Debbie Bliss ‘Kate’ – close up of wool for new cardi
A Debbie Bliss pattern but not her wool – far too expensive! I’m using Paton Shadow Tweed. Still super snuggly, but about half the price 
It’s knitted in moss stitch, which is new for me. I’ll put some pics of the work in progress up later – yum yum!
Unemployed Post Number 1
It is now day 29 of officially having no job, archaeological or otherwise. The first week or so was spent up North seeing relatives but since then I’ve mostly been at home.
What to do, what to do? More spare time than I’ve ever had in the world but I’m not sure what to do with it. The house is cleaner than it’s ever been, the jungle that was the garden as been tidied up and is now semi-presentable, I’ve nearly finished knitting a lovely soft fluffy cardi, unfinished books have been finished and new recipies have been baked and cooked.
Don’t get me wrong, its fun and everything but I’m rapidy running out of things to do. I’ve applied for some ‘until-i-get-another-archaeology-job’ vacancies in town but some have told me that I’m basically overqualified and they don’t think I’ll stay.There aren’t any archaeology/museum/heritage jobs to apply for right now either.
What are you supposed to do?
Train Ticket Rant
Here is a picture of some train tickets. They have been accumulating in my desk at work over the past 18 months and represent some of the non work journeys I have made during that time. The work related tickets have all been sent away for expenses claims.
I can’t bring myself to total the price up, but it i in the the high high hundreds if not touching thousand mark. I don’t for one minute regret any of the journeys to family or friends whilst I have been working in the deep south, but jeez, no wonder i feel like I never have any cash!
Old Men in the Pub – Some quotes
Some time ago, I was in the BoB pub in Reading with some friends. At the next table was a pair of old men. Nice, homely looking gents just passing the time with a pint. They began to chat quite loudly, and we couldn’t help but overhear them. As they became more and more merry, the chat became more and more serious.
It might have been wrong, but we took some notes. Why? Because what they were saying made *no* sense. Here, for your delectation, are the quotes.
Barbed wire is a sign…don’t go near!
But there’s no sign…don’t go over!
All they’d find is my goolies.
—-
man1: My idea of Egypt is somewhere wet and cold.
man2: Tell me a famous Egyptian woman.
man1: Cleopatra.
man2: Cleopatras a bitch.
—-
Sand, finer than talcum powder .
There are two things I haven’t done with a camel…and I don’t want to .
—
They graze goats in the trees. Them trees have a special name.
Tree climbing goats?
—-
What I got is outside furniture. I got a bed and a bedside cabinet.
What do you make of that? You couldn’t make it up!
Baby JH models my first Knitted Baby Jumper!
Roz sent me a picture this morning and here you can see Baby JH modelling my first Knitted Baby Jumper! I made it back in December but he’s only just fitting it now. I’m pleasantly surprised by how good it looks on a real life little person rather than as a flat thing just sewn together. You can’t even see the mistakes! Doesn’t he look fab! Hooray!
Loughborough Town Centre – apres Saturday Market clean up
My new home town on a saturday, cleaning up after the Market. Lovely, isn’t it? Still much better than Reading though!
Books I have read – pinched from Koisty at otherstories.com
BBC Book List
Apparently the BBC reckons most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here.
Instructions: 1) Look at the list and make those you have read bold. 2) Star (*) the ones you LOVE. 3) Italicize those you plan on reading.
1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
Fable 2 – rediscovering the love!
I came home earlier and switched on Fable 2 - not played it in ages! At least since before Christmas! I feel bad for abandoning it, but I’ve had Tombraider and Lego games calling me
I question myself – why oh why did I stop playing! It’s amazing! I completed the main story last time, and chose Love at the end. Scary blind lady, voiced by x, lets you choose between Love, Sacrifice and Wealth. Love brings your family and dog back to life so you can complete the Archaeology quest etc. My annoying hubby and child are also back though 
I also aged, well, my hair has turned grey!
Choosing love also made the world a happier, colourful flowery place. Seriously, it looks better. Everyone loves me, which can get annoying when you get mobbed in town for autographs but it does bring you loads of gifts.Now the game is complete, I can buy Castle Fairfax and Brightwood Tower as well a bunch of other fancy buildings. You’ll need serious amounts of money though, hundreds of thousands of thousands. That means loads of quests and buying up businesses to get rent. Apparently, if you leave the xbox on, your businesses will still accrue money (but not your houses) so that might help.
I’m going to play it again, and choose something else at the end. Bring it on!
I didn’t get the shiny new Archaeology job :(
Tomorrow is the interview day for the Manchester job, and I haven’t heard anything so I’m guessing I didn’t make the shortlist.
Annoying, because it seemed quite cool. It was also the only, I mean only, archaeology job to apply for. With only a few weeks left of my Reading Uni contract things are not looking good. Things don’t look like they’ll pick up in the near future, so it’s just as well I have a really understanding other half. The plan now is to move in with him and make the dinner whilst he beavers away in the lab, finishing off the phd.
I’ll keep my eyes open for archaeology work, but am not hopeful, especially with more and more stories in the news like this: from todays Telegraph. I’ll need a job though, so back to the job pages for normal, non academic, non archaeology people – its been years since I’ve had to do that! Not sure I remember how! Will I have to make a second cv, one without publications? Do I have to play down my research and teaching experience? Eeek. It’s all quite scary.
Fuzzy Lamb
Made from a free pattern by Barbara Prime at www.lulu.com/content/907313.
Took a few evenings to make up, bit fiddly to sew up with the fuzzy wool but I think it was worth it! Soooo cute! It’s for Baby JH when I head up to Manchester next weekend
Originally uploaded by squeejay
