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February 13th, 2007
11:46 am
If you don't have my other LJ ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) judithsewstoo 'friended' you may want to as I update it more often. :)
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/dwaggins/angry.gif) only at particular co-workers
Current Music: Grave Desires - by Nosferatu
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January 20th, 2007
08:46 pm - Wow...
It wasn't until I followed a link from a friend's blog that I realized that I hadn't updated this journal for just over a month. Well, I have been using my other journal more frequently - mainly because it is more focused on my fiber hobbies.
Hmm, a lot has happened since the 16th of December. Classes have started up again and Im currently taking Programming Analysis II. Yup, more flowcharts. This coming Wednesday, I have my 4th test, and it's only what, the 4th week of classes? You do the math. *grin*
Oh, hmm... yeah. My Sweetie, Bryian, got me lots of cool yarn for YuChristmakwanzuka. Now all I have to do is weave, knit and or crochet it all up. I've got a whole fleece to clean - Romney x Dorset cross, a pound of tussah silk to spin, and cotton roving to spin. I'm still considering getting some flax to spin - probably from strick (the loooong fibers). Yeah, I know, what the heck is strick? Well, it's basically the long prepared flax fibers that are basically ready to dress a distaff. An example is below. the white hair lookin' stuff is the flax waiting to be spun into linen thread/yarn.
I've also been crocheting a rather large project. Members of the Clan will understand this next bit. I'm crocheting a bedspread of the Clan's arms, to fit a queen-sized bed. This will take awhile - and a lot of yarn. But it's fun (at least for now).
To keep up with my still somewhat infrequent posts about my fiber journey, please do check out my other LJ judithsewstoo .
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/dwaggins/smile.gif) content
Current Music: I Touch Myself - by The Divinyls
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December 16th, 2006
11:19 pm - In the excitement....
In all the excitement and stress of the event last weekend, and of my final days of classes that week, I forgot to mention that I totally aced my final exam - and the class! I was one of two people in Programming Analysis I to get a perfect score of 100%! Woohoo!!!!!
Now I'm looking at trying to get registered for next quarter for Programming Analysis II. It should be an interesting class, picking up with the two read flowcharts and extending from there. It does mean more homework though. Oh well. Someday I hope to be able to perhaps 'graduate' from Hocking College with my Associate's Degree in Computer Programming.... someday.
*deep breath*
Rowr, Baby!!
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/dwaggins/determined.gif) determined
Current Music: My cats snoring in my ear
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December 15th, 2006
12:56 pm - Bleh
You know, I really could live without the whole employee Christmas thing... it's mildly depressing. That and the fact that some people are suddenly really nice to you this time of year, when during the rest of the calendar year they either ignore you completely or else are just this side of rude to you.
*sigh*
Sometimes, I just really hate this time of year.
*sigh*
(Yeah, I posted this over on my other LJ [judithsewstoo] too - so sue me.)
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/dwaggins/sad.gif) bleh
Current Music: It's The Fear - by Within Temptation
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December 12th, 2006
12:18 pm - I Survived!!!
The weekend is past, the event – Dernehealde Throws a Snowball – was a success (from what I've heard).
I survived my first ever time as feastocrat. Ever. I had never done anything like this before in my SCA career, and I was terrified. What if people didn't like what I fixed? What if I didn't fix enough food? What if I accidentally poisoned someone??!?!?!?
Thoughts like that kept running through my head (as did the whole what was I thinking!?!?!?!?!) in the days before the event. Even the day *of* the event – while I was in the off-site kitchen.
In a sense, it was kind of funny, looking back on it. Here I was, at times more than slightly panicky over the whole thing. I mean, after all, this was an unknown for me. It was a job I wasn't sure that I could live up to and do successfully. Yet, I never once backed down from it. But I know that I could not have managed so well without the wonderful and invaluable help I received.
My helpers in the kitchen, were Lady Rowen, Meredith and her husband-to-be, Dirk. Without them, the feast (and lunch) would not have been close to on time (we were a bit rushed at the end – and I think perhaps 30-45 minutes late) nor as tasty. Nothing burned, and we only lost one batch of rice due to a misunderstanding of how the particular rice cooker worked. But no one missed it as we had prepared 10 pounds of rice for our “Persian Rice” dish.
From what I have heard from a few people, they really enjoyed the food and said that everything tasted quite yummy. There were people who were extremely thrilled that I took so many different dietary needs into consideration with my menu. I tried to make sure that everyone would be able to have something to eat. I made sure that those who suffer from celiac disease could eat something (thanks to Lady Rowen's help – she is a celiac herself), diabetics could eat something, vegetarians (including vegans) had food they could eat. About the only ones who may have had some difficulties with one of the removes would've been those who are lactose intolerant – as one of my dishes was made with both heavy whipping cream and sour cream. But, I didn't make them wait too long before the Persian Rice and Spinach Florentine were served.
While it may seem that the different removes were a bit rushed, it was simply because I didn't want those people who had various dietary needs waiting for something that they could eat. To me, that would have been quite rude. So, I just pushed the food out pretty much as soon as possible.
The best thing for me was the fact that there was very little leftovers, and very little food returned after being served. Of course, there was some rice left over, but that was to be expected. I have to remember that 10 pounds of dry rice makes up to about 20 pounds of cooked rice. The other thing I kept having to remind myself (and be reminded of) was that each dish I was preparing was not a stand alone dish. I was used to making these dishes singly, as a one course dinner, not as part of a multi-course feast.
But, as I stated before, I survived, and now I can relax.
I may post the recipes (and menu) a bit later, but I think this is long enough for now.
Rowr!Baby!!
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/dwaggins/cool.gif) satisfied
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November 17th, 2006
01:39 pm - More meme madness
You are The Star
Hope, expectation, Bright promises.
The Star is one of the great cards of faith, dreams realised
The Star is a card that looks to the future. It does not predict any immediate or powerful change, but it does predict hope and healing. This card suggests clarity of vision, spiritual insight. And, most importantly, that unexpected help will be coming, with water to quench your thirst, with a guiding light to the future. They might say you're a dreamer, but you're not the only one.
What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/dwaggins/annoyed.gif) frustrated
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November 3rd, 2006
08:06 pm - Snow
Well, it's only November 2nd and it's snowing....and of course the dog needs to be let out. *sigh* Oh well....
Rowr, baby!
Current Mood: cold
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November 1st, 2006
04:46 pm - For Kari
Kari, this entry is just for you. The following links are pictures of my desk - with a picture of my work area 'decorated' for Halloween.
image 1
image 2
image 3
image 4
Halloween
Be warned, the images are 640px x 480px in size, so if you're on dial-up, it may take awhile. Fortunately (or not) though, each one is a separate page.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/dwaggins/weird.gif) weird
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October 30th, 2006
03:50 pm - Stress
Ok, so I'm stressed, and I realize this. There's a lot going on in my life right now. I'm feastocrat (in charge of organizing, cooking and serving - for those not in the SCA) for Derneheale's event in early December - for about 60 people. This includes the lunch 'tavern' as well. I have a midterm this Thursday in my Programming Analysis class, and I'm supposed to be planning my wedding. I'm at a point right now that I'm seriously considering only having immediate family and the officiant at the wedding. And possibly skipping the reception. I mean, after all, Bryian and I are basically formalizing our current relationship. We've been together for almost 8 years already (about 7 and one half years actually). Weddings are expensive... and I'm feeling like we won't be able to afford a larger affair.
Aughhh! Like I said, I know this is a stress reaction, but it has crossed my mind more than once. That and I just don't want to deal with other personalities - like who'll get upset because they weren't on the guest list, etc. And I can't back out of the feastocratting thing. It was my bright idea to volunteer when the original person had to bow out because of family.
I'll manage, I know I will. It's just that every once in awhile, I get to feeling a little overwhelmed.
*sigh*
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/dwaggins/shocked.gif) anxious
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October 24th, 2006
01:24 pm - Editing
Just a note to anyone interested that I edited my entry from Sunday - and removed the privacy filter.
*rowr*
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/dwaggins/think.gif) contemplative
Current Music: Comalies - by Lacuna Coil
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October 23rd, 2006
02:49 pm - Does sleet count as snow?
Wow. This morning was cold, damp and when I was leaving for class at 7AM, it was also sleeting. That got me to wondering if sleet counted as snow for purposes of determining if the winter was going to be a bad one for our area (Athens, OH). Of course, later in the morning (and through parts of the day) the sleet turned into actual snow... Geh. Snow before All Hallow's Eve. Not a good sign, at least for southeastern Ohio. I know that parts of NY (near Buffalo especially) has already had quite a bit of snow - but they live on the lake and have that affecting their weather.
Well, at least I can't complain of being too hot outside. At work is another matter. It's vaguely disturbing that I feel I have to dress for spring or summer during the winter and dress for winter in the summer - all because some of the women I work with are going through that dreaded life cycle of menopause. *sigh* I know that I will be going through it some day myself, I just don't know when.
Oh well. Oh, when I asked my other half if sleet counted as snow, he said, unequivocally, yes. So there you have it.
Rowr, baby!
Current Mood: cheerful
Current Music: Tanz Der Lemminge 2 - by Air Liquide
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October 22nd, 2006
09:48 pm - Am I over-reacting?
I removed the privacy filter to make this public... as I don't think that the person involved either has an LJ account, or knows my LJ account name, since I never talk about it.
So, today I go to Robbins Crossing, (historical village where I volunteer). Things are going well for the most part. Helen, the young lady that is teaching kind of me to spin comes in today. During the day, things seem to be going well - except for the occasional odd comment that makes me think that she kind of doesn't like me. Then, after the last train left for the day, I started closing up the house we were demoing in. She was reading her class assignment for her French Literature class. No problem there. I did not know that she had ever closed up the house herself before and essentially told her that when she said that she had done so once or twice. She then mentioned that it was Brian's job to close up the house, which I knew, but I said something to the effect that I took that on (basically helping out Brian) myself - basically I said that I took that over, intending to finish with "to help out Brian" when she said "I noticed." I got the distinct feeling that she kind of resents the fact that I have "taken over" the Anthony house. The only reason I did this is because I wanted to learn to weave, and the loom is located in the Anthony house, and I felt that the house needed some looking after.
The first weekend I was in there, it looked like a wreck, with leaves and bits of wool all over the floor. So I cleaned it up... sweeping the floor and organizing the shelves to look neater. Everyone who is a regular volunteer there has said that the house looks so much better. And Norm Fox, who is in charge of Robbins Crossing (paid Hocking College instructor) is thrilled that I am willing to not only demonstrate the skill of weaving (and occasionally spinning), but also thrilled with the fact that I'm willing to take on the responsibility of keeping the Anthony house in good order.
I don't know why I'm letting it bother me, but it kind of hurt. I wasn't trying to take over her spinning, as I know that she is much better at it than I am, especially since she's been doing it for five or so years. I guess I am/was trying too hard, hoping to become at least friendly - since we are both generally in the same room/house on Sundays.
I guess I shouldn't let it bother me, since she is about half my age. Maybe she doesn't think I'm that much older than she is... but I'm old enough to be her mother. As I said, I know I shouldn't let it bother me, but it does.
[EDIT: 24 Oct 06] - In thinking this over some, with a bit of time-distance, I think I may be reading the situation wrong. Or, at least reading more into it. She's not an easy person to read, or seemingly not easy to get to know. Perhaps I'm just trying too hard. *shrug* I've decided that I'm not going to lose any sleep over the matter. Besides, as volunteers, she has an equal opportunity to do more with the house if she wanted.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/growf/dwaggins/tearful.gif) depressed
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October 20th, 2006
03:31 pm - More subject line SPAM fun
Today's gem of a SPAM subject line is:
"A gaseous nebula stared business, is a boundary"
Current Mood: determined
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October 19th, 2006
01:17 am - Classes
Well, Programming Analysis is going well for me so far. I'm ranked second in the class - all because I've made a few mistakes... but I'm not unhappy with my progress at this point. *smile* It is stretching my brain muscles, but that's a good thing. Oh, and I'm not the only 'older student' in the class. I'm not sure if there is anyone older than me.
Some of the kids in my class I just don't understand. Or, maybe I do in an abstract kind of way. It seems to me like they denigrate the importance of the class (or many of their classes). Many of them are fresh out of high school and have no real idea what it's like to be in "the real world." Come to think of it, I'm not sure I know what it's like to be in "the real world" either. *grin* Still, they seem to think of the class as somehow not important to their overall development as programmers. I've got news for them, every class they take is an opportunity for learning. In thinking about my curriculum, I've decided that I won't try to test out of Introduction to MS Word - because, what I learn in that class, I can then turn around and teach to some of my co-workers. And, if the class is easy for me - with due diligence, I hope to be able to pull my GPA into the Honors level. That would be so totally cool for me. *smile*
Oh well, some of them will learn and some of them will fall by the wayside, victim to their own lack of foresight. I can't make them see the folly of their ways.... oh gads! I sound like my parents!! *gasp**gasp**gasp*!!!!!!! Eeek! Harrumph. Guess this means I'm growing up after all. At least kind of... maybe... once in awhile. *grin*
Oh, and I have another LJ where I'm 'documenting' my spinning and weaving (and sewing, too!) activities/journey.
It's judithsewstoo
Rowr baby!!
Current Location: on the couch with my laptop
Current Mood: chipper
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October 12th, 2006
03:16 pm - Amusing SPAM subject lines and senders
So, being that I am the IT department for my agency, I get to go through the Postmaster account for our E-mail and occasionally I get some real interesting subject lines for the usual scams and phishing attempts. Here are some of today's gems:
For bogus stock alerts -
"Growth promise that unleashes a frenzy arachnid" - sent by "confusion"
"Find out today, it will rock tomorrow bald" - sent by "cuttlefish"
"Lightspeed growth, don't miss autumn" - sent by "bantus"
"This one is shooting skywards bonus" - sent by "anhydrous"
"Don't let others beat you fighting for this aerate" - sent by "codebreak"
"Get a head start with this one caste" - sent by "arduous"
"It's still not too late to ride this wave anachronism" - sent by "continent"
Current Mood: cynical
Current Music: Hail and Kill - by Manowar
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October 5th, 2006
02:15 pm - School Daze
Ok, so I haven't yet gotten the skirt sloper finished. Mea culpa. Now my 'sewing' room has a rather large, antique rug loom in it. The loom is a Union Loom No. 36, built in either the late 1930's or early 1940 by the Union Loom Works company in Boonville, NY. The company seems to only have existed from 1880 until 1940. So that puts my guess of the time the loom was made back in the 1930's. Of course, my guess is based on the information I found out about 'my' loom on the website "The Weavers Friend" The loom itself is a two-shaft, two treadle loom and wouldn't you know it, but most of the books I have on weaving are for 4-shaft, 6-treadle looms. *sigh* Oh well. I'm looking at picking up a few books on rigid heddle weaving since they have patterns for 2-shaft/harness looms.
I also am now in possession of an Ashford spinning wheel, a Traditional wheel if I'm identifying it correctly by comparing it to photos of the Traditional wheel on Ashford's site. I'm actually in the process of restoring the wheel to a usable condition - stripping off the old finish and refinishing it. I never knew restoration work for a wooden item could be so time intensive. I'll be so glad when I'm done so that I can start using it!
Oh, and I'm now taking one class a quarter in pursuit of a Computer Programming degree-like thing. I'm taking it at the local community college, where they have it as part of their business school, instead of at the local University (where they have it in the engineering department) because my math skills suck. So far, I'm in the top five of the class. Which makes me very happy. But it does make for long days since class starts at 8AM which means I have to leave the house by 7AM so as to avoid traffic and be able to get to class on time.
But, it's all good. My weaving is going well enough for now. I'll be glad to be able to put more time into it, but right now, I'm just happy to have a small 4-shaft/harness loom available to me on the weekends. I demonstrate weaving at Robbins Crossing in Nelsonville, Ohio.
Well, I guess I should really get back to work. ;)
*Rowr, baby!*
Current Mood: content
Current Music: Forever - by Sins of Thy Beloved
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September 4th, 2006
07:54 pm - Textile Arts
Ok, so I haven't yet written about some of my latest hobbies.... I've started learning how to both spin and weave.
The spinning is currently using a drop spindle, but my Mom is going to be loaning me her Ashford spinning wheel! I have the best Mom ever!!! I love you Mom! But, not only that, she is also giving me - yes, that's right - GIVING me, her 4-harness/shaft LeClerc loom!!! *squeeeeee* At the moment, I don't know what model it is or how large, but I still can't wait to get it! And!!! My pseudo-mother-in-law (she'll actually *be* my mother-in-law May 5, 2007) is "long-term" loaning me her antique 2-harness/shaft loom. Eek! My sewing/craft/retreat/scriptorium room is crowded! Not to mention that I've been learning how to draft patterns - from two different books - one teaching me in the manner taught in the 1920's and a more modern approach. With luck, I'll also be getting a dressmaker's dummy close to my size. One of the Dritz's "My Double" dressforms, whcih you can see here. With luck, I can still get it while it's on sale. *sigh*
Well, I want to get back to working on the basic sloper for a fitted skirt - fitted to me!!
Rowr baby!!!
Current Mood: cheerful
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September 1st, 2006
05:51 pm - Ugh!
Well, it's now September and the "college stupids" are coming back to town like a plague of locusts.
Mind you, I know that not all of the students are stealing their parents' money, but why does it seem like the majority of them are idiots interested in only partying and boozing it up? *sigh* Perhaps it's true and a stint in the military would do them some good. Or perhaps a year or two of living on their own without mommy and daddy constantly picking up their tabs (without cleaning up their messes). Okay, so maybe I'm a bit grumpy. There are some great kids who attend OU - and most of them are the fencers. ;)
What? Me prejudiced? Darned tootin'. You see, some of the things we try to instill in the students who join the OU Duello Fencing Club/Team is responsibility. Oh sure, some of them grasp the concept better than others, but at least I like to think that we are making an impact on them and helping them to develop into not only good fencers, but good people as well. Sure, there are some who stick out in my mind more than others, those who have impacted my life as much as I have hopefully impacted theirs. True, I may not be the 'force of personality' that my other half is, but that's because I'm different than he is. Still, I can say that I am a balancing personality to his, as he is to mine.
Man is this thing rambling. Oh well, that's what you get for stream of consciousness writing.
Still, I do get aggravated and short-tempered with some of the rampant stupidity that I witness and am subjected to, merely by living in a college town. Geh! And some of it can be attributed to them simply not caring that what they are doing affects other people. Some of their attitudes can be summed up in their most common response to a complaint - "So?" Grrrrrrrr.... *sigh*
My task for myself is to strive to be more patient and more compassionate where some of these students are concerned. It is definitely an ongoing task.
"I see stupid people." *sigh*
Rowr, baby!!!
Current Mood: grumpy
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August 25th, 2006
11:21 am - Remembering Katrina's Victims
So I received the following message in my e-mail:
Dear Judith,
Nearly a year has passed since Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast near New Orleans, killing more than 1,400 of our fellow Americans and driving hundreds of thousands from their homes.
Who could possibly forget the images from that awful week? People stranded on rooftops. Chaos at the Superdome. The desperate anguish of those unable to escape, simply because they didn't have a car or the cash to evacuate, or because they didn't want to leave behind the few meager possessions they had. I know that I can never forget the faces and stories of the people I met when I toured evacuation shelters in Baton Rouge shortly after Katrina hit.
Hurricane Katrina didn't just blow away lives and dreams, it blew away the shroud that was hiding the invisible poor and, for the moment, put home grown poverty in the epicenter of the national consciousness. It was a horrifying wake-up call. How could this happen right here in our own country?
To be sure, this disaster also brought out the best in America. Good neighbors all over the country opened their hearts, their homes and their wallets to people they'd never met. Many gave their precious time to bring comfort and relief to those who suffered in this disaster. I saw it with my own eyes; it was inspirational and my spirits soared when I joined 700 college students who gave up their Spring Break last March to help dozens of families devastated by Katrina clean up their homes in St. Bernard Parish. Individual Americans reached out to help one another. But individuals eventually have to get back to their lives.
In recent months it has become increasingly clear that, a full year after Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, the pace of recovery is agonizingly slow. People continue to hurt in a big way.
Despite all the official promises about "doing what it takes" to get New Orleans back on its feet, much of the city still looks as if the hurricane hit yesterday. Thousands upon thousands of homes remain deserted, windowless and covered with flood grime in desolate neighborhoods. The water and sewer systems are still in terrible shape. Fewer than half of the city's hospitals have reopened, and there are not nearly enough health clinics to adequately serve all the low-income families who need care. Vast areas are still littered with mangled cars and piles of debris.
Last week, the news media reported that New Orleans schools are turning children away because there just isn't enough room for them as the educational system struggles to recover. "It's hurting to your heart when a child says 'Mama, I want to go to school,' and you can't find one," one resident was quoted as saying.
To hear of a child being turned away from a school is disturbing enough. But how do we even contemplate the notion of a new and better New Orleans without there being a decent educational system to lead the way?
Just as Katrina's wrath exposed the two Americas in our midst, the sluggish road to recovery serves as a reminder to us about the everyday challenges faced by the underprivileged in our society -- not just in the Gulf Coast but in impoverished neighborhoods and communities across the country.
The lesson is that the fight against poverty is an ongoing one -- for government, for communities, for all of us. I know you join me in demanding accountability and pressing government leaders to do what's necessary to get hurricane-ravaged areas back on their feet. Joining together with the beleaguered residents of the Gulf Coast, something good can come out of this tragedy. The resurrection of the Gulf Coast can herald the rebirth of a core American value that we are all one nation, moving forward together -- and that no one shall be left behind.
For the moment, in their hours of desperation, I ask that you continue to keep Hurricane Katrina's many victims foremost in your thoughts, remember their plight, and offer what you can to help and comfort them.
And let us continue to work together to ensure that America fully responds to the wake-up call delivered on Katrina's winds one year ago.
Your friend,
John
blah blah blah - I'm so sick of political rhetoric. Political pandering.... geh, so I wrote back with the following:
You know, all that was said in the email "Special Message from John Edwards" was truly wonderful and great sentiments. My problem is, how do I know it isn't just more political rhetoric? It's really easy for some of these political fat cats to 'say' whatever they think the voting public wants to hear, but how many of them actually have the balls to follow through with it? Photo ops are just as bad... Do something useful and worthwhile without the damned camera crews.
I have yet to see anyone member of either Congress or the House of Representatives (yeah, right - like they really *truly* represent their constituents) do anything that would cause them to lose money from their own pockets. I have yet to have any politician - at any level - answer the following questions - either directly or evasively:
How much does he make as a politician? How does his salary compare to the average wage/salary of his constituents? Is it higher? If so, by how much? Why is it that our "public servants," which Representatives/Senators are supposedly, make so much more money than the people they are supposed to represent?
Currently disgusted with "my" government.
Judith Taylor
Registered Voter who actually gets off her ass and votes
--
Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people
always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can
become great.
-Mark Twain
Current Mood: aggravated
Current Music: Keine Lust - Rammstein
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August 9th, 2006
01:39 pm - Brains..... eat brains!
Geh. I don't know what it is, but lately I've been feeling rather fuzzy-brained. I can't seem to really focus very well on anything. Maybe it's because my regular prescription glasses broke and I'm having to use my old ones. Or it's the full moon. Maybe I'm just tired.
Feeling spacey.
Current Mood: weird
Current Music: Enigma's Love Sensuality Devotion
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