for number 7, but not 6, because I’m going to have too much on with my tuition fees for the next couple of months. Shame, but it is better to do that than act as a bad pal to whoever I’m issued.
Also, not much knitting 🙁 I’ve been too busy with job applications for qualified posts this week. Cross your fingers for me. Interviews are planned for the 16th, so I won’t have to wait long at least, but I’m trying to think pessimistically so that I don’t get disappointed. I did have a little mini session though yesterday with someone I work with, who has become a knitting pal since I introduced her to it 🙂 She has been making some stunning knitted jewellry with wire and beads, and my attempts have been rather pitiful, so we met up for lunch to run through what I’d done and try and fix it. Apparently the wire I’ve been using is too thick, so I’m stepping down a level – we shall see how that goes…
This week I realised that Autumn is pending – every morning, regardless of what the weather has been like during the day or evening, the mornings have been rather chilly, and I’ve needed handwarmers. I’ve even seen my breath in a little icy cloud. I need a little scarf to keep me warm until the weather gets colder and I can justify a proper big chunky one. Luckily I have the lovely Rowan gift to make up in Kid Silk Haze, so I’m going to try and get that one done soon. I’d also love to make a particular scarf from Rowan 39, and given that my mum has given me a little cash to play with, I might price it up. This one is made from Kid Silk Haze and Felted Tweed (I think) knitted together in seed stitch in lovely stripes of colour. Because it is striped, it will take a lot of yarn purchasing, but luckily FT isn’t too expensive. Just the KSH. I’ll be checking the cost and my bank balance later to make sure I have enough for fees and purchasing online…
Anyway, it is very early in the morning for a weekend – my body clock is firmly set to work mode, so I might as well take advantage of it and get some of my neglected knitting projects done so I can start some new ones 🙂