nina begins her modeling career

This is the scarf I knit for my sister's 30th birthday. I did a simple but fun pattern where on one row you do a YO in-between each sitich, then on the next row you knit, slipping all of the YO's off of the needle. The effect is a meshy, fishnet kind of thing. I used one skein of black baby alpaca yarn which is very soft. It probably could've been a little longer, but I didn't want to use a new skein just for a couple of inches, and I wanted to get it sent on-time. Nina stole the scarf once, but I managed to get it back before she'd done any damage. I finished her sweater recently but it didn't really turn out. It's not well shaped and it's too small. I'm already starting another one. This will be my third attempt at knitting a sweater for my dog. How hard can it really be??

new frames

new glasses

Okay, this post is going to seem vain, but today I got a new pair of glasses and that's what is on my mind. I've had the same frames for about 3 years, so I was actually looking forward to something different--the problem is, it's very difficult to pick out frames when your eyesight is incredibly poor and you don't wear contact lenses. I can try them on, but I can't see what they look like on me! Anyway, I didn't have a friend to help me out this time, so I'm a bit disappointed with what I picked out. I was wanting to get some of those skinnier, thick-rimmed frames, but they all looked silly on me, plus you only have a small wedge of lense to see through and all of your periferal vision is blurry. So I got some rectangular, black-rimmed frames that I thought were nice...but now that I have them with prescription lenses, they just look too big and rectangular. I don't think I like them. I know this seems very trivial, but I have to wear my glasses every day, all day. I can't function at all without them, so when I get new frames it's kind of like getting a big permanent tattoo etched around my eyes (except less painful!). On top of that, they were over $200, just for the frames. And all the frames were about that expensive.

I'm sure I'll get used to them, but it's the same feeling as when you get a bad haircut. You just gotta live with it until it's time to get it cut again. Actually, I do need a haircut soon, too...

stitch 'n ...

A couple of days ago I was picking my friend up from the library and I decided to see what knitting books were available there. The first few I saw looked outdated...very 80's and not my style at all. Another one was all afghans (yeah right like I have the patience for that!). But then I came across the two "Stitch 'N Bitch" books, which I had seen before at the knitting shop. I was super excited because they both have some great patterns and advice...although some of the patterns are a bit "out-there" for me...such as this one:

And this one...

But the narrative is fun to read, the second book has a great guide on how to alter knitting patterns to be the way you want them, and I do like some of the patterns, like these:

Of course, before I start yet another knitting project, I'd better finish the my sweater, my dog's sweater, and the scarf.

knitted sushi

I just found the cutest knitting pattern in the whole world--knitted sushi. What else is there to say?

Update

This was one of many wonderful photos our friend Erin took of us for our Christmas card. I think it's my favorite of me and Teela, but Nina was a bit distracted and a little out of focus so this one didn't make the cut. It sure was a pretty day for a photo. We had about a week of gorgeous snowy wintry weather, and since then it's been ice, slush, rain, and wind. Sitka winters are very unpredictable.

I thought I would use this post to catch everyone up on what's going on in our lives (other than having the cutest puppy in the entire world).

Most of you already know that we've been having ongoing difficulties regarding Teela's immigration status, but I wanted to clarify what our current situation is: T currently holds a "H-1B" work visa, which is classified as a "non-immigrant worker" status, however his final extension of that visa expires in June/July of this year, which means we must take some sort of action before that date or else he will be placed in removal proceedings. Our lawyers suggested last fall that the best course of action would be to relocate to Northwest Washington and reapply for permanent resident (green card) status through the Seattle office. They thought we would have a better chance at success through Seattle than we did in Anchorage two years ago when we first applied. So, although neither of us have a desire to move from Sitka, the general plan is to move down there this summer and stay as long as it takes to go through the application process. The lawyers estimate that it should only take a couple of months, but there is no way to know for sure with these things.

I have to admit, the thought of going through that dreadful interview process again gives me the chills, but I'm hoping that the experience we had in Anchorage was atypical, and I am also reassured by the knowledge that our lawyer will be accompanying us this time (he lives in Seattle), which will be tremendously helpful since Teela and I will both be very anxious. On the other hand, there is more at stake this time around--last time we applied we had Teela's valid H-1B visa to fall back on (although they tried to place him in removal proceedings anyway!) This time, his visa will have completely expired. The only thing allowing him to legally stay in the U.S. will be his pending application for permanent residency. If the application is denied, he will be immediately placed in removal proceedings, which means we will be given a court date and a judge will make the final decision as to whether or not he may remain in the U.S.

Neither of us like to think about it much, but it is a reality that we are both very aware of. It's a ceiling looming overhead that prevents us from making any definite long-term plans. So although this renewed application and relocation to Washington will be stressful, I'm glad that we will finally have a chance to get some resolution in this matter. If we are not going to be able to live in the U.S., the sooner we know that, the better. That way we can figure out where we will live and begin to establish a new life there. And if they do approve the application, we can finally let go of this issue once and for all, which is what I see as the most likely outcome.

I will keep everyone updated as we begin to make more definite plans for the move to Washington. Although we will miss our friends in Sitka, I think it will be a good opportunity to spend more time with Teela's family and also have some adventures in a new place. Some towns I have been considering are Port Townsend and Bellingham, mostly because I have heard that they are fun places to live and are not too big.

natural habitat

This photo is for Rebecca. She encouraged me to take pictures of random objects around the house instead of waiting for something special to take a picture of. T bought three of these interlocking wooden monkeys from Tribal Designs when they were in town. We originally had them hanging in a row from the ceiling, but they kept falling so I gave them each a perch on the ficus. I think they're much happier there, and the ficus enjoys the company.

sleepy puppy

Nina sleeps in a kennel at night, but we usually let her cuddle on the bed for a few minutes in the morning. She goes under the covers just like a cat and curls up. Eventually she gets too hot, so she goes down to the end of the bed and sticks her head out to cool off. I know, I know she's way too spoiled, but how can you say no to such a cute face?

Flashback to Halloween

I just thought I'd post a picture of last year's Halloween costume for those of you who haven't seen it. We were the yip-yip martians from Sesame Street. It was really fun going to the Stardust Ball because we were mostly anonymous, but most people were able to recognize our characters. And in case you were wondering, my martian buddy was not Teela, it was my good friend TB. We won 2nd place in the costume contest! Teela and a few friends went as "Team Zissou" from The Life Aquatic.

Best Friends Forever!

These were some of the first pictures I took with our new digital camera that Nina gave us for Christmas (thanks Nina!) We took care of Nina's buddy, Cody, for two weeks around Christmas because his parents were traveling. He slept at his own house, but we brought him over in the evenings to hang out with Nina.

When these two first met, Nina was about the size of Cody's head. But now she's caught up enough to hold her own when they play. They played almost nonstop while he was over, and it looked a little vicious at times, but they never actually hurt each other and seemed to have a great time.