Bits of Laurie-trivia

Welcome to my own little vanity press.

Things you might want to know about me, since you're here:

• I'm a redhead. Be warned.
• I'm 38, a Virgo (on the cusp of Leo), 5'8", and Rubenesque (built for comfort, not for speed!).
• I've been amicably divorced from my husband, Derek, for a couple of years now. You can still take a look at our wedding album.
• I have a wonderful husband named Santiago. He's a younger man, an MIT grad, a gamer, a big geek, awfully cute, and a real sweetheart. We got married on April 1, 2007! :-)
• I'm a fan of science fiction (or speculative fiction) and fantasy, but I love books in general.
• I like to go to conventions and Renaissance fairs and dress up.
• I love music, almost all kinds. See what bands I'm into. I used to sing alto with the Nashoba Valley Chorale, and I've also sung with a group of friends in a folk-goth-chamber band, Local Midnight (currently on hiatus). I also play the piano (well, I used to, back when I had regular access to one; I probably suck at it now).
• I'm an avid contra dancer and folk festival attender.
• I have a background in art. I especially like drawing, lithography, and photography.
• I love to travel! I've been to 15 countries so far, some with my family, some with Derek, some with Santiago, and one for work.
• Derek and I lived in Sydney (specifically Darlinghurst and Bondi Junction), Australia for 2 years.
• I love good food, good friends, and sharing good food with good friends.
• I'm a pack rat, a collector of stuff, and generally an agent of entropy.
• I've been a vegetarian (ovo-lacto) since 1991.
• I love animals and desperately wish I could have dogs.
• I lean politically toward the progressive left, and I'm a feminist.
• My brother, David, is a family camp director and would love it if you would take a moment to read his professional blog, a >Advice on Family Camps from a Family Camp Director.

Things you probably didn't need to know about me, but since you're still here:

• I hate condiments; I'm a picky eater in general.
• I wear size 12 shoes. It's all my dad's fault.
• I'm a slave to pop culture. Stop me before I sub-reference again!
• I'm allergic to time. I kill watches. Even made one run backwards once...I have a witness!
• I have a reach of 11 notes on the piano (an octave + 3). Dad's also responsible for that.
• I still have acne flareups and I'm 38. When will it ever end?
• A middle-aged man from Bora Bora, Tahiti once tried to buy me from my parents when I was 15.
• The top segments of my thumbs can bend back to be almost perpendicular to the rest of my thumbs. Cilantro tastes like soap to me. I can also taste PTC and smell asparagus pee.

Hmm...I wonder who's still here after reading all these sordid details. :) Anyway, my big goal is to create a site documenting all the places I've visited (some with Derek, some without) in a way that exudes a real sense of place. I uploaded some writings a little while back, and I've recently uploaded some examples of my artwork here as well.