| My Life in a Nutshell |
| Born in San Antonio, Texas- an only child, double-Military Brat who was never allowed to have a dog, a horrific situation if you ask me... At the age of 1-This year, 1983, Nigeria's vice-president Atiku was undergoing a possible impeachment and I was pretty damn deaf with a ton of ear infections...explains my current state ;) 2- Madonna's hit "Like a virgin" was first introduced to raving fans with pointy leather brassieres, and I was experiencing my terrible twos...i stole a wig from a mannican (sp?) and ran around a store with two buns decorating each side of my bald head 3- Bishop Desmond Tutu won the Nobel Peace Prize (1984) for lifelong commitment to racial reconciliation...I moved from Wichita Falls to Fort Worth, loved Wet n' Wild ( the water park) and chocolate ice cream 4- Mikhail Gorbachev succeeded Konstantin Cherichenko as General Secretary of the USSR in '85 and Santa was, alas, a fairytale 5- A world nuclear accident takes place as a reactor blew up at Chernoble Power Station in '86...I got my one and only bloody nose in a fight...i was a bully and hit other kids, good grief. Started school at "The Center for Creative Living" where I learned to be peaceful and "creative" and theey served vegetarian food, v.g. experience I think. Hmm, this year I also broke my wrist SITTING on a jungle gym/monkey bar, got the chicken pox, and had my eye poked where i had to wear an eye patch for two weeks...also explains a lot ;) 6- Ah, the stock market crash of 1987 with percentage declines greater than those of 1929, and Dirty Dancing(now its When Harry Met Sally) was my favorite movie and Katharine Hepburn became my idol. Nicholas was my best friend, and Megan kissed Jason behind the tire swing- OHMIGODDD. Four Square and Tetherball were the shit 7- "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" came out in 1988, and I went to see it with my dad, in t\complete awe for the naughty baby with the cigar...I also start to look incredibly akward...for the next decade Dad took me to a wild jazz club in the city on a regular basis...they had live jazz and a garden on the rooftop. 8- The Berlin Wall crumbled in '89 and East and West Germany are united, and Claudia became a vegetarian, ran for fun at the Botanical Gardens...was a healthy, wholesome, All American child ;) ...also visited my dad every other weekend three hours away 9- I went to a private school in Huntsville where everything was guaranteed to get you in trouble...that is the town where the majority of Bush's executions took place- one of the largest prison systems and a hella lot of rednecksto run it. Also experience most embarrassing moment when my "skort", part of school uniform, fell to ankles in front of class. I had to go to the office for being "immature" because I was laughing from shock. Hmm... 10- My first real crush said "no' when I asked him to be my boyfriend, thus traumatizing me for the rest of my grade school days when it came to the opposite sex 11- "The Shipping News" by Proulx was a bestseller, very good book of '93... I went to a public school finally. My best friend, Annatrice, was 6 feet and 1 inch tall, we played piano recitals together (and basketball but she kinda beat my ass) 12- Very disillusioned: listened to Mariah Carey...I just don't know. Started track team; resembled an aardvark with braces (more or less) High School- Think I'll just skip eighth grade when I moved to Jackson, Wy, it was hell, and I'll go straight into high school daze... The "best years of your life" or not, actually, but interesting for sure. I worked in a health food store/bakery, a bookstore, bed and breakfast, in a jewelry store, and as a babysitter...I remained a single, odd sort of sporty flower-child nerd, called a "gorp" as only Jacksonited would know, hmm, but a sporty one, so all is well for high school rep;) ..Kirsten and I huddled in packs together, two single nerd comrades, through XC running and skiing(broke my tailbone in the long jump and my nose skiing down Gut Flop), as well as honors english and history classes.,.did Field Natural History course at the Teton Science School for four weeks where I had one of the best times in my life...Nicole attempted vegetarianism (how has that worked for you Nic?) and I think my last Prom date turned out to be a gay man...Linsey made sure I got the "Hippie Chic" award in ski team and Mel entered the Air Force Academy. Mike dated the barbie doll and I met mi amiga Shannon on my trip to France where we talked Frenglish...went on a Patriot Pathways trip to D.C. with four students and a teacher my junior year where I worked in a soup kitchen and toured the Pentagon, White House, etc., which was an awesome experience, and I got to visit an Ethiopian restaurant (my obsession) while I was at it!...worked as editor for the school's literary magazine senior year, and went on a week school trip to ski/write/sketch in the Tetons. My college history teacher, Mr. Crisp, looked like the lead man in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and always got french vanilla frappuccinos every morning at the same time before class as me, winkwink ;) 18- Left for college at the University of Oregon taking classes in everything from Fencing, to Paleoanthropology to Shakespeare and yoga. Current major: English/philosophy(?)...attempted being a player freshman yr, didn't fit me...hmm, I got Mono and that was blargh. Also got a tattoo or two ;) and spent all my money. Erin was a great night psychologist of sorts in the dorms, and Mere frightened the hell out of me spilling my hot pot and boiling Ramen on her leg one beligerently drunken-ass night, resulting in second-degree burns. I will never forget the FOUR stooges blundering thru freshman year- SBD, Maneater, the Green Machine, and Thrust ;) 19- Became a "woman"...reality warped my mind as dreams are, alas, only dreams and everyone gets hurt goddammit... I met my summer crew in Berkeley, California where I worked at CALPIRG, an environmental grassroots organization, for about a month canvassing. Andy "wandered" the Bay streets with me...it was grand. Stayed at Jen's house- one of my roommate's this fall in our 70's duplex with the gold-flecked mirror in the dining room/kitchen- Yes! Ah, yes and I experienced true ecstasy this summer with wonderful eye-opening nights and great music...had a tonsillectomy and am terrified by the amt of morphine/vicodin consumed-hmm. Play the piano as often as I can, love movies at the Bijou, and quit OSPIRG now too, it sucked. Currently hating the world and wishing for Christmas to arrive so I can visit my Nana the great ;) |
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