Twenty Things: Anne Madison

Twenty things you didn't know about Anne of AMadison...

1. I spent much, but not all, of my adult life as a computer geek. I
specialized in network security and network management systems. I quit
doing it in 2001 to make rosaries.
2. For years I had an ego plate that read LANLADY. Other geeks used to
honk when they saw it. Everybody else thought it said LANDLADY.
3. I have been a UNIX system administrator. I have the scars to prove it.
4. My husband and I are currently owned by a recycled Beagle named
Spencer. He adopted us about five years ago. He’s rather elderly but
still full of fun.
5. Spencer was busted on Easter Sunday by Animal Control for undue
howling. He beat the rap because his dad was in the hospital.
6. There is a lovely, small Two Gray Hills Navajo rug in our home.
Spencer peed on it. Once.
7. I lease my own Webserver. Currently I’m honored to host Baltimore’s
own “Mutts” blog, ohmidog.com, owned and authored by former Sun
reporter John Woestendiek.
8. I like to keep the geek side of my brain alive by developing
shopping cart and blog Websites for clients.
9. I majored in French and Spanish. One of the most interesting jobs I
ever had was as a bilingual secretary at the Argentine Embassy in
Washington.
10. The combination of geekery and foreign languages has provided for
some interesting travel. About 15 years ago I led a team that worked
on Mexico’s voter identification system, a massive undertaking. Just
last year I had the great pleasure of doing some consulting and
training in Paris.
11. I also spent three months living in the Flamingo Hotel in Las
Vegas while I worked on a project to wire three Vegas properties for
the Internet. We spoke English. My key learning from that project was
that the only mathematically sound casino game is craps.
12. I have a large collection of trade beads and love using them in my
work. Current prizes include Russian Blues, Hebron beads, some Kiffa
beads from Mauretania, and an actual radioactive “Vaseline” bead.
13. My beloved Aged Mum, who died this past March at the age of 85,
was an artist and handweaver. I have been decorating our home with
some of her work.
14. At one point, I was an avid and fairly competent quilt maker. One
of my quilts, a School House, once won Honorable Mention at the
Maryland State Fair.
15. My first question when designing a piece of jewelry is “What would
Dotsie do?” That’s because I’m a great admirer of Beadazzled’s own
Dotsie Mack. Not to mention everybody else who works there. Look for
me there at least once a week, most weeks.
16. I am a Mac evangelist. I love my Mac so much I have declared it a
Microsoft Free Zone.
17. I love my new iPhone. I love it so much! I just love it.
18. My husband and I are still planning to finish hiking the
Appalachian Trail in sections.We've done a little less than half.
19. On a recent camping trip to Assateague Island, the local ponies
chewed a hole in our tent and strewed our dirty laundry up and down
the beach.
20. Our yard is very small. I make compost in black plastic garbage
bags, which I hide behind the shrubbery.

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