:: NOTE: I'm in a serious relationship with mymantraisyum and am not interested in pursuing any other relationships at this time, although BisexualDyke has managed to charm the pants off both of us. ::

I'm intense and original, full of contradictions, and not a mainstream kind of gal. I feel self-conscious starting paragraphs with "I".

Some non sequiters:

~ They called me the poet laureate of my high school. I thought I was going to win the Nobel prize for poetry. Then I went to college.

~ People think my line of work is kind of sexy but after more than a decade doing it, the honeymoon is over.

~ I'm a confirmed bisexual. I have never left a man for a woman or a woman for a man, although it's happened to me. In my 20s, I did a lot of activism and even drove a bulldozer in a Gay Pride parade.

~ I've been involved in advocacy, education, and ministry in the pagan community for more than 10 years. I prefer the non-dogmatic, non-occult-jewelry-wearing kind of scene, though, which is why I joined a UU church a few years ago.

~ I don't drink alcohol and am generally not a sports fan. After a decade of living in Boston, though, I've reluctantly discovered that I can enjoy the occasional Sox or Patriots game.

~ I ran my own company for five years and would definitely do it again.

Honesty and integrity are very important to me. I'm not sure that monogamy is the best long-term lifestyle choice for me, but I have a healthy respect for other people's relationships. I refuse to be a party to deception or betrayal.

Editors

• BisexualDyke

~ Trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with my gastrointestinal tract. Taking it easier on myself.

~ Dating someone who lives on the opposite side of town.

~ Being continually amazed at the awesome third person who enjoys dating both of us.

~ Keeping my three New Year's resolutions.

~ Remembering how lucky I really am.

~ Tending my garden of friends and loved ones.

Writing dating site profiles. Taking charge. Cooking. Writing, especially poetry and memoir. Choosing colors. Patronizing local artists. Astounding people with my ability to recall random pieces of information. Making other people feel loved.

Editors

• BisexualDyke

is that I carry myself well and appear to know what I'm talking about. Sometimes I can be bossy. Certain kinds of black men often tell me I have a pretty smile, but I think that's just a socially acceptable way of saying "Man, girl! You got some junk in the trunk!"

Robert Crumb probably wakes up in a cold sweat dreaming of my lovely form and sense of style.

Editors

• Mymantraisyum

Books: Most of Barbara Kingsolver's work, especially The Poisonwood Bible. Well-written science fiction and fantasy, which can be hard to find. Ursula LeGuin is probably the best. Poetry, yes, poetry. I wrote my thesis on Adrienne Rich and while I don't read her regularly, her books are still on my bookshelf. Along with Keats, Byron, Shelley, and Coleridge. And Unix in a Nutshell which, truth be told, I don't really refer to that often. Graphic novels (but again, the well-written variety): most of Alan Moore's work, starting with Swamp Thing (a modern-day example of the Green Man archetype) and going all the way through his latest retirement. I DETEST Frank Miller. Roberta Gregory (go Naughty Bits!), Vampire Loves, Juicy Mother, Girl Genius, Strangers in Paradise, and yes, I admit it, the X-Men franchise. Depends on the writer and artist, though. I started with New X-Men and just finished most of the Ultimate X-Men books. I enjoyed the spin-offs featuring the female characters: Rogue, Mystique, and Emma Frost. Gabrielle Roth's When I am Old, and other stories. Artbabe (Soundtrack, La Perdida). Alison Bechdel (Dykes to Watch Out For, of course. Her graphic novel memoir Fun House is also great.) Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis, Embroideries, etc). Brian K Vaughan (Y, Ex Machina).

Movies: Good ones. Mostly independent. Favorite filmmakers include Robert Altman, Pedro Almodovar, Stephen Soderberg, and the woman responsible for Fire, Earth, and Water (three separate films). Children of Men had a powerful impact on me. Serenity. The last few movies I saw were The Limey, The Bostonians, and Akeelah and the Bee. Here's a link to my Netflix reviews.

Music: Most of it. No, really. Classical, jazz, pop, rock, hip-hop, various furriner-type music, even country and some other stuff. Just please, please don't make me listen to that damn The Last Castrato album during a car trip ever again. Or elevator music. Current performers/composers that spring to mind, in no particular order: Earth, Wind and Fire; Weezer; Porcupine Tree; Debussy; Beethoven; Satie; Led Zeppelin; Rush; NERD; k-os; Tribe Called Quest; Digable Planets; Rose Polenzani; the Toadies; Essence; Laura Viers; Sufjan Stephens; PJ Harvey.

Food: most of it, unfortunately. Especially yours. Are you going to eat that?

If I wanted to be a smartass, I'd say food, shelter, bla bla bla. But I'm not a smartass.

1) Faith and a connection to something bigger than myself.

2) Being a human being among human beings.

3) Bare feet in the grass.

4) Music.

5) Telling the truth -- in print, preferably.

6) Sex.

things I have very little control over.

On second Fridays I am at the Women's Sacred Circle at First Parish in Cambridge. Sometimes I'm at CUUPs rituals on other Fridays. In general, I prefer a low-key Friday that involves comfy chairs, food, and passive entertainment. mymantraisyum and I often get together with BisexualDkye on Fridays, too.

I like to be the recipient of excellent customer service.

~ You read that bit up at the top of my profile. And the rest of my profile too.

~ You are not an icky boy. Icky boys, you know who you are! DO NOT WANT!

~ You see the humor and irony inherent in lolcode. Especially for former English snobs.

~ you know what != means.

~ you liked my Witch Trial Survival Test or my Erudition Test or have positive suggestions about how to improve them.

~ you also have an embarassingly large comic book collection and/or embarassing interest in science fiction/Joss Whedon fandoms.

~ you're proud to live in the first state to have legalized gay marriage. Or the second.

~ you have bicoastal disorder.

~ you like traffic lights. But not when they are red.

~ you like to partner dance (especially Swing and Lindy).

~ you are not a serial killer and like to camp.

~ you're not allergic to cats.