Okay, so I've really been trying to think of something to post, but University has been taking up my brainspace.

Oh look, a topic.

The next session of University of Atlantia is this weekend down near Greenville, NC. You can pre-reg online through Thursday, and then on-site starting at 9am. I just hope that my one nightmare of showing up to University without the box of stuff doesn't come true. I mean, shouting "Ding a ling!" isn't as effective as ringing the bell. I've also already had two instructors cancel on me due to health reasons, but I hope that's all. (Update: Argh, a 3rd instructor had to bail. *pout*)

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I also had to work on Saturday at the Undergraduate Fall Faculty Meeting. We were intending to have a booth where faculty could play with some of the new conferencing features and then register for the training session. No one wanted to play, but we did get quite a few registered for training. The training is required for all faculty who want to teach online or hybrid classes in the Spring. Sensing a target of opportunity, I picked up a stack of our half-flyers, with the URL to sign up for training on it, and went to talk to the folks waiting in the buffet line for lunch. Then I went to the tables in the ballroom to get a few more. Yet more proselytizing, just about a different cause than Plimoth, or Jamestown, or Komen for the Cure, or etc.

Then I spent the rest of the weekend kinda sloth like. I Costco'd, napped, walked the dog, and ordered a pizza for the rest of Saturday. Then on Sunday I slept in, made brunch, read a bunch of Sunshine, even read some Sunshine while basking in the sunshine on the patio (note: I'm a slow reader), napped, walked the dog what I thought was 3 miles but ended up being 2.8, fetched carry-out for dinner, and then made some blueberry muffins. Alas, no cleaning, embroidery, sewing, or even running errands so I can have a working serger foot pedal. Ah well.

Today was my Manic Monday.

I overslept far too late, wasn't feeling well- achy at the knees and hips and a full head, had to give the pup a shortened walk, was late to work for assisting with a training session that required rovers, then the internets was spotty and mostly down at work, and I still wasn't feeling well so I boogied on home early to Mucinex, Flexeril, pup playing, and a nap. Mmmm, nap.

Then Ladybug and I walked over to Theo's to help her choose the right shade of green for her new addition, and chat and visit, before she gave us a ride home. Ladybug didn't get to meet the cats, but was very interested in the smells around their home, and thought their food was nummy.

 

( oh, and a meme... )</div>

Did a little more gold vine work on the embroidered panel last night. Right now I only have the one big central swirl left to fill in. So close! I must take pictures before I sit down to work on it tonight.

Ladybug had a couple more "accidents" last night. Apparently what we were attributing to excitement and not correcting her on has given her permission to soil the basement. Will stop now. Made sure she emptied her tanks this morning before I would give her breakfast and let her run around loose in the house.

But she didn't like the ice. When let out in the backyard the first two times she stood on the stoop and refused to budge. Apparently under the holly where no ice fell wasn't good enough either. A fourth visit and almost walk out front under the holly and along our sidewalk portions (as I was still in my bathrobe!) was also too full of excitement and dread. But a fifth visit, once I broke up a path to the side of the yard with my big stompy shoes, was long enough to elicit the proper reaction. Can't say as I blame her, but until she teaches herself to use the loo, this is our path.

Last night snuggled in the brown couch with a fleece blankie and a fire roaring in the fireplace was just lovely. I can haz moar now plz?

My major accomplishment today has been not loosing control in the truck on neighborhood streets while coming into the office. They were quite the ice packed terrors even at 11am. I grew up driving in ice in winter, but it doesn't make it any more pleasant.

Yesterday I managed a grocery store run on my way home from work, and it wasn't packed with chicken-littles nor were the shelves bare. But tromping through slush was fine. Tonight I hope go directly home and do laundry, perhaps snuggled in the brown couch by a fire, if I'm lucky.

Three hours until pup adoption. Why am I nervous? My co-workers are sweet, coming and asking me details. They even gave me a rawhide in the shape of a candycane. I've asked to work half days for the next two days to ease the transition. With the long weekend and Alan teleworking on Tuesday, that should give us plenty of time to get acquainted.

Of course today was spent bouncing between three computers at work as mine contracted a trojan virus and I think I screwed up windows in the cleaning of it. So Desktop Support has it, hopefuly to return to me tomorrow afternoon.

33 degrees and raining. This must be some form of punishment. I couldn't get just a little winter weather for another day home? (my bed is sooo cozy!)

Finished up the half a honeysuckle on the panel last night. Just have two petals on the folded pansy, the detached butterfly wing, and then the goldwork to do. Guess I should learn the plaited braid stitch finally. At least the instructions look fairly straight-forward. Really wish I had tracked the time the panel has taken so far. Oh well, next project, right?

I did have fun making custom colored threads over the break as needed. Unfortunately with the 3 ply Soie Perle it means the combined threads are two of one color and one of another, but gets the custom blending of silk colors across. I used them in some of the leaves with a green and brown and a green and yellow. I noticed that the close-up the V&A has of one of the detached butterfly wings it appears to be plain silk (not GST) and a custom blend of yellow and blue, which is pretty neat. Also, on an MFA polychrome nightcap, there are some custom blends in the leaves and some flowers. There were also a bunch of blends on one of the polychrome coifs seen at the MFA, but they don't have any pictures up of it. Will have to play with more of this on the next project too. (I did make sure to check that striped leaves and blended leaves appear together on an extant piece before applying the colorways to this panel.)

No clue what I'm going to wear to Twelfth Night this weekend, but I hope to dig up something out of my closet. I should really do the buttons and buttonholes on a long almost finished doublet for Alan, but the embroidery is more fun. sigh.

Also, the furlough plan for UMUC has been announced. I think I have three days to take between 1/18/09 and 6/30/09, and they can't be consecutive or more than one per pay-period. On the whole, not a bad way to keep the State workers employed and keep the budget from exploding.

Celebrated my 10 years of service to UMUC today.

Of course the very first Annual Service Awards that I ever attended I said something along the lines of "If I'm here for 10 years just shoot me." Bang.

I got a Certificate of Appreciation and a small digital photo frame with the school logo on it, as well as my name called out, shook the hand of the President (of UMUC), had our picture taken, and lots of congrats from co-workers. Very entertaining. Then I went and spent 3 hours with one of my co-workers sorting and purging the flotsam and jetsam in the Media Lab and re-organizing the left-over office supplies, manuals, media, Mac crap, cables (power, a/v and data) and such. A very rewarding and productive afternoon.