Surveys are Fun

1. Where were you when it turned 2006?
At my parents' house being depressed. It was a hard holiday season last year.

2. How did you get the idea for your myspace name
um, it's my name...

3. What song are you listening to right now?
I'm not.

4. Has the death of a celebrity ever made you cry?
I felt really bad when Dale Earnhart died for some reason. Nascar is really big in my hometown even though I've never been a fan. I also mourned Princess Di and Tupac. Paul Wellstone more than any of the above, though.

5. What color underwear are you wearing?
orangey pinkish

6. Do you own an iPod?
no

7. What did you do this morning?
chased the fuzzball around the apartment, had tea with Bella, taught class, had biscuits and gravy with Bella, taught class

8. What does your dad do for a living?
he's a retired high school band director.

9. What will you do tonight?
watched SVU, studied with Bella, now fooling around online

10. What's your favorite memory from last weekend?
If Friday counts, then Christmas shopping with my aunts and sister. That was fabulous fun.

11. What are the last two digits of your phone number?
um no

12. What was the last thing you ate?
leftover Mongolian barbecue

13. What was last thing you drank?
drinking Tazo Joy tea at the moment. It's really great, Bella. You have to try it :)

14. What was the last movie you watched?
I am in the middle of The Lost Prince at the moment.

15. What do you dislike at the moment?
the cold

16. What food do you crave right now?
I'm not craving anything at the moment.

17. Did you dream last night?
probably, but I couldn't tell you what

18. What was the last TV show you watched?
SVU

19. What is your favorite piece of jewelry?
I have a bracelet that used to be my great-grandmother's. My mother gave it to me when I was visiting in August. It's beautiful. I'm afraid to wear it.

20. Name someone on your Top Friends who is just like you?
um, I have a lot in common with a few people on my myspace page. Bella, my sister, Lori.

22. Who last text messaged you?
don't do text

23. Are you on any medication?
yep, celexa

24. What side of the bed do you sleep on?
whatever. my bed is small, so I just sleep at the moment. I've never been picky, though.

25. What color shirt are you wearing?
red. The era of the Christmas sweater has begun. This one has three black and white cats wearing holly collars and crowns. I think it's particularly cute. My gaudy poofy reindeer sweater will be dragged out for class on Friday.

26. What is your favorite frozen treat?
moose tracks ice cream or coconut ice cream at this fabulous place downtown.

27. How many piercings do you have?
just my ears

28. What's your favorite store?
bookstores, discount clothing stores

29. Are you thirsty right now?
no, I have tea right beside me.

30. Who's someone you haven't seen for a while and miss?
Josh, Judith, Sheri

31. What did you do last night?
Spent a lot of the night on the phone with my family discussing the current crises. Then Bella came over to commiserate and we drank iced tea and went to Barnes and Noble to wander around.

32. Do you care what people think about you?
Sometimes, yes. But mostly, no. I've kind of gotten over that (hence the gaudy poofy reindeer sweater...)

35. What are your font colors on AIM?
blue

36. Where do you live?
in an apartment

37. Are you aggressive?
not really. assertive, though.

38. Cell phone company?
Verizon

41. Would you ever change anything about yourself?
wouldn't everyone? I'd probably be less shy.

43. What do you smell like right now?
I don't know. I can't smell myself. My nose is stuffed up a bit.

44. What is your favorite color?
blue

45. Do you like mustard?
not if it has nicotine in it.

46. What do you tell yourself when times get hard?
this too shall pass. either that or oh god, I don't want to get out of bed. or please pass the anti-depressants.

47. Would you ever sky dive?
I think I would be terrified. Someone told me we should try it sometime recently, though. I think it was Bella.

48. Do you sleep on your side, tummy or back?
whatever

49. Have you ever bid for something on eBay?
no

50. What did you think of Angelina Jolie being pregnant?
I didn't.

51. Do you enjoy giving hugs?
Yes.

52. Do you consider yourself to be fashionable?
um, did you miss the comment about the gaudy poofy reindeer sweater? Other than that, I think I dress all right.

53.Do you own a digital camera?
no

54. Do you like eating apples whilst swinging from tall trees escaping from ninja camp 1200?!?!
sure, why not.

55. Who is your favorite Star Wars character?
Princess Leia of course

56. Does it annoy you when someone says they'll call but don't?
sometimes, depends on the situation really

57. What are you allergic to?
Amoxycillin

59. Do you ever feel guilty when you eat meat?
no

60. If you were born the opposite sex, what would your name be?
Nathanial, I think that's what my parents had picked out.

Prayers Needed

My family has been going through a crisis of sorts
lately. This happens every year right around
Thanksgiving, it seems, but anyway, that is another
story. There is no short version of this story, but I
will sure try.

My cousin has Asperger's. To those who understand
this firsthand, this will explain everything. To
those who don't, well, I don't quite know how to
explain it. It's a form of autism, for starters. My
cousin is a severe Asperger's case. It's a condition
for him that causes him to not know how to interact in
social situations at all. He can't pick up on social
cues. For him, it also means that he has no
eye-hand-foot-whatever coordination. He can't write
his name. He can't tie his shoe. He can't walk up
steps. When you look at my cousin, it is clear that
there is something wrong with him. However, he is
brilliant. He has been reading on a college level
since he was nine. He is now sixteen. He wants to be
a marine biologist and learned to scuba dive over the
summer. That is my cousin in a nutshell.

My cousin has been mainstreamed in school all his
life. He qualifies for and needs a full-time aid, but
the school has never provided one. The administration
refers to him as "the retarded kid" and will not step
in when the other students harrass him. He cannot eat
lunch even because the other students spend the whole
period throwing food at him and pulling his hair. He
cannot defend himself physically because his
disability prevents him from even moving fast enough
to get away from the other kids. The only thing he
has to defend himself is his words, and he frequently
gets himself into trouble by saying things he should
not say. He doesn't know any better. It's part of
his disability. As it happens, his current problem
has stemmed from something another student said and
not him, which is unusual but nonetheless, that is the
situation. Basically, my cousin called a teacher on
an unfair grade, another student made a threatening
remark, and my cousin got suspended.

Fast forward three days, my aunt and uncle go to
school and ask that my cousin finally be given a
full-time aid since he needs one, qualifies for one,
and by law should have one. The school freaks out and
decides (in my opinion) that it would be cheaper to
expell him for being violent. So they do. Fast
forward another two weeks, the school is now taking
him to court to request that he never return to
school. The hearing is on Thursday. He will probably
lose.

Today my uncle (who is a huge asshat) decided to leave
my aunt. These are my cousin's parents. My uncle
decided that he couldn't take the stress and the shame
of the situation any more and so he has left. Now my
uncle is threatening suicide. My cousin needs someone
there to love him and take care of him, and no one is
there. My cousin has also threatened suicide now. I
fear for both of their lives, but especially that of
my cousin. He's a remarkable kid, extremely disabled
mind you, but remarkable.

I don't know what will happen to any of my relatives,
but they could sure use prayers if you've got any to spare.

Influential Books

This is a list of books that changed the way I look at the world. I recommend all of them. I also want to know your recommendations! Please leave them for me!

1. Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
2. New and Selected Poems by Mary Oliver
3. In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
4. This Bridge Called My Back edited by Gloria Anzaldua and Cherrie Moraga. I read this book when I was coming out, and it spoke to me more than anything I had ever read.
5. Woman Hollering Creek by Sandra Cisneros
6. Sor Juana de la Cruz's defense of women's education
7. Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott
8. The Tao of Pooh
9. Oral History by Lee Smith
10. Borderlands/La Frontera by Gloria Anzaldua
11. Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott
12. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
13. What the Bible Really Says about Women by Sheri Adams
14. any of Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz's writings on liberation theology. She was the first to put forth the idea for me that gays most definitely have a place in the church.
15. Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison
16. The Rapture of Canaan by Sheri Reynolds
17. The Sermon on the Mount
18. Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
19. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
20. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (even named my cat after her)
21. 19 Varieties of Gazelle by Naomi Shihab Nye
22. Dictee by Theresa Hak Kyung Cha
23. "Carnal Acts" by Nancy Mairs
24. The Awakening by Kate Chopin
25. The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom


And a Few Other Non-Book (yet still material and not human) Influences:
Free to Be...You and Me by Marlo Thomas and Friends (music)
Indigo Girls music
Wide Awake (movie)
"Aeolian Harp" by Chopin (music)

There are more for both sections, but date bread is calling my name at the moment. More when I have time.

Interesting

Not entirely true (think the trippy drug part) but interesting.

You Are Surrealism

Dreamy and idealistic, you've created a world that is all your own. It's very likely that you've either dabbled in drugs or are naturally trippy. You are always trying to push beyond the boundaries of your culture and society. You believe that art, love, and freedom can change the world.

What Art Movement Are You?

Change

It has been nearly a year since my fiance and I broke up. In fact, today would have been our third anniversary. I can honestly say that I am so much better off now than I ever would have been still in that situation. Many people have commented on that in the last couple of weeks, in fact. A year ago today, my fiance was not speaking to me. That in itself is a long story, but it made for a shitty anniversary. The thing that got me, though, was that I don't think she would have had any idea it was our anniversary if I hadn't said anything. That is in the past, though, and I really have put it behind me.

This year, I am in an entirely new space, which is really amazing. I have my Master's and a job teaching students that I adore (for the most part). I am more active in my church, which I also adore and would have greatly missed when I moved to a different city. I also would have missed out on the opportunity to meet so many more wonderful people there through the pastoral partners ministry, and that would truly have been a great loss to me. I did all kinds of fabulous things this summer with new friends. I really got to explore the state and camp and hike and mountain bike and tube the river and stargaze and explore animal tracks on sand dunes, and I would have really missed out on such a great part of life without those opportunities. Next summer, I am determined to learn to kayak. I have read more for sure, mostly beautiful and funny, touching books (all of which are available on a recommendation list upon request ;). Today, the person I am waiting for sent me and my family a beautiful bouquet of flowers. That is one of the sweetest things anyone has done for me lately. I have spent the last few days Christmas shopping for her and her son (*insert teasing grin here*).

What I am trying to say is that it was a very hard winter and life didn't work out the way I had planned, but I got through it and things are looking so much brighter. I wouldn't trade this year of change for anything in the world. I am a much better person for walking through it.

I needed a laugh

with nods to Tishie for the link :)

Right Was Right

Now that the election is behind us, and the Democrats control both houses of Congress, there's no reason not to admit it: the Right was right about us all along. Here is our 25-point manifesto for the new Congress:
Add your own post: http://right-was-right.blogspot.com/

1. Mandatory homosexuality

2. Drug-filled condoms in schools

3. Introduce the new Destruction of Marriage Act

4. Border fence replaced with free shuttle buses

5. Osama Bin Laden to be Secretary of State

6. Withdraw from Iraq, apologize, reinstate Hussein

7. English language banned from all Federal buildings

8. Math classes replaced by encounter groups

9. All taxes to be tripled

10. All fortunes over $250,000 to be confiscated

11. On-demand welfare

12. Tofurkey to be named official Thanksgiving dish

13. Freeways to be removed, replaced with light rail systems

14. Pledge of Allegiance in schools replaced with morning flag-burning

15. Stem cells allowed to be harvested from any child under the age of 8

16. Comatose people to be ground up and fed to poor

17. Quarterly mandatory abortion lottery

18. God to be mocked roundly

19. Dissolve Executive Branch: reassign responsibilities to UN

20. Jane Fonda to be appointed Secretary of Appeasement

21. Outlaw all firearms: previous owners assigned to anger management therapy

22. Texas returned to Mexico

23. Ban Christmas: replace with Celebrate our Monkey Ancestors Day

24. Carter added to Mount Rushmore

25. Modify USA's motto to "Land of the French and the home of the brave"

Lesbian Custody Case

http://365gay.com/Newscon06/11/111706vermont.htm

Has anyone else been following this case as closely as I have been? I'd love to hear what others are thinking about it. I really don't know what will happen once it inevitably ends up in front of the Supreme Court. It kind of worries me.

1)Which Side of a heart do you draw first?
right

2) Can you dive without plugging your nose?
only if forced

3) What color is your razor?
purple and white

4) What is your blood-type?
don't know, i should probably find that out. I think it might be B positive.

5) Who would you want to be tied to for 24 hours?
What kind of question is that? Blush.

6) What is a rumor someone has spread about you?
um, when I was in high school, some girls spread it around that I was gay. Of course, I am gay. They just figured it out before I did.

7) How do you feel about carrots?
eh, they're okay.

8) How many chairs at the dining room table?
two and they're both lawn chairs

9) Which was the best Spice Girl?
I don't know any.

10) Do you know what time it is?
1:30?

11) Do you know all the words to the Fresh Prince Theme Song?
I actually might. Now that's just sad. I never even liked that show.

12) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator?
freak out. I have a bit of an elevator phobia.

13) What's your favorite kind of gum?
whatever. not a big gum person.

14)T or F: All's fair in love and war?
not necessarily. It depends on the situation.

15) Do you have a crush on anyone?
yep. I'm waiting for someone.

16) Do you know how to use some words correctly, but not know the meaning?
yes

17.) Do you like long car rides?
if I'm driving :)

19) Do you know the song Total Eclipse of the Heart?
I had that CD. In fact, I may still have it...

20) Do you want a bright yellow '06 mustang?
sure, if someone else is paying for it.

21) What's something you've always wanted?
kids. a paper shredder. Is the latter weird? Probably.

22) Do you have hairy legs?
nope, I shave everyday. I'm probably an unusual dyke that way, I don't know.

24) Would you rather swim in the ocean or a lake?
ocean, but I'd take either.

25) Do you wear a lot of black?
I have a lot of black, but I have never really noticed. Probably in the winter I do.

26) Describe your hair.
short. poofy at the moment. I've been trying to make it behave all day.

27) Do you have Entomophobia?
I do not fear insects any more than most people do. That said, I don't go hunting for them. However, I can ooh and ah if a kid shows me a praying mantis, for example.

28) Are you an adult?
yep

29) Where is/are your best friend(s)?
all over. Some here, some overseas, some on the other side of the country.

30) Do you have a tan?
nope, never.

31) Are you a television addict?
not really, but I do enjoy it sometimes

32) Do you enjoy spending time with your mother?
yes

33) Are you a sugar freak?
not at all, but I do like the occasional cookie

34) Do you like orange juice?
not really

35) What sign are you?
pisces

36) Where do you wish you were right now?
someplace warm

37) What is your favorite fast food restaurant?
Wendy's

38) what size tip do you leave at a restaurant?
20 percent usually

39) What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick?
spaghetti

40) What are your pizza toppings of choice?
veggies

41) What do you like to put on your toast?
lately almond butter. Thank you Bella for introducing me to the fun world of almond butter.


TECHNOLOGY

Number of contacts in your cell phone?
78. You must understand that I add everyone into my cell phone, including my favorite restaurants and my political representatives. My mother thinks this is absolutely hysterical. I'm not sure why. It seems normal to me.

Number of contacts in your email address book?
not a clue

What is your wallpaper on your computer?
Gabrielle and Xena embracing. Still. I love that show.

How many televisions are in your house?
one

What kitchen appliance do you use the least?
crock pot because I only use it in the winter months

What is the radio station you listen to the most?
the one that sponsors Pride

BIOLOGY
What do you consider to be your best physical attribute?
my eyes. I like my feet, too.

Are you right handed or left handed?
right

Do you like your smile?
yep

Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
my wisdom teeth

What is the heaviest item you lift regularly?
my laundry basket. my box o papers

Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
no

MISCELOLOGY (what?)
Who was the last person whose house you’ve been to?
Bella's. I was catsitting for her until Tuesday.

Who could you listen to everyday?
music-wise, Indigo Girls

If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
no

If you could change your first name, what would you change it to?
um, Annie? Eilen. Laurelyn. I don't think I look like the last two, though. Those are possible kids names. I've always thought Alex was a cute name for a girl, too.

How do you express your artistic side?
I write.

What color do you think you look best in?
peach, I've been told. I like blue and brown.

How long do you think you could last in a medium security prison?
not long

Have you ever swallowed a non-food item by mistake?
not that I can remember. I once put a bead up my nose, though. I was one.

If we weren't bound by society's conventions, do you have a relative you would make a pass at?
um, no.

Have you ever saved someone's life?
no, but I helped a guy graduate from high school once. I've also encouraged counseling for students who were really down.

Has someone ever saved yours?
yes

Interesting

You Are A Pine Tree

You love agreeable company, peace, and harmony. Compassionate and friendly, you love to help others. A natural poet, you have a very active imagination. You are very soft on the inside - needing affection and reassurance. You can fall in love deeply, but you will leave if you feel betrayed.

What's Your Celtic Horoscope?

The DaVinci Code

I'm getting the movie version in the mail from netflix today, and I must say, I'm a little too excited about it.

Meyers Briggs Test

You Are An INFP

The Idealist You are creative with a great imagination, living in your own inner world. Open minded and accepting, you strive for harmony in your important relationships. It takes a long time for people to get to know you. You are hesitant to let people get close. But once you care for someone, you do everything you can to help them grow and develop. You would make an excellent writer, psychologist, or artist.

What's Your Personality Type?

Hate Crimes

As an update, the student was treated and released from the hospital. I talked with him lasat night, and he is physically fine. There will be a rally on campus to support him tomorrow, although his name will not be used. The hate crimes don't stop with him, though. There have been several race-related incidents, as well. No one has been physically hurt, but several have received threatening notes and phone calls. Is it the same people behind it? Probably, but no one really knows for sure.

As a further response today, I am having my students look up information on hate crimes legislation and university policies. Once they have all that information, the conversation will continue on Wednesday during class. I hope they will take the discussion out of class, though. I hope they are talking about it right now. I think that sort of education and discussion is something that cannot stop in the classroom. I believe that that sort of conversation is really the only way that changes will occur.

Survey

1.How old will you be in five years?
31

2. What month is your birthday?
February

3. How tall are you?
5'3"

4. What do you look forward to most in the next six weeks?
going shopping with my sister and aunts before God is awake the day after Thanksgiving.

5. What's the last movie you saw in theaters?
probably one at the glbt film festival

6. Who is the last person you called?
my sister

7. Who was the last person to call you?
Bella

8. Who was the last text message you recieved from?
I don't text.

9. Do you prefer call or text? e-mail?
call and email

10. Do you have any pets?
one fuzzy little girl

11. What were you doing at 12am last night?
chatting with Bella, I think? I may have been in bed by that point. I don't know. Do you remember Bella?

12. Are your parents married/separated/divorced?
married

13. When is the last time you saw your mom?
August

14. What color are your eyes?
Depends on the day. It says blue on my driver's license.

15. What time did you wake up today?
way earlier than I thought I would after the rough week I've had sleep-wise. I think it was 8-ish.

16. What are you wearing right now?
green pants and a purple sweatshirt

17. What's your favorite Christmas song?
O Holy Night, especially when my sister sings it, and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

18. Where is your favorite place to be?
I have a lot of favorites. I love being surrounded by people I care about, so wherever that is is a good place. Lately, I've liked hanging out at Bella's. I've also enjoyed my bed quite a lot because I haven't seen it nearly enough lately. That happens when you schedule 75 conferences in four days like an insane person.

19. Where is your least favorite place to be?
the hospital or the funeral home

20. Where would you go if you could go anywhere?
if I could take a vacation anywhere, I would probably choose Italy at the moment. Or somewhere in Central America. It seems to me it's the dry season there right now. Plus, it's warm.

21. Where do you think you'll be in 10 yrs?
Let's see, I'll be 36. I'd like to be married with kids, published, and in a tenure-track teaching position.

22. Do you tan or burn?
burn then blister and peel. It's charming.

23. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child? snakes

24. What was the last thing that made you laugh?
S at the poetry reading who told me she was going to get dressed up in a bride's maid outfit tonight just for the hell of it.

25. How many TVs do you have in your house?
1

26. Who do you miss most?
lots of people. Bella, my sister, my family, Josh, Judith, my other college friends, Sheri.

27. Do you have a laptop or desktop computer?
desktop

28. Do you sleep with or without clothes on?
with unless i'm not sleeping alone

29. What color are your sheets?
I have a blue set and a tan set.

30. How many pillows do you sleep with?
1

31. What is your favorite season?
summer

32. What do you like about fall?
the pretty leaves and the smell of the air. It reminds me of cross country and marching band. I either walk around singing the horn line of the fight song, or I have an insane urge to run everywhere.

33. What do you like about winter?
Christmas and snow and hot chocolate and all of my fun socks that I don't wear when it's warm out

34. What do you like about the summer?
Pride, sunshine, camping, hiking, sitting outside to eat, tubing the river, swimming

35. What do you like about the spring?
it's getting warmer, I can get out my sandles again, lilacs, green, newness

36. How many states have you lived in?
3

37. How many cities/towns have you lived in?
3

38. Do you prefer shoes, socks, or bare feet?
bare feet, sandles, or socks

39. Are you a social person?
sometimes. I'm perfectly happy spending time with myself, though.

40. What was the last thing you ate?
rice and beans

41. What is your favorite restaurant?
the Italian place by campus and the Mexican place down the road. I could eat at those places every day.

42. What is your favorite ice cream?
chocolate and peanutbutter

43. What is your favorite dessert?
cherry pie

44. What is your favorite kind of soup?
vegetable

45. What kind of jelly do you like on your PB & J sandwich?
grape or blackberry

46. Do you like Chinese food?
yes

47. Do you like coffee?
sometimes

48. How many glasses of water, a day, do you drink on average?
I don't think I've ever kept track. I drink when I'm thirsty.

49. What do you drink in the morning?
tea

50. Would you rather sleep with someone else or alone?
either. I can sleep anywhere at any time. Jodi and Mia can attest to this. I love to cuddle, though.

51. Do you sleep on a certain side of the bed?
nope. I have a single bed now anyway, so I can't say it really matters.

52. Do you know how to play poker?
kinda

53. Do you like to cuddle?
oh yes

54. Have you ever been to Canada?
yes

55. Do you have an addictive personality?
not in most ways, but I do in a couple of ways. Not nearly like all the other women in my family, though.

56. Do you eat out or at home more often?
it's a toss up lately, but usually at home.

58. Do you know anyone with the same birthday as you?
some basketball player I went to college with.

59. Do you want kids?
yes

60. Do you speak any other languages?
Spanish, a little German, a little sign language. I want to learn Italian next. It's such a beautiful language. I also wouldn't mind learning to read ancient Greek.

61. Have you ever gotten stitches?
yes

62. have you ever ridden in an ambulance?
no

63. Do you prefer an ocean or a pool?
ocean, but I'll take either. I love to swim.

64. Do you prefer a window seat or an aisle seats?
window

65. Do you know how to drive a stick?
nope

66. What is your favorite thing to spend money on?
presents for other people. I love Christmas for that reason. I have an excuse :)

67. Do you wear any jewelry 24/7?
lately a necklace Bella gave me

68. What is your favorite TV shows?
Law and Order: SVU lately. Designing Women is my all-time favorite, though.

69. Can you roll your tongue? no :(

70. Who is the funniest person you know? I know a lot of funny people. Josh always makes me laugh. Also my mom and Judy crack me up when they are together. And my sister always.

71. Do you sleep with stuffed animals?
no. My cat gets jealous of them on the two occasions I've tried.

72. What is the main ring tone on your phone?
Nutcracker, Sugar Plum Fairies

73. Do you still have clothes from when you were little?
my mom might, I don't know. We tended to pass everything around the family, so I wore all of my cousins' clothes and then we passed them on to the next child in the family. So basically wore a lot of boy's clothes :) As did my sister.

74. What color are your bedroom walls?
white

75. Do you turn off the water while you brush your teeth?
yes

76. Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?
I can't close them, so open.

77. Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of bees?
neither, but thank you for asking.

78. Do you flirt alot?
I don't think so. I'm not really a flirty person. I prefer honesty.

79. What do you dip a chicken nugget in?
barbeque sauce or lately buffalo ranch at Wendy's.

80. What is your favorite food?
Italian

81. Can you change the oil on a car?
no, but I'd love to learn.

82. Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket?
no

83. Have you ever run out of gas?
no

84. What is your usual bedtime?
I prefer between 11 and midnight

86. Do you read the newspaper?
online

87. Do you have any magazine subscriptions?
yes, two, one of which is new and I'm really enjoying it.

88. Best comedian?
Ellen Degeneres, Dawn French

89. Do you watch soap operas?
no, but I did briefly when I was in college. L got me into General Hospital. I had a thing for Hannah who is no longer on the show as far as I know (and I really wouldn't know because I haven't watched that show in years).

90. Do you dance in the car?
sometimes

Urgent Prayer Request

Today a gay student was attacked very close to campus. He was badly beaten and is in the hospital. Yes, this was because he is gay. He has been harrassed repeatedly, has receieved hate mail, and has had his car vandalized. Today he was physically attacked. Please keep him, as well as the other glbt members of this community in your prayers. The glbt group on campus is holding an emergency meeting tomorrow to decide how best to address the issue. I will update when I have more information on the student and on the response.

Good News in Mexico

Civil Unions in Mexico City

Yet another survey

Why? Because my intelligent posts are on my other blog today! Check it out!

A- Age: 26
A - Annoyance: commercials
B - Best feature: Eyes
B - Beer: Fat Tire
B - Birthday: Feb. 20
C - Car: a red one
C - Candy: Reese's peanutbutter cups
D - Day or night: both
D - Dream Car: a hybrid
D - Dogs or Cats: cats
E - Eggnog: not right now, thanks.
E - E-mail: yes
F - Favorite color: Blue
F - Favorite Band: Indigo Girls
G - Greatest Gift: To love without fear or reservation.
G - Goal: I have several, the most pressing of which is to actually get some sleep tonight despite having 21 conferences tomorrow.
H - Hair Color: brown
H - Height: 5’ 3"
H - Happy: yep
I - Instrument: French horn
I - Idol: my old work study professor and my grandmother
J - Job: professor
J – Jail: nope
K - Kids: I want some.
K - Kickboxing or karate: I used to do Tai-Bo at 6:00 a.m. with a couple of friends my first year of college. I'd like to learn some basic self defense, though.
K - Kindergarten: I didn't talk then.
L - Longest Car Ride: I've been on several quite long ones. I used to drive 500 miles between home and school and then home and my newspaper job. I loved that drive.
M - Milk Flavor: um, milky?
M - Movie Last Watched: I don't remember.
N - Number of Siblings: 1 sister
N - Number of Tattoos: none yet
N - Nickname: um, Emmer, Emmerlily, Emmerloony (these are Emily the cat's nicknames)
O - One wish: a safe trip for Bella
O - One regret: Not coming out sooner.
P - Piercings: Ears.
Q - Quick or Slow: for what?
R - Reason to smile: The absurdity of life.
S - Song Last Heard: I don't remember. I was singing with the radio on the way to school today, though.
T - Time you woke up? 7:40 a.m. Somehow I missed my 6:00 a.m. alarm.
T - Time Now: time to go home
T - Time for bed: Lately, pretty damn late.
U - Unpredictable:
V - Vegetable you hate: celery
V - Vacation: backpacking through Europe
W- Worst habit: worrying
W- Where are you traveling next: to visit my family next weekend.
X - X-Ray: Vision? That’s for superheroes.
Y - Year it is now: 2006
Z - Zoo Animal: otters. They crack me up. I want to be an otter in my next life.
Z- Zodiac: Pisces

Check out my other blog!

I just updated it twice, so I thought I would plug it again ;) It's a blog on faith for those who are curious.

This is it!

How about a survey?

I'm exhausted and incoherent, so this is the best I can do today. Watch for an intelligent blog on my other blog to be written and posted when I've gotten more than two hours of sleep.

1. What brand of shirt are you wearing right now?
No idea. It's one of my sister's old sweaters. It's big, and I've been wearing it since yesterday.

2. Would you kiss anyone on your top friends list?
yep, and I have.

3 .How many people on your top friends do you know in real life? I think I've met all but Lori who needs to come and visit me sometime. I'm hoping to meet her at Christmastime. She might be stopping by the house on her way to her mom's.

4. How many kids do you want to have?
Three or four, I think.

5. Do you have a good relationship with your parents?
Yes.

6.Do you wanna change your name?
No.

7. What did you do for your last birthday?
I don't remember. Must not have been too exciting.

8.What time did you wake up today?
Waking up implies there was sleep involved at some point.

9. What were you doing at midnight last night?
grading papers and bitching and moaning

10. Name something you CANNOT wait for?
the end of the semester. Hell, I'd take the end of the day at this point. I'm tired.

11. last time u saw ur dad?
August, and for God's sake, learn to spell.

12. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life?
more sleep? less grading?

13. Have you ever talked to Tom?
Tom who?

14. last thing you ate?
McDonald's breakfast

15. What's your favorite month?
May or June, whichever is warmer and sunnier.

16. Least favorite month?
Feb. even though my birthday is that month. It's too damn cold and gloomy. I'm all for warmth and sunshine.

18. Who's getting on your nerves right now?
The world, at the moment. I still have 8 portfolios to grade :( Ugh.

22. coke or pepsi?
neither

23. Have you been kissed by anyone in the last week?
nope, but I've kissed my cat. That's got to count for something :)

Year Survey

No, it doesn't take a year. It's just about a year.

12 Months of Questions

JANUARY
1. Who kissed you at midnight?
No one.

2. Did you have a new year's resolution this year?
Yes, I had several. You can see them if you look under December or January's blog entries.

3. Does it snow where you live?
Yes

4. Do you like hot chocolate?
Yes, especially cinnamon hot chocolate.

5. Have you ever been to Times Square to watch the ball drop?
No, and I have not desire to.

FEBRUARY
1. Who was your Valentine?
Rennick. We dressed in black and ate calzones.

2. When you were little, did you buy valentines for your whole class?
Oh yes. I loved that. Sometimes I still send Valentines.

3. Do you care if the groundhog sees its shadow or not?
Nope not really

MARCH
1. Are you Irish?
Yep and proud of it :)

2. Do you wear green on St. Patty's Day?
If I remember.

3. What did you do for St. Patty's Day in 2006?
I have no idea. A mystery person gave me a pot of clover, though. And I now have nine clovers in it. Isn't that impressive?

4. Are you happy when winter is pretty much over?
Yes. Very.

APRIL
1. Do you like the rain?
Sometimes. I prefer the sun, though.

2. Did you play an April fool's joke on anyone this year?
not that I remember.

3. Do you get tons of candy on Easter?
not unless I buy it myself. I'm not a big candy eater.

4.Do you celebrate:
Easter? Yes.

MAY
1. what is your favorite kind of flower?
sunflowers

2. Do you like the spring?
Yes

3. Finish the phrase "April showers...":
bring May flowers. What do Mayflowers bring? Pilgrims.

4. What is the first color you think of when you think of spring?
yellow

JUNE
1. What year did you graduate from high school?
1998

2. Did you realize nothing special happens in June?
um?

JULY
1. What did you do on the Fourth of July?
I honestly don't remember.

2. Did you go on any vacations during this month?
I went camping at a state park.

3. Do you blast the A/C all day?
Probably. It's hotter than hell here in the summer.

4. Random Fact:
I called in sick once in July to tube the river. It was awesome.

AUGUST
1. Did you do anything special at the end of your summer?
I visited my family right before school started, and I got to spend a lot of time with Josh while I was there. That was probably the best part of the summer. I hadn't seen him for a year.

2. What was your favorite summer memory of '06?:
Seeing Josh again.

3. Do you have a sunburn?
Not at the moment

4. Do you go to the beach a lot?
I didn't last summer.

SEPTEMBER
1. Did you attend school or college in '06?
only in the spring. Now I'm a prof :)

2. Who is/was your favorite teacher?
in high school, Mr. S. in college, Dr. L, Dr. P, Dr. S, Dr. H, and Ms. C.

3. Do you like fall better than summer?
No.

OCTOBER

1. What was your favorite Halloween costume?
This past year I was a cat. I don't know if I have a favorite really. I thought my most clever was when I went as an identity crisis, though.

2. What's your favorite candy?
Reese's peanutbutter cups

3.What did you dress up as last year?
I don't know if I did last year, actually. The year before was the identity crisis and the year before that was John Lennon.

NOVEMBER(-Last year!)
1. Whose house did you go to for Thanksgiving?
my aunt's

2. Do you love stuffing?
Yes, but not my aunt's. This is a source of much grief for both me and my sister every Thanksgiving. Her stuffing is awful.

3. What are you thankful for?
my family, friends, cat, job, health, church, life

DECEMBER(-Last year!)
1. Do you celebrate Christmas?
oh yes

2. If not, what do you celebrate?
N/A

3. Have you ever been kissed under mistletoe?
yes

4. Get anything special last year?
last year what I needed more than anything was to know that I was loved. It was a really hard holiday season last year. So yes, that is what I got, and that is what I needed, and yes, it was special.

5. What do you want this year?
laughter and fun

6. Do you like cold weather?
Not at all.

1. Someone knocks on your door at 2 a.m., who do you want it to be? Bella or Rennick most likely. Anyone else would probably get slapped.

2. Your boss tells you he/she will give you a $20 raise if you'll do your job naked would you stay? no

3. Put yourself in a nutshell: What kind of nutshell?

4. Ever seen a ghost? no

5. Happy with your body? yes, I am. I'd like to be a little lighter and I'm working on it, but you know, I'm happy as is.

6. A reason you would move to Iceland: nope, too cold. Wouldn't mind visiting, though.

7. A place you've lived that you miss: North Carolina

8. A job you would never do no matter how much you were paid: prostitute

9. A band you thought was cool when you were 13: DCTalk

10. You have a nightmare, who's the first person you think to call? my cat

11. Wanna have kids before you're 30? not necessarily. Maybe right at 30, though. Depends where I am at 30.

12. A memory from high school: When I used to run cross country, we ran once a year at this fabulous park with beautiful rock formations. At the end of every run, the guys and I would run through the river (this was November, mind you). That was always one of my favorite days of the year in high school.

13. Ever had a crush on one of your friend's parents? no

15. Do you look more like your mom, or your dad? mom

16. Something you've always wanted to learn how to do: kayak

17. Still friends with your exes? no

18. Where you'd like to be in 10 years? in a tenure track teaching position, married, with kids

19. Something you learned about yourself this year: that I am incredibly happy with who I am and where I am. It wasn't what I was planning on, but it really is where I am supposed to be.

20. What do you want to do for your birthday? something fun?

21. NAME THREE THINGS YOU DID TODAY? watched Will and Grace, ate breakfast with Bella, and rented a movie

22. LAST ITEM YOU BOUGHT YOURSELF? breakfast

23. DO U HAVE AN ORNAMENT HANGING FROM UR REARVIEW MIRROR? yes, I have a rainbow that I bought at the senior center of the town where I used to be a newspaper reporter

24.WHAT DID YOU HAVE FOR BREAKFAST? eggs with cheese, tomatoes, and bacon and hashbrowns

25. NAME A CELEB YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON: Mariska Hargitay

26. NAME THE LAST FIVE BANDS YOU SAW LIVE: Indigo Girls, Michelle Malone, local singer, my dad's brass band, my dad's non-brass band

27. HOW MANY HOURS OF SLEEP DO YOU GET A NIGHT? 7-ish

30. WHO'S THE FIRST PERSON IN YOUR PHONE BOOK ON YOUR CELL?Alison

31. LAST TIME YOU WITNESSED A FIGHT? in Seattle

32. WHAT WAS THE LAST ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE YOU DRANK? beer

34. NAME THREE PLACES YOU WOULD LIKE TO TRAVEL TO: New Zealand, Greece, Ireland

35. DO YOU KNOW HOW TO ICE SKATE? yep, not well mind you, but it's really fun.

37. NAME SOMETHING THAT YOU LIKE THATS OUT OF THE ORDINARY? saints. I think they're fascinating, particularly the ones that have been reclaimed by a group of people, like the Virgin of Guadalupe (well, I suppose she's not a saint, but you know, whatever).

39. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF BRAD PITT? i don't think of Brad Pitt

40. Name a friend you have the most in common with? I have things in common with a lot of my friends. Judith and I are probably the most similar in terms of personality and mannerisms. Josh and I have the same bizarre sense of humor.

41. WHAT COLOR ARE YOUR TOENAILS? their normal color

42. Last person you talked with on the phone? Bella

43. DO YOU OWN ANYTHING WITH A SKULL ON IT? not that I know of

44. HAVE YOU TRAVELED TO EUROPE? yes

46. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Monty Python's Life of Brian

47. WHERE WERE YOU WHEN YOU HAD YOUR FIRST KISS? in the parking lot of my apartment complex. Janelle. It never worked out between us, but I had a thing for her for a while.

49. LAST BOARD GAME YOU PLAYED? Checkers with Bella's son. He nearly beat me. I was impressed. I used to be a hardcore Checkers player, so I like to think I'm pretty good. This is probably not true, but anyway.

50. LEATHER OR LACE? lace

51. EVER HAD A BLACK EYE? no

52. WHERE DO YOU RENT YOUR MOVIES? Netflix and the library

53. HAVE YOU EVER WORN FISH NET STOCKINGS? no

54. Do you know anyone in prison? not anymore, but I did. He's out now.

New Blog

I have started a new blog, in which some of you may be interested. Some of you may know that there was a time in my life when I considered going into the Christian ministry. This blog is sort of an exploration of faith and that sort of thing. I don't guarantee frequent posting, but that's okay. I thought it might be fun to have another blog.

The link is: http://emilyisnotatheologian.blogspot.com