Sticky KaliTime - The Metablog of KaliTime Camaralzman

Just watch. Thought provoking program. See more here. Also check out this blog.

Lately, it seems as though whenever I try to type up something in the realm of pessimistic, the power goes out.

Not kidding.

Yesterday, just as I was typing up a rant about the Maternal Parentals behavior, a sudden wind storm blew up and, before I knew it, the power had flickered out, taking everything I’d written with it. Prior to this, while typing up a whining epilogue regarding my (honestly fun) experiences at the NIH, the power flickered again, only this time with no known cause. A time before that, a week and a half or so ago, much the same happened and I was stuck in the dark, with my mother, with only two candles, my laptop, and some videos downloaded from Youtube to keep us company.

Given that I made a vow to actually make firm attempts at not being pessimistic, I am going to take this series of events as a coincidental reminder of my pledge. I was all set to put in another tirade today but, on thinking about it, I saw no point in expending the energy in a useless attempt at trying to reason with my mothers’ nicotine addiction or her mishandling of the finances.

Instead, I’m biding my time until I’ve saved enough to get out of here. It’s really the only solution to our relationship at this point.

Geeze, I sound like that creepy little kid from Doctor Who…

Anyway, I’m finally here, Inpatient, at the NIH for the study. I’m sitting, well standing at any rate, in their oversized overalls with a “”Microdialysis” machine hooked up to me. Great fun.

*rolls overly long sleeves up for some relief*

Oh yeah, where was I? Oh, right!

Things here are pretty cool and they’ve just brought in dinner. I’m about to eat it. Zzzzz…. It’s apparently designed to see how my body responds to a certain caloric intake. If you like, says I. Incidentally, this is a post not done the lazy way. I actually logged in. How many calories did that burn, I wonder?

Someone’s apparently blowing bubbles in the courtyard just under my room window because a few of them keep flying my way. I’m going to investigate that, since it’s so much more interesting than anything I could possibly write here and then I’ll eat. Tra.

You sniveling little…

I was going through the catalogue of the Baltimore County Public Library system after reading about two authors I’d come across on Wikipedia while Wikiwhacking. One author, Octavia Butler, wrote a trilogy called Xenogenesis and…of course I wanted to snap it up as soon as I saw the synopsis. I won’t give it away but I will enjoy reading it. It’d be a nice change of pace from the books I’ve been reading lately on cannibalism and recipes. Anyway…

The other author, Iain M. Banks appears to have an interesting premise as well and, if you know me, you’ll know my motivation in reading his books. Aside from good Science Fiction.

The thing about the BCPL is this: We’ve got an electronic checkout and hold system and, to my amazement, I found most of the Iain Banks books checked out at every branch. Now, he’s either really popular (sorry if I don’t know this!) or someone’s being a book hog. Based on what I’ve read so far, I’m inclined to believe the former even if the latter also happens to be true.

Throw me some comments people. And candy. That’s always lovely.

No sooner do I put myself toward the goal of learning how to Crochet then I get a sprain right between the thumb and first finger of the hand I’d be working with.

I’m not giving up. I’ll just keep looking at the videos to see if I can adapt to using my left hand. Either that, or whine to Aunti loud enough for her to hear me from Washington State.

I really don’t understand how you crocheters do it. Knitting, I get. It actually came (fairly) naturally to me once I understood the process. With Crochet, it seems like no matter what I do to look at the videos, people doing it, etc., I can’t even scratch the surface. I won’t say “I can’t” though. That’s bad language deserving of a hefty donation to the Watercooler Bank Bottle of Destruction. I will instead say “I will” or “I am” and work towards doing just that.

Now I away to do two things I am still capable of doing. Eating and Knitting.

Food wise, tonight is going to pretty much be a KISS situation. I’m making veggie soup. Yum. It’s going to be my special blend though.

Knitting wise, I’m still working on the scarf I’m making for my father. It’ll probably be done by the end of today since I’ve got nothing else better to do.

Man, I sure was annoying back when this blog first started. I know I’m still probably annoying now but, in reading some old entries, I was much more annoying even to myself.

Wow, what the years can do to your perception.

Technically, this blog was started fairly recently when it comes to WP.com but the overall history of this whole things writings actually goes back as far as 2002 and, basically, I incorporated the entries from old blogs into the then newer Blogger blog which allowed for remote posting. Definitely an improvement in that the old site that carried my blog didn’t have this or much else going for it.

One thing you should consider and greatly pity me for: I must go through the nearly five hundred Uncategorized posts currently listed on here and…categorize them properly.

I think I will most certainly use knitting as a form of escapism if the tendon between my thumb and first finger will let up on the pain for five seconds.

When I finished putting that last entry in, I figured I’d go back in blogposts to one I did a while back. One poster in particular had a blog that impressed me then. I eventually found the link and read one entry in particular that’s really inspired me.

I’m not going to be daunted. I’ll just keep The Clash playing in my head on a loop LOL.

Get your filthy minds out of the gutter. I’m going down to Bethesda for the first of six Inpatient stays for the study.

Ironically, I am not nervous about my upcoming stay at the National Institutes of Health. Considering the fact that they’re going to be doing some surgery on me, I suppose I should be but I’m not. Instead, I’m more scientifically interested in what’ll be occuring when I get there and whether they’ll let me use their computers to continue to update this blog while I’m down there.

Included in this blog post are the notorious pictures. This, my fellow Terrans is the first in a long line of pictures that will document my progress in attaining this goal.

Anyway, one is of me from a side profile while the other is the front angle. The shirt has been pulled back a bit to give a better idea of body shape but otherwise, the pictures are accurate. The shirt is an XL and the pants are a size 16 womens. Whatever that means in the land of Ladies clothes is unknown to me. In Mens I wear a 36 - 38 depending on the cut.

My current stats are:

• 61 Inches/5 Feet 1 inch/1.55 Meters tall (not likely to change)
• 228 US Pounds/104 Kilograms/16 Stone (working on it)

Within one year, I hope to have at least lost one quarter that weight. If only I could gain height for each ten pounds lost…*sigh*

My ultimate goal is to get down to around 140lbs/63kg/10st and maintain that weight with a healthy diet, exercise, and all that good stuff.

For a good laugh: On a recent visit to my PCP/Ob/Gyn, it was again suggested I consider a breast reduction. Not due to my weight but because, in her opinion, I am simply too top heavy. She gave me another referral and I’m going to call and see about it but check first with the $2,600.00USD medical study people first to see if it would disqualify me from participating. I don’t want to lose out on that money as it would get me back in school but it would be nice not having the lead weight issue.

I’ll just have to see.

I just whored my Art Blog out to the Text Ads thing on Blogshares. I feel so cheap and dirty now. I hope I get lots of hits LOL.

This one was a little something for me. I’d been making things mostly to sell and as gifts for other people, so I figured I’d treat myself for a change. I’d seen the Fall Harvest yarn in catalogues for a while and was very interested in obtaining it but, until a certain point, was unable to due to lack of financial resources.

When I finally did get the yarn, I took my time trying to figure out just how to put the whole thing together. Ironically, I didn’t follow the pattern I set out at all. Instead, I just made alternating blocks for the scarf. All told, it took me weeks to do, mainly because of my notorious dislike of doing scarves the “long” way. I much prefer casting on 200+ stitches on a pair of circular needs and just knitting until its wide enough than to sit there for hours turning and turning the work.

Still, I got it done in the end.

The next item on the agenda actually wasn’t even on the agenda. I’d had quite a lot of the Fall Harvest Multicolor and Black yarn left over and figured I’d make myself a hat to go with the scarf. So, in literally twenty-six hours, I made the hat. I wish I were kidding about that, but I’m not. It was one of those sleepless days I sometimes suffer.

I’m not only proud of this hat for having done it in such a short span of time. I’m also proud because this was my first sojourn into the land of the ribbed stitch. I used K2 P2 and it came out pretty well actually. It was actually pretty fun knitting this hat in that I just kept going without having to look. This was actually the first time I’d truly done that and I really preened over the newly acquired skill.

Which brings me to the last item. Last, but certainly not least.

I had still more yarn left and figured “Why not?” when I planned this last bit. It was getting cool enough out that I figured I’d need some gloves or mittens of some kind. Not yet having the skill to make fingered gloves or mittens (thumbs), I embarked on a project to make these fingerless gloves using the two yarns.

I didn’t use any kind of set pattern for it beyond guesstimation and initiative and I managed to come out with a pair of gloves that fit pretty well on my rather large hands.

As always, the webcam is not the best in the world and the colors shown are not reflective of how they look in real life. They’re much more vibrant and, if you can find it, look up Red Hearts Fall Harvest Multicolor to get an idea of what I’ve got or, if you see me on the street this upcoming Autumn/Winter, just look at it.

Sorry, couldn’t resist.

I’ve been a near constant complainer regarding the Maryland MTAs removal of the old bike racks. They’ve finally officially put their stamp on the new ones they were putting through a “trial run” and, if this news story is any indication, people will hopefully use them the way I want to.

Next stop, bike parking, and then my learning. I need to find lessons. I really do. It’s not easy being twenty-seven years old and not knowing how to ride a bike. People just don’t seem to realize that, for a person with no experience, it’s not just a matter of getting on and riding off. I’ve been trying to learn on my own lately. My scarred legs and I want to find an instructor before I bleed to death or get Tetanus.

I’m going to be focusing on the medical study I’m joining over the next year and, given that a few minor surgeries are going to be occuring, I think it better to defer giving until the study is over. This is despite the assurances of the staff at the ARC that I’m still an eligible candidate.

To that end, beware. I’m coming after you with a hellfire of vengeance and I’m driving to get you to donate in my place. If you think my normal instructions are taxing, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

I will follow people to the ends of the earth. I will call, write, e-mail, and do everything I can think of to get as many people to donate as possible. Prepare, for I am Legion…O_o…wait, no I’m not. I’m KaliTime. Nevermind.

Point is…go and donate! Please? /poking out the cute puppy lip/

I’m using the money to go back to school. So, technically, participating this study will help me in six of my 43things goals.

Taped concerts count, especially when the frontman and better vocalist kind of sort of dies just under two decades before the actual viewing of said.

All in all, it was pretty fantastic, even if obviously chopped up by the PBS Beg-a-thon machine. At least it’s buyable and, once I have finishing my “no buying frivolous stuff for a year” goal, I’ll be able to get it.

I’m still in shock but I’m officially in an weight loss study that pays me $2,600.00USD all while giving me tips on diet, exercise, etc.

I am so not questioning the positive aspect of this.

It may be old but the one my friend gave me is perfect for me.

I’ve finally gotten into full swing with my Art blog and…it’s displaying the work I’ve done thus far. I guess this makes me an ‘Artist’.

I look so much like a black Mickey Mouse…this entry has a picture of my hair in all it’s cutesy glory.

A friend gave me a laptop with a wireless card and, given that I use it mainly to write and (now that my speakers have blown) listen to music, I felt bad about it draining so much power (I keep it plugged in normally) without doing much else.

So, I figured, I might as well install BOINC on it and see whether it will take to the application as it takes to my desktop. Thankfully, it did and I now have two computers crunching data in the good fight for scientific advancement.

Given that I’m getting at least one more computer in the near future, that’ll be three. BOINC projects gonna luv me. Uh huh.