Finally, Time to breathe?

I seem to have been MIA for the past little while with holiday travelling, business travelling and then coming down with the cold from hell. (two weeks of this nasty bug and I am still not totally better)Hopefully this week I'll feel normal and can get back into somewhat of a routine. In the meantime, here are some little projects that I finished up lately.

This is a baby bib made out of Bernat Handicrafter Cotton from a pattern I found here www.knitlist.com/2003/babybib.htm . I have a new cousin on the way in August and my first neice or nephew will be arriving in Septembre, so many more baby things will follow I am sure.

The hat pattern is from Last Minute Knitted gifts and the multidirectional scarf I found on the web somewhere (forget the URL). Together, they used 2 skeins of Manos. The scarf is a little shorter than I would like, but I think it will do. This is my first time knitting with Manos, and I LOVE the texture. The colours are gorgeous too!

New Years Resolutions

Again, I stole this from letitfall.org and I know, I am very late with me resolutions.

FIVE RESOLUTIONS FOR 2007
1. I will do some volunteer work
2. I will get in the shape I was in last spring
3. I will worry less
4. I will make some new friends in this crazy city
5. I will think less with my head and more with my heart

FIVE THINGS I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2007
1. The birth of my first niece or nephew
2. Visiting my sister in Ontario
3. Sailing around the coast of Labrador
4. Learning new skills at work and getting better at my job
5. Going to Stitch 'n Bitch more often

FIVE THINGS I'M NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2007
1. the beaurocracy of the federal government
2. trying to save money to buy a house
3. sailing for 28 days at a time and having to bunk up with a stranger
4. Spending yet another year on my own
5. valentines day

FIVE MOVIES I WILL SEE IN 2007
1. Little Miss Sunshine
2. The Prince of Tides
3. Borat
4. Charlottes Web
5. the last kiss

FIVE BOOKS I WANT TO READ IN 2007
1. The Stone Diaries - Carol Sheilds
2. Memoirs - Pierre Eliot Trudeau
3. The life of Pi (I forget the authors name at the moment)
4. Microserfs - Douglas Coupland
5. The tin flute - Gabriel Roy

FIVE THINGS I'M GOING TO TRY TO DO MORE OF IN 2007
1. Read!
2. be sociable
3. work out
4. be motivated at work
5. keep in touch with friends and family

A year in review (a little late)

I stole this from letitfall.org... It seemed like a good idea.

FIVE GOOD THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN 2006
1. Going to visit my sister in Ontario (for free) thanks to a work trip.
2. Having my first real sea experience and seeing Dolphins and Whales for the first time.
3. Seriously taking up knitting.
4. Bought my dream car.
5. Was in the best shape of my life.

FIVE MOVIES I REALLY ENJOYED IN 2006
1. V for Vendetta
2. Ice Age 2
3. Cars
4. Wedding Crashers
5. Motorcycle Diaries

FIVE BOOKS I READ IN 2006 (AND SUGGEST YOU READ, TOO)
1. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
2. Famous Last Words - Timothy Findley
3. Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood
4. JPod - Douglas Coupland
5. How to Ruin Your Lovelife - Ben Stein

FIVE TELEVISION SHOWS I WATCHED ON A REGULAR BASIS IN 2006
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. don't
3. watch
4. much
5. TV

FIVE THINGS I LEARNED IN/FROM 2006
1. Fully appreciate those who are close to you. You never know how long you'll have them around.
2. If you don't speak up for yourself nobody else will do it for you.
3. Keeping fit not only keeps my body healthy, it keeps me sane!
4. I do not get sea sick. (that's good in my line of work)
5. the futility of material things. You can't take any of it with you.

FIVE SONGS THAT REMAINED ON MY PLAYLIST IN 2006
1. Legacy - Jill Barber
2. Evil - Interpol
3. Roca - Calexico
4. Yankee Bayonett - the Decemberists
5. Patriarch and a Vespa - Metric

CAP-puccino

CAP-ucino, originally uploaded by leclerc_jk.

Tristan got me this for Christmas. I thought it was pretty neat. You can't really make it out in this picture, but it says CAP-PUCCINO - all the ingredients you need to make a cozy hat. Those are bamboo needles stuck in the top.

I also got some a great Altec Lansing stereo for my computer, a DVD player and a dining room table. I didn't take too many pictures while I was on vacation though, I never seem to remember to do that. Oh well, there is always next year.

Julie saves the day?

One of our surveying launches is down in Port Hawksbury supposed to be doing some surveying, but the coxwain called yesterday afternoon in a panic because they're having GPS problems, so today I'm driving down to save the day! I've never been to Cape Breton or out that way at all, I know Port Hawksbery is technically not Cape Breton, but it's as close as I have come.
As, I'm still pretty new at my job I'm also looking forward to the chance to show what I'm made of. Hopefully all goes well and she's up and running later today!

Any KOLers who may read this, I will not be there tonight... I'm leaving to early to catch todays post.

I am a hermit

This is not at all surprising... I didn't need a quiz to figure this one out.

If only I could find a lovely hermit community to settle in. You know, one with lovely moss on the caves and nice hermit neighbors.

You are The Hermit

Prudence, Caution, Deliberation.

The Hermit points to all things hidden, such as knowledge and inspiration,hidden enemies. The illumination is from within, and retirement from participation in current events.

The Hermit is a card of introspection, analysis and, well, virginity. You do not desire to socialize; the card indicates, instead, a desire for peace and solitude. You prefer to take the time to think, organize, ruminate, take stock. There may be feelings of frustration and discontent but these feelings eventually lead to enlightenment, illumination, clarity.

The Hermit represents a wise, inspirational person, friend, teacher, therapist. This a person who can shine a light on things that were previously mysterious and confusing.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

This weekend was a write off.

I didn't make it to the Gaspereau Valley Open house on Saturday or to the Sarah Slean concert Friday night because I came down with a bad cold. The weekend was pretty much a write-off, I didn't even feel like knitting!

I spend most of the weekend keeping my eye on the Liberal leadership race, as I do not have cable and that's all that was on my two channels. Stephan Dion took it. He wasn't the favourtie going in, but he took it in the end. I can't say I follow politics closely enough to know the candidates well, but from what I have heard of Dion, I like him. Most of his supporters are younger and I think some new blood is much needed. Will he beat Harper? We shall see...

Now for the good news...
my sister and her husband made it down to New Brunswick from Ontario where they will be for the next month. I'll be joining them there in less than two weeks, I can't wait.

And, one of my best friends announced yesterday that her and her beau are tying the knot! Congratulations Dawn and Chris!

Yet another thing to make me feel old... I can hear my biological clock ticking away. tick.tick.tick.

Open House at Gaspereau Valley Fibres Anyone?

Any of you Halifax area knitters planning on heading down to Gaspereau Valley Fibres for their Christmas Open house this Saturday? I beleive it's from 1pm to 4pm.

Branching Out Scarf

Branching Out Scarf, originally uploaded by leclerc_jk.

Yet another scarf! This is the branching out scarf from knitty.com. It's a great pattern, not too difficult, but with really nice results. I used Patons Grace, a mercenized cotton.

My first hat

Hat, originally uploaded by leclerc_jk.

My first attempt at knitting a hat. The pattern is from last minute knitted gifts and I used Patons SWS, which is very soft. I could not seem to find a 40cm size 9 circular in this crazy city so I used a 10 and made a smaller size. It's still a little big on me, but hopefully it will fit the recipient, ( and lets hope he doesn't read my blog!)

Fours

Four jobs I’ve had:

* Marine Electronics Technologist
* Medical Equipment Technologist
* Costumer service specialist at Walmart
* Hostess at East Side Marios

Four movies I can watch over and over:

* the Phantom of the Opera
* Star Wars
* the First Matrix
* Garden State

Four places I have lived:

* Halifax
* Moncton
* Fredericton
* Geary

Four television shows I love to watch:

* Grey's Anatomy
* ER
* Scrubs
* Family Guy

Four places I have been on vacation:

* Boston
* Ottawa
* Quebec City
* New Hampshire

Four of my favorite dishes:

* Lasagna
* Spaghetti
* Pizza
* Souvlaki

Four websites I visit daily:

* hotmail.com
* flickr.com
* DFO intranet
* TDCanada Trust


Four places I would rather be right now:

* In Bed
* At Sea
* At my parents house
* Second Cup

Wavy Scarf

Wavy Scarf
Originally uploaded by leclerc_jk.

I finally finished the Wavy scarf from Knitty.com. It's just cheap old Red Heart acrylic yarn, but it's still pretty soft and came out ok. You can't see it in this picture but there is a HUGE error in this scarf. Part way through I dropped the stitched off my needle. I managed to get them all back on again, but stated knitting in the opposite direction, so one of the waves is way too long. Maybe nobody will notice?

Lacy scarf

Lacy scarf
Originally uploaded by leclerc_jk.

Another scarf finished! I knit this completely at sea on the Hudson which makes it kinda special I think. Perhaps it should be the Sea Scarf? The pattern is from Louet sales and the yarn in Needful Trillium (a blend of linen and viscose). The yarn is beautiful and soft and hangs just right. I'm not sure weather to give this one as a christmas gift or be greedy and keep it for myself!

I'm a cookie monster!

Cookie Monster You scored 56% Organization, 30% abstract, and 30% extroverted!

This test measured 3 variables. First, this test measured how organized you are. Some muppets like Cookie Monster make big messes, while others like Bert are quite anal about things being clean. Second, this test measured if you prefer a concrete or an abstract viewpoint. For the purposes of this test, concrete people are considered to gravitate more to mathematical and logical approaches, whereas abstract people are more the dreamers and artistic type. Third, this test measured if you are more of an introvert or an extrovert. By definition, an introvert concentrates more on herself and an extrovert focuses more on others. In this test an introvert was somebody that either tends to spend more time alone or thinks more about herself. You are somewhat organized, more concrete, and more introverted. Here is why are you Cookie Monster. You are both somewhat sloppy. Actually you are probably a lot less messy than Cookie Monster. Cookie Monster can be messy when he is eating, but he doesn't usually lose things. You are probably mostly organized. You have a good idea where you put things and you probably keep your place reasonably clean. You aren't totally obsessed with neatness though. You both can be concrete thinkers. Cookie Monster knows what he wants (cookies!) and he consistently works toward that goal. You probably know what you want in life, and you have a real plan toward achieving it. You are both introverted. Cookie Monster only thinks about himself when he says "Me want cookies." He rarely thinks of the affect he has on others. For whatever reason you are uncomfortable in social settings. You probably have one or two people that you are close with. You'd rather do things by yourself and you dislike working in groups. The other possible characters are Oscar the Grouch Big Bird Snuffleupagus Ernie Elmo Kermit the Frog Grover The Count Guy Smiley Bert If you enjoyed this test, I would love the feedback! Also if you want to tell me your favorite Sesame Street character, I can total them up and post them here. Perhaps your choice will win!

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 99% on Organization You scored higher than 99% on concrete-abstra You scored higher than 99% on intro-extrovert

Link: The Your SESAME STREET Persona Test written by greencowsgomoo on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Angel Winston

Angel Winston
Originally uploaded by leclerc_jk.

This is my sister's dog, Winston, a half boston terrier/ half pug mix. My sister thought it would be fun to put little angel wings on him.

A Pirate's life for me.

Tuesday was International Talk like a Pirate day. I know I'm a little late but, here she be.

My pirate name is:

Mad Jenny Bonney

Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. You can be a little bit unpredictable, but a pirate's life is far from full of certainties, so that fits in pretty well. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

Duck in Bunk

Duck in Bunk
Originally uploaded by leclerc_jk.

This is the travelling duck in my bunk. He's waiting for the steward to come make the bunk and clean the cabin.

I haven't yet figured out how to post more than one photo in one entry.

Hudson May 2006

Desk
Originally uploaded by leclerc_jk.

For those of you who may not know me, I am an electronic technician with the Canadian Coast Guard. Last may I did my first sea trip on the CCGS Hudson, and of course the travelling duck came along! The travelling duck loves to go on adventures. He has even been to Europe without me, so he jumped at the chance to sea what life is like on a scientific research vessel.

This is picture of the desk in my cabin.

Attempt number 2 or 3?

No, this is not my first attempt at blogging. I seem to enjoy starting random things and not finishing them.

I wanted to try blogspot so I'd have a place to display and explain some of my flickr photos. Now I just have to figure out how to do that!