Summertime

Peaches in season, here in New Jersey.

Jury duty is over; verdict rendered; justice served, more or less. I managed some knitting during recess and finished a face cloth in Peaches & Crème yarn.

Appropriately enough, I'm calling it my Peaches and Cream face cloth. I also started some experimental knitting: trying out Crystal Palace chenille on size 6 needles for face cloths and such like. It's not the knitting so much as how the chenille will hold up to wash and wear. For the record, I dislike working with chenille. It's less elastic, if possible, than other cotton yarns. I don't mind working with Peaches & Crème at all (I like it more than Sugar 'n' Cream, will say that). I never minded working with Bernat's cottons (Gloucester, I'm talking about you). But the chenille- ugh! At least I got the 5 hanks pretty cheaply, and if the experiment goes well, I'll make some nice soft gifts for folks.

Signed up for unemployment, and had my unemployment interview. That means I explained why I no longer work for the Department of Veterans Affairs. As if I had a choice. NJ Department of Unemployment is so dysfunctional I received contradictory instructions from 3 different sources. Not having patience for that sort of thing, I called the governor's office and demanded action. Yes, I did. I was put through to the Commissioner of Unemployment herself, who recruited someone with a name and phone number to help me. That person, from Trenton, recruited a supervisor in my local (Newark) office to expedite my case. No one should ever be told that their case will not be reviewed for 5 weeks after receiving a last pay check. Just unconscionable. I'd heard of folks in NJ who were at a new job and had yet to receive unemployment benefits. No excuse, NJ. You can raise great summer fruit and veggies; you can do better for your working people too.