Monday, March 26, 2007

English Language

The Career Services website has warnings to make sure that we use proper grammar when writing our workreports. There are even links to resources on the proper use of the English language. None of this changes the fact that the use of the word "whom" is asking for your marker to complain that your report is unreadable.

Friday, March 23, 2007

Now With Twice As Many Needles

So work has been going a little slowly. Not that I don't have enough of it, just that it takes a while to do. And a lot of that time is thumb-twiddling time. Or, as I like to think of it, knitting time. So, since I've finished the shawl (it is blocked! Pictures coming when I get my camera back), I brought the lace scarf that I started last summer. Now this scarf, like most, is knit flat. Unlike most of my knitting, however, this scarf is not knit on a circular needle (they're great for knitting flat, just work back & forth using the two ends as two different needles). It needed the needle that I left at my place. Fortunately I remembered said needle today. (It was found when I was trashing my place looking for darning needles. I guess I need to lose something else so I can find the darning needles now).

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Pass The Pass!

Yes, it's unoriginal, but it's something of a solidarity thing. The anti-bus pass group around campus has lots of posters up, and I'm scared that it won't pass. I'm also really disturbed that people could be opposing the bus pass for any reason other than extreme lack of funds. To put it in perspective - if you have enough money to go out to the bar & drink you can afford the bus pass. It's a lot better for your liver too. If you can afford to drive (to class or elsewhere) you can more than afford the pass - it's a heck of a lot less than insurance for the under-25 age group.

The other thing that annoys me about the anti-pass group is that they're pretending that it's a commuter pass. At $50 for the term this pass is not aimed at students who take the bus to campus. (Students who do take the bus to campus will definitely be doing a happy dance if this passes, because it's an incredible deal when looked at in that light). This pass is more of a "I use the bus occasionally, and it would be nice to take the bus home without having to worry that I don't have any tickets" thing.

So please, for the love of COMMON SENSE remember to vote for the pass!

"...to help other people,..."

So the other night I was walking along, heading to guides. Those of you who know me, I'm sure, are nodding your heads at the fact that I have yet to fix my bike. What makes this interesting though is I'm walking along carrying groceries, rather more than I had intended. I had two different people, one of the girls' parents and one of the other guiders stop and offer me rides. (Yes, this means I didn't take them. In my defense the rides were offered when I was almost all the way there). The amusing part? This is the first time I've had people stop for me on the way to guides, and I've been walking all winter.

It's nice to know that people do look out for each other. And nice to know that they'll still keep talking to me after I refuse a ride.

Monday, March 19, 2007

Good Day to Be Canadian

So this is my March saint's day. I don't have a drop of Irish blood in me (although I do like the music), so St. Patrick's day isn't really that big a deal for me (although he is a cool saint). St. Joseph, on the other hand, is the patron saint of Canada. As an aside, I've always thought that we got the short end of the stick somewhat there, as he's also the patron of the universal church, of workers (as one himself) and of adoptive parents, as well as many other sundry things. However as I believe that the States has Mary as a patron I guess I oughtn't complain too much.

So what am I doing today? Well.. not a lot. Danielle Bean has linked to some traditional recipes, but I have guides tonight, and need to go shopping before that. I didn't make it to mass this morning, and I don't know of any this evening (even if I didn't have guides). Does that change the fact that it's a special day for me? Not in the least.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Help!

Ok, I need advice. Turns out that Katrina has indeed been discontinued. There are three lots up on eBay that I would be interested in. Lilac, Red and Blue.

Advice on which one? And should I be using Katrina for this sweater. Oh, yeah. Should I be making the sweater at all?

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Katrina!

Ok, so this is the sort of thing that works better on a different type of blog. Like the kind that people read. But I'm trying to figure out if Patons still makes Katrina yarn. I knit a sweater for a friend using it, and I've found a sweater that I think would be beautiful in that.

It's not listed on their site. I had a bit of fun going through eBay to find out what it was called (I remembered what it looked like, and that it was a Patons yarn. There are worse things to have to figure out). The advantage of eBay is that there is some yarn available there. However it's a bit more expensive than I'd like to pay. I like knitting, and I do need clothes, but the colour I like is currently over $50 for what is *hopefully* enough.

I am (possibly) going to Michael's soon to get supplies for my dress (although I've taken long enough that I can just wait until I go home and use what's there). I'll take a look, however if I'm going to need this online yarn I do want to know to keep an eye out for it.

Monday, March 12, 2007

Ah. Engineering.

4 students walk into the materials lab

"oops."
"Did you just drop our sample under that packing crate?"
"Oh, look, I bet it landed top down. We're going to have some interesting scratches on that one."


A prof is walking down the hall, chatting with a colleague

"... but if you fasten something with Robertson screws, and then ship it to, say, Germany..."

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Clothing

So I may well be acquiring more clothes. Less painfully than normal. Women in Engineering is having a clothing swap. I'll see if I can get away with ditching some of my larger clothes there, and picking up some stuff that more resembles my size. In other news, I was walking around Uptown the other day, and the shiny store displays caught my eye (they do that, even when it's just clothes). Everything was green. I'm thinking that if one of my colours is in this season I should buy some clothes (bonus: it's not red, which I don't really have too much of anymore, but still need to cut back on).

The prospect of being able to find nice clothes in the stores (or in POETS) is a very nice one. Because it would appear that I'm going to need a *ahem* T-square if I ever want my dress to be done.

Friday, March 02, 2007

Living with Fourth Years

In this week's episode we discuss post-IRS fun!

So the other morning I go to the washroom and notice someone's iron ring sitting on the edge of the sink. I was rather surprised by this. Why on earth would Strider have left his ring here? (Cut me some slack. It was morning, and I had lost an hour's sleep the night before. No idea why, just woke up and stayed up.) Eventually it did sink into my brain that two of my current housemates have received their iron rings, and maybe it belonged to one of them. I checked the size and discovered that the ring defintely belonged to one of my housemates (I've stolen Strider's ring often enough that I know what size it is fairly well).

Juggler then staggers into the bathroom to bathe. He quickly popped out again, letting me know about the ring. I then demonstrated that it was the wrong size, it couldn't belong to Strider. Juggler, not being awake, needed to have the fourth year housemates pointed out to him before he understood the source of the ring.

The real fun, however, started when one of the fourth years came out of his room. I asked him if his ring was missing, and told him that there was one in the bathroom. Explaining that, yes, I really think it's yours, it belongs to you or to the other guy who lives here, took a while. However we now (hopefully) have it all sorted out. The other fourth year is back, and he hadn't lost his ring, nor are his fingers small enough to fit into the one that was lost.