OMG!

Like, I'm totally on MySpace now!
www.myspace.com/mkdigi

House sitting in Pittsburgh :: G20 drama!

I'm in Pittsburgh right now house sitting for my parents. (I'm a good house sitter! If you live in FLA and need someone in February, I'm your woman.)

Yesterday I sat on the back porch knitting and watching my 2 year old play on her scooter. As I sat there I counted maybe a dozen flyovers by helicopters. Seeing as there was a no-fly zone over the city, I'm guessing these were military.

It's not scary...just a little paranoia inducing. It's exciting to know that 20 of the world's leaders are within a 5 mile radius. I had dinner at my sister's house last night and passed about 20 police cars on the 2 mile trip. Exciting...yet paranoia inducing.

I am more concerned that I might see Obama to tell you the truth. I usually never care what I look like, but I have done my hair every time I left the house and I have my business cards on me...just in case he decides to lose the motorcade.

I've had the t.v. on all day while I've been working, tuned into the news broadcasts and I have been following Tweets all afternoon. So far there has been no serious damage, a lot of little things like window breaking, tear gas throwing and a few arrests.

In my opinion, the best protest came yesterday. Greenpeace threw a banner over the West End Bridge and five Greenpeace members repelled down. I like that they did that yesterday, they are kind of separating themselves from the useless "Anarchist" protesters.

I joined Greenpeace when I was 8 years old. On the application they asked if I had any special certifications or licenses. I was excited to tell them that I had my boating license for 2 years now. I pictured myself in an inflatable dinghy, myself manning the outboard motor, speeding some Greenpeace members across 10 foot ocean waves to stop a whale hunting fleet.

That dream never came true, but I have always respected their actions of civil disobedience: They actually have a point and try to demonstrate peacefully. It is called Green'peace' after all.

But I digress!

It got kind of scary this afternoon when they invaded Bloomfield and Lawrenceville. It was described as "The Battle of Lawrenceville" by one protester. A little dramatic in my eyes. From what I saw on the news, most of the protests were peaceful but they did not have permits to demonstrate so the police had a duty to disperse the crowds. This might be a naive question, but why didn't they just get a permit???

Some people are just damaging property because they are against corporations. While I can understand what their goal is, I certainly don't understand what breaking their windows is going to do. Maybe it will increase our insurance premiums! Yay.

I'll keep you updated on my thoughts and feelings, just in case you care. Right now I'm going to the GC-20, that is the Garden Club 20, my 20 favorite women in Pittsburgh!

My Latest Creations

I've been very busy this past year! Besides a few SEO projects, I have been getting into making templates for a couple open source Content Management Systems that are out there: Joomla! and WordPress. I also made a few Blogger templates and integrated existing blogs into new websites.

I have a few new websites:
www.farmtotablepa.com :: This is a website about eating local food in Western and Central Pennsylvania. This website was made using Joomla! It uses a great structure for creating a community that shares a recipe index, event index and a message board so users can share information that they have found.

www.workcertifiedacademy.org :: This is a basic website to disseminate information about a free job training academy for residents of both Washington and Green County in Southwest PA. I am now working on another site for this same client for the Southwest Corner Workforce Investment Board. We integrated a blog and event calendar to help interested parties learn more about their services.

www.chrisdoublecustomwoodwork.com :: This is a website that I made for my husband's woodwork and handyman business. It was fun to make! I love making websites for different businesses, I can really let the creativity flow.

www.artfulsole.com :: This website is still in the making, but the basic design is already down. It was made for Dana Phillips, a massage therapist and Ecuadorian art collector in Pittsburgh, Pa.

www.clearlynoted.com :: This website sells greeting cards for professional organizers. They are super cute! The website was created using Joomla!

My latest creation was born July 7:

Orion Tyler Double