17 Days of Green – My Big Green Day Job

I am a full-time fiber artist. I have a day job.

For me, these two are not mutually exclusive. The trick is finding just the right match.

I found my perfect day job at Dartmouth College, home of the Big Green.

My Dartmouth Athletics all-access credentials.

I work in Athletics, doing various jobs, mostly in Alumni Gym – checking id cards, giving directions, selling hockey merchandise – plus other odd jobs, as assigned.

Luckily, knitting is an ingrained motor skill for me now, like walking or breathing. So I can knit on the job, without impacting customer service.

Sometimes, I do both jobs while kneeling on a physio-ball, just to keep it interesting:

Kneeling on an exercise ball is a great workout. My best is 18.5 minutes without falling.

I love the Dartmouth campus. As a former West Coast kid, I never tire of the federal-style buildings, the stately old elm trees, the paneled-wood libraries:

Arborists work magic to keep Dartmouth's stately elm trees alive.

Dartmouth's Sanborn Library & the Baker Library Tower.

Inside Dartmouth's Sanborn Library - the classiest free wi-fi in all of New Hampshire.

I love the copper verdigris of the Lone Pine weathervane atop Baker Library Tower.

And Dartmouth has tons of great traditions, like the Homecoming Bonfire, and Winter Carnival (to name just two):

The Dartmouth Night Bonfire is always spectacular.

Cupcake snow-sculpture on the Dartmouth Green, Winter Carnival 2012.

But I’ve especially enjoyed the “other duties as assigned.”

In October 2010, Ke$ha held a concert in Leverone Fieldhouse. I helped with crowd control, limiting backstage access.

Kesha rocked Dartmouth's Leverone Fieldhouse, 26 October 2010.

At one point, Ke$ha’s manager handed me a $20 bill, instructing me to “Bring back as much baby oil as you can buy, and hurry!”

Turns out, baby oil helps body glitter stick better. Who knew?

Backstage, with one of Kesha's many wardrobe containers. Note the glittered green turf!

In May 2011, I was delighted to give Guy Kawasaki & family a tour of our athletic facilities. Let me tell you, Guy is the very embodiment of enchanting.

Guy's tour of Dartmouth concluded with a visit to Memorial Field.

What a treat! And all thanks to my Big Green day job – which can also be very
silly at times (depending on my co-workers!).

And that does seem fitting, since Theodore Seuss Geisel was a Dartmouth man himself. He would have been 108 today. Happy, happy birthday Dr. Seuss!

17 Days of Green – From My House to Yours

Our House, February 2008.

When I first started this website 5 years ago, my goal wasn’t “blogging” – I was just “updating my site” with hat photos & my latest news.

Knitting, felting & embroidering hats is slow work and occupies most of my creative time. The website has always come second. And I’m okay with that.

Pine trees & the evergreen wreath on our old barn provide a spot of mid-winter color.

But, I’ve been tempted…

Over at Stop, Drop & Blog, FireMom has created a meme celebrating all things green in honor of March, impending Spring & St. Paddy’s Day (plus, she digs the color green).

I love the idea! Creating 17 posts is just half as daunting as a writing a whole month’s-worth. And, the focus is narrow enough to provide structure, but broad enough to include all sorts of green stuff:

Homemade faux-berry wreath on our green front door.

I’m IN.

So, sit back, relax and join me for 17 Days of Green.

My Sweet Man, Andy, relaxing on our green front porch.

(And if you’re tempted to go green yourself, don’t forget to tag your posts with “17 Days of Green”. I’d love to see what green means to you!)