Let's toast to 2009!

Once again, the year has come and gone, leaving nothing but experience, troubles, joys and lots of memories. We have faced more obstacles, the good and the bad, and have survived another year in the modern world.

Some people may have already adjusted to the norm of adult livelihood, while others (like me) are just beginning. There's the whole notion of finding jobs, paying actual bills, warding off injuries (incessant buggers that won't seem to go away), learning to heal relationships, and the big question of will things pan out according to plan after recent events. There are a lot of uncertain details lately, but I am truly optimistic for the 2009 year. After all, dust that rises must eventually settle.

This holiday season has been rather interesting, and I mean that entirely in the hind-sight & stand-offish in the whole mental/physical/emotional sense. I want to thank everyone for wishing me & my loved ones well. I was (and still am) suffering from tendinitis in my left foot & right elbow as I work every day on it-really, the least of my emotional issues-while learning that the wedding might not be in October anymore. The shortest explanation is that Joe will now be graduating in May now, his future work life will be put off now at least 4 months later, which leaves me in rather a tight spot. Because everything is still uncertain, I still don't know whether or not I will need to quit my two present jobs and move back to Iowa for his remaining months so that everyone is safe, healthy, and on track. The whole situation is a little overwhelming, and It gets harder and harder to listen to everyone talking about our wedding when I don't even know myself if it's still on this year. I really love my wedding date, and extending an already 3-year engagement is a little stressful. Joe and I have been ready for quite some time to get a move-on with our lives, as we have been together for almost 7 years, and the whole constant advise to "take your time, you have your whole life" from bystanders is getting a little old. Joe and I both know that I can't really settle into a full-time job because when he graduates his job location isn't necessarily in IL. To me, it's worth it to not have as much monetarily if you reap more in happiness. I don't need a lot, just enough to be comfortable and be able to officially start my adult life. Lately, I feel like I'm trapped in Limbo.

In all, this Winter season has been particularly taxing on me, and I have nothing really to show for my knitting work but the finale of my "Movies" KUAS club.

Meet the revised mitts of Ebeneezer Scrooge. They are interchangeable fingerless mitts with a long 1x1 ribbed cuff and triangle pattern on the main body of the mitts. These mitts are great for when you have to bounce back and forth between using your fingers and keeping them snug under the interchangeable top. They fit perfectly, which really satisfies me.

Pattern: an original KUAS pattern, "Mr. Scrooge's Interchangeable Mitts"
Designed for: the December KUAS knitting club
Inspiration: Mr. Scrooge in the Christmas Carol, with his plain grey fingerless gloves
Yarn: 1 skein of KUAS "blizzard" fingering weight yarn
Needles: size 2US & 3US dpns
Start to finish: few days to complete

Joe and I travelled back and forth between my parent's and his neighbor's New Year Eve party. We started at my place until we were stuffed (not to mention 5 pounds heavier), and mingled (a little awkwardly) for another 2 hours at his neighbor's two houses down, and made it in time for the New Year & the view of lots of drunken folks back at my place. I guess we missed out on a lot of drinks in those two hours. Ha. I will be getting back to the knitting force today, working some more on my 2-stranded hat that I designed a while back. In the near future, I plan on making a semi-sweater. I personally call it a sweater-shrug, to be a little loose with terminology.

As for resolutions, I have finished 26 books this 2008 year (that's one less than 2007-boo!), and have been rather bad to resolving the rest of my previous resolutions for the 2009 year. I didn't loose much weight. I didn't learn new knitting techniques (although I do intend to this year). Eh. I didn't do a lot of things beside graduating and getting some new jobs. That's good enough for me though. This 2009 year will hopefully be more productive. Instead of creating a long list and making it seem like I HAVE to do a bunch of things or "heaven-forbid," I'll make a mental "wish-list" in my head, and hopefully be more motivated to do them.

I wish you all a merry NEW YEARS....2009! Wow! Let it be good to all of us!