The big 3-0

I'm thirty. ACK! Seems so strange to say that. But, I'm ok with it. I completely freaked over 29 last year, so turning 30 this year has been easy. I'm happy with life, I am in love, I am enjoying myself, and I didn't wake up to a call that my house was broken into (yes, that happened last year... I was in Louisiana, my roommate was in Europe... it sucked, let me tell you).

So, happy birthday to me!

The road is ok. I can't say I love my job, but I do like it well enough. And I really like the people, which makes all the difference in the world. I had a good experience here in Chicago (where I've been for the last few days). I ran into some of the people from the lighting company I work for who were very confused to see me with food and not lights. I need to send an email, and hopefully, will be able to pick up some lighting stuff for when this tour is over. For now, charter jets with unlimited champagne and serving dinner will do.

I managed to arrive in Chicago just in time for the Loopy Yarns moving sale. Thanks to Alyssa for letting me know, I hightailed it over to their shop when I got here on Friday. I picked up a stash, which is now on its way home to my mothers for storage, as I didn't have any room in the suitcase for it.
The green is to make the almost cowl (I'm going with the long sleeved version for keeping warm this winter), the black and grey is to make the scarf Crash requested (which excited me... I think I even found a perfect pattern), the grey-ish looking cotton is the make the Sizzle tank (I've been lusting after that for a while now), and I'm not quite sure what to do with the camel heather. But it called to me and said make me into a sweater! And everything was 40% off. So I got all the yarn for half the price. So exciting! Now I just need to get knitting. Cause my pile of unknit yarn is way too much bigger than my pile of knit yarn.

And now to drop the luggage off and get on the bus to the airport. Happy Monday!

I look like me

I apparently look like a Sarah. I keep getting told this as I meet more and more people. The remark is always, oh, that's easy to remember. You look like a Sarah. I guess that's good. I do like my name and all, so its fitting that it suits me.

I'm currently in Omaha, NE. I've been through a few cities now... the third show is tomorrow night. Sioux City, Iowa was a bit scary. It felt like a bit of a truck stop, rather than a town. We fly a charter jet - which will be our preferred mode of transportation on this tour - to get there. Which was a bit odd. If you ever get the chance to face the tail of the plane on a flight, don't do it. It is the oddest feeling when you take off and you feel like you are going to tumble toward the tail due to the forces of gravity acting on you. My yarn did in fact take a tumble toward the people sitting opposite me. Thankfully I was in the rear row, so it didn't roll very far away.

I've been battling a bit of insomnia lately too. Its been rough starting a new job, and although I do enjoy the people I work with, I sometimes feel like there is little importance in my job. Yes, I am needed to make sure the crew stays fed, and yes, even the star himself. But its not like the show couldn't go on without me. The speed is completely different too. I do miss lighting. Much more than I thought I would. I think that is mostly because I learned something on my last tour. I learned how to fix lights, which made me a real lighting tech. And I miss not being able to use that knowledge.

Adding to the insomnia is the lengthy discussions with Crash. We're dealing with the pains of not being able to see each other, and other issues based on religions and beliefs and our differing thoughts. Its left me feeling a bit confused. I wonder why he is so concerned with my relationship with God, and why he is concerned with how it would change if we were to end our relationship (talk about a strange conversation to have with someone the day after you start talking of planning a vacation for 6 months from now). In the end they are good conversations, and we are getting to know each other better and learning more about how each of us process thoughts and feelings and beliefs. But its so hard to have these huge conversations and be thousands of miles away from each other and not able to curl up together afterwards. I'm also dealing with the thoughts on where my own religious views stand right now; How I can be more open to a presence of God in my life, when I've grown up in a religion that makes God a bit of a distant character. I picked up a couple of interesting books to read today at this cool bookstore I found here in Omaha. We'll see what I come up with... Or if I am just entertained.

The first few days on the job

I've managed to survive the first few days on my new job. It is so different from what I am used to. I miss the hustle and bustle of being out on the floor during a load in. I miss tossing heavy cables and lights and truss around. And my feet miss that you can sit to fix a light. You can't sit to serve dinner.

My coworkers are great, the rest of the crew are fun and I'm enjoying the chance to get to know them. And I am happy to be out here on the road. But this week has been a roller coaster of ups and downs and no time at all. I'm getting ready to head to bed, as I have another early morning tomorrow. But i felt the need to catch you all up on the happenings of my world.

The days are long out here, yet the hours aren't as long as they were before. Its the being on my feet for most of the time that I am working. There is no time to pull up a road case and just have a conversation for 15 minutes. I'm joking with people that I am taking up smoking just so I can get some 15 minute breaks to escape for a few minutes. I am getting the chance to do a bit of cooking though, which I am enjoying. And I'm sure I'll be quite happy when I get my paycheck.

I've not had a chance at all to explore St. Paul, which has been our first stop. We leave here on Monday, on a charted plane, for Souix City, Iowa. Hopefully that won't be the case in every city we visit. I'd like to see a bit of some of these places.

Aside of work, things have been stressful too. Dealing with missing someone more than you ever thought possible, while trying to start a new job is taxing. It is still another 20 days until our paths cross again, which seems like an eternity. We've both been dealing with our our personal stresses and challenges too. Adjusting to being in relationships, being away from each other, the ups of expecting happy visits, and the downs of them not playing out. We're still in that learning curve of how each other deals with and reacts to situations. He's learning that when I am expecting something, I get horribly disappointed when the plans get changed. And I'm learning that he takes things in and doesn't talk about what is on his mind. We've had some good moments as well as the learning ones... One day at a time, right?

And now, its time to curl up in bed and try to sleep. Its been hard to do on this trip so far. But, I guess it always is when you change into a new job and new routine. I'll try to have more interesting stories of my adventures. And maybe some pictures for you too...

Clapotis!

I've not posted a knitting picture in a long while. So here it is. My finished clapotis. I wove in the ends yesterday morning. And I will be taking it with me on the plane tomorrow to ward off any air conditioning chills. I love how it came out.



With some help from mom's grandfather clock. Its almost as long as the clock is tall.

a close up of the stitch pattern... the noro worked up great for this.

I've got another set of socks on the needles. And the third felted bag, as mom started wondering when she might actually get her mother's day present this past week. As that is all knit stitches on size 11 needles, I'm hoping that I can have it pulled together fairly quickly, especially with all the time I'll be spending on planes in the next few weeks.

I head off tomorrow for Neil. I'm excited to start the next tour and see what this next adventure has in store for me. I'll keep you all posted.

Disgruntled with AT&T

I tried to get an iPhone yesterday. I had been looking forward to the arrival of the new, cheaper version for weeks. Apple kept me waiting on the edge of my seat, sending emails daily for the last week. Only 3 more days til the new iPhone, only 2 more days til the new iPhone.

I left my house, drove 40 minutes to the nearest Apple store, only to find out that I was not eligible for the reduced price. Never once did any advertisement state that the new iPhone was no longer and Apple product to sell, but had become an AT&T product to sell. Current AT&T customers, who are not current iPhone users are not eligible for the reduced priced iPhone until their contract expires. I am getting penalized and not able to spend my money on a product I want because it has only been a year since I signed my first AT&T contract. 18 months need to have passed before you are eligible to do so.

Needless to say, I am a touch upset with this new policy and AT&T's failure to share this information from the beginning.

You can't get theah from heah

Which is you can't get there from here in Maine speak. We headed off to Maine yesterday for my traditional birthday dinner with my parents. Its our tradition to go to Maine and have lobster, my all time favorite meal. Nothing beats sitting along the ocean in Maine, enjoying freshly caught and cooked lobster and smelling the salt water.

We started the day here. You can get EVERYTHING at the Kittery Trading Post, from guns and hunting equipment, to shoes and clothes, and even food. I picked up a cute pair of Keen Mary Janes for work, and a pair of cowboy boots - which I had been wanting for ages, and now that I have a cowboy in my life, it only makes sense to have the boots.

We hit a couple of the other outlets in Kittery, but the selection there isn't what it was in years past. There is this great bread bakery, When Pigs Fly, that has interesting combinations of flavors (mango pineapple pistachio bread and mexican black bean bread) as well as really great artisan versions of the classics (wheat, sourdough, etc).

From there, we headed off to Chauncy Creek Lobster Pier...


Here are my parents after enjoying their lobster dinner.

Where I ordered him....

And as you can see, I enjoyed every piece of meat he had to offer. He was, as always, quite tasty.

We made a brief stop in Portsmouth, NH on the way back home. It was fun to wander around a bit, but alas the yarn store had closed hours before I found it. We didn't get to wander as much as I had hoped either, as a downpour/thunderstorm hit and we were sent running back to the car. I want to go back there and wander a bit more and actually see all of the stores.

Today I spent doing silly errands that needed to be done. I got lost in Providence, RI trying to take care of a medical test. I ended up getting found, but lost so much time, I didn't get to go find yarn their either. I did manage to return my extra cell phone and a dress I had purchased back when I had an office job.

Tomorrow, I'm off to get an iPhone (or at least I hope to get one, but as I'm not waiting in line already, I'm not sure if the store will have any left when I make it there. I also have the eye doctor's appointment and a hair appointment to take care of. I still need to get some new luggage, as what I had won't take the beating of flying in and out of all the places I will be in the next month. And I still need some new wardrobe choices.

Oh, and the clapotis is done. Well, mostly done. I have to weave in the ends and finish dropping out some of the stitches. But the knitting part is done. Pictures tomorrow. I promise.

I got me a country boy...

I'm stuck in St. Louis, MO. At the airport. There is nothing at the airport. The bookstore is horrid. There are no other good stores to check out. But, the internet is cheap.

I spent the 4th of July Weekend in Chicago with Crash. And for those of you wondering what my country boy looks like, here we are. Although I'm not a big fan of how I look in the shot....

We had a great dinner with a couple of his friends, who were amazing. After enjoying a leisurely dinner out, we hit a county fair and fireworks display. I'm still learning how exactly to use my camera, so the fireworks pics aren't quite what I was hoping for, but it was fun playing with the camera.



On Saturday, we celebrated a friend's 30th Birthday with a surprise party and a trip to the local country bar. It was a great time, good music, lots of laughs and fun times. Most of Sunday was spent lounging around and not doing much. Which annoyed me at first, cause I was thinking here I am on vacation, essentially, I want to be doing something. Because of that, it lead to conversations, which ensured the day ended a high note.

I can't believe its only been four short weeks since this new adventure in relationships began. It really is a case of opposites attracting, as the more we talk and get to know each other, the more we realize how different we are. We've had to agree to disagree on religious matters, which could prove a difficulty in the future. I have a very unique blend of religious views, where I was raised Catholic - including catholic schooling - but believe in some tenants of Pagan belief systems, celebrate Hanukah, see the Bible as mainly a work of fiction with a basis in historical happenings, believe in reincarnation and evolutional processes, but identify with the concept that love is the most important thing. I believe in God, and Jesus as his son. I'm in this strange in between state right now though. He has a very strong belief in the Bible and all that it says. And its really hard for him to come to terms with my random hodgepodge of beliefs. Yet, part of me is in this state of questioning... as this is the second relationship I have entered into with someone who's belief system reflects this importance on the bible. I'm kind of wondering if God is trying to teach me something that I'm not quite hearing. We'll see what I come up with on that in the coming weeks. I like knowing that we talk about things and can have different opinions and not have them drive us apart. It really is the first healthy relationship I think I've ever really had.

I'm about to set to work on finishing up the clapotis. I have another 2.5 hours here in this airport and a two plus hour flight. That should be enough to get through all the decreases. I'm looking forward to getting started on the next project. Not sure which one that will be though. Either a new pair of socks or the bag I need to make for my mother.

Life can't be ordinary, can it?

Oye. Really, that is all I have to say.

Life has been crazy for the last few weeks. Starting a new relationship, ending a joy, traveling, moving, ending a relationship completely, seeing old friends, driving around, and traveling again. CRAZY I tell you, CRAZY! So much to catch up on...

Tour ended a week ago. I took a day to hang out in Portland and get a much needed massage. Jenni Jo is fabulous, and the 75 minutes I spent on her table were amazing. If you are ever in Portland, visit her at Mana Massage. She is worth every penny and you will leave feeling like a new person. I first met her last summer while on tour with Tim and Faith. She has this energy that just radiates around her. And its an energy that I can participate in now, now that I am centered in who I am and what I am doing with my life. It was great to catch up with her, enjoy some time leisurely chatting and bonding, and experience the more laid back feeling of Portland.

From there, I flew to Chicago to spend another night with my boy. Other than the mishap at the airport, where I forgot to tell him what airline I was flying in on, it was a great two days. We spent most of Sunday curled up on the couch talking and bonding. We have some very different views on things, but we were able to discuss them, and grow closer to each other. Which was an amazing feeling. It was scary at first, wondering if the differences we have will bring us closer together or drive us apart, but we talked about that part too, and it definitely did the former.

I also needed the down time to rest, as I had managed to bruise my eyes during the last day at work. I caught my cheekbone fairly hard with a piece of equipment and two days later, my eyes were bloodshot, and swollen and I looked like I was stoned. It was difficult to keep my eyes open at times, and sunlight was brutal. Only I could be the klutz to do this, right?

On Monday, I flew home to Boston to pick up my car, and then progressed to NYC on Tuesday morning to get the last of my stuff. In a matter of 2 days last week, D had decided he was giving up his apartment in the city, and gave me just days notice that I would need to fully move out on July 1. So, off I went, speeding along 95, hoping that I wouldn't get caught speeding, cause I'm sure they would have arrested me on the spot. My eyes were so swollen, I looked like I was stoned out of my mind. I made it to NYC without issue, and quickly packed up my things. And was told that I had a shitty attitude that would later be discussed. Really? hmmm... how would your attitude be if you were given three days notice you had to move? And at the same time could barely keep your eyes open? After moving the rest of the day was fabulous. I spent most of it by the pool, and then met up with the knitting girls, who I hadn't seen in forever. We talked for hours and got some knitting done as well. I crashed with Alyssa that night, which gave us extra time to bond. (I'm almost done with the clapotis.... hopefully on the plane tomorrow... I promise pics soon! Especially now that I have this new toy!)

The rest of my time in the city was great. I bought more yarn - yes I am addicted - I had a late lunch and bottle of wine at a cute place in Little Italy with a great friend, I bought a new camera - a Nikon D60... I love it! so much fun to play with, and I booked a ticket to head to Chicago for the weekend to spend it with Crash. Alas the night ended on a down note. Well, a down note that is for the best. D is officially removed from my life. I will never have to deal with him again. A week ago when I informed him of my new relationship, he was upset, as he had thought we'd get a chance to try again. Last night, he informed me I was inconsiderate, irresponsible and a cold hearted bitch. Wow... thats a change. But whatever, I told him that I no longer wanted to continue a friendship with him and wished him luck in life -- to which he attacked my phrasing and wording. Personally, I think he just wanted to have the last word in the tantrum he was throwing. i didn't stoop to his level, and I kept myself from saying all the horrid things I wanted to just spew out as retaliation for the insults he was hurling at me. But I feel stronger and better for not doing that. He's out of my life, deleted from my phone and online communications, and hopefully never to be heard from again. I feel like a giant negative energy has been removed from my surroundings.

I spent the day in holiday traffic getting home to MA, and then reorganizing boxes so as to not completely take over my mother's house. Its hard to compress my house into her house. But, for now I think it will work. I fly away in the morning to spend the 4th with Crash. It will great to be with him and enjoy Chicago for the fourth. Hopefully I've packed the toothbrush this time!