Knitty Batty

Started to show friends a new pair of shoes, but expanded to include updates on my knitting and important events, as well as ramblings on life, the universe, and everything. (If you can't see a picture, click on it to make it bigger!)

Monday, October 20, 2008

Felted Mittens Part 2 and others

1 - Just finished the second and final week of my Felted Mittens class... and I feel that it could have gone better (realizing mistakes after the fact, of course) but at the same time, it could have gone MUCH worse! So I feel that I was at least an above-average teacher. My "warm and fuzzy" moment as a teacher happened when one of the younger (and by younger, I mean, my age) participants, looked up at the end of an explanation, and said, "Ohhh! So you just do this and this and this, and it works out like that... I get it!" Inside, I was like, "YAY! I don't completely suck as a teacher if she can understand me!" Mom says all teachers have that fuzzy moment when they are validated.

The hardest part of this class, for me, was explaining the top-down hat with as little math as possible. People, especially knitters, get really scared when the M-word is mentioned, even though it's not calculus or anything. So, I typed up the hat directions as simply as possible; I even put in a little "plug and chug" section where they could enter their gauge and measurements. I think it went over OK; I saw some blank stares, but we made it through alright.

Sharon reports that it received positive feedback and that people want another session. She told them after the New Year, so maybe I can repeat this and work out some of the kinks. :)


2 - Last week we had a communication blow-up, but Victoria and I finally got together this week. It's funny, we go through four years of living together in college, then as she moves into the area, I move out. You'd think we'd have planned that better. But, we try to meet up whenever one is in the other's neck of the woods. So, I stopped in at her place and tried on the bridesmaid's dress (the number one reason we needed to meet!) and then we went out to Panera (mmmm... bread bowl soup) and solved the problems of the world. I think everyone needs that person with whom you always reconnect, no matter how long it's been. It's good for the soul.


3 - NEW PHONE HAS BEEN DECIDED UPON! Yes, after ages and ages of thinking about it, online shopping, online "customer reviews" searching, and hours in the stores, I have finally decided which phone I want. Whew! I promise, I didn't try to make it harder than it had to be. The issues start when you realize that I am now in a full-time job that is not always in the same place. I've got a school schedule that I need to balance with the Agency schedule, as well as all my trainings. I am terrified that I am going to forget something dreadfully important and then be in a world of trouble. Couple that with the amount of texting done between my coworkers and the lovely school filters on the Internet, I was playing with the idea of a Smart Phone. Not necessarily a full-on Blackberry, but something that was easier to text with, something that had a good calendar/appointment book, and maybe something that could access my email (since the school computers can't).

So. Here it is. Drum roll please. The Verizon SMT 5800! It's what I call a "baby smart phone" because it has the basic package of features, but nothing over-the-top. I've got texting, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a calendar that talks to my computer, online web surfing, and a MASSIVE screen. And as a total bonus, it runs on Windows, so I can access and edit Word, Excel, Powerpoint and PDF files! How cool is that? I like it. Sadly, I won't be getting it until next week. Mom was going to order it (free stuff when you do it online) and it was supposed to be mailed to me tomorrow, but it's out of stock online. So she's gone back to a store and I will pick it up from her next Sunday. She's going caving with the Girl Scouts, and they always stop in Charlottesville for lunch on the way home; so I am just going to meet them for lunch and pick up my phone. Yay! New phone!


4 - Oh yea, did I mention that I have a sinus infection ravaging my face this weekend? It's been loads of fun. At the Mitten class, I was feeling icky... then I felt my sinuses go all weird... then the ick started to turn colors. Yay, infection. I didn't go to work today and have been one with the couch trying to sleep it off. Though I do feel loads better than I did on Saturday. Hopefully this will clear up soon.

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