Summer-to-Fall-to-Winter

The Fall period is both brief and never-ending. If you can wear short sleeves, it's Summer or Spring. If you are wearing a coat, it's Winter. Fall is that in-between time when we are bouncing around both weather and wardrobe-wise.

I want to be more explicit about some of the changes that are happening with me as the season makes way for a long winter:
- my relationship status (solo)
- my potential roller derby career and actual co-roller derby blog,
- hockey (crusin' for a brusin')
- school (I'm probably changing programs for the Spring Semster)

These things should be enough to keep me busy, but I also have some other schemes cooking (to add to my already full-plate metaphor).

With Relative Ease

This weekend kicked my butt, in a good way. A friend drove us to Cincinnati for a hockey tournament (that I played in!) with the team I am practicing with, the Piranhas. I had never been to Ohio before, so this was an anti-climactic first for me. The drive to Cincinnati is flat. It's unnerving.

Unfortunately, there are no cool pictures to show because I did not think the chain drug store where I bought a Vitamin Water was particularly compelling.

What I can say is that a lot of things in my life are changing, as we speak. It feels good. This month has been particularly busy but it is helping me to move forward. There is no time to dwell on the problems we are creating for ourselves.

My friend, who I rode out with, is a few years older than me and I respect a lot of things about her. The two 4.5 hour car rides were spent talking -- we didn't even turn the music on once. This period of change is definitely a period of growth for me. A lot of potential is laying dormant and I am tapping into it more and more each day. Fans of exercise, specifically weight lifters (for all different reasons) refer to the six-month period when they initially begin lifting as a sweet spot because their bodies can build muscle, lose fat, and make huge gains in their abilities. I feel like this might be the metaphor of life for me right now.

Seven Years

While in Dallas, TX this past weekend, I had the opportunity to vist the Nasher Sculpture Store. Let me be clear that I was not at the actual musuem, but I wandered into their store at this crazy-fancy mall.

If I ever get another opportunityto see Dallas, that museum will be on the list.

I made two small purchases --only two-- one of which was worthy of sharing ASAP.

This is a 7-year pen, Swiss-made by Seltzer, and pretty glorious if you ask me. The packaging and website boasts that it can write up to 2 meters per day, for 7 years. They don't clarify how many leap years are thrown in there-- but that's okay. The company claims that it is also made out of materials that are sustainable and that a donation is made to "enviromental causes" with the sale of each pen.

Here are some of my favorites:

They had a limited supply of options when I got there, but I chose this little man:

I thought about chewing and swallowing a piece of gum on the same night...but maybe if I get the ice cream cone one!

Roller Derby Blog

We're blogging about roller derby. It's boring so far, however, it promises to be an awesome project.

http://pghderbydiary.blogspot.com/

All the things you always meant to

Within 7 days (last weekend through this one), I will be able to check 6 items off of my list of "Things I've been meaning to do."

1) Camping. This will be the first of many trips for me in my adulthood. Western Pennsylvania is fakely wild and is a great place to "starter" camps, which is fine by me because I'm mostly here for the food.

2) The Renaissance Festival. My friend and I made half-baked plans to work there next year as character actors-- which will probably never happen.

3)Roller Skating. The first step towards roller derby. I went last Saturday and we are going again this weekend

4) Rock Climbing. This was so much fun! I did this tonight with a co-worker and his roommate who are fairly experienced. I'm probably going to pay for this tomorrow when I can't lift my arms. The Climbing Wall, by the East End Food Co-Op, was a really nice place with a lot of options for beginners. So fun!

5)24 Hour Comic Book Day. I have cleared my calendar to make this happen this year because it never seems to work out. I am going to start at 8am instead of 10am on Saturday just because I want to spend some time out of my house.

6)Apple Picking. We are going to an orchard to pick apples and pumpkins! It's Fall!

I feel like striking out on my own has helped me to turn over a new leaf. Though I feel silly about waiting so long to do these things, I'm glad that they are happening now.

Knitting Circle

It's Fall ! I'm excited this year and I can tell because I try on my new faux-leather jacket every morning as I check the weather. I've already worn tights...and winter boots...and fingerless gloves (in my house).


Tonight, some ladies and I got together and did the first knitting group of the season. The number of crafters in my life grows all the time-- which is exciting! It's fun to spend time with like-minded people who want to hang out and make shit.

I'm working on a number of trial projects-- mostly because I am not ready to commit to anything big and my attention span is pretty short. Pics to come!

Sick Rituals

I'm home sick today and I think I needed a break from life. I always push myself to work through my impending sickness and I always end up getting really, REALLY sick instead of just a little sick. Listening to your body is hard work especially when you disagree with what she is saying. I probably over-did it this weekend with camping and the Renaissance Festival. The change in weather happened so fast that I was not ready for this.

The wave of illness and disease has been washing over various colleagues in my workplace and we've all been talking about our favorite ways of combating getting sick.

Right now, I am wearing a shirt, two sweatshirts, fingerless gloves, a winter hat, sweatpants, legwarmers and fuzzy socks in an effort to stay warm. My friend, Josef, told us that he used to layer up, drink as much orange juice as possible, and lock himself in a room for a day. I guess I am employing his method, only instead of OJ, I am drinking my favorite panacea.

3- ginger slices (I cut mine into coin-sized medallions)
1- lemon wedge, squeezed,
2- dashes of cayenne pepper

Throw in a mug and fill with the hottest water you can find. The spicy ginger and cayenne soothes my sore throat-- plus this drink is gross to sip cold. I think this is a number of the components used in the Master Cleanse cocktail, however, I got hooked on this stuff when I was raw-foods detoxing a few years ago. It tastes kind of like weak broth.

My other favorite things to do when I am sick are:
- Watch teen movies (like Clueless, 10 Things I Hate About You, Can't Hardly Wait, and more)
- Drink a Hot Tottie right before taking the hottest shower ever and then go to bed
- Hot showers to sweat out the sick
- Eat pizza (before I became allergic to cheese)
- Read comic books in bed until I fall asleep
- Nap -- which I am going to do right now