Knitting Forward, Oscar Power and Friends

I have a friend in my life who I have known for more than 30 years. Although I have traveled quite a bit, especially in the 1990s, she always reconnected with me, and today, even though we are currently not living close enough to visit weekly or anything, she is probably my very best friend. She lives a bit more than an hour away, and I have hope that sometime this month I can get over to see her. We share an interest in crafting, reading and also both have odd senses of humor :-}
Last year I had fun making us somewhat matching hats. Our heads are different sizes, but I think we have similar tastes. Last year's hat was a bit of lacy crocheted fun that took very little time. This year I am making our matching hats a bit more substantial. I found a free pattern I love, called Cloche Divine. (link is to the Ravelry pattern page, photo above is borrowed from the pattern.) I will be making Lynx and my hats from purpley blue yarn. I am just past the brim on Lynx's hat. I love the cunning way the designer, Meghan Jones uses short rows and increase points to make an integral gathering of fabric enclosed by a band of seed stitch. I also like the split-back brim and the slouchy look of it.
Oscar took the final CCNA exam on Thursday and passed with flying colors. He has done the near impossible. The five (or is it six?) certifications that he has completed in the past seven months usually take students  months EACH to pass. He has fellow students asking him for his secrets. He simply explains that he begins studying (and we're talking 8 t0 14 hours a day) before the class begins, using the practice tests to identify his weak points. Then when he is able to interact with the instructor in class he can focus his questions and attention on the parts he needs help with. Then add another week or two studying and working the labs and online tools and he become ready for the certification exam. He has worked very, very hard since April.
Rather than resting, he is taking the next few days to seriously dig into discarding and sorting items that have been living in his study. He discarded many computers and parts that are around 15 years old. Six big garbage bags worth, so far. I am so proud of him for being able to make these decisions. He started yesterday and made it through maybe 15 percent of the floor space. Today he will continue. I will be in charge of getting the cds sorted out with complete cases so he can quickly determine which to keep and which to donate.We expect he will become pretty busy in a week or so with interviews. (at least that is our hope). He will not be waiting around for people to call, he has already sent out some of his revised resumes to people who are in positions to give him work with plans to contact more than thirty people in total as well as putting his stats up on various job boards. In the time before interviews are scheduled, he will be starting a class in Cisco Security on January 6th. Yes, he is not done learning :-}.Of course if he has an interview that week he will go to the interview then catch up with the class with the online recordings.
I have been contemplating my goals for the coming year. I will continue to write reviews (I have completed five reviews since Thanksgiving, and have three more close to finished I will submit soon). I also plan to wrk hard to complete the Master Knitters program for TKGA. I have already made a start on it previously btu I want to begin from lesson one again. Now that the ginko is helping my focus I have many more days each week I can spend on learning my craft as well as writing new patterns. I completed only ONE design in 2011. I want 2012 to be different.
As soon as Oscar gets his job, life will change yet again. He will be working full time, probably in a different city. I will be home taking care of myself and making lists of tasks for moving.
After we find our new apartment, we will begin moving the basic necessities. I have hope we will be through the decluttering/discarding stages before our new home is found. My goal is to have as little as possible to move. A lot depends on what we can get done this coming month, before Oscar finds his job.

Balmy Boxing Day and Turkey Dogs

Today's high was 43 degrees here in Michigan.
Oscar and I took a break and a bit of a wander. We were able to find some catnip growing wild and bring back a treat for the cats as well.
(old photo of Buddha above... she does love her nip!)
Oscar and I are always trying to find ways to eat more healthily, and he discovered a great one this week.
He brought home our favorite brand of hotdog, but in the turkey version. I have never liked turkey dogs, they tend to be grainy and almost plastic in texture, but these were exceptionally good. I would have had trouble knowing they were turkey except for a very slight difference in flavor.
The best bit is that they are 40 calories as opposed to the 90 calories of their beef version, and incredibly less fatty . They are slightly smaller, but just as satisfying. We won't miss the beefy ones at all, I think.
One more tool for health :-}
Buddha isn't well, the vet thinks she has a small tumor in her right sinus area.
I am a firm believer in only taking steps with my animal's comfort in mind, and we have decided to treasure the time she has left with us, however short or long it may be without taking intrusive and painful measures. She has been my cat since she was 4 weeks old. She was brought to us and named by my then stepson and that just adds to the importance she has in my life.
She is now around 15 years old, and according to the vet otherwise in very good health for her age.
Our other cats are also getting on in years. Basil is also around 15, Moonie is 12 or 13.
Buddha is still happy and playful, interested in everything. She spends her days curled up at my right hip on her special pillow (when she isn't in a patch of sunshine). I hope we will have her for some time to come, sometimes these things take care of themselves, but I am also bracing myself for a difficult decision should her health get worse.

Welcome Back Sun

"...of the month club"

Sparked by a recent Yarn Harlot post, I have become curious about clubs which, for a set amount of money, will send you a new item within a general category once each month for a year. In at least some cases, the cost per item is more than if you shopped and bought the same item for yourself.
I guess in part it is about the surprise (although some clubs tell you exactly what item you will receive when).
I had heard about such things as Fruit of the Month clubs or Jelly/Jam of the Month clubs and that seemed to make a bit of sense. After all a family of 4 might go through a jar of jam in a month, and not knowing what will show up might make it pleasant to receive those boxes in the mail. It also makes a nice holiday gift, that reminds the person gifted each month that you cared enough to choose this subscription for them.  That of course supposes that the giftee enjoys the items that arrive.
My mom likes a certain publisher imprint of romance books, and pays to have about 6 of them per month sent to her. They are often in series, which she and I both enjoy. I like following characters after the happy ending, and they often have appearances in later books.
All that sounds kind of fun. In fact it would be really fun to shop one year by matching the people in my life up with an ' of the month' club that they may enjoy. And finding those extra quirky deals would be entertaining as well.
For example, you'd have to choose just the right person to get the Pickle of the Month Club.
Perhaps Don's birds would enjoy the Parrot 'Polly Wanna Pinata' of the Month club. There are more birdy month clubs found here (including a birdy diaper of the month club)
The Jigsaw Puzzle of the Month club sounds like quite a bit of fun, too.
I am pretty sure our friend Chris would enjoy the Astronaut Autgraph of the Month club, he made a special trip to Florida to watch the final shuttle launch.
Oscar would enjoy a Beer, Jerky, Olive Oil, or Salsa club, I think.
Perhaps even a Bacon of the Month club. (Though we eat bacon more like twice a year :-}
Perhaps the most interesting information on the topic I found HERE. It's all about unique, limited edition hand made craft 'of the month' clubs. Squid paintings, a new one every month. Or perhaps a hand made doll.
Some of them sound extra charming, like a Painting of the Month Club where the artist not only sends you a painting each month but also (quoting the above article) "You also get a t-shirt, a magazine subscription, first dibs on any of his paintings, entry into a raffle, and (my favorite part) a free portrait of you and your pet. All for $133. Can’t beat that with a paint stick."
(image from Dreamstime)

Beware the Kitties

Getting close to the end, in a good way

Last April 15th Oscar lost his job. Since then he has been working his hiney off studying and taking tests to gain certifications in the IT field. He will be looking for work as a Network Administrator.
This week he is taking the final class in the set required for that type of job. He wants to work in the general area of security, and for that he will continue to study and get certification, even after he is working.
But after this final test (which he hopes to take this week sometime) he will go into full-steam looking-for-a-job mode.
All this time he has been networking with other people in the IT industry, and updating his resume with 30 plus recruiters and a number of online sites as well as looking into companies here in Michigan for whom he would like to work. He has identified two companies that are top of his list. Several members of one of the companies attended the penultimate class with him as I blogged previously. When he showed up to today's class, there they were again. Another week-long period where they can get to know him in the classroom setting. It can't hurt when the time comes for him to apply with them again :-}
We have been decluttering and sorting, preparing for our inevitable move, but that will be going into high gear as well. As it happens, Easter Seals trucks will be in our area next Tuesday. Between that, and a family holiday get together on Saturday, I have a feeling we will be having a busy weekend packing away clothes, games, books etc for them to pick up. I am very excited. I am most eager for the coming change. I am trying to channel my energy into crocheting an afghan for our new livingroom, wherever it may be to try and take the edge off. I learned long ago the closer the time of an anticipated change is, the more excited and anxious for the change I become. It's a happy thing, but can be difficult to live with. For Oscar's sake, I will make this afghan a big one, and have enough yarn to start a second if I need to make two.LOL.

Winter Hits Softly

Almost Winter Sky

Favorite Classic Holiday Films

Of course I like White Christmas (that scene with the song about the General always gets me) but I have a list of films I always try and catch this time of year that I don't see mentioned all that often.
One of my absolute favorites is Desk Set (1957). Perhaps it's because one of the core storylines is about computers, and I have been fascinated with them from the time I first touched the one purchased by the county at the tech school. (yes, one, for the entire county's classes, and it was considered pretty progressive in the late '70s). I also love the humor laced through the film.
Here is a sketchy synopsis:
Katherine Hepburn plays Bunny Watson, a brilliant woman who is in charge of the information gathering department for a major network. Spencer Tracy plays Richard Sumner, the inventor of a computer meant to streamline everyday operations at the network. He is spending time in the department in the weeks leading up to Christmas researching what will be required for one of his machines. He is asked by the head guy to keep his purpose a secret until things are finalized. Other actors include Gig Young, Joan Blondell, Dina Merril and more. A stellar cast.
Then there is the general feel-good film You Can't Take it With You (1938) by Frank Capra, who also directed "It's A Wonderful Life", "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington", "Arsenic and Old Lace" (my fave Halloween film) and many others. You Can't Take It With You stars a young James Stewart, an aging Lionel Barrymore as well as Jean Arthur, Anne Miller, Dub Taylor (Remember him from Little House on the Prairie and Bonanza? He was also in Back to the Future III. In fact he was working right up to 1994, the year he died). Anyway, I always like to watch it at some point this season, too,
More recently I became attached to 'Love, Actually' (2003), another movie with an ensemble cast and lots of humor. (yep, I'm sensing a theme here).
So, what films do you make a point of watching during the holiday season?