Too Close To Home

Okay, I just read that there was a school shooting in Cazenovia, which is what, 20 miles, max, from Richland Center, which is where I grew up. That is just not okay! I've never been to Weston School; it's one of those typical small rural schools that has K-12 all in one building. They were small enough that I don't think we ever played against them in sports and we never had any band/choir or forensics events there. I don't think I've been to Cazenovia too many times - I remember that my second grade teacher was from there and that you can drive through there to get to Ho-Chunk Casino. I am amused that the news is calling it a "suburb of Reedsburg." First of all, it's not a suburb. It's a barely incorporated town. Secondly, it's not that close to Reedsburg, I don't think. Thirdly, I don't think Reedsburg is big enough to warrant a suburb. It's smaller than RC, so I think it's maybe, maybe 4,000 people. I understand that they're just trying to give people a touchstone, but really. Be acurate in reporting, people!

There aren't a lot of details right now. It sounds like it was a former student who came in with multiple weapons. Although the principal was shot, it sounds like it happened while others were trying to disarm the shooter, so who knows what his real agenda was. Maybe he'll use the now tired excuse of, "I was bullied and I just had to take revenge." Now listen, I empathize with this plight, as someone who was bullied from 6th grade to December of 12th grade. Back in the olden days, we didn't really have a word for it, but now I would easily be able to call it sexual harrassment at least. It was horrible and I think that I suffer effects of it still although he apologized and I forgave him. During all that craziness, I never thought about killing him. Now, did I think about how it would be nice if he wasn't around? Absolutely. Did I think about keen ways to exact my revenge? Oh yes. But finding a gun and killing him? Or others in my school, for instance the myriad of teachers that I went to asking for help or witnessed the bullying and who ignored me? Uh...that'd have to be a no. Even if I'd had access to guns I wouldn't have. So I have a hard time feeling a lot of sympathy for all these school shooters who say they were bullied to the point that they had to shoot someone. Get a hobby. If you must shoot, then go shoot cans off a fence. Write in a journal. Geesh. There's gotta be something that will work. They must know how it's going to end if they waltz into school with a gun. Even if they live, it's not like they're going to get away with it.

Okay, my rant is over now. All this to say that it's very disturbing that a school so close to home is going through this. I don't like it one bit.

Nikki on 09.29.06 @ 10:24 AM PST [link]

Knitting Fever

I have read of it on other knitters' blogs. That insatiable urge to stop working on a project and start a new one. What is wrong with us? Here I am, nearly done with sock one of a pair and all I can think about is starting to knit some baby booties. Or some cool skull and cross bones Halloween socks. Or what about some nice comfy chilling in front of the fireplace socks...for me this time? I must resist!!

Nikki on 09.28.06 @ 03:05 PM PST [link]

Knitting

I got a little carried away last night...er...this morning. So, in my determination to learn how to knit socks, I was well into my first real attempt. It was after midnight and I thought, Wow, I could maybe finish this tomorrow! Then, I realized something had gone totally wrong. While the cuff to heel were right, somehow I had turned it around so that the heel and gusset was inside out. Well, that really sucked. And I couldn't just leave it like this. So, I tore it out and restarted at the heel. I figured out where I had gone wrong and repaired it. At 5 am this morning, I finally made myself go to bed. Up at 11 this morning, I am working on the gusset again. I believe I am on the homestretch now. The sock it definitely too big around for me...I thought I'd chosen the correct needle size, but it's all good. It will fit someone. If nothing else, it's good practice.

Played soccer last night and we lost, by a much larger margin: 2-7. I didn't play well. Last week, even through the double header, I felt like I played decently. But last night I was just off. I started out kinda pulling a muscle, I am sure because I didn't really warm up. Then I hurt my right ankle kicking the ball; I really wish that I would stop using my right ankle. Then I was shouldered hard in my ear by someone on my own team (actually a sub we begged from another team). Oh, and I was tripped and fell to the ground, the least of the injuries really. All in all, not the greatest night. But I have next week off due to the wedding so hopefully I will heal for the next game. One good point was that the pager didn't go off during the game. :)

Nikki on 09.24.06 @ 01:23 PM PST [link]

Fifteen Minutes Of Fame...Okay, Maybe Not

This week's running goal was 15 minutes of consecutive treadmill running. I figured that it wasn't a huge leap since last week I was running an 11 minute mile. Fifteen minutes wasn't too bad actually. It still feels like not very long, when compared to say, what normal people do. But, hey, it's improvement. Today I managed to run on the treadmill that was next to a fan so it wasn't too bad. I think that helped.

The soccer game on Saturday night wasn't too bad. It was a lot more running than my puny 15 minutes, though! My team won, although I only actually played with them for the first half before the other time conceded and I joined that team so that we could just play for fun. The final score ended up being my real team winning 10-6. I wasn't that great, but hey, it was fun.

Tonight is the So You Think You Can Dance performance. I am excited! I refrained from making a Benjii rocks poster to wave from the second balcony... :)

Nikki on 09.12.06 @ 03:48 PM PST [link]

See Nikki Run

So this week's running goal is to run an entire mile. So far so good. I did it first on Sunday and it was actually pretty easy. Then I did it again yesterday, at a different gym, and it was a little more difficult. I think the difference is that the first gym was much cooler and I was battling a little cold yesterday. I mean, I finished it, and actually finished it in a slightly shorter time (nearly 30 seconds difference)...but it seemed like on Sunday I could have ran even farther while yesterday I was glad to be done. So, we'll see how today goes. I lost another 1.6 pounds last week, so the running is definitely helping. When I saw that I "only" lost 1.6, I was kinda disappointed. But then, I don't think I would be happy with any number unless it said something like 25 pounds. :)

Nice surprise this week...I thought I was on pager for work; I had it written on the calendar. But then I found out that it's not until two weeks from now. Sweet!

Soccer starts this Saturday. I need to find some shorts.

Nikki on 09.06.06 @ 11:39 AM PST [link]