spinning-jennie: archives « August 2003 | Main | October 2003 »

September 30, 2003

Green Hope
"In response to requests, Sacramento Parks and Recreation officials will include community gardens for the first time in a 10-year master plan..."
09/30/03 08:26 AM |  Comments


September 28, 2003

Falling Up
Yesterday we washed the taste of annoyance and disappointment from our mouths with sweet cider and pie up at Apple Hill.
09/28/03 06:06 PM |  Comments


September 26, 2003

90 Degree Scarf
My first official Knit Magic thing. I would've worked harder for better pictures, but my neck was sweating within seconds. Owning scarves in Sacramento may just be stupid.

Lessons learned:
  • My machine seems to like cheap cotton yarn the best. I tried chenille, but the hooks kept getting snagged in it. Simple synthetics were okay, but the less fuzzy the better.
  • I should've gone six inches longer.
  • Skinny scarves look best on very skinny people. Or maybe with a coat instead of capri pants and sandals.
    • 09/26/03 06:15 PM |  Comments


    September 25, 2003

    "Well, that's what happens when you simplify things."
    Did you just want to smack that smug smirk off Bustamante's face last night, too?

    And to think, at one point I was considering Huffington. Gah. Twit. The only candidate that seems partially sane at this point is McClintock - though he looks kind of shifty on camera and I've got at least one major issue with him. And I'm still on the fence about licensing "illegals."
    09/25/03 09:31 AM |  Comments


    September 24, 2003

    "We Interrupt This Ill-Advised Fit for an Emergency Humor Advertisement."
    "What do Sydney Bristow, Buffy Summers, and even that itty bitty little spitfire Dana Scully have in common? They kick ass and chew bubble gum. And they are all out of bubble gum."
    09/24/03 01:23 PM |  Comments


    Go Away.
    The main problem, I've come to realize, is that I'm tired of expectations.

    I have four times the students I began with three years ago, two less hours a day to deal with them all, and twice as many teachers expecting more and more. I never wanted to be the Queen of Recycling when I started to blog about my pursuits. And why would you think for a second that I would give up my, erm, sick day to drive around in a car with no A/C and run errands? I've become very, very greedy with my own time - it's mine! mine! I tell you. And no one should dare even suggest how I spend it.

    I can multitask, but I hate it. And I find myself doing it more and more. It drives me up a wall when I'm trying to deal with ten screaming kids at once, and adults (who should know better, come on) walk in and start jockeying for attention on top of it. Requests on my shrinking time are more frequently met with snappish rejoinders, mordant stares, or, in the case of email, complete lack of reply (sorry). It's become literally impossible for me to finish a project without interruption; I can barely add a copy record to the catalog in peace.

    And I, being fairly rational and intelligent, of course know about all the things that should be getting done, and the things I'd like to get done, and the things you want me to do. But, mercy, I'm just one person. One person serving a ballooning school on six hours a day. It's not the quiet, boring little room it used to be, in which whole hours would go by without a class visit. So that pallet of textbooks isn't going to get processed any faster if you sit here and whine about long it's taking. No, our software doesn't even begin to support Interlibrary Loan, and none of us in the district would have the time to take it on even if it did. And, for heaven's sake, NO!!! I will not look up each of the 300 titles at the Book Fair to see if they've got an Accelerated Reader test!!! Parents don't volunteer anymore - they're too busy working fifty-hour weeks for the all-important American Dream: that second SUV and the monstrous clone home in the "prestigious" treeless subdivision and new Nikes for junior.

    The chaos bubbles over, to the point that I just want to lie down and give up responsibility for everything, everywhere. I'm tired.

    09/24/03 10:14 AM |  Comments


    September 23, 2003

    We'll Be Hangin' With the Other Cool Kids in the Balcony
    We may have to wait forever for Portland, but at least we have Lewis Black and Dave Attel - live, right here in Sac, soon, at the best venue in town. And a cheapish $35 a pop, too.
    09/23/03 08:13 PM |  Comments


    "Everything else is pure Shandling."
    We loves us our Fametracker, we do.
    09/23/03 05:26 PM |  Comments


    September 22, 2003

    "But you're not eating the rabbits, sir, right?"
    Inching up on the end of September, and my outfit for the day will include something sleeveless of necessity. I've nearly given up the thought that we'll ever see temps under 95 again. I don't want much, really. Mid 80's would be enough. We've even had to put off our trip to Apple Hill for two weeks now, because it's still too hot up there to be fun. Stayed inside and read.

    I can easily list the books that make me cry, because they're so few:
  • Where the Red Fern Grows
  • The Amber Spyglass
  • Little Women
  • Bridge to Terabithia
  • Jude the Obscure


    • Well, add Pictures of Hollis Woods, drenched in palpable loss and longing. A timeless orphan story that just doesn't need to try as hard as Gilly Hopkins.

    Speaking of bawling, I really shouldn't watch shows like Animal Cops, especially when I've just been reading soppy books. Just shouldn't.

    And, on the heels of a similar but not as gross story we saw on Animal Precinct yesterday, D. sent me this story about 130 cats in my dear hometown.
    09/22/03 07:52 PM |  Comments


    September 19, 2003

    Burnt, But Still Not Pessimistic
    What a complete waste of a day. In so very many, many ways. I won't bore you with the gruesome details. Wouldn't be prudent, anyhow.

    On the bright side (because there's always one, there has to be, don't disabuse me of my silly little lifeline), lookee what returned to the preorder market. Shallow, but worth a bunch in the way of making me feel better. I've ordered it; ETA a long three months out.

    Oh, and the Book Fair's done. That's a good thing too.
    09/19/03 03:05 PM |  Comments


    September 18, 2003

    Next Time, I'll Make it a Volcano
    I'm not a big game player. The last one I played through was the gorgeous Pandora's Box - and that was over two years ago. I have abnormal tastes, I suppose, preferring intricate puzzle games to adventure and violence.

    But yesterday I picked up Sim City 4 at the Book Fair, and spent a good two hours fiddling with it last night. How you play God Mode is probably a good indicator of mood. I did everything I could to spare the budget of the Fire Department, but they went on strike, anyhow.

    So I dropped a meteor on 'em. Maybe I should look into GTA after all.
    09/18/03 06:52 AM |  Comments


    September 16, 2003

    Long
    Open House night (already???). Which means my day is 7 am 'til after 8 pm. At least school's out now, and I can get my head back together before the evening starts. I don't even try to go home in the interim - it'd be too difficult to come back!

    Of course that means today was a Book Fair day. I don't know how I'll face another three of the same, what with all the thievery and destruction. Every decoration popped or tampered with, things breakable broken, removeable parts of kits missing, and, as usual, sale books hidden away in the library collection for theft on a later date when security's not as tight. Consequently, I've lost almost my entire heart for Book Fairs. Hell, if you can even call them "Book" Fairs anymore. The emphasis seems to be on the gaudy plastic crap - which of course the kids are automatically drawn to above and beyond everything else.

    The only thing that redeems it are those few-and-too-far-between kids that practically burst before they can get their hands on that one book they've been waiting for since the flyers went out, or the rare "ohmigod-did-you-read-this-yet-it-was-SO-GOOD-can-we-get-it-for-the-library!?!" I'll beat my patience with the whole biannual fiasco to a bloody pulp for that glimmer of genuine enthusiasm. Because it sure isn't worth the profit!

    Petition to Saint MARC: Please, protect me from loud, angry parents who do not want to pay for their child's missing book, and will attempt to yell me down in front of the crowds to keep their ten dollars. Sincerely, your humble servant who always tries to add her 505's. Praise be to Dewey and LOC. Amen.
    09/16/03 03:46 PM |  Comments


    September 15, 2003

    Rather be Sunday
    My surprise was dinner theatre! Actually more like brunch theatre. The performances were pretty impressive, and the food (which broke my Points bank, even though I chose well, but it won't kill me) was good.

    It had been far too long since I'd been to the theatre. At NMU, the campus shows were always a big event; what else are you going to do in the dead of winter with twelve feet of snow on the ground? Between the big productions, there were always the free student lab plays for a quick weeknight fix. At Oakland, a few of my co-workers and I had season tickets.

    Afterwards we drove up to the old 'hood for some BevMo and Barnes & Noble action. Our current area, while pretty, is lacking in these and much more basic amenities, such as Target (gasp!), and Beverly's. I got a book that had been sitting at the bottom of my wishlist for some time.
    09/15/03 07:25 AM |  Comments


    September 14, 2003

    Something in the Air
    There's a whole lot of not sleeping going on around here tonight. I heard D. get up sometime after midnight, and I took my turn well before six, which would mean less than six hours of sleep (probably some kind of record for a Sunday). At least it's a switch from the Groggy Jennie of yesterday. In fact feeling pretty spry for a 32-year-old.
    09/14/03 07:24 AM |  Comments


    September 13, 2003

    At Least We'll Have the Movie in 2005
    It's not often I wish I were in London.
    09/13/03 10:41 PM |  Comments


    That Day, Part II - This Time, It's a Saturday
    Pretty Russian ceramic saucer met its death via my clumsiness and heavy butter knife. Lady at the circulation desk was mean to me (hey, I'm not a civilian!). Claritin-D is screwing with my fat-deprived chemistry in a bad way, leaving me featherheaded and nauseous. Bitched a lot about said pukeydizziness, not taken seriously. Hands and wrists hurt from repetitively lifting textbooks all week.

    Will take two Vanilla Diet Cokes and call you in the morning.
    09/13/03 06:37 PM |  Comments


    September 12, 2003

    Kaput.
    Email account - trashed (if you've emailed me, that may be why you didn't get a reply. I either didn't receive it, or my mail didn't go out. Both have been happening at a frighteningly increasing rate). Notify list - fubar. What to do? See comments for new info, and test 'em, because I like getting mail. Plus it's my b-day weekend, so you should obey me.
    09/12/03 04:34 PM |  Comments


    Neighbor
    I do want this Mister Rogers tee. Best - all proceeds go to the continuation of his work.
    09/12/03 06:46 AM |  Comments


    Vintage Toy Lust Slaked for the Moment
    I received my Mattel Knit Magic Wednesday, whee! The only disappointment is that it doesn't handle fussy or nubby yarns - only my straightforward acrylics and cottons so far. The needles choke on anything else.

    If the cats love my knitting needles, they adore this. That long, quickly-moving yarn hanging there just for their enjoyment. At first I couldn't figure it out, why the tension would suddenly increase, then decrease. Ah, quick little Elli paws under the table.

    Does anyone know what happened to yesterdayland.com? I went there to look for the Knit Magic, and it's just gone. Tragedy! At least there are archives.
    09/12/03 06:19 AM |  Comments


    September 11, 2003

    No piffle today. Go do something good for the world.
    09/11/03 07:47 AM |  Comments


    September 10, 2003

    "I don't sleep... e-e-ever!"
    I've been using espresso for my morning brew, because it's all I have left, and I don't want to buy beans when I'm so close to receiving my first shipment of roasted-to-order Caribou* Blend.

    What I really, really need to keep in mind is that I should be drinking less of it. I'm beginning to look and sound like Tweek.

    * They care, they really do. I asked them for a photo of their Rochester shop for my D-and-Jennie scrapbook (D. and I met there), and they emailed around the company until they found me one!
    09/10/03 03:08 PM |  Comments


    September 09, 2003

    Fall Haul
    Well, I always thought I watched too much TV. Thank goodness the networks (especially Fox. You suck - !!!) are keeping my best interests at heart, cancelling brilliant programming, and creating new shows in which I've not one iota of interest. So I'll be sticking to the remaining old standards, and not necessarily faithfully, excepting Alias:

  • Alias (Malcolm during reruns)
  • American Experience
  • Enterprise (70's Show during reruns)
  • Friends/Scrubs (possibly Tru Calling during reruns)
  • Trading Spaces


    • Sometimes, if you're very quiet, you might sneak up on me while watching the unbelievably sappy Everwood. Please don't think less of me.
    09/09/03 08:12 AM |  Comments


    September 08, 2003

    The Cats Will Hate Us All
    It's shouldn't be difficult to see why I'm so in love with these dogs. Gorgeous pics of a charming and beautiful pup!

    Maybe in Oregon, someday, I can adopt one (that's been brought up with cats, of course) myself. It's too cruelly hot here.
    09/08/03 03:19 PM |  Comments


    Ulcer Fodder
    D. is on his way to the Bay. I can now begin worrying about traffic (read: horrible rush-hour crashes on I-80 and unfortunate bridge/earthquake timings). You SF residents may feel free to laugh heartily at me.
    09/08/03 10:41 AM |  Comments


    September 06, 2003

    Give up the Ghost
    I can't import my archives. I've tried, over and over and over again, at different times of different days. And there's not a thing wrong with our FTP. Maybe the file's too big - it is, after all, three years of posting nearly daily.

    So we're all just going to have to live with an uncategorized past. I'm sure you'll live. The part of me that's not a psycho control freak will live, too.

    I really need to switch the Reusablog over to MT. Because now I'm spoiled, and I know I won't post there again until I do.
    09/06/03 04:00 PM |  Comments


    September 05, 2003

    Shockwave Friday
    Triclops - my latest little game addiction. Just beware the super-annoying ad if you hit play.
    09/05/03 02:04 PM |  Comments


    September 04, 2003

    Fluff
    Orange fluff - a dessert I can eat without breaking the bank, and like it. In a pre-80's comfort food way. Mine is made with sugar free orange Jello and Lite Cool Whip (and no crust):

    no chunks

    Carol Brady would probably approve. Maybe not so much my mom. She prefers chunks in her Jello. A holiday standard at our house. I wish I was kidding.

    09/04/03 08:13 AM |  Comments


    September 03, 2003

    Everyone Else is Knitting, So Why Can't I?
    Did you see Jessa's beautiful blanket?

    And, look - a scarf of Ellen's has become famous... it gets a mention in the September issue of Library Journal! As part of the Fall reads cover story, specifically the part about Debbie Stoller's new knitting book. Sadly, I can't subscribe to LJ, and neither can anyone else in my poor little library circle. If you have a copy you can part with, Ellen would love you forever! Or at least be really grateful.

    Addendum: Lori finished Sitcom Chic! Awesome.

    Meanwhile, the cotton scarf I began last year is still sitting in my canvas bag, waiting for fall t.v.
    09/03/03 04:32 PM |  Comments


    September 02, 2003

    "I'm sorry you saw that, Fry. I usually try to keep my sadness pent up inside where it can fester quietly as a mental illness."
    We watched Donnie Darko yesterday. I was only a borderline Jake Gyllenhaal fan, if even, but that viewing moved him up some serious notches. Check Holmes Osborne as the dad, too. Wonderful.

    But if Gary Jules' soundtrack cover of Mad World keeps looping in my head, I'm going to need lithium.

    Maybe I can evict it by thinking about my Halloween costume plans. The purple wig is easy. It's the eye and moon boots that are proving a challenge. I wonder if I can find a Nibbler?
    09/02/03 09:53 PM |  Comments


    Nap Accessory
    Everyone should own an Elmo for napping. They curl up on your tummy in a warm, comforting ball, rumbling and gazing up at you with that big green-eyed "You're the bestest person in the Whole Wide World!" look.

    widdle cuddly wuddly cute-um poo

    D. has a fetish for chronicling these double-chinned droolfest catnaps; has a long history of it. I suppose I won't deprive him.
    09/02/03 04:08 PM |  Comments


    September 01, 2003

    Labor Day Linkyloo
    I've been a fan of Heather (aka the Very Merry Seamstress) for a couple years. Her creations never fail to make me laugh, and swoon, and laugh again. eBayed some accessories before last year's renfair, B.P. (Before Pfaff). [gush] And now she has a weblog, of sorts!
    09/01/03 02:24 PM |  Comments


    Swamp Attacks!
    So we tried to check out Mars last night. Not wanting to drive all the way out to El Dorado Hills, I thought of a nice flat, open, relatively dark piece of farmland up the road from the school ideal for viewing.
    So we parked on a gravelly turnout next to the field. The sky was clear and starry, and Mars hadn't disappeared behind that telephone pole.

    What I had failed to think about, however, is the nature of the crop in that field. Rice. Which grows, of course, in standing water. Acres and acres of warm, standing water. And, not thinking, I was wearing shorts and sandals.

    So the optics on the telescope were screwy, uselessly making Mars a blurry blob, and my ankles and kneepits are covered in mosquito welts. Thank goodness for the Internet and Cortizone cream.
    09/01/03 10:01 AM |  Comments