WE MATTER
“I hereby announce the formation of WEstern MAssachusetts Total Territorial Equity Regiment.
That’s right: WE MATTER”
Mortar Bend has a great post up about living in the hinterlands of Massachusetts, you can read it here.
Chris Brogan - one of my new blog crushes - has a post up today about a DIY autobiography kit. He encouraged his readers to post this form, fill it out, and then leave a comment back. Feel free to read his page, swipe the list and leave me a comment if you are so inspired.
A Quick Sketch Biography of Amy
The thing most people know me for is my job - I tend to be a bit evangelical about the power of the internet to bridge divides and nurture community.
The people I associate the most with are migratory - people who have never left their hometown scare me.
People who have influenced my life are… my family and former teachers, I can’t think of a major professional influence up until my current boss.
One challenge I took on and overcame was… I wasn’t working in a field I wanted to be in, so I took a year off to retrain myself for the career I wanted, not the career I had.
My early years, before you probably got to know me were spent trying to find a way to reconcile my penchant for being outrageous with my deep seeded need to be accepted.
You might not know this, but I am adopted.
I’m passionate about my children, my marriage and not living life by default.
In the next year or two, I hope to climb to the top of Mt. Greylock.
How Glad I Am
My Podcast Playlist is a bit eclectic
- Accident Hash - A Boston based music show playing “podsafe” music. I liken it to college radio for the 30something set
- Cast On - A knitting podcast, which doesn’t do it justice in any way, good music, good stories and some yarn talk thrown in.
- Fit-Pod - workout mixes
- Jaybird’s Endless Boundaries - Used to be just a phish podcast, now mostly jam bands
- Looking Out The Window - The stories behind the songs
- Managing The Gray - New Media Marketing
- MCLA Podcast - my podcast for the college
- Nugcast - More jam bands
- The Dead Show - A weekly hour of the best live Grateful Dead music
- This American Life - you know that quirky NPR show
Most of the new music shows I’ll enjoy, but not really pay attention to. Every once in a while, a song will grab hold of me. Last year, around this time, I heard Noam Weinstein’s “When I Get My Shit Together” on Cast On and that became our family anthem for the summer, my children loved singing along (yes, I am the worst mommy ever). This past spring, it was Black Lab’s “Mine Again” which I still listen to frequently, but I mistakenly bought the album and not just the single on I-Tunes, and found the rest of the album wasn’t up to the same standard.
Just a few days ago, I was listening to Nugscast and was blown away by a song called “How Glad I Am” by the Grayboy Allstars. This is a poppy love song, which isn’t usually my thing, but the song has a hook, the singing is fantastic and it just may be the best single of 2007.
If you’ve got a buck, download the song and tell me what you think (or you can listen for free by downloading the podcast - http://www.nugs.net/nugscast/070418.aspx)
Job Interview
Up until I saw this ad, I considered Bill Richardson an “also ran” candidate.
Now I wonder if after Obama and Hillary finish tackling each other, an actual qualified candidate like Richardson might be the democrat’s best hope.
More friends of the blog in the news
Good Luck to Chris Trembly, a city councelor and local businesman who will be opening a new pizza joint downtown. Chris, I can’t wait to try your local veggie pizza, good luck!
I’ll have the special …
Greg Roach, a fellow North County Blogger and husband to a new knitting friend, has an article in today’s Transcript about life behind the service door. Other than Greg’s amazing dip at a recent knit nite, I’ve yet to experience his cooking, but now I’m even more eager to see his craftsmanship.
Good job Greg.
More for my sock pal …
Hi Sock Pal, I really appreciate you being so considerate, and I’m sure my “whatever you want” instructions are probably driving you crazy. I knit for a sock pal once who had very, very specific instructions, down to the shades of which colors were acceptable and which weren’t, and I remember feeling like the point of the sock swap wasn’t to get custom made socks, it was to get a surprise. But maybe my laize faire attitude is driving you as crazy as her wish list made me?
So I present you with two options:
A)I live in a very big old house in western Massachusetts, we keep our heat at 58 degrees in the winter and I’ve been known to sleep in wool socks. My most basic wish would be for warm, wool socks. I also wear my wool socks with my snowshoeing boots, and on my nightly hikes inside my sneakers. So a sturdy pair of winter socks would be fantastic.
B) I work in a building with phenomenal heating and can’t wear my socks to work or else I’ll sweat all day. A thin, lacy trouser sock would be a pleasure to wear during the day. I tend to wear a lot of black or dark blue slacks, so most colors would do, I’m ok having my socks show when I wear my Dansko clogs.
Does that help?
Sockopolloza
(this post is about knitting, more specifically about knitting yarn into socks, if you are interested, you are welcome to read along, if you are curious about what kind of socks to knit me, please read carefully, if you want to buy me a present for my upcoming birthday, skip to the bottom, if you couldn’t care less, move alone and I’ll have a far more interesting post coming up within the next day or two.)
Dear Sock Pal,
I am a sucker for hand knit socks, I am especially a sucker for handknit socks made from handspun, handpainted sock yarn, quite possibly from a small one or two person type of a shop. I like yarns across the color spectrum and am not fussy about toe shapes or heal shapes, other than the fact that I do tend to wear out the big toe spot on my socks. I’m actually more concerned about your knitting experience than my enjoyment, as I’ve received several pairs of socks in the past that I would never have knit for myself, but love unconditionally, both because they were a surprise (I like being surprised) but also because I could tell that my sock palls enjoyed making them. I want socks that you are going to love making and not feel bad about giving away.
If I could dare to be so bold, I’d send you off to MS&W this weekend with this mission - find the fiber that makes you smile, that amuses you, a color combination you like but would never wear yourself maybe, or a fiber you haven’t tried before. And while you are at MS&W, pet a llama for me. I’ll be doing my sock yarn shopping at Massachusetts Sheep & Wool in a few weeks, and I’ll pet an alpaca for you.
Thank you!
Now, for those who would like to buy me presents for mother’s day or my birthday, here are some ideas:
I could use a new laptop bag, and this one is dreamy.
Also, I think I’ve totally proven my committment to my walking routine, and I’d love to be rewarded wtih this cool gadget. Oh, and I could use an armband, now that it isn’t winter coat weather.
Carry on …