Catching up

Oy! I am alive, I promise. I've been busy, but not a lot to actually talk about. In knitting news, I have about 5.5 squares of the afghan done. The original design is a 5x5 pattern, but that's only about 40"x40". My favorite cuddle-up blanket is approximately 40"x60", so I'm thinking about a 5x7 layout. The seaming isn't insane if you do it as soon as a square is finished, and I can tell that I've actually gotten better at seaming, particularly since the first time I did a modular afghan. (Although, honestly, I think the difference in yarns helps - smoother yarns are SO much easier to seam with.) I also picked up another skein of the delectable Mountain Colors Twizzle at a LYS near my parents' house earlier this week and started another scarf. Not that I really need yet another scarf - I count six handmade and three store-bought scarves plus my Lady Eleanor hanging in my closet right now - but I swear this yarn actually glows. I love working with it!

I spent the Fourth with my parents. It was great spending time with everyone back in Illinois, despite my dad having an almost-very-scary-but-at-least-I-come-by-my-stubbornness-honestly accident (he's okay), and even the weather cooperated for once. I got to spend time with my family and even got to meet Miss Gretchen Danielle, the recipient of the latest baby blanket, when she was just over a week old! (She didn't seem too impressed with the blanket, but it's hard work being a week old! You forget how tiny they are at that age, though.) I did indeed get to sit with Friend and Mrs. Friend on the way back to Vegas and it was fun to catch up with him face to face.

I came back in time to pull another graveyard shift with Sgt. P up at the 148th and meet my new NCOIC, who seems to be very helpful. Everyone up there, actually, has been really great. The 216th is also continuing to help me out, too. I walked in yesterday after class (more on that in a minute) and a SMSgt. randomly had me start one of the programs I need for my computer access. About the only thing I haven't been able to get is a date for Basic yet. EVERYONE seems to be asking me about it at this point. It seems to be held up by two things right now - lack of slots until October (they can start applying for those slots in August, though, so hopefully I will know something next drill), and the fact that my SMOD physical (which I need to get into tech school and took back in March) still hasn't gotten processed from Channel Islands and the MSgt at the 148th won't send me to Basic until she can guarantee that I can get into Tech School. However, by the time I actually GET to Basic, I should have my security clearance, my access badge, computer access, and enough time in rank that I can get promoted to Senior Airman after graduation, which my NCOIC is looking forward to =P

Like I said, I had class this weekend. Nothing like having a general tell you that he expects you personally to get 100% on his midterm. No pressure. I ended up with a 98% on the midterm and a 99% on the final. The presentation this term seemed a little easier - maybe I am actually getting a little more comfortable with them. Mine was on the SR-71 Blackbird, so I think the subject matter helped. The general's teaching again next term, which is cool.

At any rate, I've had a rather long week, with only two martial arts classes in twelve days to take off the edge (although both Ma'am and Mel helped me out with my new weapon form between classes Thursday and I think I might have the whole thing at least in theory now), so I'm going to take myself off to bed. Big plans for tomorrow include seaming the next square, doing laundry, cleaning the apartment, exploiting some potential job links, kickboxing, tkd (with my new weapon), and making a bunch of strawberry jam. Damn fruit stand sales...