I was sexually harassed on the train one night this week. Not the first time it’s happened, and not the worst time it’s happened – but it happened and I hate it. I’m perhaps more sensitive to these things than some other women – but I KNOW when it’s harassment and not just the usual undesirable bumping/crowding that happens on mass transit.
Archive for July, 2010
If you see something, TEXT something: Unwanted advances
Posted in Life of the Lintee Bean, tagged 911, Chicago, CTA, emergency, harassment, mass transit, police on July 31, 2010| 4 Comments »
Captain Hook
Posted in Knot misbehaving, tagged cardigan, crochet, Doris Chan, dress, gifts, Lily Chin on July 20, 2010| 1 Comment »
More yarny fun!
I made a short sleeved white cardigan for my mom.
"Romantic Bolero" by Doris Chan for Lion Brand Yarns
Gym-boree
Posted in Life of the Lintee Bean, tagged fitness, gym, training, yoga on July 19, 2010| 4 Comments »
I’ve considered taking yoga classes for ages. Yoga could alleviate my back pain and improve my posture. Yoga may increase my strength and flexibility. Yoga might lower my blood pressure and stress level. So, I’ve thought about it and thought about it – but not actually DONE it.
I have two friends that teach yoga, and numerous other friends that practice yoga. One friend takes yoga at her gym, a gym very close to my house. I mean, VERY close to my house – it’s on the next block and I pass it each day walking to and from the train stop.
Gentle giant goes to the bridge
Posted in Chi-Town Fur Gang, tagged cancer, grief, loss, Studley on July 12, 2010| 15 Comments »
As I’d posted previously, Studley was diagnosed with cancer a few weeks ago. I opted not to pursue IV chemotherapy or immunotherapy (vaccination therapy). While they might have slowed the progress of the cancer, it would have meant a lot of unhappy car trips for my little man. He’d been losing weight drastically since January, so I wasn’t optimistic any treatment would buy him much time. We did put him on oral prednisolone (steroids) to hopefully reduce the swelling in his lymph nodes, increase his appetite and make him more comfortable.
For two weeks, the steroids helped – he was eating more and seemingly feeling better. Due to the weight loss, he was even able to do things like hop up to the back of the couch – something he hadn’t been able to do previously. However, the past week he started to deteriorate again. He lost 6 ounces. He vomited violently on Sunday. I felt we should spend one last, really nice, weekend together, and then ask the vet to help him move on. Maybe this was a selfless act on my part, wanting him to move on BEFORE he was suffering and unhappy – while he was still having relatively good days filled with sunshine and fresh air in our outdoor window encosure. Perhaps it was selfish, wanting to spare myself the agony of watching my little man die. Maybe it was both. I’m not sure.
Studley, his last weekend
Suicide mission
Posted in Knot misbehaving, tagged crochet on July 6, 2010|
I recently finished another crochet project, シルクの半袖セーター, or 29-210-12 Silk Short-sleeve Sweater, by Pierrot (Gosyo Co., Ltd). I’ve never attempted a pattern written in Japanese. They say you don’t need to speak or read Japanese to attempt it, the patterns are mostly charted with standard crochet symbols. However, I’ve never even attempted a charted pattern. However, I figured this was a great chance to try given I’d have the help of a “crochet along” (CAL) group on Ravelry.
My “Japanese short-sleeve sweater” was not going to be silk but a lovely purple synthetic. I referred to books on charted crochet. I researched standard crochet symbols and Japanese words such as “sleeve”, “front”, “back”, “rows”, “stitches”, etc. I was determined and optimistic. I devoted an entire weekend to my yarn and my hook. The upper bodice stitch pattern is a difficult one involving a “puff” stitch. After several days of nearly non-stop crocheting, I had the upper bodice complete! I seamed the sides and shoulders, wove in the ends of my yarn, and admired my work. I then went to put it on and realized… it won’t fit over my head! The neckhole is simply too small for my head to fit through! Normally I could rectify this by pulling out a few rows of crochet, except in this case I had done such a great job of weaving in ends, I could not get them out. Try as I might, I could not get my seams unseamed. Argh!
Japanese short-sleeve sweater, attempt #1
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