About the webspinner

So, now that I've invited you to visit, you're probably wondering who I am. :) So, you'd like to know a bit more about the chimiste, herself? Happy to oblige, though I'm not really all that interesting. *grin.*

Physically, I'm short, only 5'2" tall. I have dark brown hair with reddish tones that I wear short and somewhat shaggy. My eyes are dark green and are perhaps my most redeeming physical feature, though I'm blind as a bat without contacts or glasses. I'm a bit overweight, and I constantly struggle less-than-successfully to keep my weight down. Like many women, I do not have any appreciable positive body-image in this world where waifs are all the rage and more solid figures are disdained.

Where to start? Probably at the beginning. I grew up in upstate New York and had a very normal, if sheltered, childhood. I went to a Catholic school during my gradeschool years. My parents (bless them) moved me into the public school system when I hit junior high school, and I remained at a public school until I finished high school. It was in this environment that I discovered a lot about myself.

I'd learned to play the piano at a young age. At around the same time I learned the piano, I also learned to dance. I danced ballet, tap, and jazz for 10 years, culminating in a year spent dancing en pointe, and then vowing that I would never put my feet through such torture ever again. *Grin*

At age 12, I discovered drumming and was very active in concert ensembles and marching band (so much for staying away from foot torture) all through high school. I discovered debate, chess, literature, foreign languages and a host of other things. I got started with my most signature hobby, tatting, an old Victorian art of lacemaking.

I went to college, and really started to get into lacemaking. College, though, was a time of intellectual growth, not really what I would classify as personal growth. I absorbed more chemistry than I ever thought I'd learn, more mathematics than I'll ever need, more philosophy that I'll ever truly understand, and more languages than I'll ever be able to keep tabs on.

Then I went to graduate school, and I discovered how very little I know. I'm convinced that the purpose of graduate school is to teach you humility, time management (at which I've always been absolutely horrible), and library research. I also discovered that I am not at the top of the academic heap any more. It's a bit of a shock for a girl who spent her first 22 years of life bored out of her tree at the head of the class. Nothing like a world class graduate program to really put you in your place. So, because my view of lab research has decidedly soured, I've decided to take a Masters degree in chemistry, and I've recently been accepted into the Masters of Library Science program here. (Whee!) Because, really, when a student suddenly finds herself not quite knowing what to do, the obvious solution is to go be a student for a while longer and get another degree in the process! (Dontcha love logic?)

I also discovered Tae Kwon Do. It's amazing how much the martial arts can do for one's self-discipline, as well as being great for self-defense and physical fitness. I currently hold a green belt. I've been on hiatus for awhile due to injuries, though (much to my frustration).

I am not completely bereft of a social life, and I've been dating a wonderful guy for the last eight years. He respects me, treats me well, knows me better than I know myself, and puts up with all my foibles, bless him. We've been best friends for the last thirteen (!) years, and it's gotten so that we don't even have to talk to have a conversation anymore. *Grin.* We do plan to get married eventually (like when we have real jobs and real lives), and I don't think we'll have to worry about any of that awkwardness that normally plagues other newlywed couples. There's something to be said for taking things excruciatingly slowly, after all. I'm very proud of the fact that I have a relationship that's been longer than a lot of marriages. Not that there's anything wrong with a short marriage; it just reassures me that we've gotten it right. If you want to read the hilarious story of how we met and started dating (and it really is a comedy of errors), click here.

Well, I've rambled on about myself quite enough. You're to be commended for lasting this long! Have a look around and stop in to see my journal and writings, if you're so inclined. Thanks for coming.