dragonjill

Going away, kinda

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:11:41 GMT

Hi People,

I haven't read anything here for months... Donald is on Facebook, so I finally broke down and joined. So, I'll see you there!

This account should go away in October, I think, when it doesn't get paid for.

Live long and prosper!

presidential quiz

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 20:29:12 GMT

83% Hillary Clinton
82% Barack Obama
81% John Edwards
78% Chris Dodd
77% Joe Biden
77% Bill Richardson
67% Mike Gravel
67% Dennis Kucinich
55% Rudy Giuliani
48% John McCain
37% Mitt Romney
36% Mike Huckabee
32% Tom Tancredo
26% Fred Thompson
19% Ron Paul

2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

Article I wrote about me for Quilt Guild

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:34:21 GMT

Hi Friends,

I don't know how to post this with a link to hide the article for those who are interested in seeing it, and not for those who aren't.

I'm cutting and pasting the article here from the December 2007 Thimble Times, the newsletter of the Thimble Pleasures Quilt Guild. Every month they focus on one of the members. They happened to pick me for this past month. The article is written as answering a list of questions, so the format is well-known and works for most people.

Member profile

Profile # 57

Jill Eastlake

I was born in Boston at the Beth Israel Hospital and grew up in West Roxbury and then Newton. I graduated Newton South High School. I’m the middle of three girls in the family. My sister Betty has visited the guild here and we remain close.

I learned to sew in 8th grade Home Ec class by making an A-line dress. I never wore it, nor the next thing I made. I did wear the third thing I made and continued to make most of my own clothes through High School.
After High School I worked 5 years in the insurance industry, starting as a file clerk and advancing to my final position there as a Junior Underwriter for Inland Marine policies.

From there a friend got me an interview at Digital Equipment Corporation. I was there 18+ years. Again, I started low as a TOPS-10 Operator Trainee, advanced to Lead Operator, left to become a programmer and finally managed Lab Services some of the time and Software Development some of the time. Software that I shipped was used on millions of desktops around the world.

After being laid off from Digital I went to a small start up and led development of some of the world’s first PC-based Web Servers at Process Software Corporation. I was there about 2 1/2 years, and then was laid off once again.

My husband got a job about that time at IBM in upstate NY, so we moved there. We lived there about 18 months
until he was laid off. I decorated that house by using principles learned by watching HGTV and the Discovery Channel.

We returned to Massachusetts in May 2000. At that time I found another software development management job at EC3. The company closed for lack of funding in December 2000. Because of that job I can honestly say that I trained my replacement in India. I still correspond with him once in a while in email. That was the last substantially paying job I have held. I did start a company with friends and worked on it for a year. It went the way of 95% of all startups.

I take part time jobs sometimes to help my pocketbook and/or help a friend. I hope to make some money machine quilting and making small, personal items for sale.

You may have heard me say that I’m a science fiction fan. This is true and also is an understatement. While in High School a friend of mine started the Newton South Science Fiction Society. We all went to the local Boston regional SF convention in 1970.

I met my husband in the Science Fiction community. We have been married over 36 years. We have one son who is now 28.

In this community I have been co-chair and chair of three general regional SF conventions and one Costume Convention; President of various 501(c)3 organizations for five years scattered throughout; served on upwards of 75 regional and world SF convention committees in the US, Canada, Britain and Japan; participated in four world-award-winning costume groups achieving the title of Master Costumer with the International Costumers’ Guild; and will be chairing the Arisia 2009 convention in January of 2009 (see arisia.org for information on Arisia ’08).

This past August and September my husband Donald and I went to Yokohama, Japan for the World SF Convention, to Tokyo, Japan to sight-see, to Kauai Hawaii to sight-see and then to the Hawaiian Big Island to sight-see (me) and work (him).

My husband travels on business often. I tend to tag along when there are oceans involved.

My sister Betty and I went to a landscape quilt class at the Framingham Fabric Place in the mid ‘90’s. It was her idea. That quilt remains unfinished. Later she found “A Quilters’ Gathering” in Westford and we went to see the quilts. We did that for a couple of years before I noticed the classes. So, I guess I’ve been quilting for 10 or more years.

I joined Thimble Pleasures in January 2007. I met Shirley Bangma at AQG (A Quilter’s Gathering sponsored by EQA – Eastcoast Quilter’s Alliance) a couple of years ago. We talked a couple of times over the course of the weekend. Over the rest of that year we corresponded by email. Eventually I finally got to a meeting last October and decided to apply. I enjoy being a member of Thimble Pleasures. I love the Block of the Month and I had a blast being part of the sewing room tour this October.

My favorite part of the meeting is seeing quilts that others have made whether they are the guest speaker’s or those made by other members. I love to show off my work as well to people who can appreciate it. I would rate my quilting passion at ‘8’.

I love to sew. I love to make things. I’m enough of an engineer that I enjoy the figuring out of how to make something beautiful with a little math.

My best quilting experiences have been the fabulous classes I have taken at AQG over the years. I most enjoyed classes with Rachel Clarke (clothing) and Ricky Tims (techniques).

My worst quilting experience? I love quilting on my HQ-16. I have insufficient experience to know when it is broken rather than I’m broken. So, when it breaks I get very frustrated before I realize that I should take it for service. There’s a quilt in that machine now that needs to be picked a LOT before I can put it back together. Sigh.

I do not have a ‘more embarrassing quilting experience. I learned in costuming the following great phrase, “I meant to do that!”

The only quilt show I’ve attended is at AQG.

I like to look at the various techniques and colors being used – so I can copy them. I take classes at AQG every year. I hope to also sign up for upcoming MQX shows. I do not hand quilt nor hand piece. I haven’t got that much patience.

My ‘Can’t live without’ quilting tool is my 6” x 24” clear cutting ruler. My quilting goals are to get really, really good with the HQ-16, and to pay back the cost of it by quilting for hire. My ‘quilting specialty’ is that I’m very good at chain piecing and my favorite part in the process of making a quilt is that I love the sewing. My least favorite part are the bindings.

The best thing I’ve ever done in my life is that I had my son and raised him with love and encouragement. I love participating in Thimble Pleasures. Everyone is positive. Get to make things. There’s always something fun to sew.

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:48:53 GMT

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:48:01 GMT

four things survey

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:17:28 GMT

Four things about me that you may or may not have known.
The directions are at the end.

Four jobs I have had in my life:
Telephone Operator
Junior Underwriter for Inland Marine
Computer Operator
Software Development Manager

Four movies I would watch over and over:
White Christmas
The Wizard of Oz
Back to the Future 3
2001: A Space Odyssey

Four places I have lived:

Newton Massachusetts
Carlisle Massachusetts
Carmel New York
Milford Massachusetts

Four TV Shows that I watch

ER
NCIS
Numbers
House

Four places I have been:

Hawaii
Japan
England
Germany

People who e-mail me (regularly)

Arisia con runners
Yokohama Masquerade people (declining)
Chicago bid people
Donald (the husband)

Four of my favorite foods:

Greek
Mexican
Chinese
Italian

Four places I would rather be right now:

Kauai (Hawaii)
The Big Island (Hawaii)
Maui (Hawaii)
Waikiki (Hawaii)

4 people I think will respond:
Pat
Sheila
Donna
lots of people on LJ

Four things I am looking forward to this year:

Finishing my Kaleidoscope Quilt
Attending “A Quilters’ Gathering”
Arisia ‘08
running Arisia ‘09

Now, here's what you're supposed to do... and please do not spoil the fun. Hit forward, delete my answers and type in your answers. Then send this to a whole bunch of people you know INCLUDING the person who sent it to you. The theory is that you will learn a lot of little known facts about those who know you. Remember to send it back to the person who sent it to you.

(I’m posting this to my LJ – Dragonjill – where this sort of thing is the reason it exists.)

real age thing

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 20:26:32 GMT

biological age 54

real age 47.2

average life expectancy 77

your life expectancy 83.8

someday I'm going to have someone show me how to embed things...

Smiles!

Last full day in Hawaii today. I'm at the edge of the IEEE meeting, using their bandwidth. Donald has been presenting.

This afternoon we pack. Should there be sufficient space in the suitcases we'll buy more stuff this evening.

Tomorrow we get up early, go to the Kona airport, fly to Honolulu, take about 6 hours on Oahu, get on the red eye, fly to Dallas, change planes and home in the early afternoon on Sunday.

Ugh.

jobs, adjusting

Sat, 15 Sep 2007 22:07:46 GMT

I just did this Career Cruising thing... Results were a little surprising, to say the least.

1. Health Care Administrator - I NEVER would have guessed this. I hate hospitals.

2. Association Manager - Well, I guess that's why I say "yes" sometimes.

3. Management Consultant - Only trouble is how to get hired.

4. Office Manager - Sure (being sarcastic)

5. Electronics Engineering Tech - Interesting things with a soldering iron?

6. Electrical Engineering Tech - maybe this is with a Volt Meter?

7. Industrial Engineering Tech - no idea.

8. Economic Development Officer - dunno what this is either.

9. Logistics Specialist - I do this every day seems.

10. Industrial Designer - Not sure what this is either.

I used to be perfectly suited to be a software development manager. Seems like I've been adjusting my expectations to comply with my circumstances. Of course, if I could be a software development manager again, I'd love the salary and the people!

Kauai lost

Sat, 15 Sep 2007 21:51:42 GMT

Aloha from The Big Island!

I left one kind of paradise yesterday to arrive in another kind of paradise. I liked the last one better.

I found myself taking a lot of photos of birds and flowers. My personal postcards will be full of ocean, trees, birds, and flowers. A couple of us as well.

Ghods, it will be hard to go home!

BTW, I don't seem to be able to insert an image today. Worked fine the other day. Maybe tomorrow!

Ahhhh...

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 01:46:30 GMT

My favorite picture of the week, so far. Lessee if it posts here.

Yokohama

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 08:13:47 GMT

Fine People...

On the plane coming into Yokohama last Tuesday I thought I would take pictures and post to LJ daily with my favorite photo of the day. Sure.

I did take about a half dozen pictures. I might post them next week if I'm not too busy relaxing.

Nippon 2007 is just about over now. It's Monday afternoon here (3:46 am in Boston). The convention was great and my feet are killing me! This may be a long post, but I don't know how to link it down. So, keep reading at your leisure.

We left Boston on Monday morning about 8:45 am (actually a bit late because there was a power failure in Terminal B, so the list of people on board needed to happen "by hand"). We flew into Chicago O'Hare and changed terminals there which meant going on a train between terminals and then going through a new security check. No problem there. Then onto a huge (3 - 4 - 3) JAL plane. We were the right side two of the center seats pretty far back in the plane. There were at least two children on board in our area who were NOT happy to be there. The flight crew kept trying to quiet the child a few rows in front of us. When they succeeded the other child, a few rows back and to our left) would start up. But, we did get much sleep and watched about 3 movies apiece. The food on JAL was really good and the stewards were all lovely.

We got into Narita mid-afternoon on Tuesday after about 15 hours of travel. We found our luggage, our cell phone rentals, and eventually a shuttle bus to take us to Yokohama City Air Terminal. There we got a taxi and to the Yokohama Bay Sheraton.

So, we checked in. It was probably around 6pm here. The first room had two beds, wider than singles and narrower than fulls. They were separated by a nightstand. So, we called the front desk to see if we could improve it. They sent one of the woman bellcaps up with keys to another room. She took us to the second room which had two beds next to each other - better. We moved.

As you might expect, hotel room service was super expensive - a cup of coffee or tea goes for almost $10 - so we went outside for dinner. We're across from the Yokohama Station and a short skyscraper called More's. We went to More's where the 8th and 9th floors are restaurants. The waitress knows the word "noodles" and we know how to point. Dinner was really good! Then much sleep.

The convention was at the Pacifico Yokohama Conference and Exhibit Center. Two stops away from us by subway. D3 and I figured out how to buy subway tickets and find the trains. Very easy. The trains are very clean. The most interesting thing about traveling this way is the huge number of people in the underground and on the trains, standing to the left on the escalators so people can pass you on the right, and that so many people are literally running to their destinations.

There is much cement on the way to and around the convention. My feet are killing me. D3 wants to go back to find people for dinner and go to a party. Sigh.
rLong story, short. I helped with the Masquerade. This effort took up more than half of my time at the convention. It was worth the effort as the MD had not done it before. Working in two languages is very interesting and requires a multitude of patience on both sides. There were 12 presentations, most of them Japanese. Each was special in it's own way. Two entries threw "sweets" into the audience as part of their skits. Yum. There was yelling from the stage as part of one performance. There was no yelling at the debrief - all was well. It was a great learning experience for me and I'm glad I did it.

D3 did his usual stuff with the Business Meetings, etc.

Montreal won the 2009 site selection.

Declared bids are as follows: 2010 in Melbourne, 2011 in Seattle, 2012 in Chicago, probable 2013 somewhere in Texas, and a possible somewhere in western Europe in 2014 or 2015.

We spent a few hours with D3's father's second cousin, Dorothy Eastlake who is 93 years old. We walked through the foreigners' cemetery where her father is buried. She's a delight and I hope we're in that good shape when we're in our 90's!

Tomorrow we're going from here to Tokyo for a few days. Friday it's on to Hawaii. Most excellent!

Sufficiency has been achieved. Hugs to y'all.

battle cry

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 07:44:45 GMT

No idea what this will be, but here it is.

negatory

Sun, 24 Jun 2007 20:01:57 GMT

Well, no job this time. Sigh. We could use the money! But, I'm not too upset about the lack of an hour each way daily commute and spending most of my time using MS Project. Ugh.

Onward to more quilting!

House guests, quilting, recipes, party, job?

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 01:50:44 GMT

Yo!

House Guests - It's been since sometime in February. Tonight is their last night here. Yippee! Today their Pods got unloaded and they started unpacking. She can make her bed tomorrow. So, they're taking most of their stuff away in the morning (something will be in the basement until Saturday) and I get the dining room and the blue room back. And, I don't have to pretend to be interested in her stories or smell popcorn being made and listen to it being eaten before 10am everyday. Ghods!

Please, remind me the next time I volunteer to house friends NOT TO DO IT!

Quilting is doing much better. Fellow costumer SS and I joined the Thimble Pleasures Quilt Guild in Mendon in January. My Challenge Quilt got finished yesterday. I have it stretching in the study. I hope it's flat by tomorrow. Did I mention it's due tomorrow? Anyway, it may be small (less than 30x30 inches), but I believe it's the finest quality quilt I've made to date. The idea with the challenge was to pick a bag with a crayon and a popsicle stick in it. The color of the crayon needed to comprise 60% or more of the quilt top, in any shade of that color, and the stick had a word or phrase on it. I got black and triangles. That could be boring, but I believe I made it interesting. The quilts must be put in an opaque bag and brought tomorrow to the meeting, which is the annual, pot luck banquet. They will be displayed at the TP Quilt Show next spring sometime. I hope to bring mine home with me tomorrow. Anyway, do come to the party Saturday and hopefully get to see it.

I've been having trouble with the HQ-16 lately. This is due to the long stretch of my not using it, and then faulty memory causing user error. Over the past few weeks D3 has been coming upstairs with me once in a while to help me think through what's been going on. I have now re-read the documentation, looked at both the DVD and the VHS tape instructions, and practiced on progressively harder things. I think I've got it now. The problems are usually to do with tensions, but I had put the needle in backwards at least once.

There's a rather big (42x42 inch) wall hanging now in the second floor hallway that looks really good. The quilting isn't the best, but it was good enough to fix up by hand and finish. This was an unfinished object that was ready to bat, back, and quilt.

There's a potential table runner on the machine which I'm doing with the stitch regulator. If that finishes properly I will move on to the new flag that I pieced to display and sell at my sister's friend's frame shop. I should put it out so y'all can see it on Saturday if you're inclined. There's no way it will be quilted before then, probably. The goal was to finish a new king sized quilt for our bedroom by this past spring. It's clearly going to be summer before it's done, but if all goes well I'll get to it next week. Confidence is improving.

Recipes. Yup. Ya, I don't cook. On the other hand, the quilt guild is doing a cookbook due out by Christmas? They asked each member to provide 3-5 recipes. I sent them 4. So, many of the members haven't sent their recipes. For tomorrow's pot luck banquet, we all signed up to provide a portion of the meal. They strongly suggested that people make something that they also bring the recipe for. So, I signed up for dessert and made a couple of pecan pies this morning. That was the easiest and most transportable of my recipes. Smelled good when they were cooking.

All of you are on some list where you've been invited to our party on Saturday. I hope most of you are coming!

Oh, and the possible new job - on hold until at least Friday to hear from the prospective employer.

Wow, I guess I had a lot to say. Happy solstice everyone!

interviews

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 20:54:24 GMT

Well, I'm home. The interviews went ok, I think. I believe the boss would have liked me to be more technical. Not only do I not represent myself as a coder, and I am very honest about it, but I also told him that I could learn how to maintain a wiki very easily... I don't know if he believed me, but I believe me.

We shall see.

A new job?

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 13:56:06 GMT

Wow. I'm so excited! I'm interviewing tomorrow in Acton at a software start up that's in the same technology that Donald is involved with. I've been phone screened last Friday, had a few calls with the person I'll be replacing (he's moved to another job already and fills in by contract after hours). I'll be their project manager and I've already gone through their schedule.

Andrea is sitting here talking while I'm trying to think. Ghods!

And, they are moving out next week. Yeah!

More tomorrow, I think.

Smiles!

Life is interesting

Tue, 15 May 2007 21:39:12 GMT

Well, I've been very quiet here since life has been that kind of interesting. It's clearing up a little and now I feel like I can share some.

First, my sister had surgery at the end of March. She went home this afternoon for the first time to sleep in here own bed. She's going to be fine. She didn't and doesn't want me to tell anyone what was wrong with her or why she had surgery. I think she's nuts, but that's not new.

We've had another couple living here as well, since early April. He was here by himself most of March, then went home to Oregon to sell their house and drive back. She, of course, came back with him. He's fine. He has a job and goes away every day before we wake up, comes home for dinner and goes to sleep. She wakes up early with him, takes him to the train station, returns, takes a walk, and seems to get home about the time I come down for breakfast. What's the problem, then, you say. Well, she likes morning and is chatty! I've heard most of her stories a few times each now. She knits or crochets and chats. Ugh! I can't think if I'm listening to her, and I can't create if I can't think. She's upstairs reading her email now. Ah, peace.

They have an accepted offer on a house as of yesterday. Yippee! That means that if all goes well I'll get my house, and my peace and quiet, back in about 4-6 weeks. I'm thrilled!!!

Why do I do this? It's my own damned fault! Remind me next time I start to house friends in transition that it's really a bad idea. Please!

Anyway, I relearned how to use my quilting machine this afternoon. I was making great progress on a table runner. Then, the first bee of the season in the attic and I'm doomed. A little poison, a little patience, and I may be able to go back to working tomorrow. Of course, D3 is in Montreal through Friday, so I have to deal with the damned bugs myself.

Anyway, see. Life is interesting.

OKCupid test

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 03:26:54 GMT

I like taking pop quizzes. This one was fun.

The Maid of Honor
Deliberate Gentle Love Master (DGLMf)

Appreciated for your kindness and envied for all your experience, you are The Maid of Honor.

Charismatic, affectionate, and terrific in relationships, you are what many guys would call a "perfect catch"--and you probably have many admirers, each wishing to capture your long-term love. You're careful, extra careful, because the last thing you want is to hurt anyone. Especially some poor boy whose only crime was liking you.

Your exact opposite:
Half-cocked

Random Brutal Sex Dreamer

We've deduced you're fully capable of a dirty fling, but you do feel that post-coital attachment after hooking up. So, conscientious person that you are, you do your best to reserve physical affection for those you respect...so you can respect yourself.

Your biggest negative is the byproduct of your careful nature: indecision. You're just as slow rejecting someone as you are accepting them.

ALWAYS AVOID: The False Messiah, The 5-Night Stand, The Vapor Trail, The Bachelor

CONSIDER: The Gentleman, someone just like you.

Link: The 32-Type Dating Test by OkCupid - Free Online Dating.

Sick!

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 16:33:45 GMT

Dammit!

Donald and I were at Boskone yesterday. I sold 7 of 10 things of mine in the Art Show! Yeah!

We had been looking forward to dinner with friends all day. We walked in the frigid air from the hotel to the Legal Test Kitchen - about a 5 minute walk outside. We had to wait for our table. So, we sat at the bar. I got a hot chocolate and drank some. I was talking to my friends. Suddenly, I started to warm up! I felt a bit nauseous and went to the ladies' room. Sitting there, I wanted to lie down on the floor. But, somehow the stone tile floor wasn't very inviting. And, I figured that if I were to faint (I really thought I might pass out), that I shouldn't be locked into a single rest room. So, I went back to the bar. I laid my head down. EB laid hands on me and noticed that I was sweating profusely! In fact, I had the biggest fever I think I've ever had. The staff at LTK got me some ice water and a cool compress. They called a taxi and Donald took me home. I kinda slept in the car.

Well, I don't remember how high my temperature was when I got home. But, ibuprofen and a talk with a doctor led me to sleep on the couch. The fever went down. I went to bed. Things are much better this morning.

Ghods, that was nasty!

But, all in all - Boskone was great! I talked to many friends. My showing in the Art Show went well. And, if I control myself hopefully my fever won't return.

Big sigh.

Arisia '08

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 04:10:48 GMT

This afternoon/early evening I attended an hotel meeting with September and phi and the HR Cambridge's convention coordinator, Meaghan. This was a good meeting with a lot of things discussed now that we've had our first convention in that hotel about things that worked this time and things we both can do to improve things for next year. After that meeting, Tem and I went to dinner.

So, I was with Tem from about quarter to four until about 9pm. I can say with high certainty that she will be an excellent Arisia chair. I feel very lucky to be involved now when Arisia is changing and things are continuing to be very interesting! It's going to be a good year, and the one after (going into Arisia '09) will be a good year as well. This group has so much potential, so much good experience, and varying amounts of an open mind. Such fun!

Art and Quilting

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 15:30:03 GMT

Yeah! I got into the Boskone Art Show! I think I've finally found things that sell and I can make some more. Hopefully this Art Show will be easier to get to than the Arisia one was, and so I may get more than one bid per sold piece!

I'm a little backed up due to volunteering for other things - like Arisia stuff - but I'm pretty sure I can complete enough pieces to make a decent show.

I have a piece I'm doing as a present for someone in my new Quilt Guild - Thimble Pleasures in Mendon, Mass. We (I joined in January!) have a Secret Valentine. Mine is a person of significance in the Guild (figures) whose name I picked at random. After you buy or make something, you send it to your Secret Valentine anonomously. Then, we all bring them to the February meeting (the 15th) and show and tell what you got. There is where your benefactor is revealed. I'll post a picture of the quilt on my website later since I happen to think it's coming out really, really well. (So humble, aren't I?) I was just working on it when I pricked my finger with a pin and started a slow bleed. I'll go back upstairs later and quilt it.

My (damned) new bed quilt is coming along as well. The ($%%^Y) thing was a bitch to load onto the quilt machined because the backing stretches if you just look at it! Sheeze.

Ah, well, that's all off my shoulders. Onward!

Arisia Masquerade

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 00:40:25 GMT

Well, my life continues to be overcome by the Arisia Masquerade. So far I'm only aware of one person who is mad at me. The show came off at about 85% of what I had in my head, which is great. I almost got standing ovations at the Gripe Session and at a party of my friends. I think they were all tired. I'm very proud of myself, my cast and crew, and the support I got from the rest of the committee. That said, I've done it right enough once to move along.

I'm thrilled to have done it.

It's almost over. And, we all done real good. Best of all worlds.

Back to some rest.

Jill

Exhaustion

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 23:08:43 GMT

And, Arisia hasn't really started yet! We're going to the movies to try to get something different to think about for a couple of hours.

The great thing - there are 25 entries pre-registered so far, 2 I know about who are registered, and the Kamikaze Kids. This is going to be a great Masquerade! Yeah!

And, if I'm really lucky, I will have more than the 7 items I've made so far to go in the Art Show.

Next week will be so peaceful.

January in Massachusetts

Sat, 06 Jan 2007 20:41:10 GMT

It's a glorious day! We took the Miata out for a spin - top down - to Dairy Queen. It's 66 degrees. No bugs!! Best of all worlds.

Wow!

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 16:27:26 GMT

Hello Excellent People!

I am thrilled and overjoyed that so many of you found me yesterday and I already have a score of friends. This is pretty cool.

And, yes Liz, I already know who you are!

I'll check in from time to time. I have a couple of things that are critical path to do for Arisia. One is to review the West Coast Masquerade Runners' Handbook (now open for the first time on my table) and the other is to make more saleable items for the Art Show.

Thanks for stopping by! I'll be back.