Good News, Bad News

1. GOOD: Chapter draft finished and submitted and my advisor liked it.
2. BAD: I am fielding emails from students unhappy about their midterm grades, including one who challenged every single point I docked.
3. GOOD: Plumbing repair cost <$500, not $3500.
4. BAD: Repeated changes in water pressure caused by the plumbing repair prompted our old water heater to give up the ghost.
5. GOOD: Now we have a shiny new water heater.
6. ALSO GOOD: It went out with a whimper, not a bang, so we didn't have hot water spraying all over the basement. Just dripping woefully.
7. BAD: Water heaters aren't cheap.
8. SORT OF GOOD: But it still didn't add up to $3500. My friend Jenny and I think maybe plumbers do that on purpose -- give you a colossal number so that whatever smaller total you end up with sounds really awesome. Yes, you can have a big chunk of our hard-earned money! Is that all? Don't you need a little extra? A big chunk is a lot less than $3500, you know.
9. GOOD: I made 10 photo album pages in the past week.
10. BAD: That brings me up to December 25, 2008. Uuugggghhh, I don't like making albums.
11. GOOD: Two more boys have asked me to teach them to knit. They want to chat about techniques and patterns. How many ways do I know to cast on? Which is harder, Fair Isle or entrelac? Very fun.
12. BAD (not really): Our end tables are looking awfully untidy, with all these knitting projects lying around.
13. GOOD: I am delighted with the February baby sweater. So pretty, with unexpectedly nice drape after blocking. Pix to come when I get buttons sewn on.
14. BAD: I just talked to my advisor about my goals for the week and they are going to cut way into my knitting time.
15. GOOD: She says I'm making good progress, which is motivating. Hurray! Seven months until graduation!