2015 in review
Dec. 31st, 2015 01:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
infryqHighlights:
Statistics:
January: The end of my Seattle visit, including a brief meeting with Ai2 ceo Oren Etzioni. I took a class in supported spindle spinning, which is useful for making laceweight yarn, since the forming single doesn't have to bear the weight of the spindle. It's also useful for spinning while reclined or seated. I had some cavities filled. Amanda came over to make soap. I got the flu, though thanks to being vaccinated the previous fall, a much milder version than I've ever had before.
February: The tail end of my week-long bout with influenza. I attended a talk on NLP Go, a C++ project for machine learning research management. I was skeptical. Started working with non-contiguous Olin alumnus Brett on visual identity for an etsy shop.
March: I did not attend the Sleater-Kinney concert. I had my first appointment with my new GI specialist, Dr. Sakaria. She had some ideas to try. I went back to Seattle for a more formal interview with Ai2. I had a great time, with only a few niggling questions. Followup on those was pretty dismal, and after meeting with friends for advice and talking to the recruiter, I began drafting a decline letter and received word they would not be extending me an offer. I suppose you could say it all worked out, but wow, such uncomfortable, very awkwardness.
April: I attended an online lecture on fiber prep tools from my favorite spinning teacher, Abby Franquemont. I didn't learn much of anything new, but the opportunity to ask questions and hear her in action was good. I did not attend the Hank Green concert. At work, I interviewed a bunch of students for prospective summer research.
May: Amanda came over to pick up soap, and I taught her to spin. I cut my hair quite short. We went to an Oliner get-together at the Wieczoreks. We went to Wooster, OH to the fiber festival there; it was my second time and I again had a blast. This year we were smart and got there earlier for weekday shopping. P bought a new mantle for our kerosene lamp. I had an excellent performance review at work and was promoted to Senior Research Programmer/Analyst with a commensurate increase in pay. We kicked off summer student projects. I did not go to the vegan festival. Went with Charlotte to the grand opening of a new plant nursery in Wilkinsburg, and bought capsicums.
June: Teddy visited and organized the fiction section on the 3rd floor. We paid him; I was pleased; he was surprised.
July: One of the summer student projects finished up. We went to a vanilla tasting at Chris&Rob's. P's brother visited for the Vintage Grand Prix. I made a gelatine printing plate and started making monoprints. I had signed up for the Tour de Fleece (a spinning event coordinated with the Tour de France), but spent the week making prints instead.
August: The remaining summer student projects finished up. Two women in my group defended their theses; Chris defended her thesis; one of the men in my group proposed his thesis research. Sent out soap samples for shipping practice and feedback from friends & family. Set up the mistral magpie etsy shop. Went to dinner at a great japanese place in shadyside with Aleecia & co. Had the Wheelers over for dinner.
September: Went to Chris's thesis defense party. Did not go to the farewell 'do for the Wheelers. Did not go to the gluten-free festival. Learned to make thai curry pastes with Katie-compatible ingredients. Became enamored of lemongrass and curry leaves.
October: Greenfield bridge closed. Had Charlotte and Leia over for indigo dye funtimes. Had Jake & Amy over for dinner. Went to Derek's birthday party. Worked on natural dyes talk.
November: Turned 31. P helped Connor with health logistics. Had the pre-bridge implosion house inspection. Hosted driving practice. Took delivery of exhaust hood for the stove (finally!). Registered for classes at a fiber retreat in KC,MO for next April. Finished planning for dyes talk; printed & bound booklets. Did not give dyes talk. P learned to make lasagne bolognese from scratch and fed it to friends at their house. Took a call from a Google recruiter; they'll stay in touch. Did not go to Thanksgiving due to continuing health issues. Knit instead. Had 3rd anniversary. Played anniversary scrabble, went for an anniversary walk.
December: Had the exhaust hood installed! Just in time for me to be eating only boiled things. Met with Dr. Sakaria again. Had a good checkup at the dentist. Got a tree and lights, and made decorations. Had P's family over for the holidays. Bridge implosion was exciting and went well. Holidays a success.
Plans for 2016:
- Winter/Spring: Interviewed with Ai2 and became aware of the advantages of working for academia when it comes to race and sex discrimination.
- Summer: Made art daily, usually in the form of acrylic monoprints.
- Autumn: Learned to make thai curry. Health tanked again.
- Winter: Art habits shifted from paint to fiber. Seasonal! Also, my very first Christmas tree :D
Statistics:
- Knits: 2 hats, 2 pairs fingerless mitts, 3 pairs of mittens (1 lined in alpaca for P), 1 pair of socks, 3 bluebirds of happiness, 1 stjarna/star, 1 shawlette
- Spins: 6 pounds of fiber
- Soaps: 15 batches (1 a rebatch)
- Dyes: 4 (cochineal, black walnut, weld, indigo)
- Plane trips: 2
- Road trips: 1
January: The end of my Seattle visit, including a brief meeting with Ai2 ceo Oren Etzioni. I took a class in supported spindle spinning, which is useful for making laceweight yarn, since the forming single doesn't have to bear the weight of the spindle. It's also useful for spinning while reclined or seated. I had some cavities filled. Amanda came over to make soap. I got the flu, though thanks to being vaccinated the previous fall, a much milder version than I've ever had before.
February: The tail end of my week-long bout with influenza. I attended a talk on NLP Go, a C++ project for machine learning research management. I was skeptical. Started working with non-contiguous Olin alumnus Brett on visual identity for an etsy shop.
March: I did not attend the Sleater-Kinney concert. I had my first appointment with my new GI specialist, Dr. Sakaria. She had some ideas to try. I went back to Seattle for a more formal interview with Ai2. I had a great time, with only a few niggling questions. Followup on those was pretty dismal, and after meeting with friends for advice and talking to the recruiter, I began drafting a decline letter and received word they would not be extending me an offer. I suppose you could say it all worked out, but wow, such uncomfortable, very awkwardness.
April: I attended an online lecture on fiber prep tools from my favorite spinning teacher, Abby Franquemont. I didn't learn much of anything new, but the opportunity to ask questions and hear her in action was good. I did not attend the Hank Green concert. At work, I interviewed a bunch of students for prospective summer research.
May: Amanda came over to pick up soap, and I taught her to spin. I cut my hair quite short. We went to an Oliner get-together at the Wieczoreks. We went to Wooster, OH to the fiber festival there; it was my second time and I again had a blast. This year we were smart and got there earlier for weekday shopping. P bought a new mantle for our kerosene lamp. I had an excellent performance review at work and was promoted to Senior Research Programmer/Analyst with a commensurate increase in pay. We kicked off summer student projects. I did not go to the vegan festival. Went with Charlotte to the grand opening of a new plant nursery in Wilkinsburg, and bought capsicums.
June: Teddy visited and organized the fiction section on the 3rd floor. We paid him; I was pleased; he was surprised.
July: One of the summer student projects finished up. We went to a vanilla tasting at Chris&Rob's. P's brother visited for the Vintage Grand Prix. I made a gelatine printing plate and started making monoprints. I had signed up for the Tour de Fleece (a spinning event coordinated with the Tour de France), but spent the week making prints instead.
August: The remaining summer student projects finished up. Two women in my group defended their theses; Chris defended her thesis; one of the men in my group proposed his thesis research. Sent out soap samples for shipping practice and feedback from friends & family. Set up the mistral magpie etsy shop. Went to dinner at a great japanese place in shadyside with Aleecia & co. Had the Wheelers over for dinner.
September: Went to Chris's thesis defense party. Did not go to the farewell 'do for the Wheelers. Did not go to the gluten-free festival. Learned to make thai curry pastes with Katie-compatible ingredients. Became enamored of lemongrass and curry leaves.
October: Greenfield bridge closed. Had Charlotte and Leia over for indigo dye funtimes. Had Jake & Amy over for dinner. Went to Derek's birthday party. Worked on natural dyes talk.
November: Turned 31. P helped Connor with health logistics. Had the pre-bridge implosion house inspection. Hosted driving practice. Took delivery of exhaust hood for the stove (finally!). Registered for classes at a fiber retreat in KC,MO for next April. Finished planning for dyes talk; printed & bound booklets. Did not give dyes talk. P learned to make lasagne bolognese from scratch and fed it to friends at their house. Took a call from a Google recruiter; they'll stay in touch. Did not go to Thanksgiving due to continuing health issues. Knit instead. Had 3rd anniversary. Played anniversary scrabble, went for an anniversary walk.
December: Had the exhaust hood installed! Just in time for me to be eating only boiled things. Met with Dr. Sakaria again. Had a good checkup at the dentist. Got a tree and lights, and made decorations. Had P's family over for the holidays. Bridge implosion was exciting and went well. Holidays a success.
Plans for 2016:
- Hobbies: soap, fiber, dye, ... handquilting?
- Travel: Kansas City, MO for PLY Away; Wooster, OH for the Great Lakes Fiber Fest; Bonnyville, AB for the Rivard Reunion; Boston, MA for the c/o 2006 10-year reunion, Kingston, WA for my-parents-moved-into-a-new-house
- Work: a webapp & visualization for our logic+machinelearning programming engine; student mentoring
- Garden: green beans, hollyhocks, coreopsis, cosmos, ... flax? curry? keffir lime? parsnips?
