Monday, August 28, 2006

Kids Today...

I live in a condo. Eight units, four on each side of the building. It is fairly close quarters, but we all seem to manage to avoid eye contact as is appropriate. My next door neighbor has a teenaged son. He is, from all observations, a fine young man. He is respectful, witty, and will always offer to help his elderly, sheepy neighbor with her groceries. I'd say his one flaw might be that he thinks we should talk more often. He thinks that I am, God help me, "interesting." Relax...we don't have a Mrs. Robinson thing going on here. He's just one of those rare 16 year olds who happens to see beyond age and likes to get to know folks.

For all his finer qualities, though, he is a kid. A teenaged kid. And the teens, they run, they jump, they yell, they play that crazy rock 'n roll, and have any number of gee-gaws and gadgets that make noises. They are incapable of walking down a flight of stairs in anything remotely resembling a sedate manner. And they travel in packs.

I really do like this kid. He's respectful of his elders 'n all. But he has yet to attain the life experience necessary to appreciate the finer points of that most wonderful of middle-aged pleasures: The Nap. I do not believe that he is aware of the physical and mental strain put upon his neighbor by having to re-tune her sleep cycles to accommodate the start of school. He does not know that her mind is reeling after learning that her new classroom does not come with a desk for the teacher. She now has no earthly idea where she is going to keep her pencils and Xanax.

She needs a nap.

But the teen level of activity around here right now is not nap-friendly. By the time this fine example of today's youth goes back to school and the pitter patter of supersized kid sneakers on the stairs is silenced, I will be back to work as well. I'm going to have to learn to sleep at night like normal people.

I am forging ahead with the Penance Sock and this is one piece of knitwear that takes it's name seriously. Never a big fan of the heel flap, I tend to make most of my errors in that little spot. No matter how many times I tell myself to go the way of the short row, I just never seem to remember to do it. The yarn on this delightful little hoof covering is splitting regularly and fooling me into seeing stitches that do not actually exist in real time. At other moments, they leap boldly from the needles as if they actually have a shot in heck at surviving on their own out there.



Heels on a sock...who really needs 'em?
Much as I generally don't care for self-patterning sock yarn, though, I have to admit that this one isn't so bad. I like brown and I like blue so there is some hope for this sock to earn it's maker's love.
A nap would really help, though...
SA

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love naps!!! An hour of solid sleep as opposed to the 'broken' up and down, toss and turn night time kind I have all too often, is so refreshing. The Mitz of course has other plans (which she just posted about). If she wasn't so 'doggone' (which I also just posted about LOL) she'd be living elsewhere. No fear of that though, I can live without naps, life without Mitzi, too hard to even think about.....Hope your neighbour gives you a nap-time out and soon. Huggs, G

PS I hope this goes through...what's with Blogger these days, this is my 3rd try to comment.

Teri S. said...

Man, I haven't had a nap in so long! And it seems that recently, my nights are interrupted by waking up feeling like I'm roasting. It doesn't help that the cat wants to sleep next to me. Sigh...

The sock looks good, even though it isn't Koigu. Even though I like the look of a short row heel better, I think I knit the heel flap a little faster.

Lazuli said...

In answer to your query about the feel of a short-row heel, I don't really know, as my mom has the socks now and I only wore them long enough to photograph! I hear you on naps... they can be very refreshing. Though sometimes I just wake up more tired than before the nap.

Anonymous said...

It seems our lives are running in parallel. I tried to get a nap on Friday and Saturday, but was interrupted by phone calls both days. Third time was a charm, though, and I got one yesterday.

How in the world did they not give you a desk?! Our school is in a church and we teach in the Sunday School rooms, so I don't expect a desk. But, if I would expect one if I was in a regular school building.

I bought some salsa today, but they didn't have the Raspberry Chipotle. I bought Peach, which is tasty.

Sheila said...

No desk...that is just wierd. Where will you keep all the apples you get on that first day of school? What will you lean against when in front of the class? Where will you grade papers?
Can you run out to Ikea and pick one up yourself? Sheeesh Sheep, that totally sucks!
the sock on the other hand is looking pretty good!

missemilysmom said...

No desk... I have one i do not want... If they can't get you one... seriously tell me and I can have it shipped over probably. They are telling me I have to keep mine. I had two but they took one away when I whined way too much!!

This Weary Traveler said...

Yeah, I speak from first hand experience when I say teenage boys are never quiet. How can you not have a desk!?! Ugh. Maybe you can just wear a backpack all day with your personal possessions crammed into it. Or velcro a box of tissues, your Xanax, and a pencil holder onto your sweater. You think that would give the administration a hint?

Mia said...

Oh so cool.. isn't it awesome when a teenager actually LIKES you?? That's how I feel with my 18 (almost 19) year old newphew..

As for where to put the pencils, who cares..but the Xanax... girl... that's a necessity.. maybe duct taped to a body part for easy access?

Anonymous said...

Oh there is nothing like a nap. At this point in my life I view a nap a little differently. I want the boy to take a nap so I can have a couple of hours to myself for things like dishes, laundry and bathing. Unfortunately my neighbors, much like yours but only older (as in retired men), make so freaking much noise tinkering with their lawn mowers or sawing up tree branches no one can do anything. Could you tell me why they aren't napping??
Karen
http://nothingbutknit.blog-city.com/

Cursing Mama said...

How does the teacher not get a desk? Thats just weird, & hopefully a temporary oversight.

And, I have to say living with a teenaged boy is crappy too; they are the noisiest creatures on the planet even when they're trying to be quiet and respectful. It's even worse when they have an electric guitar with an amp and fancy themselves to be the next Jimmy Hendrix...