spritechan | Entries tagged with survey

If you have like 10 minutes and are not colorblind, consider helping out my friend Esther for her Master's research!

You need a computer keyboard because it relies on pressing keys.

Taken from

ragnarok_08

Been to an NFL game? Several Vikings games - my mom used to get season tickets and I'd go with a couple games a year.
Been to Canada? Yes, as MN borders Canada, for camping.
Visited Florida? Twice - Disney World once and Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure once.
Visited Mexico? 4 times - Cancun twice, Mazatlan, and Playa del Carmen
Visited Vegas? Once, I was very grumpy the whole time, 0/10 would not do again. Just reviewed my entries, and I never did write about that trip to Cali with Haley.
Eaten alone at a restaurant? Define restaurant! Fast-casual, many times. Nicer sit-down, no.
Ability to read music? I used to be able to because I was in choir until high school and I played brass from ages 10-17. I can a little still.
Rode a motorcycle? I've been on motorcycles but not since I was a kid. Never driven. Done four-wheeling several times too.
Ridden a horse? Last time I rode a horse I was probably 17. My high school BFF owned horses until her mid-twenties so she brought me along on some horse adventures.
Stayed in a hospital? No
Donated blood? I go through phases of frequent donation and then dropping off.
Been snow skiing? I live in a snowy state, so yes, but not since grade school. I'm more likely to go tubing/sledding if anything.
Been to Disney World or Disney Land? Disney World, once.
Slept outside? Last time was... 2014? For an overnight wilderness experience with my school as a teacher.
Driven a stick shift? When I was 15, Rory taught me. Before that my dad would drive and I would shift for him.
Ridden in an 18-wheeler? My grandpa used to drive truck for a living, so he'd pick us up if he got a load from MN in the summer and take us back to Texas with him for a few weeks.
Driven a boat? I’ve been on a boat plenty of times, but I’ve never driven one.
Eaten Escargot? Nah, and I don't plan to
Been on a cruise? Nope
Run out of gas? Twice - I often seem to own cars with broken gas gauges XD
Been on TV? I mean, in the background of news stories, a couple times.
Eaten Sushi? Vegetarian sushi, sure, but not the real thing.

So. Fun thing! Like my second week here I completed an Insights profile, which is based off of a bunch of research that Carl Jung did. At the very basic level it describes 4 groups: Cool Blue, Fiery Red, Sunshine Yellow, and Earth Green. Each of these embodies specific traits. Those 4 are further broken down into 8 Types (and actually there are I think a total of 72 actual profiles that fall under these 8). You’re not supposed to personify the colors - “He’s blue” but more like “He puts forth blue energy the strongest” or “She leads with yellow.” However, we are all humans, and we identify with The Things. I imagine they created the 8 types to try to get you to NOT say you’re a color, but then they give us 4 foam blocks to order our colors and I know everyone feels all like “Yeah I’m a yellow-green” or whatever.

Anyway. I was super nervous my results would be inaccurate because I felt like I answered the questions all wrong. The questions were set up with 4 statements on each page, and you needed to pick 1 statement that was Most like you (6), 1 statement that was least like you (0), and then the other 2 statements could be given a 1-5 number value. I really questioned like Do I know anything about my preferences?? Lol.

So imagine my surprise when I got a profile that was so spot-on it’s scary. My type is The Inspirer (technically technically the Helping Inspirer) - How to relate to me? “Entertain me with stimulating conversation and laughter. Be friendly.” HAAAHAHA wow. Exactly yes. My blind spots are particularly fascinating (at the bottom of this entry), but I don't consider them "blind spots" so much as "known life challenges."

My color order was yellow (72%), green (64%), red (46%), blue (35%). Blue and yellow are opposites and red and yellow are opposites. Funny that Steve is green-blue and he said he got like no red at all. Also my “conscious” vs “unconscious” were almost exactly the same (what you see is what you get lol), whereas some people admitted they have a definite “persona” they project outwardly, but this insane test KNEW they are actually a different way too. So crazy!

The image below is where my team falls. I'm #16, Steve is #1 (the numbers are just alphabetical order). Our manager Tim is #5, like the same as Steve - no wonder it's easy for me to like him.

Personal Style (all emphasis me) - I deleted the few things that didn't really match me
One of Leah's strengths is an ability to let others work at their own pace coupled with an awareness of the unique contribution each person makes. She is prepared to attempt almost anything, but her work needs to be active rather than theoretical. She welcomes support, encouragement and social interaction, especially during stressful encounters when she may need to consciously divert her energy to more practical tasks to show positive results. She tends to live for today with a “you only go around once“ philosophy. Exhibiting a tendency to become concerned and hurt if her ideas are met with indifference or criticism, she may take conflict and rejection personally.

Because she lives by [her own] principles and rules, Leah is consistent and dependable. Leah wants to sample the best that life can offer. She has a sense of adventure and likes to keep her spirits and expectations high. Leah enthusiastically and co-operatively joins in activities and can juggle several activities at once. At times, events can overwhelm her and she may find it almost impossible to say “No”, even when the demands are unreasonable. Socially adept, even-tempered and tireless in her efforts to bring about peace and well-being, she tends to hold the perfect relationship as the ideal.

She tends to be fiercely loyal to her friends, prepared to sacrifice her own wants for the needs of the other person. If her job requires that she work alone for long periods then she can become restless and unsettled, unless the job is really engaging. Her warmth, sympathy and understanding encourages others to come to her. She pays scant attention to negative, pessimistic or divisive situations or conclusions. She enjoys socialising, but likes to plan her entertaining for maximum effect.

She looks for the good in every situation. She tends to be light-hearted and sunny, and because she constantly seeks to avoid painful experiences, she tends to steer away from personal anxieties. Because she tends to live for the present moment, she does not sense the need to prepare or plan more than is necessary. She relies on what she can hear, see and know from first hand experience. She may ignore or deny anything that threatens the harmony she seeks. [Holy fuck ALL OF THIS SO HARD]

She may become pessimistic and gloomy when she is thwarted or fails to see ways to make the important changes in her life. She needs to be appreciated for herself and her service, and she can be highly sensitive to indifference or criticism of the support she offers or provides. She tends to have an interest in the new and unusual and is gifted at expressing her feelings. She can be relied upon to keep a check on the social calendar, though she may well overlook some of the smaller details in preparing for events.

Interacting with Others

Leah likes to build harmonious relationships with others and continually seeks to maintain these relationships. It is important for her to have personal contact with people in her work. She may dislike and even avoid tasks which require attention to detail or inordinate paperwork. Usually verbal and persuasive, she will seek or wish to withdraw quickly from confrontation unless provoked to the extreme, when she may go “off the deep end” verbally. [Very much so] She is at her best in co-operative roles that deal with people and allow her to air her views.

She constantly seeks opportunities to talk things through with others. She prefers to be active and working with like minded people. She may overlook unpalatable facts and, if she does, a problem may be bypassed rather than a solution identified. Leah enjoys involvement in many activities, with a variety of people. She is stimulated by doing the unexpected or the unusual. Leah is seen by others as an easy-going, talkative and practical person. Seldom at a loss in any situation, she can be relied on to say something appropriate to put people at their ease. [YES ALL OF THIS - though I would add that at work I actually just like to check in vs talking for more than a minute or two for clarification. I just need some people contact to fill up my meter quick, and then I'm happy to be on my way]

She does not appreciate critical comments about her personal qualities as she sees these comments as personal attacks on her integrity. [Sure do!] She functions best when she is talking with people, which she enjoys immensely. Much of her pleasure and satisfaction comes from other's warm responses. She is noted for her innate ability to inspire and encourage others around her and exhibits excellent interpersonal skills [See: being a sounding board for just about everyone]. She is socially interactive, while preferring to view the world realistically and tangibly.

Decision Making

Leah's tendency to think “out loud” enables others to follow her line of thinking [Except I'm not super articulate so there's that]. She views talking through ideas with people to promote decision making as an effective strategy of itself. Decisions made on the basis of logic alone are not highly valued by her. In her attempts to please others she may make promises she cannot fulfill.

She prefers moderate to slight risk in decision-making. Her occasional failure to face up to disagreeable facts can mean that problems are sometimes ignored rather than solutions sought. She is prepared to make decisions through group consensus. She may make decisions without considering all the consequences of her actions. If everyone can be involved in a project, she will ensure that they are.

She may value opinions over facts in considering a possible course of action. She is likely to decide in favour of the solution that brings the highest level of approval from others. She needs to learn to consciously delay making decisions until she has considered more information as she may have overlooked sounder alternatives [Uh oh]. Her slogan might be “Act now pay later“ and she tends to make choices around her own personal feelings which may be as important to her as more objective data. [Hahaha yep "Better to ask for forgiveness than permission"...]

Strengths:

Strong sense of humor and fun

Approachable and affectionate with friends

Will look for the good in people and events

Seeks variety in both tasks and relationships

Enjoys spending time around other people - and making them feel good

Interactive and inspirational

Can act spontaneously

Displays lots of self-confidence

Weaknesses:

Generally speaking, she is speaking generally!

Knows the answer before the question is asked - [sometimes]

May not finish everything she starts

May not deliver on time

Demotivated by routine tasks

May miss others’ reactions to her actions

May avoid resolving tough issues

My favorite one in “Don’ts when communicating with Leah” is “Don’t dampen her enthusiastic energy with negative inputs.” JUST DON’T DO IT!

I thought it was funny in the “ideal environment” section, that it specifically says there should be noise/”buzz” of activity, because I either have something on, or I prefer to work at a Caribou. Working in near-deafening silence in my office is torture and I can’t focus!

Okay, almost done boring you I swear.

Leah's possible Blind Spots: I could seriously bold this whole section, ouch! I truly don't understand how they know all this spot-on information about me when none of the survey had anything to do with relationships in this way???

Because Leah places such a strong priority on experiencing new things, she sometimes allows her other responsibilities to suffer from lack of attention. She is genuinely interested in others and may seek to get on closer terms with those who particularly interest her. She is occasionally taken advantage of and can be hurt in the process. She should realise that on occasion confrontation can clear the air.

Leah has a difficult time saying no or asking for help. Leah sometimes places too much credibility on the opinions and feelings of those she cares for. During stressful times she can become blinded to the difficulties of the situation. She tends to ignore her problems instead of finding rational solutions for them and needs to try to keep her eyes and mind open as well as her heart. Her natural quickness and pressure to anticipate what is coming means she occasionally assumes wrongly that she knows what a person is going to say, and is tempted to jump in to finish their sentences. Taking the time to pay closer attention to what is actually going on in the world around her and listening carefully to both the input and reactions of others will help her.

She needs to learn to deal more directly and honestly with conflict, trusting that her natural sensitivity to others' feelings will provide her with what needs to be done even in the most difficult situations. She should try to suppress her automatic good feeling towards people who treat her well, applying a cooler perception to the reality of the situation. Tending to take on too much at one time she can find herself overloaded and unable to keep her commitments. Her own personal feelings in relationships and decision making are trusted by her and used to the exclusion of more objective data. Because she is rather easily distracted, she may have difficulty disciplining herself to complete the task at all costs.

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

The biggest work takeaway suggestion was that I need to focus on getting my shit done and not get distracted with the new shiny task. My biggest overall takeaway are the blind spots of course which is the story of my life working on myself for the last year. I feel so attacked!

Anyway, it was super cool, and if you know me, you probably agree with these things.

I get into these moods where I’m obsessed with certain cultural foods for weeks or months at a time, and I go back and forth most often between Japanese, Mexican, and Indian (though Naf Naf is Middle Eastern, and they have the best hummus and falafel, I don’t make that at home). I love very specific things about each of the basic flavors, but I feel like I can’t be focusing in both at the same time because they are just *so* different.

For the last couple months before school got out, I was on a Mexican kick. Black beans, avocado, tomatoes and cumin were my main staples. Now I’m back to wanting rice and noodles, seaweed, light soups and *gasp* eggs. I haven’t eaten eggs since I was traumatized watching “What the Health?” I live mostly a vegan lifestyle anyway, so to stop eating eggs wasn’t that big of a leap when I wasn’t consuming them that often. I’ve noticed that I don’t really miss anything anymore after I stop eating it.

The thing I consume that makes me not vegan is cheese - usually sheep or goat but occasionally cow, especially if I’m eating out. I used to be obsessed with cheese; living just a 10-minute drive from Wisconsin, I have access to a lot of high-quality cheese. However, once I stopped eating it regularly, the cravings for it diminished after a few months. Even now when I eat it am I rarely dying for it. It adds a nice texture or flavor to certain dishes, but otherwise I prefer it plain, like a snack. Dairy is in most foods if you’re eating at a restaurant, and I go out enough that it makes sense to just call me vegetarian vs vegan.

I digress.

I spent the day reading through a book I have with Japanese recipes, “Japanese Women Don’t Get Old or Fat,” just because I enjoy the book, and gathering ideas for recipes I wanted to make. Of course I skipped the recipes with meat and fish, and found a vegetarian Dashi recipe online (though when I eat at any Asian restaurant I assume the soup base has fish stock and that’s okay with me).

Then I spent the entire afternoon meandering through grocery stores - Whole Foods, my local co-op, and a local Asian market (“Ha Tien”) that I’ve never actually been in. Most of the food there was Vietnamese or Laotian, but there were sections for Japanese and Korean foods too (though mostly junk food). I finally was able to get enoki mushrooms, which are often out of stock at the co-ops, whole daikon, a cute soup bowl, some various seaweed types, dragon fruit, and decent rice. Ha Tien also had a surprisingly robust selection of “vegan seafood” in the frozen section. I couldn’t read any of the ingredients so I don’t actually know what any of them were comprised of. Having never developed a taste for seafood, I wasn’t willing to try any out, but that was pretty fascinating.

Shopping took forever because in the Asian market I had to move very slowly to determine each section’s wares and look closely at the labels, and I was constantly in the way of a man trying to vacuum the floor. Literally wherever I set my cart, he would mysteriously appear. Maybe he was following me, lol. All the cashiers could have been students of mine, but I didn’t see anyone I knew - I would guess most of my Hmong families shop at Hmong village (a huge indoor market with homemade clothing stalls, beauty supplies, various electronics services and hot food stands) because it has a much much larger selection of fresh produce, but I don’t think it has much in the way of noodles, spices and meat.

Things I wanted but did not find:
-shiso
-Kiriboshi

My Japanese-food (or Korean or other Asian food) consuming friends, some questions out of curiosity:
1. What are your Japanese food go-tos? What do you make most often at home? What is your daily food routine?
2. How do you make your tea?I drink a lot of tea, and I use a metal electric kettle, but I have very hard water so mineral build-up happens quickly. I’m curious how others deal with these annoyances. Also, what IS your favorite tea (anyone answer! I’m curious)?
3. For how long do you store rice, and how do you keep it from getting hard (or how do you rehydrate it)? In the book, the woman adds green tea to her leftover rice. I’m curious if that’s common or not.
4. What are your favorite noodles and why?
5. What are your favorite spices or accoutrements that you add to your cooking to make it flavorful?
6. There’s that Japanese trope of eating toast while in the go, what kind of bread do you consume? I don’t eat that much bread, but when I do it’s a sprouted kind with nuts and it’s amazing.
7. Do you cook rice on the stove or in a rice cooker? If you have a rice cooker, what kind? Do you rinse your rice even when the directions say you don’t have to? Do you soak your rice? I currently use a Zojirushi 3-cup simple rice cooker, but I’ve always been really interested in the more expensive, high-tech rice cookers. I almost always rinse my rice no matter what, so the starches don’t get everywhere. I only soak specific short-grain rice, overnight.

I got home pretty late, and Steve just had a new TV delivered for us. We bought a 47” back in like 2010, which we used for quite some time. Eventually it broke, and we used a hand-me-down plain tv of similar size for the next several years. Steve’s gotten to the point of wanting to play his state-of-the-art games on a state-of-the-art tv, and I don’t blame him. He did a lot of research because we haven’t owned a new TV in almost a decade, and he settled on a TCL 65” that is considered the best value for its quality and size. The TV is really nice, about $750USD, and it’s of course huge. The picture is beautiful, but we noticed like... dark patches, when you pan side to side. Steve did some research, and it turns out this is called “dirty screen” phenomenon, and is very common on these TVs. Most people don’t care because it’s not a huge issue, but it’s very noticeable once you see it. Steve and I debated the merits of using the warranty to get a replacement or get it fixed, but at this point I think we’re actually going to trade it out for a more expensive Sony that’s the same size and is more reliable, albeit more expensive.

Taken from xlovebecomesher

1. What’s your name?
Leah

2. Are you named after anyone?
Nope, my mom was going to name me Jennifer up until I was born, then decided it was too common and gave it as my middle name and thought Leah sounded nice. Her maiden name is Lee, but I don't think it has a significant connection.

3. Do you have any siblings?
Brothers James (6 years older), Joe (5 years older), Adam (2 years younger), August (11 years younger), Jack (13 years younger); Sister Bethany (4 years younger).

4. Where did you grow up?
Shakopee, MN and Columbia Heights, MN.

5. What activities did you do in high school?
Well, high school in Shakopee starts in 10th grade, and I was only in high school for 10th and 11th grade. I was in band, principal trombone. I was part of pep band for sports games, and jazz band. I raised money for a trip to Spain for Spanish class? I guess an activity I did for my senior year was move 4 hours away, alone, to attend the University of MN in Duluth and then come back to graduate. I was much more active in junior high, lol.

6. Where did you go to college?
University of Minnesota Duluth/University of North Dakota/Metropolitan State University (Undergrad)
Bethel University, University of Wisconsin - River Falls (grad school)

7. What activities did you do in college?
My freshman year I was part of GSA. Uh... I donated blood every 56 days? I was an insomniac so I fell asleep in common areas and classrooms frequently. Oh! I was on a co-ed ultimate frisbee league my first year at UMD! At UND I played a lot of WoW and worked. When I attended Metro Kiki and them lived nearby so I partied with them pretty often.

8. What did you study in college?
Undergrad - Education/Nursing/Psychology/Social Work (technically "Community violence prevention and intervention with a focus on family violence")
Grad - Special Education/Secondary Montessori Education

9. What was your first job out of college?
I had worked in adult foster care while going to college and I interned at a youth homeless shelter. When I got my degree I was already working in intensive rehab therapy (transition from mental ward to placement), and they took too long to interview me for an open position case managing — actually they told me they were legit gonna take their time filling the position because they didn't want to pay anyone for it — so I got a job with Mental Health Resources as a county case worker for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness.

10. What kind of music do you like?
90's alternative, pop, some screamo, punk

11. What’s one hobby that you’d like to take up?
I have plenty of hobbies; I just learned to weave — I suppose I'd like to be better at that.

12. What did you think you wanted to be when you grew up?
A writer or a lawyer <---- Me too!!

13. What’s the biggest project on your to-do list right now?
Finish Steve's birthday shenanigans and make food!

14. Do you have any irrational fears?
I have nightmares about Jurassic park and dinosaurs more often than is probably normal. Oh I'm definitely irrationally afraid of being dead/losing my consciousness.

15. Have you ever traveled outside the country? If so, where and when?
Mexico in 2001, 2005 (twice, on opposite sides of the country) and 2017; Canada in 1999 (and I'm sure other times briefly that I don't remember — we live only 5 hours from the border), and Spain in 2005.

16. When’s your next vacation and where are you going?
Last week of August, DisneyWorld and Universal with Steve, Ben, and Sean!

17. Do you speak any other languages?
Nope. I can understand some Spanish still and I know phrases in Japanese but that's all.

18. What’s one talent that you wish you had?
Waking up feeling refreshed and motivated.

19. What’s something that you wish you did more of?
Travel

20. If you weren’t in your current job, what would you want to be doing?
NOTHING. I would want to sit at home and do my hobbies and enjoy my life.

Taken from

meringues first

1. Have you ever driven an electric car?
Nope

2. Do you live in an area that is prone to tornadoes?
Kind of, we are on the very northern edge of "tornado alley," the strip of the country that gets a lot of tornadoes from April-June. I've seen a bunch of green skies and twirling vortex clouds in my life, and went to the basement for safety in high winds several times, but I've never IN PERSON seen a tornado touch down and stay down. I've seen a couple where they touched down for a few seconds, but then receded. I've also seen one waterspout (touchdown on water).

3. How many closets does your house have?
1 in each bedroom (4), 1 in each living room (2), 1 hall closet, and 1 in one of my bathrooms... that's a lot, lol. 8!

4. When was the last time you saw someone you went to high school with?
A year ago? That was weird, realizing I talk to my high school best friend very infrequently and see a couple others on snapchat, but IN PERSON, like, never!

5. Have you ever eaten moussaka?
I don't even know what it is! I've heard of it but that's it.

6. What breed was the last dog you saw?
Golden Retriever!

7. How long have your parents been together (or how long were they together, if they no longer are)?
My parents were together off and on from like the ages of 12 to 26, and they were married for 8 years.

8. What has been your most epic cooking failure?
One time in 2009 Steve and I were making a homemade taco pizza, which ended up being SUPER heavy with taco meat, cheese, olives, tomatoes, lettuce, etc. I went to take it out of the oven, I was unprepared for the weight of it and ended up flipping the ENTIRE thing over onto the oven door and bottom of the oven. Imagine hot pizza sizzling on hot oven (and my dinner delayed lol). I remember thinking that if I was still with Dan, it would have been a horrible nightmare where he'd have gotten mad and we probably would have fought about it, but Steve hugged me and laughed and teased me and helped me clean it up.

9. Do you read other people's survey answers on here?
I read them as I'm filling out my own!

10. What's your bedtime routine?
Make tea, turn on Hearthstone, snuggle Steve/cats.

11. Do you agree with the saying 'distance makes the heart grow fonder'?
To an extent. As they say in Robinhood, "Or forgetful."

12. Have you ever been to Mexico?
Four times - twice to Cancun, once to Mazatlan, once to Playa del Carmen.

13. Do you have a bad temper?
Naturally, yes. I've trained myself to be better.

14. When was the last time it stormed where you live?
Last night.

15. Do you ever fact-check the things you read on the internet?
I try to!

16. How long would it take you to walk to the nearest store?
About 10-15 minutes.

17. What five words best describe your mother's personality?
Needy, dorky, active, organized, easygoing, not-a-mom

18. Do you know any transgender people?
Yep

19. What's your dream job?
NOT WORKING. I love to knit and teach, but not full-time.

20. How old were you when you got your first smartphone?
God, I don't even know. 24/25?

21. Have you ever had a parrot sit on your shoulder?
Not that I remember.

22. In the morning, do you eat breakfast first or brush your teeth first?
Brush my teeth.

23. What's something you had to learn the hard way?
Long division, lol.

24. What sort of window coverings do you have in your living room?
SUPER old-fashioned custom curtains with a floral pattern that need replacing.

25. Has anyone in your life ever treated you abusively?
Parents, boyfriends, friends. I don't allow anyone to do so anymore though.

26. What's the weather like right now?
Partly sunny and moderate.

27. How long has it been since your last breakup?
9 years.

28.Can you concentrate well while listening to music, or do you find it distracting?
Depends on my mood and the song. Sometimes the music is really nothing but good background noise, and sometimes I burst into song. <---This!

29.What's the name of the amusement park closest to your house?
Nickelodeon Universe in the Mall of America

30.Do you like The Rolling Stones?
Not really

31.What was the last single item you spent over $100 on?
A game for Steve.

32.What's something you've been struggling with lately?
Motivation to work and not fall insanely behind, irritability.

33.What was the last caffeinated drink you had?
Drinking coffee at this second.

BASIC INFORMATION

NAME: Leah
AGE AND BIRTHDATE: 31; 19 November
LOCATION: Minnesota, United States

INSIGHTS: Yellow - Helping Inspirer (if you really want a good overview on my personality, go here)

HARRY POTTER HOUSE: Slytherin

YOUR LIVEJOURNAL USERNAME MEANING: It's my initials!

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
EDUCATION: Bachelor of Human Services in Community Violence Prevention and Intervention, with a focus on Family Violence; minor in Psychology (2010)
Master of Arts in Special Education (2017)
Master of Arts in Secondary Montessori Education (2015)

OCCUPATION: As of June 2019, I work at a Big 10 University in Technology Training and I LOVE it. Prior to that I was a Special Education math teacher for Middle School (loved the kids, hated the system).

OCCUPATIONAL HISTORY: Personal Care Assistant (PCA), Adult Mental Health Case Manager, Mental Health Behavior Specialist, Multiple Needs Para, 1:1 Severe-Profound Autism Para, Certified Nursing Assistant (Alzheimer's), Behavior Specialist in Adult Foster Care. Other/side jobs: GameStop Associate, Bath and Body Works Cashier, Skateville Cashier, JCPenney Young Men's Associate, Michael's Frame Shop Associate, Game Operator at Valleyfair! Amusement Park.

I have worked a lot of jobs because I want to experience a lot of things. ^_^

FAMILY
SPOUSE: Steve and I have been dating since May 2009. A long time. A GREAT time. He's the most amazing person I have ever had the pleasure to meet and be with. We click, we're good companions, and share a lot of passion. I am insanely lucky.

PARENTS: My parents knew each other since they were kids and married less than a month after my mom turned 18. They had me when they were 19 and 20. They have been divorced since I was 6, and I was relieved when they got divorced because it was awful when they were together. My mom remarried a man named Paul in 1997. My dad remarried a woman named Pam around the same time; they divorced 14 years later. My dad remarried a woman named Tammy a few years ago who is a much better fit for him.

SIBLINGS:

Full-blood sister (Bethany) 27 (who has a husband and two kids)

Half brother (August) from Mom/Paul who is 21

Half brother (Jack) from Dad/Pam who is 19

3 stepbrothers from Pam who, for all intents and purposes are my brothers and have been almost my whole life - James (37), Joe (36), and Adam (29).

PETS: I have two cats - brothers I have had since they were 6 weeks old (2007) and are now 12 years old. Grim is black and Nero (Habanero) is orange.

KIDS: I have no desire to have children. I ESPECIALLY have no desire to carry or bear children; the idea horrifies me to my very core. I don't like babies, generally, either. All my "kid" needs are met by my nieces and nephews, and of course through teaching and basically adopting my students.

IDENTITY AND BELIEFS
SEXUAL ORIENTATION/RELATIONSHIP IDEAS/BELIEFS: I am attracted to people as people, and I'm a nonmonogamous person who is with a monogamous partner. We recently went through two big situations over the course of 2018 and the beginning of 2019 as a result of never really having had any courageous conversations about my orientation, and I had relationships with a few other people long-term, rationalizing my behavior HARD by convincing myself I was in an open relationship without actually talking to Steve about it.

We went to couples and individual therapy, and we have worked REALLY hard on repairing the harm. We also do individual therapy, and now Steve knows everything I have done and with whom, and we're in a much more honest and open place. I feel empowered within my relationship because Steve isn't asking me to say I'm something I'm not, and he gives me the space to learn and grow within my nonmonogamy label without being threatened by it, even after everything we went through.

ABUSE/TRIGGERS: I have triggers of sexual assault and anything sad with animals. I grew up receiving verbal and sometimes physical abuse from my stepdad Paul. I loved him more than anything though until 2008, when I was raped. When I told my parents about it, I was met with blame and more abuse and it ultimately led to a huge falling out. My mom gave me a half-hearted apology in 2015, and Paul gave me a very heartfelt apology in July of 2017. My rapist apologized in 2013.

MENTAL HEALTH: I've been at a pretty good place the last couple of years - my low moods typically don't last longer than a month (yay!). I live in a world with a baseline of constant anxiety, but mostly at this point it's managing ADHD and dealing with my trauma. Mental illness has ravaged my family, with the most common being paranoia (including delusions and psychosis), anxiety (and OCD), depression, and abandonment issues.

POLITICAL LEANING: Human rights forever. I feel very strongly about taking care of people. You won't find any bootstraps bullshit here.

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Agnostic. My dad and stepdad were raised Catholic and my mom was raised in Scientology - she never practiced it as an adult but her dad did his whole life until he died in 2016, and her mom has tried out everything from crystal healing and tarot to being a Jehovah's Witness. I am afraid of dying in the sense that I'm terrified of losing my amazing life and I don't want to lose my consciousness (I panic about that pretty much every day, literally). I'm very nebulously spiritual - I sense the connectedness in things, I low-key believe in the healing power of rocks, the power of your energy/vibes, if you put out the energy for something, you'll get that energy back, etc.

DIETARY: Vegetarian for 5 years, considering addng small amounts of meat for nutrients and balance.

BODY IMAGE: I, like many women, have struggled with my body image my whole life. I am short and small as a whole, but I'm made of larger-style parts. One of my friends refers to me as "low-key fat" XD In my friends group I am affectionately known as being made up of traffic cones - narrow end appendages that get thicker close to my body. Think Patrick Star. I attract people all the time, and a few years ago it started to click and I have really made an effort to stop being hard on myself.

TATTOOS: Tattoos are a major part of my life and identity (in my tags: tattoo). I currently have 9 (10 if you include my soot sprites as separate entities even though they were later embedded within my sleeve). Half of my tattoos are actually cartoons.

Gir from Invader Zim on both my feet

Furude Rika from Higurashi on my back

A sleeve dedicated to Studio Ghibli on my left arm

The koi, Tui and La, from Avatar: The Last Airbender.

A small scorpion I got when I turned 18 (to represent being a Scorpio)

A poem for a friend of mine who died by suicide in 2009

The logo from the middle school I taught at

Birds and “Love conquers all” on it (from Disney’s Robin Hood).

I am an extremely non-regretful person over tattoos. I never felt sorry that I got that love tattoo when I was with my ex. It’s just a tattoo I have. I love tattoos, and I plan to keep getting them until I physically can’t anymore.

LEISURE AND INTERESTS
HOBBIES:

Knitting (I'm very good)

Reading (seriously I could spend my life reading and never talking to anyone again and I would be 100% content)

Playing A LOT of dance games - think DanceDance Revolution but it's called In The Groove [ITG]

Playing/watching my friends play video games

Doing yoga, watching the same shows over and over, cooking.

Really, I can be convinced to like anything if given enough exposure.

RANDOM ENJOYMENTS: Amusement parks, physical comedy, sleeping, watching speedruns on Twitch, sunshine, sending memes to friends, going to farmer's markets

LIVEJOURNAL
HOW WELL DOES YOUR LIVEJOURNAL REPRESENT WHO YOU ACTUALLY ARE?: I think my LJ is generally a good representation of who I am with gaps in time. I might make others look better than they are, but not usually myself. Sometimes I feel like if I write about a thing, it makes it *real*, so I avoid it
.
HOW MUCH ABOUT YOUR LIFE DO YOU POST TO LJ?: Basically everything. I make a few private entries here and there, but I like to share everything, because I like when others do the same. There are times when I just don't think of putting something on LJ, but that's usually an accident.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU REFUSE TO POST ABOUT?: Not really. I don't get political on LJ other than passing comments.

HOW DID YOU COME TO FIND LJ?: My friend Suzi gave me a LiveJournal code back in the days when they were a thing - 2003. Prior to that I had blogged on Blurty (and loved the classic HTML-style of being able to modify the page). Oh the good-old basic HTML days :) I journaled on GreatestJournal during my high school and early college years, and I was in the process of moving my entries over when GJ went off the grid. I lost 2-3 solid years.

WHAT PROPORTION OF YOUR POSTS ARE FRIENDS ONLY?: 98%. Habit from being a teacher. I also make entries about my family friends-only.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU RESPOND TO/READ OTHER PEOPLE'S JOURNALS?: I always read other journals, and I comment when I have something to add or if I want to provide support. I definitely "heart" journals to show that I read them and give support, but I'm not sure what to add.

HAVE YOU EVER HAD SOMETHING MEAN SAID TO YOU OR BEEN STALKED, HARASSED, OR GOT INTO TROUBLE AS A RESULT OF LJ?: When I was in high school, a girl who hated me pored through my GreatestJournal and copy/pasted every mean thing I said about our band director into one huge document and presented it to him, who in turn gave it to the principal, who in turn scheduled a mediation. The band director told me to my face that he was afraid I would murder him and his wife (not only was I 5'2, 110 pounds at the time but I never once threatened his life on my journals, just talked about how much I hated him). The prinicipal told me he thought the information needed to be turned over to the police until I pointed out that the broken sentences weren't a psycho rant, but had been gleaned from YEARS' worth of entries. Then his entire tone changed and he was fine. The director took it very personally though. Thankfully this happened late into my junior year and I did PSEO for my senior year, 3 hours away. Otherwise band would have been incredibly awkward.

IS YOUR SPOUSE ON LJ? DO THEY READ YOURS?: No and sometimes. Steve is interested in my LJ and reads occasionally. He keeps a Backloggery of all of our video games (at the time of this writing we own 3145 games, less than 200 of which are digital) and that's his online persona, along with Twitter (which I don't use).

( Vanity + Cats + Etc. )

Current Mood: bouncy
Current Music: Earl Grey

A. People who have been tagged must write the answers on their blog and replace any question they dislike with a new, original question.

B. Tag people. Don't refuse to do that. Don't tag who tagged you.

silver_tiamat,

sambanova,

namidanotsuki ... You guys are really all I'm friends with on LJ! >_<

1. How many clowns would it take to freak you out? Or, what does freak you out?
I'm not afraid of clowns, but I don't *like* them. They ARE weird. What freaks me out is velociraptors, courtesy of Jurassic Park. THERE IS NO WAY TO BEAT THEM. They will always be more clever and have more friends than me, so I would lose to them every time and get my flesh torn off.

2. What is your favorite card game?
...Tetra Master from FFIX? Anyone? I played that game soooo much! I was actually disappointed that my competitors didn't have the variety of cards I wanted. Otherwise I like Progressive Rummy, and Uno. And Apples to Apples if that counts.

3. Are the undies you're wearing right now age appropriate?
Yes? Aren't they always? Cutesy bikinis. They got peace signs.

4. What's the last new thing you watched?
I watched the anime School Days. It starts out super cute, and pretty graphics, and then just spirals out of control. It's only 12 episodes. All of my friends watched it before me and told me how sad I was going to be, but... I wasn't. Barely at all. I was far more angry/annoyed/shocked/confused than sad. The main character is a douchebag and reaps what he sowed. I woulda punched him in the face so hard if I was in that universe! I wanted to watch it since everyone else has seen it, and because it sounded a lot like Higurashi or Clannad. I enjoyed it, and the icon I'm using for this entry is a screencap I took from an episode, but I wouldn't want to watch it again, probably ever.

5. You have to be somewhere on the fourth floor of a building. Do you take the lift/elevator?
Only if I'm unsure where the stairs are, or if I'm with someone who chooses the elevator. Walking is always acceptable!

6. How do you feel about your reflection?
Not so good. Especially when Steve said, "You have more of a double-chin when you're over 130, but it's not a *bad* thing!" XD He said it genuinely and I wasn't mad at him, but I hate when the things I think about myself are true. Haaaate myself right now. I was getting really excited about the weather so I could go running/walking or something, and then it freezing rained/sleeted tonight and we're back to shitty, slushy, icy bullshit.

7. What are you thinking about right now?
Steve, and what I want to be doing at work tonight. And how I just spilled tea on my shirt because I can never aim the mug at my mouth properly.

8. Write the first word that comes to mind.
Word.

9. Dog person or cat person?
Cats fa sho! They're the best.

10. If you came across $2,000 (or other currency) would you keep it or turn it in?
Depends where I found it. If I found it in a random parking lot, I wouldn't know where to turn it in. Especially at places like that, they usually get to keep it if no one claims it. Even if I turned it into the cops, is the person really going to go looking for it there? And wtf, is it CASH? Who loses $2000 in cash? But yeah, if it was a high amount, I'd put a claim on it and turn it into the police station I suppose.

11. What was the last thing that you bought?
Groceries!

12. If you could afford to go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Japan!

13. Where do you see yourself in five years?
Hopefully moving to the west, like Oregon :D Otherwise, maybe getting with-child (or adopting), being successful at my career, owning a house.

14. Last book you've read?
"Skinny Chicks Don't Eat Salads" by Christine Avanti. Otherwise I read Strawberry Panic manga (it just ENDS. Like, they didn't get funding to finish the series or something. It was not cool)

15. What are you doing this weekend?
Possibly going rollerblading at the Metrodome with some family, and going out to dinner to celebrate my new job. Otherwise, I think we're just packing and relaxing.

16. What do you do to cheer yourself up after a bad day?
I sleep, or vent, or cuddle. Usually all of them. Especially if Steve has to work, I love laying in bed with the cats as my company. I pet Grim and bury my face in his fur and breathe his lovely kitty smell. I'll usually have a random show I love in the background. If it's summer, I might lay outside listening to music or go for a walk. I also like going to the bookstore and picking out a new book, whether it's manga, fiction, or whatever I'm passionate about at the time (currently it's cooking and nutrition!). Or buying a game.

17. How are you?
I'm getting better! I had a breakdown a couple days ago - not a big one, but one where I just had too much built up and I leaked for awhile and talked it out with Steve and resolved to get out of my depression spiral. I even didn't take a 3-hour nap yesterday! It's a feat when you think about how I've been living for the past month. I'm super dissatisfied with my body, though, and it's affecting me a lot. I might be making excuses but I currently truly believe that once I can get OUTSIDE (in NOT 30-degree or lower weather - I need it to be warm), that I will be able to lose weight again.

Current Mood: bouncy
Current Music: Earl Grey

silver_tiamat,

sambanova,

Current Location: work

Fill this out and repost for me to fill out! I wanna get to know peeps on my friends list. And it's a great way to waste time and be a tad narcissistic without feeling guilty ;)

01) Are you currently in a serious relationship?
02) What was your dream growing up?
03) What talent do you wish you had?
04) If I bought you a drink what would it be?
05) Favorite vegetable?
06) What was the last book you read?
07) What zodiac sign are you?
08) Any Tattoos and/or Piercings? Explain where.
09) Worst Habit?
10) If you saw me walking down the street would you offer me a ride?
11) What is your favorite sport?
12) Do you have a Pessimistic or Optimistic attitude?
13) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me?
14) Worst thing to ever happen to you?
15) Tell me one weird fact about you.
16) Do you have any pets?
17) What if I showed up at your house unexpectedly?
18) What was your first impression of me?
19) Do you think clowns are cute or scary?
20) If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be?
21) Would you be my crime partner or my conscience?
22) What color eyes do you have?
23) Ever been arrested?
24) Bottle or can soda?
25) If you won $10,000 today, what would you do with it?
26) What's your favorite place to hang out at?
27) Do you believe in ghosts?
28) Favorite thing to do in your spare time?
29) Do you swear a lot?
30) Biggest pet peeve?
31) In one word, how would you describe yourself?
32) Do you believe/appreciate romance?
33) Favorite and least favorite food?
34) Do you believe in God?
35) Will you re-post this so I can fill it out and do the same for you?