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Basics | Hobbies | Some Random Facts | Favorites
You can click on the links, above, to learn a little bit more about me. If there's something you'd like to know that I haven't written about, or you have a suggestion for something you think I should add, by all means, let me know!
Hm, where to start? You can call me Duchess (no, it's not my first name, but for the purposes of this site as well as whatever site you got here from, it'll do) and I am 31 years old. I currently live in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio, in a large townhouse with two cats (more on them, later) and a male roommate; a guy I've known since the 6th grade. I have never been married (although not for lack of offers) and I have no children (nor do I ever plan to).
I work full time as a technology editor for an educational publishing company that provides nearly 90% of the United States' school districts with textbooks and materials (yes, it's a large company). Basically, what I do is test the functionality and edit the content of the electronic materials included with the program I work on; not a program like you would install on your computer, but a teaching program that you'd use to teach an entire curriculum at a school. I play educational games, test teacher software and generally assist with anything elsewhere that I might be needed with; I'm kind of a floater when it comes to our program. I also do quite a bit of data entry (usually entering information from the print program for the online components). Some of the stuff I do can get a little tedious, but I really don't mind.
Originally, I had planned to teach as a career. After getting my B.A. in English and my M.Ed. in Language, Literacy & Culture, as well as my teaching license, I taught for almost 2 years, working with socio-emotionally disturbed middle schoolers and then with high school students directly out of the prison systems. Despite the issues the students had, I really enjoyed working with all of them and I do miss teaching, sometimes. Unfortunately, however, teaching isn't a profession that pays very well in your first 10 years and you end up having to deal with quite of bit of 'red tape' when you want to get something done. I finally decided to look into something a little more lucrative as well as something that would use all of my talents, and ended up in my current position. I really feel that I'm using not only my educational background, but also all of my technical and creative skills, as well, so I'm very happy.
I have two cats, Tigger and Pooh (the names they came with... boring, huh?). My parents got them from the pound, several years ago, and when I lived with them, for awhile, to help take care of a sick family member, the cats bonded with me (they really didn't like the dogs, and I'm a cat person). They were so upset when I left that I ended up having to come back and take them to live with me (my parents had two dogs at the time, so they weren't left petless). The cats have the run of the townhouse and kitty shelves that they can lie on while they watch the birds outside, and my roommate gets along with them very well so we're all happy.
Oh, you want
to know about my hobbies?
I have quite a few hobbies that I spend time on. I taught myself how to sew a few years ago and have made everything from curtains for a friend to full costumes for Renaissance Faire's and Halloween. I keep meaning to take a few of the classes in my area just so I can learn a few of the tips and tricks that seasoned seamstresses seem to know, but I never seem to get around to it. Maybe this year?
I used to work in graphic arts, so I still spend plenty of time on the computer, designing things. If you got here from ACC, then you probably already know that I have designed quite a few of our past and present moderator's avatars and still design avatars for anyone who asks me for one. I used to use CorelDraw to make them, however, with the purchase of a new laptop last year and therefore Windows Vista, I had to teach myself how to use Photoshop. It's been quite an experience and I'm still learning things as I go. It's another one of those things that I'd like to take classes in if I get a chance... uh huh, right...
I also used to build and troubleshoot computer issues for a living, so some of my time is spent fixing my friends' and parents' computers (it's sometimes a drag being the personal computer technician of everyone you know...). My co-workers have recently figured out my computer skills and I now have them coming to me throughout the day with computer issues, too!
I love to play and watch others play video games. My favorite games to play are Mario Kart Double Dash and Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, but I love to watch games like Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Fatal Frame, Condemned, etc. For me, it's like watching movies. I especially love games where there are puzzles to figure out, although just plain action games are fun, too. This works out well because my roommate loves playing the games that I enjoy watching, so we spend most of our free time at home playing/watching video games.
I enjoy writing and have several poems and original short stories published. I would like to have a compilation of my own, someday, but we'll see if that ever happens. Lately, I've only written fanfiction; nothing marketable, but fun nonetheless and it keeps me in practice for when I decide to write something for publication, again.
Singing is a hobby I've kind of abandoned in recent years. I used to be an alto soloist in our church choir and also a member of a jazz choir, but I didn't rejoin anything when I moved to Ohio. I miss it, though, and wish I could find a general choir to sing with, again. I still sing in the car as I drive places, but I suppose that doesn't really count.
I'm also a huge movie buff (just ask the ACC Staff; I was the reigning Alternative Title Movie champ, even though I started months and in some cases even years after the others). I especially love horror (the Japanese horror flicks are my absolute favorites) and sci-fi movies.
I like random facts, don't you?
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I'm extremely organized; disorganization bothers me practically to the point of insanity
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I often fix other people's computers for them, however, sometimes it bugs me to be the personal technician of everyone I know
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My cubical at work is decorated like a dungeon (honest...want to see? And here, too.)
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I use Windows Vista regularly and I like it very much, but I like Macs, too; I think OS elitists are ridiculous (I also use IE regularly and have no issue with it... actually, I don't enjoy using Firefox, at all, but that's just a personal preference based on the look and functionality of it)
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I have long hair and I never do anything with it
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I like fairies; I collect certain ones and like wings on just about anything (I must've really want to be able to fly as a kid)
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I love movie trivia and I love to quote movies
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I speak Japanese fairly well, but could use a steady conversational partner
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I don't eat well at all, but still manage to stay thin, somehow
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I used to bite my nails (reeeeally short...)
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I'm very picky about whom I choose to be friends with
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I have a half sister that I didn't know about until I was 25
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I very rarely ate my veggies as a kid and I still grew up strong and tall... well, o.k., not tall, just strong... well, maybe not strong, just, ah... yeah, you know what? Make sure you eat your veggies so you don't end up short and weak, like me...
These are a
few of my favorite things....
Ill Will Press, home of Foamy the Squirrel's web cartoons. The toons are great fun; I highly recommend Amityville Toaster, 5 More Minutes, Tech Support and anything with Pilz-e in it (the squirrel with the glasses).
The Explicit Content warning is serious, people. Language, sexual references, drug references, you name it. Not for the kiddies.
Absolutely some of the funniest video game reviews I have EVER seen in my LIFE. This guy hates practically every game he's ever reviewed but it's completely worth it because the more he hates it, the funnier the review is.
Again, please mind the Explicit Content warning... he is NOT family friendly.
Home Star Runner is the home of StrongBad E-mails & Teen Girl Squad toons, both of which are funny, but plenty appropriate for all ages. The SB E-mail Trogdor is legendary...
Reiko is a little demon girl in a hilarious web comic with lots of blood and gore. She has a pet alligator named Lucy (short for Lucifer) and each and every one of her family and friends will charm you...
I Can Has Cheezburger is a site dedicated to placing LOLSpeak captions on pictures of critters (usually cats). There are literally thousands of them and they're great when you have a few minutes to spare or need a quick pick-me-up.
A Speed Run is when someone plays a video game with the intent of finishing it as quickly as possible. There are even people who record themselves doing it and they upload those videos here! I love watching video games (certain ones are like watching movies, for me) so sometimes I'll download one or two to watch when I need a quick fix or just to waste some time.
The Internet Movie Database (or IMDb) is the best place to go if you're looking for information about ANY movie. Fun stuff like quotes, trivia and goofs as well as direct links to Amazon from the movie page so you don't have to go searching for it. I spend alot of time there... and people wonder why I'm such a movie nut.
GameFAQs is one of the best places for organized, easy to find & follow walkthroughs for just about any game you could ever imagine. They also carry cheat codes, full image maps with locations of items and answers to all the puzzles you can't figure out on your own. We always keep this one handy when we're starting a new Silent Hill or Fatal Frame...
IGN is where I go for video game news and videos as well as screenshots and wallpaper for all the video games I play.
Where I house all the graphics I create for various people and myself. Updated every other week or so with new things.
A silly little random website I created when friends started taking pictures of the artistic creations I make with my leftovers in restaurants...
