Weekend Work

Well, this weekend kind of stinks. Mostly because I'm working most of the time. And I mean most of the time. I had a shift this morning from 11-5 (but really 5:45 because person with the next shift didn't show... new kid...) covering for someone else, then in the morning I work at aplysia from 8 until around 1 (but really, I have to get up at 6 to get to the metro on time, and then I won't get back until 2, because the person who I was getting a ride with is studying abroad this semester). Then tomorrow night I work 5-11. So... basically, if you don't count time for sleeping, I have maybe around 8 hours that I'm not working this weekend. And you know, I have to eat, shower, swim etc. Just not cool. The good thing is though, I find out what I'm doing for my project out at aplysia tomorrow.

The only thing that didn't stink about this weekend was last night. I can always count on good old Friday night. First, I went to the yarn store, which is always a plus. Second, I had a gift card to the yarn store, and they were having, not only huge sale buckets (clearly stuff that they're de-stocking because no one was buying), but a post-inventory sale on top of that! Unfortunately, my slight obsession with long-color-changing yarns (a la Noro) prompted me to get the mini-mochi instead of the Dream in Color Smooshy (but really, quite clearly I'm making some awesome socks out of the mochi, and I had no clue what I would make with the Dream in Color. Plus, for $22 normal price, the Dream in Color was quite scratchy). I also got the most gorgeous roving ever:



Drooling? Want to pet it? I understand.

But then, when I got back, there was cake on top of the microwave (which immediately tipped me off that Shannon was going to come into the room at any time - that girl has a cake detector in her head, I swear. Plus, Bree's shoes (Bree = Shannon's roommate) were on the floor). We actually ended up watching the Guardians of Ga'Hoole and eating cake, once Shannon got back from fencing (turns out, in addition to her obsessions with cake and clownfish, Shannon also has a thing for owls). I've read the books Guardians of Ga'Hoole, and I have to say, they messed up the plot in the movie in the same way they messed up the plot in the Eragon movie, which drove me crazy the whole time. Luckily, the plot line they invented with the characters from the series was actually quite good, and quite a clever (if slightly annoying to those of us who've read the books) way to mash the first six or seven in to one movie (Eragon was just terrible in all respects).

At work this morning I watched Watchmen (I have 12 hours of info desk this weekend, and the only homework I have/can do is read genetics and write a page of French, which will take about 4 hours, max), and while I was watching, I finished the first January sock, and started the next one:

I'm doing good. The only thing is, I also want to knit a tank top (though that pattern is supposed to be super-fast), and make some headway into a shawl. Plus the spinning. And, you know, class. And research. Etc. It's going to get busy.

Day 2/1

The roving is all dry, and you can see the results here:


I had intended it to be mostly green with splashes of brown, and little bits of pink where green and brown meet. BUT the plastic wrap sprung a leak, and the pink was at the opposite end, so as the green dye flowed out, it sucked the pink dye through most of the top. I had also intended the pink to be a dust rose, and this well, a pink-purple cross. McCormick lied to me.
However, I still like the color, which is strange because pink is normally what I run away screaming from. But I think I figured it out: It's the exact same color-scheme as my first blanket on my first "big girl" bed (which is the bed I still have at home, and the blanket now lives in the basement, because it's really getting old and ratty, but it still works. Also, pink and green don't go with a blinding, bright orange and yellow sunset over the ocean). So it's a childhood nostalgia that's keeping me attached and not over-dying (plus I needed to propose my OWL), and I feel like it's going to be much, much, much prettier spun. I'm actually really looking forward to it.

Today was technically the second day of class, but I like to think of it as "First Day of Class, Part 2." I mean really, you have all new classes because it's Wednesday instead of Tuesday, and it's still the first class for all of these Wednesday classes.

So, the class low-down:
1) French. The big shocker was the professor: not only is he in a wheelchair (a pretty badass wheelchair at that), but he's Irish. Teaching a French class in the United States. It sort of boggles my mind. My french is pretty rusty, but luckily the little diagnostic assessment thing only tested the present and passé compose (which I learned in what, French II?). There was also a little bit of subjoncif, which I know I did already in French IV, but it's been three years, I only sort of learned it in the first place, and I haven't spoken French since May 2009 (yeah, I too the final in June, but really, Mme Van Stone had a baby right after the AP exam, so I really wasn't speaking French after that). But I remembered the conjugation for faire, so I was fasse-ing it up all over that question. Don't remember when you're supposed to use it, or any of the conjugation, but whatever. It worked, and I have a sneaking suspicion that Dr. Finn thinks I should be in the next higher class (I probably should be, based on my fluency, but I'm just getting a requirement out of the way, and I don't want to kill my GPA on a language...)

2) Differential Equations. Dr. Cosner reminds me of Mr. West. Quite a bit, actually, which is really awesome. Apparently this guy has a reputation for being awesome, but that reputation circulates mainly around engineers and math majors, so me the little marine science student had not a clue (but Dr. Olson did, that ol' Physical Oceanographer, who recommended the class to me). The one thing I'm slightly scared about is that it's heavily based on Calc II. Now , Calc I I have down, Calc II was a bit random and unstructured, so I really don't remember much of it. So I plan on spending some time in the library with a calculus book reading up on what I should have learned from Mr. Lucid (apparently I did learn something, because I got a 5 on the AP exam). Also slightly panicked because we have homework already (due, but not really due, because it's not collected, Friday), and my book is currently in transit, and will probably, along with my Physics textbook, get here over the weekend. Also, Kim's in my class, along with a bunch of other random people I know from other classes I was in where you don't expect a marine science student.

3) Physics. My professor is Italian. Heavily Italian. Name, Dr. Galeazzi. Stereotypical Italian accent. It's pretty badass. But he started out the class saying, "I know that this is a tough class and that most of you are not here by choice, you have to take it." And there I am, sitting there, me who had the option to take College Physics instead of University. Hmm.... Also, thank goodness there was someone in the class I knew. Granted, it was Geoff, and I don't know him that well, but then again, what better opportunity is there than to have a class with someone. So, yeah, I'm hanging out with the marine geology kids in University Physics. Today it was pretty dry (syllabus, scientific method, units... *headdesk*), but luckily, it was a big lecture hall, and I didn't feel bad about working on these:

Don't worry - it's mainly a twisted rib, with an occasional yarn-over. Not totally mindless, but pretty close. Perfect class-knitting material. I did well relegating my more mindless projects to the time of the month when I'd be in class. And I'm going to need it tomorrow to get though Chem O...

Stripes

Classes started today, and I must say, Chemical Oceanography was not the entertainment I thought it was going to be (Dr. Millero posted a fake syllabus on Blackboard, which was one of the funniest things I've ever read). A little dry, a little heavy on the diagrams. I'm going to mess with my OneNote and Powerpoint software to see if I can export the slides to OneNote (because note-taking is so much better there than under the slides in Powerpoint). Genetics was packed: I was borderline late, due to having to switch computers three times and figure out where the other paper slot was on the printer in the marine science lab and only having 15 minutes between my two classes, and I open the door to Cox 126, and I can't see a single seat open. Really, there were people all the way off to the awkward seats at the side, even. I did find a seat, but this was a lesson to just go straight from Chem O to Genetics, since they're right next to each other, in order to get a good seat/sit next to someone I know.

In other news, over the past two days I've
- flown to Miami
-unpacked
-cleaned the bathroom
-cleaned the fridge
-cleaned the microwave
-cleaned the top of the microwave and my food-shelf
-brought my finances up to date
-gone grocery shopping (during a tornado watch)
-dyed some roving (pics will come after it's dry and braided)
-watched some Mr. Bean for the first time with Jen and Robbie (Robbie has been trying to get both of us to watch these since October, and we finally had time to sit down and watch)
-been introduced to The Mighty Boosh
-watched Mega Piranha (highly recommended if you're a fan of so-bad-they're-hysterical movies)
-played Super Smash Bros. Melee for the first time in years (but I've played Brawl, does that count?)
-started a swatch for a shawl (Ancient Runes OWL)
-started January's Sock for the Self-Imposed Sock Club (it's Magic Mirror)

Oh, and finished some of the greatest socks in the history of the universe:



Go ahead. Be jealous.

Rainbows

Just a quicky, for I'm leaving to go back to Miami tomorrow, and need to pack, finish tweaking internship application essays, and fill out all the stupid application forms.

1) Got through the heel on sock #2:



I've got mixed feelings; while the first sock had the heel split in the Zauberball, causing two different colors within the same stripe, driving me crazy up close, from far away, it makes the sock blend and transition more. With the split on the second sock being in the white, there's no color-conflict within the stripe, but I went from red before the heel to blue and yellow after the heel. It's a little awkward. But, hey, it's the price I pay for really awesome striped heels.

2) I had much fun dying 10g segments of roving yesterday (for the CoMC OWL):

I used the ol' food coloring and vinegar, though we had hardly any red left due to Christmas cookies, so my final color (a green/dusty rose/light brown combo), will have to used on the big skein in Miami with my food coloring there (I really, really want this colorway to happen). The orange and green one I actually dyed Monday, but they look so pretty together. The colorway names, starting with the orange and green, going clockwise, are as follows: Miami, Bear Cut, Sunshine, Dustland Fairytale, and Springtime Dandelions. I am so ecstatic to start spinning in something other than white, you have no idea.

3) Speaking of spinning, latest mini-skein is done, just having it's twist set at the moment. Pics will probably come tomorrow after I'm in Miami.

Now, I really have to go pack.