Kat with a K

Not a Good Day

Yesterday was patently Not a Good Day. But it was also a day in which I realized just how wonderful my friends are, and so I ended the day feeling lucky and grateful as well as sad.

The plan had been simple: do homework all day, basically. Maybe take a break to work on my resume or find my summer clothes. But pretty much just homework. (My final presentation is a week from Tuesday.) But. Just as I was getting started, the kitten started scratching the sofa, and I reached for the spray bottle, and somehow between the two of us my mug of coffee ended up spilling directly onto my laptop. I flipped it over and shook it out, and started to panic, because, in addition to needing it for all the homework I'd planned to do that day, my laptop held the only copy of the assignment I'd finished the night before. (I know, I know.) Becoming suddenly computerless in the last week of my last semester was not really a viable option.

So I called a friend who knows things about computers (which is pretty much the understatement of the year) and he told me to bring it over in the afternoon. (In the morning, I got a rather surprising amount of work done, considering I was computerless.) The verdict: apparently I am very, very good at getting lots of coffee into my computer. Especially my hard drive. But he got the hard drive out and copied over my files, so the scariest issue was resolved. Then he gave the computer a bath in distilled water, which was rather amusing to watch. (Pictures are forthcoming.) His wife gave me tea and poundcake and we knit and talked while the various scary computer surgeries were going on. The computer is still in pieces at their house, drying out for a few days. I am currently using a spare laptop they let me borrow so I can at least finish out these assignments without worrying too much. They were both amazing, and I don't know what I would have done without them.

And then I got home, and got the loaner computer working, and was starting to feel better about things, and my father called. As soon as he said "Hi, Katie," I knew someone was dead or in the hospital, because he's my dad and I know that voice. It was my uncle, Tony, my maternal grandmother's brother. He had had a heart attack in his driveway that afternoon and died. I know it shouldn't have been shocking - he had to have been in his 80s, because my grandmother is almost 80 and he was older - but I was shocked anyway. And extremely sad. I know "great-uncle" doesn't necessarily sound so close, but he had been one of my favorite relatives since I was little. I've always been close to his wife, as well.

Of course, that also meant that I didn't care about the timing or it being the last week of school - I had to go to Florida for the funeral. After a few minutes of panic about homework and travel arrangements, I started looking up fares and coming up with various plans. As I was beginning to realize that it would be both more affordable and logistically easier for everyone involved if I just traveled with my parents, a friend pointed out that she lives near the airport my parents use, and offered to let me crash at her place before and/or after my flights, and to drive me to/from the airport so I didn't have to pay for airport parking.

So. I'm sad and things are chaotic and I still don't know what days I'm traveling or how I'm going to get everything done or if I'm going to have a usable computer at the end of it. But boy, do I have awesome friends.

Kitten in the sun

We've been having crazily warm weather here the past few days, and Dewey has been taking full advantage of it:

You can really see how big he's getting in some of these pictures...

Cupcakes!

I took a little break from homework to do something much less stressful. I made cupcakes!

And then I made frosting!

My brave hunter!

Mr. Dewey has officially killed his first mouse. And I disposed of it. We did it all by ourselves. We are both a bit shaken, but proud.

(I knew the blogging thing was pretty ingrained when I thought, for a split second, "Oh, I should take a picture for the blog before I throw it out.")

Summer 2007 IK Preview

Right here. I have to say that I'm not overly impressed on first glance - there are a few things that look great, but several that just look bizarre. Hmm.

Go New Hampshire!

I can't find any actual news stories yet, but according to the MSNBC home page, Gov. Lynch has signed a bill authorizing same-sex civil unions. Yet another reason to be proud of my state!

EDIT:
News stories: MSNBC; New York Times.

Unwelcome guest

I live in an old house in the middle of the woods. I am used to the occasional mouse. I can usually deal: I leave traps in a few of their favorite spots; I'm careful in the kitchen and make sure I wash anything I'm unsure of before using. I don't like it, but I deal.

Tonight was different. Tonight Dewey found his first mouse. But he didn't kill it. (That I could have dealt with.) It got away. And I'm not sure where it went. Or how hurt it was. I am hoping against hope that it wasn't very hurt, and got outside. Or that if it did die somewhere, I find it before too long. I keep thinking I see it out of the corner of my eye. I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep. The kitten is still pretty freaked out, too.

I must say that it's at times like this that I'd give almost anything to have Defulct back... or, honestly, just someone else in the house. I like living alone, much of the time. Except when I really really don't.

Random bits of news

Oh, hey, it's even Wednesday! Lovely.

1. Graduation is in 31 days. My final presentation, which will be the last piece of actual work I have to do, is in 20 days. This is simultaneously very exciting and terrifying, given the amount of work I have left to do.

2. Last night I successfully wore a nightgown without having it or my legs attacked by Mr. Dewey as I was walking around. This is a milestone. Perhaps someday we'll move on to actual skirts.

3. The flooding you might be hearing about (and seeing elsewhere) is indeed in my area, but I haven't been too affected, at least so far. My roof is leaking, but only a tiny bit (and yes, the landlord has been called), and last I checked 3/4ths of the routes to my house were closed, but I'm hoping at least one will be reopened by tomorrow.

4. I'm joining the SCA. I'm not sure whether I've mentioned that.

5. I quit the part time bookstore job. I don't remember whether I mentioned that either. I am ridiculously pleased with the notion of two days off each week.

6. I am planning to attend both NH Sheep and Wool and the Yarn Harlot event at (near) Webs. Anyone else?

Sorry...

I don't know what's with me. I just can't seem to post recently. I'm fine, really. Busy, of course, but it's also just that... I have to say that I just don't really feel like it. And I don't know why. Or, sometimes, I do feel like it, but not when I'm at the computer and have time. So... I don't know. I'm sort of here, I promise. Life is just seeming more compelling than blog-writing at the moment. Which is, you know, not a bad thing, overall.

(Of course, I'm half-expecting that as soon as I post this, I will suddenly want to start writing real posts again.)

Baby hat - done!

Yes, I realize that the only projects I've finished so far this year have been for infants. I think it's a combination of how small and cute the items are and how firm the deadline is.

Yarn: Manos del Uruguay Cotton Stria in... Olive? Pistachio? Avocado? None of the pictures look particularly close to the yarn in my hand.
Needles: 4.5mm Brittany birch DPNs
Pattern: Made up as I went along

Comments: I'd been wanting to try this yarn for years, and I'm glad I finally did. It's extremely soft and gorgeous to work with. It does not, however, show texture well, and it was so impossible to get the stitches even that I eventually gave up and made it a design element.

Aha!

The flash card reader was its pocket in the laptop case. Crazy!

Here's Dewey cuddling with Lamby, his first very own stuffed animal:

Um... oh.

So I finished the hat, and took pictures, and took pictures of Dewey.

And I'd love to show you, really I would.

If I could only find my flash card reader.

Need opinions! Quick!

I need to decide what needles to use with Tahki Cotton Classic (II? Maybe it's II.) Bamboo or metal? Bamboo is generally my favorite, but I have it in my head that bamboo + cotton = not so happy. Opinions?

(Although, actually, I'll get whatever I can find, as apparently size 7 16" circs are weirdly hard to find.)

If lots of you vote, I'll give you a picture of a finished knitted item and a picture of Dewey tonight.

Tuesday Random Happy Things

You know, like a combination of Monday Happy Things and Wednesday Randoms? Heh. Anyway.

1. The assignment from hell, which has been eating my soul for the past few weeks, is done done done. Will be handed in tonight. Woohoo.

2. The milk I bought yesterday has a "use by" date of two days before graduation. I cannot express how happy that makes me.

3. For those of you complaining about a lack of knitting talk - I have actually finished something, albeit something small (a baby hat). I just have to weave in the ends and then I will take a picture. I promise.

4. I was going to say "it's starting to seem like spring out," but now it's not, again. Oh well.

5. I am ridiculously busy this week, but a lot of it is fun social stuff, some with people I don't get to see enough. So that is happy.