Well, this is no longer filler text but somehow that makes it more awkward. Oh well.

I'm an NC State grad with majors in Computer Science and Art + Design (I think they had the phys ed requirement in common...)--go Pack! I'm a Christian (Episcopalian to be precise) but one that fully believes in love, respect, and tolerance as opposed to the fire and brimstone approach. Family and friends mean a lot to me, and I prefer to have a smaller group of really close friends than know a lot more people but know very few of them well.

I probably fit into the whole nerd/geek/dork/whatever category (but with social skills--gasp!). Reading is one of my absolute favorite past-times, especially fantasy (and even some sci-fi). Escapist fiction in general is wonderful. I greatly enjoy movies and gaming (video, tabletop, whatever) as well. I love parenthesis in sentences (if you haven't noticed :) ), and I have no idea why.

Despite being a professed geek, I have a deep appreciation and love for being outside. Disc golf (also known as frisbee golf) is my outdoor activity of choice, followed closely by cycling (I have a road bike). Hikes are fun, though something I don't do nearly enough. Nature is inspiring to me, so just experiencing it is good stuff.

Hmm, other hobbies and interests..I also love photography, even if I don't claim to be any sort of expert in it. I do a lot of digital artwork (especially 3d art and animation), and not enough artwork in physical mediums (my sketching skills are sorely neglected :( ). I almost always seem to have some side-project going, which is a killer for any would-be free time. I also try to hit up the gym a couple times a week to stay in some sort of shape.

Though not technically a hobby, I have always been fascinated by animals (been watching documentaries for as long as I can remember) and love pets. I currently have a parrot, and she's a constant source of fun and hilarity. I don't think I could see myself without pets.

As far as personality goes I'm very laid-back, easygoing, friendly, optimistic, mature (at least I'd like to think so), and generally happy. I love making people laugh, even if it means sacrificing a little dignity to cheer up those around me. I always look for the silver lining in life, no matter how dark the sky.

I'm sure I've left some stuff out, but if any of that sounds interesting or if you have any questions feel free to shoot me a message. :)

I'm working full-time for NC State University doing interactive media development for distance education courses. What exactly is interactive media? Well, most of what I do is done in/with Flash, but I also do some web design and development (kudos to you if you know the difference), graphic design for marketing stuff, animations (2d and 3d), and even some game design and development (again, both 2d and 3d games). I love my job and the variety it offers, and the constant learning about new subjects definitely appeals to the aforementioned geeky side. :)

Listening (and caring), making people smile, baking (especially with liqueurs...mmm), some would say disc golf (I wouldn't necessarily agree after seeing some true pros play :P ), and providing music (and sometimes beer) suggestions on the spot.

I'm tall (6' 2" or so) and have long hair (almost always in a ponytail). I might come across as a little quiet or shy at first, but once I warm up to people (which usually doesn't take long) I definitely become more talkative and/or silly.

Oh goodness, this is going to take a while.

1) Books: Fantasy and Christian Apologetics have been at the top of my list lately. Examples would include the Chronicles of Narnia (C.S. Lewis owns), the Inheritance Saga, Harry Potter, His Dark Materials trilogy (Golden Compass and such), Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson Novels, Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, and many others for fantasy. I'm still new to Apologetics, but Timothy Keller's "The Reason for God" is my favorite example so far.

2) Movies: Jurassic Park still holds a soft spot in my heart as far as movies go. I'm kind of a movie generalist, but I tend to like sci-fi, action, fantasy, horror, and (especially) animated movies (absolutely including anime, though sadly I've watched very little of it since college) the best. I can watch the Fifth Element over and over again without ever getting tired of it. Coming up with a true "favorite" movie is tough, though. I have a good collection of DVD's to prove that point. :P

3) Music: I am hopelessly addicted to music, and this is the category that surprises most people. In general, I like rock, alternative, and metal, but I *love* electronic music. Mostly groups nobody's ever heard of unless you're already attracted to the genres. Industrial, ebm, synthpop, hardcore dance (aka happy hardcore), techno, trance, and house tend to be my favorite genres (and probably in that order), though I'll enjoy pretty much anything with a driving beat that I can't sit still to. VNV Nation is easily my favorite musical group, period, and some other examples are Iambia, Rotersand, Lost Signal, Ayria, The Birthday Massacre, Nevarakka, Alek Szahala, Lacuna Coil and Nightwish. I've got a long list of others if you want further examples (and more details on why I added the "surprises most people" comment).

4) Food: I love me some food, though I try not to eat excessively and I generally aim for healthier foods. I've been told that I'm (amusingly) passionate about food, and I'll try just about anything once. Mexican, Italian, and Sushi are all wonderful, but nothing tops some good 'ol home cookin' (that would be the whole Southerner thing). Chicken is easily my favorite meat, probably followed by pork, then fish, then beef (wow, that was specific). Sweet Tea is a necessity. I enjoy cooking and baking as well, and I can make a mean pound cake--crazy useful life skill, I know.

So yeah, good food = awesome.

5) Video Games: I realize this doesn't apply to everyone, but it should absolutely be a category. I love me some first person shooters and racing games, and real-time RPG's are a lot of fun (yeah, Final Fantasy and the games like it are cool, but turn-based just isn't quite as interesting). Oblivion, Unreal Tournament 2004 (Unreal III is, well...pretty, but meh), any of the Burnout games, Gears of War, and Left 4 Dead are my current favorites. I used to love real-time strategy games, but find it hard to play them anymore. Ah well.

Faith, Family (including the furred and feathered members), Friends, Music, Books, and Good Food

Faith, all the people I love and care about, the future, when am I ever going to get that project done, what movies are coming out this weekend, and whatever random thoughts decide to invade my brainmeats.

Hanging out with friends (movies, gaming, etc.), on the computer, running errands, spending time with family, reading, or partaking in some form of digital diversion. Possibly at the gym.

That I can be a little naive sometimes.

If you've made it this far and are still interested. :)

Also, I really appreciate good written form (that whole loving to read thing probably has something to do with it), so attention to spelling and grammar is a plus. If you do send a message, something more than just "hi" would be awesome. I will try to return the favor, though I've been so busy lately that it might take a while to respond.