After a few long talks with Boss

We both feel like it's time to take the plunge - in different directions. He is the front runner for a job in South Florida. We are both angst-ridden about the risks/challenges ahead and scared of splitting up the best working team ever for the unknown, but at the same time, the opportunities are too exciting to pass up. Right now they take us in different directions, but since we seem to be cosmically bound in some freaky way, we figure this, too, is by design. And sometimes you just have to close your eyes and jump.

So I'm past my angst and feeling excited about the future again. I don't think it's a coincidence that, as my new favorite astrologer and fellow Cancerian Chica Aunt Purl points out, Saturn is finally getting the hell out of our way. I have indeed put up with endless crap since June 2003, starting with the death of my husband in July of 03, through job drama, a job change, elderly parent health crises, three hurricanes, misc. "normal" life shit, job going South and staying there, and on and on. I was driving to work the other day, doing a quick catalog of the current shitstorms in my life, and on those "How much stress are you under?" charts, I've been way off the chart for a long time. Maybe now I can catch a break? Just a small one?

As you can see from the photo, my Hannan shawl came up short on the fringe. I need one more skein of Zen Colors in Mt. Fuji. Fortunately it's the fringe and dye lot won't be critical, I could always "de-fringe" what is on there now and mix the two dye lots in the fringe, nobody'd ever notice. I really like the shawl, it's not delicate and lacy but it's light and extremely drapey on the shoulders. Because it's such a busy print and a kind of gypsy-ish style, I think it's best paired with a basic black tank and slacks or skirt, nothing busy. It's meant to be a flashy focal point, it's definitely not a dainty fade into the scenery kinda shawl, and with anything else it'd be too Boho-ho. But this is Florida, and it's hard to be too flashy here.

I've started the Margaux top, and that was really my clue to myself that I have made the mental transition to the new job, because damn, this will be TOO cute with jeans for work. Purely coincidentally I'm making it in the color on the model, and when I work on it, wearing my tried and true battered Levis, I admire the way the faded rose and the denim work together. It's good.

And if I'm AWOL from the blog a bit more, I'm just distracted by our new DVR recorder (think TiVO but from the cable company). I am a huge Daily Show fan, and have an enormous crush on Jon Stewart and want to meet a man just like him but a few years older maybe, but his show comes on at 11 and I get up at 5:30, and you can do the math. I was so happy during the campaign (if puking sick at the outcome) when Comedy Central ran his show at 7 p.m. every night. Then it became like a floating craps game - oh I see they have an episode on at 8 p.m. now, when the hell did THAT start? Anyway, the DVR solves all, I can just tell it to find Jon Stewart, whenever he appears, and damn, there he is the next day, saved for me to view with my morning coffee instead of Katie and Matt and the other dim bulbs. This is TOO wonderful.

Also too wonderful are the joys of reading Angry Black Bitch. So smart, so topical, so hilarious. Give this woman a TV show. She could lead in for Jon Stewart. I'm just sayin....