Do you prefer writing with black or blue pen?
For math/stats, it’s black. For English/anything else, it’s blue.

Would you prefer to live in the country or the city?
Definitely the city.

If you could learn a new skill, what would it be?
Sign language!

Do you drink your tea or coffee with sugar?
No.

What was your favourite book as a child?
A Fly Went By. I could read it forwards, backwards, and had most of it memorized. Unless we’re talking a little bit older; then it was Skinnybones.

Do you prefer baths or showers?
Showers.

Do you prefer reading paper or electronic books?
Paper. Though I’ve never really read a full book electronically, so I can’t really say for sure.

What is your favourite item of clothing?
Either my semi-lime green pants or my Black Mesa shirt. Yes, I love that shirt. Because Black Mesa. OR MY LEIBNIZ SHIRT BECAUSE LEIBNIZ.

Would you ever want to be famous? If so, what for?
Sure. Something statistics-related, maybe?

Are you a restless sleeper?
I sleep like I’m dead.

Do you consider yourself a romantic?
Sure.

Do you miss someone at the moment?
My mom.

Tell us about an early childhood memory.
I remember falling off the playground slide and getting my first concussion. Well, I remember everything leading up to the concussion. I was climbing on the outside of a slide and my mom was like, “don’t do that, Claudia, you’re going to get hurt!” But I disobeyed and kept climbing. Then I fell on my head.

What is the strangest thing you have eaten?
Escargot!

What can you see outside your bedroom window?
Uh, the balcony of the dudes below us, and the next block of condos over.

Do you like spicy food?
God no.

Have you ever met someone famous?
I don’t think so.

Do you keep a diary or journal?
WELCOME TO MY BLOG, YO

Do you prefer to use pen or pencil?
Pen.

What is your star sign?
Aquarius. The best star sign.

Do you like your cereal crunchy or soggy?
Crunchy. Soggy cereal is gross, which is why I rarely eat cereal with milk.

Do you like ice in your drinks?
No. Extreme dislike of ice in drinks.

What is your favourite scent?
GO TO HELL

Do you address older people by their first or last name?
Depends on what they prefer, though by default it’s usually the last name.

Do you prefer swimming in pools or in the ocean?
Pools.

What would you do if you found $50 on the ground?
Look around to see if anybody’s nearby. If not, it’s mine!

If you had to have a tattoo, what would it be and where would you get it?
Something involving Leibniz. Somewhere on my body. Clearly I’ve thought this through.

What can you hear right now?
My compy buzzing softly.

What is one thing you want to overcome/conquer?
Grad school.

If you could travel back to any era, which would you choose?
Mid- to late-1690’s. No reason whatsoever…

What is your most used emoji?
No emojis. Use words, dammit.

Is there anyone else in the room with you atm? What are they doing?
Yup. Nate’s at his computer playing Europa Universalis. In other words, he’s turning the world into the Ottoman Empire.

Do you show your teeth when you smile, or do you prefer smiling with your lips closed?
If I’m smiling genuinely, I show my teeth, I think.

Would you rather be told the truth, even if it isn’t what you want to hear?
Yes.

What is something that you plan to buy, as soon as you’ve saved up the money for it?
I have no idea. A new iPod? But I don’t want to replace my old one until it’s absolutely necessary.

Do you play Sudoku?
No. My mom is addicted to it, though.

Have you ever had a migraine?
Boy, have I! I also get scintillating scotomas as my aura. (the video is quite an accurate depiction of what that looks like.)

What was the last book you read for pleasure?
Uhhhhhhh…The Ox-Bow Incident, I think.

What was the last item of clothing you purchased for yourself?
Probably the Kinvaras I bought in May. They’re almost dead now.

Your first serious relationship, do you still talk to him/her?
Not in person since we don’t live in the same town, but he comments on my blogs and I (very belatedly) comment back!

Who is the last person you texted?
My mom.

How close is your family?
Not extremely, in my opinion. My mom and I are super close, though.

Do you like to understand and have good knowledge of things?
Doesn’t everyone?

What is worse? Back pain or shoulder pain?
I’ve never had back pain, but I do get occasional shoulder pain from either hauling a 30-pound backpack on one of my long walks or from just having my shoulders tense all the time. So I’ll say shoulder pain.

Have you ever almost fallen off of something high off the ground?
I don’t think so. Nothing’s memorable, at least.

What’s one fruit you love in drinks?
Like…the drink has to be made from the fruit juice or the drink just has to have the fruit in it in some other context? I like apple juice, but I wouldn’t want to take a glass of water and put some apple in it.

What is something simple that you’re afraid of?
Bees.

Has this weekend been good?
It’s been okay. The last few weeks have kind of been bad in general, so that’s been affecting the weekends to an extent.

Are you moody in the morning?
I’m moody in the morning if I know I have to do something I don’t want to do that day.

Have you ever behaved like a stalker?
HAHAHA. AHAHAHAHA. HAHA. Ha-ha. Ha. Um.

Do you appreciate other people’s opinions?
Sure, why not? Everyone’s got one and there’s no reason to not respect their opinion as long as they’re not trying to force it on you.

Does baby corn freak you out?
Should it?!

Can you lie and keep a straight face?
Sometimes.

Do you prefer honesty even when it hurts?
Yes.

Have you ever consulted a psychic?
Nope.

Does the opposite sex’s BO turn you on?
I’ll never know. Unless they come up with some sort of technology that would allow me to smell.

What was the best decision you’ve made?
Answering Nate’s first email to me. :D

How do you feel when someone takes the last of something?
Depends on what it is. The last cookie? Okay. The last parachute on a plane? Not okay.

How do you feel when people tell you “bless you” or “gesundheit” when you sneeze?
It doesn’t bother me, but I also don’t expect people to say it.

What’re you supposed to say when somebody coughs?
I don’t say anything unless they’re visibly hacking up a lung or something. Then I ask if they’d like some water or something.

Do you pronounce a second “r” in “sherbet” or an “r” in “wash”?
No, but my 12th grade government teacher always pronounced it “Warshington” and we thought that was hysterical.

Have you ever committed a violent crime because of a video game or rap song?
Hahaha, no. That’s dumb.

Have you ever actually overheard one of your friends talking shit about you?
Welcome to elementary school/junior high/probably high school/probably college. I don’t really have any in-person friends anymore, so I don’t really care.

How many partners is too many?
Exactly 9,000.

Do you know what the “MySpace Angles” are?
Yup.

Is Tom still your friend and if yes, why?
Old survey is old. He was back when MySpace was actually a thing, but he didn’t follow me over to WordPress.

Do you have a sponge frog next to your sink?
“Who lives in a seashell dish next to the sink? SPONGE FROG DISH SCRUB!”
(No.)

Do you believe that wearing an aluminum foil hat will stop the government from reading your thoughts?
If the government read even 2% of my blog, they’d know my thoughts were not worth listening in on.

Would you rather have a hook for a hand or a peg leg?
A peg for a hand and a hook for a leg!

Do you tip the carhops at Sonic?
I’ve never been to a Sonic. And I don’t think they’re in Canada, anyway.

Have you gotten drunk specifically to lower your inhibitions?
I’ve never gotten drunk.

Do you think you’re better than everyone?
NO.

What do you take to a pot luck?
When the hell was I last at a potluck? I guess we kind of had one back at UBC. I brought mashed potatoes because I’m all about Idaho stereotypes.

Do you examine the tissue after you blow your nose?
I think that’s human nature. If I snot out a small child, I’d like to know about it.
(That’s how childbirth works, right?)

What’s your cure for the hiccups?
Skydiving.

Favourite childhood book?
A Fly Went By by Dr. Seuss. Best Seuss book ever.

What are you reading right now?|
I started reading Exodus by Leon Uris, but it’s due back on the 15th and there’s no way I can finish it by then, especially since school is starting. I might get back into that Newton bio instead.

What books do you have on request at the library?
None.

Bad book habit?
Checking books out of the library and then returning them 10,000 years later. Libraries hate me.

What do you currently have checked out at the library?
Exodus, Their Eyes Were Watching God, The Ox-Bow Incident, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. None of them are overdue, though, so be proud of me!

Do you have an e-reader?
Nope. I’m not against them or anything (and I don’t really understand why people think they don’t “count” as books), but I don’t know if I could read on one. I like holding a physical books.

Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
One at a time.

Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Nope. At least, I don’t think so. I might read less than I used to, but that’s because of school.

Least favourite book you’ve read this year (so far)?
Probably The Stranger by Camus. It’s not bad, it just was my least favorite book I’ve read this year.

Favourite book you’ve read this year?
The Caine Mutiny. Always The Caine Mutiny.

How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Rarely. I’ll only read fantasy/sci-fi if it’s on my book list. Luckily, there aren’t many books from those genres on the list, so I’m safe.

What is your reading comfort zone?
Pretty much anything but fantasy. Not too much of a mystery fan, either.

Can you read on the bus?
Indeed! I used to get sick, but I trained myself to be able to read on the bus in Vancouver since my bus ride to school was like an hour long.

Favourite place to read?
On the recumbent bike. Two things at once!

Do you ever dog-ear books?
My own, yes.

Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
Just in textbooks. And in my Leibniz bio, in which there are notes on pretty much every page.

What is your favourite language to read in?
Hahaha, the only language I can read: English.

What makes you love a book?
I’m a sucker for a really, really good ending. A book can be mediocre up until the last page or so, but if the ending strikes me as awesome, I’ll end up liking the book overall. I’m also swayed by characterization more than pretty much anything else.

Favourite genre?
Does “classics” count?

Genre you rarely read (but wish you did)?
Bah.

Favourite biography?
ARE YOU KIDDING IT’S ANTOGNAZZA’S LEIBNIZ BIO GO READ IT YOU PLEBS

Have you ever read a self-help book?
Yes, technically, but it was for a psych class.

Favourite cookbook?
The internet!

Favourite reading snack?
Nothing!

Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
“To Kill a Mockingbird is great!” No. Go die in a fire.

If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you choose?
Latin. Then I could read ORIGINAL LEIBNIZ.

Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
The Crying of Lot 49. Just because I still have no idea what it was about even after reading it.

Favourite poet?
Kilmer? I dunno.

How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
2 or 3.

How often have you returned books to the library unread?
Frequently, unfortunately. I think I have more time to read than I actually do.

Favourite fictional character?
Jay Gatsby. Phileas Fogg is up there, too.

Favourite fictional villain?
Does Queeg count? He’s not really a villain, but he’s treated as one.

Books you’re most likely to bring on holiday?
Whatever I’ve checked out at the library.

Name a book that you could/would not finish.
The Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck. I just can’t handle Steinbeck.

What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
A lot. I’m distractable.

How often do you skim a book before reading it?
I’ll read the first page to see if I’ll like the style and what not.

What would cause you to stop reading a book halfway through?
I realize I’m reading To Kill a Mockingbird AGAIN.

Do you like to keep your books organized?
Yes. But I organize them by height, not by author or title or any sensible arrangement.

Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I very rarely buy books (fiction, at least). I have to really like a book to actually BUY it.

Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
Steinbeck.

Name a book that made you angry.
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. I REALLY DO NOT LIKE THAT BOOK.

A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
The Ox-Bow Incident, when I first read it. I got through the first page and was like, “oh great, a western. Wonderful.” But it turned out to be a really interesting story.

A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
I thought I would really like Journey to the Center of the Earth, since I’d liked the other Verne books I’d read, but it was my least favorite of his.

Top 3 ice cream flavors.
Oreo, mint chocolate chip, cookie dough.

Top 3 Disney Movies.
Toy Story, The Great Mouse Detective, Muppet Treasure Island. (I’m using a very broad definition of what counts as a Disney movie. Fight me.)

Top 3 vacation destinations.
Antarctica, Hanover, Stockholm.

Top 3 places to shop.
Like…stores? Goodwill, Superstore, Walmart. (Aren’t I classy?)

Top 3 subjects of study/classes to take.
Statistics, art, music.

Top 3 make up products.
Uh…whatever the hell foundation I use, whatever the hell eyeshadow I use, and Maybelline mascara. That’s pretty much all I ever use anyway.

Top 3 music artists.
Coldplay, WALK THE MOON, Barenaked Ladies. (At least right now.)

Top 3 spices/herbs.
Pepper. That’s it. I can’t taste herbs, so I don’t use them, and I don’t like spice.

Top 3 drinks.
Water, milk, RED BULL.

Top 3 apps to use.
iTreadmill, my little Yahtzee! app, and my Measures app.

Top 3 months of the year.
February, July, December.

Top 3 clothing items.
My baggy green pants, my Black Mesa shirt, and my psychedelic dog dress thing.

Top 3 binge perfect tv shows.
Metalocalypse, Chicago Hope, Community.

Top 3 romantic dates.
Anyplace can be romantic if you’re with the right person.

Top 3 kinds of flower.
Sunflower, poppy, and those ones that look like colored puff balls. Zinnias?

Top 3 Christmas movies.
Home Alone, The Santa Clause, A Christmas Story.

Top 3 kinds of candy.
Peanut M&Ms, Reese’s, gummi worms.

Top 3 ways to exercise/ be active.
Walking, using the stationary recumbent bike (so I can read), and running (though I haven’t run in awhile).

Top 3 most used websites.
Google, WordPress, Tumblr.

Top 3 people you last texted.
My mom, Nate, and Charles. (Though my text to Charles was from May or something.)

Top 3 hashtags you use.
NO.

Top 3 Instagram accounts you follow.
I don’t follow any Instagram accounts.

Top 3 things you’d buy if you gained three million dollars.
Give money to family/friends, buy tickets to Hanover, more school.

Top 3 scents.
No.

Top 3 fruits.
Apple, banana, watermelon.

Top 3 crayola colors.
Cerulean, orange, yellow.

Top 3 things you hope to accomplish in college.
To finish.

Top 3 people you miss right now.
My mom, Sean, Megan.

Top 3 pet peeves.
People who don’t understand walking etiquette, people who understand walking etiquette but choose not to use it, people who don’t understand how the crosswalk buttons work. THEY FREAKING SAY WHICH STREETS THEY’RE FOR, DAMMIT, HOW HARD IS IT? YOU CAN PUNCH THE BUTTON THROUGH THE POST AND IT STILL WON’T LET YOU CROSS 29TH STREET BECAUSE IT’S NOT FOR CROSSING 29TH STREET.

Top 3 physical things you find attractive.
Stomach, eyes, smile.

Top 3 bad habits.
M&Ms, not sleeping, being me.

Top 3 languages you wish to speak.
German, French, Latin (it counts, dammit).

Top 3 pizza toppings.
Cheese, olives, mushrooms.

Top 3 YouTubers you’re subscribed to.
RoosterTeeth, HowToBasic, 5secondfilms.

Top 3 authors.
Fitzgerald, Verne, Nabokov.

Top 3 historical figures.
Leibniz, Leibniz, Leibniz.

Top 3 dream jobs.
Statistician, psychometrician, Leibniz expert.

Top 3 spongebob episodes.
Band Geeks, Jellyfish Jam, Rock Bottom.

Top 3 things to do in the rain.
Stay inside, feel depressed, miss Vancouver.

Top 3 things to do in the snow.
Refuse to wear a jacket, complain about being cold, frolic.

Top 3 art mediums.
Colored pencil, regular pencil, clay.

Top 3 sports to watch.
Baseball, Olympics (totally counts), figure skating.

Top 3 Taylor Swift songs.
Shake It Off, Blank Space, Style.

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH. Have a survey.

If a loved one was to serenade you, what song would you most like them to sing?
Dude, anything they’d like! I’ve never been serenaded to, so I’d probably just sit there and giggle like a moron regardless of what was sung.

Would you ever let your parents pick out a partner for you?
Hahaha, I read that as “would you ever let your partner pick out a partner for you” and I was like, “uhhh…”
It would be hilarious to watch my dad try to pick someone for me. I have no idea what type of person he’d choose.

Michelangelo’s David…masterpiece or filth?
Why filth? Because of stone penis? BAH.

Do you like other people buying you clothes?
Nope. No one knows quite what my style is and the sizes are usually off a bit. The thought is appreciated, but I’d rather just buy my own clothes.

What one device would you want to see added to a mobile phone?
Some sort of device that TELLS THEM HOW TO WALK LIKE A CONSIDERATE HUMAN BEING WHILE THEY’RE ON THEIR PHONE. I am so done with people who weave all over the sidewalk when they’re on their phone. If cellphone use is illegal while driving, it should be illegal when walking in my opinion.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?
Who the hell knows? Hopefully not still in school, but there’s no way I can rule that out given my history. I’d rather be teaching. (And maybe working on another degree on the side?)

Do your dreams ever tell you to do anything?
Not really. Sometimes I try to read them as little subconscious hints to do certain things if they pertain to my actual life, but there are never any explicit directions in them.

Have you ever been to an Art gallery?
Several! I like art galleries.

Do you shout out the answers at the TV whilst watching quiz shows?
I raise my voice at Jeopardy on occasion.

Are you a valuable asset on a Pub Quiz team?
Maybe? I’ve never been on one, but I’ve got my little specialty trivia/quiz categories.

If you could bankrupt one person or company who would it be?
I don’t know if I could do this without causing unwanted consequences to other people.

If you could steal one thing without consequence what would it be?
Probably something Leibniz-related. Like Leibniz. DON’T JUDGE ME.

1. What’s overdue for a good cleaning?
Since I just cleaned and moved out of my old apartment and the new condo is pretty darn clean, I’d have to say my office. I have papers in there from last fall.

2. What’s overdue for some kind of professional examination, service, maintenance, or upkeep?
Probably my body, haha. I haven’t been to the doctor in forever (mainly because there is no such thing as a “good doctor” in Moscow—trust me, I’ve seen them all) and I’m too wary of doctors to even bother finding one up here. Once I break off an arm or lose all feeling in my butt or something I’ll go see a doctor. Promise. (Maybe.)

3. Who’s overdue for a phone call or letter to you?
My dad? Haha. Though I owe him one, too.

4. What’s overdue for an appearance in your neighborhood?
I have no idea. We just moved here!

5. Who’s overdue for a good comeuppance?
A certain someone who shall not be mentioned by name.

6. What’s a gross food you like anyway?
I like escargot. That’s something most people would probably find gross, huh?

7. Who’s an unlikeable person you like anyway?
How would I know if they’re unlikeable if I like them?

8. What’s an unpleasant task you enjoy performing anyway?
I like a lot of tedious stuff most people don’t like, but I can’t think of anything specific right now.

9. What’s a dumb song you enjoy anyway?
There’s a good number of songs out there with godawful lyrics but a fantastic beat, so I can’t help but enjoy them.

10. What’s a lousy restaurant you frequent anyway?
I don’t really frequent any restaurants anymore. I do like McDonald’s though.

11. What’s your favourite Sci-fi film/program etc?
I don’t like sci-fi in general, but if you consider Sunshine to be sci-fi, then Sunshine.

12. Have you ever had a proper Tarot reading?
Nope. I have a book on how to do one, though.

13. Have you ever used the phrase “back in my time” to someone younger than you?
Only jokingly.

14. Have you ever done something really unbelievable, only to have no one around to see it?
Yes! One Saturday, back when I was teaching, I was writing up my lecture notes for the random variables/probability section. I was discussing discrete vs. continuous random variables and I wanted to show that a continuous variable could take on any value in a given interval, so I mashed the number pad and got a number with 14 or so digits. Then I turned the page in the textbook that I was referencing and they had the EXACT SAME NUMBER as their example. I am not even kidding. Even today I can’t believe that happened. That’s basically statistically impossible, but it happened, dudes.

15. If you were famous would you want a statue or a building named after you?
Gimme a building!

Today has been super craptastic and I don’t want to blog about it, so you get a survey. Deal with it.

Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, and find sentence 4.
“Beyond that they do not venture.” (Facts from Figures, that old stats book from the ‘50s.)

Stretch your left arm out as far as you can, What can you touch?
My lamp.

Before you started this survey, what were you doing?
Listening to music.

What is the last thing you watched on TV?
Chopped.

Without looking, guess what time it is
3:45 PM.

Now look at the clock. What is the actual time?
3:33 PM.

With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
The furnace.

When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
Yesterday. Went for a nice long walk.

Did you dream last night?
Likely, but I don’t remember doing so.

Do you remember your dreams?
If they’re weird enough.

When did you last laugh?
Not today, that’s for freaking sure.

Do you remember why / at what?
I don’t remember. I hate everything.

What is on the walls of the room you are in?
Minecraft poster, Antarctica map, picture of the night sky, a Neil Gaiman poster from Nate.

Seen anything weird lately?
I’ve looked in the mirror today, yes.

What do you think of this quiz?
OH CRAP IT’S A QUIZ? AM I PASSING?

What is the last film you saw?
Age of Ultron!

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
I like Calgary.

If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy?
I’d give my mom enough money so that she could retire.

Do you like to dance?
Sure.

Would you ever consider living abroad?
Ehhhhhhhh, maybe.

Who made the last incoming call on your phone?
My mom?

What is the last thing you downloaded onto your computer?
A song.

Last time you swam in a pool?
It’s been quite awhile.

Type of music you like most?
Anything with a good beat, really.

Type of music you dislike most?
Country, probably.

Are you listening to music right now?
No, surprisingly.

What color is your bedroom carpet?
I don’t have carpet in my bedroom.

If you could change something about your home, without worry about expense or mess, what would you do?
Make it not a basement.

What was the last thing you bought?
Groceries.

Have you ever ridden on a motorbike?
Nope. I might if there was no highway driving involved.

Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving?
I’d go sky diving again, but I wouldn’t want to go bungee jumping.

Do you have a garden?
Haha, no.

Do you really know all the words to your national anthem?
Indeed!

What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?
“Blaaaaaaaaaaaaah.”

If you could eat lunch with one famous person, who would it be?
LEIBNIZ I DON’T CARE THAT HE’S DEAD BRING ME HIS URN I’LL BUY IT A SANDWICH

Who sent the last text message you received?
My mom.

Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
Hahaha, probably Walmart.

What time is bed time?
What is this “bed time” you speak of?

Have you ever been in a beauty pageant?
HAHAHA. No.

How many tattoos do you have?
Forty-thousand.

If you don’t have any, have you ever thought of getting one?
I ALREADY HAVE FORTY-THOUSAND.

What did you do for your last birthday?
Went to class. I’m a damn whirlwind of excitement, I am.

Do you carry a donor card?
My license says I’m a donor.

Who was the last person you ate dinner with?
Nate!

Is the glass half empty or half full?
Today? The glass is broken.

What’s the farthest-away place you’ve been?
Helsinki.

When’s the last time you ate a homegrown tomato?
Never.

Have you ever won a trophy?
No.

Are you a good cook?
I apparently make good scrambled eggs.

Do you know how to pump your own gas?
That’s about the extent of my car knowledge.

Have you ever had to wear a uniform to school?
No. Unless you count when I had to for marching band.

Do you touch-type?
Yes.

What’s under your bed?
The floor.

Do you believe in love at first sight?
Yup.

Where were you on Valentine’s day?
Walking to and from Chinook Centre with Nate, then making pasta and watching The Avengers with him. It was a good day.

What time do you get up?
I don’t sleep.

What was the name of your first pet?
Wooder.

Who is the second to last person to call you?
My mom.

Is there anything going on this weekend?
Not anything out of the ordinary, no.

How are you feeling right now?
Blah.

What do you think about the most?
Stats.

If you had A Big Win in the Lottery, how long would you wait to tell people?
Depends.

Who would you tell first?
Depends.

What do you do most when you are bored?
Brood.

What do you do for a living?
Brood (I’m a grad student)

Do you love your job?
Yes.

If you could have any job, what would you want to do/be?
Stats instructor.

How many keys on your key ring?
Nine?

What kind of car do you drive?
I don’t have a car.

What are your best physical features?
N/A

What are your best characteristics?
N/A

If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation where would you go?
Right now? Hanover!

What kind of books do you like to read?
Anything off my 200 Books list.

What is your favorite time of the day?
I like noon.

Where did you grow up?
Idaholand.

How far away from your birthplace do you live now?
Not too far. About a 9 hour drive.

What are you reading now?
Nothing right now, ‘cause I’m a bad person.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Very much a night owl.

Can you touch your nose with your tongue?
Yup!

Can you close your eyes and raise your eyebrows?
Yes.

Do you have pets?
Annabelle, but she’s back in Moscow.

How many rings before you answer the phone?
All of them. All of the rings. Phone calls scare me.

What are some of the different jobs that you have had in your life?
Front window worker at Wendy’s, cleaner at the U of I, in-home caregiver, STATS INSTRUCTOR!

Any new and exciting things that you would like to share?
I’m not wearing pants.

What is most important in life?
Not wearing pants.

What Inspires You?
See above.

Today involved planning for yet another bit of exciting news, but similar to the condo, it’s not *quite* official yet, so I’m going to not mention it until it is.

In the meantime: a survey!

Which would you rather have if you had to, a broken leg or a broken arm?
If I get to pick which arm, I’d say arm (the left one). If I don’t get to pick, I guess I’d have to go with leg. If you think a pair of crutches would stop me from doing my walks, you don’t know me very well.

Do you read a daily newspaper?
I haven’t read a newspaper in a long time. I mostly go online if I want news.

Do you watch the news on TV?
That’s pretty much the only thing I watch on TV if I have it on (except for Chopped, haha).

Have you ever had anything published?
Not in anything apart from our high school’s lit journal thingy, no.

Do you believe in love at first sight?
Given how things have gone for me recently, I kind of have to, don’t I?

How many remote controls do you have in your house?
Two.

Have you ever been in a hot tub or sauna?
Yes, but I don’t like them. They’re too hot. (Hot damn.)

Have you ever had chicken pox?
When I was a kid, yes.

Do you own a lava lamp?
I used to!

What is your one major weakness?
Crap, I have to pick ONE? Um, I guess it’s that I frustrate myself with my own stupidity on pretty much a daily basis. I know that annoys other people and I try not to, but it’s hard to ignore sometimes.

What’s been the best decision you’ve made in your life so far?
Quitting UBC? Choosing to move to Calgary? I guess I would have never even considered going back to grad school if I hadn’t quit, so I’d say quitting UBC.
Holy hell, I’d STILL BE THERE if I had gone for my PhD. That’s the most distressing thought ever.

What’s been the worst decision you’ve made in your life so far?
I can’t say “going to UBC in the first place” because if I hadn’t gone there I wouldn’t be where I am now. So I’ll say moving to London, Ontario to try and go to school there. That whole thing was a disaster.

What words do you always struggle to spell type correctly?
Celsius, calendar, guarantee.

On a scale of 1-10, how happy would you say you are?
In general? Like a 9 lately.

On a scale of 1-10, how smart would you say you are?
This doesn’t even deserve a rating.

On a scale of 1-10, how funny would you say you are?
Haha, probably a 4.

On a scale of 1-10, how devious would you say you are?
Like a 2.

On a scale of 1-10, how awesome would you say you are?
Bro, I’m an 11. Totally.

On a scale of 1-10, how devilish would you say you are?
Not very. A 1, perhaps.

On a scale of 1-10, how nice/caring would you say you are?
I try to be a 10, but I’m probably more of a 7.

On a scale of 1-10, how bitchy would you say you are?
4 on average?

On a scale of 1-10, how polite would you say you are?
6? 7?

On a scale of 1-10, how attractive would you say you are?
Like a 2 at best.

If you could be any famous person who would you be and why?
Can they be dead? Can I be Johann Bernoulli? I could never be Leibniz, so I’ll pick one of his closest supporters.

What’s your favourite animal beginning with the letter A?
Annabelle! Haha.

What’s your favourite item of clothing beginning with the letter B?
The only one I can think of is “bra.” Bras are good.

Do you believe in destiny, fate or free will?
Free will is a LIE! I believe in destiny/fate in terms of determinism, if that counts.

If you could talk to one species of animal which would it be?
Domestic cats! Easy choice.

If you had friends ’round, what DVDs would you have to watch?
I don’t have friends ‘round.

Do you like vanilla or chocolate?
Vanilla. Especially when it comes to ice cream. I’ve never liked chocolate ice cream.

Are you a giver or a receiver?
I like giving.

Do you have any enemies?
Doubtful.

Are you scared of needles?
Not particularly, no.

How many piercings do you have–if any?
One in my left earlobe, two in my right earlobe, and an industrial in my right ear.

Have you ever got majorly lost trying to get somewhere?
Ha. HA.

Do you say “Zee” or “Zed” to describe the letter Z?
I say “zee” ‘cause I’m from ‘Murica. Though every once and awhile I say “zed” because that’s what they say up here in Canada.

What was the last thing to make you feel happy?
This weekend was pretty great.

What was the last thing to make you feel angry?
My inadequacies.

You are walking to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss told you if you are late one more time you’re fired. Do you save the dog?
If my boss won’t take saving a drowning dog as a valid reason for being late, I’m working for the wrong boss.

Are you the kind of friend you’d want to have as a friend yourself?
HAHAHA no.

If you were a wrestler what would your stage name be?
SIR FREDERICK POOPENSTEIN
I’d wear a monocle and a diaper and I would KICK ASS.
(I’ve watched the AH boys play WWE2K13 and WWE2K14 waaaaaaaay too many times)

Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you?
You mean like Solipsism? Eh, not really.

On a scale of 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you?
Over NINE THOUSAND!!!!!

What is your favorite word?
Syzygy.

If you were a type of tree, what would you be?
I’d like to pretend I’m cool and say I’d be a redwood or something, but I’d probably be a Lombardy Poplar or something equally as obnoxious. Nobody likes the Lombardy Poplar.

When you looked in the mirror this morning what was the first thing you thought?
Ew.

What shirt are you wearing?
A black one?

What do you label yourself as?
A turnip.

Bright room or dark room?
Bright as the sun!

What were you doing at midnight last night?
Making dinner, haha.

Favorite age you’ve been so far?
19 wasn’t bad.

Who told you they loved you last?
Nate!

Your worst enemy?
Twitter.

What is your current desktop picture?
The Companion Cube from Portal.

Do you like someone?
Damn straight.

The last song you listened to?
The Gabe Flaherty remix of Stacy’s Mom.

Who would you really like to just punch in the face?
Chippy McPunchMyFace.

What is your best physical attribute? (showing said attribute is optional)
I don’t really have one. My lips maybe? My eyelashes?

Do you have a secret talent? If yes, what is it?
IT’S A SECRET LOLOLOLOL

What is one unique thing you’re afraid of?
Not a fan of dragonflies, but I’m not sure how unique that is.

You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your disposal.
I don’t have sandwiches very often, actually. I’ll just go with a regular grilled cheese sandwich with Colby Jack cheese and potato bread, like my mom makes it.

You just found $100! How are you going to spend it?
YAY! Probably school stuff or groceries. I’m one exciting person.

You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, but you have to leave immediately. Where are you going to go?
HANOVER! QUICK PACK YOUR BAGS LET’S MOVE IT YYC HERE WE COME

An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says. Man! What are you gonna say about that? Even if you don’t drink booze there’s something you can figure out… so what’s it gonna be?
THE BOOZE ANGEL COMETH!
Hell, I don’t know. I don’t drink. Um…maybe vodka. Like regular vodka. I’d open up a little vodka store or something, maybe earn a little money. Maybe I could earn enough to pay the Broccoli Angel to come visit me.

Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the one thing you’re going to save from that blazing inferno?
My laptop! It’s got all my stories/pictures/blogs/nonsense on it. Though it would be REALLY hard to lose all my stats/math notes that I’ve been saving over the years.

You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?
Am I erasing it from existence (like it never happened) or just from my memory? If it’s just from my memory, I’ll erase my first grad school experience in Vancouver. I don’t think I’ve had any experiences horrible enough for me to want to erase them from existence.

You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit… you can move to anywhere else in the world!
(Can I say Hanover again?)
Wait, which country am I getting kicked out of, the US or Canada? I could always move to the one I didn’t get kicked out of, I guess.

The Celestial Gates Of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn’t think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the person of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back?
Really? You really have to ask me this question? Really?

Are you a good….[insert anything you’d like here]?
No.

Have you ever been admitted to the hospital?
Yes. We’ll leave it at that.

Have you ever built a snowman?
Indeed.

What is the color of your socks?
I’m not wearing socks at the moment, but the socks I wore today were my Starry Night socks, which are pretty much the coolest socks in existence.

What type of music do you like?
Does it have a good beat? Yes? Then I like it.

Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?
Sunsets. I was just going to say that it’s been awhile since I’ve seen a sunrise, but that’s a lie. I usually stay up until the sun starts coming up.

What is your favorite milkshake flavor?
The ones that bring all the boys to the yard.

What football team do you support?
None? I guess I kind of have to support the Vandals, but…eh.

Do you have any scars?
Lots.

What do you want to be when you graduate?
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I’VE GRADUATED?? DO YOU?!?!?!?!?
(I want to be a stats professor.)

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I don’t know if I could narrow it down to one thing.

Are you reliable?
I certainly try to be.

If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?
“ARE YOU DONE WITH SCHOOL YET, YOU FOOL?”

Do you hold grudges?
No, they’re too prickly.

If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature, what new animal would you create?
I would breed a human and a manatee just so it could be called a humanitee. Because PUNS.

Are you a good liar?
Is there a good way to answer this question?

How long could you go without talking?
Probably quite awhile if I didn’t need to teach labs.

What has been you worst haircut/style?
Once in high school I cut my bangs way too short and walked around looking like a total idiot with mini-bangs and my dumb little bowl cut thing. It was fantastically horrible.

Have you ever baked your own cake?
Nope.

Can you do any accents other than your own?
Meh. I can do the Barney Rubble laugh, does that count for anything?

What do you like on your toast?
Just a little bit of butter. Though I haven’t had toast in like 800 years.

What is the last thing you drew a picture of?
Uh…that spirally thingy I posted awhile back.

What would be you dream car?
I need no car! WALKING POWERZ!

Do you sing in the shower? Or do anything unusual in the shower? Explain.
I have a tendency to sing in the shower, but I also have the tendency to sing in general when I’m alone.

Do you believe in magic?
In a young girl’s heart.
(And how the music can free her whenever it starts.)

Do you often read your horoscope?
I don’t actively seek it out, no. But on the rare occasion I see a horoscope listing, I always read Aquarius.

What is your favorite letter of the alphabet?
I have a bias towards C, but I also don’t mind H.

Which is cooler: dinosaurs or dragons?
Dragons are pretty cool.

What do you think about babies?
None for me, thanks.

UGH WHY NOT I’M BORED SORRY.

Bold what is true.

APPEARANCE:
I am 5’7” or taller
I wear glasses 
I have at least one tattoo
I have at least one piercing
I have blonde hair
I have brown eyes
I have short hair
My abs are at least somewhat defined
I have or have had braces
There is something I would change about the way I look

PERSONALITY:
My Hogwarts house is: Gryffindor Hufflepuff Ravenclaw Slytherin (I think?)
My MBTI type is: [E] [I] [S] [N] [F] [T] [P] [J]
I am an introvert
I like meeting new people
People tell me that I’m funny (in a “shut the hell up with the puns” sort of way)
Helping others with their problems is a big priority for me
I enjoy physical challenges
I enjoy mental challenges
I’m playfully rude with people I know well (this can also be rephrased as, “I was in marching band”)
I started saying something ironically and now I can’t stop saying it (I SAY “BRO” IN MY HEAD ALL THE TIME MAKE IT STOP)
There is something I would change about my personality

ABILITY:
I can sing well
I can play an instrument
I can do over 30 crunches without stopping
I’m a fast runner
I can draw well
I have a good memory (for some things)
I’m good at doing math in my head
I can hold my breath underwater for over a minute
I have beaten at least 2 people in arm wrestling
I know how to cook at least 3 meals from scratch (define “from scratch” though, ’cause I ain’t making no homemade pasta)
I know how to throw a proper punch

HOBBIES:
I enjoy playing sports
I’m on a sports team at my school or somewhere else
I’m in a band or choir at my school or somewhere else
I have learned a new song in the past week
I work out at least once a week (I walk 10+ miles at a time, that totally counts)
I’ve gone for runs at least once a week in the warmer months
I have drawn something in the past month
I enjoy writing
Fandoms are my #1 passion
I do or have done martial arts

EXPERIENCES:
I have had my first kiss
I have had alcohol
I have scored the winning goal in a sports game
I have watched an entire season of a TV show in one sitting
I have been at an overnight event
I have been in a taxi
I have been in the hospital or ER in the past year
I have beaten a video game in one day
I have visited another country
I have been to one of my favourite band’s concerts

RELATIONSHIPS:
I’m in a relationship
I have a celebrity crush (does Leibniz count?)
I have a crush on someone I know
I have been in at least 3 relationships
I have never been in a relationship
I have asked someone out or admitted my feelings to them
I get crushes easily
I have had a crush on someone for over a year
I have been in a relationship for at least a year
I have had feelings for a friend

MY LIFE:
I have at least one person I consider a “best friend”
I live close to my school
My parents are still together
I have at least one sibling
I live in the United States
There is snow right now where I live
I have hung out with a friend outside of school in the past month
I have a smartphone
I own at least 15 CDs
I share my room with someone

RANDOM SHIT:
I have breakdanced
I have had a teacher with a last name that’s hard to pronounce
I have dyed my hair
I’m listening to one song on repeat right now
I have punched someone in the past week
I know someone who’s been in jail
I have broken a bone
I have eaten a waffle today
I know what I want to do with my life
I speak at least 2 languages fluently
I have made a new friend in the past year

I take it you like someone? If so, who do you like?
You know good and well who I like if you read this blog regularly.

Is your phone right next to you, or at least close by?
…Where is my phone?

What windows are open on your computer right now?
Word, Skype, and Firefox with 7 tabs.

Last place you went besides your house?
Nate’s!

Is your phone a touch screen?
Nope.

Who is the last person to call you?
Mom?

What was the last movie you watched?
Thor: The Dark World. It was pretty good! I’m sure parts of the soundtrack will contribute to my 365 Songs project.

What are you doing tomorrow?
Studying. Panicking. OH WAIT THOSE ARE SYNONYMOUS

Was 2013 a good year for you?
The latter part of it was, yes.

Do any of your friends dislike each other?
I don’t have many friends anymore. But I have a history of having friends who are like mortal enemies of one another.

Who knows your biggest secret?
I don’t know if I have a biggest secret, actually.

Do you care if people hate you for no reason?
Bah.

Do you think ex’s can remain friends?
Yes indeed.

Were you single on your last birthday?
No!

Do you follow rules or break them?
I MAKE them, fools!

Are you currently looking forward to anything?
Super exciting summer plans!

Could you go a day without eating?
I can go like three days without eating, no problem.

How many bracelets do you have on your wrists right now?
OVER 9000!

What are you doing right now, besides this?
Listening to music.

When you listen to a new song, do you usually play it over and over?
Oh my god, you have no idea.

Do you scream stuff out the car window?
Oh yeah. Totally. All the time.

Has anyone laid on your bed besides you?
I sleep on a one-person air mattress. It would not be kind to two people.

Who’s the first person you spoke to in 2015?
Nate!

Do you prefer being called your actual name or a nick name?
(Claudia Marie Bitchin’ McGee)

Is there someone who makes you blush when you just say hi to them?
I don’t think so?

How was your Saturday night?
It IS Saturday night!

Sure, let’s survey it up, what the hell.

1. Are you more feminine or masculine?
I’m more robot than anything.

2. Are you tall or short?
ACCORDING TO MY ROBOT EMOTION CHIP, THIS QUESTION OFFENDS ME.

3. What’s your favorite color?
Orange! It has to be the right shade of orange, though. None of that red-orange nonsense.

4. What do you love about yourself?
Uh…my eyelashes are pretty snazzy.

5. What’s your greatest flaw?
IT’S HARD TO PICK. I’m going to go with the fact that it’s really hard for me not to dwell on my own mistakes. I can make the smallest mistake and let it ruin my day if I don’t really watch myself and try not to go to that bad head space. If you know me in person, you’ve probably witnessed this at least once.

6. Do you see yourself differently than other people describe you?
Probably. I’ve never really had anyone describe me to myself, so I can’t really be sure.

7. What are you really, really good at?
I suppose I’m good at teaching stats. That was the evidence points to, at least. I’m not good at much else.

8. What’s something you’re bad at, but love?
Math. There’s no denying I’m bad at it, but I love it so.

9. How do you spend your free time?
Drawing, blogging, writing, walking, internetz.

10. Describe the way you dress in one sentence.
Crayola factory explosion.

11. Have you ever gotten your nails professionally painted?
Nope.

12. What color is your hair?
BLACKER THAN THE BLACKEST BLACK TIMES INFINITY (I know I’ve used that Metalocalypse quote every time a survey asks my hair color, but I don’t care)

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ～『✧~*PHILOSOPHY*~✧』
13. Do you believe in god?
Nope.

14. Does love really exist?
Damn straight.

15. Can science explain everything, eventually?
Possibly? I suspect there will always be at least some things/experiences out there that are just not able to be explained by the way humans conduct science.

16. Are we raised into what we love?
Only if we let ourselves be.

17. How do you feel about the school system?
DON’T GET ME STARTED ON STANDARDIZED TESTING.

18. Do you believe in fate/destiny?
Ssssssort of. In a way.

19. What is art?
ART IS LIFE LIFE IS ART ZOMG I’M SO DEEP

20. Do we define ourselves, or does our past?
The past is part of ourselves, in my opinion, so at least to some extent we are defined by it.

21. What happens after we die?
We are still universe stuff; we just transition into other universe stuff.

22. Do humans matter—tiny specs on a floating piece of rock in a solar system in a galaxy in an infinite universe?
Yes, we matter. Everything matters. It’s all connected.

23. Is there good in everyone?
“Good” is subjective.

24. Does apathy really exist?
Who cares?

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ～『✧~*LOVEY-DOVEY PREFERENCE STUFF*~✧』
25. What gender do you prefer?
I prefer people who identify as men.

26. What’s the first thing you notice about someone?
Uh…that they’re human? I have no freaking idea.

27. Could you love someone you found ugly?
If I loved someone, they wouldn’t be ugly to me. If that makes any sense at all.

28. Favorite hair color?
Either blonde or super dark.

29. Favorite eye color?
Depends on the hair color! I like the blue eyes/blonde hair combo, but with any other hair color, I like dark brown eyes. I have no idea why.

30. Ideal height?
I’m not picky! Though if they were too tall, it’d be hard to kiss them standing up.

31. What do you look for—brains or looks?
Brains, yo.

32. How much of an age gap can you handle?
Maybe up to two or three years younger and up to 10 or so years older.

33. How would you introduce yourself on a blind date?
I would not go on a blind date. That would be terrifying. Hell, regular dates can be terrifying.

34. Could you forgive a cheater?
HAHAHA, I thought that read, “could you forgive a cheddar” and I was like NO, cheddar is the asshole of the cheese world. He will take your gouda day and ruin it in the worst whey.

35. Is lying about something serious as bad as cheating?
Depends on what the serious thing is and how it’s lied about. Maybe it’s something that the partner is too afraid to admit or something that they felt would cause damage to the relationship. There’s lots of gray area with things like that, and I don’t think that a lie about something serious is necessarily a super serious bad thing. Though, of course, trust is important.

36. Right now, you could call the person you like/love, or show up at their front door, and just confess or kiss them or whatever. What’s stopping you?
It’s four in the morning!

Winter has returned to Calgary.

SURVEY TIEM!!!

Average hours of sleep:
Four hours? Five hours? I’ve been sleeping longer on the weekends, so that probably drags the average back up to five hours.

Last thing I Googled:
I googled “Clippy.” For reasons.

How many blankets I sleep under:
Three, haha. It’s Canada, what do you want.

What are you wearing right now:
Pajama pants and my old David Hume shirt. And underthingies, of course.

Last book you read:
The last book book? The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Yeah, yeah, I know, I read that like four months ago. Shut up.

Favorite fictional character:
Either Phileas Fogg or Captain Queeg.

Last movie I watched in the cinema:
Uh…Watchmen. Way back in 2009.

Dream vacation:
Unrealistic: Antarctica. More realistic: Hanover.

Dream wedding:
Are we in love? Did we both want to get married and have a wedding? Will there be music at said wedding? There ya go. Dream wedding.

Dream pet:
Cat. Or cats.

Dream job:
Statistics professor! Or even just a lecturer. Or even a part time lecturer, like I was before.
(Just let me teach stats. Please. I’m begging you.)

Which is worse, failing or never trying?
Depends on what you’re doing. Asking someone out on a date? Never trying is worse. Sky diving? Failing’s obviously worse.

Sorry for yet another survey, dear readers. School has yet to get into full swing, so I have nothing yet to rave about in the world of academia.

ONWARD!

(Also, I don’t think I’ve done this one before, but if I have, apologies for doing it again.)

If you use public transport: What’s your biggest pet peeve while out and about?
People blabbing on their cell phones at MAXIMUM VOLUME. I don’t care about your conversation, dude. Hush hush.

Do you know anyone who has a naturally loud voice? It sounds like are shouting but they really aren’t?
Everyone using a cell phone on public transit, apparently! My old boss Cindy was SUPER loud, but she was awesome so it didn’t matter.

Has a pet ever stolen food from you as you were eating it?
Not as I was actually eating it, no.

When was the last time you had to cancel plans because you were sick?
It’s been a looooooong time. I don’t get sick. I get even.

What is the weirdest compliment you have ever been given?
I was once told I looked like Velma from Scooby Doo. Not sure if that’s a compliment, but I’m going to take it as one, haha.

Is there a certain way you have to sleep? For example, with a window open or the fan on?
Cold room = good. Warm covers = good. Fan = good, but not mandatory.

Would you still be interested in buying/renting a house if you found out it was supposed to be haunted?
Dude. Ghost parties. Let’s do it.

What was the last thing you created that you were proud of?
Arborhood, I suppose.

If you had a button that you could carry with you at all times and press at any time, but it only did one thing, what would your button do?
Hmm…it would send me directly home from wherever I was. Every once and awhile when I’m out walking I just think, “okay, I’m done, I’d just like to be home now.” That especially happens too when I’m at school really late and I don’t want to wait for the bus to take me back home.

Are you good at puzzles or riddles?
I love logic puzzles and most word puzzles in general, but I suck at riddles.

What’s stronger – your upper or lower body?
My lower body, no question.

Are you very careful with your technology (phone, laptop, etc) or do you take risks that could damage them?
I try to be pretty careful with Vaio. My phone is usually pretty protected just because I never have it out. My iPod, on the other hand, goes through quite a bit of use every day, especially on my longer walks. I guess it would be pretty easy for me to misplace it or drop it or for something bad to happen to it in general.

Have you ever been in the newspaper? What for?
I was the front page picture when I was in fourth (?) grade, climbing on the monkey bars at St. Mary’s. I’ve been listed in it a few times just for being on the honor roll at UI.

What age do you often get mistaken for?
I’m usually seen as younger than I am, probably because of the rainbow wardrobe and the shortness.

If you could change your surname to anything, what would you change it to? Which surnames do you think sound nice?
I don’t know why the phrase “Bitchin’ McGee” jumped in my head as I read this question, but I’m going to go with it as my answer. Claudia Marie Bitchin’ McGee. It even rhymes.

Would you say that the area you live in is particularly picturesque?
Calgary? I don’t know if big cities can be accurately described as being picturesque, but sure. Canada in general, though, yes.

If you have an Apple product, do you always download the software/app updates?
Most of the time, yes.

Do you take any vitamin supplements?
I should. I actually have a big bottle of multivitamins, but I haven’t had any yet, haha.

How Claudia spends her last night in Moscow: filling out a freaking survey. She is clearly the coolest cat in the whole entire country.

Who was the last person you held hands with?
Nate. Weeks ago, haha.

Are you outgoing or shy?
Are you kidding?

Are you easy to get along with?
I’d like to think so, once you get past the awkwardness.

If you were drunk would the person you like take care of you?
I don’t think I’d ever get drunk.

Do you think you’ll be in a relationship two months from now?
I hope so!

Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable?
Bah.

What does the most recent text that you sent say?
“Okay.”

Do you like it when people play with your hair?
Indeed.

Do you believe in luck and miracles?
I’m superstitious enough that it would be wrong of me to say I don’t believe in luck. Miracles, not so much, but I guess it depends on how you define “miracle.”

What good thing happened this summer?
You mean last summer? Last summer suuuuucked.

Do you think there is life on other planets?
Perhaps. If not, I’m sure it’s out there somewhere!

Do you still talk to your first crush?
Hahahahaha, no.

Do you like bubble baths?
I haven’t taken a bubble bath since I was like 10.

Do you like your neighbors?
I don’t know any of my neighbors.

Where would you like to travel?
Antarctica! And Hanover.

What part of your body are you most uncomfortable with?
HA. Pretty much everything but my nose.

What do you do when you wake up?
Stumble around like an idiot for a few minutes. I’m not a morning person.

Do you wish your skin was lighter or darker?
Neon.

Have any of your ex’s told you they regret breaking up?
Yes, but that was like 400 years ago.

Is your hair long enough for a pony tail?
Yup!

Spell your name with your chin.
clsiudfoias

Do you play sports? What sports?
No sports for Claudia.

Would you rather live without TV or music?
TV, absolutely.

Have you ever liked someone and never told them?
Welcome to elementary school/junior high/high school. I was pathetic, yo.

What do you say during awkward silences?
If I spoke, it wouldn’t be a silence, would it? I’M ONTO YOU, SURVEY.

What are your favorite stores to shop in?
(Can I say Amazon.com?)

Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?
Sure, why not?

If your being extremely quiet what does it mean?
I’m doing school stuff. Or brooding. Or sleeping.

Do you smile at strangers?
Sometimes. But then I feel creepy.

Trip to outer space or bottom of the ocean?
Space!

What makes you get out of bed in the morning?
The alarm clock.

Have you ever been high?
Nope.

Have you ever been drunk?
Nope.

Have you done anything recently that you hope nobody finds out about?
Uh…I don’t think so.

What was the colour of the last hoodie you wore?
Black.

One thing you wish you could change about yourself?
I get really angry at myself when I do poorly at something. Which happens a lot.

Favourite makeup brand?
Whoever makes those obnoxiously bright eyeshadows. Prestige?

Favourite colour?
Orange.

Favourite food?
Broccoli. OR M&M’s.

Last thing you ate?
M&M’s.

First thing you ate this morning?
I haven’t had food yet today.

Ever won a competition?
A few.

Been suspended/expelled?
Nope.

Been arrested?
Nope.

Ever been in love?
Indeed!

Tell us the story of your first kiss?
We were in drag, haha.

Are you hungry right now?
Nah.

Do you like your tumblr friends more than your real friends?
I don’t have any Tumblr friends. I don’t have that many real friends, either, though.

Facebook or Twitter?
Facebook, I suppose.

Twitter or Tumblr?
Tumblr!

Are you watching tv right now?
Nope.

What colour are your towels?
Gray.

How many pillows do you sleep with?
Two.

Do you sleep with stuffed animals?
Nope.

How many stuffed animals do you think you have?
Three. Totoro, Missy Witch Witch (who is, shockingly, a witch), and my appendectomy frog from the hospital.

What colour is your underwear?
White.

Chocolate or Vanilla?
Vanilla.

Favourite ice cream flavour?
Oreo.

What colour shirt are you wearing?
Black.

What colour pants?
Pink.

Favourite TV show?
I love Metalocalypse. I can’t help it, I’m sorry.

Favourite movie?
Sunshine.

Mean Girls or Mean Girls 2?
There was a second one?

Mean Girls or 21 Jump Street?
I’ve never seen 21 Jump Street, so Mean Girls I guess.

Favourite character from Finding Nemo?
I liked Gil.

Last movie you watched?
Cool Runnings.

How are you feeling?
Nervous!

Do you type fast?
Usually.

Do you regret anything from your past?
WELCOME TO MY LIFE

Can you spell well?
“Well”

Do you miss anyone from your past?
Meh.

What should you be doing?
Packing, hahaha.

Is something irritating you right now?
The fog. My nervousness. Not having my stuff packed.

Have you ever liked someone so much it hurt?
Indeed.

Who was the last person you cried in front of?
My mom.

Have you ever been out of your province/state?
Ha. Hahaha.

Do you play the Wii?
I played a little (back with the guys in the house), but not very much.

Are you listening to music right now?
No, surprisingly.

Are you mean?
I never try to be.

Do you believe in love at first sight?
Sure.

Do you believe in true love?
Yes!

Would you change your name? And have to go through all that paperwork to change everything?
My first name or my last name? I probably wouldn’t change my first name. I’d change my last name if I got married or something, most likely.

What your zodiac sign?
Aquarius.

Do you like subway?
The restaurant? Sure.

Your bestfriend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do?
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT, CHAOS ENSUED.

How tall are you?
5’2”.

Curly or Straight hair?
Mine is a wavy beast. I like curly hair, though.

Summer or Winter?
Summer.

Night or Day?
Day.

Favourite month?
Either February or July.

Are you a vegetarian?
No, but I don’t eat very much meat.

Dark, milk or white chocolate?
Milk chocolate.

Tea or Coffee?
Tea.

Mars or Snickers?
Snickers!

Get the closest book next to you, open it to page 42, what’s the first line on that page?
“The sample mean and covariance relations in Result 3.5 pertain to any number of linear combinations.” It’s my textbook for Multivariate, haha.

Okay duders, Christmas has come and gone and we’re nearing the very end of the year. Which, of course, is often my favorite part of the year as it involves all the end-of-the-year reviews, summaries, and reflections.

I like that sort of stuff.

So let’s kick it off with that end of the year survey I’ve done the past few years.

What did you do in 2014 that you’d never done before?
Lived in Alberta? I’d actually written “lived in Canada” until I realized, y’know, I’ve lived in Canada before, haha.

Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
There will soon be a blog post regarding this!

Did anyone close to you give birth?
I don’t think so.

Did anyone close to you die?
Nope.

What countries did you visit?
I moved back to Canada!

What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014?
Less loneliness.

What date from 2014 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Can I say the last month and a half? ‘Cause yeah. :)

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I got a math degree. I never, ever, ever, EVER thought I’d have a math degree.

What was your biggest failure?
I had a LOT of failures this year, but the one that’s sticking out to me is Stochastic Methods. That class and I did not get along and it was the first time in my entire college career where I really struggled to even pull of a mediocre grade. I know that’s not a *huge* failure in the grand scheme of things, but it was frustrating for me, since I’d never had a class go that roughly for me.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
I get sick about once every five years, and since 2009 was the last time I got sick, I figured I was up for it this year. And it happened, but I POWERED THROUGH IT because my immune system is an unstoppable force.

What was the best thing you bought?
I didn’t really buy much this year.

Where did most of your money go?
Haha. School, rent, broccoli.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Moving to Calgary!!! Well, I was excited about it until everything started to go wrong…but it all worked out in the end.

What song will always remind you of 2014?
OK Go’s I Won’t Let You Down.

What do you wish you’d done less of?
Panicked. There was no need to panic. Everything worked itself out.

How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent Christmas in Moscow with my mom, the cats, and my grandma.

Did you fall in love in 2014?
100%.

How many one-night stands?
Hahahaha. None.

What was your favourite TV program?
I think Metalocalypse has been my answer each year for this question. It’s no different this year.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nope.

What was the best book you read?
I re-read both The Great Gatsby and Antognazza’s Leibniz bio. I don’t think I can choose between the two.

What was your greatest musical discovery?
That will be revealed on the 31st!

What was your favourite film of this year?
I didn’t actually watch any new movies, so I’m going to stick with my old favorite, Sunshine

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 26. I can’t even remotely remember what I did. Give me a break, my birthday was way back in February!

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably satisfying?
While the middle third of the year was pretty crappy, I’d say that the last third of the year was fantastic enough to make up for it and then some.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014?
What is this “fashion” you speak of?

What kept you sane?
What is this “sane” you speak of?

Which celebrity/public figure(s) did you fancy the most?
I didn’t fancy any of them. I enjoyed Achievement Hunter, but that’s nothing new.

Who did you miss?
I missed my mom when I moved up to Calgary.

Who was the best new person you met?
Nate!

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014:
The universe is a strange but wonderful, wonderful place sometimes.

I’ve been studying for like 300 hours straight, so I need a frivolous distraction from it all. Warning: this is like a mash-up of five different surveys.

Who were you with yesterday?
Apart from being on campus with a bunch of students, no one.

What woke you up this morning?
Panic about the impending 701 final.

Where are you?
IN PANIC MODE!

Is tomorrow going to be a good day?
Tomorrow I’ll likely be in an even greater mode of panic than today.

What’s on your mind RIGHT NOW?
The 701 final.

Do you listen to music every day?
I do indeed! Music chills me out. And I also kind of have to listen to it every day, what with my “Decade of Music” project.

Are you a fast typist?
I can hit 110 WPM pretty consistently .

Whats your favorite type of soda?
It’s this new stuff called “water.” It’s really good, you should give it a try.

Have you ever won an award?
I’ve won a few school-related ones.

Are you listening to music right now?
Yup!

How long ’till your birthday?
A little less than two months.

Do you use eBay to buy or sell?
I used to. I haven’t used eBay at all in quite some time.

Do certain songs make you cry?
EVERYTHING makes me cry. It’s embarrassing. (So embarrassing it makes me cry.)

Are you usually a happy person?
Uh…I’m better than I used to be. Or I guess I could say that I’m more optimistic than I used to be.

What makes you the happiest?
STATISTICS! And Leibniz.

How’s your self esteem?
The Self Esteem Train does not stop at Claudia Station. The U.S.S. You’re a Big Fat Failure, however, frequents my harbor quite often.

Have you had an argument with anyone recently? If so, do you still have issues with that person?
I don’t know when I last had something that would be considered a legitimate argument.

Are you talking to anyone while filling this in? How about texting/chatting on Facebook?
I just sent an email, though that was before I started this survey. Gmail is still open in my browser, though.

Have you done something recently that helped someone else, in any way?
I’ve helped our little study group with a few of the concepts/questions for 701 (and they, of course, have helped me as well with other concepts/questions).

Who was the last person to pay you a compliment?
My mom? No wait, Charles said he liked my shirt this afternoon. So Charles.

Is there anything that’s happened in the past month that you wish you could go back in time and change?
I wish I’d done better on our second 701 midterm. I got a 29/30, but there was the opportunity to get as much as 40/30, so yeah.

What colour is your purse/wallet?
My wallet’s sparkly silver with little stars on it. Or maybe they’re hearts. And I don’t have a purse.

What’s the closest item to you that’s black?
MY SOUL.
(Or my hair.)

Think about what you looked like 5 years ago. How did you look different, compared to the way you look now?
Hahahahaha. Well, I still look like a bucket o’ dork, but I don’t have bangs anymore. And my glasses are different. And my hair was frizzier back then because 5 years ago I was in Vancouver.

Before Facebook became popular, did you use any other social networking site, like Bebo or Myspace?
I got peer-pressured into getting a MySpace by my high school friends. Then they peer-pressured me into starting a blog. So you can blame them for all of this!

Has someone of the opposite sex ever sung to you? If so, how did you respond to it?
No one has sung specifically to me in the sense of like composing a song for me or singing a love song to me or anything like that, but I’ve certainly heard the opposite sex sing in my direction.

When did you last hug someone of the opposite sex?
The 29th of last month!

Have you ever seen the film “Casablanca”? Did you like it?
I’ve never seen it.

Do you have a relative whose name begins with ‘L’? Tell me about him/her.
Lance is my uncle on my dad’s side. He lives in California and basically took over my grandpa’s business when grandpa died. Uncle Lance is pretty cool.

Are you a secretive person?
I divulge quite a bit on here, but I have quite a few things that only one or two people know about.

When did you last eat?
Yesterday.

If you were going to buy a present for a special person, what would you generally choose?
I really try to get people something that they’ve mentioned just in passing so that they’re not really expecting it. Either that or I’ll make them something, but I usually only do that for super special people, ‘cause I’m kind of weird with my art in the sense that I like to keep all the originals together if possible.

If I’m going to buy you a box of chocolates, which kind should I definitely NOT get?
I’ve never understood the appeal of chocolate covered fruit. I also don’t like dark chocolate ‘cause it’s waaaaaaaaaaay too bitter for my taste. Anything else is good, though.

Is there something you generally always ask for help with?
I should ask for help with directions, because if I don’t I’m prone to wandering around in near panic mode because I can’t orient myself in space for some reason. True story: the other day (well, I guess the day we got down to like -25, which was November 28th) I decided that it was far too cold to walk so I wanted to go to the U of C rec center instead. I’d never been there, but I knew you could get there from the math building without going outside. I literally spent 45 minutes trying to figure out how to get to the rec center once I got into Mac Hall. It was sad.

If you had to give up your phone or your computer, which would it be?
HA, easy question. Phone. Sorry, phone.

Has anyone called you gorgeous/beautiful today?
Hahahaha, nooooo.

In what ways have you rebelled against your upbringing?
My parents are both radios. I decided to become a toaster.

In what ways have you rebelled against your schooling?
Um, I don’t know if I have. Unless you count cramming 4 years of undergrad into 2 ½. Though that was more of a “you told me this wasn’t possible so watch me do it and watch me do it with a 4.0, hahaha” thing than a rebellion thing.

Blinking Christmas Lights or Still Christmas Lights:
If they’re not causing seizures, they’re not blinking fast enough for me.

You are awake at 2:30 in the morning on a work night (or school night). What is the most likely reason?
Dude, at 2:30 my night is just getting started. I’m actually probably making dinner. Yes, my schedule is that screwed up right now.

Time Magazine says you are a candidate for 2014’s Person of the Year. What is the most likely reason?
They screwed up somehow, haha.

Your hometown is naming a geographical or civil landmark after you, as in Mary’s Creek or David’s Corner. What is the most likely name of this spot?
“Claudia’s Walk.” It would be a trail or something going through the town.

Twenty-four hours from now, you’ve got a great smile on your face. What is the most ideal reason for this smile?
I suddenly have gained the statistical intuition and abilities of Gauss and Fisher COMBINED and thus know that I’m going to NAIL the 701 final on Monday.

I haven’t had any Red Bull but I feel like I’ve had 30 Red Bulls so have this survey sponsored by Red Bull and Claudia’s hyperness.

Ok let’s talk travel, do you like to travel?
I’m still kind of worn out on travel thanks to the “let’s move five times across the continent in less than six months” thing a few years back, but I don’t mind traveling in general.

Where have you been?
Like, on the continent? Three Canadian provinces and quite a few states, even though most of them have just been driven through. I’ve pretty much been to all the western ones.
“If you’re tryin’ to count states, I feel bad for you son; I’ve been to sixteen, but New England? Not a one!”
Oh wait, I’ve been to Massachusetts.

Next place you want to go?
THE MOOOOOOOOOOON!

What is something you MUST take with you when you travel?
RED BULL!

How do you like to travel? (mode of transportation)
Cruises are fun. Road trips are fun with the right person/people.

With someone, or alone?
If I’m flying I like to go alone; otherwise it’s fun to be with others on a trip.

Do you dance in your car when there are other people with you?
Back when I had access to a car, most definitely. I remember when we were driving down main street blasting the Numa Numa song AS LOUD AS WE COULD and dancing like idiots. Good times.

If you’re quiet what does it mean?
I haven’t had RED BULL!

Favorite scent?
The sound of one hand clapping.

Favorite store?
I love Bookmans. It was this store down in Tucson that was basically like a Hastings on steroids: used books (and lots of them), used movies, used video games/board games, used musical instruments…super cool.

Say you wanted coffee.. what kind is your favorite?
I hate coffee, bro.

Favorite kind of pizza?
Cheese (obviously), olives, and mushrooms.

Do you get embarrassed easily?
Hahahaha. Yes.

Do you mind people asking you personal questions?
Meh. I’ve blogged about so much of my life that I really don’t mind the personal questions at all anymore.

You have a tank of gas, $50, and the day off… what do you do?
I don’t know what I’m doing with a tank of gas since I don’t have a car, but I suppose I could sell it for some more money. Then I’d probably just go walking and end up spending all the money at Goodwill/Value Village/some bookstore somewhere.

Favorite TV show?
I still love Metalocalypse.

Song you turn the volume up all the way to listen to?
Any version of Sleepyhead, O Magnum Mysterium, Justin Timberlake’s Mirrors (I LOVE THIS SONG AND I’M NOT SORRY ABOUT IT), the Oliver Nelson Remix of Suit & Tie.

Something you keep in your car?
A non-car. It barely fits.

Highlight of your day?
Not having a panic attack about my upcoming final and project?

Do you mind if people just show up at your house unannounced?
YES. Though the people who know me well know not to do such a thing.

What do you do when you disagree with someone?
I usually stay quiet, unless it’s something I have a super strong opinion about and/or it’s someone I feel comfortable disagreeing with.

Do you enjoy rain?
OH GOD VANCOUVER FLASHBACKS MAKE THE PAIN STOP

Who’s your favorite person in the whole world?
Alive person: my mom
Dead person: Leibniz!

(I’m ridiculously hyper, so just ignore all this)

01:  When did you first start writing?
Almost as soon as I knew how to draw letters! Seriously though. I wrote journals and journals of stories in first grade. The stories had plots n’ stuff, too. I knew how to write before then, of course, but first grade is really when it took off.

02:  What was your favorite book growing up?
I really liked Skinnybones by Barbara Park. It’s quite hilarious.

03:  Are you an avid reader?
Not as avid as I’d like to be, but that’s mainly due to a lack of free time. I read when I can, though!

05:  Did you take writing courses in school/college?
Damn straight! I love writing courses. It’s always fun to have an “excuse” to write fiction during the school year. Also, reading other peoples’ stories = super fun.

06:  Have you read any writing-advice books?
I’ve read excerpts of Stephen Kings’ On Writing.

07:  Have you ever been part of a critique group?
Do peer critiques in my writing classes count? If so, yes.

08:  What’s the best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten?
I was told by like three people that my Newton v. Leibniz essay sounded like it came out of the New York Times, so that’s pretty cool.

09:  What’s the worst piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten?
I wrote Andy’s Story back when my writing was even worse than it is today (shocking, huh?), and I remember during the class critique of it, this one guy latched on to this really small error I’d made in a detail and he just railed the entire story because of that. Like, really dude? It could have been fixed by a single word, it wasn’t like I had a plot hole the size of the moon or something.

10:  What’s your biggest writer pet-peeve?
Like, in general? I think my biggest pet peeve, which I don’t think I’ve ever seen in published work, is when there’s a huge string of dialogue (like seven sentences) and only at the very end do we learn who said it.
Example: “I like to drink water from a faucet. But sometimes I use telekinesis to bring the water to me from across the room. It’s fun. But it’s also messy if I forget to bring a cup or if I try to bring too much water. I also like fajitas and doing the Macarena,” Stevey said.
I just think it flows better if we break up the dialogue and know that Stevey is talking before we get five sentences of what he’s saying.

11:  What’s your favorite book cover?
This gorgeous thing:

12:  Who is your favorite author?
Jules Verne!

14:  What’s your favorite writing blog?
I don’t have one.

15:  What would you say has inspired you the most?
That’s…a hard question. I don’t know if this counts as inspiration, but I’ve always been interested in the concept of lack of control, and thus many of my stories deal with this subject.

16:  How do you feel about movies based on books?
I’m always hesitant to see them, at least if the movie is based off of a book I really enjoy (which is why I didn’t go see The Great Gatsby, even though Leo is awesome).

17:  Would you like your books to be turned into TV shows, movies, video games, or none?
For most of my stories, it would be hard to turn them into anything involving a visual aspect (so any medium from the above list, haha). Prime wouldn’t work; the scarecrow one would be pretty tricky, as would Arborhood. I suppose you could do the latter two as movies, though.

18:  How do you feel about love triangles?
Meh. Give me love dodecahedrons, then we’ll talk.

19:  Do you prefer writing on a computer or longhand?
Definitely computer. I’m faster typing than writing.

20:  What’s your favorite writing program?
Uh…Microsoft Word? Haha, that’s all I ever use, I don’t use that fancy-shmancy technology like those punk kids use.

21:  Do you outline?
PFFFT, no. If I try to outline I fail miserably.

22:  Do you start with characters or plot?
Plot.

23:  What’s your favorite & least favorite part of making characters?
Favorite: Letting their personalities develop from the story rather than having preconceived ideas of who they are.
Least favorite: The above method of creating characters leading to character inconsistencies that I have to fix later.

24:  What’s your favorite & least favorite part of plotting?
Favorite: working in a twist somewhere. It can be big or small, but there’s gotta be a twist.
Least favorite: knowing the best place to start so that the plot is concise but complete.

25:  What advice would you give to young writers?
Write! WRITE LIKE THE WIND, YOUNG SON!

26:  Which do you enjoy reading the most: physical, ebook, or both?
Physical. I’ve actually never read an ebook.

27:  Which is your favorite genre to write?
With each story I write I’m heading in the “bizarro fiction” direction more and more.

28:  Which do you find hardest: the beginning, the middle, or the end?
If we’re talking about writing rather than ideas: the freaking end. It’s so hard to end it “just right” so that you’re not ending too early but also not wrapping things up with a neat little bow.
If we’re talking about ideas rather than writing: the beginning. I never, ever know how to start a story.

29:  Which do you find easiest: writing or editing?
Writing.

30:  Have you ever written fan-fiction?
OH-HO-HO-HO, don’t even ask about that 217-page abomination.

31:  Have you ever been published?
I had a few crappy poems published in high school. Does that even count?

32:  How do you feel about friends and close relatives reading your work?
Eh, I don’t mind it. Unless it’s the fanfic. That’s for my eyes only.

33:  Are you interested in having your work published?
Definitely! Though I think my stories are, in general, too “out there” for publishing. Like, who the hell would want to publish Prime? Or that scarecrow story?

34:  Describe your writing space.
I can write anywhere as long as it’s quiet, but I really find it easier to think/concentrate in a library.

35:  What’s your favorite time of day for writing?
Usually late at night. Though writing on the bus is actually not too bad, either.

36:  Do you listen to music when you write?
On occasion. I can only listen to music without lyrics, though, or else I get distracted. But usually no, I write to silence.

37:  What’s your oldest WIP?
Probably Prime. Though I haven’t technically worked on that story since mid-2013.

38:  What’s your current WIP?
Arborhood!

39:  What’s the weirdest story idea you’ve ever had?
(I have to say Prime again here, sorry.)

40:  Which is your favorite original character, and why?
I’m partial to i, the imaginary unit from Prime. He was a snarky little bugger. He was also pretty complex (ha!).

41:  What do you do when characters don’t follow the outline?
I HAVE NO OUTLINE. I AM GODBERRY: KING OF THE PLOT

42:  Do you enjoy making your characters suffer?
Psychologically, yes.

43:  Have you ever killed a main character?
Welcome to How to Write a Claudia Story: The Basics

44:  What’s the weirdest character concept you’ve ever come up with?
Uhhhhhhh…probably i again. He was only around for like 4 pages, but he was my fave.

45:  What’s your favorite character name?
I think Arrodine (pronounced ARROW-dine), the name of one of my trees in my current NaNo, is a pretty badass name.

46:  Describe your perfect writing space.
A library computer lab! I’d also like to have people around me (though not too close to me, of course), because for some reason I work better when I’ve got other people working in my general vicinity.

48:  If you could write the next book of any series, which one would it be, and what would you make the book about?
I still think I should write that super dark version of The Brave Little Toaster (yes I know that wouldn’t be “next in the series” but SHUT UP it’s a good idea). Remember my idea for “Burnt?” Blankie goes psycho because of lack-of-the-Master, leads the other appliances out into the forest based on his hallucinations, then systematically murders them all?
(Next NaNoWrimo, I promise.)

49:  If you could write a collaboration with another author, who would it be and what would you write about?
Collaborating with Stephen King to write “Burnt” would be the best thing ever. It’d be like Christine but with a blanket. This NEEDS TO HAPPEN.

What is your zodiac sign?
Aquarius!

What is your favorite color?
Orange!

What’s your lucky number?
I don’t know if I have a particularly lucky number, but I tend to have a rather high occurrence of double and sometimes triple repeat numbers in my life—things like 22, 88, 111, etc.

What talents do you have?
Making up songs on the fly, getting R to do what I want it to do, being annoying.

Are you psychic in any way?
Nopers. Though my 2010 NaNo about Google had some freakishly accurate predictions in it.

Favorite song?
I don’t know if I have a favorite favorite song anymore. The one currently topping the playcounts is Jealous (I Ain’t With It) by Chromeo. Doin’ It Right is still my jam, though.

How many pillows do you sleep with?
Two. But half the time the one on the bottom ends up on the floor. Not quite sure how I manage that.

What position do you usually sleep in?
I usually go to sleep on my side but wake up on my back/on the floor/burritoed in the sheet.

Have you ever tried archery?
MARK NUTT!!!!!!!
(Yes, we had to for junior high P.E.)

What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep?
Long enough where counting the hours didn’t even matter.

Do you have any scars?
Many, many scars.

Have you ever had a secret admirer?
OMG STORY TIME okay so one Valentine’s day in high school we were all in the common area milling around in between classes. All of a sudden I see this pack of those chalky candy hearts come flying towards my head. I duck ‘cause I figure they’re for someone else, but then one of my friends picks them up, looks at them, and gives them to me. They have my name written on them (I was the only Claudia at our high school) and they say they’re from “Nekko Nikky.” I never found out who that was.

tl;dr: probably not.

Can you do any other accents other than your own?
It’s not an accent per se, but I can laugh/talk like Barney Rubble (don’t ask how I figured that out). I can also sound like that Russian space station guy from Armageddon. And the turrets from Portal.

Are you a good judge of character?
HA, no. Clearly I am not.

Can you curl your tongue?
Yup.

Are you a clean or messy person?
Everything is either immaculate or tornado aftermath-level messy. No in between.

How long does it take for you to get ready?
Like, get ready to leave in the morning? 15 minutes maybe.

Do you have much of an ego?
BAH.

Do you talk to yourself?
There’s not many other people who talk to me, so yeah.

Do you sing to yourself?
Bitch, I sing out loud.

Can you name all 50 states of America?
LET’S SEE IF I CAN!
Alaska, Arizona, Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, South Carolina, North Dakota, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Massachusetts, Maryland, Arkansas, Michigan, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota!

I think that’s all of them. Can I do the provinces/territories too?
British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories, Yukon, Nunavut!

Have you ever been scuba diving?
Nope.

What makes you nervous?
Almost everything.

Do you correct people when they make mistakes?
Depends on the person, mistake, and how much the mistake matters.

Are you ticklish?
Don’t touch me.

Have you ever been in a position of authority?
I was a stats lecturer! Sometimes they called me professor. It was awesome. I miss it.

How many piercings do you have?
Four.

Can you roll your Rs?
Yup.

How fast can you type?
In the range of 110 WPM.

What are you allergic to?
One of the trees in the UI arboretum (not sure which one; whichever was closest to our back yard when we lived up that way). Asthmacort, an asthma medication I was (very briefly) on because I had super bad pleurisy and I couldn’t breathe. They took me off of it once they realized it made it HARDER FOR ME TO BREATHE.

Do you keep a journal?
Does my blog count?

Do you like your age?
Not really. 26 is pretty meaningless. 25 is the square of 5 and 27 is the cube of 3, but 26 is like the fart of numbers.

What makes you angry?
Don’t even get me started! I’m good at rage.

Were your ancestors royalty?
Hahaha, oh yeah, totally.

A) What does the last text you sent say? And to whom?
“Okay.” It was to my mom.

B) What does the last text you received say? And from whom?
“I’ll be on in a few.” It was from my mom; she was talking about Skype.

C) What time do you wake up most mornings?
6:30 as of late. The buses are never on time here so I have to take the super early one to get to campus on time.

D) Are you afraid of walking alone at night?
I FEAR NOTHING.

E) What do you do to relax at the end of a stressful day?
Listen to music. Blog. Write crap. Internet.

F) Where did your last kiss take place and with whom?
I prefer not to think about things that will never happen again.

G) Do/did you get into trouble a lot at school?
Nope. I did several things I *should* have gotten trouble for (being a hooligan in the hallway during lunch), but I never did.

H) Do you enjoy your job? If unemployed, are you content being so?
I guess my job is to be a TA now. I miss my old lecturer job a LOT, but I get to teach labs now anyway, so I guess we’re still cool.

I) Do you often pick up on double entendres and innuendos?
Dude, I MAKE things into double entendres and innuendos, whether they were supposed to be or not.

J) Have you ever been offered drugs but declined?
I almost tried salvia, but I was about to get on a plane, so I figured the combo probably wouldn’t have been a good thing. Especially given my record with being over sensitive to about every substance on the planet.

K) Have you ever met someone who has completely altered your way of thinking?
Not completely, no.

L) Have you ever been offered drugs and accepted?
Nope.

M) Tell us something weird that turns you on.
Ha. We won’t go there tonight.

N) When did someone last admit romantic or sexual feelings for you? Was the feeling mutual?
Long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away (2009).

O) What is something you have given a lot of thought to lately?
My current place in life (as far as education goes…which is pretty much my whole life anyway). It’s certainly not where I thought I’d be at this point, but I’m not unhappy with it. I’m glad I’ve done what I’ve done.

P) When did you last swallow your beliefs to avoid an argument or confrontation?
I usually don’t voice my beliefs about the “bigger” things, mainly ‘cause I really don’t like arguments. I also like to hear what other people think without interjecting my own nonsense.

Q) Do you usually initiate hugs?
I feel awkward wanting to hug people, so I don’t unless they initiate it first.

R) Are you a very affectionate person?
Unless I’m with the right person, I’m about as affectionate as a rock.

S) Can you roll your own cigarettes?
I CAN ROLL MY OWN BUTT that doesn’t even make sense.

T) What are you looking forward to?
Apparently the new stats students at U of C take a road trip to Edmonton every other year to bother their stats department up there. A three-hour van ride with a bunch of stats dorks sounds entertaining.

U) Do you have any tattoos. Do you want any/more?
I’m still waiting to get my integral tattoo. IT SHALL HAPPEN SOON!

V) Are you mentally strong?
Ha. HA.

W) Are you physically strong?
I’m a lot stronger than I look.

X) Do you think you’re a good person?
I’m a toaster.

Y) Name one thing you wish you could change about your life right now.
I really wish I was more intelligent. That would make things a whole lot easier.

Z) What do you usually eat for breakfast?
Souls.