Ada’s Blog

We have our vendor, the site is fully functional, and we have made our first sale. Also, we have set it up so that you can download .zip files of all the sets that you own. That link is in your Personal page. Tell all your friends and everyone you know to come visit the site and buy our stuff!!

cheers,
Ada

I am so excited to finally have the new site ready for viewing. We have been working on this for so long!!! No more having to go back and scroll down between each photo! We would love your feedback regarding the new site. Now if we can just find a vendor for the sales, we will be in business (literally). Turns out that porn is considered a high risk activity by the vendors out there and unless you can guarantee sales above $4000 a month, most companies don’t want anything to do with you. Bugger. But, we have a few leads and are hoping to have it all set by Oct. We have the shopping cart and all the back end done on our side, we just need the actual money-taker.

I can’t wait to hear your comments,
Cheers,
Ada

Wow! I can’t believe that it has been nearly a year since I last posted. Sorry about that. As you can see, I have a new set for you. These photos were taken last summer in Grand Teton National Park. Nothing like a little nudity in a national park. :) We found this fabulous fence with the mountains in the background and I just couldn’t resist taking my clothes off. Since I hadn’t actually been planning on shooting a set, you are seeing me au natural - nothing on my skin but sunscreen.

I need your feedback regarding the future of the website. As you have no doubt noticed, there has not been a lot of action on the site in the last year or so. There are three reasons for this: 1) it is a long, slow process to complete re-write the fucked-up code that the original webmaster used for the infrastructure of the site. We are having to re-do the entire database, design, and viewing tools. We have been evaluating program both for selling and for viewing that will allow you to view the photos in succession without having to continually return to the thumbnail page. Once we find ones we like and can get for cheap, we will probably start beta testing on the site. 2) We don’t have enough money to hire anyone to do all this programming for us so we have to try to squeeze it in around our very busy schedules. 3) All of the gnymphs except for Velvet and me have dropped out. This is the most serious problem as it means that even if we get everything working exactly the way we want, there will only be two ladies doing sets, and I’m not even certain that I can speak for Velvet, although she has given no indication of stopping. We are trying to recruit, but it has been unsuccessful so far.

On top of that, I am 4 months pregnant and no longer have the figure that I did last summer, although I must say that my bosom has increased dramatically. :) I am happy to do sets while I am pregnant, but I am not certain whether the viewers want to see the altered body. My husband tells me I am more beautiful and sexy than ever, but he may be biased. (Due to the pregnancy I won’t be going to any conventions this year.)

I need to state right out that I have no intention of taking the site down. Even if we end up not making any improvements, at the very least the site will remain as it is with the occasional new set added and blogs when I/we get around to writing them. So, with your minds at ease regarding access to existing and future photos, I need your input about how to proceed.

Should Velvet and I continue to do sets and post them if we are the only active gnymphs? What about if only one of us remains?

How much effort should we put toward getting a fully functional site if Velvet and I are the only active models?

If we are able to get the site working the way we want (eventually) do you think we will be able to attract new members, and, more importantly, new gnymphs?

Should we attempt to recruit new gnymphs (maybe on Craig’s List etc.) before we have a better site (i.e. one that can be viewed by more people that just Founders)?

Please post or email me with any comments you have regarding these issues, or anything else about the site. ada@gnymphs.net

Cheers,
Ada

What a busy summer! I put 8042 miles on my car in four weeks driving through 22 states and visiting nine National Parks: Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, the Badlands, Yellowstone, The Grand Tetons, Craters of the Moon National Monument, Bryce, Zion, the Grand Canyon, and Capitol Reef. The Grand Tetons (which means the great breasts) was my favorite park. It was so beautiful with towering snow-capped mountains, alpine lakes, quaking aspen groves, wildflower-covered meadows, sagebrush prairie, and tons of wildlife. I saw 5 bears, including a blonde grizzly bear, a wolf (in Yellowstone), a Bald Eagle while kayaking in one of the lakes, cayotes, foxes, bison, pronghorn, moose, mule deer, white Pelicans, Trumpeter swans, osprey, and a million cute Uintah ground squirrels and chipmunks. Also, Leeks Marina in the Tetons has the best pizza I have ever eaten. And the ice cream at both the Tetons and Yellowstone is very good. I was tent camping the entire time, but I didn’t always eat at the campsite. Yellowstone was amazing and amazingly diverse. The geysers, boiling pools, fumeroles, and mud flats were spectacular. The colors of the mineral deposits near the vents are fantastic and make up for the horrible sulphur smell. There was certainly evidence everywhere that Yellowstone is a giant caldera. FYI - ice cream makes you feel better if you start to get sick from the sulphur fumes.

Yellowstone on the left, the Grand Tetons on the right, with a very cool fence and the mountains in the background.

Bryce, Zion, the Grand Canyon, and Capitol Reef had the most amazing rock formations and fantastic colors. The whole Colorado Plateau and Staircase Escalante is filled with mind-boggling geology. Unfortunately, it was 110 degrees when I was in Zion, which made it difficult to truly appreciate the park. I did get to hike up into the narrows a bit, wading right up the middle of the river. That felt nice in the heat. The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is prettier, cooler, and much less crowded than the South Rim. I highly recommend it. After all the rocks in the southwest, it was very nice to cross the plains and return to the greenery of the East. Driving north through WV and PA was lovely.

One of the most beautiful and stunning drives in the country is in Southern Utah. Pick up HW 12 on its western edge where it comes off of HW 89. Take 12 through Red Rock Canyon (stopping and visiting Bryce along the way). At Torrey turn East on HW 24 and take that through Capitol Reef National Park. Leave yourself plenty of time to stop and take photos and just be awed by the scenery. Don’t do what my mom and I did, which was to drive 820 miles from the Grand Canyon all the way to Colorado Springs in one day. If you are thinking about visiting more than one national park in the same year, I highly recommend buying the National Parks Pass. It costs $80 for the year and gets you into all the National Parks, Monuments, etc for free. Since all of the parks that I visited had a $25 entrance fee, I saved a lot of money with my pass.

After my trip I was home for one week then I flew to FL for a week of sailing off the Keys as an advisor with a youth group. The snorkling was amazing and the sailing was fun, but it was so hot and humid. I can’t understand how anybody lives in that climate. Liberal application of SPF 50 and I still got burned.

The first week of August was consumed with preparing for a wedding, then it was time to get ready for GenCon. I had no idea that it was 970 miles from Boston to Indianapolis. I never would have decided to drive if I had thought to check the distance ahead of time. Babbage (the new webmaster) and I drove together and it took us 19 hours. We got in at 4am on Friday, got a few hours of sleep, then I ran two games Friday afternoon and evening. On Saturday I met up with Phule and Ghost, two of our most supportive Founders. They even have Gnymphs T-shirts they made up. Totally awesome gentlemen - it was a pleasure to meet them face to face. Looted the dealers’ room and took a few photos that are located in Gnymphs@Play. We left Sat. night thinking to avoid the unbroken hell of 19 hours of driving. However, we ran across a young woman with two little girls at a rest area who was having car problems. After trying to fix the problem for about an hour and half, we finally just put the two car seats with mom squished in between in the backseat of my Saturn and drove her to Columbus. There was no way I was going to leave this woman and her kids stranded at a rest area at 2 in the morning. Needless to say, we were exhausted by the time we got back on Monday.

However, once I had gotten some much-needed sleep, I was able to get to the task of thumbnailing the latest set. I took these photos last fall when I picked 27 lbs of apples at a beautiful orchard in northern MA. Luckily it was a big enough orchard that I could safely strip down in the top of an apple tree without worrying too much about the families picking apples in other parts of the orchard. There were a couple of times when I had to quickly try to obfuscate while the photographer pretended to be taking pictures of the scenery in the opposite direction when people stumbled upon our location. It was such a glorious day and I felt so gnymph-like being naked in that tree. The pie was delicious too. The following is a recipie for apple crisp, which is also delicious and easier to make than pie crust if you are not a skilled baker.

Ada’s Apple Crisp

6 medium apples
3/4 cup unpacked brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
4 Tbs butter
1/2 cup walnut halves or pieces (optional)
1/4 cup craisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.
Peel, core and slice or chop apples. Mix apples with 1/2 cup sugar, spices, lemon juice, 2 Tbs flour, nuts and craisins.
Cut together the flour, oatmeal, 1/4 cup sugar and butter using a pastry cutter or butter knives.
Put apple mixture in 9×13 baking dish, cover with oatmeal mixture. Bake until apples are tender and top is brown, about 45 min.

Enjoy!
Ada

Finally! The Preview link actually works now! If you click on the Preview button it takes you to a slide show of photos represeting all the sets. I have been wanting to get that working for nearly two years. The autoviewer that we are using to make it work is a great piece of freeware that I found while investigating Montreal escort services.

I am trying to get as much done on the site as possible in the next few weeks. Starting in the middle of June I am heading out West in my car for another 10,000 mile trip - this time through the Rockies. I hope to see Mt. Rushmore, camp for a week in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, visit Bryce Canyon, Zion, and the Grand Canyon, and the Garden of the Gods in Colorado. Then I head back East and travel up the Appalachians. I will be in Boston for a week then I go coral reef sailing off the Florida Keys for a week as an advisor with a youth club. In August I will be attending GenCon. I hope to see Founders and fans there.

I am very excited about all the development on the site. I am hopeful that we will have a fully functional site by GenCon. However, what we really need right now are more Gnymphs. Several of our original gnymphs have gotten caught up in life and may not be able to continue to contribute. So, if you know any geeky women who might be interested, please send them our way.

Cheers,
Ada

I am extremely excited about the new developments for Gnymphs.net, not least of which is the cool new blog software. Not only prettier, but also more functional and hopefully more secure from spam. I have a lot to say about all the stuff that is going on, but it is 2am and I have spent much of the past two days thumbnailing the most recent set and posting it. So, I am going to go to bed and post a longer blog when I am less tired.

Cheers,
Ada

It is good to know people who can hack. The server that Gnymphs is currently on (not for much longer!) is a pathetic and dying thing. I haven’t been able to get into the database to upload the sets or to update my blog for ages. Not that I have had much time since November anyway. Anyway, a friend has figured out how to let me update the site and the blog. So, please enjoy the new set - the middle game of Natsilani and Molly’s chess match.

In the meantime, we are working on moving the site to the new server. These things take time, since we have to re-write a lot of the original bass-ackward code that made uploading new sets Byzantine. However, we have to move the site before I can upload any new sets, so we will be working on resloving the transfer issues ASAP.

The next set uploaded will be the End Game of the chess match, followed by my Apple 3.14 set. I am currently working on a new set involving giving a tutorial in programming in Ada. Ah, archaic programming languages! Just remember that I am busy, busy, busy with teaching and grading, so I have very limited time that I can work on doing sets, uploading them, and resolving site issues. Thank you for your patience!

I hope everyone had enjoyable holidays. I drove nearly 4000 miles during intersession, across 15 states and the entirely of Ontario. It was a great trip but pathetically lacking in snow. There was even a sign at a gas station near Souix St. Marie Ontario that said “pray for winter.” We got our first real snowstorm today in Boston, then it turned to sleet, then rain, then they closed the university because of fears about commuting. I heard from my students that a subway car derailed right outside of the main dorm. Nasty weather. I just want nice pretty cold white fluffy snow.

Thanks again for being so patient with the site. I won’t ever give up on it as long as you won’t either!

Ada

I love this time of year, when the Earth turns peaceful and sleepy. When the nights are long, with the bright stars showing clearly in the cold, crisp air. The skeletal trees allow the wan winter sunlight to penetrate to the forest floor and illuminate the shy rhododendron and holly bushes that hide under the forest cover during the summer. The mysteries of the woods are revealed in this brief season between the falling of the last leaves and the arrival of the first snows. I anticipate the first snow with the impatience and joy of a child. There are few things I love more than watching the beautiful frozen hexagons gently descend and caress the Earth with the gentleness of butterfly kisses. I love waking up to see snow on the ground, whether just a light dusting - like powdered sugar sprinkled on cake - or a deep and glorious snowfall that blankets the ground in equality, turning all objects into mere contours of the blanket. The green boughs of the evergreens peek through the weight of the pristine white powder and bright red holly berries splash color on the stark canvas.

Far from suffering from SAD during the winter, I find myself achieving a sense of peace and serenity greater than during any other season. However, this serenity also brings with it a greater spirituality and emotional vulnerability than at other times of the year. I think this is part of what makes Christmas a time of both overwhelming joy and aching despair for me. I love Christmas. I love the decorations, the carols, the sappy, timeless TV specials, the permission to bake myself into a frenzy, and the giving and receiving of gifts. Although I am one of those annoying people who usually has all of my Christmas gifts bought or made long before Thanksgiving, I enjoy the time in December when I acquire or bring out of hiding all the presents that I have carefully selected or made for each individual who is important in my life. I hunt for beautiful or fun and unusual wrapping paper and I try to wrap and decorate each gift in such a way as to make the contents seem especially enticing and mysterious. Every year my mother debates whether to open the gift or leave it unwrapped under the tree as a decoration. Usually she compromises on opening it very carefully while leaving the wrapping intact and putting the empty wrapped box back under the tree. Special holiday dinners and parties with linen tablecloths, fine china, sparkling crystal, and dancing candles mark this yule season as a special and magical time.

The problem, and cause of the aching sadness, is that this season of beauty and magic, joy and cheer, snow and cold, shows in harsh clarity the enormous divide between those who have and those who have not. As much as I love the snow, I cannot see it without thinking of the homeless families I pass on my way from the train to my classes. Winter in Boston can barely be endured by those unfortunate souls who, for whatever reason, sleep above the subway grates and on the steps of great public edifices like the Boston Public Library. Some do not endure, and are found frozen to death by police or passers by who never knew their names or how they came to live and die on the streets of Boston.

Aside from the physical hardships of this time of year, the emotional burden on poor families can be a terrible affliction. Everywhere, children are shown things they want - toys, games, clothes. Storefronts, fliers, billboards, and TV constantly bombard people with the plethora of commodities to buy. We are taught to want, and we are taught that we can show our love for each other by purchasing things. There is nothing wrong with buying things for ourselves or others, nor for stores to attempt to convince us to buy as much (if not more) than we are capable of doing. It is our own responsibility to ensure that we don’t allow advertising to drive us into debt. However, I can’t imagine the anguish and guilt that must creep into the minds and hearts of parents who must always tell their children that they can’t have any of the things that other children have. Of course the emphasis at Christmas should not be on the presents, but our culture tells us that it is. And this brings up the conundrum of Santa Claus. I think Santa is a lovely personage, a right jolly old elf, and I think that using him to encourage good behavior in children is a perfectly legitimate tool for parents. But how do you explain to a child that Santa won’t be stopping by his house with any gifts? How do you tell a child that it doesn’t matter how good he has been, Santa simply doesn’t have him on his list? The brutal reality of the difference between the kids who get what they want and the kids who can’t is impossible to disguise at Christmas. This understanding of the unfairness of life is a terrible burden to place on young children, especially during a time of the year when they are being told that this is their special time, the time of magic and belief and miracles.

I wish there really were a Santa Claus. I wish that some magical elf delivered toys and presents and peace and safety and food and shelter to all the children all over the world. But the evidence doesn’t support this wish. Therefore it is the responsibility of the haves to take up the slack. We may not have a workshop full of toy-making elves, or a sleigh drawn by flying reindeer, but we have charities that will gladly turn our best intentions into food, shelter, vaccines, schools, and even toys. Today I signed up for a Gifts for Kids program in my town. Later this week I will be buying clothes and toys for a little boy who might otherwise get nothing for Christmas (or Hanukkah) this year. It is such a little thing to do. In December I send off checks to the various charities I support. I give what I feel that I can, yet I never feel that it is enough compared to the need. I look around my apartment and I am struck by how much I have, how truly blessed I am, and I am overcome with the unfairness of it all. How did I get to be so lucky? Why can’t everyone be this fortunate? Some might argue that I give to charities merely to assuage my own guilt. Perhaps, although I like to think that compassion is a greater virtue than that.

I don’t pity the families who sign up for Toys for Tots and similar programs. I admire their strength and love that they want their children to experience some of the same joy in the magic of Christmas that other children get to have. After all, how can a child believe in Santa Claus if he never gets a gift from the jolly old elf? And never being able to believe in Santa would be a very sad thing indeed.

I took some time out of my grading and writing to go to a couple of Halloween parties this weekend. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and I love dressing up. This year I went as a software pirate. I won second place in a costume contest at the ballroom dance club I go to. I had fun with it and people seemed to think it was clever and sexy. I hope all of you have a wonderful Samhain celebration this year.

Cheers,
Ada

I am so glad that I finally got the first third of the strip chess photos up! The cable guy came last Friday, so I finally have internet access from home. I hope you all like those pictures and are looking forward to the other two sections of the set. I think Natsilani and Molly did a fantastic job with that shoot.

I have a new set to put up once I finish thumbnailing the photos. I went apple picking at a beautiful orchard in MA and decided to go back a few days later and do a shoot there. Luckily, the orchard was big enough that I was able to take photos in a remote part where there weren’t people wandering around. It was beautiful! The weather, the scenery, and all the trees changing color. I felt like I was in paradise. Then I came home and took photos making a pie out of the apples. I have to utilize that Domestic Goddess prestige class whenever I can.

This past week my life has been so busy. Between Friday morning and Sunday night last week I spent nearly 50 hours grading. This week I had invididual meetings with every one of my 57 students. Yesterday I had meetings straight from 10:30 am until 7:45 pm. Then I made the mistake of running for the train, thereby giving myself a bad case of asthma, which is still bothering me today.

Despite the excessive grading load, I love my classes and I love my job. And my students really seem to like me and to like the classes. Today I was thrilled to realize that I still know how to teach relativity. My History of Astronomy class is reading Einstein’s book on relativity and I was going over it with them. That’s sexy, right? A pretty woman talking about Lorentz transformations?

My life has been made even more busy and stressful by the unexpected and unplanned triple bypass surgery that my father had to undergo a couple of weeks ago. He came through the surgery pretty well, but his recovery is not progressing as it should, so I am going home for a few days to help my mom and provide support for them both.

Thanks again for your patience regarding the updating of the site.
cheers,
Ada