I am originally a Midwestern girl who grew up in a town with a population of 300. I loved my youth in the sticks because I enjoy nature, and I was also lucky enough to live within footsteps of both sets of Grandparents. I am an only child, so as could be expected, I was quite spoiled (not materially), but I think I turned OK, as I play well with others and contribute to society. I spent most of my life in Ohio, where I attended college and graduate school, as well as earned income for a few years. I did venture out to southern California for a year on a quest to find myself, but returned to Ohio due to financial issues and man problems. I now find myself in the Boston area, and have been here for almost 4 years. It has grown on me, and I plan to stay here a while because I like being near the ocean, mountains, and a multitude of jobs in my field (science!).

I spend about 35% of my life doing discovery research at a pharmaceutical company in Cambridge, about 30% of my life hiking, dabbling in music, writing, and the arts, reading, fitness, spending time with family and life-long friends, getting to know new friends, spoiling my cats, and 35% with daily maintanence.

I'm more of a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none. Right now I am getting my feet wet with watercolor and kickboxing. In the recent past I have gotten my hands dirty with antique furniture refinishing and silversmithing. Regarding natural talent, I think I am really good at listening and understanding people on an emotional level. I have considered, among a multitude of other career changes, becoming a psychological counselor.

I also am really good at finding humor in what may be ignored by most people, getting the giggles in inappropriate environments, like during meetings at work, or while I'm walking down the street by myself.

I've been told that my eyes and smile are noticeable.

Books: just started reading Chuck Paluniuk and I'm addicted, also like Tom Robbins, John Irving, and Ann Marie MacDonald.

Music: Cat Power, G. Love and Special Sauce, Grateful Dead, Funkadelic, Cowboy Junkies, Miles Davis, Radiohead, Eels, Dead Can Dance, Smog, Bjork, The Black Keys, Morphine, Cake, The Decemberists, and a multitude of others.

Movies: one of my all-time favorites is Being John Malcovich. I tend to go for movies that make you think, and feel a little uncomfortable with what you are thinking.

Food: I like everything except cottage cheese and liver. I am particularly fond of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine.

1. double-tall-non-fat-one-pump-light-whip-mochas
2. my dear friends and family
3. my keen sense of smell
4. my darling cats
5. books
6. getting out into the woods every now and then

Many things: what experiment I will do next and interpretting results from the previous one, how I should volunteer more of my time to help those in need, how life imitates Seinfeld episodes, ways to conserve energy and resources that really work, why the US government subsidizes bad behavior (a corn-based diet that is killing us and our environment, clueless auto execs, greedy Wall Street execs), why Americans rate Congress very low in approval, but rate their own representatives relatively high, my parents and their health and happiness, how religion can motivate people to commit horrid acts of violence, discriminate against and hate those who are "different", and shut down rational thinking, yet provide hope and wisdom when life is cruel and confusing, and what's going on in other parts of the universe.