Questionnaire (Tyler's Answers)

1.       What is your idea of perfect happiness?

-          I want to be able to do the things I want to do and go the places I want to go without… working for it, I guess. Ha ha.

2.       What is your greatest fear?

-          Dying.

3.       Which historical figure do you most identify with?

-          I don’t identify with any historical figure.

4.       Which living person do you admire?

-          Meg.

5.       What is the trait that you most deplore in yourself?

-          Selfishness.

6.       What is the trait that you most deplore in others?

-          Selfishness.

7.       What is your greatest extravagance?

-          I’m too American.

8.       What is your favorite journey?

-          Life.

9.       What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

-          Honesty. Everyone thinks they want honesty, but nobody actually wants to hear it.

10.   On what occasion do you lie?

-          At work.

11.   What do you dislike most about your appearance?

-          My lack of godly aura. I don’t really dislike anything about me… I mean sure, I have a really weird mole on my chest that I don’t want to be there. But does it really bug me? No.

12.   Which living person do you most despise?

-          I don’t really despise anybody. There’s no one to really despise… 

13.   Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

-          “It bugs me.”

14.   What is your greatest regret?

-          Crashing my first car.

15.   What or who is the greatest love of your life?

-          Meg.

16.   When and where were you happiest?

-          It’s always changing.

17.   Which talent would you most like to have?

-          I wish I could play the piano.

18.   What is your current state of mind?

-          Annoyed.

19.   If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

-          My lack of productivity.

20.   If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be?

-          Their assholiness.

21.   What do you consider your greatest achievement?

-          Staying alive.

22.   If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?

-          A historical artifact? A crab?

23.   If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be?

-          A wolf.

24.   What is your most treasured possession?

-          My cat Luna.

25.   What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

-          Extreme self-loathing.

26.   Where would you like to live?

-          Somewhere wet, like London. Maybe France.

27.   What is your favorite occupation?

-          Teaching. Something involving a lot of talking.

28.   What is your most marked characteristic?

-          I talk a fuck ton.

29.   What is the quality you most like in a man?

-          Manliness.

30.   What is the quality you most like in a woman?

-          Womanliness.

31.   What do you most value in your friends?

-          Honesty.

32.   Who are your favorite writers?

-          George R.R. Martin, John Green, J.R.R. Tolkien… to be continued.

33.   Who is your favorite hero of fiction?

-          Batman?

34.   Who are you heroes in real life?

-          John and Hank Green.

35.   What are your favorite names?

-          Grayson, Dexter, Eleanor

36.   What is it that you most dislike?

-          Choosing what to eat for dinner, fucking hate it.

37.   How would you like to die?

-          I wouldn’t?

38.   What is your motto?

-          I don’t really have one… 

Questionnaire

1.       What is your idea of perfect happiness?

-          Being able to have enough time to do all the things I want to do, without having to worry about day to day responsibilities.

2.       What is your greatest fear?

-          Failing to accomplish the goals I have set out to do in life. Also, loved ones dying. I don’t like thinking about that.

3.       Which historical figure do you most identify with?

-          Not sure. Jim Morrison?

4.       Which living person do you admire?

-          Too many. Just to name a few: Elijah Wood, John Green, Stephen King

5.       What is the trait that you most deplore in yourself?

-          Moodiness/anger

6.       What is the trait that you most deplore in others?

-          Impatience/arrogance/ignorance

7.       What is your greatest extravagance?

-          Video games? Music? Movies?

8.       What is your favorite journey?

-          The one to Mt. Doom.

9.       What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

-          Virginity.

10.   On what occasion do you lie?

-          Rarely. Often to protect others.

11.   What do you dislike most about your appearance?

-          My stomach.

12.   Which living person do you most despise?

-          Too many. Mostly people I don’t know personally, several I don’t even know by name. Just anyone who contributes to the suckiness of the world. 

13.   Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

-          “Why?”

14.   What is your greatest regret?

-          I don’t think I have one.

15.   What or who is the greatest love of your life?

-          My boyfriend Tyler and my cat Luna.

16.   When and where were you happiest?

-          Between the ages of 1-8 in Centerville, Utah.

17.   Which talent would you most like to have?

-          Ability to perform and play guitar.

18.   What is your current state of mind?

-          Stressed (too much to do before the end of the semester).

19.   If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

-          My moodiness/anger

20.   If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be?

-          Nothing. Though, I wish they got a long better and were more considerate of one another.

21.   What do you consider your greatest achievement?

-          Paying my way through college on my own without debt (thus far).

22.   If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?

-          A bumblebee. First thing that came to mind.

23.   If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be?

-          A house cat with loving owners.

24.   What is your most treasured possession?

-          My box of memorabilia.

25.   What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

-          Depression? Isolation? Pain?

26.   Where would you like to live?

-          I’ve always wanted to live in London (though I’ve never actually been able to go there), but I’ve been thinking about Montana and Canada a lot lately.

27.   What is your favorite occupation?

-          Author?

28.   What is your most marked characteristic?

-          Uniqueness?

29.   What is the quality you most like in a man?

-          Honesty.

30.   What is the quality you most like in a woman?

-          Honesty.

31.   What do you most value in your friends?

-          Loyalty.

32.   Who are your favorite writers?

-          Way too many. To name a few: John Green, Stephen King, J.R.R. Tolkien, Edgar Allan Poe.

33.   Who is your favorite hero of fiction?

-          Batman? Again, too many.

34.   Who are you heroes in real life?

-          Just regular people who do good things for the world and others.

35.   What are your favorite names?

-          Dexter, Grayson, October, Autumn

36.   What is it that you most dislike?

-          Ignorance.

37.   How would you like to die?

-          Excitingly?

38.   What is your motto?

-          “I don’t believe in mottos.”

Final Project

More Hand-Dyed Fabrics

Fabric Dyeing

This semester, I have decided to take a class called Text and Textiles in order to fulfill the "Exploring Creativity" credit that is required for my Creative Writing Emphasis. Here are some pieces I've done so far:

Writer's Block- Searching for the Cure

It could be said that I have had a severe case of writer's block for the last... year or so. This has been tremendously disheartening for me (as I'm sure it is for most writers when they find themselves in such ruts). I can only assume that this rut has largely been due to the fact that I have been preoccupied trying to find a viable way to live my life. I am a junior in college and the pressure of choosing a major that will get me a job and out of my boyfriend's parent's basement is intense.

Through this last year I have been pushing my dreams of becoming a writer to the wayside, and seriously contemplating becoming a high school English teacher. After sitting through an interview that would determine whether or not I would be accepted into the Teaching Program at my University, I was told that nearly all of the students who had applied for the Teaching Program were aiming to be either History or English teachers. I was told that if I wanted a job and if I wanted to stand out and get hired, I would need a minor that would appeal to my employers (such as teaching English as a Second Language). I left the interview feeling hopeless- after months of convincing myself that this was a job that I would love, I had finally faced the fact that it was not. My passion was not for teaching, it was for English. It has always been for English. For reading and writing.

About a week after this fateful interview, my drunk best friend told me she thought my plans to become a teacher were a "cop-out." And she was right. I was defensive at first, thinking that teaching was the only way, the only sure thing that could be acquired with an English/Creative Writing Degree, but so what? My heart wasn't in teaching. My heart wasn't even in money. So why did I care if my degree got me a steady job with a decent paycheck? Of course, I've been forking out thousands of dollars a year hoping to escape the fast food business, but was it really the right choice for me to settle for something I didn't have a passion for, just to get by?

And so, I have decided that I will dual major in English and Creative Writing. No Teaching Degree. No Technical Writing Degree. No Teaching English as a Second Language Degree. Just English. I will finally give myself the chance to do what I've wanted to do since I wrote my first story in the 2nd grade. I'm going to take a serious chance, and maybe I won't make it, maybe I'll be the poor English Major I was always told I'd be, but at least I'll be able to say that I tried. I tried really hard. I did everything I could. And I didn't settle.

Luna's Astrological Sign

In case it is not already known, Luna is my cat. She is 10 months old and was born sometime during the month of May. Through some research on the internet (and it's hard to find super great sources for pet star signs) I have decided that Luna is probably a Taurus cat in a Gemini cusp. I got the following information from a site I found called Astrology Weekly- I thought it was really interesting and insightful.

Taurus: The Earth Mother

The Taurus Cat is totally unflappable...most of the time. This feline is impossible to shock and well able to hold his or her own in the face of danger...usually due to the fact that he or she is far too idle to get up and move out of the way. This cat's sraightforward approach to life will be easy to understand. The Taurus Cat is steady and dependable...always where the owner expects this cat to be and doing what is expected of him or her. In short, the Taurus Cat is a creature of habit and routine who will never...ever...do anything unpredictable and to whom catnaps are the breath of life. Physically, the Taurus Cat will be a large specimen...the kind of feline whose size is often a conversation piece and one remarked upon by all. He or she will also possess big, beautiful eyes and an equally huge appetite, which results in the health problem eventually experienced by most Taurus Cats...obesity. Food can prove to be the downfall of this feline, even if the owner is extremely careful and strict with diet. Lack of sustenance may be the only thing that will motivate the Taurus Cat to get up, go out and complain to the neighbors about the cruelty of his or her owner. This feline will also be adept at fooling everyone who enters the kitchen into thinking that nobody has remembered to feed him or her. When the Taurus Cat is awake, he or she is an amiable companion, well aware of which hand does the feeding...and determined to ensure that whoever owns that hand continues to be so generous. If it were not for the fact that this feline will spend most of his or her life dead to the world (rather like an inconveniently-placed ball of fur), the Taurus Cat would be the almost perfect cat. Laid-back, calm, tolerant and near impossible to ruffle, this feline could be described by some as boring and dogmatic. On the other hand, some believe that being around a Taurus Cat can lower blood pressure, cure migraines and add years to the life of an owner.

It will be necessary to vacuum around, dust around and step over this feline. The Taurus Cat sleeps most of time and during slumber, nothing will awaken him or her. This cat rarely allows paws or torso to lose contact with a solid surface...partly because he or she will be too heavy to move very far, but more so through a genuine need to be in constant touch with the ground. The Taurus Cat has an innate affinity with the earth and will spend hours studying wild life, lying in the sun and not moving a muscle. It is foolish to expect this cat to become a "mouser" who will actually help out around the house by keeping down the number of unwanted intruders. To this feline, such an activity would be far too much like hard work. The female Taurus Cat truly comes into her own when she is allowed to breed...a life surrounded by kittens is her idea of bliss.

Natives of many signs are appreciative of the more elusive yet finer points of the Taurus Cat...most notably Capricorn, Cancer and Virgo. Owners governed by any of these three Zodiac Signs will find the Taurus Cat to be ideal and have little problem in curbing the desire to hurry or chivvy this feline along. Since this cat tends to radiate peace and contentment, the Taurus Cat is a perfect companion for seniors and individuals troubled by illness or bouts of depression. In short, the Taurus Cat thrives in an atmosphere which is familiar and built upon routine.

Gemini: Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

Gemini is the Sign of the kitten-cat...the exaggeratedly playful feline who is fickle and indecisive to the point of distraction. Blessed with the gift of eternal youth, this cat will fritter away his or her life in a muddled confusion of comings and goings...ditherings and datherings...for this is the born explorer of the cat world. The Gemini Cat is a highly intellectual creature but lacks the ability to make much sense, twittering and squawking at owners most of the time. This feline is a lively and enthusiastic cat, but possesses something of a split personality, which only serves to further complicate an already complex character. It is not often that the feline species will obey a human command, but many Gemini Cats seem to be the exception. Being the most communicative Sign of the Zodiac, these felines appear to actually understand the human language and may even "meow" back as if in answer. Though adverse to being restrained for such basic tasks as baths and nail-clipping, the intelligent nature of the Gemini Cat will allow an owner to prevail...provided the nasty experience is supplemented with loving praise and a favored treat. Physically, the Gemini Cat will always stand out as the cat with two heads...an optical illusion which arises from the ceaselessly agile movements and restless gestures. A highly-strung, hyperactive soul, this feline will possess small features and brightly-eager eyes that are constantly on the move. The Gemini Cat is sleek and long-limbed, possessed with probably the most acute eyesight of its species. The actions of this feline will always be erratic. He or she advances in short, quick flits which stop as suddenly as they started. Then, this feline will be off at a tangent from his or her original direction. Problems often surface when this cat is expected to do something that he or she does not want to do...perhaps stay inside at night, for example. Under such circumstances, the Gemini Cat will respond by collapsing in a heap of nervous exhaustion, refusing to move and expecting to be waited on hand-and-paw until the restriction is lifted. Being exceptionally bright creatures, the Gemini Cat will soon learn how to open any cat-flap.
The Gemini Cat views the home as one glorious adventure playground created especially for his or her enjoyment. This feline will cavort endlessly, sliding down banisters and climbing up curtains, but hardly ever sits still long enough for a cuddle. It is hard to believe that just one cat could cover so much ground and create such widespread destruction in a 24-hour span as can the Gemini Cat...but he or she is only doing what comes naturally. In general, the Gemini Cat is a charmer...a true social success capable of winning over even the most fervent cat-hater. The fun-loving nature and bubbly personality of this feline makes for a thoroughly entertaining pet...provided the owner can cope with the chaos which is sure to follow in his or her wake and is prepared to provide plenty of emotional support. The ancient astrologers made Gemini the ruler of sparrows, so any owner should be prepared for this feline to drop the occasional dead offering at his or her feet.
The Gemini Cat really comes into his or her own when living with a Libra owner and the infectious happiness will be quite obvious. Though Libra is nowhere near as flippant as Gemini, these two signs will share a rather lively relationship. The second-best choice for an owner of the Gemini Cat would probably be an Aquarius native, provided water does not comes into play too often. This feline finds it easy to make friends with most animals, including dogs, and simply adores the companionship of other cats.

Austin's Birthday Cakes

Luna Likes Art

My Valentine to Tyler

Devil's Food Cake with Raspberry Buttercream