New Petfinder.com App

I have taken over running Petfinder.com for the shelter. I think there is a lot of information that we can put out there for people. And a lot of browsers of the site could become new adopters!

I got an email from Petfinder yesterday morning announcing the new IPhone App. Sounds really awesome! So I download it right away and went searching for our dogs.

I couldn't find a single one! I searched in just our zip code and just for pit bulls to see if that would help, nope. On the real site we are on the second page in our zip code. I searched through 10ish pages on the app and couldn't find us. I find it extremely frustrating that a large organization like the MSPCA isn't easily found.

My only other gripe is that while searching the only thing you can see is a small picture of the animal. If you make your search criteria, then all those dogs should be a good mach, but then it's just on looks alone. But I understand that a lot about an animal that attracts people is their looks, I'm the same way. I'm really a sucker for anything gray, dunno why.

Aside from that the app seems pretty well put together. I think it's very clean looking and not too bulky. I read a review that said it crashed a lot, but so far it hasn't for me. I'll have to fiddle around and see how I'm going to get our dogs up onto some of these search pages!

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Valentine's Nerds

This is a photo of the best boyfriend ever. For Valentines he took me on a Stay-cation to the Westin where the annual Boskone was going on! Boskone is a sci-fi convention run by the New England Science Fiction Association. The guest of honor this year was none other then Alastair Reynolds, my favorite author ever. I got to meet him, get his autograph, hear a reading from his newest book, and hear him speak on a number of panels on everything from the concept of The Singularity, to how science fiction relates to what's going on in the real world, and beyond.

It was amazing. We got to meet other authors including Vernor Vinge, Charlie Stross, and Karl Schroeder. I did get quite a bit of beef from the girls at work. Everyone thought it was probably one of the nerdiest valentine's gift ever, but that it was the sweetest too. I agree.

I've pretty much stopped writing completely right now. It inspired me to start up again, now the only problem is finding the time to sit down and do it. After we get moved into our new (glorious) apartment I'm going make the time. In the new place there is a nice little nook just big enough for a small desk. I want to turn it into my corner. Enough space for my sewing machine or a laptop. We're going to purge a lot of possessions with this move, things we just don't need to hang onto. Some of the furniture will go up on craigslist and the rest is going to goodwill. The one thing that isn't getting purged is our book collection. Luckily the new place has a built in shelf that -may- hold most of them. For now. I'm looking forward to starting a new chapter without so much extra junk.

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Button on Blanket

Tadaa!

Pros:
* Super warm
* Really soft
* Layers awesomely under my coats!

Cons:
* When putting on the buttons, I did do it quite evenly, so the left side comes up further then the right. Weird, I know.
* I need better stitch markers so I don't create ladders like you see coming up from under the armpit.

No real complaints with the pattern, (B.O.B)it was really well written. It does seem to be made for someone with narrow shoulders. Or, I have a very long neck. The sweater is supposed to have a turtle neck, but it barely comes up my neck at all. This was such a quick knit that I think I'll make it again with some added shaping in the waist and a higher collar. Maybe put in some more cables as well.

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