Neomera Knits

Well! Back home and boy do I wish I wasn’t. This past week in Boston was amazing. I don’t think I have enough words to describe how awesome Mookie is, or how much fun we had before everyone else showed up for the con, and then how much fun th convention was. Instead I have some pictures. There will be more over in the Flicker page, but here’s a week in Boston, the short version.



(top row, left to right: Aido, Ananth, Hawk, Bottom row: Brian, Shannon, me!, Mookie,) Thanks everyone for being so much fun to hang out with.

AAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh vacation. So good. I got here yesterday on a flight containing 12 people and the flight crew. I’m not even exaggerating- I counted. Met at the airport by the Amazing Mookie, who apologized for the shower having committed suicide. Apparently it had decided that enough was enough and shed a wall. Teeth were gnashed, tears were shed, and the landlord was called, and in fact was working on it when we got to the apartment. All is well now, and the caulk sealant is almost cured, so life can go on. Life will, in fact, go on to New Comic Day and a bar.

SO. while the bathroom was being repaired, we went out to explore the beauty of Boston. By which I mean we found Mind’s Eye Yarn, which I’ve been looking forward to finding thanks to this guy. ( go! read! listen! he’s cool!) Also, I found Porter Square Books, under the same circumstances. And then for dinner we went to have Ethiopian food, which was at this amazing little restaurant called Addis Red Sea. SO GOOD! I highly recommend it. Good food, good atmosphere, and some really interesting decorations. AND educational!

WOOT! Today Mookie and I celebrate New Comic Day, and seek out this place. I am so excited that I can’t even stand it.

In the meantime, life has looked like this.

Mookie, hard at work on Dominic Deegan So refined at all times!


Pomatomus, I hope. From Knitty, clearly. Also, of course, my order from White Lies Designs came yesterday as I was boarding the plane. At least I have awesomeness to look forward to when I get home!

So. After total immersion in the world of Lord Peter Whimsy, a major Life’s Disappointment has returned to bark at my heels louder than ever. (How’s THAT for a metaphor?) Several times over the years, throughout my schooling, but even more so since I was released from the University of Maryland. This Great Life Disappointment is this: I feel cheated. Cheated of an education that actually means something.

Now, I know that a fair amount of the blame lies at my own feet, for not working harder to wring more out of my time in class, and for not pushing my professors, and whatnot. But really, since I spent most of my mandatory, K- 12 school years being smarter than the teachers, I think it’s fairly understandable if I didn’t have any faith in university profs. I mean, I’m sorry that I’d already read most of the books assigned for us to read at a grindingly slow pace, but hey.

The teachers were less than helpful or sympathetic either. And really, why should I have expected them to be? They had 34 other students in the room to teach, why should they pander to just one? Especially when I wasn’t one of those who was having trouble with the material. They had needier kids to worry over. Still.

So. Back to today. I have a BA from the College of Arts and Humanities at UMCP, department of Theatre. I focussed on design rather than acting and I actually got credit for all the shop time I put in. But. I didn’t take the classes that I wish I’d taken. I didn’t really apply myself to the ones I did. (It’s tough to really stress about it when you’re getting credit for shop time.) So. I guess the short post for today would have said “I think I want to go back to school” but that’s not really the right way to put it. I don’t want to get a master’s degree. Not in theatre, at any rate, I think. Maybe. First, I want to go back and learn all the things I feel I should have learned to begin with. I think I want to go back to take another BA.

Costs are up, though. And other plans are in the works, gears grinding to dust the money and time that would be spend on such things. So, an online course of action would be a wonderful solution. Any suggestions for good undergraduate liberal arts program with a focus on literature and history?

So I’ll admit to being a reader. I will read a fairly wide variety of things. Usually these days that means I’m reading whatever my mom has lying around, which really means I’m reading mystery novels in the high style. Agatha Christie, Nagio Marsh, Rex Stout… mmm. Good stuff. Well, then Mom hands me this. Oh. Man.

Granted, I am a Bad Reader, and started near the end of the series. Harriet Vane is the center of this book, and it’s all over her trying to convince herself that really- she’s not totally in love or anything. I HAD to read the next one after, and now I’ve gone back to the first book, and I am totally gooey over Lord Peter. And she doesn’t have super hidden clues that are necessary to solve the problem. She just gives them to you with all of the emotional stuff that also gets in there. So if you’re not muddled like the characters you’re totally able to figure it out. Oh. Man. So good! I highly recommend these books if you like a good mystery. British aristocracy meets Sherlock Holmes. yummy!

Well, the professional show is up and running with only a normal amount of trouble to go with. Most of last week and this week have been mainly about the student show in the smaller theatre. One of our Amazing Apprenti is the lighting designer!



That’s Margaret being awesome at the light plot. No, you probably shouldn’t ask me why I had a camera while on top of a ladder focussing. It’ll probably just confuse everyone, including myself. I think it’s an awesome picture, and an awesome designer, and boy am I glad that she’s being so patient with me because boy, am I awesomely burned out right now. But! Less than a week and I’ll be in BOSTON! Hanging out with Mookie.

I am so excited I can’t hardly stand it. I even went out and bought clothes that are for, you know, girls! I know, I know. That red tank from my birthday is Girl Clothes, but I bought that in college, it doesn’t count. Also it’s for special occasions, and on Saturday I got pants. real pants. Not made of denim pants. And a skirt! Oh man I’m excited. AND, to make it even that much more awesome, I got to hang out with my awesome Mom while shopping, and I bought her a beer and dinner at Dave and Busters afterwards. Happy Mother’s Day early, Mom! You’re AWESOME!

Um, maybe I’m overdoing the “awesome” thing… Ah well. I’m in a very good mood, The day is beautiful, and life, overall, is pretty dang good. With just a little luck, it’s going to get even better soon. More on THAT as it develops. *grin*

A whole day off and I’m still pretty tired. *whew* It’s been a crazy few weeks. Long days, no days off, and way too much to do. The scenic designer on our professional show is, well, shall we say ‘difficult to work with’? He seems to have a habit of riding roughshod over pretty much everyone in order that his “sculpture” of a set looks PERFECT. Ah well. The Lighting designer (the one that I have to deal with) was pretty cool. Demanding, but not in a bad way. The poor student show got short shrift thanks to all of us being so physically and emotionally exhausted by the pro show. BUT! Today was a day off for me, and I spent it… shopping! Also, skipping opening night. Shopping was more important.

Why, what did I do during tech, you ask? I ran the light board, of course! I was the main programmer for the show, sitting next to the lighting designer, setting levels and running cues. leaving me plenty of time for




and




and



That’s actually the first sock I ever started. I put it down because I was far more interested in finishing my first sweater. I’m not certain what that fuzzy thing in the second picture is going to be. Um. We’ll see. It’s pretty relaxing to just sit there and knit garter stitch from some yummy mohair. Even if it IS in the dark.


I actually have some more to say, but I think I’m about to fall asleep again. So I’ll save it for the next post. Which will NOT be in two weeks. I promise!

My dear and darling readers, I am sorry that I have failed you for two whole weeks. I do have a post coming soon- today I hope. The show is ALMOST UP! I may even have some pictures! Also knitting! Hooray knitting socks in the dark at the tech table.

10 days till Boston… I can make it!

No, I’m not dead, just stupid busy. We’re in tech for our next show right now. Meaning I got to work at 8 am yesterday and left at 10 pm. Nice short day to start off with. I don’t know when I’m going to have time for a real post, though. Mostly I’m drinking coffee, doing lighting notes and waiting for my package from White Lies Designs.

Ok, so I couldn’t decide and ordered both. I’m just weak that way.