new resolution

I have decided that I want to spend more time taking walks.

Last summer, things were unpleasant in many ways, but I was taking a long walk every day, and that felt good. I'd like to start doing that again. I have a lot of "incidental" walking, but I want to walk for at least forty minutes "on purpose" every day.

I had originally thought I would get up early and do this, but with the weather what it is, I'm enjoying walking after the sun goes down. Luckily, with where I live, there are a lot of safe places to do that. Also, mornings are my time to do my thing, and I don't want to lose that. I'm often much more uncertain about what to do when it's late at night and I'm not busy. Also, I've been having a hard time falling asleep at night, which makes it difficult to get up early.

So, I think that my new plan involves a walk after dinner, or on my way home from a date. At least till it gets cooler, then I'll be in a better position to enjoy daytime walks (and hopefully be sleeping better too).

ripe for the (trash)picking

The desk which lived with coraline and then bryghtrose no longer has a home in our apartment.

It is out on the front sidewalk.

It is large, grey, metal, and has a filedrawer on each side. It has a few stickers on it. It would be great for a home office, substitute use as a bomb shelter. It's in good condition.

Feel free to come by and adopt it. It will probably last longer than you.

hippo bird day toodle yoodle

Hippo bird day toodle yoodle,
Hippo bird day toodle yoodle,
Hippo bird day dear redjo,
Hippo bird day toodle yoodle!!

three most useful classes I've taken

Stolen from watercolorblue.

In high school:

Adult Roles - Basically talked about money, changing tires on cars, pregnancy, health, and lots of other stuff more important for adult survival than college. It was terrific, especially in helping me realize how expensive it was to live on your own.

In college:

Introduction to African-American Music - We sat in a big studio two days a week and listened to music. It was wonderful and helped me to learn the difference between good jazz and bad jazz, which is something I think everyone should know.

Sex and Gender in American Society - It's not that I became a feminist. I was already a feminist before taking this class. But learning about the construction of gender really blew my mind, and has had crucial lasting effects.

Neil Gaiman!

supercheesegirl posted about this, and 7j alerted me to it.

http://www.harvard.com/events/press_release.php?id=1494

*pant pant lust lust*

Must be there.

Tiger Swallowtail Shawl

So, I'm starting the Tiger Swallowtail Shawl.

One of the stitches in the pattern says, "sl2-p10p2sso: vertical double decrease; insert needle into the 2nd and 1st stitches as if to p2tog-b, and slip both stitches at once from this position; purl next stitch, then pass the 2 slipped stitches together over the purl stitch."

I'm good until the "pass the 2 slipped stitches together over the purl stitch." Can someone explain? Is this somehow like what you do with a slip, slip, knit?