All right, then. It's been two years since I last posted in this blog. I think it's time to resurrect it, just in time for more summer adventures. We don't have huge plans for this summer, though I am planning a trip to Thunder Bay, Ontario to play with my living history group at Fort William Historical Park. It's been awhile since I've been to Canada, or played with the Regiment, so I am looking forward to this. I'm still involved with Celtic Nations Pipes & Drums, though in the last two years we've undergone quite a transition. We lost most of our drum corps when our lead tip was relieved of his duties. They're now playing with another band, and I wish them well, because I never wanted them to leave and felt horrible and stunned. I then took on the duties of drum sergeant (basically, rehearsal organizer and liaison with the piping leadership) just to get us back on good footing again. We lost more drummers to retirement, family illnesses and job changes, to the point where we had no snare drummers, no tenor drummers, and just me on bass. I started taking tenor lessons with a world-class tenor/snare drummer and I've come along great, but I still have quite a bit of practicing to do to get it all down. I injured my back last year, either doing weights at the Y or with bad posture during band rehearsals while wearing the drum, so playing the bass became very painful. I either played tenor as a bass drum or put the bass on a jury-rigged walker/seat. Two years ago, we brought the Shamrock Club Colorguard Pipes & Drums into our little rehearsal collective, and now we are called the Greater Milwaukee Pipe Band Association, though each of the three bands (the third being the Greater Milwaukee Fire & Police Pipes & Drums) maintains its autonomy and does its own gigs. Earlier this year we lost two of our best pipers to a job change, and while I am very happy for them (since they are pretty much starting a music program from scratch at a school in Virginia), I miss them terribly, because they were amazing guidance for me. This year we are competing as one Grade 5 band, because we don't have enough to support a Grade 4 band, with members of all three bands represented. I think we'll do very well. I've changed jobs twice in the last two years. I got a lab job in October 2010, and I thought it would be the be-all and end-all since it was pretty much my dream science job. A year later, the company moved from Milwaukee to Madison and all that changed. It became the job from hell. I resigned in March and went back to Target, but in a better position than I'd had before--more hours and lots of hard work. I enjoy it a lot. I'm not backing down on my dream of working in a lab again, though. Brendan the guinea pig is now two years old and a happy, healthy, and hungry guinea pig. He has a lot of character, as guinea pigs do. He is a beggar for food, and likes to either hang out with me on the couch or run around on our bed. He has special blankets for these out-of-cage adventures so he doesn't wet the couch/bed. All in all, I'm pretty happy with our city life. I don't get enough country in my city, though. I keep telling Mr. City Mouse that we should go on a day hike through one of the parks or drive out to one of the Kettle Moraine units, but he's not a country mouse in the least. His idea of an outing would be going golfing at one of the city courses. As it is, he isn't much up for outings unless it is something he really wants to do. He likes his computer, his ESPN or Fox Sports/Fox Soccer, and his technology in general (though I can't talk him into upgrading from his little cell phone to something a little more user-friendly, or even talk him into carrying it with him). Some of our upcoming summer adventures: Summerfest--the Red Hot Chilli Pipers are playing for that event this year instead of Irish Fest. Milwaukee Highland Games and Wisconsin Highland Games--Our band will be competing. Fort William Historical Park--just me, for their Celtic Festival. Parades--Burlington Chocolate Festival/Memorial Day Parade, South Milwaukee, Wauwatosa 4th of July, and a few Maybes Festivals--PrideFest, German Fest, Polish Fest, Scandinavian Fest, Irish Fest, Festa Italiana, and I want to go to Indian Summer this year Other possibilities: Golfing at Lake Park, Reclaiming our Heritage, Bristol Renaissance Faire, Chicago Highland Games (we are not competing, but I'd go to see the bands anyhow), Big Island Rendezvous, and The Big Maybe--US men's soccer World Cup qualifier in September, against Jamaica, in Columbus, Ohio. It's a Tuesday.

Wish List for Cross-Stitch Patterns

This is a list for a stitch-along I'm involved in through Ravelry, and a reference list for myself. If this doesn't interest you, you can skip it. However, the patterns I'm listing are lovely and worth a look.

Lavender and Lace Designs
1. Evangeline (#61)
2. Celtic Summer (#56)
3. Celtic Spring (#50)
4. The Bride (#9)
5. Celtic Winter (#60)
6. Celtic Christmas (#32)
7. Celtic Autumn (#58)
8. World Peace Angel (#51)

>Mirabilia Designs
1. English Roses (#14)
2. Madonna of the Garden (#79)
3. Winter White Santa (#100)
4. Snow Days (#29)
5. Elizabeth and the Lavender Sky (#10)
6. The Kiss (#12)
7. Christmas Wishes (#61)
8. Rose of Sharon (#3)
9. July's Amethyst Fairy (#59)

Long Dog Samplers
1. Opus Magnusson
2. St. Georges
3. Feast of Stephen
4. Quaker's Dozen
5. St. Sylvestre
6. Times Table
7. All Things Bright and Beautiful
8. Spirit of Vierlande
9. Scarlet Ribands
10. Jardin de Plaisir
11. Bagatelle
12. Carrelage

It's fun to stay at the...

My counselor has been insisting for awhile now that I need to get cardio exercise for my SAD, to help with endorphin letdown. It isn't like exercise wouldn't help City Mouse, either. So today we went out to the YMCA in Wauwatosa to check it out, get a tour, and see about membership.

The tour was interesting; they have a huge room full of cardio equipment, like elliptical machines, treadmills, stairclimbers, Nordic-track type machines, and the like. They also have free weights and weight machines (and you can program your own fitness goals into a computer that helps you monitor your reps). They have two pools and a whirlpool and smaller groupings of fitness equipment in the locker rooms (if you prefer a more private space).

Through our employment with the Bullseye and having insurance through them, we get a free month's membership and a free trial week. We are taking advantage of the trial week this week, and then will pay for our first month on Friday when we get paid. Now, it's just for us to make the hearts-and-minds commitment to get to the Y after work. It is about the same as joining a gym but with many more options outside of fitness to have fun (one of the local Y branches is arts-based and offers ceramics classes, for example). We can use any branch when we get our membership.

This afternoon I'll just be spending more time working on my Stornoway gansey. Tomorrow begins the Mouse quest for a better body and a fitter life.

It's been awhile...

Lots has been happening here in the City. The biggest thing is that City Mouse and I have to change stores. Our original store down here (West Milwaukee) is moving their logistics process to a 10pm start, thus making it an overnight shift. This does not work with the lifestyle to which City Mouse and I have become accustomed, so we had to find another option. Our options were: take a different job on the day shift, transfer to another store's logistics team, or quit. We decided to transfer, because staying with our current corporation will allow us to keep our medical insurance, while staying with an early-morning process will allow us to keep that shift differential that makes a big difference in whether or not we can pay our rent. So in a little more than a week, we will be starting at the store in Menomonee Falls, about 20 minutes away from our place. I'll be glad to be working a little later in the morning again.

Also, I have finished my program in nanotechnology, and yes, I am keeping an eye out for career jobs now. I'm starting by looking for medical laboratory jobs at local hospitals and clinics. I would like to be a lab tech. I would have to be certified within a year for most MLT jobs, but I am okay with that--a little experience to add to my knowledge and I should be set. In the meantime, I will probably be working on a part-time basis for my internship advisor as a research tech. Not a bad job for now!

I've been kept busy by Celtic Nations, too. I performed with the band at a wake and the Tripoli Shrine's Tartan Ball in November, and at the local Scottish club's Hogmanay on New Year's Eve. We're learning new music for the summer, and we're already booked for several performances/parades through March, including a St. Patrick's Day Parade in Racine. Next event is a Robert Burns Dinner. Yum, haggis...

Pumbaa the Wonder Pig is, unfortunately, starting to show her age. She sleeps more, has issues with her health, and is getting a wee bit more ornery than Her Divaship usually is. She is geriatric for a guinea pig, at 3 1/2 years old, but she still shows her pup self on occasion. She likes to rearrange her own furniture, and has discovered a love for all types of parsley, especially cilantro.

MacCionnaith1

MacCionnaith1
Originally uploaded by mapleaf11

Farmers Market

I found a farmers' market that works with my work schedule. West Allis (suburb of Milwaukee) hosts a farmers' market every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and the Saturday market doesn't open until 1:00 PM. This means if I work, I can go after work. If I don't, I can have a leisurely morning.

Last week, we went, and found lots of fresh vegetables, potatoes, flowers, herbs, and even some fruit. We used the peppers, onions, and potatoes we got, plus organic carrots, celery, and stew meat from the grocery store, and made a wonderful beef stew that I was eating (and enjoying) two days later. Now, if only I can convince my husband that leftovers are good! I also picked up some green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, and Paula Red apples.

So I went today, and bought more stuff. I got leaf lettuce, tomatoes, more Paula Reds, zucchini, onions (for the City Mouse), green peppers, sweet banana peppers, Italian parsley (for Pumbaa the Wonder [Guinea] Pig), and a pint of fresh, cold apple cider. Tonight I plan on having a big salad for supper, and a rice pilaf.

Last night City Mouse and I went on a date. We stopped at Kopp's Custard for dinner--burgers, fries, drinks, and, for me, Grasshopper Fudge custard--and then took it to Bayshore Town Center, which was showing Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the original, with Gene Wilder). Before the movie started, I quickly ran to Barnes & Noble to get myself a book light, because I often go to bed after City Mouse does, and I like to read or write or do crosswords, or color pictures (with colored pencils), before I go to sleep, to wind down. I also got a Sparks Notes planner, which features an SAT word a day and a literary quote per week. (No, I don't think I'm too old for it...however, I am familiar with most of the SAT words. It was $6.99, the cheapest planner there, and it serves my purposes.) Later, I sprung for drinks at Milwaukee's own Alterra Coffee--City Mouse had Sprecher Root Beer (in lieu of what he really wanted, Point Root Beer) and I had a very large cup of Minty Green Tea. It was a good night. I even got to wear my new Aran sweater for the first time (see above post for the pic!), it was just chilly enough that close to the lake.

I'm learning to like Milwaukee.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

What I've done since the last post:

--Bristol Renaissance Faire
--joined a pipe and drum band, Celtic Nations, as bass drummer
--performed at Irish Fest and at the Wisconsin Highland Games with Celtic Nations (the competition group in the band finished 6th/10 bands in their grade at WHG, which shows the caliber of people I play with--I don't compete, yet)
--Also got to see Donnell Leahy and Natalie McMaster at Irish Fest, and old friends 3 Pints Gone (one more round!), who have a new CD out and a new member (Col. Gaffneyis folks: James K. is no longer with the band).
--Traveled back to Chippewa Valley Technical College for two days of work in the clean room with my internship advisor--and got to stay with my parents and Allie the Wonder Pointer and Pud the big black cat
--Did more work on my internship--learned how to use a thermal evaporator
--worked for Target--I'm getting 36+ hours every week
--Lost the muffler off my van--it is getting fixed in a week and a half
--wrote an e-mail to the President indicating my support for the Public Option on the health care bill
--watched my church denomination vote to allow gay clergy (I'm still processing that, very carefully)
--took a few nice long naps
--read At Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O'Brien, and The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale, and am now re-reading the last four books in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, to prepare for the release of the new book in two weeks (I'm on a waiting list at the local library)

...and done lots of other things that I am certain I am forgetting right now.

I'll try to keep up better soon! It isn't like I'm never on the 'net...