Second glove syndrome?

I've finished my glove! Click for the really big picture; I don't have any decent photo editting software on this computer.

Is there second glove syndrome? I have plenty of stuff to knit on the drive home (sweater, sock, baby sweater), but maybe I'll cast on anyway...

Just can't wait to get on the road again...

I can count the remaining days on one hand (one glove?) -- sample, sample, calibrate, pack, leave! Everyone's ready to get out of here. I'm specifically looking forward to

• sleeping in my own bed with the cat, with the window open and the down comforter on
  
• the ~100 hours of West Wing waiting for me on the DVR, and knitting with my mom while we watch it
  
• cooking something really good
  
• the $100 teaching award I won that will be handed out on Wednesday
  
• knitting with the girls on Saturday morning
  
• spinning
  
• going to Andre's with my mom and grandparents
  
• seeing my mountains instead of seeing hills through the haze
  

Five days to leave, seven to be home...

Girls' Knit-Night Out

Diane, who commented on my last entry, found me through Sockapal2za. She invited me out to the knit night at her local shop, Designer Hand Knits (one I didn't find in my earlier search for shops). Diane is a lovely lady who was fun to talk to and was happy to drive me around town, since I can't justify taking the only car. I had a great time chatting with her all evening, meeting the people at the shop, and eatting the great food people had brought.

Diane and I both worked on our socks for Sockapal2a. She's doing ankle socks in coral Fixation for someone who lives where it's warm. I ripped out the cuff of my sock and started it over again. I'd knit it on 2's and then picked up around with the 1's my mom sent, and it looked like the cuff was going to be way too loose. Looking back at the picture from last time, I realized that I just hadn't knit enough rows, and that if I stuck with the 1's and knit more rows, it would be fine. So ribbit, ribbit, ribbit and try again. (Sorry, no picture. I t just didn't look exciting enough.)

We got some photos last night of Diane and I with Nancy, who owns Designer Hand Knits. Hopefully Diane will post them on her new blog when her spiffy new computer arrives (today?), or if she sends 'em here, I'll put them up.

The Confession

Since I last posted, I have, of course, been very busy with work. Days are still about 12 hours, but if we take a long lunch, that helps, and sometimes I take a little break in the afternoon if my brain seems fried. But mostly... I've been reading Harry Potter. I listened to #3 on CD while knitting during the first week here. Then I borrowed #4 from the library in Irvine, #5 from the library in Riverside, and a post doc in our group brought me the copy of #6 that I'd ordered from the UK. (If anyone is looking for a British copy of #6, it appears that I'm going to have a second copy and I'd be happy to sell it.) HP#6 arrived on Monday and I have about 130 pages left. So after tonight I'll probably back to knitting, and maybe there will be something interesting enough to photograph soon!

The End is Near?

It's Friday, and that means it's Hawaiian Shirt Friday (there was, in fact, a memo). This is my fourth Hawaiian Shirt Friday. Only one more to go! It's hard to believe that the end is actually approaching, when just on Monday it seemed out of sight. We've even had side discussions about packing!

And then there's... the drive. We rented a truck to drive out. It might have problems with the elevation. It gets maybe 35-40 mph max going uphill and sometimes breaks the speed limit going downhill. It also spewed black smoke all the way from Boulder to Riverside. (This is good for people who are coming here to study the air pollution, don't you think?) The guys who drove it out eventually labeled it as ours.

(Study of Organic Aerosols in Riverside)

Since we have a net gain of 5000 feet of elevation, I think it's going to be a long trip. The post doc I'm driving back with says he wants to see a knitted item per state. Maybe if he drives the entire way I knit...

(How is it that I haven't knit a damn thing, and yet I have a post that's as long as usual? :)