Ship's Blog: May, 2007

Not everyone knows this, but geekdom has the power to create its own altered state. It can seem like a certain type of person is drawn to the lifestyle of a geek (a particularly socially awkward, bespectacled type) but this is not always the case. Sometimes, the lifestyle chooses the geek and works its own magic.

I like to think that I am not someone you would immediately peg as a geek. I don't play MUDs (online, multi-user dungeon games), I don't wear the same T-shirt for a week on end, I don't tape my glasses together, and I don't drink Red Bull while scarfing down a bag full of drive-thru food at midnight. I have a life.

Well, most of the time.  Read more »

Make your own personalized cocktail set by etching glass. Here's how...  Read more »

What makes these tasty treats "lesbian"? The secret lies in your choice of a mold and your wicked imagination.  Read more »

When it comes to synchronistic events in my life, sometimes I can be really slow on the uptake. For example, remember when I found $300 lying in the street, maybe a week after talking about how I wanted to fund a personal project with found money? Kathy actually had to point out the obvious connection between the conversation we had and me finding the money, because I was so distracted thinking things like, "I bet whoever lost this is very sad, oh no! Could this be counterfeit? Is it drug money? Will I get arrested if I take this to the bank?" Uh, hello!

But this latest one is a blue-ribbon winner in the category of "slow on the uptake." You'll have to bear with me so I can explain.  Read more »

I have a rich fantasy life; it really doesn't take much to get my imagination going. I like to make up my own stories about how things really are around me, and often those stories are far more interesting than the truth. The one thing separating me from the people in strait jackets, I suppose, is that I know my stories aren't true...but they entertain me, so I keep thinking them up.  Read more »

In some cases, the stories in my head have the power to transform tedious or unnerving situations into exciting adventures. This is can be very useful, as it gives me what seems like endless patience, when really people are just playing into the devious schemes created by my mind.

The other day, I was talking to a friend from the kitchen while she was in another room. I called out to her, "You know, I really have to do something about my laziness!"

There was a bit of a pause and then she called back, "In what way?"

"I'm just not getting enough done," I answered. "You know, my task list is a mile long, and..."

"OH!" she said, walking into the kitchen to join me. "You have to do something about your laziness. I thought you said labia."  Read more »

Last Fall, I picked up a pink lei at the 99-cent store. It is made of silk flowers and is just so gosh-darn perky. The second I bought it, I knew I had to take it apart and use the flowers for something crafty. For a while, the only crafty purpose they served was to embellish Tilly when she walked across the island in the studio, or slept on the roller carts that I shoved under the overhang to the island. Tilly was quite the flower power girl.

A few days ago, I wanted to make cards for people and decided I'd use those flowers. This is what happens when I work on organizing my studio -- I get off my bottom and follow through with a couple of those great ideas! Sometimes I find out that they weren't so great, but this time, I was happy with my results.  Read more »

It's my nephew's birthday this week, so of course I wanted to make him a card. Only, boy card are so much harder to make than girl cards, so it took me a bit to come up with an idea. I certainly didn't want to go with plaid designs and duck decoys. I've done a lot of pirate cards and thought he deserved a break from that. But what to do?

Kathy and I brainstormed a geek card and here's how it came out:

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If you've ever tried to get a cat to eat a prescription diet or take medicine, then you can probably guess at the fun I've been having for the past month and a half with Lola.

Lovely Lady Lola has been to the vet more than her share of times lately. She's had to go in every two weeks for blood counts and weigh-ins while we try to get an inflammatory bowel condition under control. Toward that end, she has been put on a duck and pea dry food diet (because she appeared to be allergic to regular food) and a variety of medicines and powders.  Read more »

Kathy and I went to the Orchard Supply How-To Fair today. You may remember that this is the fair where I met Pat Simpson last year and had him sign my drill. This year, we were going to meet Lee Snijders, lead designer of "team A" for Design on a Dime, one of our favorite shows. I brought my utility knife for him to sign. I love my utility knife with the snap-off blades, almost as much as I love my drill. It is a Stanley knife, in case you are curious.  Read more »