I’m a little under the weather this weekend, and will try my best to take it easy this week. But I just had to show you the (ahem) vintage typewriter that I recently acquired. It’s a late 1965 Royal Safari, probably celebrating its 60th birthday about now, and it’s hard to believe the good condition it’s in. The seller didn’t know anything about its history or its former owner, but it seems to have been used lightly, tucked back in its case and set aside for several decades, then put out as decor just long enough to attract some dust to the type basket. But it works perfectly.
(Seller photo.)
With regard to my research project, last week I hauled nine copies of the same book back to the library. Each book was pretty heavy; I should have weighed them all together before I took them back, but I didn’t think of it. The next phase of the project will be to analyze the data that I gained from examining these copies, and writing an article about what I found — and didn’t find.
This weekend I read a post on Quora that made me realize that my Impossible Read has what you might call an elephant in the room — an invisible elephant. James Joyce’s Ulysses. The original poster was complaining about Ulysses…well, what they actually wrote concluded with, “Can somebody convince me this is not garbage?”
The OP also claimed that Ulysses was their book club’s selection of the month and they were more than halfway through, both of which seem incredibly unlikely, so they are probably just an untruthful troll. But the respondent answered so thoughtfully that I decided to add the book to my reading list. (After all, it’s already impossible, so why not?) He also recommended picking up The New Bloomsday Book: A Guide Through Ulysses, which sounds as if it will help me quite a bit. When I get there, in roughly a decade.
I’m not sure when I should read it or which edition I should look for, but I’m open to suggestions. Anyway, it’s on the list now.
Right now I am two-thirds of the way through The Return of the King, so there is some hope that I will be able to finish it this week and start watching the extended versions of the movies before the end of the year. I may or may not cap off this extended Tolkien segment with a visit to the Tolkien archives at sort-of-nearby Marquette University.
After that, I will be on to three versions of Gilgamesh.
Knitwise, progress on the Universal Scarf has been, admittedly, intermittent. But I have completed 50 repeats, which is 200 rows. It’s just 18 stitches wide, so it’s quickly growing in length. Here it is, so far, at 37 inches long.
This is short, but I must stop now and get my rest. It’s time to sleep, perchance to dream.
This weekend I attended three events that put me in the company of multiple other human beings. These were happy occasions, but I’m finding that it does take me some time to recover afterwards — and some time to prepare beforehand. And now I have just enough time to take a few long, cleansing breaths before sleeping, waking, and diving into an even busier week. Here goes!
I have made no headway on the Impossible Read, but I have decided to forgive myself for it. This is the most hectic part of the spring semester and there just simply has not been a lot of free time for me. When I open the book again, I would like to enjoy at least one or two chapters — uninterrupted. I don’t see that kind of free time popping up this week or weekend, either.
I’ve certainly been accumulating plenty of other books in the meantime, and I’m going to do a graphic novel project with one of our instructors over the summer. In preparation I have been making a stack of the graphic novels that I have already read. (Marj, did I give you the John Lewis trilogy? I don’t need to have it back; I’m just wondering to whom I passed it along.)
I’ve noticed that I have a greater tendency to “pass along” graphic novels than regular ones. Maybe it’s because I want someone else to share the experience. Maybe it’s because I don’t think I will read the book again. I’m not sure.
Knitwise, I have finished the knitting sections of the KAL scarf. There are just a few bits left to do: weave in the ends from the knitting, and add the crocheted edging to each end.
The ends aren’t woven in yet, but they ARE tucked under the rest of the work.
Of course, nothing can really be that simple. Weaving in the ends, I know how to do. And there are only four of them. So I can take care of that at my leisure — which I won’t have much of this week. If I do just one a day, that might satisfy my need to put things in order while I prepare for the other steps of finishing the scarf:
Choosing the yarn for the edging. The pattern suggests that the crocheted edging should be done in a complementary or shockingly contrasting color. Right now I have no idea what to pair with this lavender-ish, mauve-y wool. My plan is to stash-dive for some candidates, then solicit the opinions of more experienced knitters who are more accustomed to working with multiple colors.
Watching the video demonstration of the crocheted edging. Knowing that most of his knitting followers are not crochet experts, the designer created a video to show us how to do just enough crochet. I’m sure that it will be very helpful. I haven’t looked at it yet, and I will do so after I weave in the ends from the knitting.
Calling for backup. I’ll watch the crochet demo with a friend who should be able to explain anything that I don’t understand.
Actually crocheting the edging. I should probably do this under some supervision.
I have continued to make progress on my other project as well — and I even remembered to take progress shots.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
As you can see, the pattern alternates between even numbers of rows in a garter-stitch pattern and rows in an eyelet pattern. One line of the instructions might call for me to knit six rows; the next might call for me to knit thirty-six. My goal is to do what I can comfortably do, and to try to keep doing some knitting every [work] day. It’s a simple pattern that only requires a small amount of concentration — just what I need right now. The fact that it changes color all by itself is a lovely bonus.
I was never the kind of student who went to Daytona Beach or Fort Lauderdale on spring break, back in the day. I went home to stay with my parents for the week, felt that it should be warmer than it was (in mid-March in Ohio), and went cycling before I really should have — and went back to school with a cold.
Now that I’m “all grown up” and working at a university, I don’t even get the break. I have a week of working in a largely silent and solitary office building. The fact that almost everyone else will be gone gives me the freedom to schedule appointments that would usually be a slight inconvenience to others.
MONDAY: Attended the Joints in Motion class at the local aquatic center in the morning; instructor suggested that we bring water bottles to prevent dehydration. Started membership application, but computer glitch prevented completion. Went online to buy a swim cap for use with long hair; bank immediately flagged this as spam. Told bank it was really me; delivery expected on Friday. Made a phone call regarding a car I’d like to donate to a local high school’s body shop program. Sent a message to a person on Facebook Marketplace who was giving away a typewriter desk that was sitting in their front yard. Made a phone call to have my Advance Auto Parts account reset. Got my hair trimmed for the first time in, what, three years? Maybe? Shopped at Aldi. Went home and made chicken salad. Facebook Marketplace person texted, “come and get it.” Went with Eldest to pick up the free typewriter desk, which juuuust fit in the car. Brought the desk home and moved it to the garage next to the other typewriter desk and the writing desk, both of which need to be cleaned, stripped, and refinished. Knitted on the KAL scarf. Started reading about the history of science fiction as background for my biography project.
TUESDAY: After three months of waiting, went to a specialty health clinic for an appointment with a specialty doctor — who, for apparently the first time in his career, did not show up to work. Made new appointment for late May. Had a work meeting about a campus process that nobody in the meeting completely understood; progress was probably made. Went home and ate chicken salad. Knitted on the KAL scarf. Did more reading about the history of science fiction and added several books to the reading list for my Impossible Read.
WEDNESDAY: Went to swim class and brought water bottle. Finished membership application and got key card. Left water bottle on floor of locker room. Rescheduled planned lunch with a friend to check out the plants at the hardware store, because hardware store did not have plants in yet. Rescheduled for next Monday. Consulted the manual for my Hermes Model 8; reset left and right margins, learned how to set tabs, and fixed a loose spring. Typed some file folder labels on the Hermes. Ate chicken salad sandwich for lunch. Went home and knitted on the KAL scarf. Read more about the history of science fiction and added a few more books to the Impossible Read.
THURSDAY: Took the car to my mechanic for an oil change. Waited while air filters arrived from the parts store and were installed. Asked for a quote on getting the other car repaired with a new engine and transmission. At chicken salad sandwich for lunch. Went grocery shopping after work. While Goodwill shopping, found an authentic Scrabble coffee mug. Went home; knitted on the KAL scarf. Read some more about the history of science fiction.
Reader, I bought it.
FRIDAY: Drove to work in a heavy thunderstorm. Swim class was cancelled due to lightning. Retrieved water bottle from lost and found bin at the aquatic center. At work, took a “30 minute” online training module covering accounting basics. After an hour, I learned why I would make a lousy accountant. Ate the last of the chicken salad. Visited the archives to compile information on Math Department course inventories from 1973 through 1997. Long-hair swim cap did not arrive. Knitted on the KAL scarf.
SATURDAY: Donated used jars and bottles to the thrift store. Dropped off one of my saxophones for repairs to the octave key assembly. Visited the local Jo-Ann’s; bought some lovely yarn and a pair of US6 straight needles when what I really needed was a set of US8 circulars. Got home, helped make stew, took nap. Started laundry. Long-hair swim cap did not arrive. Logged in to Ravelry and found patterns (cowl and ponytail-friendly headband) to use for the yarn I bought at Jo-Ann’s. Knitted on KAL scarf. Read through the end of Chapter 9 in The Bright Sword. Finished reading text from the first volume (of three) from the history of science fiction.
Reader, I left it there.
SUNDAY: Overslept; woke at 7 to the sound of violent thunderstorm and dog whimpering outside bedroom door (having gotten around barricade at entrance to kitchen). Sat with dog until thunderstorm abated at 8:30. Took dog for a walk. Knitted on KAL scarf. Read through Chapter 11 in The Bright Sword. More storms passed through; comforted dog. Did online research for biography, using California Newspapers Digital Archive. Knitted on the KAL scarf some more. Took nap. Made copies of genealogy charts to use for logging family information of biography subject. Finished laundry. Started writing blog post….
Adding all those new books to the Impossible Read list really fired me up to get going again on The Bright Sword. When I left off after the third chapter, I had read about 6 percent of the book. Now I’m sitting at 24 percent complete. It’s a fun and quirky book, and I’m enjoying the read. I’m not sure how traditionalists would feel about it. Then again, they have probably already read the Malory. This ain’t Malory.
After seeing how poorly I predicted the future after my first weekend with Bright Sword, I won’t repeat the error. But I’m eager to see how the book goes, and I’m looking forward to ending the Arthurian segment of the Impossible Read and heading on (or back, really) to the Epic of Gilgamesh.
I suppose that you might like to see the free typewriter desk? The weather was not entirely hospitable this weekend and I lacked conditions for a proper photo shoot. But here is what I took from inside my garage.
The long legs made it both tricky and just barely possible to load the desk into the Forester.
Close-up of one of the brass locks, which lack keys.
I’d like to make this desk my primary writing desk after I get it all cleaned up. Don’t tell my other writing desks that they’re not number one (and two) any more.
Knitwise, I arranged with a friend that we would meet a daily goal of two rows of knitting. I’m pleased to say that Carla and I met the challenge. Of course, when you make yourself knit two rows it gets easier to knit four or six.
The knitalong scarf now measures 30 inches in all. I still have quite a way to go, but meeting the daily goals lets me see the steady progress I am making.
I have a little itch to start another project, but I really want to see this one through. I also don’t want to do something that will wreck my hands for the knitting I need to do for this one. The first two rows are a little painful, but then my hands warm up and the next 2-4 rows are easier. Then it starts to hurt again.
I enjoyed searching Ravelry for pattern ideas for the yarn that I picked up from Jo-Ann’s. Which might be the last yarn I ever buy at Jo-Ann’s.
Ring the bell — school’s back in! At least, it will be in tomorrow and we’ll start the twisting, plunging roller coaster ride to the end of the spring semester. Buckle up!
Books and yarn proved to be good therapy to help with getting through this week, which seemed stressful, chaotic, and much longer than necessary. But on Friday I received a notification that a relatively uncomplicated expense report I had submitted on behalf of a third party had made it all the way through the approval process. (And there was much rejoicing.)
I’m still trying to find a place where I can play the saxophone and not drive my poor dog out of his mind. For now, I’m keeping the unrepaired alto and some sheet music in the TV room, where I can keep the dog company while I silently practice fingerings. He is very happy with this arrangement. I am not fully appeased.
I acquired no new typewriters this week, but I’ve been watching some videos about cleaning them up. When I do start to adjust and shine the two computers I have promised to co-workers, I’ll document the process and share it with you. (Or should that content be in another blog, one dedicated to typewriters?)
Recently I hit some milestones with regard to the Impossible Read. I blazed through A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court in less than a week, checked out the DVD of the 1949 musical film version (with Bing Crosby!) from the university library, and asked my local bookstore to find for me a copy of Lev Grossman’s 2024 epic The Bright Sword. After I watch the movie and finish the 688-page Grossman book, that will about wrap it up for King Arthur.
At that point in the Big Plan there has been some reshuffling of the order of books. After the King Arthur tales, the next book I will read is the 2004 retelling of Gilgamesh by Stephen Mitchell in modern English. It runs 200 pages with almost another 100 pages of textual notes. Following that will be a translation of the Mahabharata by William Buck (1973), followed by the first of a twelve-volume set of the Mahabharata printed in Calcutta (the publication date is unknown but the volumes are ancient-looking), so I can get a sense of the translated but relatively unedited prose. Of course, if I fall in love with the prose and absolutely must read the other eleven volumes, they are sitting right there on the shelves of the university library and I’m sure they would love to be checked out. It might be the first time; I can ask the librarians for the circulation record for the title. I feel sorry for the books that never get checked out.
Connecticut Yankee was a pleasure to read and, as its afterword pointed out, a book that satirized almost everything that it possibly could. It’s also counted as one of the first time-travel stories — if not the first of its kind. It was helpful to have read the more standard King Arthur books first; again, the author cites Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur. Since I now have two copies of it, I can read it on the next lap.
Knitwise, I have been making pretty steady progress on the scarf KAL — an average of ten rows a day, until I got to the weekend and poured on the steam. The scarf is constructed in two halves knit from the center outwards, and I’m more than halfway through with the first half, in terms of length.
There were a couple of spots where I had to go backwards for a couple of rows after spotting mistakes that I had made. Errors in the knitting of this pattern are extremely visible! But that means they are also easy to fix if you have your head on straight.
I’m now able to pick up the work and do the correct knitting without referring to the written pattern. Huzzah!
I had another issue pop up in which the yarn tangled itself, but that was also easy to undo.
At this point I know how many rows I should be able to make in the main stitch pattern before I switch to the edging pattern for this half of the scarf. Then I’ll pick up stitches in the cast-on row of this half, and knit the second half in the opposite direction. If that doesn’t make sense, just hang on and wait for the photos-to-come.
Finally, I must give a public thank-you to Eldest, for providing moral and technical support while I finally decided to figure out what was making my Mac so slow. I have been putting off an investigation for months. While we still don’t know what had it moving at a crawl, it’s running along now as quickly as I’m able to type.
We were hit with a little bit of snow a week or so ago, but it has gradually melted away thanks to the combination of rain and warmer temperatures. I have not run into one person who has been sorry to see it vanish. We may get another week of mild temperatures before getting absolutely socked with several inches of snow — but of course the predictive models aren’t as accurate as they used to be, with our having broken the climate and all. Today it looked and felt like mid-March outside, not the end of December. March in Wisconsin is a damp yellowish brown, with marshy soil and patches of mud. It’s not particularly pleasant, and I hope that the flora and fauna don’t get their signals crossed and start acting like it really is springtime.
I haven’t checked in a while, but I’m pretty sure that my copy of The Mists of Avalon is still sitting in my home library, marked at page 766 and starting to collect dust. The holidays have kept me busy lately, but I would like to pick up the book and get to the end of it this week. Imagine — a whole year spent reading two novels about King Arthur, and I only have two more King Arthur novels left to go!
On the other hand, I have been doing more work on my scholarly/writing project: ordering more materials via Inter-Library Loan, evaluating the loaned materials I already have, downloading and reading articles on my subject, and creating photo albums of my visual documentation. I’ve also come across a couple of writers who are/were not only the authors of references that I’m using, but models for me of how to write on somewhat technical topics with a flowing, inviting style. One of them wrote a praiseworthy book that has actually been on my shelves (unread, I’m sorry to say) for more than a decade. Now that I have an additional motivation for reading her book and noting her style, I will be trying to fit it into my nonfiction reading schedule.
Knitwise, I’m either done with the second pink section on my scarf or I have knitted too much and I need to take out a few rows, depending on how you look at it. This last week I kept trying to make time for knitting between the tasks I was doing to welcome guests over on Christmas evening. I was measuring my progress on this section by looking at how much yarn I had left, and it looked like I still had several rows to go before I was done. However, when I set up the scarf for this week’s progress shot and measured it, it seemed that I had gone four rows past the mark that would have made the pink sections the same length. When I counted the rows in each pink section, it seemed that I had actually gone eight rows past the mark.
Now, what does a knitter do? Well, it depends on what kind of knitter you are. I could tink a few rows of perfectly good knitting to make the sections mathematically equal. That will give me a small ball of leftover yarn that I really don’t need. Or I could switch to the next color stripe right now and call the sections “close enough” to the same length, which gives me a smaller ball of leftover yarn that I don’t really need. Or I could keep knitting until I’ve used up as much of the pink yarn as I can, then switch to the other yarn for the stripes that finish off the scarf.
Which kind of knitter am I? The one who’s knitting a scarf and not a mathematical construction that needs precision in order to keep my neck warm. And the knitter who would like to finish this scarf and make something else.
What’s the best thing to do at the end of a long and exhausting week? Why, more work, of course. The temperatures “soared” to the mid-40s were in southern Wisconsin and I took advantage of the heat wave to move the bicycles from the garage to the basement. I didn’t do any cycling this summer; maybe 2025 will be the year I hit the road again. I do miss it. Eldest and I also insulated three more windows: two that face north and one that faces east. Psychologically, the house feels warmer already.
Having moved a lot of things out of the way so that we could insulate the window in the library, I decided that I wanted to retain a certain spaciousness in the room. I moved box after box to what is now a guest room upstairs. I tried not to just make a new pile of clutter up there. I can go upstairs on the weekends and sort through those boxes to decide what to donate, what to keep, and what to throw away. (But will I?)
I do feel more relaxed in the library now, even though there are still a few more things I could move out. All in due time.
With regard to the biography project, one work of fiction was delivered last week and I have ordered another copy of the work of nonfiction that I’m studying. Well, two more copies, actually. ANYWAY, pretty soon I will need to do some scanning of the library copies I have on hand before they must be returned at the end of the month. So I’m working on the schedule for that. I was also going to set up a photo-taking area in the house, but I didn’t end up having time this week to even start that process.
I made no progress on the Impossible Read this week, though a friend did give me several books I can add to the list. If you wonder why I’m not making progress…well, I do have assistance with digging my literary hole deeper and deeper.
Knitwise, I am now more than half done with the pink and grey scarf. I finally did some stash-diving this weekend and found almost (or possibly actually) a full skein of light heather grey yarn that feels like Wool-Ease. So much so, that I now wonder if the dark grey heather I have used as a narrow stripe is Wool-Ease after all. Anyway, I started knitting the light grey yarn onto the scarf and I have now knitted over half of that skein, taking me to past the halfway mark for the whole scarf. It helped that, this weekend, I had an F1 qualifying session and a race to watch, as well as an interview with Leigh Bardugo about her most recent novel. Knitknitknitknitknit. Repeat.
After Quali.
Because this yarn contains a certain amount of wool, I will probably wash and block this scarf after I finish it; that should even out the edges a bit. Right now it looks extra ragged because I haven’t woven in the ends yet: I have just tucked the ends under the scarf for the sake of the photo shoot.
The light’s not as good here.
I’m not good at taking progress shots on the dining room table, for several reasons. But this photo shows the colors in closer proximity without having the ends of the scarf slide off the curved edge of the table.
I’ll keep plugging away. Maybe (fingers crossed) I’ll have the knitting on the scarf done by next weekend. Then I can do more stash diving and find more yarn I can use up.
The seasons are changing here in Wisconsin, and everything seems to be happening all at once. Midterms, deadlines, big meetings, homecoming games, harvest, hunting seasons, and fall holidays are converging. These last few warm (or warm enough) days with clear skies have brought out every classic car in three counties just to drive around for the last time before spring turns warm (it certainly doesn’t start that way). In the last week I have seen three Maseratis. In Jefferson County.
Some of the trees on campus are absolutely shameless with their color displays. They’ll probably get even more brazen before they lose their leaves entirely. At that point we’ll all have to bundle up to move across campus — except for the two random undergrads who will somehow make it through the entire winter season wearing shorts. I don’t know how they do it.
This week I got caught up on a few things and met some deadlines with HOURS to spare. HOURS, I tell you! That might just be the way of the world if I keep taking classes for the rest of my life: always another deadline coming up. But if I can pour on the work for the course — two more papers and an in-class presentation, unless I’m missing something — I can shift my focus to the scholarly writing projects I need to start.
I have taken a deep breath and resumed making progress on the Impossible Read, even though I’m not looking forward to seeing what happens to everyone in King Arthur’s court in excruciating detail. Finish this book, watch some movies, read two more Arthurian books, and then I’ll be able to move to the next set of books. The Mahabharata seems to be up next but I don’t actually have my own copy. If it’s not next in the historical sequence, the next book will be the Epic of Gilgamesh. (If you can help me figure this out, please leave a comment!)
I have also acquired another electronic typewriter from my friend CJ, though I haven’t taken any photos of it yet. It’s a Smith-Corona Memory Correct model manufactured sometime in the 1990s, making it my youngest typewriter.
Most of the typewriter records that are being kept and consulted have to do with manual and electric typewriters rather than anything electronic, which is not perceived as having any sort of character or individuality. On the other hand, they might be fine machines for someone who was raised on computers and isn’t yet ready to step so far back in time. If they can find an unused supply of Smith-Corona “H” carbon cartridges and correction ribbons somewhere, good luck to them.
Knitwise, at least I’m thinking about knitting. It’s not that I lack for yarn, needles, or patterns at the moment. It’s more a matter of lacking time and attention span. But soon and very soon, it will get cold enough for me to actually cast on for something to help keep me warm.
This week has piled on like no other week. Everything seemed almost manageable until the dog had a skunk encounter on Thursday night; now, we’re just barely hanging on. But another week is almost here and we have to do at least what we already know what we have to do. There will also be the Things To Do That We Can Anticipate, the Things We Won’t See Coming, the Things We Forgot We Had To Do, the Things We Need To Do For Other People, and probably several other categories. And if none of them have to do with skunks, we might be able to handle it.
Got a minute?
I also have quite a lot of reading to do: the reading assignments for class, the extra books I’m reading to investigate a particular line of student development theories, the reading I’ll need to do to research a development theory for which I need to develop a class presentation, the daf yomi (a page a day of Talmud), my daily poetry reading, the works of Eric Temple Bell, and the gathering-dust volumes of the Impossible Read.
Some of these tasks have been complicated by the rather inevitable degradation of my glasses frames and the need for a new eye exam (bright and early tomorrow morning, thank goodness) and a new pair of glasses. Maybe a repaired old pair as well. (Maybe not.) But when I made the appointment, the optometrist’s office said that my last appointment was sometime in 2019. So that’s when I got my “new” glasses, which I broke last week. The older glasses — which I have been wearing so I can drive, but don’t work when I want to text something using my phone — are of course older than that. I’d call the previous optician but it was Shopko, which has been gone for several years.
Another thing that Eldest and I are starting to take care of is the process of getting connected with a new primary care physician. Ours (yes, we had the same one) left the practice at the end of July, which was right when we were out of state for a week’s vacation. We didn’t take care of the matter right away when we returned, and now it’s a pressing issue. But do we opt for a shared doctor again? And the same clinic? Something definitely needs to be done, but we’re not sure exactly what.
This is all to say nothing of the dog, who detected and attacked a varmint while on his Thursday evening walkabout after dark. The varmint turned out to be a skunk, and its mild deployment of chemical weaponry has left an impact on our home that we continue to feel smell, albeit mildly. We are spraying every fabric in reach, as well as the dog. We are washing everything over and over. We are airing out the house and the car and the garage. Is it enough? When does it end? Well, the walks after dark have ended — at least in areas that aren’t already illuminated.
There have been some things that almost happened but thankfully did not come to pass. On Friday morning I was driving down Main Street, getting a vibe that the large car in the next lane was going to swerve into me. Eventually, it did move over on me. I found my horn in time and I can guarantee you that the drive will be checking their side mirrors for the rest of their life before they even consider making a lane change. I can’t imagine the degree of difficulty I would have right now if I didn’t have a working car. So NOPE, crashes aren’t happening, not on my watch.
However. When I look back to last year at this time and think of the desperate family crisis I was marshalling every resource to manage, following which my house had no running water to speak of, after which my car died, I can take a look at the current situation and count piles of blessings. My family members are healthy and happy, with some life improvements on a nearer horizon than any of us expected. I have running water at my house, and I can wash my own laundry as many times as I need to. My new car runs well, has a great horn, and is big enough to hold the typewriter desk that I bought off Craigslist today for $20. I own thousands of books, and I have friends who buy more books for me.
Who could want even one more thing?
Most of the things that happened this week are really Other People’s Stories and it wouldn’t be ethical for me to share them here. But I can talk about this new-to-me typewriter desk that I picked up. Yes, I did get one more thing.
The desk I bought in June features an adjustable platform which can be raised or lowered depending upon the depth/height of the typewriter.
The desk I picked up this weekend has an entire center section that flips to either reveal or conceal the typewriter, and it’s drilled so that the typewriter can be bolted to its base.
Photo courtesy of previous owner. Thanks, Deb!
This new piece will receive some cleaning and repair, as well as stripping and refinishing. I don’t plan to keep it in its hybrid natural/green/white state, but there is something to be said for a dramatic color contrast in the center area when the typewriter becomes exposed. What color combinations seem good to you? Or should the whole piece be painted or stained the same color?
I don’t know when I’ll be able to start working on this project, since I don’t have a heated interior workshop and the garage is on the verge of becoming absolutely inhospitable for the winter. But I do want to know what you think sooner rather than later.
Knitwise, I’m still thinking about knitting instead of knitting. Boo!
I’m doing my best to take care of a lot of things right now. My family, my department, my classwork, my reading list, my dog, my typewriters, my car, my friends. The past weekend I did some house-sitting for friends and took care of their house and their four cats for a few days. Last on the list is always the taking care of myself, and it’s a struggle to give it a higher priority. What (or who) do I make less important because of what I think I need?
Some people — often but not exclusively women — get in that caretaker role and just seem to stay there. I’m not sure how they get out. Maybe after they teach everyone else to take care of themselves a little bit more, they slip their traces and go for a run. Or maybe they slip the traces first, and that’s why the others need to learn to manage themselves a little more. I’m not sure. I will care harder, said Boxer. More may be revealed in the fulness of time.
It helps me to do something tangible every so often. This afternoon I fitted a third typewriter-themed greeting card into a mat-and-frame I picked up last year at a thrift store. I took the hardware to the local framing shop with some items that I wanted to have professionally framed, and the artist and I had an interesting discussion. We agreed that the mat and frame weren’t really suitable for the pieces I brought in, and she said she’d keep thinking about the items I had brought in, and the best way to display them. But she challenged me to make art with the mat and frame.
It’s been about (at least?) a year since I was in the framing shop, and she hasn’t contacted me. Maybe she lost my email address or my cell phone number. Maybe she hasn’t figured out the puzzle quite yet. Or maybe she’s waiting for me to say, I made art! What did you do?
This is what I have so far. I can see at least two things that I’d like to change.
This happened to me in my first undergraduate run, as well — the urge to make things. I began by majoring in creative writing and I finished by double major in creative writing and English literature. Somewhere in the middle I started to feel that it was all words and no objects, and I wanted to do something more…tangible. I chose systems analysis, thinking that coding would be an effective counterpoint to writing. (Let’s all take a moment here to laugh as hard as we can. And remember that I was just 19 or 20 years old at the time, and this is what made sense to me then.)
In a way, this idea was a successful one. I took a class in TrueBasic programming (think BASIC but without line numbers in the code) and started a class in Assembly Language, which I dropped before the big exam, when I realized that I had no idea what was going on. I had been doing well in the class and the professor was startled that I wanted to drop, but without an overall understanding of the language and how it worked, I knew that I just wouldn’t be able to keep up.
Why do I say this was successful, even though I dropped the course and dropped the minor? It was through taking these courses that I started to meet my people. I didn’t have close friends in the creative writing program; they felt more like competitors, sad to say. But the computer geeks hung out together and seemed to have a lot of common interests. When the Miami University Bulletin Board System was created (remember, these were the Days Before the Internet), I joined the MUBBS group and became a group moderator. Ironically, the world of the electronic bulletin board was how I actually began to communicate with people on more than a surface level.
My graduate course and the reading I’m doing for it are making me more thoughtful about my educational/academic career, so there may be more flashbacks like this one from time to time as I strive to understand a little bit more of what was actually going on.
I’m stalled on the Impossible Read at the moment because (I tell myself) I am doing so much more reading for class. In addition to the assigned readings I have sent myself on a research project to investigate a particular student development theory. This is actually for class, as I must choose a theory that’s not covered by the class and do a 20-minute presentation on it in the next month or so. So far I have read one book, have read all but two chapters of another book, and have a third book waiting on the shelf to tackle before I might think that I know enough to pick a theory around which I can write a presentation.
I suspect that the other students are choosing the theory first, then doing the research. But I can’t help myself. I want to be the best informed student with an airtight research set. Do I have two other well-researched papers to write for the class? Why yes, yes I do. Why do you ask?
Knitwise, I’m looking at catalogs that feature ridiculously expensive sweaters and thinking, I could knit my own darn sweater instead of paying $150 for something plain. And I probably already have the yarn! But — the time, the eyesight? Not sure about those. Maybe I should just park myself in good lighting, take a deep breath, and re-start the wrist warmers.
On the positive side, recently I have seen some nice yarn at the local Goodwills and I have resisted the urge to keep it out of other knitters’ hands. Go get it, folks! And show me what you’re making with it!
We had a heck of a lot going on this week, and one of the most dramatic events was the transformation of our eleven-and-a-half-year-old “pup” from a shaggy, matted, overheated mess to the sleek and shivering dog that was inside all along. Due to some pre-adoption trauma from a long, long time ago — either at the vet or at the groomer; we’re not sure — we eventually developed a routine of having Monty completely sedated and receiving a full shavedown. In some years, that’s also when he received all his shots.
This year, due to a series of circumstances that were partially out of our control, he had the shavedown at a new vet office in a different town, on July 3. Our hope was that, since he would still be under some effects of the sedation drug on July 4, he would be less affected by the noises from the local backyard fireworks.
This may be the latest in the year that we’ve ever down the shavedown. I try to time it for May, but early May can be chilly here — especially if one has just shed a very heavy coat. But what usually happens is that when I call for a May appointment the vet is already scheduling for June. And this year, July 3 was the earliest appointment I could get.
We practiced for the extra distance to the vet by taking a few car trips around the country block (note to city folk: this might be anywhere from 3 to 30 miles). But in the end, if Monty is on the leash and I am carrying my purse, he knows we are Going To The Car and that The Car Is Going To The Vet. And that is very exciting!
Everything went well, everyone at the new facility was kind and helpful, and I was soon driving back home with my Inner Dog in the back seat.
I’m not sure that his panic at this year’s fireworks was much reduced, but maybe next year I can schedule the shavedown a little sooner in the summer and get him hooked up with some nice calming doggie chewables that will take the edge off.
Over the weekend, with some muscular help from Youngest, I got the old PC desk cleaned, taken apart, carried to the car, and donated to Goodwill. Huzzah! As soon as I could, I vacuumed that corner of the Brick Room and brought in the recently acquired typewriter desk.
In this image the typewriter desk was all set up for Eldest and I to watch practice, qualifying, and race sessions for the British Grand Prix. But all I have to do if I want to type for a while — which I have been doing on most evenings — is move the computer keyboard to the left, store the mouse in a drawer, and turn off the computer monitor. Then I lower the typewriter platform (if that is what it is called) to the proper height, put a typewriter there, roll in a piece of paper, and get going.
At this point I still expect typewriters to have some computer-related qualities, such as being able to tell me what time it is or allow me to run a Google search. I’m certain that as I continue to spend more time typing, the tech habits of the last few decades will eventually fade away.
The desk still needs some attention with Murphy’s Oil Soap and some soft cloths. After I have tended to it in this manner, I’ll do a typewriter-centered photo shoot. I will also be on the hunt for an appropriately sized vintage office chair.
Good news, everyone! I am halfway through the knitting of the final piece in the current Secret Knitting Project. The next Grand Prix isn’t for two more weeks, so I’ll need to find another occasion to crank out some stitches, finish the piece, and take the next steps towards construction.
Nothing else will be knitted until this piece is done, but it’s okay to think about it. Should I cast on for something new or finish something that has already been started?
Impossible Read update: I spent some time with The Mists of Avalon this week, finished the first section, and started the second section. I’m starting to get used to the story’s pacing and the level of detail. It’s so different from The Once and Future King. But I do think that I chose the right order in which to read them. If I did a second pass through this storyline I would probably read the Malory account first, then continue in this same order.
The Mists of Avalon is almost 900 pages long, so I’m not far enough into it to schedule the viewings of the movies I’ll watch next. But stay tuned.
Chocolate Sheep 