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Given the opportunity to spend 1000 $ in any one store, I would choose Ikea due to my love of simple, relatively cheap and attractive furniture. Maybe it’s my Norse blood, but something about Ikea makes me feel at home, and in spite of the occasional complaints I hear of shoddy work, I know better. At Ikea, I would spend the majority of the money on a bed, and various supplies to go along with the bed. They say that having a comfortable bed is a wonderful experience because one has to return to bed every night.  I may also spend some of the money on strange Swedish food.

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In my life, I’ve been a tinker, a teacher,  and a writer, I’ve enjoyed teaching the most due to my love of knowledge and learning. While I was in college, I worked in the maintenance department of a dental school, repairing whirring machines for would-be dentists, and enjoyed myself. I’ve taught in a mental hospital, and to graduate students, teaching English and mental health coping skills, and I’ve found that imparting knowledge to people moves me. I’ve also been a writer, submitting short articles to local magazines. I enjoyed all of these jobs, but none have moved me as much as being a teacher, and helping students improve their knowledge of the world.

If I could go any place in the world for a vacation, it would be Thailand due to my love of the language, land, people and culture. I’m a linguist by education, and the sound of Thai, along with the beautiful writing system appeal to me greatly. Thailand is a beautiful place, with beaches, exquisite natural phenomenon, and things I’ve never seen with my naked eyes. The Thai people are vibrant, young, alive and fun. My final reason for a visit to Thailand would be the culture, from the food to the music, all enchant me in a complete way. For those reasons, I plan to visit Thailand in my lifetime.

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Most people would not know that I always wanted to have a part in my high school’s plays.  I loved going to see plays growing up and imagined myself being up on stage one day.  Once I got to high school, a couple of things kept me from ever trying out.  For one, I found that I couldn’t tolerate most of the other people who typically acted.  For another, practices for the plays always conflicted with the sports I was participating in.  I would have had to give up one of the sports I played just to even try out for a part without any guarantee that I’d even be selected.

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I can’t say that I spend much time contemplating my looks though I’ve been told that my eyes are my best feature.  Just typing it makes me feel weird.   I am an honest and straightforward person which most people find refreshing though it can be a little jarring for some people who aren’t used to a frank manner.  My wife says that she values that she doesn’t have to play games with me and always knows where I’m coming from.  I love to tell stories and laugh with others.  I don’t turn it into a competition to see who can tell the best story or get the most laughs either.

Most of my mates know I am an anglophile.  I have a collection of Union flags, books on UK English, and loads of English sitcoms on DVD and VHS.  I used to record programmes such as Vicar of Dibley and Keeping Up Appearances off of PBS every weekend when they would have “Britcom” night.  My favorite, though, is Are You Being Served?

I truly wish I could go back to the 1970s and write for the BBC.  I have written some fan-fiction regarding Are You Being Served? and so far it has all been adored by other fans around the world.  Sadly, the show ended because the writers “ran out of ideas”.  I and others call this absolute rubbish.  It is my secret and fervent desire that time travel becomes a reality or alien space craft will descend from the sky and take me back through time, space, and even reality, to 1975 London, so I can write for the BBC.

Silly, I know, and perhaps impossible.  But I truly believe that anything is possible.  Who knows?  Maybe I will get a visit from some Magratheans tomorrow who will take me where I want to go.  Just…if I do suddenly come up missing…don’t tell anyone where I went!

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I used to joke with my mates and tell them, “My mum says I’m special!”  This would almost always get a chuckle from them.  It is true, though.  I am special.  I have my own unique traits that make me who I am.

I have been told I have very expressive eyes.  They are dark brown with a green band on the inside.  My hair is also brown and very soft, thanks to a daily vitamin tablet and good shampoo.  It also grows rather quickly because of that vitamin tablet!  Ever hear the excuse “I’m not fat!  I’m big-boned!”  Well, I can testify that I do, indeed, have big bones (although I am rather hefty) and I have the radiographs (X-rays) to prove it.  I am also quite strong physically, especially in comparison to many fellow females that I know.

Aside from my physical characteristics, I have a quick wit and broad sense of humor.  I love to make people laugh and have found a way to reach a larger audience: through writing.  I have written a book, a satirical fantasy called The Brood Chronicles.  So far it has been well received.  I hope to keep writing, as I am rather good at it, and keep making people laugh for many years to come.

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When I was growing up, my family was very close to my father’s brother and his wife.  Uncle Mark and Aunt Sarah adored us and Sarah would sometimes take my brother and I off Mum’s hands so she could go see kids’ movies without feeling awkward.  They lived (and still live) in the woods, on land that Sarah’s family owns and now have their own son, Ian, who is now seventeen and off at university.

In the last few months I have begun bonding with my aunt again.  She is into “extreme couponing”, which she uses to help a local food pantry.  I go with her to help, as she has limited mobility and gets confused sometimes.  We go on Wednesdays to some chain supermarkets and walk out with over five hundred dollars worth of food and supplies, often for a third of the price.  These get donated to help families in need, although she does keep a small amount for her own pantry.

During our jaunts we almost always stop at Publix, which has a very small section devoted to English goods.  I take a bit of cash with me and usually get a bottle of Ribena (concentrated blackcurrant juice) and a package of biscuits.  They’re a bit expensive, as they are obviously imports, but these along with the fun I share with Sarah are what make my Wednesdays very special.

This past weekend was New Year’s Eve, and I was sick.  I am still recovering from a nasty bout of sinusitis that started just a few days before New Year’s Eve, which rendered me a snot-filled, coughing wreck.  Fortunately, antibiotics and guaifenesin have relieved most of my symptoms so far.

I would have liked to have spent New Year’s Eve with some friends, but aside from my illness I also had a book to release on Amazon Kindle.  I stayed up until midnight, as I could not sleep, anyway, and submitted my first book, The Brood Chronicles, Book One: The English Legione.  The next day I did some editing on some articles, made some notes on my second book, and generally was disgusting.

Throughout the years I have noticed that a lot of problems stem from humans that pry into the affairs of others.  Person A disapproves of Person B’s faith or Person C’s dietary habits or Person D’s sexuality and throws a wobbler about it.  But why?  How are Person B, C, or D affecting Person A?

I can understand if Person B was abusing her children or if Person C was drinking so heavily that he could not keep a job, that Person A would want to help.  If Person D was depressed to the point of suicide, I should hope Person A reached out to her.  In such circumstances, interference would be good.

However, if Persons B, C, and D are doing no harm to themselves or anyone else, why does Person A feel that he has to “correct” these people?

I like my privacy, as do so many others.  I would love to be able to do what I like in my own home without worrying that Person A will come in and tell me “No!  You can’t do that!  God/the federal government/the state/the county/I forbid it!”  If I could change the world, I would have everyone mind their own bloody business and leave each other alone.  Gay rights would no longer be an issue, gossip would be less likely to ruin lives, and bullying would be practically non-existent.

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