My history of knitting

My dad's oldest sister, my aunt Laura, taught me how to knit when I was young. I do not remember the year or how old I was, but I was probably around 9ish. She taught me to knit on a bench at the seminary near my grandparent's house. She taught me the easy way of casting on and stockinette stitch. I remember sitting at the bench as my younger siblings and cousins played on the playground. Amazingly I was in no rush to join them. We went to my grandparents house almost on a weekly basis, and almost always made a trip to the seminary. Here we would play on the playground at the nursery or play "Mother May I" and "Red LIght Green Light". During the fourth of July we would occasionally set off fireworks. I remember going there with my friend Erin where we would visit the different prayer stations, located among the pine trees, where people would write their prayers and leave them at the base of the tree/saint statue. We would read them (please note we were 9 years old and obsessed with Nancy Drew. We were hoping for some mystery)

It was an easy walk from my grandparents house. It was also one that we would make by ourselves. The fact that our parents and grandparents would let us roam freely in the neighborhood surprises me, as there is so much over protectiveness now it seems. I remember going off by myself to the pharmacy (on a busy road, gasp!), to the seminary or to the magic shop that was far from the house (we had to cross a busy street. shock!).

But it was here, one of my big childhood memories, that I learned to knit. I don't remember it being overly hard for me. That is until we got to the purl stitch. I could not get it. Sadly, my Aunt Laura lives in Washington state and left before teaching me how to bind off (well she might have but I do not remember). It was 10 years before I picked up knitting needles again.

I re-started knitting thanks to The Gap. No they did not finish my lessons, but they did inspire me. While shopping at McCain Mall in North LIttle Rock with my friend Amanda we were wandering through Gap. It was winter time so they had the scarves and gloves out. They were selling the scarves for $30. I looked at one and said "I can make that way cheaper." Amanda just kind of rolled her eyes at me and we left to go watch a soccer game.

After my grandmother died lots of her belongings were given to my father to store until his sisters could come and sort out who would get what. My grandmother was a knitter. She made us beautiful outfits that, even now, my mother still laments that we did not really want to wear (apparently we were nudists when we were little). Among her belongings were her knitting supplies. I helped myself and borrowed (kept) a pair of needles (which I still use) and some scraps of yarn. I was going to make a scarf. So at the age of 19, in between studying, sleeping and partying, I sat in my dorm room and knitted. It was not a complicated thing I was knitting, just a long rectangle. I finished it, a multicolor scarf. Problem was I never learned to bind off, I improvised. It would be another 6 years before I learned the correct way.

I loved that scarf. It was not something you would ever see at The Gap, Hollister or J. Crew, but I loved it. I remember I brought it home one Christmas and then never saw it again until I saw a picture of my sister. She was wearing it, now I am not accusing her of stealing it. She probably just saw it lying around and needed a scarf. I never said anything, if she enjoyed better for me.

The next six years saw a lot of scarves, and one failed attempt at a hat. I was not branching out or exploring other options. But I did make a lot of scarves. I also unmade a lot. I would often start a project with an idea but realize half-way through it was not working. This got me through grad school. Coming home at 11 PM each weekday night after a 12 hour day on campus and/or internship I was restless. So as my dog, Pig, would sleep on my feet I would watch TV and knit.

After I moved to NYC, the agency that had offered me a position soon closed that position. I had, at this point, just moved to NYC without a job, without an apartment and two bags of clothes. I quickly found a job at Virgin Megastore and found a free apartment through a hostel in exchange for work. The first couple of months were chaotic, to say the least, but are still some of my most enjoyable. While I continued to look for a "real" job, I was able to explore the city. Hell, I even lived across the street from Central Park. Each night I would come home to my cramped apartment that I shared with 8 other people and watch movies. All the while I knitted.

Now in college I had friends and colleagues who asked if I smoked pot because I never seemed to get anxious or worried. No, I didn't smoke pot I informed them, instead I would use my anxiety and stress to knit (and play with my doggie). Knitting allowed me to work away my stress and concentrate on something that did not involve family theories, the DSM-IV TR and my thesis. I move up to NYC and suddenly I had an excess of energy. I can not sit still. My remedy? Knitting. I knit when watching TV, on the train and even at movies. My roommates would often comment on the fact that they never saw me just sitting there, I was always knitting, cleaning or writing.

I have progressed past the stockinette stitch (thanks to inspiration from Aunt Laura and Grandmother and help from Stitch N' Bitch). I can now purl like a pro and bind off expertly. Thanks to a little old Asian woman who approached me on the subway and missed her stop in order to teach me a better way to hold the needles, I can now knit without really looking at what I am doing. I can now knit by feel. Not that I don't occasionally need to see what I am doing, but I can tell if I missed a stitch by feel now.

Knitting has become my massage. If I am feeling restless, anxious or bored, I pick up knitting needles and just start casting on. I may not have a plan, I might change the plan and I might never finish the plan, but it gives me something to do. It calms me and relaxes me. There are only two stitches in knitting, but you can use those to stitches in different ways to make patterns. Patterns clear my mind, I have to focus on what I am doing, even when I am able to do it while watching TV. Counting stitches. Increase. Decrease, Purl. Knit. These are tangible things. Things that I can control. If my mind is feeling out of control, I pick up knitting needles and suddenly there is order.

A couple of things I am planning on bring to Kenya: knitting needles and yarn. Even if I have to knit something, frog it (unravel) and knit something again, this will help me keep my center. Hopefully there will be someone who wants to learn to knit. Someone who will see what knitting can do for the heart, the body and the mind.

Also Tuesday was Teets day! It was a glorious day!

What would you do for a million dollars

So I just finished watching The Social Network and it got me thinking. The concept of being a billionaire is not something my brain can fathom. The first thing that I think of when I've read stuff about Mark Zukerberg is Scrooge McDuck. I picture Zukerberg spending his days swimming in gold coins. Now I know this is not true, but I think if I was to suddenly find myself in billions of dollars I would try my hardest to make this a reality. I want to swim in gold coins. Here are some other things I would do if I were a billionaire:

1. Burn money. Literally I would get a couple of dollars and set them on fire. Yes, I know that this is bad and that there are people who could use the $2 I would burn. But I would still do it.
2. Buy a new phone. My current one is scratched up, the back pops off if you look at it, parts are missing and it randomly turns off.
3. Eat at La Bernardin with Eric Ripert personally preparing and serving my food.
4. Fly first class
5. Own a home in: Maine, NYC, Santa Cruz, Seychelles and Peru
6. Hire a maid, but would probably be too embarrassed to have her clean so she would sit on the couch and watch tv while I clean, or more realistically talk about how I need to clean.
7. Buy a yarn shop
8. Buy a pair of converse in every color ever made
9. Tell someone "I could buy you."
10. Buy the following cars: VW Bug (though not the new ones.), 83 Volvo, Jeep Wrangler, a Vespa, and a delorean.

Sure I would do some of the practical and nice things (charity, paying off my parents mortgage, putting my parents in good nursing homes) but I would do these things for myself.

I also can't fathom being labeled "the youngest (insert title here)" I'm pretty much at that age where someone has, at sometime, already achieved it by my age. I wouldn't win for youngest person with Alzheimer's disease. The only thing I can shoot for would be youngest president and that will never happen.

Peace Corps stuff:
-Sent in my updated resume and aspiration statement.
-Sending my visa and passport stuff tomorrow
-Have started to organize what I am: throwing away, giving away and shipping.

Sigh of relief, scream of ???

So it has been a week since I received my invitation to Kenya. So many thoughts, many of which are very schizophrenic/bipolar. Here is a smattering, some are pieces of conversations I had with other, others are actual thoughts:

-I have to eat this, I may not be able to eat this in Kenya!
-Holy Crap, I will be in Kenya in 5 months
-What if I can't retain the language and get kicked out
-I will be living at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro for the first couple of months
-What am I doing?
-I rock (though to be honest, this is a normal thought for me)
-AAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!! (mainly in response to everything that I need/want to do before I go)
-Oh. My. God.
-I'm putting in my notice soon
-You have to send me DVD's of zombie movies

So I think I am taking this well. Though I am very upset I might be a little late in seeing the next Harry Potter flick (dork, yes).

I sent in my aspiration statement and resume after spending way too much time on them. I have a bad habit of over thinking things, specifically in regards to me. Ask me to read a book and write a report on it. Easily done. Ask me to write something about myself. Overkill. Especially if it will influence my future. I finally had to sit down and just write what came out of my head. I did three read overs to make sure it sounded correct and e-mailed it off. Of course immediately after I sent it, I regretted it and thought of everything else I should have said. But it was fine, which I know intellectually.

I want to thank all the current PCV's who are keeping online journals, you guys are helping me out so much! It helps me to get an idea of what I might go through. I can not wait, for the good or the bad!

On a second note, I was not bit by a spider. I have an infection on my ankle. I went to the doctor today and we're trying out some antibiotics for it. Luckily my body has always complied with my wishes to "man up" and be healthy. I don't tolerate being sick and require my body to heal very quickly. It always has in the past, nothing big or bad has happened. I won't allow it. My body realizes this and acts accordingly. I think this is just some rebellion on it's part. But i have laid down the law. Still have to let PC know which stinks.

Put in my notice today. My 2 month notice. It was pretty great.

If anyone wants to come clean my apartment I will heat you up some gumbo and give you a beer.

Kenya dig it?

So I'm going to Kenya as of May 30!!! I am very excited in the "I decided to go sky diving and I'm up in the air about to jump" way. I can't wait, I am excited and also scared out of my mind. But I'm jumping, I accepted the invite today. Now there is so much to do and so much that I still have to wrap my head around.

I knew I was getting the invite when I got home last night and saw a slip of paper from UPS stuck on the front door of my building. They said they would try back the following day, which meant I had to be home (the UPS facility in NYC is in East New York, I have been there one time and that was one time too many). So I texted my boss and said "personal day." I then headed out to watch the Sugar Bowl, my Hogs vs my new nemesis Ohio State.

I'm not going to go into the game, my emotions or my actions (I did behave myself, I just screamed and danced and screamed and slammed my head on the bar). It was not a good night. On the plus side I did get most of the people in the bar to call the Hogs and I did get some free beer, but still not a good night.

Woke up early this morning, bummed around. My intercom door buzzer goes off. I nearly knock myself out getting to it. UPS! I rush down stairs, sans shoes, socks or keys. And scared the hell out of the UPS woman. I might have been a little overly excited. The rest you know.

So now the real work begins, I've got to start packing and getting things in order, I've got to write and fill out the rest of the PC stuff. Oye Vey!

Best. New Year. Ever.

So the Peace Corps gods have been good to me! I've been officially nominated!! Checked my e-mail this morning to the wonderful news that my application has been updated and immediately rushed to find out how. After doing some fist pumps (I promise you these were the complete opposite of those stupid fist pumps the Jersey Shore people do) and doing a happy dance I went to work.

I was not planning on reporting any of this until I learned where I am going (which should be early next week), but well I couldn't contain myself. I especially did not plan on writing this while I have company over celebrating NYE. But they are engrossed in the movie.

So now a whole new set of emotions have over taken me. Before it was anxiety and RAS about whether I would be invited (no matter how many people told me not to worry that I was very qualified, I always thought the worst). Now it is fear and complete scared shitless feeling. What have I gotten myself into? Can I really do this? Am I really qualified? What if I fail? Now the rational part of me says "This is what you have been wanting for awhile now. Cory, you have plenty of experience, much of which will help you greatly no matter what you do. You will not fail because then your sister will win (to those who do not know my sister was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali) and you will be inferior to her. Plus you are stubborn as hell and always find ways to survive." It's just the fear of the unknown which causes the irrational part of me to mentally scream.

So while I have these scared shitless feelings, I am elated beyond belief. I'm going to get to live in a new country, a new culture and learn tons of new things and hopefully teach a ton of new things. I'm anxious to find others that are serving in my country. I'm anxious to try new things, to travel, to eat different things. In other words, I am not focusing on the present anymore (this will no doubt make my boss really happy. I'll just have to work on focusing on work). I don't think my brain has fully wrapped around the idea yet.

So next update will be my new country!

Also, I know I promised a "Best of" blog. I later realized, I've only seen 3 movies this year (127 hours, Harry Potter and True Grit) so I guess those are my top 3 movies of the year. (oh, I did see a great documentary on Netflix called Up Syndrome which is very, very awesome). I bought one new album this year, Kings of Leon Come Around Sundown, so that wins best album of the year (now if only we could get The Strokes to release an album).

Side note: I have found an awesome use of the radiator in my bathroom. The radiator is a long pole extending from floor to ceiling. I have found when it is hot it makes a really great massage beam. By rubbing my back and shoulders on it I am able to relax more. So far no real uses for the radiators in other parts of my apartment, other than making my apartment really hot.

Hope everyone has a very Happy New Year, may it bring peace, prosperity and happiness! Take care all. (my guests are getting suspicious so I must return to hosting duties)

A good Christmas

So went home for the holidays. Nothing really special to report. Had some good times with the family, ate alot and bummed around. But I got the a really good present, not a tangible one, but a good one nonetheless (please note: all the presents I got were awesome). As my mom was driving me to the airport I checked my e-mail on her phone. A change in my application status!! So I went and checked and I do not have any placement holds on my account. I can only assume I am really close to invitation! Whoop!

So you know what would be a great gift for New Years? An invitation.

Back to New York news. In case you have been hiding under a rock, it snowed here. A LOT. Which was a bit of a pain in my travel plans, but nothing I can really complain about. The one thing I want to complain about is the grocery store during snow storms. I will never understand it. Everyone rushes to stock up on food and such. Like they don't live 2 blocks away. I just wanted to buy some tortilla chips, but they are all sold out. Also, Chuck Taylors are not the best snow shoes.

Stay tuned, Cory will unveil her best of next blog (and will hopefully have a Peace Corps update. Yes, I am anxious)

Just one more step before I am out!

So my boss calls me to tell me she texted me. Now some might ask "doesn't your boss know how texting works?" or "Isn't that counterproductive?" Well I would say yes to both questions, but only if you don't know my aversion to cell phones. I don't like them. I didn't get one until I moved up here and my mother wanted some way to get in touch with me. I don't like my phone and it has proven it does not like me. Case in point, not only have some keys fallen off of it, the screen guard popped off, parts of it have chipped away and the back falls off all the time but it now randomly turns off on its own. We have a deal, I won't replace it if it continues to make and receive calls.

But due to my dislike/apathy/not wanting people to be able to get in touch with me at all times, I tend to keep it on vibrate and try not to keep it on me (MOM note: I have it on me whenever I leave the apartment. Just if I'm stationary do I ignore and forget it).

So back to my original story. So I go to check the on call cell phone (where my boss had texted me) and decide to pull out my cell phone too. Less the 3 minutes later I get a call on my phone. It is a 202 number. Now last week I had spoken with Beth, my lovely OMS contact, who had requested some follow-up information regarding a surgery I had 8 years ago and requesting I get a new pap smear (the one I entered with the med review was nearly a year old). So I was not sure why I was getting another call, I had already made an appointment with my dr and had requested my surgery records.

I answer "Hello?"
"Is this Cory?"
"Yes."
"This is Beth from PC OMS. We talked last week. I just wanted you to know that I am going to medically clear you today."
"YAY!:
Cory does happy dance, well I just ran around in a circle in my office which is not very big.
"Are you still there?"
"Oh, um, sorry. My office got a little hectic and I had to get out to hear you." (I was the one being hectic)
"So I'm still going to request that you get a new pap smear, though they might be changing those rules in the future."
"Okay, doing that next week. Thank you so much."
"Thank you have a great day."

I run back to the office high five everyone in sight, which was one person.

I'm MEDICALLY CLEARED!!!! Now just waiting. Well more waiting.