This is just random crap about me, cribbed from two similar memes I did on LJ.


1.  I believe in reincarnation, and throughout my life I have been drawn to certain areas and things without really knowing why, especially the Titanic, Gettysburg, and the Scottish Highlands.  I sincerely feel I lived in these places.

2.  In one of the book series I am working on, I am taking a page from Tolkien, and developing a language, including grammar rules.  It won't be nearly as in-depth as Elvish, but it does have quite a bit of work in it.

3.  I can purr.  Seriously.

4.  I played trombone from fifth grade through my senior year of college.  We didn't have an orchestra at my small school, but I participated in marching band, jazz band, pep band, concert band, trombone choir, and in solo and ensemble contests.

5.  My love of costuming started at the Lord of the Rings Trilogy Tuesday event, when I saw so many amazing costumes . . . that others had made from scratch!  I had never had any interest in sewing until then; now I love it.  And I am still friends with quite a few of the people I met at the theatre that day.

6.  My favorite movie of all time is Ever After.  I've been entranced with it ever since I saw it in the theatre opening night.  My VHS tape literally broke from use because I watched it so much in college (it has since been replaced with a DVD version).  Not only are the costumes stunning, the prince handsome, the music lovely, and it has da Vinci in it (one of my favorite historical figures) but it affirms my belief that I will find my true love someday.

7.  Sweeney Todd is a fascination of mine.  My mother introduced me to the Sondheim musical when I was ten, and I quickly fell in love with it.  I currently have seen two versions of the show live, have four versions on DVD (Lansbury/Hearn, Tim Burton, Ray Winstone, and the PBS special), six books (including the novelization of the original penny dreadful series and the complete libretto of the musical), two versions on CD, and several collectible pieces (I love the razor replica from the movie).

8.  I've always enjoyed the theatre, but never wanted to be onstage.  I worked the lights for two years in high school, and then my English teacher (who served as the director for the plays) convinced me to try out for the senior play.  I was only in the chorus, but only because I was insistent on not having a speaking role.  I was told that I would have had a supporting role if I had wanted it.  Now I wish I had gone for it, because I had a great time.  Once I move and get my finances in order, I would like to get into community theatre.

9.  For the past three years, I have made 95% of the Thanksgiving dinner by myself (the exception was the gravy).

10.  My favorite color is midnight blue.  The colors rounding out my top five are silver, bronze, royal purple, and dark teal.

11.  Most people know how much I love books, especially fantasy novels, but only a few know that one of my favorite authors is Charles Dickens.  I try to read A Tale of Two Cities every couple of years, and I read "A Christmas Carol" every Christmas Eve.  I also enjoy Victor Hugo and Herman Melville.

12.  My dream house would be surrounded by forest, with a brook nearby and the only sounds those of nature.  I garner much of my strength from nature, so to be immersed in it would be simply amazing.  Add a small stable with four or five horses and some riding/hiking trails and my little slice of heaven is complete.

13.  I traveled by myself for my first sojourn overseas - my trip to Scotland in July 2007.  I joined up with my tour group the day after I arrived, where we visited several Harry Potter based sites.  We even got our copies of Deathly Hallows at midnight in Edinburgh at the bookstore where Jo Rowling used to pass by on her way to the cafe where she wrote part of Philosopher's Stone, often stopping to look in the windows, dreaming to one day see her book in print there.  It was an amazing trip, and I still talk to a couple of the people I met there. My favorite purchase from Scotland was the complete set of the Harry Potter books in hardcover in the British editions.  So many wonderful experiences *wistful sigh*

14.  I graduated Valedictorian of my high school, and the speech I wrote for the occasion was even published in the local paper.  (So technically, I AM a published writer - LOL).  I compared the years of high school and the people there as the production of a film.  Even after almost 12 years, I am still proud of that speech, and my accomplishment.

15.  Roller coasters!  Whee - I love them!  The bigger, the better.  I haven't been to a theme park in years, but I freaking love Cedar Point, especially since it is only about 2 1/2 hours from here.  They simply have the best coasters, and so many to choose from.

16.  My favorite (specific) animals are the Arabian horse, the Siamese cat, the Bengal tiger, the Irish setter, and the golden eagle.

17.  I am a member of a sorority.  I joined Kappa Delta when I was in college, and held several offices, including Sergeant-at-Arms, Secretary, and Chapter Excellence Chairman.

18.  I attended Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH (Go Falcons!) and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.  I majored in Computer Art and minored in Painting (specializing in oils).  If I could have afforded to go a fifth year, I would have added a minor in Photography and a second major in Art History.

19.  Speaking of Art History, besides the two core classes I took, I also took classes that focused on Japanese, Chinese, Indian, and Southeast Asian art.  In order to better understand the symbolism of the art, we learned the basics of Buddhism and Hinduism.  These studies led to my fascination with different religions.

20.  I love being out in nature, especially in forests.  I also love ponds, rivers, and lakes.

21.  I will be attending DragonCon for the sixth year this year, and I plan on finally getting an Eternal Membership.

22.  My favorite type of movies are historical, action, sci-fi, and fantasy.  I also like many war movies and the occasional western.  Horror movies, however, I can do without.

23.  I've only been sewing for a little over four years, and out of everything I've made, only one thing has not been a costume (or for a costume) - and even that dress was based off of Fleur's Yule Ball gown from Goblet of Fire.

24.  I am addicted to Harry Potter - ask anyone who knows me well.  I got hooked in 2000 and have an extensive collection - many books, statues, wands, magazines, a few Noble Collection replicas, action figures, games, etc.  I have written several blogs about it, and am working on a novel-length fanfic.

25.  My favorite HP character is Snape, and I vouched for his loyalty to Dumbledore ever since Prisoner of Azkaban.  I even served as his defense attorney in a mock trial that was put on at a local convention - and yes, I won!

26.  My favorite food is potatoes.  I love potatoes!  Mashed are my biggest weakness, but baked, broiled, parsleyed, sauteed, fried, whatever, equals yum in my book.

27.  I love to cook and bake.  One of the things I am looking forward to when I move is making meals for my friends.  Cheesecakes are what I love to make the most, even if they aggravate me by cracking occasionally.

28.  I drive a 2000 blue Toyota Camry.  My previous car was a 1991 blue Toyota Camry.  Any guesses as to what my third car will probably be?  ;)

29.  I have a custom license plate that says RAVNCLW.

30.  I am a book fiend.  I usually read about 50 books a year, plus 6-7 different magazines on top of that (several of these weeklies).  My favorite genres are fantasy, sci-fi, history (medieval, Asian, Renaissance, Civil War, and Edwardian), biographies of Civil War personages, and anything else that strikes my fancy (I have books on ships, New Orleans cemeteries, haunted Ohio, the development of the chariot, and astrology).

31.  As a Civil War buff, I want to see as many battlefields as possible.  I've been to two so far - Chickamauga and Gettysbug, but plan on visiting at least three new ones this summer.

32.  I've always grown up with both cats and dogs, with no fewer than two of each at any time.  It will be weird when I move not to be surrounded by animals.

33.  I adore horses and am a fairly good rider.  I used to ride my neighbor's horses when I was young, and I leased a horse for eight months when I was in sixth grade.  I've mostly ridden Western, but have some experience in English as well.  Someday I want to own several horses, and learn how to jump, learn basic dressage, and drive.

34.  Horse racing is another interest of mine.  I try to watch the Triple Crown races every year, and I still enjoy a good fiction or reference book about the racing world.

35.  As a night owl, I tend to be grumpy in the mornings.  In a perfect world, I would be up from 10am to 2am.

36.  I do not like Mexican food.  Which is strange because I've liked almost every other cuisine I've tried, including Indian, Greek, British, and Japanese.

37.  If I won the lottery, the first thing I would do is pay off all my debts.  Then I would invest some into savings and other secure methods.  Then I would set up some scholarship funds, donate some to charity, commission the building of a cottage in the woods, and then go traveling for a couple of months.