25 Random Things
So, Ian sent this meme via a facebook note, and so I did it on Facebook, but thought I'd put it here too. 25 Random Things about me. I tag anyone who needs an excuse to procrastinate to also tell me 25 interesting or random things.
1. I’m a “dirty-hippie-liberal-Christian” as Dan would call us. Contrary to popular belief, those words are VERY compatible. Some other random Amy church facts:
~My favorite parts of church services are the singing and Father Chris’s relatable homilies.
~I feel most of my knowledge of bible stories and Catholic saints came from Chris McOmber’s art history courses rather than CCD.
~My confirmed “saint” name is Charity, and thus I do not think Emperor Hadrian was one of the ‘good’ emperors.
2. I don’t know that my 8th grade/ freshman year of high school self would recognize me today - I’m no longer painfully shy, averse to skirts, or filled with super unrequited love, and I no longer listen to ONLY pop-punk rock. Moving a lot in high school and then going to Cornell changed me a lot. Though back-then-me would love that I’m dating someone who shares my middle school/ high school loves of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Blink 182, Uno, and fantasy novels, and liked the movie Far and Away. She would be super-psyched that I once met Anthony Stewart Head.
3. I just bought James Campbell’s colorful book The Anglo-Saxons. I am a medievalist MA student at SLU and I think I want to focus my research on Britain in the low middle ages, so the book is right up my alley. I just read it for my Medieval British Isles class. I love that class so far and I am sure I will love all three of my fascinating courses this semester.
4. I’m terrified of “Quals” the MA oral qualifying exams. I’m nowhere close to taking them, and yet, they scare me, looming in the distance. I don’t speak aloud well and often stammer when I’m nervous. I am a much better writer. Can I take written quals please? Oh wait, I still won’t know enough anyway. AH!
5. I find it hard to strike a balance between wanting to enjoy my personal life (living with Casey, pursuing my hobbies, keeping in touch with old friends, making new friends, etc.) and wanting to be an awesome student. It seems like there’s never enough time in a day to do all the things I want to do! I wish I had time to read more, throw more pottery, dance more, sleep more, write more…. (Though I apparently have time for this list cause I’m great at finding time for procrastinating.)
6. I really miss Cornell. I wish I’d taken time to appreciate how easy, fun, busy, colorful, and social my life was there.
7. I love peppermint so much, and know from playing Oregon Trail as a kid with Jamie that it heals many things. (Including my soul.) I love peppermint candies, peppermint patties, peppermint brownies, peppermint ice cream, peppermint tea, the peppermint room at the Celestial Seasonings factory, and now also my new peppermint lip gloss.
8. I have had a teddy bear since I was born. His creative name is “Bear.” And yes, I do still sleep with him from time to time (like if Casey’s not home at night). I see no reason to “grow out” of that habit ever.
9. Shocking as it may be, I have never read the Harry Potter series and don’t intend to. Here’s the story: I started reading the first in high school. I was told I would like it because I love fantasy novels. But no one ever told me it was a kids’ book, so when I, a long-time Tolkien fan, sat down to read it, I found it entirely elementary and ridiculous, and hated it immediately. Boo- False advertising. And though I know they get better and more grown-up, I don’t imagine I’ll ever read them. I’d rather work on this list of history books, or reread LOTR. (Although, I would definitely read ALL of them before reading anything by Foucault ever again. UGH.)
10. Speaking of Foucault, I am an historian who hates historical theory. Bleck. Luckily, Professor Miller told me of Theory, and I quote, “Gaak, but that stuff is tedious. Happily, most medievalists have avoided all that flop-doodle, if for no other reason than that we have to expend so much time acquiring various arcane skills (dead languages, paleography, etc) that we haven't got much time for nonsense.” Flop-doodle & Nonsense. That’s what I think of you, Foucault. Hayden White, you too.
11. I have a collection of favorite words, but favorite not because of what they mean. What they mean has nothing to do with it. They’re “Favorite” because of how they sound, and how they feel in my mouth when I say them. A few include “tryst,” “quality,” “charlatan,” “lilt,” “chortle,” “felicity,” and “lark.” Try them out in your mouth! I think lilt is my most favorite.
“cherry’s favorite too!” - Brian Regan
12. Speaking of favorites… my favorite place to be in the whole world is up at Brother’s Outlook in Alderfer Park in Evergreen, Colorado. I love the nice little walk/hike up, and I love looking out over Evergreen.
13. I have one dog that’s being kept alive by the power of Satan, and another that is quite literally mentally challenged. I love them both!
14. Maybe it’s the historian in me, but I have an obsessive need to document and archive my life. I’m not a pack rat, but I’m certainly a sentimental saver. I take way too many pictures and I write in either my diary or my LiveJournal every day. If you have LJ too, we should be friends.
15. I have double pierced ears, but I wear the same earrings on the top holes every day. Since I was 14 I think I’ve worn different ones up there only a handful of times.
16. I organize the shirts in my closet by sleeve length and by color. My favorite colors to wear are coral, blue, and purple. They look good with my pale pink skin and blue eyes.
17. I always leave lights on, and drawers and cabinet doors open all over the apartment. Drives Casey crazy! It bothers me that he puts his shirts everywhere but in the closet. But I LOVE living with him, and that this beautiful apartment is ours. It’s so fantastic. We spent way too much time living apart in college. (Now we spend way too much time eating our meals on the couch in front of the TV working our way through all the excellent seasons of Buffy together.)
18. I have two plants named Layla and Majnun. I felt Majnun was an appropriate name for a crazy desert aloe plant. Layla gets the girl’s name in the pair because it’s a pretty spider plant. Layla currently needs repotting. The pot she’s in is too small for her now. I did make it though. I miss throwing pottery very much.
19. I get really whiney and pathetic and moody if I miss a meal. It’s a blood sugar thing. I’m always stocked with granola bars.
20. I’m finally getting not so scared of the city. I think it’s from living on this street, which includes beautiful houses, under construction houses, abandoned buildings, and empty lots. All bits of city life on one street to get used to! But I’m still not a city person.
21. I may expand my pottery knowledge to include archeological pottery. Like, say, medieval pottery. I told my professor, Dr. Finan (the resident British Isles historian/archeologist at SLU) that I was interested in learning about medieval pottery because I know a lot about ceramics and have been throwing for many years. He said that I was “quite remarkable!” and that if I dive into it he’d have me come give a talk in his undergraduate field archaeology class later this semester. (That’d make me feel like a rock star. I can’t wait to TA next year.) I like when my professors think I’m cool.
22. I like my fingernails kept short. Once for violin, later for pottery, and now just because having long nails is (a) hard to achieve with my brittle nails, and (b) annoying to my hands when it is achieved.
23. I use the phrase “I feel like…” to begin my thoughts on a particular issue FAR too often. I feel like maybe I got it from Tricia?
24. I am quite a good penpal, but apparently only to those of my friends that are in foreign countries. I write often to Tricia in Russia/Kazakhstan, Ashley in the Marshall Islands, and Steven in Japan. If you want a letter from me, your odds will increase overseas.
25. I am really serious about naming my future pets great medieval Germanic names. Like Aethelgifu, Aethelflaed or Edgetheow (or, Bearn - a great Anglo-Saxon name, and a family name on my mother’s side… haha). What great sounds they all have! I would name my children such names too if it wouldn’t ruin them for life. I think it’s a shame that we’ve lost so many of our culture’s best names.
1. I’m a “dirty-hippie-liberal-Christian” as Dan would call us. Contrary to popular belief, those words are VERY compatible. Some other random Amy church facts:
~My favorite parts of church services are the singing and Father Chris’s relatable homilies.
~I feel most of my knowledge of bible stories and Catholic saints came from Chris McOmber’s art history courses rather than CCD.
~My confirmed “saint” name is Charity, and thus I do not think Emperor Hadrian was one of the ‘good’ emperors.
2. I don’t know that my 8th grade/ freshman year of high school self would recognize me today - I’m no longer painfully shy, averse to skirts, or filled with super unrequited love, and I no longer listen to ONLY pop-punk rock. Moving a lot in high school and then going to Cornell changed me a lot. Though back-then-me would love that I’m dating someone who shares my middle school/ high school loves of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Blink 182, Uno, and fantasy novels, and liked the movie Far and Away. She would be super-psyched that I once met Anthony Stewart Head.
3. I just bought James Campbell’s colorful book The Anglo-Saxons. I am a medievalist MA student at SLU and I think I want to focus my research on Britain in the low middle ages, so the book is right up my alley. I just read it for my Medieval British Isles class. I love that class so far and I am sure I will love all three of my fascinating courses this semester.
4. I’m terrified of “Quals” the MA oral qualifying exams. I’m nowhere close to taking them, and yet, they scare me, looming in the distance. I don’t speak aloud well and often stammer when I’m nervous. I am a much better writer. Can I take written quals please? Oh wait, I still won’t know enough anyway. AH!
5. I find it hard to strike a balance between wanting to enjoy my personal life (living with Casey, pursuing my hobbies, keeping in touch with old friends, making new friends, etc.) and wanting to be an awesome student. It seems like there’s never enough time in a day to do all the things I want to do! I wish I had time to read more, throw more pottery, dance more, sleep more, write more…. (Though I apparently have time for this list cause I’m great at finding time for procrastinating.)
6. I really miss Cornell. I wish I’d taken time to appreciate how easy, fun, busy, colorful, and social my life was there.
7. I love peppermint so much, and know from playing Oregon Trail as a kid with Jamie that it heals many things. (Including my soul.) I love peppermint candies, peppermint patties, peppermint brownies, peppermint ice cream, peppermint tea, the peppermint room at the Celestial Seasonings factory, and now also my new peppermint lip gloss.
8. I have had a teddy bear since I was born. His creative name is “Bear.” And yes, I do still sleep with him from time to time (like if Casey’s not home at night). I see no reason to “grow out” of that habit ever.
9. Shocking as it may be, I have never read the Harry Potter series and don’t intend to. Here’s the story: I started reading the first in high school. I was told I would like it because I love fantasy novels. But no one ever told me it was a kids’ book, so when I, a long-time Tolkien fan, sat down to read it, I found it entirely elementary and ridiculous, and hated it immediately. Boo- False advertising. And though I know they get better and more grown-up, I don’t imagine I’ll ever read them. I’d rather work on this list of history books, or reread LOTR. (Although, I would definitely read ALL of them before reading anything by Foucault ever again. UGH.)
10. Speaking of Foucault, I am an historian who hates historical theory. Bleck. Luckily, Professor Miller told me of Theory, and I quote, “Gaak, but that stuff is tedious. Happily, most medievalists have avoided all that flop-doodle, if for no other reason than that we have to expend so much time acquiring various arcane skills (dead languages, paleography, etc) that we haven't got much time for nonsense.” Flop-doodle & Nonsense. That’s what I think of you, Foucault. Hayden White, you too.
11. I have a collection of favorite words, but favorite not because of what they mean. What they mean has nothing to do with it. They’re “Favorite” because of how they sound, and how they feel in my mouth when I say them. A few include “tryst,” “quality,” “charlatan,” “lilt,” “chortle,” “felicity,” and “lark.” Try them out in your mouth! I think lilt is my most favorite.
“cherry’s favorite too!” - Brian Regan
12. Speaking of favorites… my favorite place to be in the whole world is up at Brother’s Outlook in Alderfer Park in Evergreen, Colorado. I love the nice little walk/hike up, and I love looking out over Evergreen.
13. I have one dog that’s being kept alive by the power of Satan, and another that is quite literally mentally challenged. I love them both!
14. Maybe it’s the historian in me, but I have an obsessive need to document and archive my life. I’m not a pack rat, but I’m certainly a sentimental saver. I take way too many pictures and I write in either my diary or my LiveJournal every day. If you have LJ too, we should be friends.
15. I have double pierced ears, but I wear the same earrings on the top holes every day. Since I was 14 I think I’ve worn different ones up there only a handful of times.
16. I organize the shirts in my closet by sleeve length and by color. My favorite colors to wear are coral, blue, and purple. They look good with my pale pink skin and blue eyes.
17. I always leave lights on, and drawers and cabinet doors open all over the apartment. Drives Casey crazy! It bothers me that he puts his shirts everywhere but in the closet. But I LOVE living with him, and that this beautiful apartment is ours. It’s so fantastic. We spent way too much time living apart in college. (Now we spend way too much time eating our meals on the couch in front of the TV working our way through all the excellent seasons of Buffy together.)
18. I have two plants named Layla and Majnun. I felt Majnun was an appropriate name for a crazy desert aloe plant. Layla gets the girl’s name in the pair because it’s a pretty spider plant. Layla currently needs repotting. The pot she’s in is too small for her now. I did make it though. I miss throwing pottery very much.
19. I get really whiney and pathetic and moody if I miss a meal. It’s a blood sugar thing. I’m always stocked with granola bars.
20. I’m finally getting not so scared of the city. I think it’s from living on this street, which includes beautiful houses, under construction houses, abandoned buildings, and empty lots. All bits of city life on one street to get used to! But I’m still not a city person.
21. I may expand my pottery knowledge to include archeological pottery. Like, say, medieval pottery. I told my professor, Dr. Finan (the resident British Isles historian/archeologist at SLU) that I was interested in learning about medieval pottery because I know a lot about ceramics and have been throwing for many years. He said that I was “quite remarkable!” and that if I dive into it he’d have me come give a talk in his undergraduate field archaeology class later this semester. (That’d make me feel like a rock star. I can’t wait to TA next year.) I like when my professors think I’m cool.
22. I like my fingernails kept short. Once for violin, later for pottery, and now just because having long nails is (a) hard to achieve with my brittle nails, and (b) annoying to my hands when it is achieved.
23. I use the phrase “I feel like…” to begin my thoughts on a particular issue FAR too often. I feel like maybe I got it from Tricia?
24. I am quite a good penpal, but apparently only to those of my friends that are in foreign countries. I write often to Tricia in Russia/Kazakhstan, Ashley in the Marshall Islands, and Steven in Japan. If you want a letter from me, your odds will increase overseas.
25. I am really serious about naming my future pets great medieval Germanic names. Like Aethelgifu, Aethelflaed or Edgetheow (or, Bearn - a great Anglo-Saxon name, and a family name on my mother’s side… haha). What great sounds they all have! I would name my children such names too if it wouldn’t ruin them for life. I think it’s a shame that we’ve lost so many of our culture’s best names.