Say Hello, Goodbye, Hello

Today was quite the day.

I dropped off a job application package.  It's a weird thing, this application.  I've applied there before.  In 2001, I was all but hired for the position (teaching Legal Writing).  When the person they all thought was going to leave decided not to go, the slot they'd have filled with me disappeared. 

In 2002 and 2004, I applied again.  I got no response. None, zero, nada.  It was rather as though I'd sent my materials into a black hole.

This year, I've been invited to apply.  Go figure.  Who knows, maybe this time's the charm.  Here's hoping.  I rather miss teaching.  And since legal writing tends to eschew adverbs and adjectives, I will have to spend far less time teaching my students the difference, and how to use both correctly.

That's me, opening a door for a possible new beginning.

I also closed a door.

I said goodbye to the faithful minivan. It was harder than I thought it would be. She saw us through 113,969 miles over the past nine years.  She took us to Maine and Colorado and many places in between.  She hauled kids and furniture and pets and friends.  She took books to the library, and donations to the places that accept them.  She fetched friends and family from the airport, and took them back again to catch their planes.  She brought home groceries and clothes and more yarn that we're going to discuss.  She's the only car J has ever known.
And now, she's not ours any more.

She looks rather forlorn there, with her plates removed, and her magnets gone.  The once loved "Knit Happens" bumper sticker is tattered beyond recognition... even that's gone.

Farewell, old friend.  And thank you for many miles of memories.

kachunk.  The door is closed.

beep. beep.

But... we did welcome a new friend to our driveway

There, coming home for the first time, is our new chariot -- the Passat Wagon.
We're already planning her (his?) first big trip to the East Coast in July.  And we'd love to stop by to visit blog readers along the way to let you meet the car in person (oh, and us too). If anyone will be home along the path between Indiana and Maine starting about June 26, with a pause in Vermont, and a long stay in Maine, a brief jaunt up to New Brunswick, and a peaceful return no later than August 8, please let me know.

Just thinking about it made the dear thing eager to get into the garage:

(Note the yarn magnet already in place?  I'm pondering moving it down next to the plate... what do you think?)

When I got home, with the car safely tucked in for the night, I found that this had arrived in the mail:

A bit o' Fleece Artist Big Blue (Blue Faced Leicester) in Woodland... just for moi!  Thanks Michele! (she posted it on KnitSwap at a price I was helpless to resist).

And, I finished pattern tweaking for the JOY socks.  I have to finish knitting sock two, and get decent photos of the socks taken.... but the pattern is done (unless I decide to add instructions for the alternate heel).

All in all, I'd say it was a pretty good day.

Oh, and Gina, yes, I'd love to have you test knit -- but I'll need your email address, or some other way to contact you.  Send me an email.

Comments

[D]

Her. I've met so very few male cars...

She needs a good name though...something from the 50's with a shiny 2007 twist.

[janna]

I've got the same knitting magnet and I have it down by the plate. I have to say, the bright pink looks a lot better with your slate gray Passat than it does with my red Vue!

[alyse]

Good luck on the job hunt! and that yarn from the swap is LOVELY!

BTW - your feed *just* updated back to the beginning of the month, all of your May posts just showed up today. I was starting to think you had fallen off the planet.