Top Spots I should live

According to the quiz at findyourspot.com, I should live in one of these places:

1. Salisbury, NC
2. Hickory, NC
3. Murray, KY
4. Maryville, TN
5. Berea, KY
6. Winterville, NC
7. Guthrie, OK
8. Hendersonville, NC
9. Gainesville, GA
10. Edenton, NC
11. Aiken, SC
12. Charlottesville, VA
13. Woodbury, TN
14. Oxford, MS
15. Clayton, GA
16. Paris, TN
17. Morganton, NC
18. Hopkinsville, KY
19. Atlantic City, NJ
20. Mount Airy, NC
21. Myrtle Beach, SC
22. Rocky Mount - Stony Creek, NC
23. Hampton, VA
24. Lawrenceburg, KY

I would never ever live at Atlantic City, but Hampton VA or Myrtle Beach SC seem like they may be worth looking at.  I've lived in MS before, and I don't think I would move back there, so Oxford is out.   Western North Carolina was very pretty when I was there recently, so those are possibilities too, but let's rule out any town smaller than 10,000 people.

Kidd Video - Where Did Our Love Go?

30 years ago today: Reagan was shot

March 30, 1981. I was 9. The whole family was at one of the townhomes we owned, painting it and getting it ready for a new tenant. My dad's favorite paint color: antique white. The radio was playing, and when we heard the news that Reagan had been shot, I started crying. I was scared. Do you remember what you were doing when you heard the news about Reagan?

B.I.T.C.H.

Tabatha Coffey of "Tabitha's Salon Takeover" (a very fun show!) has been labeled a bitch and has decided to embrace it... She has turned bitch into b.i.t.c.h.:

Brave
Intelligent
Tenacious
Creative
Honest

I love it!! When kids called me a bitch when I was in elementary school, mom tried to turn it around by saying a bitch is a dog, and a d.o.g. is a dainty obedient girl. That helped some then. So now that I'm an adult, I'll go with the b.i.t.c.h. acrostic.

From the article:

Women can have a difficult time standing up for themselves in the workplace -- "Women are such givers," Coffey says -- but she says it is essential to success. Women also fear they will be labeled bitches. But once a woman embraces her inner bitch, Coffey says, it shifts power in her favor. She feels a lot more confident and better about herself.

Strong women can't be put off by people who complain they are intimidating. That's on them, she says. "It's just a sign of their insecurities."

There is, however, a difference between standing up for yourself and refusing to do your job. "If someone asks you to do something that is uncomfortable, is out of (your) boundaries, is not ethical, then, yes, you need to stand up for yourself. If someone's asking you to do your job and you are being lazy and you don't want to go and do your job, then that's a totally different issue."

The Tabatha that people are reacting to, she says, is Tabatha in work mode, but "she's not a bitch. She's just very focused, very driven and has this standard that I expect from myself and everyone around me. Being tough and demanding at work is a part of it, she says, "and it's not a bad thing".

Yeah! You tell 'em, Tabitha!!

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Things I like

Non-white wedding

I think these non-white wedding gowns are absolutely gorgeous.

Facebook: wouldn't want to work there

I detest the bullpen style of workspace. This image from Time magazine at the offices of Facebook. Cant imagine how noisy this is, nor how quickly the flu spreads around the office. yuck.

Career interests

From careerpath.com career planner quiz, I got these results:
My interests
People similar to you like activities that allow them to be creative. This can be through more traditional visual arts, writing or musical pursuits although not limited to these. The creativity is often expressed in thinking of new ideas or strategies than can have a broad range of applications. You often like thinking about the future and planning for long term benefits. Hobbies include: performing or listening to music, attending theater, story telling, journaling, decorative arts, painting. Career choices often are: Editor, Journalist, Teacher, Strategic Planner, Consultant, Performing Arts, Marketing, Communications, Research and Development.

People with your strengths are good at managing details and creating sophisticated processes that allow them to get complex work done. Once a game plan has been put in place, it is implemented. Their decisions are based on facts and carefully reasoned. When working with other people, they are fair and democratic and always can be counted on to deliver what they commit to.

Gypsy Bohemian Peasant Top

Call me nuts, but I LOVE this shirt. It's vampy and victorian, and I just love it.

H&M Little Black Dress

Now, THAT is an awesome dress. I would definitely have worn that in high school and college. Don't think they make it in my current size though :( ... discrimination, I tell you!

Facebook book meme

Official instructions: Don't take too long to think about it. 20 books you've read that will always stick with you. First 20 you can recall in no more than 20 minutes.

Fiction Books that will always stick with me:
1) Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
2) Snow Crash (Bantam Spectra Book) by Neal Stephenson
3) The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge (Also The Summer Queen)
4) The Singer/The Song/The Finale (The Singer Trilogy 1-3) by Calvin Miller
5) New Moon, and Midnight Sun, especially but the whole Twilight saga
6) Stargate SG-1: The Barque of Heaven: SG-11 by Suzanne Wood
7) The Dark Is Rising (The Dark Is Rising Sequence) series by Susan Cooper
8) The Phantom of the Opera: The Original Novel by Gaston Leroux
9) Dune, 40th Anniversary Edition (Dune Chronicles, Book 1) by Frank Herbert
10) Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy
11) Crystal Singer by Anne McCaffery
12) The Tombs of Atuan (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 2) by Ursula K. Le Guin
13) Synners by Pat Cadigan
14) Liege-Killer (The Paratwa Saga, Book 1) by Christopher Hinz
15) Exile's Gate (Morgaine Saga, Book 4) by CJ Cherryh
16) So You Want to Be a Wizard (digest): The First Book in the Young Wizards Series by Diane Duane
17) Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
18) Neuromancer by William Gibson
19) Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein
20) The Last Jihad (Political Thrillers Series #1) series by Joel Rosenberg

Marriage and childbearing

A recent BreakPoint commentary looked at the recent statistics that 40% of American babies born in 2007 were born to unmarried women.

"But while our ideas about marriage have changed, our natures haven’t. One thing that Christians and dyed-in-the-wool Darwinists can agree on is that we are driven to reproduce ourselves. With a few exceptions, no matter how successful we might be, many feel that if we leave no descendants behind, all the striving is beside the point."

The bold is mine. And it's something I've been thinking about a LOT lately. Mike and I were cleaning up some in my "junk"/storage room over the Memorial Day weekend. I've saved doll clothes and Transformers toys for years for my then-future children to play with. But since they're all in heaven with heavenly adult bodies, they just won't need them. I haven't yet gotten rid of the doll clothes box, but eventually it will go...b/c what's the point of keeping it?... there is no future heritage to pass along. And it makes me cry every single time I think about it. And you know how much I hate crying.

Excuses, excuses

Sorry for the interruption in the travel log. I was sick in bed for more than a week with bronchitis. I'm doing better now, and as soon as I catch up on all the chores that must be done RIGHT NOW, I'll continue with our trip.

The above sky picture was taken on 2/14/09. I love the blue sky with the white AND black clouds.

Hair update

Remember when I said I wanted my hair to look like this after it grew out again?
Well, I was starting to get frustrated with my hair again, so instead of cut it I asked my mom to help me perm it. She didn't understand why I wanted to add more curl, but I'm happy with how it turned out and its a step on the way to the image above.

Director/Builder

Chemistry.com has a neat personality profile quiz.

I think these results are pretty darn close.

My results:
I'm a primary Director (chemical system: testosterone) and a secondary Builder (chemical system: serotonin)

About your personality type:
You are an independent thinker who builds theories and approaches problems with an analytical, exacting, systematic and resourceful mind. And with your persistence, logic and determination, you tend to find innovative solutions to complex problems. You are particularly good with technical problems, those of mechanics, engineering, math, medicine, accounting, music or other "rule based" systems.Although you enjoy being part of a stable, secure social network, you easily spend time alone, pursuing your own projects and goals at your own speed, according to your own rules. You can focus your attention to the exclusion of all around you. And you have a deep sense of autonomy.You are a private person; you contain your emotions. You are also calm, efficient, quick to make decisions and remarkably self-disciplined. Yet you have a traditional, even sentimental streak. Family is important to you and you can be very protective of those you love.

In Love and Relationships
As a Director you admire and collect knowledge; so you want a partner with whom you can have focused, educated, and often theoretical discussions on intellectual topics-a mind mate. You are direct and tough-minded, too. So you are attracted to someone who can complement you-someone who is verbally graceful, who weighs alternatives carefully and listens actively, and has well-honed social skills. Because you contain your emotions, you also gravitate to a mate who is warm and emotionally expressive. Yet you do not like people who engage in public displays of emotion, showing lack of self-containment. Because you have difficulty tolerating controlling people, you need a mate who is flexible, even indecisive. You particularly admire a partner who is self-sufficient. And you like a mate who is eager to help you make a stable home and maintain your public, business, and social ties.

Relating to others
Because you are ambitious, tough-minded and hardworking, your close friends admire you. In return, you can be fiercely loyal and protective of all those you love. Yet your complex personality is often hidden behind a wall of composure and logic.

Things to be aware of:
You are susceptible to intense anger when you feel hurt, disappointed or frustrated.
Your ambition can lead to workaholism.
You can become impatient with people and situations that appear simple-minded or circuitous.
You tend to naturally gravitate to NEGOTIATOR/builders.

Where to live?

A recent phone survey asked people where they would like to live. These are the most popular big cities, from most popular to least:

• Denver. Visited there a few years ago. The mountains are gorgeous. But I'm getting tired of lots of cold weather. There seemed to be a smog haze over downtown. And the housing prices were ridiculous. So overall, I'm not very interested in moving here.
• San Diego. I think I'd like the weather better.
• Seattle. Too cold and rainy for me.
• Orlando. Too hot and humid for me.
• Tampa. Too hot and humid.
• San Francisco. Too foggy.
• Phoenix. Too hot.
• Portland. Been there. Seemed ok. But probably too cold for me.
• Sacramento. Seriously? This is a big city?
• San Antonio. Tempting.
• Boston. Way too cold.
• Miami. Way too hot.
• Atlanta. Way too hot and humid.
• Wash DC. Live here! Traffic is horrible.
• New York. You couldn't pay me enough money to live here.
• Dallas. Maybe.
• Philadelphia. My impression is that its a pretty run down place.
• Chicago. Lived nearby already. Way too cold.
• Houston. Too hot and humid.
• Las Vegas. Too hot.
• Riverside. Dont know anything about it.
• Los Angeles. No way.
• Baltimore. A run down version of Wash DC. No thanks.
• St Louis. Visited there a few years ago. Not overly interested.
• Pittsburgh. Too cold.
• Minneapolis. Too cold.
• Kansas City. Too boring.
• Cincinnati. Dont know much about it.
• Cleveland. Dont know much about it.
• Detroit. Way too cold.

So where's my current fantasy escape destination? San Marcos, TX. Half way between Austin and San Antonio.

Addicted (or not) to blogging

71%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

This explains why 29% of the time I have nothing to say.

Basically DONE!

I am so pleased to announce that after about 14 years, I have finally finished my PhD in Computer Science!

My dissertation, "The Effects of Makeup on Female Face Recognition," has been approved by my advisor. All that is left is some paperwork and some graduation fees.

I'm so happy. Mike asked me what I was going to do next, and I had to answer "I'm Going To DisneyWorld!"

We're not. But we will be taking a celebration trip next year when he finishes his B.S. too.

It is now time to PARTAY!!

Have you....

Saw this meme on Robbo's.

1. Started your own blog. Duh! You're lookin' at it.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band - flute.
4. Visited Hawaii - Don’t really want to, either.
5. Watched a meteor shower - I regularly try to get my family to do this...it often fogs over.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland/World. Both, several times.
8. Climbed a mountain - Made it to the shoulder (not the summit) of Horn Peak. Probably somewhere around 11,000 ft. Then the lightening storm came in and we RAN down the mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped - Never in a jillion years.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning - this year, in fact.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. It was windy, so it was swaying 3 feet in each direction....SCARY.
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill - Well, I’ve also gone to work when feeling sick, so it all evens out.
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb - Mmmm…..lamb……mmmmmm.
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice. I've been to Venice and we walked ALL over, but did not ride a gondola through the stinking infested slime....it may LOOK romantic in the movies, but that's b/c you can't smell it.
29. Seen a total eclipse - Of both the moon and sun.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise - river cruises.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (and their graves too)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing - Don’t like heights.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David.
41. Sung karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa - I don’t have much interest in going.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted. I've painted a self-portrait...does that count?
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Another tourist trap I don't think we bothered with.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving - Not. A. Chance.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Me: INTJ.... Blog:ESTP

While I am an INTJ, this neat tool says that my blog is almost opposite of me! This blog has been analyzed to be an ESTP.

ESTP - The Doers

The active and play-ful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking and engaging in physical out-door activities.

The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time.