1. I fell in love with San Francisco in just one visit and would love to live there…
2. …but if I could live anywhere I wanted it would be on a farm.
3. I am insanely frugal except when it comes to cell phones. There are so many things I won’t buy because I can’t spend money on something I know I can make or build myself.
4. I recently figured out how to knit with needles after 3 years of struggling.
5. I have a love hate relationship with gReader.
6. I have no tolerance for stupid.
7. People leave toy and candy eyeballs in my cube so I will stab those instead of maiming any humans (see number six).
8. I am content to get paid less and love my job than earn a big salary and be miserable.
9. I would rather be at home taking care of my family than going to work everyday.
10. I am a newbie Doctor Who fan.
11. I like watching movies at home rather than on the big screen.
12. I enjoy vegetable gardening but can’t keep houseplants alive.
13. I have seven pets including one hamster, 2 cats, three guinea pigs, and one house rabbit.
14. I have moved on to only reading books under creative commons licensing on the Internet because I can’t afford my habit of reading 4-5 books a week and the library stinks.
15. I love dark roast coffee and espresso.
16. I would like to learn how to spin fiber.
17. I have 4 kids but I wanted 6.
18. I can only make bread in a bread machine. It comes out hard as a rock if I make it in the oven.
19. I love thrift stores and garage sales – it feeds my need for unique decor and furniture that I can refinish myself.
20. My goal this year is to be less dependent on stuff and start replacing useless with functional or just getting rid of it.
21. I adore linux.
22. I rarely buy new hardware, I prefer to hack together old stuff.
23. I would prefer to never work for a for-profit company again.
24. I prefer SMS over voice calls.
25. Even though there are things I would rather be doing, if I have to work, I am glad I am employed where I am because my job is pretty great.

I know, ew. Thank goodness I wash my hands a lot.

This is post number nine in a series of 100 Things About Me.

Furniture would have to be my favorite find. They just don’t make ‘em like they used to and I would rather have a well built older piece that is more unique than a press board from sawdust piece that will disintegrate when it’s time to move. I don’t even mind if I have to refinish it.

I am off to the thrift store today to hunt for a few jars, baskets, or tins to put the gifts I am making in and also to hopefully find some old felted sweaters for 50 cents that I can turn into several pairs of wonderful mittens.There is just something wonderful about making something that is no longer wanted into something useful.

This is post number eight in a series of 100 Things About Me.

This year I made a pledge not to buy already made gifts. I have been making everything I have gifted this year because I am tired of the hassle that comes with shopping for people. It usually winds up with buying something that someone *might* like because it is in my price range. For the kids, I have always made their gifts (Santa brings the other junk they ask for). Every year they are guarenteed to have a new blanket, scarf, pajamas, stuffed toy, or other homemade thing under the tree and they *always* ask to be able to open it on Christmas Eve and that makes me feel good. They enjoy the homemade and know that time was spent on making it and they cherish it. At least my craftiness has instilled at least one good trait on the children. :)

Homemade items are personal and take time and if someone makes something for you, it is way more valuable than anything they could have grabbed at the mall. If someone took the time to make something for you with their own hands (even if it is just a tea mix, card, or letter) then they consider the relationship you have important enough to spend time on.

This is post number seven in a series of 100 Things About Me.

This is post number six in a series of 100 Things About Me.

Running the Alternageek Tech Show for over a year put me into a scene that was fun and incredibly annoying at the same time. There are some really awesome people out there writing blogs and publishing podcasts but there are even more either regurgitating other writers’ work or just writing blog posts about how awesome they think they are without an ounce of valuable content. You can network until your contact book won’t hold one more name however, all the contacts and PR in the world won’t keep you afloat if you have nothing but handshakes and propaganda to share. Eventually people will figure out that you are full of hot air.

I don’t care if you publish five posts a week, it means nothing if you are just writing to jump on the bandwagon trend. Write something valuable, write something from a new perspective, open your mind to possibilities, and for the love of all that is holy and good, think for yourself.

When I was in school we had writing exercises that required us to write position papers from a point of view that we disagreed with. This was challenging and educational at the same time. It required research and an open mind to the other side of the argument. Make this type of an assignment part of your writing routine. This is an excellent practice to get into especially when you are stuck in a rut. You don’t have to publish it if you don’t feel comfortable with it, but do it regardless.

Popular opinion is a dime a dozen. Don’t make me feel like I just lost 5 minutes of my life that I will never get back.

This is post number five in a series of 100 Things About Me.

There are several reasons I don’t like existing in suburbia and most of it all revolves around the robotic nature of those that choose to live there. The same vanilla houses, the same vanilla families, the same vanilla preaching, and the same flavorless goals. There is little independent thought and that is the expectation. Listen to their messages, they are the same monotonous drone. Finding friends and families that are not on the same brainwave pattern is like panning for gold in a trickling stream. ‘Tis the nature of the beast I suppose but it gets really old. I find that living in suburbia can be depressing.

This is post number four in a series of 100 Things About Me.

I am sure I had heard of him, but I didn’t *know* his music. I picked up my first album (vinyl you betcha) at a rummage sale for 50 cents and fell in love. The album, Nashville Skyline released in 1969 with one of my favorites being To Be Alone with You.

They say that nighttime is the right time
To be with the one you love
Too many thoughts get in the way in the day
But you’re always what I’m thinkin’ of

Anytime I am feeling a little lost, uninspired, or just need a pick me up I put on some Bob Dylan and become one with the music.

This is post number three in a series of 100 Things About Me.

The Cameo Mecanique Hoodie is shown here from binarywinter’s Etsy shop. I <3 the design.

This is post number two in a series of 100 things about me.

I wish I was a rockstar.

I play, not as much as I used to, but I write more.

I have boxes of notebooks full of lyrics and songs and no outlet for them.

I just wish I had an outlet instead of a box to store them in.

This is post number one in a series of 100 things about me.