geekery, and close, but not quite there

My latest fit of geekery, first. I bought a new e-reader, the Barnes & Noble simple touch Nook. I love it. The e-ink is amazingly clear, especially when I change the font (oh, love!) to get rid of pesky serifs. All of the books on my old Sony transferred over perfectly. And, I get to read anything I like for an hour at the BN cafe, free! (I  started the new biography of Catherine the Great. I may have to acquire it. BN knows what it's doing with free samples - stirring up book lust in yet another format.)


What do I love about e-readers? Everything. What do I do with them that others might think was rather geekish? I transcend time. Totally. Like this -- reading "A Midsummer Night's Dream" on the e-reader while listening to the play, which I've downloaded to my iPod Nano, while taking notes on the play... with a fountain pen, in a Moleskine notebook. 

As for "not quite there," let me show you a little bit of knitting. The yarn is not quite that colorway: it's called Bordeaux, and it's an alpaca mix from Moose Manor Hand Paints. The pattern is a lacy cowl. It does not quite make it - the stitch pattern obscures the colorway, which obscures the stitch pattern. As I was about to bind it off last night, I realized... nope.  It's been frogged, and re-born as a cowl with some eyelets, but more solid areas than not. Much better. I'll show you when it's done.  


Coming soon: my total obsession with A Discovery of Witches, which was the first book I bought for the Nook. In the meantime, you can read what Penny wrote about it. 

done, and done

No, not the blog, although one might think so, since my posts have been so infrequent . My career. Buh-bye. New York State offered an incentive I couldn't refuse, and I didn't. I'll be over and done, 10-4 good buddy, on 10 September, at least in this incarnation of a career.

I was dithering until last Tuesday, when my therapist provided me with clarity, and a mantra. Should I leave now, should I wait until November, blah blah blah... and she said, "Teabird, you're done."  She's right. (She doesn't really call me Teabird.) I'm done.

I.Am.Done. I.Am.Done. I.Am.Done. I.Am.Done. 

Done is good. A job well and truly done is good. Time now to breathe, and move on.

What have I been doing? Reading, some. I've read the first two Sookie Stackhouse novels on my eReader, and I'm listening to Saturday by Ewan McEwan. I bought the e-book of Lives Like Loaded Guns by Lyndall Gordon, the new biography of Emily Dickinson, and started to read it today.

Writing, some. Mostly letters, some rather tardy. My friend Stoneview inspired me to join Postcrossing, which I did today, and my friend Madame Purl inspired me to take up crewel embroidery, which I shall as soon as I get the design I've been drooling after considering on eBay for a month. 

Spinning, some. I've spun another big hank of the Teddy Bear roving and more of the AbbyBatt, and almost finished the shawl I was knitting when last I mentioned knitting.

Spending, some. I've just ordered a tiny inkle loom from here, and I'm looking forward to some loomtime with Penny (not to mention scritch 'n' snuggle time with Shadow Ninja).

Fretting, some. That's my nature.

And - beginning to see possibilities for adventure, learning, growth, facetime with friends, and maybe even productive uses of precious time. Just beginning. I don't want to jinx anything.

Over to you.  Are you retired? Are you going to retire soon? What does "retire" mean to you? I really want to know.

Oh, by the way: this spindle was designed for me by Yorkieslave, whose purse puppies have become an obsession (and a growing collection). This one depicts a fossil, in amber, one of my favourite things. Amber is wonderful for a spindle, for jewelry, and for an object of contemplation. It's also good for a reminder of what not to be...

p.s. - this post is for Carrie, who prodded me to write it... go over and wish her a belated happy birthday!