4.30.2008

the protest is back.

for some reason my header image on this blog is defunct. not good. and i have no time to fix it. so next week will be the overhaul.

smith. smith. smith. smith. being from the igloo-d north i dont really know of all the wonders of this liberal college where young women are seen to attend and "become" lesbians (?) and on feministing there was this post about a protest on campus. and it made me cry.

we are daily convinced that we, feminists, young people, don't have a voice. that no one listens to us, that those in power don't care, and that universities will never bend to our need. we're also told that feminism is dead. that we're not "good enough" feminists. that we're not real activists. young people are told they can't create a revolution like their parents. that we don't burn bras but instead buy fancy ones and strut them around like sluts. this is what young feminists are portrayed as. but that, above, is what we look like.

fuck "giving" republicans their space to say that people who are gay are all pedophiles. fuck the idea of hosting another symposium where "we" can have our say. i'm so proud of those women as smith for standing up to what they feared (someone coming to their campus and telling them that they were "wrong") and for driving them off campus.

young feminists are not apathetic. fuck apathy. i guess i'm geared for my weekend in ottawa planning this feminist conference! ha.

4.29.2008

pre-student loan shopping

i'm sure that all other "poor" students do this when they know they're about to get paid! i'm still waiting on my $1000 from my contract and about the same in travel reimbursements, but next week i should get the first $1800 of my student loan (!!) and this is exciting! every semester at this time i begin "planning" how to spend money coming my way. ha! so, below is a list. my mid-spring student loan wish list. i thought about buying a bunch of yarn online, but i hate not being able to feel it. so there's only a little bit o' yarn. p.s. list is not exhaustive

1. tuition
2. the breeders - mountain battles
3. my huge wishlist over at amazon.ca
4. gilmore girls, season 3
5. this shirt for stewart
6. lots of superwash from knitty dirty girl (above!)
7. noro kureyon sock yarn from darlene's yarns.
8. harmony dpns from knit picks
9. new clothes!!
10. order me some toms

on top of all that i'm almost done friday night knitting club and will move on to either atonement or a salman rushdie novel. can't decide.

and lo and behold. last post was post #500. can you believe that!

and, i just watched the savages with stewart and it was nice to see seymour-hoffman act "normal" for once. he's great.

4.26.2008

queue-busting

i've been listening to the podcast stash and burn quite a bit lately and while i have a relatively small stash, honestly, i have an evergrowing queue over at ravelry. things in this queue include the slouchy trinity stitch hat, mermaid gloves, and the lace ribbon scarf. and over a hundred more. i know this is symptomatic of my pack rat habit. i mean i'll buy so many vintage clothes and leave them lying around with the note on them "put octopus on this" and then never get around to it (obviously, i work too much). and i think this is what's happening in my queue. so, from this point forward i'm not NOT going to put more patterns in my queue or stop myself from buying yarn, but i will only knit things from my present queue (and those things that are commissioned!). my present queue ends at #148 with Anne by MK Carroll, which is lo and behold a crochet pattern. so, i finished three pairs of socks yesterday (one needed a toe and the others just needed some kitchener love, which i still suck at, probably because i'm watching a movie while doing it and it makes no sense), and cast on a pair of saartje's booties which will be a gift for Thomas and Nancy that we're sending over in a care package from Queer Ravelry. i've wanted to make these darling little booties forever. and the shibui knits is so nice for it.

i've also become one of those people who rely on coffee for survival. and it's good because we make yummy coffee around these parts, but our percolator is broken (i have my eyes on this one, which they reserved for me over at etsy) so we can only make single cups, which probably means i'm drinking less coffee. but it's so beautiful outside and i wish i had a windowed seating area to sit in with my martha stewart magazine and a big bowl of grapes and wheat free croissants and this heavenly cup of coffee. see, that's the life. and then hellojen would come over and we'd knit and talk about feminist things. it would be nice.

right now our house is "gas"-less. which means there's not hot water and no heat (read: out of my control, not my problem to fix) and we've been snuggling under blankets and boiling water for dishes and i've been putting boiling water in a bowl to clean my beautiful face every morning. and it's really made me think about HOW much water we consume and HOW we don't really need it. i was talking to mom about it on the phone and we were discussing alternative "heating" for homes such as mini hot water tanks for bathrooms only, for showers. and then floor-based heating with that hot water so you double up on the use of that single energy and then the instant hot water sources in the kitchen that are powered by gas, but it only does a little bit at a time. and then using small heaters in every room instead of central heating. which, i know, i'm in prince george, it gets so cold here. but when i was in japan it was just as cold and just as snowy and i even slept on the floor! and it was warm enough with a petroleum heater. it was amazing. i'm happy i had many experiences in my youth of outhouses, lack of hot water, or water even. otherwise i'd be pretty princessy right now it think.

today we're going to enjoy the warm warm warm day outside! i mean it's supposed to be sunny all day and 16C! library here we come! and we're going to the pool so we can shower ;) xo

4.24.2008

pout 2.o

so, i just took the digital camera that i've had for a year that torie gave to me (read: ghettocam) to take pictures of things i made for the ohsweetie shop and the camera just died. it finally died. and i'm pouting. because i want to put these things up on my shop to make some moolah to buy some groceries, but alas. i must wait for the student loan i guess.

it's that time of the semester when we're scrounging for money to pay rent, borrowing money from my mom to buy groceries, and just counting nickles, eating poopy food, and renting movies from library. it's interesting to see how little we CAN live on but not fun to know that at this specific instant in time i'm expecting $2100 in reimbursements and payment. i also did our taxes yesterday and our combined income for 2007 was honestly $31,000. no wonder it felt like we were always poor. even with my student loans it would only make it $40,000. and there was a wedding and two moves in there. really poopy. so, right now i'm feeling really stressed about money money money. my main frustration is that the reimbursements i'm waiting for are just dragging along in time. and people in these offices don't seem to understand that NOT paying my rent or eating isn't an option around here. and the provincial government cheque issuing turn around is 30 days. so, a reimbursement goes in on the 8th of april and it won't, at the very least, be mailed out until May 8th. shitty. same goes for my contract. 30 day turn arounds on when it gets to finance, NOT the day i submit it. grr.

anyway, i guess i'll just have to plug along at doing more work, getting back on track with my thesis (it's funny, taking two days off and i feel off track). i have a bunch of things i need to get like a scanner, a bunch of pens (for drawing), paper, exacto knives, a mouse for this laptop for precision, and a new digital camera, and a cell phone. aside from my keita in japan, this'll be my first cell phone and my first digital camera, no joke. what year is it?! mans.

on the accomplishing things front i've been knitting a lot. (no pictures! gr!) i am almost done the artichoke socks, have to just graft together the toe of the other socks for my mom, then weave in the ends on my jaywalkers, and i finished another pair of mitty things for grace (who's leaving/gone? i'll miss you baby! have the time of your life!!!) as a gift for driving me to the airport, and i have to finish the other wribblet that vickie gave me. i was hoping to get more money so i could buy some nice everything. i lost that thought for sure.

listening to le tigre, the gossip, and m.i.a. makes it better.

4.22.2008

and the winner is.....



i'm back from my whirlwind trip to victoria and vancouver and i'm exhausted, immediately sick, full of crafting dreams and looking forward to a few days/week of catch up. yay for catch up. i'm finally back at meow, who, hella, won the title of best independent record store in canada *yay!*

so, the winners of the first ever ohsweetie blog contest are:

1st place: Melissa! yay!

2nd place: Grace! yay!

I will email you both shortly re: getting you your prizes!

xoxo

4.18.2008

all the girls are sitting on a pile of gold.




i saw the blow tonight and it was amazing. i have nothing else to say except for natahna and paul are eating licorice and it smells like sugar in here. and we're watching love actually. you're jealous i know. oh, and fuck: meow records IS the best record store in canada. i can't contain myself. xo

4.15.2008

vote now! vote meow!


did you vote? did you enter the contest? did you buy this shirt to support the SPCA?

i'm going to victoria this weekend to see the blow, caribou, and fuckbuttons. as well as climb into cuddling with friends, make new ones, initiate a work contract (finally) and knit. here's hoping i get my last part of my thesis content done by friday at 8:30am.

4.11.2008

and the titty shot...

the record store where i work (meow records) is currently in the top 10 record stores in canada and is working on being the number one! but we need you to vote at radio3.cbc.ca.

in celebration of this excitement i'm going to hold my first ohsweetie blog contest ever. to enter you just have to comment on this blog post (not through any rss's yo! must be on the original blog) and in your comment post your list of your top 10 favourite bands ever! (like i did here). all submissions will be collected during the afternoon of April 19th (international record store day!) and the winner will be drawn out of a hat!

and now, the most exciting part is that the winner will receive (all new!).....

1. a Corey Wintemute (http://www.myspace.com/agunfordinosaur) 7" single!
2. High Fidelity DVD (if you already have this DVD you get CLUELESS on VHS!! ha!)
3. a record-player themed craft
4. personal pride in being awesome!

there will also be a second prize category hereafter named 'almost cool enough' and you will get a corey wintemute 7" single!

note: this is not a contest to solicit votes! meow records isn't actually supporting this contest nor is it part of meow records! it's an ohsweetie contest and you're encouraged to vote for any record store! just vote!

good luck!

p.s. make sure if you enter you leave me a way to get a hold of you technologically that is!!

4.08.2008

return.


i'm sitting in palamino, the milestone's satellite in YVR and i've got a plane to catch in about 2 and a half hours or so. i ordered a sandwich. probably the last wheat i eat for a while. traveling and being "on" those foods i'm usually off was well not very good. i mean, it was GOOD and i don't feel specifically horrible, but i can feel it rising. like a storm. ha! i'm reading a great book for class about sodomies in mexico and spain and the persecution of them.

i'm scattered today. and have been up since about 3:30am PST and only napped a little bit. AUSTIN was amazing but i learned a lot on that trip.

way later: i'm home now and while it wasn't snowing, it was cold. a is a dear and picked me up. if you know the reference please now see yourself as also responsible for giving props. she's an amazing woman!

just a few more minutes later: i'm a terrible person for really feeling what tori's feeling and wanting her new book?

and, i decided i'm going to do a contest soon! prizes! keep your eyes peeeeeeled! and your fingers all qwerty like. xoxo (gossip girl's back in just over a week! woot!)

even more updating: i was just msg'ing someone about seeing one of my top ten favourite bands next week and i thought, i should commit myself to a top 10 all time favourite bands/music right here (maybe in order? or not?)

1. eric's trip
2. le tigre
3. sleater-kinney
4. death from above 1979
5. the blow
6. b52s
7. mirah
8. pinback
9. hole
10. julie doiron

(going for number 10 was hard!)

4.06.2008

day four, austin


today was one of those days where i, in essence, did nothing. i know, it's only 6pm. but i'm exhausted. i slept until almost 11 (!!) and then went to wheatsville and got a coffee, read a few pages (ha!) ate two organic bean and veggie tacos for $4, and bought stuff to make pancakes. which we just ate. oh yum. we went to bookwoman and i bought this book: pin up grrrls: feminism sexuality,and popular culture. i'm not happy i can't really look at it right now because i have to read my really COOL homework! but, i'm off to epoch coffee to read said homework. i was thinking about going to spider house. but i'll save that for the next time i come to austin.

which will happen. i'll be back. not only do i have to bring my research back to this town, i have to make sxsw and stitch west! tomorrow i meet someone in the morning to discuss doing research with her on girls and video games yay! and then in the afternoon i have another interview. then packing and taking the girls for a beer! maybe. they are under 21 so........damn this country and its outmoded rules for young people!!! (p.s. my artichoke socks are looking goooood! this shibui yarn is just so frickin' beautiful!!!)

4.05.2008

day three, austin

these are the shoes at blue velvet. great selection. i wish my feet were plural sized. i bought sunglasses here. as i'm typing this i am realizing that i've got a mini face based sun burn. ouch.

this was my lunch, it's called a senorita plate and had a taco and a chupa (?) and con queso and i had a mojito with it. so yummy.


this is the puppy at hill country weavers. they just opened a knitting house in the back and i spent a few hours there knitting today and meeting some amazing people! and i won a $40 gift cert! wow! so lucky!

oooh, hot rods. this is in the parking lot of jo's. also in this parking lot were about a dozen other hot rods, a country rockabilly sounding guy and his guitar, and people! so many people! then, down the street was the "official" roll out for the weekend and a rockabilly band was playing and people were dancing and just smiling. it made me lonesome a little.

hot rods come with hot bikes. soco was insane today and so nice seeing so many people so happy to look at hot cars (and boys) all day.

ooooh octopus project. how i love you. electro punk noise core. you're my bread and butter. aside from my lys gift cert, you made my day.

this is a really blurry picture of Roots performing right infront of the UT tower. i only made it through one song because so many people were smoking and i was having this adverse reaction to it. bleck.

i'm knitting a few things right now, the first being vickie howell's wribblets and the second being those artichoke socks. i'm using little bamboo dpns and they're making me mad! bring back my double circulars! jesus, i'm going to go watch tv because dan bejar's shitty HELLO BLUE ROSES band came on and it fucking is awful. her voice is so fucking awful and 1970s. and it's not even ironic, so it's NOT EVEN NICE! bleck. (and followed by dragonette, yes!)

xoxooxx

4.04.2008

my second full day in austin

i went to hill country weavers on soco and just was mesmerized by all of the yarn! it was outrageous. i ended up buying a shubui gren sock yarn to make the artichoke socks and i ended up buying some bamboo sock needles too! this yarn in the picture is handpainted and hand spun and is $120USD a skein. who wants to be my sugar daddy!?

this is the michael jackson cupcake. it's so good and gooey and cheesey and delicious. and, well, white on the outside, black on the in. hahah!!

it's hot rod weekend in austin and my god, there are so many cute boys! and girls! and cars! and people with tattoos and cars! and greasers! it's so great!

austin is supposedly the state capitol and this is the closest i'm getting. from the bus.

also in soco, the world's largest aloe (well, the biggest i've ever seen! this one's for you derek!)

i also got to check out parts and labor, craft-o-rama, and a collectibles store! i spent a chunk of money and now i'm sitting in an uppermiddleclass gentrified neighbourhood drinking san pelligrino and knitting wribblets and going to catch the bus back to where i'm staying and eat eggless egg salad, babaganoush, and get my homework under gear. and then knit and sleep. i'm exhausted.

tomorrow is a FULL day: i'll be doing research in the morning, and then heading back to hill country weavers to do the grand opening of their knitting house! hang out with some knitters, check out more hot rods, and then go see the octopus project and the roots, for free! good good good day.

oxox

4.03.2008

austin trip leg #1


time changes suck. i got even littler sleep last night and it's so humid here i'm all gummy and tired. but so far, the parts i've seen i've loved. well, and it's been reaffirmed that america's interesting. and that i'm tired. there's more pictures on my flickr. with descriptions. this mugggggginess is making me sleepy!