How can I help you, The Man?

So I spent the day looking for a summer job.

And I sold out. Multiple times.

I had gotten a job at a local salad place earlier, but a few weeks ago I got a call from the owner that went something like this:

"Um...yeah. You know how I told you to come in Friday? Well, I really don't need you now. A girl who used to work here came back and well...she doesn't have a job, so I hired her. Sorry to do that to you. If I need you later on I'll call you."

So now after basically being laid off, I need a new job. I hate searching for jobs, and I hate interviews. A little voice in my head keeps on singing "You're selling out, you're selling out".

But I guess you have to get over that little voice if you actually want to support yourself.

The first job was good. I liked the people I worked with and because it was locally owned, I didn't feel like I was selling my soul to a corporation or anything.

But now that I don't have that job, all thats really left is big chains. I applied at Brusters (ok, thats not so big and they sell ice cream), Brugers Bagels, Jo-Anns (hey if I'm gonna become a corporate stooge, I might as well get discounts off of fabric and knitting stuff), Dibellas (a sub shop) and Target.

I took a course in culinary arts in high school, so I'm hoping that will help with the jobs relating to food. This type of thing comes in handy when looking for a job. Plus, now I make damn good cookies. Just ask Meg and Jessie. (Are these the cookies with liquid inside?!)

For the target thing, I probably would get a job working at the Starbucks inside. Yes, I said Starbucks. Yes, the very same corporation hated by millions of local coffee shops everywhere.

Hopefully I would be too hyped up on caffine to ever hate myself.

But we'll see.

Needless to say, I'm not in a very good mood right now.

So I'm going to go knit some more on Meg's squid. It's comming along swimmingly.

Until Later,

Sondra

Squids and such

This entry is for all of you knitting gurus out there:

I need your help!

I'm knitting this squid for my friend Meg as a thank you gift for giving Knitting In Public a new design:


I've seen a preview of the blog, and it's awesome. Don't worry, you'll all get to see it soon enough. It's so awesome, so this needs to be one kickass squid.

I have no pattern, and the squid that is for sale is crocheted, but I figured I could make it myself easily enough.

But alas, things aren't that simple.

If anyone has any suggestions on how to make this, or has patterns similar to this adorable squid, it would be most appreciated.

What I need help on most are these things:

1. How do I make the bottom for the squid? I'm going to stuff it, so the bottom needs to come last, and I have no idea how to knit a disk

2. I was planning to do an I-cord for the tenticles, but does anyone have any idea how I can make the i-cord go in a spiral as seen in the picture?

I guess thats about it... If you have anything to add that might help me, just leave a comment.

Until Later,
Sondra

p.s. Meg- Would you prefer a dark blue or light pink squid?

Note: The Squid design I am knitting is not original at all. I found the crocheted squid on http://dream-and-sugar.net and decided to knit my own version. If you care to have one of Erin's lovely squids/octopi, just visit her website.

True Lurve.

I luuurve you!!!

Single girls rejoice.

Adam Brody is here to kiss you and make everything better.

"Don't worry kiddies, there's enough Brody to go around..."

Until Later,

Sondra

Its all good

Whew. Well I'm glad I finally have things under control. My power-crazed hair is now safely tied up and hopefully there won't be too much more trouble until I get it cut.

We can't have it invading poland and enslaving Tambo's family now can we?

I've finally decided how I want it cut. Its going to be short (for me anyways, probably around shoulder length) but I think it will look really cute. It will be manageable anyways, which is the most important thing right now.

It's raining out today. I don't understand why rain makes so many people depressed. I love the rain, it makes me feel safe and happy. Everything seems so new and green after it rains.

Perhaps this strange love of rain comes from living in a climate where it rains 80% of the time.

Thunderstorms are great also. I used to be terrified of them when I was a child, but now I love them.

Plus, rainy days are perfect for lots and lots of knitting, which is what I think I'll do right now.

Until Later,

Sondra

p.s. this is the best thing ever.

Hair: A Story Part II

Right.

Um...yes, ah...hullo.

I'm Sondra's hair. Sondra has decided to take a uh...small holliday if you will, and now I'm in charge.

We can't have her cutting me off now can we? If she did, who would take over the world, you know? Right-o.

Things are going quite splendidly. I don't know why I didn't take over before. There is so much to do as a power-crazed mop of hair.

First things first, I decided to have a little fun with my new found freedom. I put on one of Sondra's Beatles CD's and started to dance.



Picture yourself in boat on a river,
With tangerine trees and marmalde skies
Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly,
A girl with kaleidoscope eyes!

Jolly good fun.


After that I finally decided to get down to business.



Notice my lovely map of Poland. I coloured it myself. I also love to plot global domination on shag rugs.

Now back to the most invadable country in the world.



My telephone conversation went something like this:

"Hullo? Republic of Poland? This is a very omnipotent mop of hair speaking. I intend to invade your country a little after noon tomorrow, just after tea time. May I please speak to President Aleksander Kwasniewski, please?"

...irritating elevator music used when put on hold...

"Hullo Mr. President? Yes, the omnipotent mop of hair. I have a few demands from you. I know you guys are all into appeasement and all. First off, I demand a life supply of brushes, combs and other hairproducts. I love the smell of hairspray in the morning.

Secondly, I demand that all barbers be punished for their crimes against hair-manity.

You heard me.

And by using a combination of propaganda, mind control, torcher and flat out force, I plan on building an army of other menacing mops of hair, AND TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!!"

BUAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAH HAHAHAHAHA!

Good Show.

Until Later,

The Omnipotent Mop Of Hair

Hair: A Story.

bfusshpppftbsts!

I need a haircut.

I'm being attacked. I'm really tempted to just pull out some scissors and do my worst right now.

Lots of deck people I know cut their own hair...and most of the time It turns out looking pretty good.

It would make for an interesting blog entry anyways...

I'll probably just snip a few split ends, chicken out, and shell out $40 for professional help.



and man, do I need it.













Meanwhile I have to put up with this strawberry blonde monstrosity that lives atop my head.

There are so many things to consider when you are looking to get a haircut.

You have to cut enough hair to make it behave, but then you need to keep it long enough to put up. That or you need it short enough that its out of the way, but not so short that you look like your brother.

Psh.

If I don't blog in the next week, my hair has officially taken over and is now plotting to invade poland.

Until Later,

Sondra

Thoughts On Family

Its too humid to sleep.

My dog on the other hand disagrees strongly, and is now loudly snoring.

His snoring mocks me.

At first I tried to watch TV.

I watched the New York City Macy's Fourth of July Celebration on television, but It only made me wish I lived in a place like that. I have always wanted to move to a big city... not necessarily NYC, but someplace. I don't know why I've decided to go to school in an extremely small town, but its too late for that regret now.

I'm sure I'll be fine. I'll just have to learn how to get by with less stoplights. Alot less actually. Try one.

and so I turn to my blog.

Confession: I have never been much of a patriot. I refuse to wear the flag colors in any patriotic fashion, and was even been mistaken as a communist in my government class in 11th grade. Hense the beloved nickname "Sondravich". I get pissed if I have to sing patriotic songs in church. We have elected a president I really don't like and we are in a war that I don't like even more. But I suppose on some level, I do have a love for my country and respect its leaders. So yeah. Happy Fourth of July.

This independence day was very strange. Normally my family and I go up to my uncle's house, celebrate my grandpa's birthday (yes, more people with 4th of july birthdays), eat cake and watch fireworks.

But my grandparents are much too sick to make it up to New York this year, so we had to celebrate without them. I just wasn't the same. We all know what remains unsaid- They don't have much time left on this earth.

I've watched my dad carefully with how he's dealing with all of this. First he was kind of in denile, and seemed very frustrated whenever he would talk to them on the phone.

Its strange, my dad has this way of almost talking down to people when he's frustrated with them. I know because he does it all of the time to me when he's upset. It was as if he had become the parent to his parents.

Now he doesn't do that as much, and you can tell his conversations are just sadder.

Ironically enough though, we still had cake at my uncle's house because my mom is baking the cake for my cousin's wedding, so we had to be the guinea pigs and try it out.

Relatives are relatives. I had to bite my toungue a few times at a few comments made, but such is life.

I always seem to learn a little bit more about my family every time I have to visit uncles and aunts and such. I learn perhaps a little why so and so is this way. Or I find that I continually have less and less common ground with someone else.

But family is family. Sometimes I have to remind myself that family is precious and that regardless of whatever, these people truly love me, and I love them.

So here's to a bittersweet independence day.

Until Later,

Sondra

Kickass!

So I just saw Batman Begins?

It is one awesome Batman movie, baby.

I wasn't even going to go see the movie, just wait until it came out on DVD, but I was bored and Dad offered to pay for the ticket.

And it's great.

Christian Bale does a fantastic job as Batman, and Michael Caine naturally rocks anyways.

This one deals with 'Scarecrow', but the way the villian goes about things are much more realistic than anything in the comics.

And no Robin. NO ROBIN! NO DORKY SIDEKICK! YES!

I mean, only bitches ride in side cars. Seriously.

But I don't want to spoil anything.

So go see it.

Until Later,

Sondra

Last Chance

I'm currently reading a book Jessievich lent me, Last Chance To See, by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine.

Adams wrote The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, as I'm sure you all know.

Mark Cardwardine is a zoologist which Adams travels with around the globe for a good part of a year, visiting endangered animals all around the globe.

I love it, its a wonderful book and all should read it.

Komodo Dragons live in Idonesia on the island Komodo (surprise). There are more poisonous snakes per square meter of groud on Komodo than on any equivalent area on earth.

When visiting Dr. Struan Sutherland who had devoted his entire life to poisionous snakes, but was much more interested in hydroponics, the Doctor proffered one solution for such a deadly island:

"Don't get bitten in the first place. And don't come running to me if you do because you won't get here in time and anyway I've got enough on my plate."

The book has offically convinced me that I never never never want to meet a Komodo Dragon. They can be 12 feet long and stand three meters tall. Just their salavia can kill a man because the bacteria in it will never let your wound heal.

Wonderful book. I can't wait to finish it and then stay the heck away from Labuan Bajo.

Today was a lovely day. I slept in. I picked strawberries. A little girl sat down next to me and said

"This looks like the perfect spot to pick strawberries."

Adorable. I love children.

Her father was trying to get her and her brothers to sit in one spot and start picking strawberries, but that was simply impossible with them constantly yelling

"I have five strawberries! How many do you have?!"

and

"Whoah! Look at this one! Its HUGE!"

and

"I found a gold mine! WOAH!"

When I have babies, I'll take them to pick strawberries every summer.

I love summer.

Fireworks soon.

Hopefully Meg's new blog design for Knitting In Public even sooner. But first she has to stop poverty and AIDS first. Gotta love her.

Until Later,
Sondra

Happy Canada Day!

Since some of Knitting In Public's readers happen to be Canadian, I thought it right that on Canada Day, I write aboot their lovely country.

Some Americans may brush Canada off as "America Junior", or simply imaginary. However, I'm here to say thats simply not true. Canada has lots of things to offer, like maple syrup and moose!

If I wanted to say the sentence "Would you please pass me a serviette, I spilled my poutine on my ottoman" without everyone looking at me like I was insane where would I go?

Canada!

If I wanted it to be winter all year round where would I go?

Canada!

If I wanted to wear jodhpurs without getting beat up where would I go?

Canada!

If I wanted to marry a chick where would I go?

Canada!

If I wanted spell things wrong like 'favourite', 'neighbour', 'cheque' and 'centre' where would I go?

Canada! (and the rest of the english speaking world...you'd think they'd get it by now)

And lets not forget French Canada! Parce-que les autres sont stupide.

So lets hear it for Canada!

Until Later, eh?

Sondra