Because Ella Asked

At the graduate and professional reception at SROW, Ella, one of CWE's Assistant Directors, asked me to tell her something unique about myself. I talked about being quirky and eating my gum in a certain order (5,8,4,9,6,7,1,12,3,10,2,11--it's much easier to understand in person). I figured that there are other things about me that are intriguing so I'm stealing something from Facebook. Many of you may know these things already but if not, I hope you enjoy!

1. I really don’t like picking favorites when it comes to books, movies, music, etc. because my opinion can differ greatly depending on the circumstances when asked to choose.

2. Washington, D.C. is my absolute favorite city that I have visited so far. I can’t wait until I have the opportunity to visit for more than a few days and explore the parts of the city that are new to me.

3. Many of you may know this but I have a slight obsession with collecting movies. I have at least 350 movies and nearly 50 TV show seasons on DVD. There are some that I haven’t actually watched or that I’ve bought without seeing them and I’m waiting for a rainy day to watch.

4. On that note, I didn’t own any DVDs until my sophomore year of college. I was a bit put off by the cost at the time. Similarly, I don’t own any Blu-Rays as of yet because I am waiting for the cost to go down enough to be affordable.

5. I don’t like large, imposing crowds especially at Mardi Gras and concerts.

6. I once spent very close to $1000 clothes shopping in a single store in a matter of two hours.

7. In the past, I have attempted pottery, writing poetry, acting, singing, writing a number of books, graphic designing, comedy, and a number of other thing that I was honestly not very good at. However, I'm determined to write a book or a play before I die. I've got lists of possible titles and a really great idea that I don't think has ever been done in theatre.

8. I turned down the opportunity to go on a free trip to Israel last year because my professor for the summer told me that she wouldn’t let me miss that much class. She didn’t end up teaching the class, I changed programs with her as a major factor and I may never get the chance to go again for as little. It’s one of the few decisions in my life that I actually regret.

9. Cheap as it may be, Taaka is my poison of choice. I maintain that when mixed properly, you can’t taste the difference. Shroom Tea from Mellow Mushroom is probably high on the list, too, but only for special occasions.

10. I don’t get hangovers.

11. I spent three summers as a camp counselor in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi and, despite regularly taking campers skiing and sailing, I cannot do either. I guess I was there for moral support.

12. When I watch my favorite shows, I turn the volume up fairly loud during the program to be sure to hear things clearly. During commercials however, I either significantly lower the volume or mute the TV. I’m convinced that the audio of commercials is drastically louder than television shows.

13. Matchbox Twenty’s “Yourself or Someone Like You” is the perfect CD for me regardless of my mood. I also really enjoy Jason Mraz’s “Waiting for My Rocket to Come,” Frou Frou’s “Details,” The Killers’ “Hot Fuss,” and the first soundtrack to “The O.C.”

14. I like to paint recreations of other peoples’ works. I’m not very good but it works for my décor.

15. I seriously doubt that I’ll ever have children, but I would really want twin boys and then 3 years later a little girl so that when they’re all in high school, the senior boys can watch over their freshman sister.

16. I love my car--it was the exact one that I wanted when I was 16 and my parents were very kind to get it for me. Her name is Quantaysia Diamonique Jackson. She's amazing even if she is getting a little run-down in her old age.

17. While I miss some of the people with whom I’ve lost touch since I started college, I don’t regret most of the decisions I’ve made regarding our friendships. Generally, if I stopped talking to you, there was a reason then, but I’m not opposed to trying again if I can see that you’ve changed.

18. I’ve met Barack Obama, Wyclef Jean and Chamillionaire and have pictures to prove it. I’ve also sat behind Chace Crawford in a movie. He's got a really funny and deep, bass-filled laugh.

19. I appreciate the artistry behind a good, meaningful mixtape.

20. I try to make a CD every other month or so of songs that are up-and-coming or popular so I’ve always got something for people to listen to in the car. I get a sense of satisfaction when I like a song long before it is played on the radio.

21. In high school, I swore off having a best friend because of a bad experience. I’m still a little shaky about how it all works.

22. My television set is from February of 1987. It only gets 64 channels, un-mutes itself if the channel is changed and weighs close to 40 pounds. I have two others but one is far too big and the other is far too small to be of much use with my current entertainment center so I make do with it.

23. I am scheduled to graduate in December of this year and that is probably the scariest thing that I have ever faced. I know that I’ll have to move on and move away from LSU after 16.5 semesters (15 fall/spring, 1 summer and a wintersession)

24. Eventually, I would like to come back and work at LSU. I hope that by then the bureaucratic issues that the university has will be worked out and things will be a better place for students and professionals.

25. I’ve submitted about 5 PostSecrets and am waiting for them to appear on the site. It felt good just to send them in even though they were never posted.