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Q. Is there a story behind your username? What is the story behind your username?

A. I've had this username/screen name for a very long time as a hotmail account. It's a not so funny writer's joke. A screen name is like pen name, a psuedonym, if you will. So since I don't have a pen name, I have "No Pen Name" I'm just me. ah hah...hah...yeah I know it's not funny at all. xd

Q. Being a mother, do you get nevous when you are gone for long periods of time and your husband is home with the kids?

A.Not so much with my husband I've always seen him as competent caretaker of our kids.Mostly because the first was born two weeks before our senior year of college. So we had arranged our schedules so we were never in class at the same time. So he had her for hours at a time while I was in class. Granted he doesn't do things how I would do them. But they are safe.

Now other people. Even like my mom, I worry a little. More that other people will not want to put up with and get stressed out at taking care of my little children. Although that never happens. I guess I'm just projecting.

Q. Does your husband have an account on Gaia?

A. Nope. He has no imagination, he doesn't like cartoons, or RP or "chatting". He basically uses the internet for games, work, and porn.

Q. At what age did you move out of your parent's house?

A. I moved out at 18, about three weeks after highschool graduation. I moved 3000 miles away from Washington state to Florida state. I got married about a month later a week before my freshman year of college started. And when I moved I MOOOVED I packed up every single thing belonging to me and my old room became an office. It wasn't like I had a place to go home to during summers and have all my stuff there.

Q. Have you ever done anything you initially regretted but it turned out to be a wonderful, positive thing?

A. Having a second child. It's really difficult the second one. I don't think there is any prep. And you just assume that you should be able to do this and it'll be easy. I got so depressed (depression rates are way higher for women on second children, by the way). I cried every single day for two months straight, like heaving sobbing crying. Bella was a complete 180 from what Lissa was. She was needier and yet not as cuddly. I felt like a total loser as a parent. I couldn't keep my house clean. I couldn't spend time with Lissa like I wanted. Plus I had a myriad of totally normal medical annoyances stemming from child birth (coughincontinencecough) that took awhile to clear up and go away. But now I completely love every bit of her even her total bitchiness, and couldn't imagine our family without her and the dynamic she creates.

Q. What was your first and/or favourite toy as a child?

A. Well it's not really a toy but I had a blankie. I still have it. It's folded nicely in my closet. I'm not a person who "needs" it anymore but I keep it as a momento. In general I was a HUGE barbie girl. I had tons of them and lots of clothes and cases upon cases to keep them in. I even had that cardboard penthouse thing with the string pull elevator. I think I seriously played with them until I was like 11.

Q. What's your favorite Gaia item?

A. I'd have to say the nitemare minis in first and angelic sash in second.
Where would go on your ideal vacation?

Q. What is your favorite beverage?

A. I think it might be because I'm missing it, but sweet tea. Funny story: When we moved to Florida and the first time we ate out my husband ordered sweet tea and I asked him...what's sweet tea. Thinking it was something weird or different. And he explained, it's just sweet cold tea. I was like, so?? But really you can not order it anywhere here except at pit bbq places. you have to get cold unsweetened tea and stir in splenda or something. It sucks. xd

Q. How did you find Gaia and why did you join?

A. I used to watch the artist Aimee Major and she was talking about selling some cats on Gaia...I was like, huh what? So I followed her link and that's when I joined.

Q. What would you do with 1 million dollars, tax free?

A. Pay off all our debt, buy a house, buy two brand new cars, probably both hybrids, probably one being a truck or SUV of some sort so William can use it for work. Get my M.Ed.in English and my teaching certification. Buy a bunch of smallish fun s**t like a Wii etc. Then bank whatever is left.

Q.Do you happen to have any tattoos?

A. I have three. A tribal butterfly on my left arm, I got on my 18th birthday (law in WA state says you have to be 1 cool my husband, then boyfriend, paid for it. A giant European dragon that took five hours to do in one sitting. It's got over 8 colors in it because it was early on a week day and the shop was empty and the lady really liked me, so she just kept adding and got really into it. Finally, a ring tattoo on my wedding ring finger. It is modeled after my actual wedding ring which is a heart shaped sapphire. So it's a deep blue heart with scrolly like things to either side.

Q. What are your favorite and least favorite current kids' shows on television?

A. Favs
Dora: She's smart, Lissa gets SO involved, and she is actually teaching Lis Spanish.

The Wonder Pets: They are cute, neat animation/real life style, the songs aren't overly annoying

Stanley: Lots of education!

Sesame Street: I can't stand some characters like babybear because of their annoying lispy voices. But it's still a goody.

Least
Spongebob: I don't like things that glorify stupidity. Especially for little young children. Everything seems to go right for Spongebob and Patrick out of sheer dumb luck, not because they work hard or smart. For older kids who understand the subtlety of the humor it's fine. I don't like my kids at this age watching it though.

The Proud Family: It's supposed to be "ethnic" and real to black families and communities but I just think it's sterotypical and disgusting. The black/hispanic girls often have rediculous names (Dijionay and Lacienica Boulavardez). One of the families has a bazillion kids. Why can't the family just be normal and not goofy.They don't have to be crazy and different.


Q. What do you think is your greatest strength?

A. I'm detail oriented and usually think logically about things.

Q. What do you think is your greatest weakness?

A. When I react negatively to something, I can tend to overreact. Ranting, crying, angsting. Getting all red in the face.

Q. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

A. I would like to stop time/manipulate time. Things that are great that I wanted to last longer would. I could go back in time and see where I set down that thing I lost. Get just a few more hours out of nap time to do some dishes.

Q. What was your favorite board game as a kid?

A. Candy land! I love the artwork still.

Q. Have you ever protested against/for anything or particpated in another similar political activities?

A. Nope. I've written many a letter and belonged and donated to many an organization I believed in. I just sorta feel that protesting, physically with signs and s**t, is for the people who have the luxury to do so. Mostly because of the people I knew who protested the iraq war. Fairly well off white kids who drove mustangs. They could AFFORD to protest. I also think that it's akin to inaction. Any a*****e can protest. If you really care about something and want something good to be done, you donate your actual time, you donate your actual money, you print and distribute flyers, you give talks at schools, or libraries or whatever about your cause. Standing in line with a sign is the LEAST someone can do for their beliefs.

Q. Any guilty pleasure bands, ones you wouldn't voluntarily admit to listening to?

A. I listen to a lot of types/genres music and generally don't tell anyone what I listen to for fear of being "not hip." Generally what I look for is interesting lyrics and a decent singer. I don't do screamy music. Mostly I listen to Alternative. But things I have in my music collection that I enjoy listening to off and on that I probably would never tell someone in a convo are The Backstreet Boys "Millenium" CD and Wynonna.

Q. If you could live in any kind of world, what would it be like?

A. One where other people cared about eachother, basically. I care that other people don't have health insurance, I care that children are born to people who don't want them and/or mistreat them, I care that people are drug addicted and can't get help they want/need, are homeless, are penniless, etc. I wish more people cared is all. Cared about education, and welfare of others. I guess I'm just some crazy liberal to think that we should take care of eachother to the best of our ability and that teaching and caring for other people actually benefits us all.

Q. Do you speak foreign languages?

A. Yep. I speak Spanish. I read it too, and can do what you MIGHT consider write it. I took Four years of Spanish in college, after three in highschool. It's my minor. I wrote a Spanish Language Poem that won the college intermediate award on the topic "La Florida" for an anthology sponsored by the Foreign Language Educators of Northeast Florida.

Q. What language would you learn, if you could?

A. I don't know I'd learn lots of them. All of them. I love language. I'm a total English geek and it bleeds out into enjoying other languages as well.

Q. What was the most memorable conversation you've had?

A. We had dinner with Dr. Michael Ruse, evolutionist. Talking with him was both so very informative and a laugh riot. Since he has a dirty mouth and likes telling jokes about irishmen.

Q. If there were a Ben & Jerry's flavor all about you, what would it be called?

A. "A little bit nuts" I'm sort of a person who's all over the place, I seem peppy, and I'm loud and have lots of odd quirks like I can't stand that fake foam crap, like the kind that is shaped like egg cartons and goes on top of mattresses, seriously I freak out if I have to touch it and am even getting a little weirded out just thinking about it. Also, I have a serious fear of zombies. xd

Q. What is your favorite word?

A. My favorite English words are "Lucid" "Effulgent" "Axes"(plural of Axis) "Onomatopoetic" My favorite Spanish word is "Boligrafo"

Q. What is your least favorite part of your morning routine?

A. Finding something to eat. I have a messed up stomach from 9 months of hyperemisis gravidarum which is severe vomiting during pregnancy. I lost 13lbs in two weeks. Plus I had my gallbladder taken out. So I'm always just slightly ill in the morning.

Q. Why the dark halo? Are you secretly trying to take over the world?

A. What you don't like it!?!?!

Q. Any hobbies that you take up in your free time?

A. Art, drawing specifically. Everyone I know tells me I shouldn't view it as a hobby and should sell it but I still have the mindset that I need to be better. Also, I play a lot of games on the DS.

Q. Favorite video game? (if you play 'em)

A. My classic favorite is Bubble Bobble. I loved that game. It was really the first one I was any good at. Right now I really love Rocket Slime. It's right about at my skill level. I'm not a spectacular game player. I didn't really get into playing video games until I was in college and out of my parent's home, so I feel a bit behind and less intuitive.

Q. Do you ever dress your avatar up as yourself, or what you wish you could look like in real life (non-natural hair colors, clothes that always magically fit, etc)?

A. Right now my hair is opposite of my avatar but ever since middle school at about 14 I've had cropped blond hair. I do generally dress my avatar with my sense of style. She's rarely dressed "outrageously". I also made frequent use of the white wool top when it came out because I joked that it is exactly the kind of clothing I wear. You're white long sleeved top under your Rock teeshirt under a flannel.

Q. What's the best part about being a mother?

A. Unconditional love and watching them learn new things. About the Unconditional love: I know other people think they can and often do find Unconditional love elsewhere but nothing in my life has loved me like my children. I'm not the "favorite" with my eldest, her daddy is. That's because kids around her age usually change to daddy as favorite because daddy is fun and wrestles and tosses them up in the air...etc. Well this last summer she cut her foot really badly outside because she took off her shoes. At the hospital she wanted NOTHING to do with my husband. The whole time she wanted me, me, me, me. Sure when they are in their day to day lives they may put on a front of "I don't like you" but when they get hurt or are sick they revert back to the primal instinct of "CARE FOR ME! You ALWAYS care for me!" and the mama comfort. I know many adults who still say that about their own mothers, "I wish I wasn't an adult, I wish I still had my mom to take care of me." If you have a good (decent) mother I still think you have the love there and the feeling that she always always cared for you.


Q. What's your favorite T.V. show as a kid?

A. The muppet show. I used to fall asleep in my food to the muppet show.

Q. Did you have any other usernames before it was the current one? If so, what was it?

A. Nope! I've thought of changing it a couple of times. When I signed up I thought like other RP-ish sites that this would just be my account name and then I could name my character something else. But Nopenname stuck and now that's me.

Q. What's your foot/shoe size?

A. 10/US

Q. What's the best food you ever ate?

A. There was this little family owned restaurant in Jax called "Christie's Wings and Things." Both their wings and their chicken strips salad were possibly the best food I have ever eaten. Their wings were HUGE and had a ton of flavors and the salad was just perfect with the chicken strips a bit hot. Once again this might just be colored by my missing eating there now that we live in Washington again.