Guess who I met today? That’s right, Kris, Ms. Bockstark Knits. How did you know?

She was flying back to Munich after a month of visiting family in Hawaii. (As much as I love Germany, I can imagine tropical beaches winning over winter drizzle and chill.) SF just happens to be the place you’d lay-over on the way back to Europe. It was great to finally meet someone I’d listened to (on her podcast Knitters Uncensored), read her blog, and followed her photos on Flickr for years. Oddly enough, it felt like we were already friends, even though this was the first time we’d communicated in person, and without the Internet facilitating it.

Her two boys were adorable. I couldn’t get a picture of the two of them together. To travel that far, for that long, alone with two four year-olds, Mr. Bockstark better get her a massage or some more fiber. Speaking of which, she gave me a skein if her own handspun sock yarn! I’m honored to have her creation be my first handspun socks. Perhaps some Boyfriend Socks?

Kris, you’ll be back home by the time you read this. I hope that the rest of your travels went off without a hitch. Although I may never sit at a wheel, I’m inspired by your prolific spinning. IOU a guided tour of SF if you you ever find yourself laid-over longer.

Next time, shall we meet in Germany?

I’m what you call a late-blooming early-adopter. My job and my interests exposed me to lots of cool doo-dads and webby goodness. That said, I’m not always the first person to jump in and get my typing fingers dirty. I let stuff slowly filter through my friends before I choose to I incorporate it into my life.

This morning, I finally jumped over to Google Reader for my RSS needs. Part of the reason I wasn’t using bloglines more frequently was it’s limitations. I’m hoping through the good work of the Googlers, I’ll do a better job of following up on the interKnitters I love so.

Musically, I poked around Bootie’s site to download their free mash-up mixes, 2005-2008. It’s old news, something I haven’t looked at for a few years. Now, thanks to Bootie, i have 6.5 hours of new music! Bootie is a local party that campily layers current music on top of other songs, say Missy Elliott rapping over The Cure’s melodies. I can’t be bothered to actually go out to a bar and stay up past 11, so it’s a joy to be able to grab toe-tapping tunes that make me shimmy and chuckle a little. As Girl Talk was one of my favorite albums last year, it was time to investigate DJ’s aspiring to be as good as him. Great stuff, say if you were throwing a cold outdoor party at an Elks Lodge in Rhinebrck for Ravelry!

Lastly, this here post. I’m composing it in the WordPress app on my phone. Just another overdue tool that I should have added a long time ago. So far do good. Between this and blogging from Flickr, you may just be reading more frequent musings (with more frequent typos, too).

So far, 2009’s has been a year productivity through simplicity. I don’t want more, more, more, in things or accomplishments. I just want peaceful contented-ness through intentional choices. And if some new tools help me achieve that while boppin’ my head, all the better!

EDITED: I had to go onto my desktop to remove a bunch of extra \’s the mobile app inserted at every apostrophe and quotation mark. It also didn’t record line and paragraph breaks. Anyone else have this problem on the iPhone with WordPress? Must I code everything html-style?

EDITED AGAIN: I upgraded my WP and it’s helped! See? No “\n’s” and odd line breaks when not handcoded.

EDITED AGAIN AGAIN: Fixed the link to Bootieusa.com had a typo. Great catch, Matthew!

Although I may be a tad under the weather, I’m starting the New Year off with so much freakin’ optimism. My travel mug of herbal Throat Coat tea is half-full, friends. I’ve got a clear set of aspirations, or goals, or, shall we say, resolutions? It’s really putting the year in perspective and not a way to beat myself up. I know what I’m striving for, and I know what it’s going to take to get there.

Without detailing them all right here, let’s just say they involve what I’m knitting (WIPs to finish, completed designs to submit, designs to complete, and realistic number of OPD – other people’s designs to choose from), how I’m taking care of myself (let’s see if I can run more than six times this year!), new circus freak skills (rope and unicycle, but not together), and leading a more adventurous, fun-seeking life.

There isn’t any far-flung international travel on the horizon (but if anyone wants to fund some, I’ll accept!), but there are a few jaunts here and there (Austin, Seattle-ish, Philadelphia, Albany-esque (2x), Portland and the familial beyond-Buffalo and Eugene). If we don’t meet in person, another one of them revolves around doing a better job of updating this here site, getting more photos off the camera (including October’s Italy and Rhinebeck!), and doing a better job of staying in touch.

I’m ready for 2009 to be the best 2009 ever! Are you?

What is missing from the photo is a dill creme fraiche sauce and a bottle of Sancerre.

Happy 2009, everyone!

Janie Sparkles wishes everyone plenty of long naps, lots of belly rubs, and a few extra chicken strips for the holidays.

(photo: Christopher Hall)

Was it all a dream? My seven-week sabbatical has come to a close.

IOU blog posts and photo uploads recounting travels, emails and thank you’s for writing, and knitting and design updates.

It’s been nice to withdraw from my computer and professional life. I’m reminded of how many truly wonderful people I have in my life. I hope to cherish the perspective gained during my time off for many years to come. Or at least the next six until my next sabbatical.

(Photo by Christopher, my gay married husband.)

Here’s the view of San Francisco Ted and I enjoyed driving to Point Bonita YMCA.