And Here She Is...

Well, it happened. John asked me to marry him, so I am officially engaged.

I will be posting a pic of my ring soon- it's gorgeous (helps when I got to pick it out).

Date: Sometime in August. Will let you know as soon as it's set. Email me your addresses please!

schlesinger.julie@gmail.com

I have recently rediscovered knitting. Wow, it's time consuming- but I love it. More than just the repetitive motion, it's the completion and having something to show for your time and patience.

Reminder: Knitting is not cheap. A good pair of needles will set you back $12-$20 depending on size and material. Yarn price ranges across the board depending on weight, length, dye and material. Keep in mind that you will probably use more than one skein per project ($6 suddenly turned into $60 for a decent sweater).

I'm sticking with the smaller projects right now- scarves, hats, gloves....

I finished a pair of lime green fingerless sock-gloves the other day. They're pretty rough. I realized that I'm OK on the basic stitching, but I get a little chaotic on the tricky stuff. Oh well....

Current Projects (yes, all at the same time):
White Bucket hat (1920-30's flapper-esque)
Beaded scarf (yikes, avoid mixing two mediums in the future)
Finish John's fingerless gloves (he is claiming he'll do it, but has realized he abhors knitting)

Projects to finish before Xmas (yes, including those above):
2 more scarves- I want to do something out of the ordinary, but time is of the essence.
another pair of gloves

I'll post some pictures of the works, both finished and in progress, when I get back to the house!

Shakespear once wrote, "In wine there is truth." I don't remember which play he wrote it in, but the phrase I have remembered since freshman year.
I will admit that I do the occasional binge drinking. Usually with my tailgaiting friends before the Utes Game. I have a grand time! But Shakespear was right.
The insecurities of humanity come out with the induction of alcohol. Even the most "put together" of people can have the worst unseen problems when the wrong alcohol is introduced into the blood stream. However, I have found that I have not had those problems when intoxicated. I don't think that being 'drunk' is an excuse for your actions. You are who you are. I do believe that people should be held accoutabled for their actions whether or not alcohol was a factor. We are human, and therefore prone to social and relational mistakes, but you should be responsible for your actions. Period.

That is all I have on this drunked eve.

As per Leah's request I am posting pictures of John and me. I guess it's about time, we've been together almost a year!After a grueling golf game with my BRAND NEW clubs (all pink...)

Family trip to Hawaii, waiting for the rental car.

The condo in Hawaii. It was sooo hot and sticky.

Golfing in Hawaii. Obviously another great game!

I think I want a new pair of shoes.





It has started raining, fairly regularly and the temperature has dropped to the mid 80's (a welcome relief after several weeks reaching above 100). I'm not sure what has changed, but something in the air has dampened my mood.





It may be the start of yet another school year, or the fact that holiday season at work will soon be here- I'm not sure.





What ever it is, I'm sure it's nothing that a new pair of shoes couldn't handle.





I'm thinking a new pair of spunky heels. However, not practical for the fall/winter seasons. Maybe some new boots...

Some days I stop and think about how hard I have been working and when I am going to fit in enough sleep so that I don't feel exhausted each day. So far I have yet to get more than 6 hours of sleep per night, even when the next day is technically my day off. I guess that's what I get when I work full time, am finishing my last semester of school and am teaching dance twice per week.

But today was different. I read through my childhood friend's blog. Right now it is her only means of communication to the world she once new in the US. She joined the peace corps. Andi, the girl who hated bugs and would never have dreamed of sleeping outside is volunteering in Panama to help with agricultural needs. My perspective on 'hard' has suddenly taken a drastic change.

I work hard, I spend long days on my feet, dealing with customers that are trying to nickel and dime me for anything free I can give them. Come on people, you are spending $2500 on a 50" LCD and you want the HD cable free? Really? Don't get me wrong, I love my job and plan on being with the company (Best Buy, for those of you that didn't know) indefinitely. After reading Andi's blog, I realized that what I do to work hard is nothing compared to what she and her host site do. They are trecking a 45 to 50 degree slope where the corn crop glows, carrying manuer on their backs to fertilize and sometimes working all day without food or water. When the sun comes up, so does she, when it goes down, she does Andi.

All this without running water and electricity? I like to think I could do it if presented the situation, but I couldn't say that I would want to. Andi wrote that she had her first hot shower in over a month when she went to town to meet up with some friends- she cried.

For everyone out there, stop for a minute. When you're paying that massive electricity bill or complaining about gas prices, think for a moment what you would do if suddenly the luxuries we take for granted were gone. I know that we don't all choose to join the Peace Corps, but there are people in the world who don't get the choice, they are born there.

I'm not usually such an activist, but it feels different when there is someone living that way so close to my heart. Good Luck, Andi. Have a safe 2 years away from home!

WOWZA! Looking back, I got busy busy in Germany and stopped posting daily (or even weekly). I now wish I had done it! Lots of little things about the trip have escaped my memory!

However, I have never been one to keep a diary or journal or anything like that. I rely on my not-so-amazing memory. I figure the things I remember without the diary are the things worth remembering! right? If they don't stand out in the hundreds of hours of my life, why would I write them down? I can't imaging myself re-reading them anyway. I just wouldn't have time.