Looking Up

The above photos were taken on my recent trip to Washington, D.C. These were taken in the Library of Congress building, a gorgeous structure and a venerable institution. I just loved the Library of Congress and took oodles of photos of it, including a few shots of the elaborate ceilings.

For a while there, I was really in a low place. Only now, as the situation is improving, am I aware of just how low I was. I'm not one to bitch and moan a lot online (I assume there's enough of that going on, so no need to add my angst), so it may not have been too apparent here. However the fact that I stopped posting entirely for about a month was a major clue that something was wrong.

I'm feeling a lot better now and life (work, home stuff, personal stuff, etc.) no longer seems totally overwhelming. I'm seeing my therapist every week now, am slowly getting back into an exercise regime, and...well...I started taking anti-depressants about two weeks ago.

I have mixed feelings about going on anti-depressants. I can't help but feel it's some sort of cop out. On the other hand, I must be able to function enough to do my job and carry on with normal daily activities. And thanks to the meds, I'm able to do that now.

Oh, and just to show how "up" I'm feeling, I have to post a link to this goofy photo from the Cute Overload website. It sure got a laugh out of me!

Linda gets cultured

I went to the opera last night. Well, la de da! Up until last night, I was pretty much an opera virgin. I'd watched one opera on television many years ago when the local PBS station aired Madame Butterfly. But, I'd never been to an opera in person. Nor have I listened to opera music very much.

My neighbor had a couple tickets she got from her uncle, who was too sick to use them. So, off we went to a performance of The Magic Flute.

Frankly, I'm not really into musicals or dramatic performances that include singing. I'm sort of a grouch about it, I guess. I mean, sure, I regularly break into song during critical points in my day....rrrriiiiiggghhhhttttt....Although I tease Mark all the time about his insistence on "plausibility" in movies and entertainment, I guess I have some "plausibility" issues, too. I really don't see people singing about their feelings as very plausible, which is why I don't do musicals, as a rule.

Nonetheless, I actually really wanted to see The Magic Flute. I knew the storyline was not based on an awful tragedy, and that it had elements of comedy to it, too. (I'd picked up this much about it from watching the movie Amadeus.) So, I figured it would be a good introduction to opera for me.

By intermission, after only 3 Acts out of 11, I was shaking my head and wondering what sort of awesome drugs Mozart must have been high on when he wrote this opera. It was fun and entertaining, but required MAJOR amounts of suspension of disbelief. I guess I'd have to say it was a good thing, overall, but I'm sure glad Mark wasn't with me.

Oh, and although I didn't dress up super duper fancy-schmancy, I did wear the Lotus Blossom shawl. Of course!

On the needles

No change in my WIPs: Katrina Rib, Fibertrends Felted Slippers for Mark, and swatch for gloves. I'm not knittin' up a storm lately, can you tell? I should have Mark's slippers finished -- I mean felted and with the leather soles on 'em -- by the end of this weekend. I have a nice long weekend coming up, so that's the plan at least.

As for the other two projects...well, I'm still on the first sleeve of Katrina Rib, but only have about 5 more inches of knitting left on it. So, if I'm motivated and diligent, I'll be ready to start sleeve #2 during my commuting next week.

The hang up is...I really, really want to knit some socks instead of any of these things. I am craving some sock knitting badly. (I couldn't help thinking last night about how great it would have been to have a sock in my purse to work on during intermission.)

I've been purchasing lots of nice sock yarn lately, and some good sock knitting books, and I'd really like to start working with them. Then again, there are plenty of awesome online sock patterns, too. Hmmm...I think some Jaywalker sock knitting is a strong possibility...