A Random Drive-By

There have been a lot of things happening lately on a lot of different fronts. Since there's no good way to incorporate them all into a cohesive post, I figured the best way to write about them would be in bullet format*.

• Plans are coming together nicely for the wedding, which takes place in less than two weeks! We still have to write our vows, though, which is a form of writing that, I think, most people are ill-practiced at.



• I still have a good bit to get done on kilt hose #2, but I should be able to get it finished in time. The vest, unfortunately, has been set aside. I had to come to the cold, hard realization that I am a process knitter and have to be very realistic about my production speed. If the wedding day turns out to be as hot as it is today (just shy of 90ºF), this could be a blessing in disguise.



• When the kilt hose are finished, I shall be casting on for a Baby Surprise Jacket in Debbie Bliss Prima for friends who won't be making it to the wedding because they're expecting baby number one at about the same time. I also need to plan one for a cousin who won't be making it to the wedding due to similar circumstances (baby number 3).



• For the person who asked about the needles I'm using for the kilt hose, I'm working them on two 12" Addi circs. The rigid portion of the circs is kind of short, which some people find a bit problematic, but I rather like doing them this way.



• We planted nasturtiums this weekend at my grandmother's childhood home. The seeds I had ordered came too late, and I forgot the replacement seeds I had bought before we left, requiring the purchase of even more when we got there. Now I have four packets of nasturtium seeds, so I suppose we'll have plenty around here, as well.



• The week before last, I finalized my application to start an online certificate program in field epidemiology at the University of North Carolina in the fall. Because the application deadline for the fall term isn't until late July, I didn't expect to hear anything for a while. I was notified of my acceptance in less than a week.



• I plan to incorporate this coursework into a Master of Public Health degree, which UNC also offers online. The plan would be to move out of clinical practice almost entirely, though considering this degree will take a few years to complete, there won't be any big changes for a while.



• I only have three more shifts to go at work before I'm off for the wedding. Not having taken a proper vacation since we went to Hawai'i two years ago and given all the extra shifts I worked over the past year, this three weeks off is badly needed.



• I don't know if I mentioned it, but the kilt arrived a bit ago and looks wonderful. It's a box-pleated kilt, which aside from being an older, historical style, uses half as much fabric (natural Scottish thrift, as opposed to the Victorian extravagance of the 8-yard kilt). This lighter weight will be a good thing, especially if, as mentioned above, temperatures decide to soar.



• As at Rhinebeck, there will be too many people at the wedding who will want to look under my kilt. With that in mind, I bought new underwear especially for the occasion. Black briefs, for both comfort and modesty.



• In exactly 10 days, we will be having an open house here for both wedding guests who might be en route to the venue and for folks in our extended network of friends who might not have gotten an invite due to the economics of the thing (We're already 50% over our anticipated number of guests. I'm trying not to think of what this means for the wedding budget.) This, of course, means that we have to clean house. Frantically. I'm thinking maybe we should just hire a dumpster.



• Remember the prayer shawl I knat last year for my great-uncle's widow, Carol? Well, Carol has a (non-knitting) project of her own these days. She is spearheading a drive to dig a well for a community in Haiti which is in desperate need. To find out just how desperate, click the link in the sidebar or just click right here. Please help if you can. Because this is being done through her church, donations are tax-deductible.

Okay, that's all I can think of for now. It's hot and I need to get ready for work. Hope you're having a spectacular weekend!

*As popularized by Sheepish Annie.