Experiment

I'm going to stay off Ravelry for an entire 24 hours. Hope I don't implode. I realized today that I spent more time at work on Ravelry than I did on actual work. That sure is a good way to get fired isn't it?

I'd give it up for Lent but that seems a little extreme. So I though, 24 hours. I can do anything for 24 hours, can't I? Hmmm, that remains to be seen. So while I will keep checking my email, and the like, no Ravelry.

Already I can't imagine. I enjoy the controversial topics that get people really talking and well, not arguing but two opposite sides. And there are always a few people who are so passionate about their feelings, they get so frustrated when they can't change everyone over to their "side". Those are the ones I like to mess with the most. I'm cruel aren't I?

Easily amused? Why yes, I am. So what are your vices?

Controversy

Some days I really wish I could spell. sigh.

Feminism: the doctrine advocating social, political and all other rights of woman equal to those of men; an organized movement for the attainment of such rights for women; feminine character.

Yesterday Stephanie aka The Yarn Harlot wrote about International Womans Day. And did her own salute to women. I thought it was a wonderful piece and wish I were so eloquent. I'm sure more than one person commented on it on Ravelry, but I only read one thread. Oh. My. The anger and disgust of some women. Really.

I'll ignore the ones who only wanted to say they don't like YH. Naw, not interested and wondered why they bothered to even read the thread.

I don't know that I'd exactly say that I was a feminist, because I tend to not like labels. I find sometimes they can be limiting. But I certainly do believe that women should have equal rights to men. And the same opportunities and the same pay for doing the same job. I also will say that there are some jobs that women should not try to do. Not because they can't do the job but because perhaps a man could do it more effectively. A woman can shoot a gun as good as a man can, sometimes better. They can be surgeons, lawyers, corporate CEOs. Anything. About the only thing a woman probably could not do as well as a man is carry me down a 20 story ladder. I get motion sick easy and wouldn't really want a man to do that either, but there you go. For 99% of the jobs, anyone properly trained can do anything they put they mind to.

Why do some women get so bent out of shape about this topic? There were women who stay home and raise their children and run their house defending their right to do that and saying we don't need feminists. Well, isn't that a right and ability feminists want? The ability and option to choose to stay home and raise your children and run your house? There were women arguing that we need to fight for the right to work and get equal pay and not be forced to stay at home and raise children. Hmmm, well, we can work (although not usually at equal pay) and there are a heck of a lot of men staying home now to raise their children because the wife is making a better salary, the husband got layed off, whatever the reason.

Has the free world changed so much that this is a non-issue anymore? Probably not, I still see a lot of unwilling repressed women around.

Does the fact that I color my hair, cut it short a few years ago, not because I was of "an age" but because I like not having to fool with it anymore, and have my nails done mean that I'm a traitor to the cause? Does the fact that my dad was a man ahead of his time discount the struggle?

So what do women want? What "secret" agenda are men plotting now?

Should we all join Danae's Benevolent Order of Superior Sisterhood in order to banish the scourge of stinky booger-brained boys?

Now THERE's something to think about.

International Woman's Day

Go read the Yarn Harlot.

She says it all.

The Weekend

Usually I "catch up" on the weekends. Not sure on what or why, but I'm not anymore. Or at least not this weekend. Yesterday I spent a relaxing morning with my coffee and newpaper, a muffin, and the cats. Then I drove to Warrenton to meet some friends. We spent a lovely few hours at a local alpaca farm, and patted ourselves on the back when we left, we only bought a little over 6 pounds of fiber between the three of us. Not bad eh? Then we had a lovely lunch at the kind of place the locals say, are they open today or not? Yep! Very tasty, I took canoli home to DH who said it was pretty good, which is high praise from him on canolis. I had a piece of raspberry mousse cake that was good (but my red truck muffin was better). But I did score some silk hankies, so this summer I'll be making gloves a la Yarn Harlot. I figure I can block out the time, my hands won't be so dry and rough, and who wants a lap full of wool when it's 100F out? Silk hankies will e just the ticket. I may even gift them.

I got home, skipped dinner because I was still full from lunch and got some knitting done. My DS fixed my truck that I haven't been able to drive for 2 weeks. Of course it needs one more thing, but I can still drive it. I didn't realize how much I missed "my" truck until I got in it yesterday afternoon. I actually petted it. If I had been alone, I may have kissed it. And really, I'm just not that attached to things, ya know?

Today it is raining. A lot. That's okay though, I don't have to go out, have no excuse not to spend a little time working on taxes - so they are done well before they are due. No reason not to know how much I owe, even if I don't send the check in yet. Got some more knitting done, exercised, and now will spend an hour or two spinning, I may never finish this purple stuff. And listening to Les Mis on PBS

I'm so sad they are losing federal funding, will have to make larger donations I guess, since I tend to watch it more than commercial tv. sigh.

Behavior

I work at a college. It is a pretty large college, not ivy league or such, but huge. We also have a huge diverse population of teachers and students. While I could go on and on about faculty and their "specialness" that isn't what today is about.

I walk the campus a lot for exercise. I see a lot of behavior. Good and bad and WTF and were you raised in a sheep stall kind of behavior. Sometimes, kid are just being stupid kids, like the ones that were skateboarding in the back parking lot. That in iteslf wasn't such a big deal. The part that concerned me was that they were being pulled by a pick up truck while holding on to a tow strap to get that extra whip. As faculty/staff, we're not encouraged to challenge students on their behavior. We are told to call campus police and let them deal with it. While I find that a little annoying, I understand, it is a common sense thing because some of the students will really challenge you back, and if there is a "cultural difference" then you've got a whole other bag of worms when you are now being accused of not being tolerant of a different culture - although littering isn't a cultural thing, it is a common courtsey to NOT do it, but that's a different rant.

So yesterday, as I was walking i was noticing how many people were stopped in the middle of the parking lots blocking traffic and cars wanting to park, but their blinkers were on so that's okay, right? Meh, they weren't blocking me, so I wasn't concerned, they were either in their car or standing right outside their car visiting with friends. Not my problem, just thinking wow, one nice day outside and people forget they don't own the world.

Then I saw another car, no driver, but wait he was standing about 10 feet away from his car talking to a girl up on the main road - up a huge incline. He was persistent, come on, talk to me, come with me kind of thing. She was REALLY not happy and it wasn't a regular don't bother me tone in her voice, it was a you really scare me voice. Of course I didn't have my phone, so I drove over to the police station and sent them over. She did have a friend join her before I left and the friend was very persistent that said boy take a hike.

Then I wondered. Should I have gotten more involved? Should I have just led her away to safety? was there really a problem? My mommy/woman radar was going off at not a full fledged DING, DING, DING, but it was blipping.

Wonder if this is going to be a long spring and summer.

Tuesday

I have a very furry cat on my lap, he is stretched all the way down my legs and it is hot. It is also difficult to use the laptop and I'd better not drop it.

I've been trying to cook dinner more often. Not always successful, but I'm getting better about it. Last night I made fajita/stir fry stuff. The boy didn't come home before I cleaned up so I put some in a small container for lunch, and I put the rest on another container for the boy to heat up when he got home.

I was talking to daughter when the boy came home, so I told him that leftovers were in the cool whip container that said ice cream on the lid. DD said you have GOT to stop doing that. booy said yeah. I looked at them.

DD said, you open the refrigerator, see the cool whip and grab it, get a spoon, open the coolwhip container up and . . . there is no cool whip inside

meh, it's not that good for you anyway.

Two Days in a Row - Must be Some Kind of Record

I actually am 95% done with a project, and I actually have pictures. About 5 years ago I saw a My Constant Companion Bag in a book and fell in love with it. I knew it was my destiny to make that up. Of course I also knew that I wouldn't do it in the recommended yarn because I'm cheap.

So I waited, and waited, made other project, and finaly last year I got some KnitPicks yarn. They were having a sale, and I even got some of the clear acrylic needles to make the wonderful bag. In roughly the same colors as in the picture.

I started the bag, then let it lay. For some reason middle of last week I resolved to finish that sucker. Well I know the reason, there's stuff I need to do and don't want to. So by Saturday afternoon, I was here:

I will say that the thought of knitting 5 feet of I-cord was a littl daunting, but I did them two at a time and it went swimmingly

I've often wondered about people who rave about how much knitting they get done while watching a movie, or a marathon of tv shows. I watch movies r tv when I knit, I get a few rows done, then I guess I get distracted. I also don't watch much tv so my sitting in front of the tube time is limited. But I popped in PS I Love You because I've had it for a long time and never watched it. Oh my. Good movie and yepper, I did get me some knitting done.

Plan to get me some felting done this weekend.