Setting Goals
I can't believe I haven't blogged since the start of the year. I blogged a few dozen times in my head but I guess that doesn't count.
The biggest news of the year is that I was not RIF'ed this week. Several of my good friends and peers were. That part was very sad.
I asked and received a transfer to another group back in October. My transfer was granted but not until January 23, 2009. RIFs were January 22, 2009. Lucky for me, I was able to get my transfer to the new group and was not laid off. I have very mixed feelings however. The manager I've had for the past 5 months is evil incarnate - and I realize what I just said and I stand by it. Any manager who motivates by fear, treats employees with disrespect and total condescension and thinks it's fun to play games ("I am giving Mary all the "crap" work because she's leaving the group") rates so low in my esteem. I'm ashamed to work for a company who would promote and support such a person. On the other hand, I very much like and respect my new manager and the work I am doing. And let's face it, any additional quarter you can stay employed in this economy is a very good thing.
Okay, enough ranting.
Oh wait, before I go back to the non-confrontational subjects, did you watch the inauguration? I did. It was amazing to see so many people attending, waving their flags, telling their stories. I hope we haven't put too much on the shoulders of one human being, still, it's good to see some hope for our country and its place on the planet Earth.
Knitting
I've been working hard on my mom's birthday vest. Here's a picture of the back and one side.
I've completed the other side and have just to block the pieces and sew up the seams. I'm happy with this project. I hope my mother doesn't find the colors too bright. I could have skipped by some the brighter pinks and greens but personally, I like the bright colors so I did not. Let's hope it will all match up and look good together once it is completed.
I'd have it all blocked and seamed by now but my spare bedroom, where I normally do all blocking, currently looks like this
This is the top of my desk. The floor looks the same or perhaps worse. I've had 3 straight weekends of dog events and all I've managed to do with my Christmas decorations so far is to pick them up and stuff them in the spare bedroom. I'm home all this weekend and so this weekend is dedicated to cleaning my house which includes putting away the Christmas stuff. Then I'll have a clutter free room for blocking the vest.
Setting Goals
So, what about this setting goals?
I always like to set goals at the beginning of the year. As for knitting goals, I have many.
I want to complete my white blob.
I want to learn more about knitting instead of just knitting. I think/hope this statement makes sense to my knitting blogger friends.
I've knit plenty of top down sweaters, but all raglans. I want to knit a top down sweater with set in sleaves. I want to learn lots more about seamless knitting.
I want to knit more without being tied to a pattern.
I want to do more color knitting.
Lots of goals. So what am I going to do to reach for these goals?
I've started the Cameo sweater from Custom Knits.
I've order all the Elizabeth Zimmerman books I do not already have. And I'm going to read them all!
I plan to knit the Baby Bonnet from the Jan/Feb Piecework.
This should get me started.
Dogs
The dogs and I have been very busy. I took Moby, Rumor and Fancy to the shows at the Excel Center in St. Paul the first weekend of January. It's a very nice show site once you are there and settled. To get there and settled however, is so much lugging and hauling, loading and unloading. Every year I do it I swear I'll skip it the next year. Still, I was very happy with my dogs' showings. Rumor won her class each day and Fancy placed in the competitive Bred By Exhibitor class even though she was the youngest in the class.
Since then we've done two weekends of agility trials in January. Not a lot of success to report there, but then, my dogs and I are novices still in agility. March will mark our first year since entering an AKC agility trial. We have a lot to learn yet.
Still, that doesn't stop us from setting goals. Lots of goals for the dogs this year. Someone suggested I make a training blog. Hum, I've been thinking about this. Perhaps I'll add a training section to the blog. I don't blog very often as it is though, so it deserves more thought.
Meanwhile, I'll leave you with this picture of Percy. My dogs are such a big part of my life, my job is so important, my knitting is my relaxation. Percy, I don't know how to describe Percy, but the dogs and I would be lost without him. For sure we'd at least be overrun by mice!
The biggest news of the year is that I was not RIF'ed this week. Several of my good friends and peers were. That part was very sad.
I asked and received a transfer to another group back in October. My transfer was granted but not until January 23, 2009. RIFs were January 22, 2009. Lucky for me, I was able to get my transfer to the new group and was not laid off. I have very mixed feelings however. The manager I've had for the past 5 months is evil incarnate - and I realize what I just said and I stand by it. Any manager who motivates by fear, treats employees with disrespect and total condescension and thinks it's fun to play games ("I am giving Mary all the "crap" work because she's leaving the group") rates so low in my esteem. I'm ashamed to work for a company who would promote and support such a person. On the other hand, I very much like and respect my new manager and the work I am doing. And let's face it, any additional quarter you can stay employed in this economy is a very good thing.
Okay, enough ranting.
Oh wait, before I go back to the non-confrontational subjects, did you watch the inauguration? I did. It was amazing to see so many people attending, waving their flags, telling their stories. I hope we haven't put too much on the shoulders of one human being, still, it's good to see some hope for our country and its place on the planet Earth.
Knitting
I've been working hard on my mom's birthday vest. Here's a picture of the back and one side.
I've completed the other side and have just to block the pieces and sew up the seams. I'm happy with this project. I hope my mother doesn't find the colors too bright. I could have skipped by some the brighter pinks and greens but personally, I like the bright colors so I did not. Let's hope it will all match up and look good together once it is completed.
I'd have it all blocked and seamed by now but my spare bedroom, where I normally do all blocking, currently looks like this
This is the top of my desk. The floor looks the same or perhaps worse. I've had 3 straight weekends of dog events and all I've managed to do with my Christmas decorations so far is to pick them up and stuff them in the spare bedroom. I'm home all this weekend and so this weekend is dedicated to cleaning my house which includes putting away the Christmas stuff. Then I'll have a clutter free room for blocking the vest.
Setting Goals
So, what about this setting goals?
I always like to set goals at the beginning of the year. As for knitting goals, I have many.
I want to complete my white blob.
I want to learn more about knitting instead of just knitting. I think/hope this statement makes sense to my knitting blogger friends.
I've knit plenty of top down sweaters, but all raglans. I want to knit a top down sweater with set in sleaves. I want to learn lots more about seamless knitting.
I want to knit more without being tied to a pattern.
I want to do more color knitting.
Lots of goals. So what am I going to do to reach for these goals?
I've started the Cameo sweater from Custom Knits.
I've order all the Elizabeth Zimmerman books I do not already have. And I'm going to read them all!
I plan to knit the Baby Bonnet from the Jan/Feb Piecework.
This should get me started.
Dogs
The dogs and I have been very busy. I took Moby, Rumor and Fancy to the shows at the Excel Center in St. Paul the first weekend of January. It's a very nice show site once you are there and settled. To get there and settled however, is so much lugging and hauling, loading and unloading. Every year I do it I swear I'll skip it the next year. Still, I was very happy with my dogs' showings. Rumor won her class each day and Fancy placed in the competitive Bred By Exhibitor class even though she was the youngest in the class.
Since then we've done two weekends of agility trials in January. Not a lot of success to report there, but then, my dogs and I are novices still in agility. March will mark our first year since entering an AKC agility trial. We have a lot to learn yet.
Still, that doesn't stop us from setting goals. Lots of goals for the dogs this year. Someone suggested I make a training blog. Hum, I've been thinking about this. Perhaps I'll add a training section to the blog. I don't blog very often as it is though, so it deserves more thought.
Meanwhile, I'll leave you with this picture of Percy. My dogs are such a big part of my life, my job is so important, my knitting is my relaxation. Percy, I don't know how to describe Percy, but the dogs and I would be lost without him. For sure we'd at least be overrun by mice!
posted by mary at 7:18 PM
4 Comments:
I'm glad you still have a job! I, too, am just thankful to still be employed. Your former boss sounds like a real arse.
Percy's tail is looking good!
Good for you for keeping a job! It think my former boss must be your former boss' twin ...
I think your knitting and doggy goals are things that sound reasonable, and I'm glad to hear how well you have done so far.
Percy reminds me so much of our sweet Hannah - we miss her so much! Please give him a pat from me. I'm glad to see his tail seems to be fine.
You have been BUSY!
I'm not sure what RIF means, but I am sorry to hear it's made you unhappy. I have had an equally evil boss, so I can sympathize.
Sounds like the dogs are a source of joy for you - that's a positive!
I am so glad you are back to blogging. Gives a Nashville girl a little vicarious living with you knitting, dog training, computing fast lane types. I do, however, own a very wonderful, old tomcat. But he is too good to chase any mice!
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