Looking Forward

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday. I know we did here. Christmas was a bit hectic seeing as classes ended and finals were going on up until the 23rd. (Nothing like baking, studying, Christmas cards, studying... all at the same time!) I managed to survive it though. I vow to start earlier next year (IE: plan for holiday crafts early, start earlier on cards, bake and freeze cookies ahead of time) The 5 days before Christmas was just a huge blur of baking, crafting, studying marathons. My apartment is a disaster from the past week. Anyway.

So here are some updates:

-I have received all my finals grades except for one and I did *amazing*. I know the one I am waiting on is very good too. 

- DH is leaving on tour with his band this week. I will be sad and will miss him! He will be gone for three weeks on the road. Down the eastern seaboard, through Florida, New Orleans, Tennessee, Texas and back up here.

- Christmas gifts of note: A gig bag for my Ukulele, Electric toothbrush (sounds lame I know but so amazing) Japanese books, Gift certificate to knits picks. "Santa" brought DH an X-box 360 too.

-Knit picks shopping spree! I ordered a yarn ball winder which I am so excited for!

Looking Forward to 2009

Official New years resolution

This will probably be the best one I have ever made. And pretty easy to keep.

I will be donating blood every 56 days! I started the week of Christmas. I went on the Monday, the donation center was absolutely dead. Which is not good. This time of year (among others) there is such critical blood shortages. That's why I'm going every chance I can this year. Really that is only about 6 times for the whole year. Much easier that the standard loose 10 lbs resolution. I just need to show up and do it. 6 hours for the whole year and I'm done. I am also going to try and donate platelets during the in between times. Platelets can be done every 3 days up to about 26 times a year or so. 

Some other things I am going to try to do this year.

-The bento challenge over at Just Bento. 

- Do more food blogging, start doing more food blogging events too.

- Blog more about knitting, publish some patterns on ravelry.

-Find a new apartment in the beginning of April.

-Organize things better around the house.

-Cross a few items off of my Omnivore's Hundred List, and blog it.

-Go to Lebowski Fest in Louisville this summer! Just for the record, if you have not seen the Big Lebowski or do not know what that is, go! Run and go rent/buy it. It is the best movie ever.

ぞく！ぞく！

ぞく！ぞく！

It's so chilly today, and I just cannot warm up. ぞくぞく(zoku zoku) is Japanese onomatopoeia for shivering.  Today was onomatopoeia day in Japanese, we learned about how different sounds are expressed in Japanese from English. (ex: English dog bark is woof woof. Japanese dog bark is わんわん wan wan) There are two different types of onomatopoeia in Japanese, ぎたいご (gitaigo) which expresses sounds/states of the external world and ぎじょおご (gijioogo) which expresses internal mental states, conditions, feelings.  These Japanese onomatopoeia express more than they do in Englisg by giving sounds to things that do not normally have a sound. Such as  ぼっけっと(bokketto) which is the sound you make for gazing vacantly, something I did not know had a sound! Hopefully soon I will すやすや (sound for sleeping peacefully) I am so tired and have been  ばりばり(the sound of being very busy) with the of the semester school work but it is all most over!

ps. I think that Japanese onomatopoeia is going to be my research topic ^-^!! 

Holiday Knitting Update

So that list seems to grow. On top of that I need to finish this baby blanket for my cousin. I found out on Thanksgiving that him and his wife are expecting a little girl in March. They live in Nebraska, and will be here December 14th for the holidays. They got married last year but many of us could not get to Nebraska for the wedding so this is our chance. I would love to give them this cute blanket then, but it is really asking a lot of myself in such short time. Especially given the fact that I also have final projects due next week and finals the next two weeks after. I was really pushing myself, but I think that I will take my time with after the holiday and then mail it to them. I think they will like that better. For one thing it will be one less thing to bring on the plane ride back with them. And they wont be opening it with a bunch of other presents, so it will get special attention. (Yes, a bit selfish I know.) So knitting update:

Hat for SIL- done, if there is time I will make another, this was a tad shortish

Hat for SIL's DH- Done

Hat for MIL- Will be done tonight, just need to do dec's.

Chomp Chain hat for BIL- needs teeth, chain and eyes

Question block tissue box cover- nothing yet.

Felted Yoga mat bag for my sister- I will probably cast this on tonight 

Scarf for my mom- nothing yet

Hat for my dad- nothing yet

Hat for FIL- nothing yet

Christmas Balls- 4.5 out of 10 so far. I love making these, so fast and simple!

Off to finish that hat now!