I haven't knitted much these past days but I feel as if the following is very important for you guys to hear. It won't be long. Bear with me please.
Monday was Memorial Day in the United States of America, a day in which the country honors its dead soldiers from past wars. As people were busy eating barbequed chicken and stuffing their faces with corn on the cob and potato salad, Democratic presidential candidate hopeful, John Edwards posted this video on this website. Please watch before you continue reading this.
FoxNews, a leader in cable media in the United States and several other more politically minded blogs than this one, have been reporting how abominable it is for Edwards to politicize this sacred holiday. I understand that Memorial Day is in honor of the troops and their families, however, let us not forget that wars are mainly, if not always, politically driven. Some good examples of this are the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and of course this current war in Iraq. The first two conflicts began because the United States had just started it's Cold War with the former USSR. The objective was containment, as in, keeping communism at bay and preventing it from spreading to other parts of the world. However, politicians tried to trick citizens and soldiers alike that they were fighting these wars because it was the "right thing to do" or because "democracy must prevail because it is the best form of government."
The present war in Iraq is politically driven as well. Did anyone forget that Saddam actually received direct military aid from the United States back in the 1980's when he was fighting a war with the Iranians? It's called the Iran-Iraq War and all the information is here if you would like to know more about it. Obviously, once Saddam had ended being useful to the United States, Bush Jr. goes after him and his oil, which not surprisingly has kept money in his pocket for quite some time now.
In fact, politicians have been using this strategy for decades, that is, using the war to further their agendas. I must ask, though, does dying as a soldier make your death more honorable, even if your reason for being at war is not an noble one? I'll let you guys answer that one.
To wrap up this thought, wars are political things, caused by political bodies to advance their own political (or maybe even personal) agendas. For John Edwards to release this video on Memorial Day made sense because people are thinking about the Nation's dead as well as have the time to sit and watch a video. Why not use a political thing for other political purposes?
The View
I used to watch The View whenever I got a chance to see it several years back. Lately I have not been watching but I feel as if I know everything that goes on, mainly because FoxNews (my boyfriend can't stand CNN because he says it's not fair nor balanced. Yeah, like FoxNews is any better) keeps reporting about Rosie O'Donnell. Apparently Rosie has decided to leave The View 3 weeks before her contract with them would be up. However, FoxNews does not do a good job of explaining why she is leaving. Instead they choose to focus on this clip. Go ahead and watch it before you continue.
Some bloggers are contending that if Rosie was allowed to say this before the show was to go live, then the producers also support her theories. However, judging the type of character this woman has, you really think she'd tell the producers what she planned on saying to the audience before the show was ready to tape? The show is called The View for a reason, but I guess the only time a hostess' opinions can be expressed is when the cameras are rolling and millions of viewers can hear it. I'm not a fan of Rosie, but leave her alone. She does not have enough influence to cause a revolution in this country. Oprah on the other hand, does.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Friday, May 25, 2007
Job Hunter
This past Tuesday I picked up my degree. When I got home I framed it and placed it on this chair:
Then out of now where tears began to form in my eyes and I balled (cried) for 5 minutes straight. All this work for this piece of paper that represents the past 5 years of my life. It was overwhelming. It was spectacular. It was wonderful. Then reality hit: I GOT TO FIND A JOB FAST!!! So this past week I've been looking into jobs around my area for Spanish translators or customer service type jobs. I'm even willing to work for the newspaper because I do have alot of experience with that. The plan is to get paid more money as well put my degree to good use and find a job that I actually like. Wish me luck guys!
Knitting
I'm not one to knit a pattern more than once, especially a sock pattern, but Cookie A. got it when she made these Pomatomus socks. Here is a finished pic of the first one:
The socks are for my friend, Berverly (the first "r" is silent) who also graduated with me more than 3 weeks ago. She's planning on going to Korea for a year to teach English. That should be fun! We went to Argentina together too so of course I taught her how to knit while we were down there. Unfortunately, she does not do it as much as she use to but I think one day she might pick it up, maybe when something stressful happens in her life or she simply has nothing better to do with her hands!
A pic of the second sock that will complete my personal pair of Pomatomus. The yarn is Trekking XXL in colorway # 103. I bought this skein last year at the Michigan Fiber Festival in Allegan, MI. This is the second time I have worked with this yarn and it is a good value (about $13-$15 US for one skein makes one pair of female adult socks or 2 pairs of children socks). The yarn is cool because it has two strands that are colored differently so when the fabric is knitted up, you get a very interesting pallette that does not repeat very often if at all. I got it because the colors were so gorgeous. I believe that If I work on them for the next couple of days, it should be done by Memorial Day. We'll just have to see.
I have to admit that since I've returned to the USA, I've been feeling rather lathargic about my knitting. There are alot of things to be knit like socks for my boyfriend's aunt, socks for my granny, some sweaters for my twin nephews, etc. But there are also things I want to knit for myself like this sweater pattern I got in Argentina (sorry no pic yet) and some socks for this winter (yeah I try to prepare months in advance for things). Then there are things that I just want to knit because I like the experience of knitting them but they aren't gifts or stuff that I need like a hat (because if a gift needs to be given at some point in the future, it is already done) or a lace shawl (because it is something I have never done before). I've also been dying to dye some yarn (corny pun, I know) but have not found the time nor the right tutorial to school me on the process. I've even been thinking about picking up a cross stitch at WalMart or Michael's to do some old fashion hand work. Good thing we have a 3 day weekend coming up. I'll get my crafty fix soon.
That's all for now. Currently I'm in job search mode so if I'm not knitting, I'm on the web searching for jobs. Have a good weekend everyone and Happy Knitting!
Then out of now where tears began to form in my eyes and I balled (cried) for 5 minutes straight. All this work for this piece of paper that represents the past 5 years of my life. It was overwhelming. It was spectacular. It was wonderful. Then reality hit: I GOT TO FIND A JOB FAST!!! So this past week I've been looking into jobs around my area for Spanish translators or customer service type jobs. I'm even willing to work for the newspaper because I do have alot of experience with that. The plan is to get paid more money as well put my degree to good use and find a job that I actually like. Wish me luck guys!
Knitting
I'm not one to knit a pattern more than once, especially a sock pattern, but Cookie A. got it when she made these Pomatomus socks. Here is a finished pic of the first one:
The socks are for my friend, Berverly (the first "r" is silent) who also graduated with me more than 3 weeks ago. She's planning on going to Korea for a year to teach English. That should be fun! We went to Argentina together too so of course I taught her how to knit while we were down there. Unfortunately, she does not do it as much as she use to but I think one day she might pick it up, maybe when something stressful happens in her life or she simply has nothing better to do with her hands!
A pic of the second sock that will complete my personal pair of Pomatomus. The yarn is Trekking XXL in colorway # 103. I bought this skein last year at the Michigan Fiber Festival in Allegan, MI. This is the second time I have worked with this yarn and it is a good value (about $13-$15 US for one skein makes one pair of female adult socks or 2 pairs of children socks). The yarn is cool because it has two strands that are colored differently so when the fabric is knitted up, you get a very interesting pallette that does not repeat very often if at all. I got it because the colors were so gorgeous. I believe that If I work on them for the next couple of days, it should be done by Memorial Day. We'll just have to see.
I have to admit that since I've returned to the USA, I've been feeling rather lathargic about my knitting. There are alot of things to be knit like socks for my boyfriend's aunt, socks for my granny, some sweaters for my twin nephews, etc. But there are also things I want to knit for myself like this sweater pattern I got in Argentina (sorry no pic yet) and some socks for this winter (yeah I try to prepare months in advance for things). Then there are things that I just want to knit because I like the experience of knitting them but they aren't gifts or stuff that I need like a hat (because if a gift needs to be given at some point in the future, it is already done) or a lace shawl (because it is something I have never done before). I've also been dying to dye some yarn (corny pun, I know) but have not found the time nor the right tutorial to school me on the process. I've even been thinking about picking up a cross stitch at WalMart or Michael's to do some old fashion hand work. Good thing we have a 3 day weekend coming up. I'll get my crafty fix soon.
That's all for now. Currently I'm in job search mode so if I'm not knitting, I'm on the web searching for jobs. Have a good weekend everyone and Happy Knitting!
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Trip Pictorial
So we returned this past Sunday afternoon but it has taken me way until now to actually get situated and sit down to write. This post will be filled with pics so please be patient in terms of allowing for the photos to load.
Kinoosao was a great place to vacation. By the end of the week, we seriously did not want to leave! As you can tell by the picture above, it is a wilderness with only one road to access it:
When we drove to Kinoosao, Saskatchewan, we took the quickest route possible. However, states like North Dakota aren't the most exciting places in terms of landscape and photo oppotunities. So we decided to take a longer route back to Michigan and drove on the Trans Canada Highway from Winnipeg to Thunder Bay to Sault Saint Marie and then entered the US from the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan. The following is a map of Michigan so you guys know where we entered:
While in Kinoosao we did alot of things like camp under the stars and watch some Aurora Borealis:
*
* Top pic is Internet Photo
We also built a fire by the lake, cooked some hot dogs, and Nathan even caught a fish:
I was very proud of him to say the least. We decided to cook the fish with some salt, pepper, and butter over the fire we had built for the day. It was a Freshwater Pike Fish. Very tasty!
The time spent with Nathan's family was grand. Here is a pic of them:
From left to right Allison and Jerry (married), Enoch (Nathan's Bro), Me, Aunt Deanna (Nathan's aunt, Jerry's mother).
We also got some great shots during the trip. For example, while driving up to Kinoosao, we saw a beautiful sunset:
However, 9 days later the weather looked more like this:
Still, we were able to visit some falls like Pisew and Kakabeka in Manitoba and Ontario:
And I even got to buy some yarn at this fabulous store called Egli's Sheep Farm & Animal Park on the side of the highway:
They have a website and they also sell other wool products like rugs, handknit sweaters, even cosmetics.
The trip was long:
With many signs warning us of the length of space between rest areas (don't worry, it's in kilometers, not miles).
So I was able to get some knitting done:
Another pair of Pomatomus, this time for me. I finished the pair for my friend but it turns out that the heel is shorter on one than the other! No worries. I'm not ripping it out!
All and all, a good vacation:
Kinoosao was a great place to vacation. By the end of the week, we seriously did not want to leave! As you can tell by the picture above, it is a wilderness with only one road to access it:
When we drove to Kinoosao, Saskatchewan, we took the quickest route possible. However, states like North Dakota aren't the most exciting places in terms of landscape and photo oppotunities. So we decided to take a longer route back to Michigan and drove on the Trans Canada Highway from Winnipeg to Thunder Bay to Sault Saint Marie and then entered the US from the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan. The following is a map of Michigan so you guys know where we entered:
While in Kinoosao we did alot of things like camp under the stars and watch some Aurora Borealis:
** Top pic is Internet Photo
We also built a fire by the lake, cooked some hot dogs, and Nathan even caught a fish:
I was very proud of him to say the least. We decided to cook the fish with some salt, pepper, and butter over the fire we had built for the day. It was a Freshwater Pike Fish. Very tasty!
The time spent with Nathan's family was grand. Here is a pic of them:
From left to right Allison and Jerry (married), Enoch (Nathan's Bro), Me, Aunt Deanna (Nathan's aunt, Jerry's mother).
We also got some great shots during the trip. For example, while driving up to Kinoosao, we saw a beautiful sunset:
However, 9 days later the weather looked more like this:
Still, we were able to visit some falls like Pisew and Kakabeka in Manitoba and Ontario:
And I even got to buy some yarn at this fabulous store called Egli's Sheep Farm & Animal Park on the side of the highway:
They have a website and they also sell other wool products like rugs, handknit sweaters, even cosmetics.
The trip was long:
With many signs warning us of the length of space between rest areas (don't worry, it's in kilometers, not miles).
So I was able to get some knitting done:
Another pair of Pomatomus, this time for me. I finished the pair for my friend but it turns out that the heel is shorter on one than the other! No worries. I'm not ripping it out!
All and all, a good vacation:
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
In Kinoosao
I am absolutely in love with Kinoosao Saskatchewan, Canada. Even my hair feels fabulous (the water here is so clean you can drink from the tap with no problem and there is not so much crap in it to make your hair feel like straw after a shower). Located right on the border of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Kinoosao was a all-white community that thrived off of a booming fishing industry. However by the 1970's, the area had been over fished and in 1997 it was converted into an Indian Reservation.
The community consists of 1 large extended family. Two brothers and their sister moved there some time back in the 1960's and had their own families. In other words, everyone in this town, (except for Nathan's aunt who teaches there), is related in some way. Though there is a small convenience store in the town with 1 gas pump, it is awfully expensive and the nearest supermarket is a 3 hour drive from home. Nonetheless, the people here are happy, hunt duck, caribou, and other wildlife when buying meat is not an option, and live simple lives. They do have modern things like cars, televisions, and trampelines. But because the town is so small and everyone is related in some way, more often than not, people interact with people more than they do video games or YouTube.
Contrary to what many of you may think, I have not been knitting. Truthfully it is not boring up here. In fact, we've been walking around the town, digging through old dumps for old bottles (Nathan and his aunt love rummaging in trash for "treasure"), taking pictures of the breath-taking views, and just chatting and eating with each other. I did knit some Fetchings as a gift for Nathan's aunt on the trip up here but have not done much knitting at all.
Anyway, that is all for now. Surprisingly it is not that cold up here. I'll have more pics about the trip and maybe some knitting if I get to it when I return to the USA.
The community consists of 1 large extended family. Two brothers and their sister moved there some time back in the 1960's and had their own families. In other words, everyone in this town, (except for Nathan's aunt who teaches there), is related in some way. Though there is a small convenience store in the town with 1 gas pump, it is awfully expensive and the nearest supermarket is a 3 hour drive from home. Nonetheless, the people here are happy, hunt duck, caribou, and other wildlife when buying meat is not an option, and live simple lives. They do have modern things like cars, televisions, and trampelines. But because the town is so small and everyone is related in some way, more often than not, people interact with people more than they do video games or YouTube.
Contrary to what many of you may think, I have not been knitting. Truthfully it is not boring up here. In fact, we've been walking around the town, digging through old dumps for old bottles (Nathan and his aunt love rummaging in trash for "treasure"), taking pictures of the breath-taking views, and just chatting and eating with each other. I did knit some Fetchings as a gift for Nathan's aunt on the trip up here but have not done much knitting at all.
Anyway, that is all for now. Surprisingly it is not that cold up here. I'll have more pics about the trip and maybe some knitting if I get to it when I return to the USA.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
What To Do Next
So remember a couple weeks back I told you guys I was going to Saskatchewan? Well Nathan, Enoch (BF's Bro) and I are leaving tomorrow night after work. The drive will be about 30 hours long and we should be in the middle of nowhere by Sunday afternoon.
So the big question is: Am I bringing enough knitting projects to keep me busy during this whole trip? I was thinking of knitting 2 pairs of plain jane stockinette socks for the ride back and forth and while I am there, start my twin nephew's Christmas sweaters (yeah I want to start early this year). However, my boyfriend says that I will not have much time to knit because we will be doing things like fishing and hiking and other outdoor stuff. Still, the small New York City girl inside of me says, "We are going to the woods. The nearest market is a 3 hour drive! You must be crazy if you think you do not need a truck load of yarn, needles, and patterns to survive this next week!" So do you think I should bring more or is what I have now good enough?
Thursday Teaser
Remember yesterday? Let's find out what those pictures were about. As you guys all knew my boyfriend was away in Florida for the past 6 weeks on business. Being a fanatical knitter, I searched for some yarn stores near Orlando before he even left Michigan. I asked him to stop by and buy some sock yarn for this project. However he came back with these colors:
Obviously the wrong colors for Clessidra. Nonetheless it was a pleasant surprise because he made it seem like he did not have the time to go while he was down there (BTW, for you Florida knitters or knitters planning on visiting there soon, the store that Nathan visited is called The Black Sheep in Winter Park, Florida). Boy was I surprised when I saw the two skeins! He's a trickster, that boy. Despite that, he is a good man because he knows what his girlfriend likes--YARN!!!
Not only was my BF busy buying me sock yarn, he was also busy knitting me this bikini top. I asked him for this a year ago, and the pattern I asked him to make came from the first Stitch & Bitch book. However my boyfriend is a maverick knitter who seldom uses patterns. He came up with his own design. Here are some more shots:
Unfortunately the top makes my boobs look funny. Either way the fact that he could have been out in the Florida sun instead of inside knitting for me is a very nice thought.
That's it for today. I have alot of stuff to do before we leave for Canada (like pack). It's a roadtrip so we got to go buy snacks and other provisions today. I'll try to write a short post tomorrow before I leave for 10 days. If not, you'll know where I'll be (or at least have an idea, right?).
So the big question is: Am I bringing enough knitting projects to keep me busy during this whole trip? I was thinking of knitting 2 pairs of plain jane stockinette socks for the ride back and forth and while I am there, start my twin nephew's Christmas sweaters (yeah I want to start early this year). However, my boyfriend says that I will not have much time to knit because we will be doing things like fishing and hiking and other outdoor stuff. Still, the small New York City girl inside of me says, "We are going to the woods. The nearest market is a 3 hour drive! You must be crazy if you think you do not need a truck load of yarn, needles, and patterns to survive this next week!" So do you think I should bring more or is what I have now good enough?
Thursday Teaser
Remember yesterday? Let's find out what those pictures were about. As you guys all knew my boyfriend was away in Florida for the past 6 weeks on business. Being a fanatical knitter, I searched for some yarn stores near Orlando before he even left Michigan. I asked him to stop by and buy some sock yarn for this project. However he came back with these colors:
Obviously the wrong colors for Clessidra. Nonetheless it was a pleasant surprise because he made it seem like he did not have the time to go while he was down there (BTW, for you Florida knitters or knitters planning on visiting there soon, the store that Nathan visited is called The Black Sheep in Winter Park, Florida). Boy was I surprised when I saw the two skeins! He's a trickster, that boy. Despite that, he is a good man because he knows what his girlfriend likes--YARN!!!
Not only was my BF busy buying me sock yarn, he was also busy knitting me this bikini top. I asked him for this a year ago, and the pattern I asked him to make came from the first Stitch & Bitch book. However my boyfriend is a maverick knitter who seldom uses patterns. He came up with his own design. Here are some more shots:
Unfortunately the top makes my boobs look funny. Either way the fact that he could have been out in the Florida sun instead of inside knitting for me is a very nice thought.
That's it for today. I have alot of stuff to do before we leave for Canada (like pack). It's a roadtrip so we got to go buy snacks and other provisions today. I'll try to write a short post tomorrow before I leave for 10 days. If not, you'll know where I'll be (or at least have an idea, right?).
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
It Is Finished!
I think the title for today's post is rather appropiate because like Jesus Christ's mission on earth 2000 years ago, I have complted my mission, which was college (the title refers to the last words that Jesus Christ said on the cross right before He died). On Sunday, May 6, 2007, I marched my way to freedom, I mean, a Bachelors of Arts in History and Spanish Studies. Surprisingly, although it was somewhat windy, it was still a sunny day. My family was there:
From left to right is my mother, father, and grandmother, came all the way from New York CIty to see me graduate. Yes, I had a small entourage. Trust me when I say, though, that if this graduation was closer to NYC, there might have been 20 or more people there. That's why I love my family, because it is so BIG.
I got lots of presents too:
In the middle is a frame for my my degree. I'll still be in the area when the school is ready to give them out so I'm just waiting for them to get their act together. I remember a conversation on the phone with my mom a month ago about how I could no afford a frame for my diploma (they were like $100 each!). She surprised me with it last week. The iPod in the right corner is to replace the one that got stolen last July (long story, I won't get into it here). I also got a souveneir Graduation pillow in the left corner, and some Teavana tea because my mom loves tea and wants me to feel as strongly about it as she does.
I even took some pictures with some very important professors of mine:
The first pic is of my spanish teacher, Dr. Pedro Navia. El es Chileno y su esposa es brasilera. (That means, "He is Chilean and his wife is Brazilian). I like him because he's laid back and funny. For example, whenever we speak Spanish (which is all the time) I can use "Tu" (informal "you") instead of "Usted" (formal "you") and he, his wife, and his children (he has a son and a daughter) are completely multilingual (Spanish, English, Poutuguese). I aspire to have a family that is as proficient in modern languages as his one day.
The second picture is of one of my favorite teachers in the world. His name is Dr. Lael Ceasar and he is Guyaneese. Outside of our common heritage, what I love about him the most is that he is also multilingual, incredibly intelligent, and fun to be around. In the past 5 years I have been fortunate to take some classes from this man. I think he is cool because he reminds me of Master Splinter, or some other type of Martial Arts trainer that is unbeatable by even the best students in the world. And even though he is a Religion professor (not my department), I still visit him from time to time just to chat about life and my future plans.
As you can see this past weekend has tired us out:
Thursday Teaser
Tomorrow we shall return to regular knitting content. For now I leave you with these two pictures to look at:
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