I am...

... a night owl. I stay up way too late (as evidenced by the timestamp on this post). But it's all good. sometimes it takes the silence of the wee hours of the morning to get my brain working. The creative juices flowing.

... a geek. And damn proud of it. It's OK to be a geek. It's OK to be smart. Geeks are sexy. Unleash and embrace your inner geek!

... a word nerd. Words fascinate me. Their meanings. Their origins. Their usage. I love to paint pictures with words.

... an artist. I channel my inner-muse almost daily. I love to play with color and texture and light and dark and shape and contrast. I tell stories with color and shapes.

... loving my naturally curly hair. I have always had a love/hate relationship with my hair. But for some reason it just seems to suit me now. It's long enough to where the curls don't look stupid. And since I am growing it out, the curls help hide the 'awkwardness' of the current growing stage. I've even taken back my darker hair color. Yes, it's still out of a bottle, but no more pesky roots to worry about. And I love it.

... embracing change. Usually change bugs the shit outta me. Not that I'm someone who hates change, mind you. Just some sorts of change make you feel shaky. I'm now confident enough in the changes this year to have the confidence to press on.

... comfortable in who I am.

... wondering if this blog needs a splash of orange or gold.

... so grateful for my friends. This year has been a huge learning experience for me in terms of the friendships I've forged. I've had to do some housecleaning of those who weren't good for me. But in exchange, I've gained some amazing new friends. And reconnected with some wonderful people from my past. The existing bonds of friendship have grown stronger and I am so blessed to have these people in my life. Past, present, and future.

... at peace with the choices I've made in my life. I do not need to justify my actions now or then to anyone.

... appreciative of you. Know that.

... finding my voice again.

... excited for tomorrow. And the day after that. And the day after that.

... who I am.

Confession

Hello. My name is Violet (aka Miss Lissa) and I unconsciously, but compulsively, sort things before I eat them.

Skittles, M&M's, Smarties (both the American and Canadian varieties), DOTS, Mike & Ike's, JuJu Bees, Swedish Fish, you name it. I unconsciously sort and group these things by color/flavor before eating them.

If I don't I may just spontaneously combust or something.

I am a nightowl.

I stay up late. Way too late. Like for example... right now!
I am not the least bit tired, but I'll probably try and crash out here in a few.
Sad thing is I can go to bed at 2am and get back up in a few hours. I really don't require that much sleep.

I'm told I've always been like this. I was one of those little ones who simply would not go down at 8pm. Or 9pm. Maybe 10pm.
Mr. Ethan is the same way, although some nights he is so darned tired out he crashes before 8pm. Of course then I must deal with the restless child who must get out of bed and start bugging me at 6am. Or earlier.

I don't know why I'm like this. I guess it's just the way I'm wired.
Perhaps it's because I'm such a spaz by nature.
Right now I am not the least bit sleepy.
The only thing that sucks is the selection of what's on this late at night. Not much of anything. I stick to movies or music for background noise. Or no noise at all and just have the white noise of my fan.

I used to get tons done this time of night. Cleaning. Bill paying. News junkie-ing.
Now I just read. Or design stuff. Or catch up on the blogs and news sites I frequent.
I had to stop emailing people because they'd freak out getting a message from me at 2am.

Sometimes it feels "lonely." Other times I really enjoy the solitude.
There are times when I wish I lived somewhere like New York or Chicago. Where you know there's something going on this late at night. That is if I'm so inclined to go out.

I know there has got to be other oddballs like me. Those who like to stay up late for whatever reason. Who can also get right back up and be functional. After a good amount of coffee...

I am a red crayon.

Ruth shared this little quiz today.
It looked fun so I took it.
No surprise that I am a red crayon:

You Are a Red Crayon

Your world is colored with bright, vivid, wild colors. You have a deep, complex personality - and you are always expressing something about yourself. Bold and dominant, you are a natural leader. You have an energy that is intense... and sometimes overwhelming. Your reaction to everything tends to be strong. You are the master of love-hate relationships. Your color wheel opposite is green. Green people are way too mellow to understand what drives your energy.

What Color Crayon Are You?

More Random Questions. And More Random Answers.

Shamelessly snagged from Dawn...

What is in the back of your car?
A car seat (sexy, huh?) and two jackets.

What color is your toothbrush?
Blue and white.

What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
Showering.

What Were you doing 45 minutes ago?
Watching CNN

What is your favorite candy bar?
Twix

Have you ever been to a strip club?
Yes.

What was the last thing you said aloud?
OMG what a dork!

What is the best ice cream flavor?
I have to agree with Dawn on this one - chocolate peanut butter.

What was the last thing you had to drink?
Drinking water with lemon at the moment.

What are you wearing right now?
T-shirt and shorts.

What was the last thing you ate?
Half a blueberry donut from Krispy Kreme.

Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
Does a new pair of flip-flops count?

What is your favorite flavor of popcorn?
Not a huge fan of flavored popcorn unless it's caramel. I do like jalapenos on my popcorn.

Ever go camping?
It's been a while.

Do you take vitamins daily?
When I remember.

Do you go to church every Sunday?
Nope.

Do you have a tan?
Kinda. But I don't really tan.

Do you like Chinese food over Pizza?
No.

Do you drink your soda with a straw?
Sometimes. Usually fountain soda. Otherwise, no.

Are you someone's best friend?
I'd like to think so.

What are you doing tomorrow?
Working. Meeting Katy for lunch. Going to yoga.

Where is your dad?
Grand Junction, CO.

What color is your watch?
Silver.

Do you use Chapstick?
Nope. I prefer Burt's Bees.

Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?
Drive thru.

What is your favorite number?
13

Do you have a dog?
Nope.

Last person you talked to on the phone?
My auntie.

Any plans today?
Considering today is almost over, bed.

How many states have you lived in?
4

Ever go to college?
Indeed I have.

Do you dye your hair?
Indeed I do.

Biggest annoyance in your life right now?
Men.

Last song listened to?
Mayor of Simpleton by XTC

Can you say the alphabet backwards?
I think so.

Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
Black & bamboo flip-flops.

Are you jealous of anyone?
I'm female. It comes with the territory.

Is anyone jealous of you?
I have no idea.

Do you love anyone?
Sure! I love lots of people.

Do any of your friends have children?
Quite a few of them do.

What do you usually do during the day?
Work. Go to the gym. Work some more.

Do you hate anyone that you know right now?
Dislike immensely, yes. Hate, notsomuch. Requires too much energy and I refuse to put forth that much energy onto someone I dislike.

Do you use the word 'hello' daily?
Probably.

What color is your car?
Galaxy Grey.

Do you like cats?
I would hope so considering I have a cat.

Have you ever been to Six Flags?
It's been a while.

How did you get your worst scar?
From having a tumor taken out of my leg.

I just am.

Today I just am.

Today I am content. Content to be me. Take me or leave me.

Today I looked frickin' fabulous in a t-shirt that hasn't looked right on me in YEARS. Today I also chucked a t-shirt that didn't look good on me then and still doesn't look good on me now. Clearly me and that shirt are just not meant to be.

Today my skin looked great (for a change) and my hair did too. Even though all it's wanted to do the past two days is curl. Instead of fighting it, I used it to my advantage. It's so much easier to embrace the freckles and the curls and work with them rather than fight them.

Today I laughed. So much.

Today I sang Beach Boys and Beatles tunes at the top of my lungs while in the car. With the sunroof open. Didn't give a crap who heard me. Thankfully my son isn't at that stage where he wants to bury his face in shame. Yet. The 60s channel on XM rocks. As does my iPod tunez selection.

Today I watched two favorite movies and laughed even harder at them than I did the last time I watched them.

Today I finished that damned painting. I like it.

Today I also realized I'm out of canvas. Must go buy more tomorrow.

Today I thought of someone. Just a little bit.

Today I made some decisions. Good ones.

Today I changed a few things. For the better.

Today... I just am. :o)

Just One Word

This was kinda tough... especially for me... answer each question with only one word!

1. Where is your cell phone? ledge
2. Significant other? next!
3. Your hair? auburn
4. Your mother? friend
5. Your father? traveling
6. Your favorite thing? child
7. Your dream last night? interesting
8. Your favorite drink? fountaincokelotsaice (I know that's cheating!)
9. Your dream/goal? artist
10. The room you're in? kitchen
11. Your hobby? photography
12. Your fear? failure
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? anywherebuthere (I can't help myself)
14. Where were you last night? home
15. What you're not? patient
16. Muffins? raspberry
17. One of your wish list items? iMac
18. Where you grew up? everywhere
19. The last thing you did? emailed
20. What are you wearing? flip-flops
21. Your TV? off
22. Your pets? cat
23. Your computer? broken
24. Your life? evolving
25. Your mood? pms-ing
26. Missing someone? yes
27. Your car? fun
28. Something you're not wearing? makeup
29. Favorite store? Lucky
30. Your summer? anticipating
31. Like someone? many
32. Your favorite color? red
33. When is the last time you laughed? today
34. Last time you cried? Thursday

Happy Place - FOUND!

At least partially. Despite my Ducks blowing Game 6.

I found my Happy Place. Surprisingly it wasn't behind Sarah's couch with Jesus (sorry to disappoint!). It wasn't at the bottom of a tequila bottle (clearly!). And while it's not 100% back (still a bunch of things that need to be fixed) I'll take the portion that is.

Part of it I found in the joy of solitude.
Part of it I found in the joy of friends.
A good chunk of it I found in a pair of hockey skates.

Yes, you read that right. Hockey skates. Rental ones at that (who knew I'd find it in a pair of crappy rental skates at the South Suburban Ice Arena???). Ones that I couldn't get quite as tight as I liked them and managed to re-tweak my ankle a little bit. Nevermind that they needed sharpening really badly and added to my not-been-on-ice-skates-in-10-years wobbliness.

Am I going to play again? Not sure. It's tough to find co-ed teams that don't have pansy-ass rules (like no checking and establishing the high-stick mark far lower than 'regulation'). It's even tougher to find ice time that's not at midnight. I might just keep working with the Ethan-monster at standing up on his skates (without holding on for dear life and pulling me down in the process) and gliding so within the year I can start working with him on puck handling and passing and stuff like that. For now, I'll get some new skates. Good skates. And a new stick. And smack the hell out of a few pucks. Nothing more satisfying than barreling down the ice and smacking the crap out of a hockey puck.

Wonder whatever became of my old gear...

By popular request...

Here's what I did last Sunday. Not to be confused with "I know what you did last summer..."



You're welcome, Mangy Whore! ;o)

Totally bringing crazy~sexy~cool back...

I didn't chicken out. I'll post a pic when it's not looking quite so traumatic. I still maintain that the belly button hurt far worse than anything I've ever had pierced in my life - hence why that one has still not been replaced. Even though I've "earned" it back via a flat stomach and then some.

I also found a fabulous (and inexpensive) pilates and yoga studio in Denver today, which is way cool. I'm amazed at how much less things cost in Denver proper (well, unless you're actually planning on *purchasing* a house then that's a whole 'nother ball o' wax). Pearl Street (South Wash Park for you locals playing from home) so rocks. A lot of the same cool stuff is still there like Sushi Den, Stella's, The Black Pearl, Hungarian Bistro, Pearl Street Grille, 12th House. The cool costume shop is closing it's doors, which made me very sad when I walked by. The book store specializing in murder mysteries is still around too. Hopefully that place never goes anywhere seeing as I'm a major murder mystery junkie.

Thing is I fear that the whole area is totally becoming totally yuppified, which kinda sux. Scrape-offs are starting to dominate - and not the cool ones that blend in either. I guess if that's going to be my new 'hood though, I'll just have to suck it up and deal with the scrape-offs and the obnoxious yuppies to be more centrally-located in a house that doesn't look exactly like the one across the street... or the one three doors down. And here I thought they all fled to the 'burbs like Stepford. Who knew?

Bringing Back Another Piece of Me

Not as sinister as it sounds. Or sad. But rather cool.

I think this would even fall into the crazy~sexy~cool category (thanks D!)

Leaving here shortly to take care of said piece.

For those of you who might be a wee bit concerned, don't be. Nothing bad will come of this. It's all good. :o)

Just another thing to keep that joy going.

6-Word Memoir

So shamelessly swiped from Lee's blog! ;o)

Here are 6 words to sum up my life: my memoir:

Journey
Creative
Driven
Joyful
Laughter
Friendship

7 Random Things About Me

Apparently the latest survey in the series is one of those "tag you're it" kinda things. Well I wasn't tagged but I'm a sucka for surveys so I just feel compelled to answer. Especially since it's a "random" survey!

1. My favorite flowers are tulips and gerbera daisies. I could take or leave roses.

2. My drink of choice is tequila. Good tequila.

3. I could watch re-runs of Friends any day of the week. I laugh at the same jokes over and over. Even if I've seen the episode 10 times.

4. My favorite song is Read My Mind by The Killers

5. I have to start my day by reading my favorite comic - For Better or For Worse.

6. Nothing on this planet is better than fountain Coke. From Sonic. Sonic has the best ice!

7. I am so not a girly-girl, but I insist on carrying a pink iPod case.

There you have it. 7 random things about me. That may fall into a "favorite things" category, but that's OK. It's still random.

40 Things You Have NOT Been Asked in a Survey...

Courtesy of Heidi!

1. Do you personally know anyone in prison at the present moment?
Not really, but I probably do. I used to hang out with some rather shady characters.

2. Have you ever logged onto a boyfriend/girlfriend/crush's myspace?
Who hasn't?

3. When is the last time you ate peanut butter and jelly?
Thursday, except it was just peanut butter. Does that count?

4. Do you have a desk in your room?
Yes, and it is a total and complete disaster.

5. Have you ever gotten naked at a party?
No comment.

6. What kind of car do you have?
2004 VW Jetta.

7. Are you named after one of your parents or grandparents?
Nope.

8. Can you walk a straight line when you're sober?
Not so well...

9. Do you know how to throw up gang signs?
Yeah. See #1.

10. Have you ever broken a rib?
Yes. Snowboarding. And it sucked.

11. Would you rather be a girl or a guy?
Girl

12. Who is the most spoiled person you know?
No comment. She reads this blog.

13. Would you rather have a million dollars or true love?
True love. Hands down, true love.

14. Have you ever had sex in church?
Ok, it depends on how you define "church." If we're talking within the sanctuary itself, then the answer is no; If we're talking about the church grounds and other buildings that happen to be on church property, then I have no comment.

15. Is your boyfriend/girlfriend a marine?
Nope

16. Do you watch the Grammys?
Kinda. I flip back and forth and somehow manage to catch what I want to see.

17. Would you ever work for the border patrol?
To borrow Heidi's response, not if I have to talk to people. People suck.

18. Which one word would describe your last relationship?
Heh. Heh. Heh. Yeah, no comment.

19. Would you rather date someone 2 years younger then you or 2 years older?
I'm indifferent. I don't think 2 years either way is enough to make much of a difference.

20. Have you ever had an eating disorder?
If you consider starving myself down to 98 lbs in a vain attempt to be a size 2 to be an eating disorder, then trying to maintain that unhealthy weight for nearly a year, then yes I have.

21. Do you have a porn collection?
Doesn't everybody?

23. Have you ever been in an interracial relationship?
Nope.

24. Is your birthday on a holiday?
I share a birthday with John Stamos. Isn't that holiday enough? I also share a birthday with Bill Clinton, but John Stamos is way hotter and more deserving of his own holiday IMO.

26. Do you have any friends or family in the war right now?
A couple of friends in Iraq.

29. Do you like polar bears?
Sure. Polar bears are cool. That's an odd question.

30. Have you ever been cheated on?
Yes.

31. Why are you doing this?
Because I'm a sucka for surveys.

34. Did you lose your virginity to your neighbor?
Eeeeuuuuw! Gross!

35. Did or do you think your childhood dreams will come true?
I sure hope so!

36. Do you wear your sweetie's clothes?
I did when I had a sweetie was closer to my size. Although I did wear my sweetie's shorts when I was preggo. I never gave them back either. Mua-ha-ha-ha!

37. What's your opinion on gold?
Quite lovely but I'm allergic. Sterling silver or platinum please.

38. Are you a country boy/girl or city slicker?
Total city slicker. Makes living in the 'burbs insanely painful.

39. Is your car a 2002 or higher?
Yes.

40. Do you want to hit something?
No, but the day is still young.


I just realized there are only 35 questions here. Hey Heidi, what'd you do with the other five questions?