So, I got tagged with this by two different people on Facebook.  It's been over a week since the tagging and my "Twin" asked me if I had seen the tag.  Sensing that he was going to guilt me I told him I would do it ASAP. 

I thought I'd share it with everyone here too...join in the fun if you wish.  The post presumes you know I'm in the miltary, own a house which I remodeled, and am not married.

1. I am from Columbia, SC. I have returned there about 6 times since 2002.

2. My Mother (with or without other family members) comes to visit me, no matter where I am, about every three months. She actually tried to a fly to Kabul, Afghanistan so she could visit me here. When I told her she wouldn't be able to get on base, just the Embassy, she wanted to get a job here. My Father emails me with a note that just says "Call Us" if I don't call every two or three days. If I don't when he gets off work he wake my Mom up and they call ME. Keep in mind I'm 9.5 hours ahead of east coast time. My little brother, not so little since he's about to be 24, and my Parents give me noise if I don't call him regularly too.

3. I love my family especially since they have never tried to make me fit society's mold of who it thinks I SHOULD be rather than who I AM.

4. I am apparently an evil person who is an emotional black hole because I've never been in love. I think that word gets thrown around far too much. I love people...but being in love...hmm.

5. In the past I WAS THE WORST at relationships simply because I was not emotionally involved. I was just there. I hurt some very good people who did not deserve it.

6. I am a blogger. I used to maintain a lame video blog and one on blogger but now I just post occasionally on Open Salon. I am in awe of those who are dedicated enough to write and write and write.

7. I have spent the last year becoming more open to people. I still ignore people when I feel like it but I try to be nicer about it.

8. My Mother always says I need to be tactful. My response, "Tact is for people who aren't witty enough to be sarcastic."

9. I dance. That girl in the club doing back handsprings and ballet...that's me. Although, when I went to Jersey on leave I found out I'm over the club scene.

10. I campaigned for our President online via his website. I spent an hour at a time on the phone explaining policy to "swing voters." I called swing states with Skype, wrote blogs, and got donations. I attended the Inauguration and stood in the crowd for 7 hours when I was on leave...ALL WORTH IT!

11. I am a policy wonk and actually know how federal programs work so I enjoy stomping on those who try to employ talking points on me at work everyday. It's my favorite hobby out here. The best conversation I had involved a curbstomping over welfare. The guy uses WIC and an EBT card and thinks welfare should be abolished...not realizing he was using the program LOL.

12. I am currently dating a lovely Canadian...whom I regularly spar with in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Judo, Muy Thai, and Boxing. Nothing says affection like a blood choke or shoulder throw. I won't even talk about the horror that is CrossFit

13. An amusing group of friends, when I was in HS, thought of ways to kill people and get away with it. Apparently my choice, icicle with leather wrapped around it as a handle and then thrown in the water, was disproven on CSI.

14. I abhor needles. I can put an IV in someone on the first go and I can take an IV stick but I dislike it alot. I also want an enormous dragon tattoo on my back so it's an issue.

15. I love my Macbook. I up'd it to 4gbs of RAM and I put a 500gb HD in. I am waiting for a touchscreen iMAC. I have an iPod touch, iPod Classic, and iPod Shuffle. APPLE!

16. I don't drink. I never have. I rather spend my money on my house, school, clothes, or shoes. You know stuff that lasts. I am always the DD.

17. I enjoy being alone. I like to read so it's a win-win

18. I am an extremely honest person. Lying is not worth the effort.

19. I don't have a religion...just a philosophy. I KNOW that I have this life so I should do the best I can with it and if I help or improve the life of just one person then I've done something with it.

20. I like children but I cannot become a teacher. Our educational system drives me insane. I could never teach history in our schools since we teach patriotism and not truth.

21. I'm attempting to become a qualified foster parent in NJ. I would prefer older kids who need help getting themselves on a good path to the future. I currently work with 7 and 8 year olds but I'm looking to move up to an higher age group. I am organizing a summer literacy program for younger children and a tutoring program for older children in Philly. Those will be my primary volunteer foci when I return in May...aside from the occasional Habitat house on Saturdays.

22. There are times when I speak extremely fast. It's because I'm trying to keep up with the speed of thought LOL.

23. I am stationed in NJ. I'm a resident of NJ. I own a house in NJ. I attended Rutgers and got two of my degrees from there. I will keep my NJ residency for the foreseeable future. (I want to go back to SC and slap the government there silly for its management and programs.)

24. My clothing of choice runs the gamut of business casual to Victorian era gowns to current Korean looks...so basically I'm all over. Since alot of my retro looks are coming back into style that let me leave the vintage section for awhile. Typically my outfits involve a dress or skirt of some kind. I don't wear jeans except under my coveralls when I'm doing volunteer EMT work. At home I live in shoes 4 inches or higher when I'm not in uniform. This year has been an adjustment.

25. I am an otaku. For those unfamiliar with, or offended by, the term we'll use the term Geek. I used to spend $400.00 dollars a month on comic books. I owned a Wii, PS3, and X-Box 360. I have a $5000.00 dollar entertainment set up with in wall wiring and so on. I adore the fansubber community. I download television shows from Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and mainland China. I read mangas and mahwas. I watch a ridiculous amount of anime. I read lots of fan fiction. I have windows as a virtual machine on my Mac just, so I can watch rvmbs, so I don't have to wait for conversion to watch stuff. I am a member of a ton of online forums. I love electronics and I fix and upgrade computers. I am proud Troper over at TvTropes.org. I go to comic book, book, fantasy, and sci-fi conventions (See you at Dragon-Com, Wizard World, NY Cons, and RT-Times). If I come across an appealing outfit I will cosplay. I am not a LARPer and I don't have the patience for RP or MMMORP but I do like to know everything about them. I refuse to play Warhammer 40K...it's expensive and depressing.

*Bonus* I don't like chocolate. Yes, I know..blasphemy. The exception to that is Thin Mints.

Siobhan

Kabul, Afghanistan 20 February 2009, 2138pm