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Mar. 2nd, 2006 07:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stormdogI often come home from work thinking that I'll take the opportunity of hours at home without people continually bugging me to add them to a distribution list or create an account for a contractor they're hiring or ask me why Outlook doesn't close correctly to catch up on some of the projects I'm supposed to have done by the end of the quarter. Instead, I'm almost invariably too brain-fried and I end up doing things like the following instead. Maybe I'm not motivated enough, but I want my time to be my own.
At the request of a pretty raccoon-girl (and probably not the one you're thinking of), I give you .
1. Who was your best friend?
I don't really know if I had anyone who could be called that. There was a guy by the name of Scott who I played chess with at lunch sometimes and a couple people other people who I occasionally interacted with, but I never felt like I knew them very well. They were there and so was I and it gave us outcasts something to do. I spent most of my lunches finding a place where no one would bug me (most often across the street and on the benches by the ball field if the weather was warm enough) and reading.
2. What sports did you play?
Only the ones that I was forced to in gym class. I've never had an interest in any team sports. I juggled (and still do), and even juggled in our school madrigal feast a couple years, but I don't think that counts.
3. What kind of car did you drive?
I didn't have a license 'till well after high school. I don't remember how old I was when I finally got my license. Nineteen or twenty I think. Never had much interest in it. I still don't much care for driving unless we're going somewhere interesting with fun people.
4. It's Friday night, where were you at?
Most likely in front of my computer playing emulated console games and surfing the internet for pirated music. Arr matey!
5. Were you a party animal?
Ha! I don't think I went to a party, let alone the multiple parties that would be necessary to merit such a title.
6. Were you in the "In Crowd"?
I wasn't even in the out crowd.
7. Ever skip school?
Much as I often ached to do so, I never did. I guess I was too worried about getting in trouble. I frequently played up illness in order to avoid going though.
8. Ever smoke?
Somehow, the idea of deliberately inhaling noxious chemicals never really appealed to me. I spend enough time trying to avoid that when working with a soldering iron.
9. Were you a nerd?
I suppose that's as descriptive a term as any.
10. Did you get suspended/expelled?
No. I got what was called in school suspension a couple times back in junior high after being provoked by other kids to the point of explosion. This consisted of being put in little cubicle-like booths in a special room where you had to sit alone all day and do your school work. I liked that; it was quiet and no one bugged me.
11. Can you sing the Alma Mater?
I don't think I've ever seen the whole Alma Mater. I know the first two verses; they rhyme memorably, if predictably. "Alma mater, dear Tremper high/ Proudly do your colors fly."
12. Who was your favorite teacher?
Definitely Mrs. Negri. She taught English and in her class she covered everything from classic and modern sci-fi (we watched Forbidden Planet and "The Offspring" [the episode of ST:TNG wherein Data built a 'daughter']), westerns, hard-boiled detective fiction (I was dorkily proud of having the chance to show off my vocabulary by knowing what 'chutzpah' was and using it in an assignment that I read in front of the class), and short-story horror (Poe of course). Mrs. Negri was always interested in what I had to say about what we were reading and we spent a while poking through the annotated Sherlock Holmes collection that I borrowed from my parents looking for the part where Doyle references one of Poe's characters. Toward the end of the year I lent her a copy of Vampire Hunter D to her to introduce her to animé. I described it as a sci-fi western fantasy horror, which fit perfectly into our class. *grins* Though we both decided it probably wouldn't be suitable for showing in class, she enjoyed it. I was kind of sad that she was retiring soon and wouldn't be around to teach my younger brothers. She was wonderful.
13. Favorite class?
Why, English. See above. *grins*
14. What was your school's full name?
George Nelson Tremper High School.
15. School mascot?
That would be the amusingly named Tremper Trojan.
16. Did you go to Prom?
Can't say that I did. Wasn't that interested in going and I certainly didn't have anyone who'd want to go with me.
17. If you could go back and do it over, would you?
Not in a million years.
18. What do you remember most about graduation?
The uncomfortableness of the bleachers. Being bored by the endless recitation of who did what in sports. Wishing I was over in the park area next to the school with all the mountain bike trails.
19. Favorite memory of your Senior Year?
I almost couldn't think of any, but one does finally come to mind. I don't know if it's from senior year, but it's one of my few good memories from high school so maybe I can fudge a little bit?
While performing in the summer shakespeare production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, I got a kiss on the forehead from one of the girls in the production before we went on stage. I'm still not quite sure why; I was too shy to ask and it was never repeated, but it was nice. Though I don't think of it as my first kiss since it wasn't lip-to-lip, it's a nice memory.
20. Were you ever posted up on the senior wall?
I'm not honestly sure what that means.
21. Did you have a job your senior year?
No. I didn't work 'till after my first abortive attempt at college.
22. Who did you date?
Well, no one. In fact, I was really pretty asexual through most of high school. At least, as far as other real people went. I had frequent thoughts about beings that didn't exist (particularly after reading things like Uhura's song), but I had practically no romantic interest in any of my peers.
23. Where did you go most often for lunch?
Umm, the school cafeteria?
24. Have you gained weight since then?
*mrrfs* Yes. I need to work on that.
25. What did you do after graduation?
Well, I tried college for a year, failed pretty well, and then worked at a homeless shelter for a year. Then I went back to college where I failed again to complete my stay, though rather less definitively. I just wasn't quite mentally ready for it. I still wish I had gone farther and gotten a degree, but I have to admit that it just wasn't the time for me. Maybe someday I'll find a job that will pay for me to go back to school.
In other news, with the referral bonus I finally got from getting Evil Bob hired in at my company, I have purchased an object I have been lusting after for about three years now. A Cobalt Flux dance pad. I probably shouldn't have spent that much money on it, but the fact that I have a pleasantly-sized bonus in my account combined with great hope for the future combined to make me do it. And beyond that, I'm actually starting to be concerned about my health. The scale Andrea bought last weekend tells me that I'm now about forty pounds heavier than when I moved to Michigan and I can really feel it. I don't like getting out of breath doing things that would never have winded me before. DDR is the only exercise I've ever consistently enjoyed doing and it's what got me down to where I was before I moved. $350 is a lot of money for a video game, but pretty reasonable for excersise equipment and judging by the number of girl-scout cookies I ate today, I don't have the willpower to control my weight through eating less, so activity seems to be the way to go. *grins* Who wants to come play after it arrives?
Well, Andrea is out buying me "something sweet and possibly crunchy, but not weird", and after she gets home we're going to watch a movie. She's been a bit stressed too lately with all of her job hunting and a quiet night will be good for both of us. 'Till later!
--Storm
At the request of a pretty raccoon-girl (and probably not the one you're thinking of), I give you .
1. Who was your best friend?
I don't really know if I had anyone who could be called that. There was a guy by the name of Scott who I played chess with at lunch sometimes and a couple people other people who I occasionally interacted with, but I never felt like I knew them very well. They were there and so was I and it gave us outcasts something to do. I spent most of my lunches finding a place where no one would bug me (most often across the street and on the benches by the ball field if the weather was warm enough) and reading.
2. What sports did you play?
Only the ones that I was forced to in gym class. I've never had an interest in any team sports. I juggled (and still do), and even juggled in our school madrigal feast a couple years, but I don't think that counts.
3. What kind of car did you drive?
I didn't have a license 'till well after high school. I don't remember how old I was when I finally got my license. Nineteen or twenty I think. Never had much interest in it. I still don't much care for driving unless we're going somewhere interesting with fun people.
4. It's Friday night, where were you at?
Most likely in front of my computer playing emulated console games and surfing the internet for pirated music. Arr matey!
5. Were you a party animal?
Ha! I don't think I went to a party, let alone the multiple parties that would be necessary to merit such a title.
6. Were you in the "In Crowd"?
I wasn't even in the out crowd.
7. Ever skip school?
Much as I often ached to do so, I never did. I guess I was too worried about getting in trouble. I frequently played up illness in order to avoid going though.
8. Ever smoke?
Somehow, the idea of deliberately inhaling noxious chemicals never really appealed to me. I spend enough time trying to avoid that when working with a soldering iron.
9. Were you a nerd?
I suppose that's as descriptive a term as any.
10. Did you get suspended/expelled?
No. I got what was called in school suspension a couple times back in junior high after being provoked by other kids to the point of explosion. This consisted of being put in little cubicle-like booths in a special room where you had to sit alone all day and do your school work. I liked that; it was quiet and no one bugged me.
11. Can you sing the Alma Mater?
I don't think I've ever seen the whole Alma Mater. I know the first two verses; they rhyme memorably, if predictably. "Alma mater, dear Tremper high/ Proudly do your colors fly."
12. Who was your favorite teacher?
Definitely Mrs. Negri. She taught English and in her class she covered everything from classic and modern sci-fi (we watched Forbidden Planet and "The Offspring" [the episode of ST:TNG wherein Data built a 'daughter']), westerns, hard-boiled detective fiction (I was dorkily proud of having the chance to show off my vocabulary by knowing what 'chutzpah' was and using it in an assignment that I read in front of the class), and short-story horror (Poe of course). Mrs. Negri was always interested in what I had to say about what we were reading and we spent a while poking through the annotated Sherlock Holmes collection that I borrowed from my parents looking for the part where Doyle references one of Poe's characters. Toward the end of the year I lent her a copy of Vampire Hunter D to her to introduce her to animé. I described it as a sci-fi western fantasy horror, which fit perfectly into our class. *grins* Though we both decided it probably wouldn't be suitable for showing in class, she enjoyed it. I was kind of sad that she was retiring soon and wouldn't be around to teach my younger brothers. She was wonderful.
13. Favorite class?
Why, English. See above. *grins*
14. What was your school's full name?
George Nelson Tremper High School.
15. School mascot?
That would be the amusingly named Tremper Trojan.
16. Did you go to Prom?
Can't say that I did. Wasn't that interested in going and I certainly didn't have anyone who'd want to go with me.
17. If you could go back and do it over, would you?
Not in a million years.
18. What do you remember most about graduation?
The uncomfortableness of the bleachers. Being bored by the endless recitation of who did what in sports. Wishing I was over in the park area next to the school with all the mountain bike trails.
19. Favorite memory of your Senior Year?
I almost couldn't think of any, but one does finally come to mind. I don't know if it's from senior year, but it's one of my few good memories from high school so maybe I can fudge a little bit?
While performing in the summer shakespeare production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, I got a kiss on the forehead from one of the girls in the production before we went on stage. I'm still not quite sure why; I was too shy to ask and it was never repeated, but it was nice. Though I don't think of it as my first kiss since it wasn't lip-to-lip, it's a nice memory.
20. Were you ever posted up on the senior wall?
I'm not honestly sure what that means.
21. Did you have a job your senior year?
No. I didn't work 'till after my first abortive attempt at college.
22. Who did you date?
Well, no one. In fact, I was really pretty asexual through most of high school. At least, as far as other real people went. I had frequent thoughts about beings that didn't exist (particularly after reading things like Uhura's song), but I had practically no romantic interest in any of my peers.
23. Where did you go most often for lunch?
Umm, the school cafeteria?
24. Have you gained weight since then?
*mrrfs* Yes. I need to work on that.
25. What did you do after graduation?
Well, I tried college for a year, failed pretty well, and then worked at a homeless shelter for a year. Then I went back to college where I failed again to complete my stay, though rather less definitively. I just wasn't quite mentally ready for it. I still wish I had gone farther and gotten a degree, but I have to admit that it just wasn't the time for me. Maybe someday I'll find a job that will pay for me to go back to school.
In other news, with the referral bonus I finally got from getting Evil Bob hired in at my company, I have purchased an object I have been lusting after for about three years now. A Cobalt Flux dance pad. I probably shouldn't have spent that much money on it, but the fact that I have a pleasantly-sized bonus in my account combined with great hope for the future combined to make me do it. And beyond that, I'm actually starting to be concerned about my health. The scale Andrea bought last weekend tells me that I'm now about forty pounds heavier than when I moved to Michigan and I can really feel it. I don't like getting out of breath doing things that would never have winded me before. DDR is the only exercise I've ever consistently enjoyed doing and it's what got me down to where I was before I moved. $350 is a lot of money for a video game, but pretty reasonable for excersise equipment and judging by the number of girl-scout cookies I ate today, I don't have the willpower to control my weight through eating less, so activity seems to be the way to go. *grins* Who wants to come play after it arrives?
Well, Andrea is out buying me "something sweet and possibly crunchy, but not weird", and after she gets home we're going to watch a movie. She's been a bit stressed too lately with all of her job hunting and a quiet night will be good for both of us. 'Till later!
--Storm
