Confessions of a Fiber Junkie Pt. 1 Monday, Jan 29 2007

I’ve been MIA for a bit, and I apologize.

The reason for my absence?

I have been eaten by the yarn.

I know we all joke about stash control, but my yarn is eating me alive.

I didn’t realize how much I had until I started cleaning my apartment. I knew I had the foot locker. And the cardboard box. And the plastic bin. Oh, and the box my printer came in…

Then I starte cleaning.

I found piles of yarn, people. PILES. And not only was it yarn, it was tangled yarn. Massive knots, knots that my mother and I have been working on for the past THREE DAYS.

I think I have about 8 boxes full of yarn.

I think maybe I should start destashing.

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Channeling My Inner Hippie Wednesday, Jan 17 2007

After a spending a couple of weeks at my parents house relaxing, it’s been tough getting back into the swing of things. Especially since I’m not a student anymore.

I did enjoy the break–and I even coaxed Fred onto my lap once or twice:
But now that I’m back in DC, reality is intruding.

Most of my time has been spent job hunting. I’m looking for jobs all over, but I’m mainly interested in staying here or moving to San Francisco. I’m spending a lot of time looking at job ads on Craigslist and in newspapers, and writing cover letters. Also, studiously avoiding looking at any statistics which suggests that it can take up to TWO YEARS after graduation to find a job.
In addition to the job hunt, I have resolved to clean my apartment. First of all because I am embarrassed to have anyone over, which makes for a very sad social life, and second of all because if I do move it would be nice to be able to pack relatively quickly.

Yesterday, I channeled my inner hippie, and embarked on my first foray into natural cleaning products by attempting to use baking soda and vinegar to unclog my bathtub drain. See, last time my drain clogged I tried Draino, but it was still clogged and I had to call maitenance, and my building manager told me not to use Draino or try to unclog my own drain.

Now, while this is good in theory, I don’t want to have to call maitenance all the freaking time. But I’d feel bad if I did use Draino, didn’t tell them and ended up having to call them anyway and it splashed in someone’s eye or something. So baking soda and vinegar it is.

It did work, at least somewhat, but I think I’ll have to do it three or four more times to really get at the clog. I did have fun watching it foam up–and felt very sad that I never got the opportunity to make baking soda and vinegar volcanos for science class as a child (my school sucked like that).

Well, I’m off for a job interview (fingers crossed) and then my mother is visiting. Even though I just saw her.

Ciao!

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Desserts for Desperation Monday, Jan 15 2007

I got the idea for the following dessert from Dooce and tweaked it a little. Rather than making the Oh My God Our Plumbing’s Fucked Cookie, I went for the Holy Shit I’ve Graduated and I’m Unemployed Cookie.

Yeah, reality’s hitting me in the butt right about now.

So, Friday night, as I was contemplating going out with friends before I realized, oh yeah, I HAVE NO MONEY, I made this instead.

Step One: Bake cookies. If you’re ambitious you’ll do this from scratch. If you’re me, you’ll get some of the refrigerated dough where you can break off and bake as many cookies as you like.

Step 2: Find and locate Chocolate Peanut Butter. Yes. It’s peanut butter and chocolate and it’s all mixed together for you! It’s the height of laziness.

It tastes really good, too.

Step 3: Find caramel sauce. Wonder how long caramel has been in the refrigerator. Ah well. Caramel sauce doesn’t go bad, right? RIGHT?

Step 4: Spread cookie with chocolate peanut butter. And maybe take a spoonful for yourself too. It’s that good.

Step Five: Drizzle caramel on top. Try to prevent caramel from dripping over already disasterous kitchen. Fail miserably.

Step Six: Top with second cookie.

For those of you who keep ice cream or whipped cream in the house, that would make an excellen topping for this. My can of soy whip was looking awfully sketchy, though, so I settled for this instead.

Step Seven: Lie on couch, groaning about how that was entirely too rich and you shouldn’t have eaten it. Then get up and make another.

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New Crafts! Sunday, Jan 7 2007

Well, not new exactly, but re-discovered.

While I’ve been at home, my mother has been making me go through a lot of stuff from my old bedroom. While I was doing that, I came across some old cross stitch supplies. I picked it up to finish the Tigger one I was working on, and I realized I’d forgotten how much I enjoy it.

I’m definitely going to be picking it up again, especially since there has been a lot of new interest in crafting and the charts and patterns available are getting better. My problem with cross stitch was always the fact that I really don’t like cutesy or country patterns.

My aunt also gave me some of her old cross stitch patterns–most weren’t really my style, but there were a few I liked. And I’ve looked online and found some interesting stuff. Maybe I’ll even branch out into designing!

I just have to make sure my knitting isn’t neglected.

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It’s Alive Monday, Jan 1 2007

I realize it has been way too long since I’ve updated. I like to think I have valid excuses, but mostly I’ve been kind of lazy.

My current excuse for the lack of blogging is the fact that I’ve been visiting my parents, who are among the tiny part of the population that still uses AOL and dial-up. Which means I’m vastly behind on everything Internet related, since a photo-heavy blog takes twenty or more minutes to load.

Yet they still insist that their Internet is just fine. If only they would get dial-up, then they would see the light.

I’m writing this from my friend Kelly’s, where we are ringing in the New Year by watching the ball drop on TV. Because it’s pouring down rain outside, and who really wants to go out in that? She’s back from walking her dog now, so I should go and be sociable, but I wanted to update the blog!

Oh, and for anyone who is wondering, I almost finished the Christmas knitting. My Dad ended up receiving one sock instead of a pair–I have to finish sock number two, and I’m a bit afraid we’ll run out of yarn.

More later (with pictures from my shiny new digital camera! I have entered the digital age!) and a Happy New Year to you all!

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