[ about me ] @ eclectic

About Me

I think the title of this page pretty much speaks for itself, so without further ado...

The Basics

My immediate family is small, but we're pretty close.

I would describe my personality as easygoing with a dry sense of humor. I like to learn new things. I'm comfortable expressing myself in writing, so blogging and email are ways I like to communicate. Face-to-face, I'm usually pretty quiet until I get to know a person.

I love music, especially electric guitar music, and the music from the '80s.

I have a degree in civil engineering, and I worked in that field for two and a half years before I was laid off. Now, I'm exploring other options for employment, because I'm not sure engineering is for me after all.

I'm single, and I don't really see myself getting married.

My biggest dream is to own a home.

Looks-wise, I have gray-blue eyes and light brown hair that looks red in sunlight. As you can probably guess, with that coloring I do not tan well.

I am a born-again Christian, but as I've read it phrased, I'm one of those cool kind of Christian that you hardly ever hear about. I feel strongly about my beliefs, but I don't bash people over the head with them. I hope that what I write reflects that I'm an imperfect person who struggles at times but whose faith gives me hope and strength to face each day.

While I think that no one word can describe any person 100%, here are a few that I think suit me: analytical, blessed, curious, dependable, eclectic, frugal, imaginative, joyful, logical, optimistic, reserved, thinker (often an overthinker).

Timeline

I was born on October 1st at 11:47 pm - or so I'm told anyway - in a smallish Alabama town.
Both of my grandmothers died before I was born. Both of my grandfathers have passed on as well.
When I was in third grade, I had the chicken pox.
Sometime around 1995 I became a vegetarian.
In 1998, my father died.
I started my first website in April of 2001.
I graduated from college in May of 2004 with a major in civil engineering and a minor in math.
I've been dating my current boyfriend since August of 2005.
My most recent period of unemployment was from January to October of 2009.

Those Things I Do

I ...
... have kept a journal since 1985. Not the same book, of course.
... have journaled on-line (or at least on the computer) since the year 2000.
... enjoy using the Internet.
... take pictures frequently.
... usually exercise at least twice a week.
... don't smoke, drink, or do drugs.
... maintain that I'm odd enough without any chemical assistance. ;)
... stay pretty busy.
... notice things employees do at restaurants.
... obsess over on famous people.
... am ridiculously expressive.
... have been accused of being goofy.
... think being goofy can make a person more interesting.
... love to make people laugh.
... tend to answer questions in complete sentences.
... try to learn from my mistakes.
... don't follow trends.
... recycle whenever I can.
... drive way too much.
... like to sing while I drive.
... also sing in the choir at my church.
... dance - privately, at home - when good music is on.
... usher from time to time at a local playhouse. They don't pay me, but I get to see plays, ballets, etc. for free.
... have painted most of the rooms at my mom's house.
... also painted the exterior trim.
... can read sheet music, thanks to two years of junior high chorus.
... play chess, but I'm pretty average.
... have been white-water rafting several times at the Nantahala River in North Carolina.

Those Things I Think

An on-line IQ test that I took had this assessment of me: "...your Intellectual Type is Visual Mathematician. This means you are gifted at spotting patterns -- both in pictures and in numbers. These talents combined with your overall high intelligence make you good at understanding the big picture, which is why people trust your instincts and turn to you for direction -- especially in the workplace." I wouldn't say that the people at my workplace(s) trusted my instincts, but I definitely look for patterns in things.

I tend to indulge in "armchair psychology", or trying to figure out why people do what they do. This often helps me be more understanding and less angry.

I rarely get upset. I don't like to argue.

I have a mildly suspicious nature, so I don't post details like my real last name, my place of employment, pictures of my car, etc.

I believe that everyone should have to work in a position of public service (waitress, cashier, etc.) for at least a year.

As mentioned in the first section, I am usually pretty quiet around people that I don't know very well. Sometimes I will make small talk, but other times I try but I truly can't think of anything conversational to say. (Does that ever happen to anyone else?) So, if I'm ever around you and I don't chat much, please don't interpret that as a sign that I don't like you or that I'm a snob or something.

When I was in high school, I was especially quiet around boys that I had crushes on. (I have no idea why.) I always thought that the subtle glances that I would cast in their directions were very meaningful.

Trivia/Quirks

I actually like math.

I've never used an ATM.

I once appeared as a model in an ad for the clothing store where I worked.

I find myself remarkably unphotogenic.

I've had one perm, and it was a disaster.

I still have not found a consistently good way to wear my hair.

I hate watching the series finales of my favorite shows. In fact, once I taped a series finale and kept it for years before recording over it, without ever watching it. I figured that way, the show wouldn't end for me.

I am right-handed but I prefer to use the computer mouse with my left hand.

I've been diagnosed with the flu one time.

I don't like sodas; I drink them only when I'm sick or traveling. Or in the occasional root beer float.

I am not typically an impulse buyer.

I go to McDonald's twice a year - or less.

I can't stand to kill bugs; I usually catch them in something and put them outside.

Except for mosquitoes. As I see it, they make it personal when they try to take my own, personal blood.

I wore dresses and skirts more than pants for years because they were more comfortable for sitting all day at my job.

I earned an Associate's Degree in Interior Design, but that career field never really took off for me.

I was a telemarketer for one day. I quit because I found it unbearable.

I've also worked as a visual merchandiser at a clothing store, a waitress, a telephone secretary at an answering service, an interior decorator/salesperson at a paint store, an "undergraduate assistant" (in other words, a paper grader), a co-op student (I'd work full time for one semester - in a job related to my field - then go to school full-time for a semester), an administrative assistant, an auditor at an inventory company, and a "design technician".

I was fired from the answering service for being "too nice" to tell irate callers what they didn't want to hear.

One semester I worked three jobs.

I have been to Mississippi twice, and both times something bad has happened. The first time the guy who was driving us locked the keys in the truck. The second time the car I was riding in was in an accident; thankfully, no one was injured. Both times we was just passing through.

I've ridden in a hot air balloon, at a Cherry Blossom Festival in Macon, Georgia. The balloon remained tethered to the ground, and only went up 50 or so feet, but still, that counts as a ride in my book.

My graduating class consisted of approximately 45 people.

The *only* current television show that I watch is Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and I watch that only rarely.

Our family didn't have a color television until the mid 1980's. We still don't have cable, nor do we think of this as a hardship.

One of my grandmothers was half Cherokee. From the pictures that I have, that same grandmother looks exactly like my older sister.

My family has lived in the same house since 1985; it was designed and built by my grandfather in the late 1950's.

My sister won a microwave after purchasing a raffle ticket.

I've won two radio contests:
1) Listeners were to submit their Top Ten Reasons I Need a New Shopping Spree, and mine was a finalist, chosen out of "a phone book sized stack of entries." My prize was a $25 gift cert to a plaque/engraving shop, to me the bigger thrill was hearing my list read on the radio.
2) I won $100! The radio station had called our office a few weeks prior, asking if I wanted to enter: three times a day they'd say "We'd like to thank So and So for listening." When you heard your name, you called the station back within ten minutes. One Friday morning that I remembered to have the radio on, they called mine.

Great Performances?

In years past, I have enjoyed participating in various school and church plays. One of the earliest that I recall is our first grade production of the Three Little Pigs. I was chosen to be the smart pig - the one who built *her* house of brick. Not too much later, in fourth grade I was chosen to be one of the seven flies in the story of the Brave Little Taylor. I still recall the song we sang about "plummy plum plum" jam.

In sixth grade, our chorus performed Oliver Twist. I believe my favorite song from that play was "You've Got To Pick a Pocket or Two."

I was the second "boy" in our seventh grade version of Tom Sawyer. It was a chorus of all girls - even Tom Sawyer was played by my cousin Leigh Ann. Anyway, I was in the white-washing the fence scene and my line was "Here's a neat knife handle."

In high school, as part of the church youth group, I participated with singing roles in several Christmas plays including the critically acclaimed (lol) "I Was a Teenage Christmas Tree."

Most recently - a couple of years ago - I sang a solo in front of our church. On Sunday morning. I did *not* feel that it was good. People told me that I did a good job, but then again, what else are they going to say? The song was "Let Us Pray" by Steven Curtis Chapman. It's an awesome song - upbeat with a good message - and I did not do it justice.

Brushes with Greatness

In 1994(?) I was dating a guy named Russell who worked the 11 pm - 7 am shift at our local Chevron. I sometimes would hang out with him while he was working. It was always interesting to see who visited the gas station at that time of night. One time, a large luxury touring bus pulled in and the driver came in for some coffee. While Russell made some fresh coffee, we chatted with the driver who informed us that it was Tammy Wynette's bus. I was so impressed! I wished that she would come in for a visit - the driver informed me that she was asleep.

When I was working at Cracker Barrel, one of my fellow servers - Alicia - asked me if I thought that one of our customers looked like Steven Curtis Chapman. We discussed it back and forth, finally she went to ask him. It was! Alicia and I were pretty excited about that. The other servers wanted to know who he is. "A contemporary Christian singer." They weren't too impressed. I challenge them to hear his music and be unimpressed! Alicia and I got Mr. Chapman's autograph.

I was waiting on a couple at table 54. I remember thinking what a nice suit the lady was wearing - it was a very smart-looking dark blue; also, she had a very nice haircut. They dined and left. One of our regular customers asked me if I knew who that was. ("No.") It was Lorianne Crook of TNT's "Crook and Chase."

When some of the other Guys Next Door fans suggested a get-together in Los Angeles in May 2005, I told them to count me in. I had wanted to visit Los Angeles for several years, and suddenly I had the perfect excuse. The whole trip was great, and the get-together was better than I could have imagined. Four of the five Guys actually met with us! Read about the trip.