Hi, I'm shrift. I run the BRQG (which, uh, I need to update, huh?) and I'm pleased that it has lured so many lurkers to the Phoenix.

I started posting at TT around 8 or 9 years ago because of Dana. I also started writing slash because of Dana. You can blame her for that, or possibly give her a toaster. I didn't use my real name at TT because I am on occasion a punk.

I grew up in rural Michigan where I learned to drink and blow up stuff, but relocated to Chicago in 2006. I cook, go to a lot of concerts, watch too much TV, run too many websites, and enjoy shopping for shoes a little too much. I have a B.A. in English but don't do anything with it aside from writing fan fiction on the internets, because the IT industry generally pays better. I'm also an enormous nerd who works for an enormously nerdy internet company, and most days I'm still gobsmacked that they hired me. Sometimes I buy books just so I can enter the data into my LibraryThing.

I don't like musical theater because I have no magic in my soul, only appreciate cilantro in very limited quantity, and tolerate olives in the occasional tapenade.

Una and Dana, are you in Richland/Pasco/Kenniwick? My sister lived in Richland and taught at CBC while my BiL did his post-doc at Hanford.

Looks like I have been politically outed by my sweet Askye. I have served in several politcal offices as a Republican and managed both local and state wide political campaigns. It has been a great learning experience considering I live in one of the most liberal states in the union. As a Republican in Vermont you learn tolerance and the art of compromise or you fall to the wayside. I'm also not ashamed to say I voted for more Democrats than Republicans in the last election. Vermonters seem to vote our personal preference and not necessarily our party. I have been asked by several democratic party leaders to come back to state politics as a democrat to advocate for agriculture and education. Considering I'm a dyslexic Republican perhaps I should jump ship. Guess for now I'll just sit down next to my Republican colleagues and wrap my arms around my sweet girl. If any one wants to talk politics feel free. I can say from personal experience that I'm a better fit in the democratic or libertarian party these days. If your a political junky look into party primaries if you really want to understand what drives your local organization. PS I have a thing for liberal women and like olives T- 24 lady, Smooch Back to lurking

Sparky: guilty! CBC is where I work.

My sister was a math professor there, Una, in the mid 90s. I used to visit at least twice a year, and would marvel at the $1.50 parking/day at the airport.

I don't think I've done some of these:

Cilantro: Yes

Olives: Yes

Double-space after a period: Yes, but I am learning not too

Muffaletta: Yes

Cats: Two, and one of them has some orangish strips.

I'm pretty sure I'm pretty high up there in terms of visiting Buffistas when I travel/having them visit me, and Nora and TomW have been to my vacation house more recently than I have.

Wow, I wish airport parking was still priced like that! I teach biology, but mostly hang out with math teachers, oddly enough.

I'll chime in:

Cilantro: Yumm!

Olives: only some kinds of black olives, no green

Double space: I don't. My ex supervisor made me retype everything with double spaces, because I could never remember to double space for her. I think I even posted about that.

Muffaletta: Never actually had one.

You forgot to mention your stand on Bacon, Perkins.

Copying Perkins:

Cilantro: Yes

Olives: No.

Double-space after a period: No

Muffaletta: No

Cats: I mentioned my orange tom Oz, but I also have a brown tabby, the very girly Clio.

I'll have to ask her who she still knows in the math department!