Back To Ohio
Hey - and I'm not even that far from Cuyahoga Falls!
I love Cleveland - I lived here briefly on an internship with the Great Lakes Theater Festival my last year in grad school, and - ironically - two of the best women I know and consider my best friends are from Cleveland. Must be something in the water... (of course, the water is Lake Erie, so it could be ANYTHING in the water. Just kidding. It's cleaner now than it was when I was a kid in Toledo.)
Speaking of Toledo, how thoughtful of the hotel to put me in a room that makes me think of my hometown! I wish I had warm, fuzzy memories of the town I grew up in, but leaving it was the best Toledo-related activity I did. I'm sure others have much nicer experiences in the town, but when I was a teen there Toledo was known for having the highest suicide rate for folks 18 and under, which didn't surprise me one bit. I think of my first 16 years as being a long, long depression with a few light moments.
Toledo was a place where there just wasn't anything to DO, except hang at the mall (and that was even more depressing than holing up in my bedroom, singing along to every original cast album I could get my hands on.)
Perhaps it was because of my family's deteriorating financial situation, but it seemed that as I entered adolescence we moved from one ugly place to an uglier place. So when I pulled back the curtain on my room I felt like I was - back home.
On the whole, I'd rather be in St. Paul.
Today I teach a Combination Knitting Class at 2:30 at the IX center for the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo
I have to take a cab over - that's new for me. Usually it's a 6:00 pm class, I'm wondering how this will impact the number of students... I've been averaging 30-32 folks in my classes. But it WILL be nice to be able to crash here at the hotel this evening, NOT at 10:00 like I normally do!
Friday evening at 6:00 I teach Cabling Without A Cable Needle, also at the IX center.
On Sat I teach two classes (a morning and afternoon class) for the North Coast Knitting Guild (at the IX center) with a book signing at the IX center during lunch.
On Sunday I'll be at Fine Points Yarn in Cleveland for a little talk at 1:00 pm. Then I fly home.
Home.
Guilt & Worry, LLC*
I'm worried about Gerry. Worried enough that - even though I reworked the front of the Patina dress (I replaced the bronze silk with a light blue/gold silk georgette that complements the darker skirt magnificently!) I'm considering foregoing the PRW audition if he's not in good shape when I get home on Sunday night. He's lost a LOT of weight in the past 2 months, his clothes are hanging off of him and I can tell he feels like crap. I can tell that Hannah's feeling the strain, too. I should be there. The good news is that after the PRW audition I'll be home for a full month, then away for a few days, then home for SEVERAL months. And, there is a good chance that when he finally gets in to see the endocrinologist we'll be able to do something for the Osteo, which is causing him grief.
Would he be good enough for me to go off for the month or so I'd need to be away for PRW? I have no idea.
Our St. Paul adventure was my idea - I sort of dragged the family there - and now every few days I'm leaving Gerry home alone to deal with everthing. Although I love my job - it makes me wonder if I have to rethink what it is I do for a living. I love to teach, I like meeting so many knitters, I love the designing - but it's a buttload of work for every dollar that I sock away, and means a lot of time away.
I think that's part of my desire to do PRW. Yes, it would be a blast, it would be fun and cool and I'm a ham, I can't deny any of that. But I would love to get my own line of ready to wear, heavy on the knits (hand knits!), or design a line of hand knits for an established fashion company. Could it happen? Who knows... Obviously I'm of several minds on this.
Did I mention I'll miss the first evening of Pesach by going to Chicago. Please, may I have some more guilt with my tsimmis?
*Speaking of LLC, I want to set myself up as one in Minnesota. I was talking to someone about this, they were going to give me a link to do this easily through the state, and I've TOTALLY forgotten who I was chatting with.
Current Knitting
I'm finishing up a swing coat in Lorna's Laces for the TNNA fashion show, and yarn just arrived for a Vogue piece. I'm waiting to hear about some IK submissions, it's been a long while since I've submitted there - just so darned busy! And in my spare time I continue on a few book proposals I'm interested in shopping around to a few publishers.
But my main knitting this weekend is a corset top for me. Yes, I'm making one for myself! I'm using the same silk I used in the Emmy Dress - Classic Elite Playful Weekend - and I'll wear it with a black skirt and black cardigan with my new black heels for my PRW audition.
Yeah, I'll bet I end up going. This guilt thing is a new experience for me.
I just heard a story on local TV about a fire department in Toledo where all the fire fighters had to move into trailers because there's mold at the fire house - 'nuff said?
I love Cleveland - I lived here briefly on an internship with the Great Lakes Theater Festival my last year in grad school, and - ironically - two of the best women I know and consider my best friends are from Cleveland. Must be something in the water... (of course, the water is Lake Erie, so it could be ANYTHING in the water. Just kidding. It's cleaner now than it was when I was a kid in Toledo.)
Speaking of Toledo, how thoughtful of the hotel to put me in a room that makes me think of my hometown! I wish I had warm, fuzzy memories of the town I grew up in, but leaving it was the best Toledo-related activity I did. I'm sure others have much nicer experiences in the town, but when I was a teen there Toledo was known for having the highest suicide rate for folks 18 and under, which didn't surprise me one bit. I think of my first 16 years as being a long, long depression with a few light moments.Toledo was a place where there just wasn't anything to DO, except hang at the mall (and that was even more depressing than holing up in my bedroom, singing along to every original cast album I could get my hands on.)
Perhaps it was because of my family's deteriorating financial situation, but it seemed that as I entered adolescence we moved from one ugly place to an uglier place. So when I pulled back the curtain on my room I felt like I was - back home.
On the whole, I'd rather be in St. Paul.
Today I teach a Combination Knitting Class at 2:30 at the IX center for the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo
I have to take a cab over - that's new for me. Usually it's a 6:00 pm class, I'm wondering how this will impact the number of students... I've been averaging 30-32 folks in my classes. But it WILL be nice to be able to crash here at the hotel this evening, NOT at 10:00 like I normally do!
Friday evening at 6:00 I teach Cabling Without A Cable Needle, also at the IX center.
On Sat I teach two classes (a morning and afternoon class) for the North Coast Knitting Guild (at the IX center) with a book signing at the IX center during lunch.
On Sunday I'll be at Fine Points Yarn in Cleveland for a little talk at 1:00 pm. Then I fly home.
Home.
Guilt & Worry, LLC*
I'm worried about Gerry. Worried enough that - even though I reworked the front of the Patina dress (I replaced the bronze silk with a light blue/gold silk georgette that complements the darker skirt magnificently!) I'm considering foregoing the PRW audition if he's not in good shape when I get home on Sunday night. He's lost a LOT of weight in the past 2 months, his clothes are hanging off of him and I can tell he feels like crap. I can tell that Hannah's feeling the strain, too. I should be there. The good news is that after the PRW audition I'll be home for a full month, then away for a few days, then home for SEVERAL months. And, there is a good chance that when he finally gets in to see the endocrinologist we'll be able to do something for the Osteo, which is causing him grief.
Would he be good enough for me to go off for the month or so I'd need to be away for PRW? I have no idea.
Our St. Paul adventure was my idea - I sort of dragged the family there - and now every few days I'm leaving Gerry home alone to deal with everthing. Although I love my job - it makes me wonder if I have to rethink what it is I do for a living. I love to teach, I like meeting so many knitters, I love the designing - but it's a buttload of work for every dollar that I sock away, and means a lot of time away.
I think that's part of my desire to do PRW. Yes, it would be a blast, it would be fun and cool and I'm a ham, I can't deny any of that. But I would love to get my own line of ready to wear, heavy on the knits (hand knits!), or design a line of hand knits for an established fashion company. Could it happen? Who knows... Obviously I'm of several minds on this.
Did I mention I'll miss the first evening of Pesach by going to Chicago. Please, may I have some more guilt with my tsimmis?
*Speaking of LLC, I want to set myself up as one in Minnesota. I was talking to someone about this, they were going to give me a link to do this easily through the state, and I've TOTALLY forgotten who I was chatting with.
Current Knitting
I'm finishing up a swing coat in Lorna's Laces for the TNNA fashion show, and yarn just arrived for a Vogue piece. I'm waiting to hear about some IK submissions, it's been a long while since I've submitted there - just so darned busy! And in my spare time I continue on a few book proposals I'm interested in shopping around to a few publishers.
But my main knitting this weekend is a corset top for me. Yes, I'm making one for myself! I'm using the same silk I used in the Emmy Dress - Classic Elite Playful Weekend - and I'll wear it with a black skirt and black cardigan with my new black heels for my PRW audition.
Yeah, I'll bet I end up going. This guilt thing is a new experience for me.
I just heard a story on local TV about a fire department in Toledo where all the fire fighters had to move into trailers because there's mold at the fire house - 'nuff said?
12 Comments:
I've been following your moving adventures with interest as we will have one in the works within a year.
I've also been thinking about your husband's osteoporosis diagnosis, since I also have it and have been taking both Fosamax and Actonel--both are bisphosphonates. It has helped increase bone density, but if your husband is not already taking it, be sure to read all you can about the serious implications it can have if he needs certain dental procedures done. This is a fairly new and very serious area of concern in dentistry and I had already been taking it for some time when I needed a dental implant which failed--twice (extremely rare!). Apparently stopping the drug may not make a difference since it's in my system now--so be very cautious about ever starting on these drugs.
Tell Hanna to hang in there--I was the new girl in school at about that age and things got better!
Jenny
Ask for another room!!!!!!!!!! Yikes!!!!
Make sure Gerry is getting enough calcium. My OB/GYN had me start taking two Ultra Tums tablets every day in an effort to stave off osteoporosis. I take one with breakfast and the other with dinner. I also eat a lot of cheese and yoghurt.
OMG, I had no idea you were from my area! I'm from BG. I just moved back to BG after living in Toledo for about 8 years. Blech. I agree with you. Moving back to BG was a good move.
Knowing you're a "hometown girl" gives me hope. It inspires me that someone from my depressing corner of the country could rise above it to become The Knitting Heretic and possibly the next star of Project Runway! Yes, you MUST do the audition. From the way you write about it, I can tell it's your dream of a lifetime. A lot can happen in a few months. So go. Open the door to your future. See what's on the other side. Things will work out somehow!
It sounds like you will know what to do as each day unfolds. Enjoy the evening tonight.
It sounds like you will know what to do as each day unfolds. Enjoy the evening tonight.
Would you like meals or anything dropped off for your family while your gone? I'd be happy to drop off a crockpot of spagehtii if you'd like...
I would love it if you visited Pittsburgh...bring Abby and Louise with you :D
This website should help: http://www.deed.state.mn.us/bizdev/start.html
They'll send you the "Guide to Starting a Business in MN" for free!
Good luck with everything!
Now I have that song, "Saturday Night in Toledo, Ohio" running through my head. "Saturday night in Toledo, Ohio, is like being nowhere at all . . ."
when you get a chance to sit and ponder a bit... consider whether it is Guilt that's waving the caution flag about that PRW audition, or if it's your own Wise Self. Sounds like you have plenty of irons in the professional fire right now, waiting until you have time and energy for next steps. It also sounds like you're missing being home with your kids, and home with your sweetie.
Another way to look at it -- what do you gain with either choice? What do you lose with either choice?
No advise, just lots of prayer for you and your family! I hope hubby feels better soon.
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home