I was off in Vancouver this weekend, doing one of the nerdiest things imaginable. I travelled, internationally, to go to a knitting conference. This was my first solo trip out of the country, my first solo yarn adventure, and really the first time I’d done anything all by myself, in a long time. I won’t say it was a COMPLETE success, personally speaking, but I did alright. :)  But, this isn’t about me and my social anxieties, this is about me sharing a ton of awesome stuff!

Well, comfortably is probably a stretch. It is surprisingly hard to get involved with things these days, though. I am struggling to keep engaged with things that I used to enjoy, finding myself just not able to find the energy to get emotionally engaged in the sports I have loved, the hobbies I enjoyed, even playing games with my husband. I find myself retreating into reading a lot, mostly familiar stories by familiar authors I don’t have to put much effort into.

My itty bitty (awesome) Rickshaw bag I use as a purse (gah that word makes me feel old!) felt weirdly full this morning. Turns out I need to stop just chucking stuff in there. Current contents: 1 wallet 1 set keys 1 set earplugs 1 loose dollar bill 1 empty plastic bag 1 half-used pack travel Kleenex 1 pair socks, still in packaging, covered in Alaskan salmon (thanks, fet!) 1 used Sounders ticket stub

I hit a milestone today. I got called a whore (or was it slut?…) on the internet. It’s really been a long time coming. I have been having all these OPINIONS on THINGS, and talking about feminism on the internet and all. Getting uppity. Oddly, that wasn’t got me into trouble. What did, however, was declaring I hated a song on the radio. I may have called it the worst song evar, complete with misspelling.

or How Marvel and Disney Tried To Scar Me For Life. I cried when I watched Guardians of the Galaxy. I know I’m not alone in that, but I think that most people weren’t choking down sobs for the same reasons I was. I was upset, I was sad, but it was also furious. I clung to my control by fingertips, because standing up in the middle of the theatre, screaming “This isn’t how it happens!

I wrote this in response to a friend in a private community of my close college friends who tried to explain that the women in question aren’t “true feminists” and that they’re frauds who in some way deserve everything that is happening now. I don’t expect it to change his mind, but hopefully it will make the rest of our social circle think more. It’s certainly made me think more about being in that social circle anymore.

Benjamin Massey has written up an amazing article, well worth reading!

That was my response when I enjoyed the second of TWO ridiculous articles that appeared on ESPN’s site directed at women, espnw.com. The first was a guide to drafting for fantasy football. For those who may not know, fantasy sports generally involve you collecting players from around the league onto your team and earning points based on the individual performance of those players. It’s a fun way to stay engaged in the rest of the league, and adds excitement to games where your home team isn’t a participant, but your fantasy team may have members.

I feel so upset that I have had to use those 4 words so much lately. It seems like it should be simple. Be Kind. Two words and you have a pretty decent guide to life. Not perfect, because nothing ever is. Situations are often complex, but for the most part if you are about to do something and you think to yourself “is this kind?” and can answer “yes” then you’re probably doing okay.

Kristina: it says 6 stitches per inch! Me: in other words Good Fucking Luck Andrea: you should start a blog called “The Profane Knitter”!