Couch + Blanket + Downton Abbey = Happy Librarian

Well, New Year's came and went and life goes on. Scott headed back up North and is doing well. Already found a girlfriend. Nothing can slow that boy down. I went back to work and made LibGuides, created flyers for databases, and met with faculty. I'm looking forward to having the students back on campus so I can get back into the classroom. Though, at the same time, I like the peace and quiet of the library when the students are away. That's life in an academic library for you. Those students are my job security...and hopefully I can get through to a few and spark, fuel, and whatever-other-fire-metaphor them into the path of lifelong learning.

Things at home are quiet. Bubba has been exceptionally clingy lately. I'm not sure why, but it's cute. I haven't been sleeping well and I'm rather tired all the time. Which is probably from the lack of sleep. So I sleep in late on the weekends, which invariably screws up my schedule during the week. Especially since I go back to working 8am-5pm starting tomorrow. Downton Abbey is my reason for waking up on Sundays. I watched the two hour premier last week with Cindy and Andie. I had a tea party but because of the bitter cold a number of people couldn't make it. It's a standing invitation for people to come over and watch Downton Abbey since I have a huge TV. I also have a couch now. Which is extraordinary. I've been sitting on it, lounging on it, and sleeping on it since I got it last Wednesday. It's extremely comfortable and I can't wait to go home (I'm at work waiting for a group of students to come in for some library info) and sit on it again to watch Downton Abbey again. I'm so incredibly obsessed with the show it's not funny. My only solace is that there are people even more obsessed than me.

Knitting...well, I put those socks somewhere where the sun don't shine (my bookshelf behind some pretty condolence yarn). I'm wondering if I should frog them and start anew with a different pattern. But that'd be even more disheartening considering I'm almost done with one. So to take my mind off my sock sorrows I started a blanket. Because that's simple. The pattern is simple, but I'm worried it'll be rather small. I have two afghan skeins I bought eons ago for a blanket and haven't touched until a week ago. It's a leaf design:

Which is lovely and quick. I learned the awkwardness of purling through the back loop. But like I said, I'm worried it'll be too small. If it is too small, I'll end up using it as a lap blanket for work. 

But that's all that's new in my life...how is everyone else? 

Obligatory New Year's Post

Well, it's the new year. 2014. I should probably talk about all the wonderful and not-so-wonderful things that happened in 2013. Then regale you with tales of my 2014 goals. But I'm not feeling it. I've always found New Year's to be rather depressing. It's that whole ending/beginning human conflict I just can't get past. To tell the truth, my life these last few years has been a constant test filled with momentous struggles and not quite as momentous victories. I've had so much loss and pain, it's hard to remember those victories. It's hard to imagine any good that may come my way in the year(s) to come. But that's life I suppose. Constant up and down as we try to stay focused long enough to see where we are along the trail.

I will say that my knitting year has followed a similar path of ups and downs. Little binges of knitting here and there. Month to month. I'm bored with everything yet can't seem to start anything new. Same goes for books. I read them, but as soon as I finish that last page I couldn't tell you the plot or about the characters. I can only tell you, in stunted phrases, how it made me feel.

Maybe that's why New Year's is depressing...because all the hopes and goals I thought about never came to fruition. And I know the next year will yield the same.

Okay. That's enough of my emotional unloading on the sorrows of each passing year. Here's my latest obsession:

Not the cat, though he is darn cute. The crocheted fingerless mitts. It's a pattern called V-Stitch Fingerless Gloves by Daphne Bekiari. They're super fast and easy and fun. I made over 8 pairs in less than 2 weeks. Like I said. Obsessed. The only alteration I made to the pattern was that I added another row to the cuff. They're pretty, warm (especially if you use wool), and practical. I made some for my co-workers.