It's been a whirl!

So last week I was feeling sorry for myself, and in many ways not much has changed with people in my other home lands, having no schedule, no scrilla, suffering with the greatly reduced sunlight of Ohio. However. In other ways, wow.

Emily decided that she needed to pick up the Amish Friendship batter sooner rather than later so she came by on Thursday after work. She is really fun to hang with and I swear there is a part of me that watches us and feels like our banter (because it really is banter that we do) is reminiscent of Lorelei and Sookie of the Gilmore Girls. How cool is that? Okay it's also probably terribly wrong and represents an inflated sense of our (particularly my) cleverness but it's fun nonetheless. I'm not saying who is who because it's not entirely clear and doesn't really matter because we have fun.

Friday plans held up and after filling out an application at "American Video*" for a clerking job (don't ask!) I headed to Yellow Springs. Dru ran late but I had fun rambling around looking at stores and chatting up one of the owners of Living Green, she was SO friendly. Dru and I chatted for a long time after our meal was done, it was nice catching up.

My dear sweet Jeriann called and we talked until my battery died on Saturday. It was a very wide ranging conversation and really nice to reconnect. In addition that day I scheduled an interview at "American Video", again, don't ask.

On Sunday I confirm that TGF is cool with me disappearing Sunday night to go down to the Insomniac Knitting Group that starts at 8-ish. At 5pm I leave for the interview and by the time I get home TGF has gone to the 'rents. After the lovely {ahem} time at American Video, I am SO grateful that Andi is coming by to whisk me off in her unheated chariot to some knitting.

The interview went great, really had fun chatting with Dan* and was told there are three steps to getting hired. I passed the first round because Dan really likes me. Next on Monday I take a two hour standardized test. Then if I pass I meet with the regional guy. For a frigging clerk job at a video store! Oh and get this, I will need to remove my nose ring when at work. ARHGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!
I mean I worked at Smith College School of Social work and didn't need to remove it. I left the interview furious, feeling like crying, thinking of my cousin saying to me many, many years ago "How the mighty have fallen". I couldn't think of anyone to call to bitch about this with and instead sat on the couch, watching bad television, eating potato chips and playing Zuma (so addictive!) on my computer.

As I said, thank, as Glamour Gal would say, The Goddesses without Husbands for Andi inviting me to join her last night. She got the full vent about the interview, patient woman. It was way too much fun. Aleza has apparently been reading my blog (hi honey!) and was just thinking about writing to invite me to join them. Michelle was just too much fun, it was great to see Anna again. Danielle was a blast! It was after midnight by the time Andi and I were back in the car.

Tonight after my North Dayton Knit Night I am driving down to Jer's place to help out with The Most Awesome Nephew Ever since she has to go out of town for work. So the next two mornings I will be making sure he gets on the bus for school. How cute is that?


*Neither store name or store employees are real to protect, um, me

In which our herione finds redemption in whining the other day

So a few hours after posting my blog post, my friend Jeriann sends me an ecard. I write her demanding that she fess up to reading my blog. She says, Of course, how else do I know what's happening. BUT I was going to write you anyway, so there. Cool beans.

An acquaintance from California reads my post and emails me - how lovely!

Also get an email from my pal Dru who we finally visited up in Columbus (great visit) asking if I'm free for coffee on Friday. Hey I have no life, of course I could do this, just need to put gas in the car.

A neighbor writes me asking for my blog addy. I give it to her but tell her not to judge me by "today's post" (my lonely whine from the other day). She writes back later to say, "I am very glad you and TGF are here and making this your home". Man I love that woman. She welcomed us with open arms from day one.

Today I find out that I have won two more blog contests. I told TGF about it saying, If only I could turn this ability into cash!". So a shout out to Keanalee over at Meowfish Pie Knits and Melissa over at Misfit Knit (don't you love that name?).

Tonight my buddy Emily (from Dainty Kitty) emails that she is free to cook, knit, and generally pal about next Friday.

Earlier today I finally made the sweet bread from the funky batter called Amish Friendship Bread that Dru so kindly gift me with. This stuff is like a chain letter, you get the stuff, feed it, divide it, use some to bake with and the rest you give away or keep. But you are warned that if you give it all away you will never know when you might get it again (as if this is a bad thing - I read someone gained 5 pounds because of this stuff in 6 weeks!). On a list I'm on I threatened to send it my friend Supee because she thinks she lives too far away being in California and all. Another lister is begging me to send to her in Oregon - will do!

So while a lot of things are the same my mood is much improved.

In which our heroine has spontaneous company

Via ravelry (have I mentioned how much I love that place!) I heard from Emily aka DaintyKitty that she was feeling the need to get out of the house and socialize. There were no knitting meet ups that I knew of, so I offered that we could just meet up somewhere or she could come to my animal infested, messy home. She replied that she "would love to come to Chez Dharma" and that animal filled, messy homes were the best kind. How could one not adore a response like that?

The idea of company helped to get my butt in gear and I straightened up which meant I was pretty happy with the place, despite the lack of hanging art, the dingy 10 year old paint job and our cheap living room curtains that barely dim the sum or block views from the outside at night. It also helped me to finally make my third batch of apple crisp before the fruit went bad. Gosh that stuff is so good. The other day I had an itch to make scones and I also wanted to make potato leek soup. Again before the leeks died a miserable death.

By the time Emily got here the crisp was done and had made the place smell great. I was just cutting the scones when the knock came so those went in the oven moments after she arrived. Later we had one each with the mother-in-law's refrigerator strawberry jam. Tasty stuff. The scone recipe is so simple and so good.

At about 7:45pm I realized the time and asked Emily if she would mind moving her knitting into the kitchen so I could make soup. She was most accommodating while I sort of consulted a recipe but largely winged the entire thing. TGF came home as the soup was simmering and we had a round of introductions. Emily announced that she really ought to be moseying home.

Later TGF had a scone and when she was told that they were easy breezy, she asked if that meant I would be making them once a week or so. I guess she likes them. Yeah!

Reflecting back I forgot in a way how nice it is to have company, to just hang out with someone. Chat, cook, and knit with someone. It's like I live here or something. How cool is that?

Why I love Ravelry

1. That Tuesday night I couldn't sleep at all it kept me entertained in a quiet way while TGF slept in the motel room.

2. It is a great way to find about yarns I may never be able to afford.

3. I love love love seeing how different a pattern looks with different yarns, on different bodies.

4. It is a true 24/7 source of all things knitterly

5. I found out the scoop on local yarn shops.

6. Though the forums I found out just how many stitch n bitches are in my area. Seriously I could be at one Monday, Tuesday Wednesday and Friday every week. It's crazy.

7. I have already made it to the Dayton Knitting Guild meeting once.

8. I have made the North Dayton snb twice already

9. Had a great unofficial drink and knit tonight with DaintyKitty, whom I met via Ravelry and then at one of the knit nights. It is a cool thing when you meet up with someone you don't know well and happily pass three hours hanging out with them.

10. It is another place for me to connect with my beloved Jennie of the Left Coast.

I'm sure there are other reasons but that's a pretty damn good start for something I thought I didn't need or see a reason to join.