Back to Work

Two weeks of vacation, gone in a flash! I can't really complain, since I got to do pretty much whatever the heck I wanted, which was about a million little things. I'll spare y'all the prose - this is just so I can remember what I did when spending the equivalent of a first-class ticket to the Caribbean, plus a two-week cruise...

Cornell Trip: interview for Chem Eng Grad recruting DVD, watched a red-tail hawk eat a squirrel next to the engineering building, checked out two yarn stores in Ithaca, bought a bracelet to remind myself to "do what you love, love what you do". Advisory Council meeting - a lot more fun, less worried about whether I belonged there. Dashed down to DC, 20th HS reunion, and saw some of the same key players as the 10th, but sadly none of the ones who hadn't made it to the 10th. Two best friends from HS were definitely missing. Dashed back to DC after hanging with the parents and being coddled for a day. Shopped for, found, and ordered bridesmaid dress shoes. Tally: 7 airports, 6 days...

House stuff: painted new back door. Went to the Rebuild Center and got two cabinets to put by the clay / utility sink in the basement. Primed the heck out of them, and then painted them (they are FINALLY ready to have doors reattached and move to the basement). Finalized which radiator & contractor to do the heating work (and got him in to do the bulk of the work) Found & had asbestos insulation around pipes removed (to do this, I naturally had to clear a huge area around the pipes themselves, which involved moving monumental amounts of partially unpacked stuff of both mine and Damien's). Called for drywall quotes. Scheduled tree removal & replacement for the front yard.

Garden stuff: mowed. Shopped for new plants (perennial's are on sale!). Dug many, many holes. Filled them in with many, many plants. Lots of shopping for apple trees (key connection: Home Orchard Society, my new best buddies. Planning to buy some dwarf varieties and have them in pots until I can rip up the back yard some more.

Ceramic stuff: For the first time in 11 months, I got my hands seriously into clay. This is all thanks' to D's taking a ceramics class at PCC Cascade. I have Margaret's wedding present in the works, if I don't blow them up. I've tested the small kiln to make sure it still seems to be operational (yes). I even got refractory cement and have attempted to patch a crack (pounds chest - macho me!). I have two more pieces in the works. Biggest problem - not throwing too many pieces, since I don't really have space for them all.

Knitting stuff: FINISHED ALL THE WISPS! Well, OK, I haven't sewn the buttons on Margaret's Wisp, but it's SO close it just about doesn't count as incomplete. Really. I'm making good progress on a pair of socks, and I've been stacking the Ravelry queue with new projects. Eenie Meenie Miney Moe... I have been a PARAGON of Virtue, let me tell you. I have not bought ANY new yarn, despite going to TWO stores in Ithaca, and finding some interesting lace-weight yarn at SCRAP.

Social Stuff: Party @ Hilary & David's, Brunch at the house (actually cleaned up the dining room!), hung out with Vicki and her kids (which she's been bugging me to do for a while).

Pretty good couple of weeks. I'm happy.

Too bad I'm going back to work tomorrow :-P