American Me

1. I am originally from Columbus, Ohio; however, as an Air Force brat I don't have a town to call my own. With that said, I'll describe two of my favorites. Columbus is at the same time a run-down factory town, architecturally interesting, historically fascinating (especially when it comes to my formative years), and ethnically diverse. It was where my parents were married and I was born (barely in that order). I learned to walk there and graced the city with my first words. Even the ugliest parts are beautiful to me and the prettiest areas transcend words. Edwards A.F.B., California is a hole in the wall in the middle of California's High Desert and serves as the inspiration for everything that interests me today (for the most part). If you didn't like the "new" release (there was only one screen) showing for the week at the local base theater, you drove for an hour to find another theater showing new releases. The isolation created a strong sense of community that disappeared when they tore down the tree-lined, lead-painted, and asbestos insulated atomic-age homes. The base is full of living history at every turn.

2. Like most of us, I am an avid reader who will read just about anything once. I tend to read far to quickly to remember what I read (which works for Michael Crichton books, but not for literary theory), but I am trying to work on that.

3. I am a terrible writer. I tend to be inspired in the eleventh hour which never lends itself to elaborate language or correct grammar. I think I might be concise.

4. I hope to learn more about periodicals, become a better reader and writer by being the opposite of numbers two and three above, nail my first presentation at my first conference, figure out exam topics, figure out life, and make myself a more enticing job candidate.

5. My worst class has to be M408D: Sequences, Series, and Multivariable Calculus only because it was run by the worst professor: Dr. ****. On seven (SEVEN!!!) separate occasions during the first ten weeks of the semester, Dr. **** spent one hour and twenty minutes proving theorems on the boards (that were not in the text, but crucial to understanding the course) only to discover that he made a mistake somewhere but didn't know where. Of the original 120 students who started the course, I was one of the brave 19 who stayed until the end with nothing to show but tears of calculus rage. Around this time, I began to dislike going to class.

6. The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason, Giles Goat-Boy by John Barth, and Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary

7. The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution, George Washington was not the first president, the first thirteen states were Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virgina, and New York

8. Three things: It is difficult to offend me, I am a geek of epic proportions, and I like cats.