Tuesday, September 30, 2008

I Sound Like a Man

Blah!

I considered having that be the entire post for today, but figured that a good long update of moaning and groaning is in order. We at the Goodman abode are all sick- some much more than others.

Sara has had occasional sneezes and a slightly runny nose in the mornings. Fortunately that seems to be the extent of her maladies at the time.

Emma also has a runny nose in the mornings, but her fluid leakage is accompanied with some kind of obviously painful illness that causes constant and intense whining and frequent temper tantrums.

Ross has had a little bit of congestion, some aches and pains (from overuse on our new treadmill- yay!), and a LOT of fatigue due to his new prescription.

Last but not least, after finally admitting that my intense abdominal pains since Saturday deserved some kind of treatment, I was told by the doctors that I have another kidney infection, 4 sizable ovarian cysts, and an early case of Strep throat. Good times! We laughed when the doctor told me that the best way to keep pressure off of the cysts was to avoid driving.

This is not the first time that we have all been down and out with our own forms of illness, but it is, however, the first time that we have all had to co-exist in a small vehicle for more than 2 hours a day every day! Suffice it to say that we are getting on each others nerves a lot. Emma especially seems to be annoyed by every little thing, and it is very hard to keep patience and cheerfulness in my demeanor as she kicks the seat and throws her shoes at my head. (The latter only happened once, and she was immediately confronted with my best patented Mommy-Means-Business scowl after pulling to the side of the road. She took one look at me, knew I wasn't joking around and quickly said sorry and pointed out an imaginary bird flying somewhere.)

To be honest though- things are getting much better. Emma was much better today than she has been, and she was greatly rewarded for her good behavior with a lot of praise and some treats. Hopefully this positive attention will promote some more good behavior tomorrow. Sara has been an angel. She isn't sleeping through the nights at all anymore, but she is always happy and cheerful, and aside from her using me as a chew toy, she has been very pleasant to have around. The antibiotics have knocked out most of the pain from the strep, and all that remains is a very raspy/mannish voice.

Ross is getting his blood tested at the VA hospital again on Friday, which means that he will hopefully be getting closer to the correct dosage of Dylantin. They started him high for obvious reasons, and are gradually lowering the amount until the level in his blood stream is as low as they can get it while still being effective. They are shooting for the level they had him at before they switched him to Keppra. He was pretty close last time, so hopefully Friday will be our last trip to that dungeon of a hospital for a while.

Ross is doing well. His allergies have been acting up, and he has been wiped out from the high dosage, but he really is doing well. Work is going good for him, and he said he has really enjoyed working out on our new treadmill in the mornings. He has taken all of this really well and has actually had to remind me to stay calm at times. Of course, we have both had our moments of despair (how can a salesman sell if he has no transportation?) but he has really shown his amazing faith, and I am certain that the Lord is blessing us for it.

Thank you for all of your concern and prayers. We have had more phone calls and well-wishers in the last couple of weeks than we have had in probably the past year. I am sure your faith and prayers have had no small part in the blessings we are enjoying at the moment. We really appreciate it!

Sunday, September 21, 2008

This Week in Review

There is a curious paradox
that no one can explain:
Who understands the secret of the
reaping of the grain?
Who undestands why Spring is born
out of Winter's laboring pain,
or why we all must die a bit
before we grow again?
I do not know the reason,
I only know it's true,
I hurt them for that rason. . .
and myself a little bit, too.

~ElGallo from The Fantasticks

That quote has been hanging on my fridge now for a week. It was in the program for the Fantasticks that I went to with a very good friend of mine. Emily and I were both touched by it, and had a really good conversation about it and how it has truly found application in our lives. I should have known that putting it in plain sight was pretty much an open invitation for pain and growth!

Monday Evening I got the call that I have been deading ever since we found out that Ross developed epilepsy in the Air Force (stupid Katrina! I hate you!!). The Lehi Fire Department was calling to tell me that they were on the scene of a car accident caused by Ross having a seizure while driving. They wouldn't give me any real details- just that he was talking. They let me talk to him for a few seconds, but he was still pretty out of it, and I couldn't get any real information from him either. They told me they were taking him to the American Fork Hospital, and that I should try to meet him there soon.

I found it ironic that this happened just after I had made a comment on my friend, Sarah's blog. She had written about an experience she had when her sister had lapsed into a seizure while Sarah was driving, and how stressful it had been for her. I commented about the fact that Ross had never had a seizure while in a car- only in safe places like our bed or the couch. Again- another invitation for disaster! I guess I was asking for it.

As you can imagine, I was FREAKING out. I was also drowning in guilt. The last time I had spoken to Ross on the phone that day, I had been upset with him for cancelling a plan we had made, and I had hung up on him without telling him that I loved him. I kept thinking how stupid and selfish that was of me. What if he wasn't OK? What if I had wasted one of my last coherent converstions with him caught up in my own world of pettyness?

I called my mom to see if she would watch the girls since I didn't know how severe the injuries were and I wanted to scope out the situation before bringing them in. She agreed, and actually beat me there. She called me when I was about ten minutes away and told me that he was fine, which was a HUGE relief to me. I have a very vivid imagination, and I had some pretty nightmare worthy imgaes floating around in my head.

When I got there, Dana helped me take the girls in (both of whom were sleeping) and she led me to a very coherent and even joking husband. He had a big blood stain on his shirt, but other than that he seemed fine. I guessed (correctly) that the blood had come from him biting his tongue. My mom sensed that I needed some alone time with Ross (moms are good like that!) and took Emma and Sara down to the caffeteria to let them run around for a bit. Ross said he was fine, so I crawled up into the gurney with him, and he told me what had happened. This story is full of tender mercies, and proves to me once again that God truly is aware of us and is intricately connected in every detail of our lives! I KNOW that I have my husband playing with Sara on the carpet right now because God was there with him in the timing of this would-be tragedy.

He was stopped at a stop light when he had the aura that warns him he is about to seize. His car is a manual transmission, so when he began to seize, his foot slipped off the clutch, and it immediately stalled out. The guy in the truck behind him just happened to be an EMT on his way home from work, and he recognized what was happening. He jumped out of his truck and got in the car (that just happened to let him in even though it automatically locks up after being shut off until it is opened from the inside) and got the epileptic stranger he found there into a position where he would not be a danger to himself, and then called 911. When the cops got to the scene and saw that no damage had been done to any vehicles, they chose to not write it up as an accident, and moved the car to a near-by Subway parking lot.

It turns out that Keppra, the medication the VA doctors switched Ross to a few months ago, is not working as well as they would like (understatement of the year). We have chosen to switch back to the Dylantin, even if it does give him a thicker beard. Even though the police chose to not take away his license, the doctor advised us to act as though they had- which we feel is wise. Utah law states that he needs to go seizure free for 3 months before he can have his keys back. This means that I will be playing taxi-cab for him until Christmas. This is frustrating, to say the least, but there are worse things- MUCH worse things.

We thought about selling one of our cars since we didn't want to make payments on a car we weren't allowed to use, but the day before we were going to place it on KSLCars.com, my mom called to tell me that her death-trap of a jeep had finally kicked the bucket. Their credit is messed up right now due to some mistake on the bank's part which they are in the process of clearing up. Because of this, getting a good loan on a new car is a little hard for them at the moment. They asked if they could make the payments on our spare car and use it until they can purchase their own again. We are still paying the insurance on it- but we were vey happy with this set-up because it means we get to keep the Mazda for a little bit longer- and I LOVE that car!

Anyway- things have been frustrating as we work out schedules and all the new logistics of our temporary situation, but I have been made keenly aware of our divine nature. I am filled with gratitude for the 'coincidences' that all came together at just the right moment to keep our family safe. Any spare prayers for Ross to remain seizure free, and for continued patience with each other as we drive around to appintments with both active kids in tow would be more than welcome.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

The Prodigal Puppy-Kitty Returns

On July 26, we came home from Lagoon and could not find Trinket anywhere. We were very sad about this and were fairly certain that she had made a good meal for a fox or coyote. Imgaine our surpirse when she showed up on our back porch a few nights ago wanting some love and food! She has been gone for 6 weeks! We are thrilled to have our little puppy-kitty back!

We call her our puppy-kitty because she acts like a dog most of the time. She fetches balls, chases her tail, and eats anything that is in her sight including lemon merengue pie, pizza (crust and all), cookies, bread crust, lettuce, corn bread, and 7 layer bean dip. We are also glad to have her back because now we know she can survive as an outdoor cat meaning we don't have to keep her in our house. I love cats and dogs, but I HATE pet fur! Here are some pictures of our fearless little Trinket (prize still pending for anyone who can tell me the literary origin of that name).


The Stair Master




Braza Grill

On our way home from Ogden yesterday, we stopped at the Braza Grill in Salt Lake. We had never been there, but we had some gift certificates, so we decided to try it out. It was a Brasillian grill like Tuacanos meaning it is a lazy person's buffet. You sit at the really comfortable and bouncy booths while hot latin men bring around skewers of steak, chicken, pork, sausage, and all sorts of Brazillian goodness. We really enjoyed it.

Ross's favorite is the barebecued pineapple. Sara wanted to try it too-but her mom wouldn't let her. She decided to hit up her dad who is the biggest push-over with her sweet smile.

We tried to take a cute shot of us, but it took a few tries to get one we were happy with.

Then we got in the car and headed home for Emma.
My little mommy heart was breaking with the separation. Emma's, however, was not and told me to go home when I got there. I'll be honest, I cried a little bit.

Our Trip to Brittany's Bachelorette Basement

I have this friend, and her name is Brittany. I never exactly know how to explan our bizarre freindship because, well, it is kind of bizarre! The truth is we were introduced through a mutual ex-boyfriend, only he wasn't my ex at the time. Eric wanted me to meet Brittany because, "She was my first love, and I just want you to know more about her." Weird, right? Anyway, I took an instant shine to her because she is hilarious and really smart. We didn't really ever see much of each other though because of the awkward I-think-the-guy-my-little-16-year-old-heart-plans-to-marry-may-still-have-feeings-for-you feeling kept me from getting too close- but we both shared a penchant for those long e-mail survey things, so we kept in touch that way. You would be surprised at how much you can larn from a person by reading those surveys!

The next year, Brittany joined the marching band again, so we got to see each other a little more often. Eric had graduated the year before, so that made it a little easier for me hang out with her. She was also in the same section as my best friends Danielle and Julie- and they were all very nice about letting me pretend I was as cool as they were. For the record- I wasn't.

After that, I didn't really see much of her. When I was dating Ross, I was working at a school as a Skill Builder. I was supposed to help kids who fell behind in class due to vacations, illnesses, or just from need of a little one-on-one teaching get caught back up with their class-mates. That is what I thought the job would be, but what I really ended up being was the detention lady for part of the time, and a major drain on school-diverted tax funds for the rest of the time. I spent a vast majority of my time there reading books and messing around on the internet. It was GREAT! One day I got really bored so I sent personalized e-mails to every single person on my contacts list. I only got back 2 replies- one from Ross, and one from Brittany. This began a wonderful e-mail relationship. We emailed 2 or 3 times a day, and it was grand. She was one of the lucky few to get a play-by-play of the whole Ross saga. It was kind of weird how open I allowed myself to be with her, but her responses were always so fast and clever that I was hooked!

After Ross and I got married, we didn't e-mail as much, but we still chatted on IM from time to time. In one of these chats we exchanged our blog addresses. This whole mixed up world of blogging has cemented this friendship, and I can honestly say that I love and respect this amazing girl a lot! She is smart and funny and strong, and I feel very fortunate to consider her a friend.

Recent events have forced Brittany to face a trial that I hope to never ever have to endure. Her husband of 5 years decided that he was done with their marriage, and took all the right steps to make it completely irreconcilable. When I found out about his infidelity, I cried all night. I was shocked and hurt and so worried about Brittany. I just wanted to have some way to help her, but didn't know how far our limited real-life interaction would allow me to go before I stepped over that line of propriety. Brittany has taken all of this in stride and has shown her incredible strength and optomism. Suffice it to say that she has taken the place as one of my heroes.

This weekend Brittany threw a party in her new Bachelorette Basement, and Ross and I decided to make the trip up to Logan to be a part of it. My mom was willing to watch Emma over-night, so Ross and Sara and I made a mini-vacation out of it. It was alot of fun, and I am glad that we took the trip. Ross even had fun, which shows what a great husband he is- because he was the only guy. Who knew he was so great at girl-talk?

Brittany made a great dinner complete with incredible spaghetti, some home-made bread (sans rice), and an artichoke spinache dip that I am now in love with and must have the recipe to! The rest of the night was spent just chatting and laughing. When the other girls all went to see a late movie, Ross and I went back to our hotel in Ogden (stupid USU parent's weekend booked up every available room in Logan and Brigham City) and played in the pool. Ross also enjoyed some quality time with cable TV.

Here are some pictures of the Spaghettextravaganza. I am pretty sure this was really just a random candid shot- but I love her pose! Brittany really is on the prowl! :) DeAnna and Brittany were looking for an earing.
Ross and Sara were good sports since Ross was the only guy, and Sara was the only baby. They both had a pretty good time though.

Mmmm- Rice Bread

Last Sunday we had regional conference, which was pretty fantastic. There was one talk, however, that left me feeling pretty guilty-but in a good way. I felt humbled and motivated to be better. Anne Monson Dibb, President Monson's daughter, gave a talk about not settling for generic short-cuts in life. She used a really great analogy of home-made bread in comparison to the store-bought wonder bread prodcts that most of us settle for.

Obviously she was not judging anyone who doesn't have the time to have freshly baked bread in their home on a regular basis. The point that she was really trying to make was that there are other things in our lives that deserve much more attention and care than we are now giving them. Family togetherness should consist of more than eating dinner on the couch while watching Scrub's re-runs. Scripture study should be more than a race to the end of the chapter so that we can go to sleep- rather it should be a sincere quest for knowledge and guidance. Church attendance sould be looked forward to as a privilege and not as an obligatory 3 hour block of time that we run away from afterwords as soon as possible.
I really related to her mssage in a number of ways, and spent the rest of the day making goals that would get me on the path away from the rushed and convenient aspects of my life that I have been settling for. One of those goals consisted of making some bread. I found a good recipe and got to work. I decided to mix the dough in my bread maker because I did not want Emma to think that it was OK to mess with the dough while it was rising. I wish now that I would have made it by hand! When the breadmaker announced that the dough had finished rising, I pulled it out to get it ready to bake. That was when I noticed some weird lumps in the dough. On closer examination, I found that the little lumps were grains of rice.
I have two big bags in my pantry that are off-limits to Emma, which, of course, makes them irresistable to her Terrible Two obstinance. One is a 25 pound bag of flour, and the other is a 20 pound bag of rice. Apparently, at some point, without my notice, Emma had poured some of that contraband rice into my barely opened bag of flour- thus resulting in my rice infested bread dough.
I decided to go ahead and bake it up hoping that the rice would absorb some of the moisture and not be too crunchy. I rolled the dough out in crescent rolls because I thought that would make it easier to pull out the offending grains if needs be. They actually turned out pretty good. It wasn't great- and Ross almost chipped a tooth, but they tasted pretty good. I will have to try this recipe again when I have sifted out my flour.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

The Couch-Bed Picnic

We decided to mix things up a little bit last night. Emma brought our sleeping bag up from the basement (Ross and I have zipped two big ones together for a more communal experience when camping- Emma can fit in with both of us, and that makes for some good body heat!) and said she wanted to go camping. It was all rainy and gross, so instead I tried to get her to lay it down in the front room. Well, after laying down on the floor for 10 minutes, I was done with the hard floor, so we got a little more creative and pulled the cushions off the couch to make a couch-bed, as Emma called it. It was fun! Ross made fun of me for it when he came home, but he must not have minded too much, because we ended up watching a movie (we red-boxed Baby Mama- very cute and highly recommended!) on my computer while snuggling in the sleeping bag on the couch-bed AFTER Emma had gone to bed. In fact, I am typing this post now from the comfort of our custom couch-bed hybrid. We are dorks, I know!
Emma ran to get her camera so that she could take pictures of Daddy too.

Grandpa Jones's Golden Birthday

My dad turned the big 5-0 last Friday, so we all got together to celebrate with him. Mom made his favorite- lamb and corn on the cob. It was a fun night of family and food. Happy birthday Grandpa!

For his 'Golden' birthday I made him a golden cake and Dana picked out some golden candles.
The old man couldn't quite get all the candles by himself, so he called in some reinforcements.

Heather and Caulene got him the Mummy movies, which he was pretty stoked about. Can you see Ross being a social outcast in the back-ground there?
Heather spends so much time behind a camera that she forgets that it is OK to sometimes smile naturally when in front of one. . . (I love you, Heather!)
Ross and I picked out some new shirts for my dad, since he jokes about Emma always getting his clothes dirty when she comes over.

See how pretty her smile is normally. . .
There is this long standing joke in our family of my dad always eating Caulene's food because, "It always tastes better off of Caulene's plate!" At least I always thought it was a joke. Sara seemed to agree whole-heartedly. I have never seen her eat her cereal with so much gusto. She was giggling and squealing with joy, and got very impatient when Caulene wanted to take a bite of her own food.

Dad thought that Dana's gift of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans was funny, until he realized that there is really a vomit flavored bean!

It was a good night, and we were pleased to have been invited. Our only problem with visiting my paren'ts house is that Emma never wants to leave. It always takes a lot of persuasion, threatening and bribing to get her in the car to leave.

Saturday, September 06, 2008

Questions You are Not Supposed to Ask

When is the last time you exercised? If running up and down the stairs 32 times with a 14 pound baby in tow counts, then today! If you mean the last time I did my Carmen Electra strip-aerobics video, then some time last week.
Do you have any clothes that you are keeping just in the hopes of fitting into them again someday? Yes. I have had two kids, and plan on more, but my little college Sophomore heart would really love to get back ithose cute khacki slacks from Old Navy! I guess I need to get together with Carmen a little more often for that.
What are you dreading right now? Ross going to work on Monday. I really love having him home on the weekends (even if he wouldn't watch Moulin Rouge with me last night- jerk!).
How much do you weigh? 130ish
Do you get the full 8 hours of sleep a night? Hahahahahhahahahahahahah!!!! (That means no, not in a very long time.)
If anyone came to your house on your "lazy days" what would you do? Well, I would probably only answer the door if one of the girls gave me away. If I had to answer the door I would probably just let them on in and hope that they didn't notice my lack of upper feminine support and make-up. That is pretty much the difference between a good day and a lazy day for me.
Who last grabbed your bum? Ross.
What was one club or organization you were part of in high school that is embarrassing to admit now? I am pretty proud of most of them. I suppose the one that would be most frowned upon would be Mock Trial, but I actually had a lot of fun in that class despite having to work in close quarters with an ex-boyfriend.
What are your 5 biggest pet peeves? Conversation One-Uppers, People who lie and get caught in the lie and then continue to lie, Products at the store that do not have a price clearly marked on them, Having a blog with 150 unique hits a day- and no comments (hint hint!), unpatriotic people especially the ones who entered this country illegally to escape the poor conditions of their native land, and then refuse to say the pledge of allegiance as a sign of their devotion to said third-world nation. (Especially the ones who let their dogs run lose and poo in the park behind us and smoke on their back porch!)
Who are you mad at right now? I am not telling! (That means it is probably one of you- better watch yourself!)
Do you eat raw cookie dough? Sometimes I make cookie dough for the soul purpose of eating it raw. Don't judge me!
Have you ever shop-lifted? Not on purpose. One time I gave Emma a pack of skittles to play with in her car-seat while we were shopping, and I forgot about it when we left. I saw them when we got in the car, and would have gone back in to pay for them- but it was Wal-Mart and it had taken me 40 minutes to get through the line the first time, so I decided against it.
Have you ever kicked a vending machine? I tend to hate most vending machines, and avoid ever using them. So, yes, this hatred has ended in violence on a number of occasions.
What is something you love that would make you unpopular if other people found out about it? I don't know if it would necessarily make me unpopular, but I love cotton candy with all of my little carny heart. I also really loved the rodeo which I am not embarrassed by, but a lot of people have made fun of me about it.
What is something you dislike that would make other people upset? I hate pictures of little kids kissing. It is gross. Oh, and those Anne Geddes pictures of babies totally creep me out.
Have you ever been cheated on? Twice- once by Matt Garner a month before Eric came home from his mission, and then Jordan Fielding cheated on me a month after Eric came home. It wasn't too big a deal because he was a good rebound.
Have you ever cheated on anyone? Eric told my entire ward when he got home that I was a cheater and a slut who could not be trusted- but I still don't think that dating for fun while he was away on a mission really constitutes cheating.
What is your worst habit? Forgetting to switch a load of laundry from the washer to the dryer before going to bed. I usually have to re-wash mildewy clothes for that reason twice a week.
Are you cocky? You would be too if you were me!
Could you live without a computer? Honestly, yes. It would take a few days of crying and cursing the heavens, but I think I could adapt eventually.
What was the last lie you told? I told Emma the pepperoni on her pizza was chicken.
Who or what sleeps with you? Ross, and sometimes Emma when she has bad dreams. When Ross is gone, Rufus, my ratty old stuffed dog gets to come on up as well.
What do you do when you're sad? I take long showers and listen to my favorite music really loud. I like long drives too when I don't have the girls to worry about.
How many times did you cheat on important projects in school? I would never ever cheat on a school project ever ever ever. (If you want the real answer, you may have to e-mail me. My teacher mom reads this blog!)
Have you ever lied to get out of a ticket? No, because I have never had a ticket!
What made you want to wear that hair style? A combination of laziness and a lack of time and money to go to a salon. Who is up for a girl's night make-over?!?
Is anyone on your bad side now? Yup!
Ever done drugs? Not unless you count the prescription kind. I like to save those for really bad migraines.
What's the first thing you do when you get online? Go to my blog and see if anyone has commented or updated. I then commence crying as I comment on everyone else's blogs.
Have you ever accessed porn? Never on purpose.
How much money do you make? I am starting to average about $20 and hour for some free lance writing I have been doing (anyone need a speech written?). Unfortunately, I only get about 5 hours worth of work a week right now.
Have you ever kissed someone of the same sex? Not really. There is a funny story about Danielle and me, but no real kissing. I will let her do the honors if she would like!
Have you ever dressed up as a member of the opposite sex? Frequently. Doesn't everybody?
What size clothing do you wear? It all varies. Right now I have a medium top, and size small maternity pants. I may need a shopping spree in the near future.
What is the worst thing your parents ever did to you? My dad hit us, and my mom had a tendency to tell us we couldn't afford anything.
When was the last time you left your house? I went to my parent's house on Friday night for my dad's birthday party. I would have gone to stake conference today had Emma not woken up with a slight fever and some sniffles.
Have you ever blamed one of your farts on someone else? All the time. I am pretty good at it.
What is something you lied to your mom about as a teenager? I never really told her the full extent of my relationship with Eric. I am sure she figured it out, but I always told people we were just friends, when in reality, we were already planning our wedding. Gross, I know. I sure was 16 when he left on his mission.
Would you survive in prison? Probably. I can make friends when I need to.
What is your deepest guilty pleasure? I like dirty comedy. A lot!
What is your favorite movie that you should not have seen? Braveheart
Do you know anyone with the same name as you? Not anymore. As Amanda Jones, though- well that was just annoying.
Have you ever lied to your spouse about a purchase you made that you knew they would dissapprove of? Yes. Not recently though.
How much weight have you lost or gained in the last 2 years? I gained about 40 when I was prego, but lost all of that, then gained 10 of it back. I am trying to lose that 10, and maybe 20 more after that right now. Stupid baby-weight!!
What irritates you most on the internet? How easy it is to access filth in all of its e-forms.
Have you ever taken a picture that you wouldn't want your mom to see? Quite a few!
Do you watch movies with your parents? Only when I have to. My mom always asks me to explain what is happening, and my dad has to either have the caption on, or every line yelled back at him. They also like to talk through the whole thing, which makes it harder for me to hear when Ross and I talk to each other.
Have you ever passed off store-bought food for home-made? I don't think so. I could see myself doing that though, if I wasn't too lazy to take it out of the plastic wrapping and put it in one of my dishes. For the record- I do not buy store-baked goods very often! I prefer to bake my own.
Have you ever plagiarized? No. I usually try to cite my sources.
What is your ususal reaction when confronted with an ugly baby? "Wow- look how tiny! What a miracle."

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Chronic Awakeness!!!

For some reason I cannot sleep- like at all. This is a little bizzarre considering I have pretty much been waiting all day for the chance to lay down on the freshly laundered sheets in my glorious pillow top King Size bed. My mind is just racing with stupid thoughts, and I cannot get comfortable enough to just drift to sleep. After a couple hours of that nonsense, I decided to do some blogging, and found a gem of a personality test on Tracie's blog. Thanks for the idea Tracie- this was fun! Also- we seem to be quite similar. . . I think that means we should hang out!

~About Me~
You are a single minded person who takes pride in making sound judgements and likes to earn the respect of others. You are a highly creative person.

~Interaction~
You are idealistic and can be extremely loyal and accepting of others. You often remain on the sidelines in social situations choosing to observe rather than participate. In an ideal world, you would leave all your inhibitions behind and do something totally impromptu and fun just because you can, but you're probably the most comfortable in relaxed settings with your closest friends or your partner. A few special relationships are sometimes worth more than a huge gang of friends.

~Thinking~
You enjoy being well informed and put a great deal of energy into building your understanding and knowledge. You are fond of learning and may sometimes shy away from the world, immersed in books or surfing the net. You have a very creative mind. But sometimes you need to be dsiciplined to avoid getting distracted, especially if you're working at home.

~Focus~
You are naturally introspective and measured. Inspired by anything new and unusual, you tend to look to the future and try to be open to different perspectives on life. Sometimes taking time to write things down helps you to connect to your innermost feelings. Passion comes naturally to you. You like grand gestures and tend to wear your heart on your sleeve. You can sometimes appear quiet and pensive directing most energy towards your inner world of thoughts.