Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Six Facts

I've done this one before, but it's kind of fun. Here are six things you may or may not know about me.

1. I go to the public library almost every day. I have a hold list there that is constantly at its limit (the limit is ten per person). It is almost entirely full of movies.

2. I talk Harry Potter with everyone I can. I have been known to swap 7th book theories with random strangers on street corners. And yes, I think I know how the last book is going to end. Luckily, I have a few equally obsessed friends. In the last month, I have had dinner and drinks with another obsessed friend and have spoken to another who is crocheting DA scarves for the opening of the 5th movie. We're going to look snazzy.

3. I adore Gospel music. I love to sing it. I love to listen to it. I love it so much that I had a brief stint in the African-American Gospel choir at my undergraduate school. The only reason it was a brief stint, as opposed to anything more lengthy, was because the rehearsals were so long. I just didn't have time. One of the things that attracted me to my church was the fact that we sing Gospel sometimes and the pianist plays Gospel unbelievably well.

4. I was not allowed to see movies rated PG-13 until I was 17. The only times I ever snuck out of the house as an adolescent were to see PG-13 movies. I was such a rebel.

5. I try to get a biggie iced tea from Wendy's every day of the week. And my mother says I don't have an addictive personality...

6. I still think that someday I am going to be taking my religious smorgasboard of beliefs to seminary.

And one to grow on: I always thought of my hometown as incredibly narrow-minded. I have found out in the last year that nobody there gives a damn that I'm gay. In fact, many of them are, as well. I have loved getting back in touch with so many good and kind people from my past. It's also such a relief to be able to walk down the streets there and know that I can be myself. I never thought that I would want to go back to a high school reunion. This past year has made me question that decision a bit. Someday I may just go back.

The Book of Jon

I just finished teaching The Book of Jon by Eleni Sikelianos in my intermediate poetry writing class. For those who have not read it, The Book of Jon is a memoir of Sikelianos' father, who was a drug addict and who died homeless. She did not know him well, and the book is a collection of small memories and pieces of his story that she is trying to make sense of. It is very much a fragmented work, filled with small prose sections that ring of poetry and poems. It is a wonderful book.

This book meant a great deal to me this year because I have spent the last couple of Friday nights (and hopefully every Friday night through the end of March) volunteering at the interfaith homeless shelter in town. I see so many men like Jon there, so many Vietnam veterans who have PTSD so badly that the only way they have found to escape from it is through alcohol or drugs. I have seen young couples, young gay people, people who are scared out of their minds because they have never before been homeless, and people who have been homeless for over twenty years and no longer remember a different life. I wonder what it would be like if each of them had a chance to have their story told. Would people continue to make comments like, "Some homeless people just want to be homeless"?

Over the next couple of months, I am sure I will talk quite a lot about my time at the homeless shelter. At this point, though, here is a poem from The Book of Jon:

I Will Not Go to Space

I will not go to space
in your rusty rocket "that rests
on coral waves" deeply
deeply golden in the frangible glass

Golden, you kill me
with your little mungo things, in the "Is he
dead yet?" game. For us humans, it's real
when a cat interprets that death. That cat
doesn't know we're not married, nor
what we are, shiny beads for eyes, little qua qua
of the ordinary legs
of ordinary women, and the men
who love them, them
ordinary legs, and the women who do

Golden, five million flowers' worth per pint
of honey to the left or to the right
of the sun; the translucent white gloves
of ghosts of larval bees tell the story
of an idling memory of a friend's house
in flames. We extinguish it. But when the soul's
on fire, add kindling. But, golden,
break my glasses, sip this folding golden
whiskey, let the talkies
of Kevin Costner get blurry in our minds, tan-
colored pretzels battling
over the batter's stand as the sun sets over the West
and western clouds on
Dog's Neck. Nothing prepares us for death.

Monday, January 29, 2007

Surveys

1. Name one person who made you smile today?
Cassie

2. What were you doing at 8 this morning?
driving around looking for someplace

3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
watching Fullmetal Alchemist. It's a good show. I recommend it.

4. What is something that happened in 1994?
I sprayed my hair red, white, and blue for the state cross country meet.

5. What is the last thing you said aloud?
Hold you shorts on, fuzzy girl.

6. How many different things did you drink today?
hot tea, iced tea, coffee, water

7. What color is your hairbrush?
brown

8. What was the last thing you bought?
chicken nuggets

9. What was the last gift you received?
iced tea

10. What color is your front door?
red on one side, white on the other

11. Where do you keep your change?
in my wallet

12. What was the weather like today?
cold

13. What is the best ice-cream flavor?
chocolate peanutbutter or coconut

14. What is something you are excited about for tomorrow?
going to the library to check out a couple more of my holds?

15. When was the last rainbow you saw?
I saw so many last summer that I don't know when the last one was.

16. What's your favorite gardening tool?
I don't own any. I just do the indoor gardening thing.

17. Do you have a sister?
yes

18. Are you very random?
sometimes yes

19. Do you want to cut your hair?
I'll probably be due for a cut in a month or so.

20. Are you over the age of 25?
yes

21. Do you talk a lot?
no

22. Do you watch The OC?
no

23. Does your screen name have an 'x' in it?
no

24. Do you know anyone called Steve?
yes, several Steves

25. Do you make up your own words?
sometimes

26. Are you ticklish?
yes

27. Are you typically a jealous person?
I never thought so until recently. So I guess the answer would be an unhappy yes.

28. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter 'M'
Martha

29. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter A'?
Andie and Anndi and Allison

30. Who's the 1st person on your dialed calls list?
I don't know. No cell anymore, so I don't keep track of it.

31.What did your last text message you received say?
I don't text.

32. Do you chew on your straws?
no

33. Do you have curly frizzy hair?
in the morning and when I'm caught in the rain.

34. Whats the next concert you're going to?
I don't know.

35. Who is the shittiest person in your life?
I don't surround myself with shitty people.

35. Who is the coolest person in your life?
my sister

36. What is something you say a lot?
eh whatever

37. What is the last thing you ate?
chicken nuggets

38. Have you seen the movie 'Donnie Darko'?
no

39. Do you have work tomorrow?
sort of, in the sense that I have some things to grade.

40. Is marriage in your future?
if it's ever legalized maybe

41. When was the last time you said 'I love you' to someone?
a couple hours ago to my sister

42. What should you be doing right now?
sleeping, probably

43. Do you have a nickname?
yes, several silly ones

45. Are you a heavy sleeper?
yes

46. Have you been out of state in the last week?
no

47. What is the best movie you've seen in the past two weeks?
Volver

48. Is there anyone you like right now?
I like a lot of people.

49. When was the last time you did the dishes?
yesterday

50. Are you currently depressed?
yes

------------------------------

1. Is your second toe longer than your first?
slightly

2. Do you have a favorite type of pen?
yes, but I'm not going to go look and see what it's called. There are boxes of them in the supply cabinet at school.

3. Look at your calendar for March 14, what are you doing?
teaching

4. What color are your toenails usually?
toenail color

5. What was the last thing you highlighted?
I don't know. I don't highlight often.

6. What color are your bedroom curtains?
don't have any

7. What color are the seats in your car?
gray

8. Have you ever had a black and white cat?
yes, two

9. What is the last thing you put a stamp on?
a bill

10. Do you know anyone who lives in Wyoming?
nope

11. Why did you withdraw cash from the ATM the last time?
probably to loan to someone

12. Who is the last baby that you held?
my cousin's child. she's a cutie.

13. Do you know of any twins with rhyming names?
several sets, actually

14. Do you like Cinnamon toothpaste?
no

15. What kind of car were you driving 2 years ago?
same one I'm driving now

16. Pick one: Miami Hurricanes or Florida Gators?
I don't care.

17. Last time you went to Six Flags?
never

18. Do you have any wallpaper in your house?
no

19. Closest thing to you that is yellow?
piece of paper

20. Last person to give you a business card?
my counselor

21. Who is the last person you wrote a check to?
my counselor

22. Closest framed picture to you?
my family

23. Last time you had someone cook for you?
I don't know.

24. Have you ever applied for welfare?
yes, well for food stamps anyway

25. How many emails do you have?
I haven't checked.

26. Last time you received flowers?
over Christmas

27. Do you think marriage is meant for only a man & woman?
absolutely not

29. Do you play air guitar?
no

30. Do you take anything in your coffee?
lots of cream

31. Do you have any Willow Tree figurines?
no

32. What is your high school's rival mascot?
Bulldogs

34. Last time you used hand sanitizer?
all the time, I don't know

35. Would you like to learn to play the drums?
yes

36. What color are the blinds in your living room?
white

37. What is in your inbox at work?
miscellaneous emails from the department and two requests to join my class late, both of which were approved by me

38. Last thing you read in the newspaper?
about the art show at school. some girl I met over the weekend has a picture or two in it.

39. What was the last pageant you attended?
never

40. What is the last place you bought pizza from?
probably my favorite Italian place, although I really don't know

41. Have you ever worn a crown?
only a Burger King one. Oh, and I once played Zeus in a play at school. I was nine. It was a fearsome performance.

42. What is the last thing you stapled?
stuff yesterday

43. Did you ever drink Clear Pepsi?
I'm not a pop drinker.

44. Are you ticklish?
yes

45. Last time you saw fireworks?
I don't know.

46. Last time you had a Krispy Kreme doughnut?
I don't know. Been a long time.

47. Who is the last person that left you a message & you actually answered it?
I have no idea.

48. Last time you parked under a carport?
I have no idea.

49. Do you have a black dog?
no

50. Do you have any pickles in your fridge?
no

51. Are you an aunt or uncle?
no

52. Who has the prettiest eyes that you know of?
my grandmother

53. Last time you saw a semi truck?
I don't know.

54. Do you remember Ugly Kid Joe?
no

55. Do you have a little black dress?
no. I did once, but it's been years since I have worn a dress. It's just not my style.

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Survey

1. Where were you 1 hour ago?
here

2. Who will be your next kiss?
I have no idea.

4. When is the last time you went to the mall?
probably when I was visiting my family over Christmas

5. Are you wearing socks right now?
yes

6. When was the last time you went out of the state?
when I was visiting my family over Christmas

7. Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days?
yes. today. I recommend Volver. It's a hoot.

8. What was the last thing you had to drink?
drinking iced tea right now.

9. What are you wearing right now?
jeans, tie-dye t-shirt

10. What was your last purchase?
movie ticket

11. Last food you ate?
salad

12. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
I don't know. I've talked to so many people this evening that I just can't keep it straight. This is impressive because my cell phone has been broken for a while. More people have my home number than I originally thought.

13. Have you bought any clothing items in the last week?
nope

14. Do you have a pet?
yep

15. Whens the last time you cried?
I don't know.

16. What's your favorite class?
I like all of the classes I'm teaching right now. I don't yet have a favorite.

17. If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be?
visiting Josh overseas or hanging out with my college buddies somewhere fun

18. What is the last thing you purchased online?
I honestly don't remember...

19. One thing you hate about yourself?
anxiety, acne

20. What's your favorite soup?
vegetable

21. Do you miss anyone?
my college buddies. I've been wanting to hang out with them a lot lately. I had such wonderful friends in college.

22. Last play you saw?
Memory of Water

23. What are your plans for the day?
Well, the day is almost over, so I would say finish this episode of MASH, take a shower, and go to bed.

24. Who is the last person you messaged on myspace?
Tishie, I think.

25. Ever go to camp?
yes

26. Were you an honor roll student in school?
all the time. I wasn't ever NOT an honor roll student. Yep, you can pin that "Big Nerd" sign right on my forehead.

28. Are you wearing any perfume or cologne?
Japanese Cherry Blossom

30. Where are your best friends located?
France, North Carolina, Georgia

32. How old do you want to be when you have kids?
30-ish

33. Last person who made you cry?
I don't know.

34. Do you have any tattoos or piercings?
pierced ears

35. Have you ever drank your soda from a straw?
yes

37. Do you like hot sauce?
no

38. Last time you took a shower?
yesterday afternoon. I'm due for one.

39. Who do you like?
lots of people

40. What is your mood?
tired

Thursday, January 25, 2007

1. The phone rings. Who do you want it to be?
someone who wants to do something fun

2. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart?
yes, always. It really annoys me when people don't.

3. In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener?
listener

4. Do you take compliments well?
sometimes

5. Do you play Sudoku?
yes

6. If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive?
maybe

7. Your fear?
at the moment, that I won't get paid tomorrow and that I won't actually see any money at all until Feb. 9 and I have to pay my rent before then. There has been more than one panic attack over this today.

8. Did you ever go to camp as a kid?
day camp, yes

9. What was your favorite game as a kid?
Sorry!, Candy Land, Cooties

10. If a sexy person was pursuing you, but you knew he/she was married, would you?
absolutely not

11. Could you date someone with different religious beliefs than you?
yes.

12. Do you like to pursue or be pursued?
both. I like it to be a mutual thing. Otherwise it's just depressing.

14. Do any songs make you cry?
yes

15. Are you continuing your education?
I already have. I may do it again in a few years. My brain is tired right now. You get to that point, I think.

16. Do you know how to shoot a gun?
no

17. If your house was on fire, what would be the first thing you grabbed?
my cat

18. How often do you read books?
constantly

19. Do you think more about the past, present or future?
present

20. What is your favorite children's book?
Currently, Click Clack Moo. It's hysterical.

21.What color are your eyes?
blue

22. How tall are you?
5'3"

23. Where is your dream house located?
I don't know yet.

24. What did you do last night?
not much really. I didn't go anywhere because I'm trying to conserve my gas. I hope it doesn't have to last another two weeks. Sigh.

25. What are you doing tonight?
I went to the library, couldn't find a parking place at school to go to the glbt group, so came home.

26. Have you ever taken pictures in a photo booth?
maybe...

27. When was the last time you were at Olive Garden?
before Christmas. I don't really remember.

28. Where was the furthest place you traveled today?
counseling

29. Do you like mustard?
if it's yellow and not spicy

30. Do you prefer to sleep or eat?
I like them both. I refuse to choose.

31. Do you look like your mom or dad?
mom

32. How long does it take you in the shower?
10 minutes

33. Can you do splits?
nope

34. What movie do you want to see right now?
The Queen, Dreamgirls, Volver, Pan's Labyrinth

35. What did you do for New Year's?
went to my aunt's

36. Do you think The Grudge was scary?
didn't see it. I hate horror movies.

37. Do you own a camera phone?
no

38. Was your mom a cheerleader?
no

39. What's the last letter of your middle name?
h

40. How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
Somewhere between six and eight.

41. Do you like care bears?
I am indifferent to them.

42. What do you buy at the movies?
at the indy film place, popcorn and ice tea or beer. at the ornate place, chocolate covered almonds. anyplace else, nothing, it's too expensive.

43. Do you know how to play poker?
sort of

44.Do you wear your seatbelt?
absolutely

45. What do you wear to sleep?
pj's, perferably cute ones.

46. Anything big ever happen in your hometown?
nope

47. How many meals do you eat a day?
two usually

48. Is your tongue pierced?
no

49. Do you always read MySpace bulletins?
nope

50. Do you like funny or serious people better?
I like people who can be both.

51. Ever been to L.A.?
no

52. Did you eat a cookie today?
no

53. Do you use cuss words in other languages?
no, but I know cuss words in other languages.

54. Do you steal or pay for your music downloads?
I don't download.

55. Do you hate chocolate?
no, but I can live without it

56. What do you and your parents fight about?
stupid things or coming out to the relatives

57. Are you a gullible person?
I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, but I don't think that's necessarily gullible. Too trusting perhaps.

58. Do you need a boyfriend/girlfriend to be happy?
no

59. If you could have any job (assuming you have the skills) what would it be?
tenured poetry professor who also gets to teach Chicana lit and creative nonfiction.

60. Are you easy to get along with?
most of the time

61. What is your favorite time of day?
afternoon

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Something Good

I've had a really good night. I got to meet Lori in person for the first time. We've been friends online since May or June. She's a lot of fun. I've spent most of today feeling incredibly anxious and irritated, so it was nice to see something good happen. She's a good friend, and my family liked her, too. It was a nice evening.

Good to know

142 businesses to support in the coming year. All offer equal benefits to same sex couples.

Monday, January 08, 2007

Survey

1. Where do you go to shop for clothes?
wherever there's a really big sale

2. Do you buy your own groceries?
um, yes, don't most people?

3. Do you think people talk about you behind you're back?
I have no idea, nor do I care.

4. When's the last time you had a sour gummy worm?
not in a long time

5. Whats your favorite fruit?
kiwi, peaches, berries of any kind, cherries, lemons...

6. If there was a fire, what would be the first thing you would grab?
my cat

7. Do you have a picture of yourself doing a cartwheel?
no, never could do those

8. Have you ever tried to build something?
yep

9. Do you play with legos?
not anymore, but I love Legos

10. Do you play with barbies?
never did

11. Who's your favorite Disney Princess?
Mulan?

12. Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?
waiting for someone

13. Would you rather have blue skin or purple skin?
blue

14. Have you ever gotten a sunburn?
yes

15. Have you eaten snow?
yes

16. Have you watched Star Wars, any of the six?
sort of, meaning that I have turned them on and proceeded to fall asleep about the time when the words start running across the screen. I never have been able to stay awake for any of those. I used to have Ewok underoos, though, so that's got to count for something.

17. Do you have a fuzzy pen?
no

18. Do you fix your bed?
fix it how?

19. What color are your bedsheets?
I have a brown set and a blue set

20. Do you wear slippers?
no

21. What is the coolest lamp you own?
I like my blue lamp

22. What's your favorite flower?
sunflowers, lilacs

23. Did you go or do you want to go to prom?
I did once, and no, I don't ever want to again.

24. What does your tissue box look like?
it's brown

25. Did you ever open a lemonade stand?
yes, for my mother's yardsale once

26. Were you or are you in ballet?
never, but I like to watch it

27. Do you listen to classical music?
of course

28. What's the longest book you've read?
I don't know for sure, but I'd say Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens probably was. It was pretty damn long as I remember.

29. What smiley best represents you?
My favorite is the one with the big toothy grin on AIM.

30. What do you do when you are stuck?
stuck where?

31. Do you have a "wacky noodle"?
what?

32. Do you have your own pool?
no

33. Do you have a website where you put your pictures on?
no

34. Do you watch Spongebob?
no

35. What kind of car do you want?
hybrid honda civic

36. Last food you ate?
southwest chicken--a recipe my sister and I invented. It was really good.

37. Last nice thing you did for someone?
cooked dinner for my family with my sister

38. Do you make presents?
sometimes

39. Do you make your own jewelry?
no

41. Are you in advanced classes?
I was all through school.

42. Do people consider you as smart?
I think so...

43. Do you collect anything?
Cats Meows, books

44. Do you collect a series of a certain book?
Harry Potter, I suppose. I don't think I have any other series. I'm more into authors.

45. What time is it?
I don't know.

46. Is your away message on?
no, you have to be signed in to have it on.

47. Do a lot of your friends have xanga?
what?

48. Do you have premium?
premium what?

49. Have you ever been to Jamaica?
no

50. Do you make your own cards?
sometimes

51. Have you ever tried gluing your fingers together?
no

53. How many languages do you know?
English, Spanish, a little German, a little sign language

54. Can you skip stones?
yes. in fact, the first poem I ever had published was about a skipping stone.

55. Where did you get this survey from?
myspace

---------------
Today ::

& What's the weather like?
cold, wet

& What did you do?
let's see, played online, checked on class stuff, chatted with Bella, went to Wendy's with my sister, made dinner, played cards, getting ready to not watch a football game

& Have you eaten breakfast yet?
yes

& What did you eat?
cheerios

& What do you see when you look out the window or door?
the dark

& Have you exercised?
not today

& What do you plan to do for the rest of the day or tomorrow?
not watch a football game if I can avoid it and chat with Bella

& When did you wake up?
I'm not sure. I had so many weird dreams last night. I think I was up half the night.

& Have you eaten lunch yet?
didn't eat lunch

& What did you eat?
see above

& Have you gone out to eat and where?
well, I guess I did have a snack at Wendy's. I suppose that counts as lunch

& Did you buy anything?
no

& Has something changed drastically today?
no

& Are you happy?
yes

& Did you sing aloud today?
yes

& Did you talk to a friend on the phone?
YES :) Josh called me :)

& On AIM?
no

& In person?
no

& Did you get mail?
I don't know. Did I get mail, Bella?

& What was it (junk, bills, personal letters)?
don't know

& Have you taken a nap?
no

& How long have you been on the computer?
a lot today, it seems

& What are you listening to at the moment?
my family is watching football

& Is anyone in the room with you?
my parents' cat

& What have you accomplished today?
I checked on the status of my class books. I gave my input on Bella's personal statements for her applications. I cooked dinner.

Survey

Prologue:
1. Where did you take your default pic?
Venice (on myspace anyway)

2. What exactly are you wearing right now?
jeans and a hooded sweatshirt with my dad's team's logo on it. They're playing tonight. I think he'd probably disown us all if we weren't wearing those shirts. That's what he got us all for Christmas simply for this purpose.

3. What is your current problem?
I'm sick. Still recovering. Feeling better than I was, though, so that's good.

4. What makes you most happy?
A lot of things make me happy. Spending time with people I adore. Talking to the sweet Bella on the phone. Playing games with my family.

5. What's the name of the song that you're listening to?
I'm not. My sister's watching Judging Amy.

6. Has anyone you've been really close with passed away?
I was probably closest to my grandfather. He died when I was 19. I have lost several people, though. I had a high school friend who died when I was in high school. We used to run together a lot. Also my babysitter died when I was five or six.

7. Do you ever watch MTV?
No, never.

8. Name something thats really annoying you?
all of the football nonsense. I really don't care.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 1:
1. Middle name:
Jane

2. Nickname(s):
Emmerlily, Emmer Emmer, Em the Fuzzy

3. Current location:
on the floor in the computer room

4. Eye color:
blue

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 2:
1. Do you live with your parents?
no, I haven't since I was 18.

2. Do you get along with your parent(s)?
yep

3.Are they divorced?
no. They've been married for 33 years.

4. Do you have any Siblings?:
yes

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 3: Favorite...
1. Ice Cream:
chocolate peanutbutter, coffee, moose tracks, coconut

2. Season:
summer

3. Color:
blue, yellow, purple
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 4: Do You..

1. Write on your hand:
not on purpose, but my fingers always seem to be inky

2. Call people back:
usually, not always, though.

3. Believe in love?
yes

4. Sleep on a certain side of the bed?
nope

5. Have any bad habits?
worrying

6. Any mental health issues?
anxiety

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 5: Have You..

1. Broken a bone?:
no

2. Sprained stuff:
badly

3. Had physical therapy?:
no

4. Gotten stitches:
yes

5. Taken painkillers?
yes

6. Gone SCUBA diving or snorkeling:
snorkeling many years ago. I would love to go again.

7. Been to disneyland?
Disney World yes, Disneyland no

8. Thrown up at the dentist:
no

9. Sworn in front of your parents:
yep

10. Had a detention?
no

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 6: Who/What was the last

1. Movie you saw in theaters?
We Are Marshall

2. Person to text you?
I don't text.

3. Person you called?
Bella, I think. I also called Judy this morning.

4. Person you hugged:
my cat

5. Person you tackled?
no one that I can recall

6. Thing you touched?
my cell phone

7. Thing you ate?
a bowl of cheerios

8. Thing you said?:
Are you okay? My sister fell down the steps. She's fine.

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Survey

1). Is there someone who you like at the moment?
yes. I'm waiting for someone.

2). Have you ever given or been given roses?
both. I have given roses several times, and Bella gave me roses a couple months ago.

3). What is your all time favorite romance movie?
A Walk in the Clouds, Tipping the Velvet

4). How many times can you honestly say you've been in love?
twice

5). Do you believe that everyone has a soul-mate?
yes

6). Do you think that you should become friends with someone first?
can't hurt

7). Have you ever had your heart broken?
yes

8). What do you think about long-distance relationships?
been there, done that

9). Your thoughts on online relationships?
been there, done that

10). Would you rather date someone five years older or five years younger?
older. I have gone out on a date with people up to 15 years older. I don't know that I've ever gone out someone more than three years younger. Bella is five years older, which is perfect, in my opinion.

11). Have you ever seen a friend as more than a friend?
yep

12). Do you believe the statement, "Once a cheater always a cheater?"
In most cases, yes.

13). How many kids do you want to have?
three or four

14). Do you usually fall for a wrong boy/girl or the right boy/girl?
sometimes. I wouldn't say usually, though. I don't regret any of the relationships I have had.

15). What is your favorite colour(s)?
blue

16). What are your views on gay marriage?
I want to get married legally someday.

17). Have you ever broken someones heart?
yes

18). Imagine you're 79 & your spouse just died, would you re-marry?
love is always possible at any age, so perhaps.

19). At what age did you start noticing the opposite sex?
I was 14, I think, when I first realized that I was not noticing the opposite sex, but the same sex.

20) What song do you want to hear at your wedding?
There is one, but I need to rewrite some of the lyrics to make it not heterosexual. It's such a good song, though.

21) How do you want that special person to propose?
I'm not picky, and I don't really care much for engagement rings. At least traditional ones. I'm a sucker for romance, though.

23) What is your type?
wickedly smart, socially aware, and incredibly kind

2007 Firsts

1. Who was the first person you talked to in 07?
Aunt M.

2. The first person you hugged?
Aunt GA

3. The first person you called?
Bella

4. The first person you texted?
I don't text.

5. The first drink you drank?
really really horrendous red wine that my aunt described as "fruity"

6. The first person that called you?
Bella

7. The first person that texted you?
see 4

8. Have you talked to all of your top 8 yet?
four of them

9. Any of them?
yes

10. Who was the 1st person to hang up on you?
no one

11. What was the first thing you watched on TV?
the new year's thing with Dick Clark

12. Who was the first person you thought of?
Bella and my sister. I wanted to call them both.

13. What was the first thing you ate?
almonds, I think, out of the trail mix

14. What were you wearing at midnight?
I am not entirely sure. I think I was wearing jeans and my Christmas cat shirt.

15. First Kiss?
my cat when I got home probably

16. First fight?
haven't had one

17. First Laugh?
with my aunts most likely

18. First person to say 'I love you' :
probably my mom

True/False

Appearance:

I'm short: true
I have many scars: false
I tan easily: false
I burn easily: true
I wish my hair was a different color: false
I have friends who have never seen my natural hair color: false
I wear glasses or contacts: true
I have 4 or more piercings: false

Relationships:

I'm in one right now: waiting for someone
I miss someone right now: true
I've gotten divorced: false
I've had a crush on a teacher: true
I've hugged a stranger: true

Embarrassment:

I've laughed so hard I've cried: true
I've glued my hand to something: false
I've laughed till some beverage came out of my nose: true
I've had my pants rip/drop in public: false
I was born with a disease/impairment: false
I've sat in a doctor's office with a friend: true
I've had my wisdom teeth removed: true
I've had chicken pox: true

Experiences:

I've gotten lost in a city: true
I've seen a shooting star: true
I've wished on a shooting star: false
I've gone out in public in my pajamas: true
I've pushed all the buttons on an elevator: false, how annoying
I've been to a casino: true
I've played spin the bottle: false
I've drunk a whole gallon of milk in one hour: ew, false
I've been in a car accident: true
I've caught a snowflake on my tongue: true
I've sat on a roof top at night: true
I've played a prank on someone: true
I've ridden in a taxi: true
I've seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show: true
I've eaten sushi: true

Random:

I own something from Hot Topic: false
I own something from The Gap: false
I own something I got on E-Bay: something someone else bought for me on ebay
I own something from American Eagle: false
I own something from Abercrombie: false
I own something from Anchor Blue: false
I own something from Aeropostle: false
i own something from Hollister: false

More Random:

I've stolen a tray from a fast food restaurant: false
I watch the news: I read it online.
I curse regularly: true
I sing in the shower: true
I'm a morning person: depends on the morning
I am a sports fanatic: false
I have listened to more than 10 CD's in a day: true
I've worn pajamas to school: true
I know how to shoot a gun: false
I am really ticklish: true
I play video games: false
I'm good at remembering names: true
I'm good at remembering faces: false

Emily Is Violet

101. My middle initial is:
L

100. I was born on:
2-20-80

99. I am really:
feeling sick

98. My cell phone provider is:
Verizon. This is soon to change because my plan and Bella's both suck. We're going to go look at Singulair when I get back next week. Stay tuned in real life friends because I'll soon have a new phone number.

97. My eye color is:
blue

96. My ring size is:
6 last time I checked

95. My height is:
5'3"

94. I am allergic to:
variations of pennicyllin

93. I was born in:
small town, midwest

92. I live in:
northwest

91. Last book you read:
Neil Gaiman's The Sandman: The Dream Hunters. It's beautiful.

90. My bed is:
small and not real comfortable

89. One thing you hate about yourself?
my stuffy nose

88. One of your favorite holidays:
Christmas

87. The perfect kiss is:
one from someone who I love and who loves me

86. The last three cd's I bought are:
I'm not sure I can answer this. Let me think... Guns n' Roses Greatest Hits, Indigo Girls Swamp Ophelia, and another greatest hits CD. I'm trying to remember the group. It's the one that sang "It's Been a Long December."

85. Do you like being single/taken?:
I'm waiting for someone, and while it isn't easy, she is most definitely worth it, and yes, I absolutely love being around her. So yes.

84. What did you do in school today?
I'm not in school.

:::I Do (YES)/Do Not (NO) Believe In:::

83. Love at first sight?
yes

82. Luck?
no

81. Fate?
yes

80. Yourself?
most of the time

79. Aliens?
yes

78. Heaven?
yes

77. Hell?
no

76. Soulmates?
yes

:::Which is Better?:::

75. Hugs or Kisses?
both

74. Drunk or High:
neither. I don't like being out of control of myself.

73. Phone or Online:
whatever

72. Red heads or black haired:
whatever

71. Blondes or Brunettes:
whatever

70. Hot or cold:
whatever

69. Summer or winter:
summer

68. Chocolate or vanilla:
chocolate

67. Night or day?
day

66. Oranges or apples?
whatever. not a big fan of either, to be honest.

65. Curly or straight hair:
whatever

:::Here's What I Think About:::

64. Abortion:
absolutely should be legal in any circumstance

63. Backstabbers:
not appreciated

62. Parents:
I love mine. Sometimes they drive me crazy, but I love them.

:::Last time I:::

61. Hugged someone?
my cat early this morning as she frisked around my pillow

60. Had food:
breakfast this morning--grapefruit and blueberry muffins

59. Seen someone I haven't seen in a while:
I always see people I haven't seen in a while when I'm at my parents' house.

58. Cried in front of someone:
my family on Christmas Eve.

57. Grew:
when I was 21 or 22

:::MISC:::

56. Who is the ditziest person you know:
I have no idea.

54. The last movie I saw?
Pride and Prejudice

53. The last movie you saw in theatres?
We Are Marshall. It was actually quite good.

52. The last restaurant you ate at?
Frisch's

51. What I don't understand is:
what the point of a cold is

50. The most unsatisfactory answer I've ever received is:
I have no idea.

49. Something I really miss when I leave home is:
my sister when I leave my parents' home, my cat when I leave my apartment

48. The thing that I'm looking forward to the most:
seeing Bella in nine days

47. The thing that I'm not looking forward to is:
having a reduced income this semester.

46. Tomorrow:
hopefully my glasses frame fill come in so that they can finally be fixed. crooked glasses are nauseating, and I have been nauseated since Dec. 26. not that I'm counting or anything.

44. Next Summer:
I teach summer school. Yay :)

43. Next Week:
I have absolutely no plans.

42. People call me:
Emily

41. The person who knows the most about me is.
my sister, Josh, Judith, Bella

40. The most difficult thing to do is:
have family members seriously ill

39. I have gotten a speeding ticket:
no

38. The first person I talked to today was:
my cat

37. First time you had a crush:
as long as I can remember

36. The one person who I can't hide things from:
Bella. She sees it if I am hiding anything, so I don't even try anymore.

35. Last time someone said something you were thinking?
Bella this morning.

34. Right now I am talking to:
no one

33. Dream job?
college poetry professor with a publishing company or a journal as part of the job

32. First job?:
real job, JCPenney. for the record, they pay worse than any other department store chain.

31. I have a job at:
a college

30. I have these pets:
one fuzzy girl

29. I hope:
I get rid of this cold soon.

28. The worst sound in the world:
bad news

27. the person that makes you cry the most is...
I'm not sure. I try to avoid these people.

26. My boyfriend/girlfriend:
waiting for someone

25. Florida or Hawaii:
Hawaii, unless we're going to Disney World

24. My favorite piece of clothing:
my Columbia sandles

23. My favorite sport is;
not a sports fan really

22. my friends are:
good people

21. My computer is:
old

20. The school I go to is:
I don't

19. the last person i got mad at is;
I don't know.

18. The all-time best movie is:
I have a lot of favorites. Right now, I really want to see Lady in the Water and Little Miss Sunshine again.

17. The all-time best feeling in the world is:
being surrounded by people who love me

16. The most annoying person you know is:
I don't know.

14. The movies I have cried at are:
Lady in th Water. There are others, but I am too tired to think.

13. The one TV show you can't stand:
any of the reality ones. Lost. stupid humor that relies on stereotypes

12. TV channels you watch:
USA, Lifetime, Sci-Fi, Nick at Nite when Designing Women is on, PBS

11. Favorite web site:
email

10. I want to be:
happy

9. The worst pain I was ever in was:
when all my family was sick a couple years ago

8. My favorite phrase is:
Holy Non Sequitor, Batman! My sister has been saying that, and it cracks me up.

6. My favorite celebrity is:
don't have one

5. my weakness is:
iced tea

4. What I like about the opposite sex is?
I don't.

3. Who broke your heart:
last? probably my ex.

2. One thing that makes you feel great is:
working out, going on a bike ride, getting all of my work done, getting enough sleep, and spending time with Bella of course

Monday, January 01, 2007

2006

Was it a good year?
yes, in a lot of ways.

Why??
I grew a lot as a person. My fiance and I broke up at the end of 2005, so 2006 was the first time I had been single in a while. It was also the first time I had really taken the time to date around and really explore what it was that I wanted in a partner. I also had the opportunity to do all kinds of cool outdoors things that I really enjoyed. I made new friends, and I got some new hobbies.

Have you had a serious relationship?
I am seriously waiting for someone.

Have you made new friends?
yes, several

Have you lost anybody?
yes

Where did you spend the year?
in the northwest

What did you do this summer?
I did telephone health surveys and played outside a lot. I also read A LOT.

What did you do on the 4th of July?
nothing that I can recall

How many parties have you been to?
I went to a GLBT church party and a Halloween party. I think that was it...

Did you drink any alcohol?
yes, not a lot, but yes

Did you take any drugs?
no

Have you done anything illegal?
no

Did you have any ..'firsts..' this year, what was it?
first time waiting for someone, first time as an adjunct professor, first time teaching upper level poetry writing, first time mountain biking, climbing a mountain, camping in Nevada, climbing sand dunes, doing serious stargazing

Anything you regret?
not standing up for myself when I should have

What shocked you?
that I was able to do any of that outdoorsy stuff. I was playing with someone who plays rough and long. I was surprised that I could keep up.

Are you proud of anything you did or that happened this year?
yes, I successfully defended my thesis, graduated with my Master's, and got a job teaching college level English.

What did you spend most time on doing?
hanging out with people I care about, grading papers, reading, watching movies (I watched a lot of movies this year)

What should you've done more?
writing. I have been on a writing hiatus of sorts for a few months. It's past time to get back into it.

And less?
eating at Wendy's.

Any resolutions for next year?
yes. more detailed list to follow.

What was ________ about the year?

BEST?
teaching upper level poetry and meeting the fabulous Bella of course

WORST?
seeing my grandmother so sick at Thanksgiving and seeing my cousin still being given a hard time at school

most FUN?
I did a lot of fun things this year. I don't know that I could pick just one.

less FUN?
grading SO MANY English 102 essays. those were always hard weeks with very little sleep.

SADDEST?
when my grandmother broke her hip and just before she needed a pacemaker put in, seeing my cousin go through so much at school because of his disability

COOLEST?
seeing the animal tracks on the sand dunes in the early morning

Who...

was your best friend?
I have a few. Josh, Judith, and the fabulous Bella now, as well.

did you hate?
Hate is a strong word, but I tend to dislike anyone who hurts people I care about.

did you love?
I love a lot of people.

helped you most?
my family, Bella

supported you?
the fabulous Bella, my family

was your HERO?
my grandmother (mom's mom), always

What was you favorite...

shirt?
I have this sweater that I absolutely adore. It used to be my sister's.

shoes?
my Columbia sandles

CD?
Indians Nomads Saints by the Indigo Girls and Michelle Malone's collection of 20 songs (I want to say it's called 20, but I'm not sure).

book?
I read so much this year. I'd say it's a toss up between all of Jasper Fforde's books, Lighthousekeeping by Jeanette Winterson, Krik? Krak! by Edwidge Danticat, The Quick of It by Eamon Grennan, and Carolyn Forche's books. I just couldn't tell you.

class?
that I took, that would be the small press class I took last spring. that I taught, my intermediate poetry class this past fall and my intro to poetry class last spring. they were both pretty great.

website?
netflix.com

Where...

did you spend your freetime?
during the summer, outside all over the place, mostly in the mountains. I loved every minute of it. Since it's gotten colder, I've met Bella and have been hanging out with her a lot all over :) I've loved every minute of that, as well.

did you want to be?
Venice?

What was special about this year?
lots of things. Meeting Bella definitely stands out. Also teaching was pretty great. Playing outside was great.

Can you believe 2006 is over?
yes, it was a long year.