I'm grew up in the grunge era of the northwest. I used to shun people who thought Nirvana's first album had some song called smells like teen spirit. I hope I'm not so snobby anymore, although I do like my coffee a certain way, and know too much about microbrew beers. I moved away because I think the northwest is a breeding ground of amazing artists who are so apathetic that they can't get themselves out of their Barfly thinking. Plus, it rains too much over there. My best friend and I bought a couple of acres (we call it our Millennium Falcon) in the San Juan Islands where we plan to build a yurt and raise our kids in the summertime (whenever that happens).

Trying to find optimism in this city. For my day job, I'm a public school teacher trying not to burn-out on the impossibilities of the possibilities of bilingual education in a Dominican neighborhood. Although I adore my job, and I sometimes love new york more than I hate it, I'm gearing up to move away to a yummy, warm, island where I can speak Spanish every day, and own my own lime tree for my martinis.

malapropisms, making coffee, talking to plants, coming up with creative ideas for things to do in the city (but finding it hard to convince others to go with me), finding ANY excuse to travel

my laugh, but I get a lot of compliments on my hair and my tattoo.

BOOKS: Owen Meany, The Princess Bride, Geek Love, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Joe Jones, Bukowski, Lord of the Flies, Green Grass Running Water, The Electric Michelangelo, Blindness, Rosario Tijeras, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, goodreads.com/profile/danareads

MUSIC: The Patiokings, Janis, Al Green, the Femmes, built to spill, Halobenders, Nirvana, Rage, Molotov, Juanes, G Love, talking heads, Oztara, The Breeders, Janes Addiction, The Decemberists, the cars, Modest Mouse, PJ Harvey, The Trucks, fugazi, le tigre, the urchins, Heart, SHelLshag

MOVIES: Baraka, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Eternal Sunshine, Frida, Goonies, Bull Durham, Good Will Hunting, The Dark Crystal, A Christmas Story, Falling Down, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Grease I & II, 9 to 5, The Breakfast Club, L'Auberge Espagnole, the science of sleep, Stranger than Fiction, Street Fight (downright dirty!), Flight of the Conchords

food... I am not afraid of food. I'm willing to try anything, and usually try the most unique thing on the menu. I am allergic to nuts though (but not peanuts.. you should know why), so that usually keeps me away from desserts.

coffee, warm weather, ira glass on Saturday morning NPR, dogs, music, my sister

rollerskating, Coney Island and the demise of Astroland, new things to do in NYC, how to relate media to my lessons for my students, public transportation, pirates.

I keep changing this because I have no typical Friday night. Sometimes I'm so exhausted I end up in bed at 8:00, sometimes I get all dressed up and am out 'till 4:00.

I am a yogi. This shouldn't be embarrassing, but for some reason I feel like a dork telling people about it. I practice a lot, and actually co-created a practice space for the people I do yoga with in Washington Heights. I feel like the whole new-agey shit is pretentious, and I don't want to be lumped into that when I carry my mat to class. I just really like the balance it gives me.

you know why September 19th is a very important international holiday.