When you think about me, think of the secret formula for Dr Pepper - an authentic blend of 23 (fruit) flavors - the whole is made up of a hundred parts. Try to describe the taste of Dr Pepper to someone who's never had it, and that's what it's like trying to explain myself to someone who's never met me. You might come close, Mr Pibb, but no cigar or Kewpie doll for you!

I've been meaning to make out a list of fictional characters I have been compared to or identify with, in one way or another. Off the top of my head, though I'll be adding to it as tme goes on:

Edina "Eddie" Monsoon, Mother/Gran/Mrs. M from Absolutely Fabulous

Toots, Xandir from Drawn Together

Arc from Final Fantasy III

Kagura, Ritsu, Momiji, Yuki, Tohru from Fruits Basket

Jack, Grace from Will & Grace

I don't really know what else to put here, except perhaps a physical description? Brown hair with highlights, a brunette wishing he was blonde, with hazel eyes - no telling what they really are, though they are decidedly not brown! I don't feel tall, at five eleven or so, but everyone else says so. Oh, and I wear glasses - small lenses, narrow frames.

Oh! My family and friends are very important to me, and always will be. I'd like to think that goes without saying, but not everyone feels the same way. That's such a big part of me, I can't not list it here. Of course, you'd feel the same way if -you'd- been put through Catholic grade school. Nuns teach you the basics, early on: Guilt, Shame and Obligation.

Twenty-two years old and going back to school, working away at that degree. I like to read and write, sing and dance... but my guilty pleasure is drawing, mostly because I'm not great at it. I've thought about doing the web comic thing, to get in much needed practice, but I've never really gotten around to it. Probably for the best, considering...

I like languages. I've tried to learn French, Japanese and Spanish. I'm still trying, for what that's worth. As a kid, I really wanted Muzzy! I can speak a little French, because of middle school and grade school. When I went to Mexico, an English teacher and friend of the family helped me work on my pronunciation and I don't sound like a full-fledged tourist anymore. Japanese, I'll need to get a teacher for. A teacher, they say, is worth two books... and I've dozens of books on the language. Too bad I don't have half a dozen teachers, or I'd be able to speak it!

Hard to say, really. I haven't tried my hand at anything new in a long time. I wasn't half bad at singing and dancing in the high school musical or acting for the drama club play. I did public speaking and won a couple of trophies for my Humorous Interpretation. Being funny, I guess... I was always the comedic relief, the supporting character. Making people laugh has never been hard to do, for me.

I can't speak for other people, but I do know what I notice first about other people. If they are walking, the movement. You can learn things from subtle body language. After that, the hair and the eyes... the shape of the face, and the hands... the person's build and choice of clothing. Oh, the teeth and finger nails... but that's more upbringing than anything else.

It's difficult to pick favorites, so maybe selections from my collection will provide you a greater insight?

Books

You should know that I'm really into reading manga and watching anime. You might know it as Japanimation. This is why I'm trying to learn Japanese, so I can watch the shows and play the games that haven't been translated yet.

As fond of anime as I am, I have a modest manga collection. There's Eerie Queerie, Fruits Basket, Gravitation, Gundam Wing, Passions, Princess Prince, and Wish by Clamp. That's not to mention the books on "How to Draw" Anime, Graphic Novels and/or Manga. All for that web comic I never got off the ground.

I never overcame a childlike appreciation for children's literature, including A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snickett, The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis and the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. You may have noticed my leaning towards fantasy, but adult fantasy tends to be rather dense. I was not particularly fond of J.R.R. Tolkien, for example. I was able to work my way through Gregory Maguire's Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and Wicked, though it was a difficult read to start high school. I'm okay with it now, the second time around. I wasn't impressed by Eragon, but Christopher Paolini was a teenager at the time and must be forgiven. It's difficult to say who that was really meant for. Like Clive Barker's Abarat.

Rather than get ahead of myself, allow me to make mention a few favorite authors before continuing on. Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, Anne Rice.

Movies

I've always enjoyed going to the movies, and I was the only person in my training class for a summer job to list any of the hundred best films. I prefer classic movies to contemporary films, as a rule. You can't beat Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Hush, Hush... Sweet Charlotte or The Bad Seed - though modern day Mommie Dearest and Die, Mommie, Die! are right up there.

I enjoy satire, watching send-ups and spoofs from the earlier comedies by Neil Simon and Monty Python to "fractured" fairy tales like Ella Enchanted, Hoodwinked! and Shrek. If it has a family edge, not just for kids, I probably enjoy it more than saccharin-sweet kiddie stuff.

On television, I'd watch shows like Kids in the Hall, Mad TV, and Saturday Night Live. I never fail to catch Eddie Izzard or Margaret Cho doing stand-up. Gay and/or drag comedies, from La Cage Aux Folles and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert to remakes The Birdcage and To Wong Foo: Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar are sure to amuse me. Even Girls Will Be Girls! Then, there are cartoons like American Dad, Drawn Together, Family Guy and the Simpsons. I used to watch just about everything on Adult Swim, but times have changed. Whatever happened to "no underwater tea parties!"?

I'm a fan of British comedy, though I'm highly selective. I didn't like The League of Gentlemen, but I -did- like Little Britain. Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders of French & Saunders are my favorites, though. You may know Jennifer Saunders as "Eddie" from Absolutely Fabulous, Ab Fab for short. She may be twice my age, but I'd probably go straight for Jennifer Saunders. Thank you for Shrek 2 - the Third was a let-down, without you.

Growing up, I built up quite the collection of children's movies that I still watch to this day. I can excuse this by having nieces and nephews to share them with. Even as an adult, I do not care for live action half so well as I do animation. It was Disney and Nickelodeon all the way, with few exceptions (Encyclopedia on HBO) until the Cartoon Network came to town. From that moment on, my interest in anime was born. I remember watching Sailor Moon before Toonami, but it never occured to me that other shows of the same style might exist... even as a child, I never cared for the dragon's balls. I'm sorry, it's the truth.

Through middle school and high school, I became increasingly aware of and addicted to anime. To those of you who argue it is not an addition, please consider this fact: crack is cheaper. Any otaku can tell you the same, just corner a random fan-girl at the next convention and ask her yourself - if they haven't already cornered you!

If I had to name a few favorites, series wise, they would be: Excel Saga, Fruits Basket, Gravitation, Magic Knights Rayearth, Ouran High School Host Club and Petite Princess Yucie. This obscure anime is based on the Princess Maker simulation games from Japan.

...while I like roleplay and simulation games, including dating simulation games, I am reluctant to discuss that here. I've already strayed from the "movies" topic in discussing television. In my defense, it's all available in the same format... don't leave us like the VHS, DVD!

Games

(Sorry, I got distracted!)

Since I'm already talking about it, allow me to say that I'm not much of a gamer on the new platforms. I'm a bit of a gamer, but not too bad. I grew up with the Nintendo Entertainment System, original Game Boy and the Sega Genesis - but I'd really wanted the SNES. I mean, Sonic the Hedgehog was alright... but the other games - like "Altered Beast" and "Streets of Rage 2" - just didn't do it for me. I had the video game tastes of a twelve year old girl, and I still do, which is why my GameCube sees more action than my PS2.

I'm an RPG fan, from the first Zelda games on the NES and Game Boy to the latest Final Fantasy release. Kingdom Hearts is another personal favorite of mine, just the right mix of old favorites and new interests for me. After that, you probably don't believe me when I say I'm not much of a gamer. I like a lot of things, but I don't invest the time. That's my saving grace! Other favorites include the Harvest Moon games, The Sims games (The Sims 2, especially) and the Super Mario Brothers games - except the "Kart" games... I'm just not that coordinated, or sporty.

Foods?

To make up for that detour, I will not discuss favorite foods. All that leaves is music, and I'm rather vague in my preferences.

Music

Believe it or not, I've never listened to much J-Pop or J-Rock outside of Gravitation. I liked Bad Luck, but I loved Nittle Grasper. Perhaps it has something to do with the blonde keyboardist. The better part of my personal CD collection is made up of musical soundtracks. I am not unaware of how steriotypical it is for a gay guy to listen to showtunes. I was active the performance arts before I graduated high school, also steriotypical. Drama club and show choir. I was in nearly all the school shows, and community theater besides. Not to worry, I haven't really done any of it since.

Sorry about all that, but you asked. I answered.

My teddy bear, my sleep mask, my too-big sheets, my memory foam pillow and half a dozen others, the standard black/reverse/white comforter (I've had three of these, in life)... and a fan, or two, for white noise. All of which are required for me to sleep well, and, believe me, it's hard enough with them to try without!

If not that, you know, the basics: Food and water, clothing and shelter... rest and relaxation?

My schooling. For some people, it comes easy. I'm just not one of those people. Don't get me wrong, because I can hold my own... and I'm quite the conversationalist. Someone once told me I was like bard, with my customer service skills. I get what I want, one way or another, so long as I'm reasonable in my expectations going in. Anyway, my classes take up the better part of my spare time when school is in session. I'm still around, I'm still online... but I'm thinking about my course work, even if I'm not working on it. I could use the odd distraction, every now and again. So, message me.

At home, because things are dead around here... if you don't want liquor, or worse, to be your only source of entertainment. I do the one-on-one friend thing every once in a while, visit with them or go somewhere to do something - usually dinner and/or a movie. Find me something better to do around here, because every once in a while, even bowling looks good.

I always wanted a Teddy Ruxpin, when I was growing up. I had 2XL (To Excell), the talking robot... but it wasn't the same, you couldn't take him to bed with you and ask him to tell you a story. I really like bedtime stories, to this day... fairy tales with pretty things... I like telling them, and I like hearing them. You probably think it silly, but it's true. It's not unlike me to call someone up when I can't sleep, wanting to read. I do pretty good "voices" if I can say so, myself. I'd love to do voice acting, but where does one even go for that sort of thing?

...you want to get to know me.

I've always thought myself to be open-minded. Perhaps you would like to help me test my theory? If so, I'd love to hear from you.

You know what they say, you can never have too many friends.