Little Wit Knits - Unplugged

10 Ways the World Has Changed Since You’ve Been in School

It’s been four years since I graduated from college. Turns out it’s kind of hard to figure out how the world changes in such a short time span. Sometimes things really do change that quickly. Bear in mind this list is heavily slanted toward my own ethnocentric perception of the world.

1. Gas Prices - When I bought my car four years ago right after graduation I could fill ‘er up for under $20 every time. Even when she was really empty. Now it’s doubled and I push $40 for one fill up.

2. Orgainc Food - The push for organic food became so main stream that to me, it almost lost its value. Now consumers have to really check to make sure what they are buying is organic and to find out what exactly the manufacturer’s “definition” of organic is.

3. Ravelry - this may not be a global thing but for me it has shaped the majority of my online knitting interaction. I found Ravelry right as I found the online knitting world and so it seems like it has always been there. I hear a different tune from my friends who were around before its existence, mind you.

4. MySpace - So this may have been around before I graduated, I know Facebook was, but I didn’t use it until after graduation and it really seems to shape how those in my generation interact with one another. I am on the cusp of X and Y and the rest of the Y’ers go crazy for some myspace. (I canceled my account.)

5. Telecommuting - a sub sect of the green movement, this has become so commonplace that the federal government encourages it when possible and I actually now telecommute.

6. Landlines - have disappeared. Well at least for my generation. We all get cell phones in college and then never really see the need to pay another $30/month for a phone that won’t go with you when it’s time to leave. Not to mention said phone is usually target for lots of telemarketers.

7. Internet TV - the use of the internet to download TV shows became so commonplace that broadcast networks (ABC) began distributing their content on the web as well as on those funny square boxes people have in their homes.

8. Apple - rebounded and started to pick up market share outside the world of academia and visual communications.

9. Air carriers - come and go. Skybus came around and went belly up. There was another one too…I was in their frequent flier program but I can not for the life of me remember their name. They closed and gave up their spot at Dulles airport and I think Southwest then bought their spot. (It’s not JetBlue or AirTrain - but it came around at the same time as those … I something or other)

10. Alternative Fuels - got a large boost due to the gas prices sky rocketing. Ethanol gasoline and the American corn crop. Bio Diesel is doing fairly well as far as I know.

House buying can be frustrating. So frustrating that you throw the phone across the apartment for it’s last and fatal flight. My mobile phone is hovering between life and death. I can get enough juice out of it to back it up to my computer with this fancy cord I bought to hack it when I got the phone. However, I can’t see any menus or screens and when I received a phone call there was a very distinct smell of electrical fire. I am currently throwing caution to the wind as I leave it on hoping the screen will come back. Alas, I fear that it won’t and I will be forced to succumb and buy a newer and even crappier phone. (Did I mention that I hate the downward spiral of phones? It’s like they know that I am due for a “New Every Two Upgrade” and they knew that I had decided to tell the cell phone man to shove it because his phones are craptastic. So it killed itself. Forcing me to spend more money on something els that will die soon. Gah!)

Yes I am bitter, who do you ask?

Wish me luck as I traverse to Verizon tonight for a new phone…

As I enter another baby boom, summer of weddings and my own upcoming moves I am desperately in search of mojo.

More specifically:

• knitting mojo
• gift mojo
• notecard mojo
• thank you letter mojo
• packing mojo
• and the mojo that makes one actually get off their dupa and take out the trash.

If any of you have found these mojos or have extra that I could use I would greatly appreciate it. For now I will try to make mojo from to do lists.

Uh-oh. It seems that I disappeared last week. Quick summary:

Monday: went to knitting Guild meeting, packed my suitcase, got shafted by Dayton area taxis and flew to DC where I met up with bunnyquirrel. (By the by, apparently when you only live less than 2 miles from the airport it’s not worth it to the taxis to pick you up and take you to the airport…)

Tuesday: went to work at the office, showed off pictures of my new house, secured financing for the home, caught up with co-workers, met new co-workers, interviewed potentials and put in a recommendation to hire a new person. After work we had happy hour, which turned into happy hours for myself and two co-workers. We finally wandered home/back to the hotel around 10 pm. Woops!

Wednesday: went to work, had my annual review, found out they still like me and received a raise! Missed knit night in Ellicot City due to snow and DC traffic, caught my plane home where I was greeted by 4 to 5 inches of snow on my car.

Thursday: got work done, thought about cleaning, started the switch of insurance companies, skipped yoga due to the rapidly falling snow outside and made a budget instead.

Friday: thought harder about cleaning and packing, chatted for a bit with the insurance agent, drove home for the weekend and thought harsh thoughts about the ice on the car that didn’t want to be scraped off, especially off the mirrors.

Saturday: HOME INSPECTION! We got our home inspection done. Everything was hunky dory. One minor thing to check out with the electrician tomorrow. Home ownership is coming closer. Went to Sears and bought a washer and dryer. Yes, we got a top loader so that maybe some day I can try felting. Drove back to the apartment to pack more boxes and donate goods to my brother who is moving out in two weeks. (He is taking the job in NC!)

Sunday: Relaxed a little bit, then more packing and planning for the move. Decided on which bank to go with for our new account.

Today: Turned in our notice to the apartment, opened new bank account, got quote from movers, started master to do lists and thought really hard about organizing and packing for the move. Went to knit night and worked some more on Alpaca Surprise. I am off to bed to get some more of this thing called rest. I promise to try to not disappear for quite so long next time.

Today I learned how to get candle wax off furniture and walls.

Today I learned not to wind a ball of yarn with the project still attached.

Today I learned that the cool little favicons show up once you click the link in your toolbar.

Today I learned that I will probably spend more on a house than I want to and more than I think they are actually worth.

I am really really working on getting some knitting done to show you. Alas, I am lame.
PS I forgot to add that I learned about the wonders of Google Reader last week. Well I had heard about Google Reader before but I learned about the Next>> button that can be added to your browser and the ability to download and read blogs offline. I was ecstatic and subscribed to all those blogs I had been meaning to read but couldn’t be bothered to make the effort to get to. (I am terrible I know) In my effort to get caught up on all of the blogs I have been reading non stop for the past two days and much to my delight moments ago I received this message:

Congratulations, you’ve reached the End of the Internet .

My work here is done. I am caught up and now I can resume my normal life.