Jobs, jobs everywhere

I've been working a lot. What? I didn't tell you about my job? I'm a VERY part-time leasing agent for an apartment management company. Very different from what I've done in my past. It's nice to dress up a bit and talk to adults for a few hours evere couple of weekends, though.

Today and yesterday, I did a lot of marketing and outreach. I took information and candy around to a bunch of businesses in the area. This was SO far outside of my comfort zone. I learned a lot, but I'm so much happier being at one of the properties where interested people come to me rather than barging into a car dealership and asking if they know where apartment complex X is located and would they pass the word on to any of their employees who may be in the market for a new apartment. I walked out of most of them saying to myself as I left, "God, I am such a TOOL!" It's good for me to learn these skills, I know. I want to be a working artist someday and I'll need to get exposure. I used to be one of those people who feared public speaking more than death, and I spent a year doing Toastmasters to get over myself. What I'm doing now will only make future representation easier. Still, I'm glad I'm done with that part of my job for a while.

SVH got a part-time job, too. He's a contract copy editor for a publishing company or something like that. A friend of ours from college works for said publishing company in Manhattan and has a certain number of these contract editors working under him, and HOORAY, now my husband is one of them. We are really excited and hope that this will lead to further opportunities in this area. SVH is an independent soul, and the more control he has over his working hours and conditions, the happier he'll be.


Blue has become enamoured with her tongue. This is her near-constant expression these days.

I an such a lucky mother to have such a happy baby!

Next episode: The Spring Cleaning Knitting Project List... stay tuned!

Happy days

My new nephew, Charlie, was born yesterday afternoon! He's named for his grandfathers, but it just so happens that his other grandfather's first name is the same as my father-in-law's middle name, so he actually has the same first and middle name as my f-i-l. Grandpa Charlie is awfully proud. There were many tears around this house. My mother-in-law flew out of Minnesota yesterday morning and arrived at the hospital (in North Carolina) as the baby was crowning. It was a very exciting day. Little Charlie is a big boy- 10 lbs 4 oz, and 22 inches long! I don't know when I'll get to meet him, but I'm eagerly awaiting pictures of Blue's younger cousin!

Speaking of good days, Hesira gave me a You Made My Day Award, and I need to pass on the award to 10 of my favorite bloggy friends. So here they are, in no particular order:

Beesknees - For starting a blog and sharing her lovely poetry

Valkyrie - For finishing the Mommy Snug. I always thought I'd knit one, but I was showing from April through September... not sweater weather.

Amanda - For showing me green grass and blue skies in April. We just got rid of our snow.

Cari - For weathering adversity in the creative world, and continuing to write.

Evil Science Chick - For pointing me to this. I'm still chuckling.

April - For knitting such a beautiful and thoughtful gift for her grandma

Alcariel - For her obsessive hobbies. I'm a kindred spirit.

Cara - For her fantastically gorgeous baby girl who I only finally read about last week! I get so behind on my blogreading these days~

Faith - Her writing always makes my day.

Minnie - For being Adminnie of the Wilds on KnitWars, AND being 197th level at that. Damn, woman!

Just for fun, you should also check out Moonstitches. Mangetsu posts amazing, inspiring photographs.

Guess who crawls these days?

New nephew on the way!!

Did I mention that the Sleepy-Voiced Sister is having a baby? I'm sure I must have. Well, she's at the hospital, my mother-in-law is in the air on her way there, and for all I know the baby has already been born! Woo hoo!

Little Blue is going to have to be a tomboy. We know 11 babies born or coming between January and October of this year. One, we don't know the sex yet. My cousin is having a girl in May. Otherwise, they're all boys. If Blue wants girls for friends, she's going to have to find them herself, because all the friends we've made for her are boys.

Incidentally, the January boy? He was born to my friend Berit, the woman who taught me to knit. He was the new year's baby for Norway. Pretty cool, huh?

Another Pink Ribbon

Back in my old life, when I didn't share a computer with 4 other adults- one being a student, another being a serious job hunter and the other two being the ones who own the computer and pay for the internet access- I had the breast cancer site as my homepage. Every morning when I arrived at work, I clicked the button.

Now I don't use the computer quite so often (and I miss you guys so much!). I kind of feel like I'm the low man on the totem pole as far as my need for internet access. My free time is a bit limited, too, being the main caretaker of a little one about to start crawling! So I've lagged behind in my clicking for mammograms.

Last week, a school friend from my hometown had a double mastectomy. She can't be more than 34 years old, and was just married last November. She had cancer in both breasts. The good news is, she's cancer free now! They got it all.

It reminded me of the importance of early detection. It also reminded me of how cool these internets can be, since Jill has a care page where people who haven't seen her in 10 years (like me) can drop her a line and let her know they're thinking of her. Sometimes technology is really really good.

Please click here to help fund free mammograms, in honor of a very young and brave woman.