Marathon follow-up and what not to say

Along the marathon route, I learned a bunch about proper marathon etiquette. Didn’t know there was any? Oh yes – just like the ‘rule’ where you aren’t supposed to bowl at the same time as the person next to you, there are marathon etiquette rules, too. Some are kinda obvious – don’t yell, “You’re almost there” when they still have 10 miles to go. But – also frowned upon – “Hang in there” and “You’ll make it” because you’re sort of insinuating that they look like crap.

So, what do you say? acceptable choices include “Looking strong” and “Good job.” I’m not sure about “There’s beer at the finish” because there might not be. At my particular spot, some guys were grilling….which smelled tasty to me, but I thought it might make the runners feel a little ill. At 25 miles, can they stomach the smell of a greasy hamburger?

So….all this talk of marathon etiquette made me think about my current situation of unemployment and how some people just sort of avoid talking to you about it because they aren’t sure what to say. So, they don’t address it, but then you (okay, I) feel kinda like that huge gaping whole in my existence and my bank account are being forgotten. And the thing I want most (after a job or winning the lottery) is just a little sympathy and compassion.

So, what is the unemployment etiquette? Well – off the table are phrases like: “You’ll be fine” (have you been listening to me?) “At least you have unemployment” (I don’t….and neither do most of the people currently unemployed either ). “I wish I was unemployed. I need a vacation.” (no – you most certainly do not) or “Maybe you should update your resume” (Yeah – I thought of that – 8 months ago).

So…what do you say? Well, ask how we’re doing….and actually be open to the answer we’re going to give – which isn’t going to be all puppies and rainbows. Ask if there are areas or companies we’re targeting. Offer your contacts in those fields if you’ve got them. Offer to buy us a drink….a strong one. Tell us about cool free stuff going on. We need to get out of the house. And realize that you can’t really understand how we feel unless you’ve been there. And let’s hope you never have to be.

 

The marathon

So, last Monday was the Boston Marathon.When people descend on Boston to run 26.2 miles in completely unpredictable weather. In 2007, there was torrential rain 40-degree weather. In 2005, 80 degree temps. And so, this year – 60 degree temps and a 20+ mph headwind wasn’t all that bad. I went out to Kenmore, just less than a mile from the finish to watch the runners – especially the two American elites (Kara Goucher and Ryan Hall) who actually had chance of winning…..which hadn’t happened since 83 for the men and 85 for the women. They both came in third, by the way, which I totally applaud. I was so emotionally moved that I almost cried. And I thought – I want to run a marathon. I want to accomplish something that big. And then, on my way from Kenmore to the finish line, I pulled a muscle in my foot….while walking….on a flat surface…..with no particular speed….and in sneakers. Okay, maybe the marathon is aiming too high.

 

Yarny update

So…first off, I did eventually pick a yarn for my gathered pullover. And yes, it took me two weeks. And no – I did not make a spreadsheet, though I certainly considered it…more than once. I went with Knitpicks Cotlin in sprout – a spring grassy green. I’m not sure it’s actually a good color for me, but to hell with that. I usually avoid Knitpicks yarn because I have heard it isn’t exactly the sturdiest stuff – I suppose something that cheap never is. but it got decent reviews on Ravelry and gets softer with washing….and I’m a sucker for soft. Plus, with spring being a pretty limited season, even up here in Boston, I figured it won’t get as much wear as a winter sweater would.

In other yarn news – well…it’s a secret….and that’s the news. I can’t post anything about my projects because they have not yet made their way to the recipients and therefore, I can’t spoil all the fun by posting here, or on Ravelry, or even on Flickr. So….umm, just imagine something blue and some other stuff in pink and some purple stuff. Isn’t it lovely?

 

A good yarn for…

So, I’m looking for a good yarn for a spring sweater. I’m thinking of doing the Gathered Pullover from Interweave Knits Winter 2007. You can see it on Ravelry here. Maybe a nice spring green, or a medium pink. (did I just suggest pink for myself?…something must be wrong.) I’m trying to branch out from my blue, black, grey, brown wardrobe. I wish I looked good in yellow.

Anyway – I don’t want to do it in wool because I think it will be too warm, but all cotton doesn’t keep its shape and hangs terribly on my tiny frame. Can anyone recommend a cotton blend or anything really that isn’t too warm and has a bit of give. The pattern calls for sport weight, but because I am such a tight knitter, dk would probably work too. A link to a project of yours in that yarn earns you bonus points!

So far, I’m considering Rowan’s wool cotton, KnitPicks Shine (heard it doesn’t hold up well), and Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece (knit with it before – don’t remember being all that pleased).

Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

 

I have no title

I’ve uncovered a problem in my job search. I have no title. If I was a civil engineer or a veterinarian or a nurse or an accountant, I’d go to a job search website or company website and type in civil engineer or nurse and all the potential jobs would magically pop up.

But not for me. I worked one of those wacky job where you have a manufactured title – like analyst or specialist or coordinator or project manager, which if used in a keyword search, would bring up a whole bunch of unrelated jobs.

For me, anytime, I use “environment” or “planner/planning” I get event planners, supervisory jobs, and stuff about the work environment or even better, software environments, whatever that means.

This is really slowing me down. I should have been a civil engineer. Seriously kids – this is something to consider if you’re heading back to school – get a degree that comes with a title!