i crave adventure. i travel often. i like playing outside. i read. i'm super-curious. i cook (although baking, other than cookies and quick bread, is a skill that eludes me). i like riding bikes. i go to shows a lot. i talk to strangers. i'm quite opinionated. i think all things are relative (no these are not contradictions). my path has been alabama>atlanta>chicago>california, and i've learned a whole bunch about myself and other people along the way. the only thing that's sure to piss me off in life is injustice, otherwise i'm pretty chill about things. i enjoy being a kooky california aunt to my niece. i have a great job and a good amount of success in life. i love the performing arts and fantastic writing and all things creative. when i was younger time i wanted to be a full-time singer, now it's more a personal joy. i have a way cool cat named sabine. she makes me laugh a lot. oh yeah, i laugh a lot, and often evoke the same in others. sass, sarcasm and dry humor coexist readily with sweetness, light and compassion. i was recently described as cute, smart and hilarious.

analyzing things, including people. listening. conversing. relating. deconstructing things. solving problems. acting like a goofy spaz. cooking up some tasty morsels.

my hair, my laugh and my southern accent all tie as answers to this question.

i'm ravenous for media and words and culture. for books my tastes are generally in the postmodern and post-postmodern... delillo, franzen, eggers, murakami... the hilarious... steven milhauser, sedaris (both amy and david)... the female... jeanette winterson, alice munro, jennifer egan, laurie colwin, flannery o'connor... contemporary poets... mary oliver, tony hoagland, robert hass... the just plain awesome... rebecca solnit, miranda july.

music runs the gamut too. indie, electronic, conscious hip hop, folk, funk, bluegrass. i can honestly say if the music's good i'm into most any genre with a few exceptions – new gangsta rap (the old stuff is still awesome), top 40 country, noise (at least the kind with no resolution) and mariachi. yo la tengo will always have a top slot on my list of favorite bands.

i'm mostly into indie movies, but not just "important films" (even though important films have their value). i guess i think about movies like i think about good writing -- capturing an amazing small detail about life or a story or a character can require far more skill than creating some grand gesture. the station agent comes to mind as illustrative of that point. when recently challenged by a friend, i created this list of favorites from off the top of my head: splendor in the grass, american movie, river's edge, party girl, harold and maude, bright star, muriel's wedding, the straight story, almost famous, city of lost children, diner, dancer in the dark, dazed and confused. that being said, i also dig showing movies on a screen in my backyard.

i'm pretty much a foodie and like exploring. i have a strong affinity for asian food (thai, korean, vietnamese, indian, burmese, japanese, etc etc), but my tastes run the globe. i also have a love of the local food movement and all it inspires. i mostly eat veggies but also seafood and fish from time-to-time. i don't like the way full-on meat makes me feel and haven't eaten it (on purpose) since i was 20.

some gerunds:
traveling
laughing
sharing
listening
loving
thinking

of course, i would be remiss if i didn't acknowledge my addiction to npr and various npr podcasts (this american life, radiolab, the moth, and to a lesser degree the splendid table), caffeine and alone time (i have a deep love of people but i definitely have a need to be by myself from time to time).

this crazy world we live in and all its many facets, where to seek my next adventure, how to be good to myself and to others, what my next creative or crafty project will be, how to live my most meaningful life.

happy houring.... cooking and chilling.... hanging with friends... seeing a show.... heading out of town.

while my music tastes are quick eclectic and wide-ranging, i had what we'll call a "phish period." :)

you are smart, fun (perhaps charmingly dorky?), like to do cool stuff (the kind of cool stuff is negotiable, i have a lot of interests), like to engage with folks on more than a superficial level, are compassionate and enjoy people (or are at least as perplexed by them as i am). you like parentheses.

i am a huge fan of random encounters that lead to intrigue and hilarity. turning strangers into friends is cool.