Copyright Tiny Owl Knits

Pretty soon, Ravelry will be swarmed by them. They do look pretty sweet. I wouldn’t want to get stung by the pain of sewing all the pieces together however, so I’m staying very far away from even thinking about starting this sticky project.

copyright Tiny Owl Knits

But what I did want to share is the amazing mind that is Tiny Owl Knits, the mastermind behind this pattern. If you think that this blanket is batshit…. wait until you meet the designer:

the beekeeper’s quilt from tinyowlknits on Vimeo.

*I might have mentioned that I’m building a deck, if I ever updated this blog anymore.

(note to self — pick up the pace)

Here are the things that I’ve finished since the last time I updated:

• 28. Brew a cider
  • My first cider (probably technically a cyser) was 5 gallons of cider from Pine Tree Apple Orchard, 1 lb honey, 1 lb brown sugar and 1 packet Lalvin champagne yeast. It was a huge hit at the New Year’s Eve party, and the keg was killed shortly after that, making me sad that I didn’t have another one brewing.
• 50. Can things, eat them the following winter
  • 12 half pints of salsa (Spicy Tomato Salsa from this book)
  • 6 pints of tomato sauce
  • I’m about halfway through using up the salsa and the tomato sauce. The half-pint jars were definitely the way to go for the salsa (it’s a single serving which is pretty awesome), tomato sauce should probably go in quart jars next year.
• 75. Paint the basement living room
  • Technically, the doors still need painting, but the room got debuted at New Years and is generally usable, so I’m happy.
• 73. Buy a new tv or projector
  • Ended up with a 46″ Sony Bravia EX700. I love everything about it.

Things in Progress:

• 7. Build emergency fund to 6 months (70%)
  • getting back on track with this, but I will admit that I’ve been letting myself dip into this fund for non-emergencies more than I should.
• 11. Read Gravity’s Rainbow
• I started on this over Christmas break but had to put it down when school started again — probably a mistake. I’ll try to pick it up again after finals.
• 54. Learn to make 3 different salsas (1/3)
  • Spicy Tomato Salsa

Want to see the whole list? Click here!

I get it it. You work in a specialty retail store. I go to those sometimes. While I wouldn’t say that you sell anything cheap, you’ve got a range of products that appeal from the casual devotee to the types of people that are referred to in movies about Las Vegas as large marine mammals.

I get that I don’t fit the demographic of those latter, most profitable customers. Hell, I’m probably too ignorant of what goes into the products that you sell to even fit into the former category. But here’s the thing, I had something to celebrate this week. And I wanted a damn cigar.

I could have grabbed something from the “humidor” box at any of a dozen “TOBACCO” stores that I drive my everyday, but as someone who tries to have an appreciation for those things in life that can be appreciated, I wanted better. And I was willing to pay for quality, and for good service and the benefit of your years of experience to help me find the one thing that was right for me.

Obviously, I wasn’t there to spend hundreds of dollars with you. But, I didn’t want to waste your time. I walked in your (smelly) door, intending to make a purchase. I hadn’t done too much research, but I’d put some thought into what I like (I’m a chocolate, malty beer, and fatty steak kind of girl), and how I thought the cigar that I might end up liking would pair with such things. And you’d know that, if you had been willing to spend more than 30 seconds making the sale yesterday.

You know, maybe that $9 number that you pulled off the top shelf and handed to me without asking anything about my tastes will, in fact, be the ultimate cigar experience for me (I’ll admit it, it smells yummy). But would it have hurt you to explain why you thought I would like it? Or tell me something about the product? Or how it compares to others that you have in stock — I was willing to spend more, after all?

So, the good news is, you made your (under $10) sale. I think you’ve guessed the bad news by now. As a girl with tastes that admittedly tend to run more “masculine”, I’m pretty used to dealing with employees who might have a bias against me before I open my mouth. But the trick with all those “boy” stores that I love and keep going back to? Their employees don’t treat me like I don’t belong there. They offer help if it looks like I need it, they listen when I have questions or ideas that I want to run by them, and they realize that I’m a good customer who wants to learn from them, even as she buys from them.  Sure, they might treat women like idiots sometimes…but only the ones who deserve it. The upshot is that those little $10 purchases that I might have started out with? Have lead to hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in purchases over the years, plus positive recommendations to my friends.

CSE, this could have been a wonderful friendship, you could have been a contender. Seriously, I’m sure that there will be a time in my life when I do need/want to drop some serious money on high-end tobacco products. But it won’t be with you guys.

p.s. on second thought… maybe it’s because I’m blackCanadian?

Total Things Finished: 3/101
Days remaining: 926
To see the whole list with progress, click here.

New finished things:

• 20. Buy new windows laptop for school
  • Picked up a Toshiba Satellite T235 before classes started, it’s working out really well so far.

• 43. Cure/smoke my own bacon
  • Holy crap… so good.
  • I picked up a 10lb pork belly from Osseo Meats this weekend, and today I started curing three 3lb slabs:
    • Basic Dry Cure (from Charcuturie)
    • Basic + Maple Syrup
    • Basic + Garlic, Bay Leaves, and Juniper Berries

Things in Progress:

• 28. Brew a cider
  • 5 gallons of cider from Pine Tree Apple Orchard, 1 lb honey, 1 lb brown sugar and 1 packet Lalvin champagne yeast have been making friends in my basement since 9/19/10

• 50. Can things, eat them the following winter
  • 12 half pints of salsa (Spicy Tomato Salsa from this book)
  • 6 pints of tomato sauce

• 73. Buy a new tv or projector
  • I discovered that my hand-me-down 40″ finally died (after 18 years of service in two countries).  I’m currently investigating different brands/technologies.

• 3 . Save 3/4 of the way to a new car (0.125%)
  • The urgency of this one got lessened, due to the arrival of Upgrayedd in August, but I still like the idea of having a car’s worth of money to blow when I finish my JD.

Some of the bells were smaller than I might have liked (especially the ones that I didn’t bother to re-cut the scapes on — scapes grow back… who knew?!), and I’m annoyed that I can’t find the notebook in which I carefully noted which of the three varieties that I bought from Territorial Seeds last fall were planted where.  But, all in all, I’m pretty happy with this little experiment.

For now at least — I’m still a little paranoid about the drying process.

Har Mar Superstar – Tall Boy (Crack it open with me)

LMFAO – Shots (I still blame you for this, Willis)

Electric Six – Improper Dance (now with bonus Techno Viking!)

I guess I realize now how spoiled I was in grad school where the program admin just bought all our textbooks for us. (I still love you Kim!)

Anyways… here are six paper cranes, because it wouldn’t do to be behind after less than a week now, would it?

What follows is a list of 101 things that I intend to accomplish by April 14th, 2013, 1001 days from now.  Why? I’ve realized of late that I need more practice in setting good goals (simple, measurable, achievable, results-oriented, and timely) and this seemed like a good way to think about what I really want to do with the next 2.7 or so years of my life — besides working to pay the bills, and furthering my education.

To be honest, this is a pretty ambitious list, given what my free time is going to look like soon.  So, I’m entering this project with permission to decide that I don’t have to do every last thing.  This is just a list of some things that are important to me, right now.

Legend: Italics means the thing is in progress, strikethrough means it’s done.

Adulthood

• 1 .   Reevaluate homeowners insurance
  • I’ve never really done a proper inventory of all of the valuable things I owned to make sure they are properly covered, in the event that something horrible happens.  I also didn’t modify the insured value of the house when I got the windows replaced.
• 2.    Get re-certified in CPR
  • The Red Cross just started sending me reminders.
• 3 .   Save 3/4 of the way to a new car (0.006%)
  • This will go faster, once #7 below is finished
• 4.    Get engaged
  • So gross.
• 5.    Make a will
• 6.    Make a living will
• 7.    Build emergency fund to 6 months (60%)
• 8 .   Talk to a financial planner
• 9 .   Donate 1 gallon of blood   (0/8 pints)
• 10.   Get my US and Canadian credit reports/scores
  • I haven’t really cared about my credit score since I bought the house. The US one should be pretty immaculate (I have much better credit habits now than 5-6 years ago), but  I should probably at least make sure there isn’t anything negative/inaccurate on there.

Culture

• 11.    Read Gravity’s Rainbow
• 12 .   Read Akira
• 13.    Watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s
• 14 .   Learn Rush’s music
  • Sometimes, I feel like a bad Canadian because I pretty much only knows the songs that are in Rock Band.
• 15 .   Watch the Evil Dead series
  • It’s my secret nerd shame that I haven’t actually _seen_ any of these movies.  I know what a boom-stick is though.
• 16.    Visit the Minnesota Institute of Arts

Education

• 17.    Finish my Master’s degree
  • I pretty much only have to come up with a topic for, and then actually write, a mini-thesis. I’m thinking that I might try to convince my advisor to let me do something that will mesh well with my legal education – like an examination of the current legal climate for intellectual property, or the like.
• 18.    Participate in Law Review contest
  • This is a little bit of insanity that happens immediately after exams in first year.  I wish I could skip it, but being on Law Review will be extremely important for my job prospects come 2014.
• 19.    Finish 2L year
  • At a part time pace, this should take me about 2.5 years.
• 20.    Buy new windows laptop for school
  
  • Technically, I bought one yesterday, but I’m not sure if I like it enough to keep it, yet.
• 21 .   Create a viable study space/sanctuary

Health and Fitness

• 22.    Get below 220lbs
• 23.    Do 100 pushups
• 24.    Do yoga 5 times
  • Basically, the idea is to decide if I like it.  Other people seem to like it, so…
• 25.    Ride my bicycle to work and back
• 26.    Find an exercise program/schedule that is compatible with work and school

Homebrewing

• 27.    Enter the MN State Fair home brew competition
  • Mainly to get impartial feedback on my beers, so I can gain more confidence.
• 28.    Brew a cider
• 29.    Brew an all grain beer
• 30.    Design better homebrew labels
• 31.    Become BJCP certified
  • Again, this is more about increasing my confidence in the quality of my home brew. Also, it is a good excuse to drink more beer.
• 32.    Convert both keggles
  • I obtained a couple of commercial beer kegs that Joe & Missy didn’t want in their house anymore, and, with Nerd 2’s help, I’m converting them into the most awesome brew kettle/mash tun pair possible (examples).  Today, I learned to use a plasma cutter to cut the lids off.

Crafts

• 33.    Enter a sweater at the state fair
• 34.    Sew/make and awesome costume for Halloween or Con
• 35.    Dye yarn at home
• 36.    Weave something
• 37.    Take a beading class
• 38.    Finish 7 sweaters or shawls (0/7)
  • I’ve got yarn for far more than that, I just lack time.
• 39.    Design and publish a knitting pattern
• 40.    Knit the Great American Afghan
  • Or maybe the Great American Aran Afghan
• 41.     Determine the amount of yarn I can knit in 1 year
• 42.    Reduce yarn stash to < 3 years worth

Food & Liquor

• 43.    Cure/smoke my own bacon
  • I picked up a 10lb pork belly from Osseo Meats this weekend, and today I started curing three 3lb slabs:
    • Basic Dry Cure (from Charcuturie)
    • Basic + Maple Syrup
    • Basic + Garlic, Bay Leaves, and Juniper Berries
• 44.    Make a list of 10 favourite cocktails, memorize how to make them (0/10)
• 45.    Make simple syrup, make something with it.
• 46.    Make sour mix, make something with it
• 47.    Make puff-puffs
  • A yummy Nigerian fry-bread variant
• 48.    Learn to appreciate scotch and whisk(e)y
  • It’s just distilled beer — why don’t I like it?
• 49.    Start my basic methods cookbook – 20 “recipes”
  • I like being able to throw recipes together using very simple guidelines. I figure other people might enjoy the same.
• 50.    Can things, eat them the following winter
• 51.    Decorate (and serve to other people!) cupcakes that I’m not ashamed of
• 52 .   Decorate (and serve to other people!) a cake that I’m not ashamed of
• 53.    Make hummus from raw garbanzos
  • The fact that I did this today is what is forcing me to edit/post this list now.
• 54.    Learn to make 3 different salsas
• 55.    Find a decent recipe for coleslaw
• 56.    Make kumbocha
• 57.    Make 10 pan sauces, at least one without followinga recipe (1/10)
  • they don’t have to be different, I just want to learn the process

Motorcyle

• 58.    Learn to change the oil on my motorcycle
• 59.    Install frame sliders on my motorcycle
• 60.    Take a 200 mile ride on my motorcycle
• 61.     Take a 400 mile ride on my motorcycle

Miscellaneous Hobbies

• 62.    Make a firework that both leaves the ground and explodes (and is a pretty colour)
  • This is probably the most dangerous, illegal, and fun item on this list.
• 63.    Buy a bass guitar
• 64.    Learn to play bass guitar
  • I need a better definition of “done” for this one, I’m thinking it will be something along the lines of learning the bass line to Tank! (the Cowboy Bebop Theme) and a couple of other good bass songs of my choosing.
• 65.    Find a geocache
• 66.    Learn to weld

House

• 67.    Clear off soffits in kitchen, destash or reorganize the stuff that’s up there
• 68.    Develop a spice organization system
• 69.    Organize digital music – ID3 tags, album art, playlists
• 70.    Rearrange living room
  • I have a plan, but it involves moving a 55 gallon fish tank, and a 40″ CRT TV from the late 80s.  This is not something to be undertaken lightly.
• 71.    Organize library
• 72.    Build a deck
• 73.    Buy a new tv or projector
• 74.    Finish the basement bathroom
• 75.    Paint the basement living room
• 76.    Fix landscaping in front of the house
• 77.    Revive dead front lawn
• 78.    Take 5 pictures worthy of framing and hanging up on my wall
• 79.    Buy a new office chair
• 80.    Deal with the basketcase  in the garage
  • Left behind by my ex, apparently it’s most of the pieces to a late seventies Harley Sportster.

Random

• 81.    Fold 1000 paper cranes (0/1000)
  • Yes, I get a day off

Social

• 82.    Host a LAN party
• 83.    Host a movie night
• 84.    Host a dinner party
• 85.    Throw a surprise party for someone

Tech/Geeky

• 86.    Publish a smartphone app
• 87.   143 blog posts (average of one per week) (0/143)
• 88.   Learn basic strategies to not suck at Starcraft 2 or another RTS
• 89.    Set up media/file server PC
• 90.    Improve my graphic design and web tech skills enough to design a custom theme for the blog
• 91.    Write a 101 things widget for wordpress
• 92.    Attend a technical user group meeting
• 93.    Sell/Donate Toshiba Satellite

Travel

• 94.    Go to Japan
  • Given that Nerd 2 and I are both in school now, this is probably ambitious.  It might end up being planned as a mutual graduation present.
• 95.    Go backpacking
• 96.    Visit 3 national parks
• 97.    Visit Lake Itasca
• 98.    Visit the BWCA

Work

• 99.    Read The Now Habit and Getting Things Done
• 100.    Make an intentional job switch within my software engineering career
• 101.    Write honest feedback for the person who needs feedback written

Acknowledgments: Thanks to Dan for introducing me to the idea, and Jenni and Wendy for taking the idea and running with it.  I’m pretty sure that I’ve got lots of stuff on here that was inspired by (if not stolen whole-cloth) from their lists.

What’s capers… eh?

Given that I finally made a dish with capers for the first time ever yesterday, Nerd 2 and I got to speculating about what exactly they were — besides “mad delicious”.

We both hoped they were some kind of plant material, as opposed to:

• Gecko gall bladders
• Avian appendices
• Snail heads (given their “gourmet” nature we suspected that they might be French)
• The new Eye of Bat-ness
• Jellyfish amygdalas
• or Poop, of some sort

Turns out that they are flowerbuds.  Which is good to know.