I'm Sherlocked

Who knew revisiting Sherlock (BBC) could be so much fun! 2.1 - Scandal in Belgravia. Last night was season 1, tonight is season 2. The problem with a disguise is that it is always a self-portrait. Ms. Adler is always on topic. I must admit my fancy towards Benedict Cumberbatch, and while we're on the topic Tom Hiddleston. 

Today was an fancy meeting with my friend John, who studies at UBC - double major of Political Science & English. We met up for a lunch at MKT. It's an amazing restaurant that everyone should have a trip to. Very well done menu, and well-supplied draft. Today I had the pleasure of drinking La Fin Du Monde on tap as well as Chimay White. A 9% and 8% beer, both beautiful and flavorful. The Chimay has a different bite to it, the yeast is more tart & bitter than other beers. Once you get over the new taste, provided you have a low warning yield, it is very enjoyable. These nicer (and more expensive) beer taste much better when consumed slowly. As well, maybe when not full on carbs of pretzels and KD. I don't have much beer left at home, a few more Pepper Berry from Alley Kat. 

In the fronts of knitting, xski, & pointless buying, I'll be xski at home this holiday. Hopefully my father can strap on some ski's as well and have little pain from his knees. The new hobby includes oil painting, it's very difficult so far, and I feel way way way over my head. I might start another painting tonight, or add a layer to the rowing scene I started just under a week ago. Or I just might continue to drink beer, and maybe knit some. Oil Painting requires much attention and skill. To which I do not have. 

Oh, on the point of requiring skill - I also bought a Speedball Calligraphy pen with dip ink, Sepia colour. The Paint Spot has quite a few interesting toys. I must master them one at a time. Or maybe two or three at a time.. so when I feel defeated in one area I can try again in another. The calligraphy ink surprised me while I was using it the other day. It dries fairly quickly on the nib, but worst of all, it clumps. The contents of the ink is heavily sedimented. Once the ink is dry on the paper, you can feel the ink. When using the pen you need to wash the pen due to the sediment build up. A worthy excuse to stretch the legs I suppose. 

Hrm. probably should do a bit of cleaning and paper sorting. fun fun fun. Sherlock is still going. Yeah! 

Exams and motivation

Well then, another semester almost done. One more exam, 9am tomorrow to finish it off. Finish it off for school that is. I need to get my cover letter done and set up an interview time for my practicum, hopefully not too late.

I'm quite excited to curl up with my new orthapedic assessment books to learn all the new and fascinating things they don't teach you in classes. A quick photo is posted somewhere so you can see the titles. This is the first time I've updated from my phone.. So I'll see how this goes later. The typing is really slowing me down.

It's become quite cold this year in good ol' Etown. Last year could hardly be quantified as winter, but there is no doubt about it this year. I've moved my plants away from the windows, it's just too cold. Plus I'd really like to see my orchid bloom. Its sprouted and has some buds on it. The winter sun is perfect for it - super weak and doesn't stay up for long at all (at least with my window configuration).

In sad news I think I might have given myself a left knee medial meniscus injury. I am pinpointing the MOI to my first xski of the season in Etown when I fell. The pain and stiffness continues to get worse and worse. With all thw special tests I know, the meniscal tears are the only ones that elicit a positive which make sense. Unfortunately the meniscus is not vascularized (no blood supply), so healing is going to take a while. Keep it easy going for a while I guess and hope it doesn't get bad.

Finishing on good news.. Hmmm. Time for a beer? Haha. Probably.

Here We Are

New ideas for this blog. Rather than be strictly rowing oriented, there will be many topics. Let's face it, I don't always like talking about rowing. Most topics in that area shouldn't even be publicized. Instead, I will divulge into my life, and the many things that keep my time occupied.

Starting with yesterday, I received my new Noodler's Flex Nib Fountain Pen, purchased from Goulet Pen's. <Link to Website> As you will come to see, I like to buy a fair number of items online. Sometimes good ol' Edmonton just doesn't cut it. As well, I don't always like adventuring outside my apartment to be hounded by creepy sales staff or to find out a store does not have a product.

Having never used a flex nib before, I was thinking I was in for a real treat. A real treat indeed. When you see photos like this and this of flex nib text, you think, how hard can it be? Well, it's really hard. I have never before thought of point pressure in a single letter before. It's neat to write with over a period of time because you see the mood of your writing come out more significantly than with any other pen. Maybe I can get my dad to show me how to properly use this kind of pen, I mean, he grew up in fountain pen times... so obviously he should know. 

To become proficient at the flex nib will just take practice, and lots of it. As well, not being in a rush to write, that won't help either. Hrmm.. two things I don't really want to do at the moment. That brings me over to knitting..

My other, new found hobby. Just this past Remembrance Day weekend was I able to figure out how to knit, thanks to wikihow. Now, I'm fairly addicted. It was relatively easy to get the coordination for knit and perl stitch, working between the two took an extra week. With ease I can say I am starting my first real project of a scarf. I've already made a few headbands, but they were mainly for practicing the technique and tension of the yarn. Ravelry has been an amazing source for patterns, however with the basic level I am at, I just knit my own thing. Hopefully it will turn out.

In some ways I can see how knitting would be a fun activity to do with your grandparents, parents, cousins. Just sitting around, having tea and biscuits, talking and working on your knitting project. I think I would have liked to have done this with my Grandmother, she could have taught me so much in the art of knitting (and crocheting). My mother is not a knitter, so I must pick up the strings and carry this one over the generation.

Well, much homework to do this weekend. Most of it involving writing. This has been a great way to kick off the writing flow. It was this or write with the flex nib... but I've had enough of that for today.

Cheers.