Instead of a joiner...

Hi. My name is Laurie. And I'm a joiner.

I am admitting to you that I have an addiction to joining. If there's something going on, I have to be a part of it. Room mom? That's me! Need to find eight host families, pronto? I'm your girl! Team snack? Gotcha! 

And it's not just a problem in my life outside of my job... I do it at work, too. Envelope stuffing? Set up a group online? Pretty up your newsletter? Do that PowerPoint report? Oh, yeah... me! me! me!

And don't get me started on knitting... I think I'm currently moderating 3 groups on Ravelry, all of which I founded. I'm also considering organizing a local event for World Wide Knit in Public Day. Not to mention all the WIPs, UFOs, and humongous stash in my closet... ugh...

So, part of getting ready for my everything-is-possible 14 months has been clearing my calendar. Or, like what I said to hubby, "Instead of a joiner, I'm gonna be a quitter."

And, guess what? It hasn't been all that bad. Yeah, I had to stop going to some of my volunteer meetings (a joining addict's version of cold turkey) and I've had to sit on my hands (literally) but it's gotten easier the more I've done it.

I am still, however, a joiner about the things that really matter to me and that I enjoy... stuff to do with my kids and my community, and knitting, of course (that goes with the community.)

So, on to more fun stuff a/k/a more stuff I've piled on my plate...

Poison Ivy Knitters

The Sm-Albany Stitchers group has become Poison Ivy Knitters, complete with a new banner and badge.

FYI, you DO NOT have to be a graphic designer to create these things. I even created the olive and needles graphic (using MS Publisher- I don't feel totally comfortable with Pages yet.) Why Poison Ivy when poison ivy doesn't even grow around here? Well, the first CFE (Crafty Folk Empowerment) we had at Kingman's Ivy Room we were given free shots. And what were they? Poison Ivy shots! ("Kingman's own signature creation: Herradura Blanco Tequila, Pucker's Sour Apple, plus a few secret ingredients make this drink dangerously delicious."- YUM!)

What's next for the P.I.K.s? We're hoping Ivy Room-sponsored bowling shirts with our Ravelry names on them... hmmmmm...

The 14months List

A shout out to my girl Angela who wrote the e-mail that gave me the idea for this blog. The trigger: "Good luck with everything you're trying to schedule into one year!"

So, what am I planning to do in 14 months? Here is a list, sort of in order of importance:

• take care of my family- this doesn't just include hugs, kisses, making sure homework is done, and tucking in at bedtime, it also includes being executive/sous chef and busboy, housekeeper, taxi driver, events planner, and personal shopper.
• continue to educate folks- I'm not sure what this will mean for the 08-09 school year... I am an educator who has been out of the classroom for a few years... because of the mess in public education, I am reassigned to the classroom BUT that honestly remains to be seen... hopefully, the Governator will pull his head out of his a** and stop the craziness...
• go to grad school- this is why this is a 14 month project... in June, I will begin my masters program at a big, well-known, highly-regarded public university... it's an intensive, 14 month program in education... blah, blah, blah.
• maintain the relationships outside of my immediate family- I am hoping this blog will help...
• do The 3 Day in September and the Nike Women's Marathon (yes, the whole 26.2 miles) in October- I want to prove to myself and others that training for big physical events can be worked into an already busy schedule... this, of course, remains to be seen... I may also do the Muddy Buddy in June, the Catfish Swim in July, and the Swim-A-Mile for Women with Cancer... note: by "do" I mean "complete-without-injury-or-death"
• continue knitting and being part of the knitting community, both here in my physical community, and on Ravelry, my virtual community... these are the things that will, hopefully, keep me sane.

OMG- is that IT? Really, in my head, it seemed like SO MUCH MORE. Oh, wait, there is one more... 

• turn 40- OK, this is kind of silly because it just means I have to survive until October 12, 2008

When do the 14 months start? On June 20, 2008, I start classes. That is when the whole onslaught begins. Between now and then, I'll be preparing and posting my preparations here.

I sincerely hope that folks will read this blog and believe that they, too, can do it all, even though they may not choose to.