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Time for a Makeover

Posted on March 11, 2008 by auburnchick

No, AuburnChick was not fortunate enough to actually go to a spa and get a physical makeover…she wishes!  Instead, she opted to give her blog a makeover.

Call her fickle…she’s a woman.  She’s allowed to change her mind.

Being the computer tech that she is, and having the time to actually do so, she spent her afternoon re-doing her blog.  She thinks that the picture across the top is tranquil…something she seeks for her own life.

The pictures are gradually being resized so that no matter what her readers’ screen size, everything will look neat.  She’s kind of silly in that way.  Everything must be just-so.

Please let her know what you think about the new look.  Positive criticism is more than welcome!

Filed under: This-n-That | 5 Comments »

AuburnChick is a Happy Knitter

Posted on March 10, 2008 by auburnchick

Well folks…now that I am a graduate, I’m doing what most college graduates do…

NOTHING!

Well, not exactly. I have a job, which I am able to devote most of my brain cells to now that I’m not googling English spies and such.

Here’s what I’ve been working on lately…

First of all, I’ve been keeping real busy with charity projects. This is the most wonderful thing about knitting…doing something for others. Over on KnittingHelp.com, we’ve got a group that has been making baby blankets. One of the gals is going to deliver the blankets to a hospital in her city.

Here’s a picture of the Fairy Dance blanket I just worked on. My portion is the top…the light purple. I used Caron Simply Soft in “Orchid.” I knit my section with the Pillar I stitch from the book knit & purl.

The following is a square I made for the NIU blanket project we have going at KH. I plan on making a few more squares. For this square, I used I Love This Yarn. It was wonderfully soft!!! I really like it a lot.

Let’s see…what else?

Oh, I’ve been working on a pair of socks. They are my first pair, two-at-a-time, Magic Loop style. I’m using the Two-at-a-Time book I purchased a few weeks ago. The yarn is Trampoline Stretch Yarn by Skacel. I like it because because it reminds me of tiger colors. Because I’m an Auburn fan, it’s perfect!

Now…what have I got planned?

Here’s yarn that I received today. I ordered it from purlsoho.com This is Spruce, and it’s 30% silk and 70% wool.

I’m going to use it to make this pattern. It’s called the Greenaway Fingerless Gloves.

I also plan on knitting up some socks with this yarn…a gift from the last knitter of Neon Fun, the blanket I’m currently working on. It’s called Lorikeet, and it’s by Lorna’s Laces.

So, basically AuburnChick plans to be busy for quite some time!

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

AuburnChick’s Grades Have Come In!

Posted on March 9, 2008 by auburnchick

Well, I’m being lazy right now. I want to post pictures of the stuff I’ve been knitting, but I’m too lazy to get up and get the camera.

So, I thought I would share a good tidbit. Y’all know that I finished taking finals the week before last. Well, one of my professors had already sent me an email letting me know that I had an A in his class. One down, one to go.

I’ve been sitting on pins and needles waiting for the other grade. Basically, I’ve been nervous…afraid that someone is going to pull the rug out from under my feet and tell me that I have to take another class.

The class I took (that I’ve been patiently awaiting the grade for) was Military History of the United States. Why in the world would I take this class, you might wonder. Well, basically I had no choice. As a history minor, I had two classes left to take, and this and the other one (History of England, 1689-present) were the only two upper level classes offered this term.

I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the Military History class. What a different perspective I have now! But, the professor, who has a great reputation, was tough. I made a 75 on his mid-term…very unlike me. I also had been given two 80’s on papers that I had written. Again, unlike me. I’m used to making A’s on everything. In fact (not to brag), I’ve carried a 4.0 since I began my journey as an adult college student. I did not intentionally set out to do this, but when, term after term, I received A’s, well, it just seemed natural to expect that out of myself.

However, with this being my last term, I was just ready to be done. So, I was concerned. What would I make on my long paper and final? Would I pass? At this point, I realized that I would not make an A, but I just wanted to make a C or better. Last week, I found out that I made a 100 on my long research paper! Wow! After the 80’s, it was a pleasant surprise. So, I waited for my grade on the final, which I thought I did o-k-a-y on, but not great.

Who, in their right mind, can be expected to know the details of air combat during the second world war or the Vietnam War? Not your average female, that’s for sure.

Anyhow, the professor just sent an email letting us know that everything had been graded. I nervously clicked on my shortcut to get me to the school site, dreading every moment. Clicking on the link that said “Grades,” I had to close my eyes and take a deep breath.

Grade on Final: 100

Huh? What’s this? How did I do that? You mean I answered both three-page essay question thoroughly and, most importantly, correctly???

Grade for the Term: 91%

Huh? That’s an A, right? I quickly retrieve his syllabus to check the grading scale. Yep, 90-100 equals an A.

I started crying tears of joy and relief. I passed. More than that, I maintained my 4.0.

It’s tough to be a perfectionist. I learned some lessons along the way. God does not expect perfection…just my best. And that’s what I offered, through His grace every day. I was ready to settle for less than an A, believing that I had honored God with my efforts. That’s all He asks. He provided the icing on the cake. Wow!

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Gifts for AuburnChick

Posted on March 6, 2008 by auburnchick

AuburnChick does not have many close friends. Life is so busy that there just does not seem to be enough time to maintain close relationships with people.

BUT, the ones she does have are truly dear.

One of her friends (the one who made her a Key Lime Pie while she was in the midst of studying for finals) went on a trip with her husband. Yesterday at work (they work for the same company), AuburnChick’s friend summoned her down to her office. Look what was waiting for AuburnChick:

She said this was a graduation gift, but AuburnChick knows she would have gotten her something anyway. She’s such a sweetie!

So then, as AuburnChick made her toward the door to leave, she stopped by another friend’s desk to show off her gift. Well, her other friend proceeded to hand AuburnChick an envelope that contained something that rattled! “Eh, what’s that??” she wondered.

She ripped open the envelope to reveal the cutest card she’s ever seen! And placed inside were the following items:

AuburnChick is truly blessed to have such wonderful friends!

Filed under: Knitting, This-n-That | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

AuburnChick Gets Weak Knees

Posted on March 3, 2008 by auburnchick

Well, AuburnChick went to work today all excited. This would be the first day that she would go with her brains not divided between school and work (see previous post if you haven’t been following the wonderful details of her life).

Did she really think that life would be so easy? C’mon…this is AuburnChick. Things are never easy for her.

Oh, to be sure, the first hour of work went fine. It’s kind of hard to mess anything up when you’re reading your email. But then, she gets a request.

“Can you change the name on my computer?”

Sounds simple enough, eh? Not for AuburnChick, who’s supposed to be THE computer guru at work. She gets paid to know the answers to every nuance a computer might have. Thank goodness for Google. He’s her best friend.

Not this time.

Things were going along fine, until she tried to rename the person’s “My Documents” folder. AuburnChick gets the following message, “You cannot rename this folder.” Oh yeah? AuburnChick does not like being told “no.” She’s up for the challenge. She just spent 21 months in college, and she carried a 4.0 for most of the way (she’s hoping that the last class won’t ruin her perfect run). So, no computer is going to say “no” and get away with it.

She persists. She tries to get around the wall by trying a work-around. No cigar. The computer has seen this before, and it’s not giving in. She keeps trying. It keeps rejecting her efforts, creating a web of disaster in the process…a web that AuburnChick will soon find herself caught in.

A couple of hours later, AuburnChick realizes that she can’t, in fact, do what she wanted to do. So, she tries to “undo” her past efforts. The computer laughs in her face. Picture the scariest Halloween pumpkin’s evil grin, and you can imagine what AuburnChick was facing off with. Yep…it was Bill Gates’ monster…Windows XP.

Well, what happened next is enough to make anyone’s knees go weak. AuburnChick thought she had fixed everything back the way it was before, using the System Restore option a couple of times in the process. She rebooted, and the lovely picture set as the background was no longer there. Not a problem…she’ll just get it back…

ONLY, IT’S NOT THERE!!!

Oh no. Where is that file? She sees folders that are supposed to have pictures in them. She opens the folders. Nothing’s there. She opens folder after folder. Nothing. Baby’s First Steps…NOT THERE. Christmas 2004…NOT THERE!

She starts looking for regular files, and seeing folders thinks everything is okay. Nope. None of the folders have anything in them. She panics. Surely, these files were backed up somewhere else. Surely, the pictures have been burned onto a CD.

Yep…you guess it…they weren’t.

Panic time. She runs to her boss, praying she understands. Boss proves to be the calm in the storm.

She advises, “Take it to the ‘We Clean Up AuburnChick’s Messes Computer Shop’.” You know we keep a contract for times such as these.

AuburnChick hurries there, computer in her hands. She can hardly walk, her knees are ready to cave, her heart is down by her ankles. She knows that she would be devastated if every picture she had ever taken of her babies was hanging around in Computer Neverland. Fortunately, the contract is money well-spent. They locate the missing files, restore everything back as before, and AuburnChick floats out of the place.

She knows she will be changing careers soon. She’s just relieved it won’t be today.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: | Leave a comment »

Unidentified Dancing Object

Posted on March 1, 2008 by auburnchick

“What in the world is that?” you ask.

Well, readers, it is a picture of AuburnChick doing what she likes to call “The Happy Dance.”

She’s been dancing since about 9:30 on Friday morning.

“What would lead her to participate in this expression of pure happiness?” you ask.

The reason for her joy is that she just completed her very last final exam.

I can picture you scratching your head in confusion.

“What exactly does this mean?” you ask.

Well, after 23 classes in 21 months, AuburnChick is, unofficially, a college graduate!

I just saw the light bulb turn on. You get it! You’ve probably already experienced this joy. You were probably smart and finished college right after high school. Think back to when you finished your last exam. What a wonderful, free feeling you had. Didn’t you walk out of there practically floating on air? I’ll venture to bet that some of you may have even done The Happy Dance across the stage at your commencement ceremony.

AuburnChick’s plans were a little different. Oh sure, she entered college right after high school. Shortly afterward, she got married and had to get a real job. No more relying on Mom and Dad to pay the bills. She tried night school, and that worked for a couple of semesters, until she and Mr. AuburnChick decided to add to their family. So, college became a dream…or more like a goal that she would work toward when her children got older.

Thank goodness technology got better during those years. The ability to take classes online was just too tempting for her, and she took the plunge. Taking the first step was the most difficult, but once committed, she followed through — all the way through yesterday morning, when she took her last exam. It was one she had dreaded too. It promised to be one of the most difficult (i.e. the professor thinks all of his students are trying to get their Ph.D.’s). She crammed like crazy the night before because she had spent most of the week studying for her other exam. But the final was not as bad as she thought, and she quickly answered the questions.

While waiting for her adviser to finish up some last minute details, AuburnChick encountered a young man in the office.

“Are you here to take a final?” she asked him.

“Oh no, I’m here to register,” he said.

“Oh really. Do you take ECampus classes?” AuburnChick asks. She would love to meet some of her fellow classmates…people she’s never seen but whose voices, through their writing, she’s become quite familiar with over the last two years.

“No,” he responds, “I’m just starting out.”

The reality of the journey she has just completed settles upon her.

“Wow,” she thinks to herself. “Look how far I’ve come.”

And then she Happy Danced her way out of the office. I think she even Happy Danced in her sleep last night.

P.S. AuburnChick wants to thank the following for their support through this journey…First of all, God. She knows that without God, she would be nothing. He gave her the words she needed for every assignment. He lifted her up and encouraged her when she was overwhelmed. “One hour at time,” He told her. “My grace is sufficient,” He repeated to her over and over again. AuburnChick must give a shout-out to her family. They had to pick up the slack while she spent hours and hours and hours huddled in front of the computer. Many boring weekends were spent at home so that AuburnChick would not get behind on assignments. And the food situation…let’s just say it was pretty bad. Mr. AuburnChick tried his best to help fill in the gap, but sometimes there’s just nothing like Mama taking the reins. AuburnChick’s sister deserves much credit. Weekly phone calls were uplifting, and the many prayers offered up by her certainly did not go unheard or unanswered. AuburnChick’s friends deserve a virtual hug as well. They provided real hugs (and a pie!) that were instrumental in letting AuburnChick know that she was not walking this path alone. And to her KH buddies…thank you. KH provided her with much needed breaks (without having to leave the computer). Despite being online buddies, y’all listened and encouraged every time she was frustrated. I hope I covered everyone!

P.P.S. Look at what Mr. AuburnChick sent to the new college graduate…

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , , | 3 Comments »

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