Everyday ordinary: knitting

*I started this post a week and a half ago...where did my week go?*

I don't normally blog about my knitting. My two main reasons for this are: 1) there are plenty of good knitting bloggers already out there; and 2) I take forever to complete my projects. The latter is not because I'm a particularly slow, or incompetent knitter, I just don't spend much time on my knitting. Generally I get in a couple of hours a week when I might sit down to watch a movie on the weekend, or on Wednesday nights when we catch up on the latest Castle episode (we don't have cable/satellite, so we watched it on the CTV website). At this point I'm actually pretty adept at cables, bobbles, etc., and my knitting is pretty smooth, although I have less experience with knitting colour patterns.

I use to knit in class during my Masters. Not all the time, mind you, just during classes where presentations were scheduled and I didn't have to take notes. I'm perfectly capable of listening to people talk, while knitting. In fact, I'd argue I pay more attention while knitting, then I would have if I'd sat at my desk with an open notebook. Then I'd be more likely to doodle, or jot down writing ideas, in which case I'd totally tune out the speaker. I generally don't take my knitting out on public transit or at movies/theatres, however. In the case of transit, I ride the LRT all of two stops and often don't sit down. And although I'm pretty good at watching t.v. and knitting at the same time, I don't think I could do it in the dark. That and I'm pretty fussy about my theatre etiquette.

At any rate, I've completed a variety of projects as of late, so I thought I'd showcase them here.

My most recent sweater. I generally only complete one (full sized--i.e. not for a baby) sweater a year. I started out making a cardigan, but it became clear about half way through that this wool was too thick a gauge to work properly. I re-started it sometime in February or March and only got it finished in November (3 baby sweaters got in the way).

Fingerless gloves. I bought this wool over a year ago and had a different glove pattern in mind, but I never got around to finishing them. I re-tackled this project just before Christmas, and had them done shortly after retuning home.

A cozy/case for our netbook. No pattern used here. I just picked an interesting stitch pattern out of my Vogue Sitchionary and knit it in a long rectangle. I've been meaning to add some buttons so the top flap will stay closed.

A closer look at the pattern--a simple lace. I did a different pattern on the other side (plain eyelets) that I thought might look like the 'under side' of the pattern. I started this sometime in November and completed it over 2 weeks.

I decided to sign up for this crafting 'Pay it Forward' thing going around on Facebook. I happen to have a package for 6 vegetable bags...this is the first, a pea pod purse. I just need to sew in the pockets and add the zipper. I knit pretty much all of it last weekend during the Canadian Nationals.

A cabbage clutch. My second 'Pay it Forward' gift. I just need to finish up the top edging and add a zipper. I think I started this one last Sunday.

Much ado about nothing

It would seem that my 2011 is off to a slow start. Considering the things I've seen friends posting on the Facebook and Twitter accounts, I suppose this is a good thing. I am healthy and no one I know has died/lost a job/been diagnosed with something, etc. The only trepidation my slow start has caused me is that I haven't much to report on my little blog. I went to work every day last week, skated on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, edited my manuscript on each of the nights as I was home, and we had a couple of friends over for dinner on Saturday night. Everything's been perfectly ordinary, which given the flooding in Australia, the mudslides in Brazil, the political turmoil in Tanisia, and all the other strife in the world, I shall not complain.

Instead, I will look forward to what is coming: lots of skating this week (junior and senior nationals are underway in Victoria, BC), there's a perogy dinner next Friday night (Jan 28th), Andrew and I will be going out for dinner and a concert the Friday after that (Feb 4th), I'm attending a conference in Vancouver mid-February, I'll be baking another wedding cake in March, my 30th birthday is in April, and much more (including ESO concerts, the first of which I believe is sometime in February). I might be off to a slow start this year, but I'll have plenty to comment on later. So perhaps for now I should relax? Or at least, I should be happy to be busy with the little things I do. Maybe I'll spend my next few blog posts talking about the ordinary things until something extra-ordinary takes place.

Ciao,

Andrea

My life and figure skating: two worlds that don't exactly collide

I debated for some time over what I would write for my first blog post of the new year. I considered writing a look back over the year, or to layout a couple of my new year resolutions (yes I make them, not that they're any different from most people's), I even considered not writing at all (after all, I'd have more time to dedicate to my manuscripts if I didn't take the time to write a blog post once a week). I've kind of become attached to my blog; however, and for my three followers, and maybe half a dozen more random readers out in the vast space that is the Internet, I'm not ready to stop yet. Therefore, from the way things are looking after the near completion of my first week of 2011, it looks like figure skating is going to take a major role in my life for the next couple of months. And so I'm going to take a few (many) minutes to write about it.

If memory serves I started figure skating when I was eight. Just group lessons, nothing fancy, I probably had a pair of Canadian Tire skates and that was just fine for the time. I progressed reasonably well through the first couple of levels. Within maybe two years I was doing all the jumps except for axel. I would have loved to take private lessons or to compete, but sports weren't a priority in my household, and as noted in a previous post, I was a chubby child (i.e. I didn't exactly have a figure skater's physique). I dreamed that someone might 'discover' me and I would finally get the lessons, and do spring and summer skating school, but of course that never happened. I took a few tests here and there as my minimal coaching would allow and eventually did land an axel (something I'm struggling with now), but stopped around aged fifteen as even I had to admit I was never going to be a world champion.

Skating became a sometime (or more like rare) activity until a few years ago when I decided to look around and see if there were any adult programs, which I discovered to my delight, there were. I joined the Ice Palace F.S.C. in Edmonton, for no particular reason except that it was the first one I found. After that I started working with a really great coach who is always enthusiastic and encouraging of what I do. After getting a good quality pair of skates (the first new ones I bought were not sufficient for the level I was skating at) I started to see a noticeable improvement in my spinning, which has always been weak. I'm working towards landing axels again (actually, I've been pretty much trying to do this since I started back) and my loop jump, which used to be my least favourite jumps is now one of my best.

Okay, so there's the recap of what I've been doing, so now what? Now I'm planning to take two tests in March, the preliminary skills test (Skate Canada's replacement for compulsory figures) and my junior bronze freeskate test (both the skills and program components). I want to pass, and in order to pass I have to be able to land an axel or a wally, and do a flying spin. My flying camel is surprisingly good. I would never have suspected I could do one without falling when my coach had me first try last winter. Then there's my axel. See, here's the problem with having skated in a small club coached primarily by kids only a couple of years older than myself: bad technique for my axel has set in because no one corrected me and now it's causing me problems. I have a tendency to kick my leg out wide when I take off, which makes it hard to get the rest of my body around and complete the one and a half rotations necessary.

In order to pass my tests I need to skate more. Competitive figure skaters practice upwards of twenty-five hours a week, it's how they develop consistency and improve their skills. Obviously I'm not going to skate that much. I don't have the time, and I don't have the money to pay for that amount of ice time (and oh yeah, I'm still not going to be a world champion), so I'm going to try to squeeze in as much practice as I can from now until my test day. That means running over to the U of A arena on Tuesdays at lunch to use the figure skating club ice time, then again on Friday days during the rec skate ice time. It means skating on Wednesday nights on the Ice Palace adult time, and it means long runs on Saturday has been replaced with long skates in the afternoon on an open session at a nearby arena.

Hopefully at the end of all this I will pass my tests in March. I'd be disappointed to fail--I mean who wouldn't be? If I pass I'll be qualified to take the first level of Skate Canada coaches training. I'm not sure if I actually have time to coach little kids right now (the rest of my spare time is spent on writing, of course), but I might find I have time in the future. We'll see how things ban out over the next few weeks.

Ciao,

Andrea

First NHL hockey game ever: and yes, I am Canadian

It took a bunch of Germans to get Andrew and I out to our first NHL hockey last Thursday night (December 16th). It's the first hockey game I've been to in a very, very long time (so long that I have no idea when, and frankly if, I've ever attended a game). We sat way up in the nosebleeds. So far into the nosebleeds that we were actually in the last row of all of Rexall Place. Yeah. But you know what? We could see everything up there. And it's not like I needed to be close enough to smell the sweat or hear the teams cussing at each other (assuming they do, I have no idea). I actually, had a great time. I always assumed that if I went to a hockey game in person and found myself as a part of the crowd I would get into it, and I definitely did.

Shot of centre ice as we waited for the game to begin.

Puck drop to start the game.

The biggest problem is that we (Andrew and I) don't really know the rules. I mean we know the basics. Shoot the puck in the opposite net, don't kill the opposing team while trying to prevent them from scoring on you, but I have no knowledge of the actual nitty gritty of what deserves a penalty and what doesn't. I can barely keep the rule for icing in my head, although I know it's similar to the rule for offside in soccer--which I also can't remember even though I played soccer all summer. I'm sure the people in front of us must have thought we were idiots as we tried to explain what we thought might be the rules to our companions. Oh well.

The lovely Andrew, and our companions for the game.

My ticket.

For our first NHL game ever, we weren't disappointed. First off, the Oilers beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 6 to 3--a solid victory. I completely missed the second Oiler's goal because I was busy watching a player who had tripped (or been tripped?) soar across the ice. A fight broke out within the first 10 minutes of the first period. Friends of mine who were also at the game explained that the Oilers player involved in the fight (Stortini) is the team 'enforcer' and it's basically mandatory for him to throw off the gloves once game. And I found myself really wanting to see Taylor Hall score a goal. He didn't, but got 3 assists instead.

If I get the chance, I'll probably go again sometime. I enjoyed myself and the crowd atmosphere in Rexall, with everyone pulling for the Oilers--it's a lot of fun.

Ciao,

Andrea

Luminaria at the Devonian Gardens

This past Saturday night Andrew and I drove out to the Devonian Gardens (approximately 45 minutes from our apartment) to take in Luminaria, a special event held in the Kurimoto Japanese garden. I think I read somewhere that this event was first held in 2000 to celebrate the millennium, but I can't seem to find the page where I found this to confirm it. As can be seen from the pictures below, the paths of the garden are lined with paper lanterns, and visitors are offered hot apple cider to sip as they meander about trails. Fire pits were placed in various spots around the garden to allow visitors to warm themselves if necessary.

The nights was crisp (only around -10C, which by Edmonton standards is pretty good, plus I heard someone say last year that the temperature was in the neighbourhood of -35C) and the sky, which started out cloudy, cleared while we were at the garden. Although we were pleased to see the clouds dissipate, we found our view of the stars was somewhat limited as the pink-haze of the lights in Edmonton prohibited a really glorious night sky. We wandered around the garden for almost an hour before we both started to suffer from cold feet and fingers despite our boots and mitts.

This was a really lovely experience. We were both well bundled in preparation for the weather (as were many of the other people there), and the garden walk covered with snow and candles was gorgeous.

Ciao,

Andrea

Vinyl Cafe Christmas: 2010

As I blogged last year, Andrew and I like to attend the Vinyl Cafe Christmas Concert with Stuart Mclean, which tours around Canada every year. We don't go to any other Christmas concerts throughout the season, so this is sort of our one chance to tap into the holiday spirit (aside from being bombarded by advertisements, and mall music--thankfully we're pretty much done with that for this year). The concert also isn't an overload of Christmas. The musical guests only preform 2 or 3 times each, and they don't necessarily sing Christmas tunes, and the 'Dave and Morely' stories (the main reason why I love listening to the Vinyl Cafe) aren't always on a holiday theme. It's a good time, and an afternoon well spent, I think.

So, what can I tell you about the show? I enjoyed it. I laughed heartily throughout. I wished it didn't have to end, but as all good things must, it did. First, I'll make a quick mention of the musical guests: Matt Anderson (brought back from last year due to popular demand), and Jackie Richardson. As noted last year, Matt has an extremely powerful voice. It fills a large auditorium like the Jubilee without difficulty, although I think this year he was a little toned down (for the better). He sang a gospel tune in the first act (thanks to my somewhat 'Swiss cheese' memory I can't recall if it was a Christmas song, or if it was a regular gospel song) but the second song was 'O Holy Night.' My one beef with Matt is that he walked onto stage in bare feet and tattered jeans--it just seemed a little unprofessional. I can't remember what he wore last year, but I would have been happier if his pants had been hemmed and there were shoes on his feet.

I looked around for information on Jackie Richardson, but was surprised to find that Google had little help for me (I could only find a few articles regarding specific events, and an unhelpful MySpace page). From the intro given to her during the show, she's well known in the jazz/blue/gospel scene, has sung back up for Ray Charles and opened for Tina Turner (I think...that Swiss cheese memory acting up again). She was good. Her voice was full, and rich, and low. I kept thinking of the line from Spaceballs: 'So she's a bass,' not to say she was a bass--my ear isn't good enough to pick out a singer range--but I would guess her to be a contralto. Her rendition of (You make me feel) Like a natural woman was powerful and she seems to be an expert at the singing/talking thing that some performers do during intro's to songs. Overall, she was great.

Now for Stuart. What is there to say about Stuart McLean? For anyone who's listened to the Vinyl Cafe you know he has a unique delivery style that if you tried to punctuate on a page as he speaks, would violate grammatical rules left, right, and centre (not that I'm a grammar guru...). Yet his dramatic pauses and stammers some how manage to captivate listeners. The Jubilee Auditorium was full on Sunday, December 5th, and despite the musical guests, people were there to see and hear Stuart. Three stories were read that afternoon, plus an extra special segment where he sped-told seven stories in eleven minutes (approximately). I won't tell you much about the stories, that would ruin the experience if you're a regular listener, and the new Christmas story should air during the last radio show before the 25th. Two of the stories were Christmas themed (one old, one new), and the third was a wonderful tale about Dave going to visit an old buddy in the hospital and well...getting into trouble (this Dave we're talking about).

The speed-telling section was a neat segment. As the first act closed Stuart announced that the show was a few minutes short, so he needed people to request stories for him to speed-tell. A bucket was placed in the lobby during intermission and audience members were allowed to make suggestions. As act two opened, Stuart came out with John Sheer (piano) and Denis Pendrith (bass). The deal was Stuart would pull out audience suggestions and the musicians would come up with something to play as accompaniment. Many of the stories asked for were my own favourites including, Dave Toilet Trains the Cat, and Home Repairs. When Stuart read out the request for Dave buys a coffin, John Sheer began to play 'Little Boxes' (a song I'm not familiar with, but it was a cheerful sounding tune). Stuart remarked he was expecting something more somber, at which point John switched the song to a minor key. Again Stuart quipped, that he meant mournful, not Slavic, something hopeful. What was played next? When you wish upon a star. *grin*

Ciao,

Andrea

Take that, NaNoWriMo

And with a superhero quality roundhouse kick to the chest, I take out the NaNoWriMo challenge once again. At this point (with one day left to go) I've written around 52,000 words. I failed to write anything at all on three days because I was just too busy, with an average of 2,002 words per day, ranging from 1,165 words to 3,326 words.

But, why?

Why do I do this? My story is incomplete (really, 50,000 words is hardly enough for a full-length novel). I'm probably only three quarters of the way through (maybe even less) largely due to the fact that I've been writing on the fly (i.e. without a plot outline). Writing on the fly is both exciting (you never quite know what's going to happen next) and bad for my writing quality (I've written a disgusting amount of drivel). And wow, does it ever need to be edited (as per the previous remark). I've decided to cut out an entire character. That's probably a waste of 5,000 words right there on someone I'm not going to use, but won't dare to cut out until after Dec 1st so that I have enough words to complete the 50,000 word NaNoWriMo challenge.

Why do I bother to participate in NaNoWriMo when I write almost everyday anyway?

I'm not sure.

Maybe I'm experiencing something similar to mob mentality/lemmingism (I made that word up) that if every one's doing it, than I should do it too. Perhaps that's the reason why I should absolutely not participate in NaNoWriMo--I write almost everyday anyway because that's what makes me happy. I know that one 50,000 word stint for one month does not a writer make, and now half the people I know seem to be 'doing it, man' and that kind of irks me. Now here's a look into my psyche for better or worse...it annoys me that so many people are doing NaNoWriMo (and succeeding) because it makes me feel less special, less unique, and more like I'm just like everyone else. I hate that feeling. Who doesn't, I suppose.

The only good thing I've gotten out of this month is Nora. I love writing her. She's neurotic, yet fun and I think I'll be a bit sad when I finish this manuscript--it's her last story. She's been through a lot since I first introduced her in The Cure, including chasing a thief, loosing a friend, breaking some one's heart, understanding her own heart better, being hit, choked, suffering a dislocated shoulder and nerve damage, moving thousands of miles away from her birth place, meeting her father and finally...well I haven't written that part yet, but finally finding happiness. Now if only I can find an agent and a publisher who believe in her as much as I believe in her.

Ciao,

Andrea