User:Knitting Duck

The Knitting Duck

• 38 / f / 43,-75
• Day Job: A former SMART Scholar now working as a mathematician and systems engineer at AFRL Rome Lab.
• Favorite Portmanteaux: frankenword, squiggle, and knork
• Why I'm Here: I really, seriously need a new hobby and geohashing looks like delightful lunacy. :-)

Yep, that's a rubber duck sitting in a nest made from a rolled-up, homemade Fourth Doctor scarf.

Life Updates

• 28 August 2009 - Have been very stressed these past six weeks due to typical governmental "hurry up and wait" panic over my degree program. Have consequently not been thinking too much about geohashing... though sometimes I check to see where the hash is. None have really been convenient lately. Today's was a possibility, but I'm not really in the mood yet. Perhaps tomorrow.
• 15 September 2009 - Well, the angst over my degree program at least has settled. Now I'm just swamped with schoolwork and the stress attendant thereunto. At least this is a familiar state of being, one with which I have dealt with successfully for the past twenty or so years. Am considering today's hash. It's very near home and looks to be in a parking lot.
• 17 June 2011 - I've officially moved down to Tennessee and that means I'm joining the Murfreesboro graticule. I wonder if anyone's active around here?
• 1 February 2013 - I've moved to upstate New York for a job transfer (and to get back closer to home/family/friends).
• 29 June 2013 - I haven't been an active geohasher in a while because my current nerd hobbies include studying computer science, Russian, and Mandarin Chinese. I don't have much free time. I'm also insane.

Expeditions

• 2009-06-26 40 -74 (Newark, New Jersey): I don't own a GPS unit (... yet), so this is going to be strictly according to what Google tells me. It looks like it's inside the building, but I'm not sure what the building is. Google refuses to disgorge any further information on the address. I have no idea if it's private property or not! I'm dragging along my housemate, who agreed to play navigator on this expedition. We hope to be at (or at least near) the hash at about 4pm. RESULT: Coordinates not reached due to copious No Trespassing signs. It turned out to be the NJ Foundation for the Blind in Denville, NJ. I am not discouraged, and am already planning to try again soon!
• 2009-06-28 40 -74 (Newark, New Jersey): I now own a GPS unit: a Garmin eTrex Legend H. I have fiddled with it and it appears to be adequate for my needs without spending an arm and a leg to get better maps. We shall see, and soon... I plan to use it for a short trek into the woods of Lincoln Park in my search to find this Sunday's hash. It ought to have public access and the weather reports are good. My hopes are high! RESULT: Coordinates reached despite swarms of mosquitos raptors! With a drag-along in tow and after a little Ambassadorial work, we trekked about four tenths of a mile through the mosquito raptor-infested forest to reach the hash. Success!
• 2009-07-04 40 -74 (Newark, New Jersey): I am now in the planning stages for a patriotic geohash! At first glance, the location and weather both look acceptable. RESULT: Coordinates not reached because of rich people's privacy, the holiday, and a fence. Oh, well. We went back a few miles up the road and had a nice picnic, instead!
• 2009-09-15 40 -74 (Newark, New Jersey): This hash looks to be very near to home and smack in the middle of a parking lot. It's a little bit out of my way this afternoon, but I'll leave some extra time to go check it out. RESULT: Coordinates reached, though only very briefly. We were there just long enough to mark the waypoint on my GPS unit and snap some very quick photographic evidence.
• 2009-10-24 40 -74 (Newark, New Jersey): This hash is not quite as close to home, but is still nearby. It is oddly also related to school, being in the back parking lot of a nearby high school. Am planning to attempt the hash around noon since I have an unfortunately-timed meeting later in the afternoon. RESULT: Coordinates reached despite near-death-by-hydroplaning and other rain-related annoyances. Also, a tasty snack was had at a bagel shop. And I finally got to meet Flashbullzeye in person!
• 2010-01-23 40 -74 (Newark, New Jersey): It's been almost three months to the day since I've seriously thought about hashing, but it looks like an actual Saturday meetup might be happening today in my graticule so I'm seriously thinking about it now. It'll depend on how quickly I can get my errands done in the next two hours and if my hash-buddies are interested. RESULT: Coordinates not reached because I never got past the contemplative stage. Oh, well, maybe next time.