silvermari & the stick

In summer 2000 I did an Oxford Authors class through OSU. We traveled to England, lived in dorms at Oxford, studied Oxford authors and got to travel a bit around the country (Stonehenge! London!).

It was a formative trip, and I had a great time, despite initially being very nervous and homebody-ish. I also made a lifelong friend and will always regret not agreeing to travel through Europe with her for two weeks before our class session.

One souvenir, a Hard Rock Cafe pint glass, stayed with me throughout all my moves and life changes since. But this month it finally broke -- a chip along the rim that made it unsafe to use. I took pictures and then Shawn threw it out.

Now I'm in the market for a new pint glass -- maybe OSU? University of Maryland? LSU? Something as embarrassing as Hard Rock Cafe? (Remember, I was 19 years old at the time and it was my very first time out of the country!) We have clear pint glasses for everyone else's use, but I like a heavier glass (probably b…

Jane started at the university preschool five mornings a week. It's in the heart of campus and not affiliated with the university's lab school (K-12) or the day care center (0-PK). Anyway, this is the middle of week 2. I had a lot of feelings and am still having a lot of feelings, but I hope things will become routine and less angsty for me. I thought I wrote about my feelings last year when she started the TWO morning/week class at another school, but I can't find them here. I wasn't quite as dramatic this year, but still. Big steps.

Background needed for this story: Shawn and I have gate-opening wands to get on campus and get into the lot where we drop her off/pick her up.

OMG. Today pick up was TERRIBLE. At 12:30 it's right at class changing time or class going to time or something so kids are EVERYWHERE and they are looking at their phones/not paying any attention/walking in the streets and it's awful.

AND THEN the arm wouldn't go up on the gate by …

I just got back from a quick jaunt to the post office. I have to drive down College, which is pretty heavily congested. Today I had someone right on my tail from just after I turned onto Lee from our street until past Perkins. She was SO CLOSE to my bumper, it was scary. I was going the speed limit and didn't think much of it. People here love to tailgate -- ALL KINDS of tailgating. Geez.

Then as soon as we cross the railroad tracks I notice how close she's getting AND that the lane next to me is stopping. There's a one-legged man in a wheelchair crossing the street in the middle of the road. (This is a four-lane, busy busy road!) I honk my horn, mainly to alert this lunatic behind me to slow the EFF down and not hit me, as I slam my brakes to keep from running into the pedestrian. (Are you a pedestrian in a wheelchair?)

Then my adrenaline was running and I was so upset I just stayed stopped until this woman would go around me. She had ample opportunities, but she just sat…

Here's a baby blanket I made a few weeks ago for a former coworker expecting her first baby, a girl. I snooped on her Pinterest account to select the colors. Chevron patterns are still pretty popular, plus they're easy to crochet, and you know I love a zig-zag pattern (my initials make a chevron pattern you know!).

The mom-to-be was very appreciative when I sent the blanket. Surprise packages are the best packages anyway too.

I used Red Heart Soft yarn -- I bought them online, so the coral isn't at all what I had in mind. This was a little more orange than I expected - or something. But it still looked good as a pop between the white and turquoise (which I think was called deep sea or something).

Happy crocheting!