Thursday, September 15, 2005

Madness I Tell You [and Hats!]

[skip to the end for knitting content]

I just came up for air and realized there was a blog needing some attention, not that there are any readers left at this point.

I have started my new job, teaching drawing at a local community college. Back in late June I reported on this as an upcoming big life change, which was an understatement.

The way the community college system is set up, teaching three classes is considered a full load for faculty. I don't know about other universities or school systems. Anyway, I was assigned to teach two sections of first-semester drawing class, and one section of second semester [for the students who started last semester or took last semester off, etc.] These three classes together are actually slightly more than a full-time assignment, and I am on what's called an overload schedule. Not overtime, mind you, but overload.

Well, they also had a third section of the first-semester class with no teacher and no ideas about who to hire. So, with the promise of an additional [but as-yet unspecified] amount of overload pay on top of my pre-existing overload, I agreed to take that class too, for a total of 4 classes with about 110 students. I have consequently been up to my eyeballs in class prep and field trip organizing.

Practicing piano? Oh, that thing I pass several times each morning and evening as I move around the house for a couple hours changing clothes and brushing my teeth? Hahahaha. Poor neglected piano.

Dogs? Poor P + T now have the excitement of Sandy the Dog Walker who stops by on Tuesday and Thursday when I'm at night class to feed them and take them around the block.




I even missed the big power outage the other day. I only barely heard about it on the news, but Crazy Aunt Purl has a great account of it here. Apparently the campus has backup power or gets their power from someone else, and/or doesn't bother telling faculty when stuff like this goes down.

In other news, I saw a plant bloom that I'd never seen before. You know those weird house plants called Mother-In-Law's Tongue? I'm plant-sitting some for my friend Dino, and low and behold, it bloomed:



At first I thought it was a weed. Then I realized it was attached to the rest of the plant.


Also, my little sister Allison has launched her website, amid much excitement and fanfare. Go check her out. Fabulous is an understatement with her.


Knitting News:


Well, there is some interesting stuff to report, and my special apologies to knitting readers for the extended absence.

Tune in towards the end of the weekend for pictures, I promise.

Trekking Sock #1 is about 25% done, I am about to start the heel flap.

Koigu Sock #1 is into the heel flap, maybe 30% done.

And, 2 [can you believe it?] new Local Yarn Shops have cropped up.

LYS #1 is That Knitting Store in Eagle Rock that opened recently, and is truly local to my house. Got the needles for Koigu Sock #1 there. Review to follow.

LYS #2 is Skein in Pasadena. Very good selection of sock yarn, including Trekking, but no Koigu. More details about this place to follow too. I want to visit the LYSs again before I publish my reviews.

Cheers for now; I'm off to class!

1 Comments:

Blogger Melody Johnson said...

I am also so glad for your return. Ah for the days of my drawing classes, only 29 semesters of them.( why don't i draw anymore?) I am coming to a guild near you in OCT. Stay tuned.

5:11 AM  

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