Sometimes I want to pull away from the florescent energy-saver illuminated life, surrounded by self righteousness and pretentiousness. All these fresh adults reveling in their new-found adultiness. Yes I have been there. But now I want to go back. Go back into the basement bar. Go back into the dark in the car that had a tape deck. Go back into the vodka and club soda with a dried-up lime. Go back into anonymity. Into the black.
2009: Dec. 10
2010: Dec. 7
2011…. Dec. 11!
The heat is on.
Love is touching souls
Surely you touched mine
Cause part of you pours out of me
The day after we turned on the heat, through no correlation that I can see, I was struck down with the severe stomach pains. A stomach ulcer. Four months of ibuprofen with Tums chasers for my broken hand in combination with a major career change and the stress that goes along with that and starting one’s own business apparently is not good for the belly.
So, I’ve had an incredibly restricted diet, a trip to the doctor, and a refill on my anxiety pills. Yaaay!
The real downside to all this is that our society, like so many in the world both currently and in the annals of history, base a great deal of social interaction around food and beverage that I currently cannot consume. Cup of tea? Meet for coffee? Drinks after work? Pizza party? Sushi date? I was feeling really lonely and really bummed out.
So, I invented a game called Nerd Wars. It’s on Ravelry, and at first I was borrowing pretty heavily from the structure of the HPKCHC.
Here’s the general gist:
Essentially, teams (each team unified by their geekery. For example, a person might be on the DC Comics, Dr. Who, or SCA team) “compete” by completing knitting/crochet/whatever projects that answer a set challenge (there will be a few challenges each round to choose from).
Each project you complete earns your team points. At the end of three rounds (each round being a month long each), the team with the most points wins.
What do they win? Bragging rights, a sweet badge for their profile or a Ravatar. Maybe also in the future there will be tangible prizes as well.
The tournament is hopefully going to be a way to motivate people to finish projects on a (ultimately arbitrary by real life standard, but totally helpful and fun here) deadline, and also meet other Ravelers with similar geeky interests and form friendships with folks.
I started the Ravelry group two days before Christmas. I decided that the game would officially start on February first. I figured that would give me enough time to find someone to play with me, right?
There are now over 350 people in the group. At no point did I expect things to take off this quickly.
There are some AMAZING people who have joined, who are as excited about it as I am. They are helpful, and pumped to do more. Indie dyers and stitch marker makers and other craftspeople have donated items for prizes. People are coming up with incredible ideas on how to make the game more fun, and to get people engaged in it.
In my return to the HPKCHC this winter, I was overwhelmed with how big it has gotten. While I wish for success with Nerd Wars, I do hope that I can keep things manageable for the casual players.
I made an off-Rav website to support the game, and so people who are not on Ravelry (why aren’t you? It’s awesome!!), can see what’s going on. And of course, Facebook and Twitter.
I’m pretty excited.
It’s not for me, really. I just don’t want the pipes to freeze. Please observe the evening temps for the rest of this week:
Hey pals, I am working on making my dad’s Web site better.
Looking for feedback on additional features, etc. tenants/prospective tenants may want to see. How about the template for apartment listings? Is there more information you would want to see here?
I have a couple more available apartments to add, but need fresh photos. let me if you have any constructive feedback. Thanks!
The six weeks have gone by so quickly. I am keeping myself busy with work, which is nice. It could be busier, but I have a good feeling that things are continuing to improve, and get more exciting.
Furnace wars are on, although to my dismay the mister closed the window in the living room before my proposed Nov. 1. That’s fine, though - window’s still open in the bedroom.
My hand is mostly healed, and I have been knitting for a about a month now. Still working on picking up speed, but I feel confident at least a few people will get handknits for secular gift-giving holiday.
Fridays are like high ground. You can see the week behind you, and the weekend, next week, whole future of life out in front of you on every side.
Next week is the last week of this job. Then after that … I’m on my own. Doing my own thing. It makes me excited and anxious. And a little lonely.
I hate to feel lonely. I suppose no one likes it, except maybe teenage poets. But, it makes me feel like I am not strong enough for my own standards. That in fact I should relish this opportunity to stand, like on a Friday, at the high water mark every day.
I know it would be foolhardy to not have some nervousness, anxiety about this endeavor. But at the same time I want to burst through into this new life with as much enthusiasm and confidence as my body can produce. To be bold and shining and Make This Work. If anyone can do it, I can. Just ask my friends and family. They’ll tell you. Or anyway, that is what they tell me. The support is definitely appreciated, and needed to keep my confidence up. But after that, it is all up to me. And that is a lonely place, atop that high water mark, that windy crag.
I will do this.
I had a dream last night while staying in a Holiday Inn Express in Newark, Delaware. Geno’s was still in the basement, only it was where the Big Sleazy is. My friend and I were standing outside - I was collecting money ($5/person) and she was stamping hands. It was still light out, so there were not a lot of people coming in. Besides, I need a refreshing beverage because it was hot out. So, I went downstairs. They had wifi there, but not if you closed the bathroom door. Something to do with it being in a basement, but it seemed weird. Anyway, my reward for helping work the door (and doing so in a very weird outfit), was a small beanie- baby sized plushy, handmade by the barkeep. It was orange. Couldn’t decide between a stegosaurus and a triceratops (although I would never have that conundrum in waking life) and so it came out a Stegaceratops, and was pretty freaking adorable.
So now, I expect you are wondering, why did I have this dream in a Holiday Inn Express in Newark, Delaware. The first part of this quandry is easy to answer - I like Holiday Inn Express. For my money, they are relatively inexpensive, I always know what I am going to get, people are friendly, and they have continental breakfast. Overall, they are RELIABLE, and that is truly what the weary traveler needs.
But Newark, Delaware?
I admit I was lured to the area by the Rest Stop of the Future, but in reality, Delaware just sucks and it was just a stop to keep the day from being too long on the way to D.C. The water tastes gross, the pizza is gross, they don’t sell beer in 7-11 and the beer they have in the liquor store is loads of disappointing and kind of expensive. Thank you, Newcastle, for not being gross.
I did get a bag of nectarines from a farm stand at a rest stop in Massachusetts. That was pretty awesome. That made me feel better about driving through the Bronx at 5p.m. and having to pay more than $9 for the privilege of leaving the state of New Jersey.
And, we listened to a bunch of Prairie Home Companion (no thanks to the crappy reception of New Jersey’s NPR station) on CD that my darling sister lent us.
Today is a new day, filled with possibility and lack of Delaware. I will take photos. Good times will be had.