Domestically Challenged

The Magic Word

Yesterday Costin discovered the one word that would motivate me to clean the apartment: oinkers.  That morning I asked him when would be a good time for us to clean the apartment before my friends came for the weekend. I thought we should do it yesterday, but he said: “You know that if we clean today, we will only have to clean up again because let’s face it, we’re OINKERS*”.  Now, I prefer to think of myself as messy, in an endearing kind of way, but oinkers just didn’t jive with this image.

Am I an oinker?

Naturally, he told me this on my way out the door to go running, so I had about half an hour to dwell on it.  I felt my face more than once for any signs of a snout.

As soon as I got home, I went right to the source of all of our mess – the kitchen.  I have been gone for the last two weekends, which is when Costin and I normally clean up.  Since he hasn’t been motivated, the “cleaning” merely involved moving everything from the living room to the kitchen.  It took me about an hour, several trips outside to the recycling bin and a few squirts of fantastic before I was completely satisfied that the kitchen was clean enough to make us exempt from the oinkers moniker.

To reward myself, I worked on my niece’s birthday cardigan.  I’m knitting a button up cardigan using cotton patine and size 6 needles.  I learned that if I use US3 with this yarn, the fabric is really stiff.  Now that I actually consider drape in my projects, not that I know much about it yet, I thought I would try to make this cardigan drape nicely.  It doesn’t hurt that the bigger needles make this project go much faster either.  With only limited time to knit (I’m working on a presentation about TRPA1 receptors for class) I have already finished the back and most of the left front panel.  I was going to include a picture but the decreases at the top of the left front aren't behaving.  So as punishment, there will be no photo shoot.  That will teach them!

Today I tackle the bathroom.  With my birthday looming, I’m slightly motivated to make this the year that I learn how to be less domestically challenged.  I think it will last a week.

*Costin can say things like this to me because he does most of the actual cleaning of the apartment.  I only do laundry, clean the cat litter and take out the garbage/recycling.  Before people visit, I do disinfect the bathroom so Costin can concentrate on the downstairs, though.

Cheese & Chalk

When my younger sister and I were teenagers, a magazine told her that because of the incompatibility of her and her then boyfriend’s astrological signs, they go together like cheese and chalk.  He later wrote a song about the whole thing, recorded it and gave it to her for some occasion where boyfriends give girlfriends presents (“She’s the best Guy that I know.  We’ll show them just how far that cheese and chalk can go”).  I never really knew what the magazine meant my cheese and chalk, until today.  In a romantic mood, I thought I would wander into the market to get a lovely baguette and some cheese for lunch – a la Paris (I am missing the requisite wine to make the lunch complete, but I’m at work doing fine finger manipulations, so I’ll have to save the wine for dinner).  One bite out of the smoked Gouda and I immediately thought chalk.  Cheese should NEVER taste like chalk.  In fact, the cheese has left some weird film on my teeth and I bet if I ground them together it would sound like nails on a chalkboard.  How anti-climatic.  Here I had this beautiful honker of cheese and it tasted HORRIBLE!  Now I’m sad I didn’t get the wine.

The market was all a bustle today, it being Good Friday and all (or “The Day that Jesus Hatched from an Egg”, according to Costin).  I had the good fortune of running into Megan who was outside enjoying the beautiful weather with her baby, who was breathtaking.  Chatting with her I suddenly thought of the young person in my life and how it's almost her birthday.  I want to knit her something, but I'm not sure what.  I have some lovely cotton patine that is the same colour as her eyes and I have been thinking about knitting a dress.  The only problem with a dress is that Paige is now mobile and a dress probably isn't the most practical thing for her to be wearing.  I have no ideas outside of making her an all-purpose spring cardigan.   Any advice?

SNOW?

Today, while I was at work and none the wiser, it snowed.  I had no clue until I left the lab that everything was once again covered in the white stuff.  It inspired me to knit this:

                     

This is essentially a "my so called scarf" long enough to go around my head and keep my ears warm.  My friend's sister wore one to her birthday party that was knit in stockinette out of some cool pink yarns.  I had no pink yarn, let alone the cool, hot pink mohair from her ear warmer, so I used the above featured left-over Noro yarn from the toque I knit Dianne for xmas.  Of course I knit it in herringbone stitch, but I am obsessed.  It turned out much better than I anticipated and should help ward off those chills I get whenever I think about the never-ending winter.

Nose Ring Out

Thunder Bay was GREAT!  Despite all of the stress of the upcoming interview, it was really nice to get away from Toronto and spend quality time with my mom.

We left for TBay Friday night on WestJet.  Our plane was delayed an hour, but I quickly forgave them when I realized I could watch TV all the way there on a small screen built into the seat in front of me.  The complimentary pretzel snacks didn't hurt either.

Saturday, we went to the Hoito for Finnish pancakes.  The place was so popular that we had to wait in line - but it was well worth it.  I whole heartedly recommend the Hoito for breakfast!  After we had stuffed our faces, my mom and I went to the casino to play the slots.  It was a lot busier than we anticipated for a Saturday morning but we still managed to get a few games in.  In total, we only lost 50 cents.  After a short afternoon nap, we went for a drive around the city and ended up at the mall for some retail therapy.  Nothing relieves the stress of an upcoming interview better than shopping.  If only the mall had a yarn store!  The day finished at the Caribou Restaurant where we started with a "flight" of white wine.  A flight of wine is a chance to sample 2oz of three different types of wines ranging in price. 

                   

My mom and I liked the first wine so much, we ordered another glass.  I discovered this restaurant as it was the only place in Thunder Bay with a website, and I'm a sucker for a nice website.  I'm really glad we went here because we had such a nice dinner - the food was good, the wine was good, the service was good, and the company was really good.  We ended up staying for more than two hours!  The server told us that the hostess and the bar tender had gone to the interview that day.  I was so tempted to ask what the questions would be!

The next day I was up bright and early for my interview.  This is me in my black suit:

                         

Everyone was in a black suit!  I should have worn a white.  I ended up taking out the nose ring in case one of my interviewers was ultra-conservative and held it against me.  I wish I could write about what happened but like everyone else, I had to sign a non-disclosure agreement.  What I can tell you though is that the Lakehead campus is amazing.  Coming from UofT, which is a city campus, I really felt a sense of community and intimacy at Lakehead.  The nature on campus was also outstanding.  On the tour we passed a game of pick-up ice hockey being played on the river that runs through campus.

Overall the interview was good, but I'm not sure how anyone could have performed horribly.  I can only hope that I am ranked in teh top 50.  Cross your fingers - we will find out in June.

Sockapalooza Socks

I finished the sockapalooza socks last night and had to post a picture to let Alison know that her dream of people from all over the world exchanging socks will not be ruined by me.

                

I really liked that my sock pal and I have the same foot measurements as it made it easier to size the socks...however...now that they are on my feet, I wish they didn't fit me so well.  I guess that just means I'll have to knit myself a pair to avoid squirreling these away for myself.

I'll update you about my med school interview tomorrow! 

St. Paddy's Surprise

Yesterday I got home after a long day of running around getting things ready for my trip to find this in my mailbox:

                

It was my sockapalooza surprise from the lovely Allison in Morewood.  I love meeting other Allisons who spell their names with two Ls.  The picture of Ottawa in the postcard reminded me of the first time I ran the National Capitol half-marathon.  It was during the tulip festival.  I wish it was spring in Toronto, but alas, there is still snow on the ground.  Allison also enclosed some point protectors in the shape of yellow socks.  Here's a picture of the piece de resistance, the best socks ever:

                  

These are my very first pair of hand knit socks, so the bar has been set pretty high.  They were knit from Fortissima Colori sock yarn in the color Lagune and as you can see, they fit perfectly.  Thank you, Allison!

Now I just have to finish and send MY sockapalooza socks.  Not to worry, they are almost finished.  Hopefully I can knit on the plane.  I really can't believe that my interview is THIS Sunday.  I even got a new hair cut to look more serious.  Previously, my hair was asymmetric, long on the left and short on the right with a lighter streak on the long side.  Now I look like Selma Blair in Legally Blonde:

                     

Please ignore my dorky expression, it's hard to photograph oneself.  I can't wait until the interview is over so I can get my hair re-cut.  Now the only question that remains is should I leave my nose ring in, or take it out?  Common sense tells me that Ontario is super conservative and to take it out.  My inner voice says that it's a part of my personality and to leave it in.  What will I decide?  Tune in next week for the post-mortem of my interview.

Sudbury Saturday Night!

Saturday, Brianne and I woke up early.  While I got ready to go to a mock med school interview at LU, Brianne pulled on a kilt and some tall boots to go drinking at Mike's house for his annual birthday celebration.  Every year on Mike's birthday, the drinking starts at 10 am with a lovely breakfast.  From there follows endless debauchery, involving drunken people in kilts and a bagpiper, which I joined around 6:30 pm.  As I did not attend my mock interview in a kilt, nor did I bring one to Sudbury, Brianne brought me to her place, rifled through her mom's closet until she produced an old catholic high school kilt her mom had worn for Halloween, and ordered me to put it on.  Once in my uniform, I only had to do one more thing before I could be initiated into the group: A Belfast Car Bomb.  The Belfast Car Bomb is a pint of Guiness into which you drop a shot comprised of Irish Whiskey, Kalua, and Baileys.  Of course, you have to chug this drink before it takes on a cottage cheese consistency.

                           

This is a picture of the Sudbury knitting ladies in their Napolean Dynamite shirts.  Brianne's (on the left) shirt has a picture of a liger on it and reads: "Bred for its skills and magic" on the front and "LIGER" on the back in rainbow iron on letters.  Carrice's (on the left) reads "I caught you a delicious bass".  They are fans who don't fool around!

Of course, I can't go without mentioning Carrice's boots.

Although I did not have a Napolean shirt, I did get to wear this lovely hat.

As proof that EVERYONE at the party was REQUIRED to wear a kilt here is a pic of Toby displaying his:

We went to a number of different bars that night and the girls from Timmins showed us a lovely party trick: Flaming Zambucas.  I was familiar with the flaming shot, but not with lighting the alcohol on fire once it was already in your mouth.  I had enough sense not to try one; I had a very vivid image of my hair catching on fire.

Heckling

I have earned a reputation among my friends for heckling, but after attending a Sudbury Wolves game on Friday night, I discovered that I have a lot to learn about this art.  There were some old men there who could heckle non-stop for an entire period.  I am lucky if I can get out a few effective sentences.  Also, heckling takes on a whole new form when you have to do it through Plexiglas.  In fact, I think I learned a few new hand gestures.

My father has been taking his mom to Wolves' game for the last few years and now they are complete addicts.  Naturally, since I was visiting on a Friday night during a home game, I had to go.  Here's a picture of the thing the Wolves skate through when the come onto the ice.

In addition to this lovely piece, they also have a beautiful stuffed wolf that they slide across the rafters to just above center ice whenever the wolves score.  Are all OHL teams this over the top????

For those of you who miss hockey, here's an action shot of the game.  The Wolves and the Barrie Colts tied 2-2 in overtime.

I originally went up to Sudbury this weekend for Carrice's quarter century birthday so after the game I went to her place to have cake and watch Napolean Dynamite.  It was sooooo good that I, one who never buys movies, may buy it.  I think I will go as Bev for Halloween.  Sue, if you are reading this, take note that I am currently in possession of Brianne's ND DVD.

Prezzies

Today was a day of prezzies!  First, I bought presents for someone's birthday this weekend, but I can't reveal what they are as the recipient may be reading this entry.  Then I delivered the presents I made for other people.  The first drop off was to Sue at school:

                              

She is writing up her thesis and I think she may even be done by now.  I am so excited for her to be finished grad school!  Almost as excited as I am about finishing myself.

Then I had a lunch meeting and gave Elaine her birthday scarf.

                      

(no, that certainly is NOT a bar backdrop in this photo)

I love giving people presents.  Speaking of presents, I need to get back to my sockapalooza socks!

Contagious

The herringbone stitch is so contagious.  Jae just posted on Friday the joys of making the "my so called scarf", but little did she know I was also working on one for Elaine's birthday.  I was supposed to give it to her last Friday, so naturally, I started it on Thursday.  Costin pointed out the obvious, but I wouldn't be deterred.  I still have to weave in the ends, but here's an out-of-focus pic of the lovely manos:

The stitch is almost out of my system though.  This morning I finally blocked Sue's hat.  On the weekend, I went to Dominion and conspicuously tried the hat on several different juice jugs.  I must have looked like a total freak - a la: it's so cold my juice needs a cozy.  Despite the careful fitting, I now think that the jug I chose is too small.  Well see tomorrow whether I will have to go back to Dominion.  I wonder if that escapade earned me a nickname among the staff.