I'm home sick today. So I wrote out a half-hearted blog post and then deleted it because really, who wants to read that crap? Instead, I will answer these questions I found when I googled "questions about yourself" so that you all can get to know me a little better while reading something more interesting than just boring drivel about how I don't feel good and life is stressful.

What are your nicknames? What do you prefer to be called?
My nickname is "Red" because (surprise!) I have red hair. I don't mind being called Red at all, but prefer people stick to that or my real name and not just make stuff up.

What books on your shelf are begging to be read?
After I finish God of Small Things I'll be moving on to The Birth of Venus.

How often do you doodle? What do your doodles look like?
I'm not a big doodler - only when I'm really bored in class or when I'm on the phone with someone unfamiliar. My doodles are usually nothing specific, just arrows, circles, shapes, etc.

What do you do if you can’t sleep at night? Do you count sheep? Toss and Turn? Try to get up and do something productive?
 I'm fortunate that I usually fall asleep without issue. When I can't fall asleep, it's usually because I'm really stressed about something. So I do some deep breathing and imagine that I'm inhaling the bad stuff and then exhaling it out. Seems to work.

How many days could you last in solitary confinement? How would you do it?
 I'm an introvert by nature, so I think I would do OK in solitary confinement for the first couple weeks. I'd probably do a lot of sleeping and reading to pass the time.

Do you save old greeting cards and letters? Throw them away?
I do, but eventually throw away the "less important" ones. I still have a birthday card I got from my grandmother when I was, what, ten? It had a sparkly unicorn on it and I thought it was awesome. I also kept a Valentines Day card from my mom with a dog on it that looks a little like my dog.

When making an entrance in to a party, do you make your presence known? Do you slip in and look for someone you know? Do you sneak in quietly and find a safe spot to roost?
When I go to any kind of function, I make sure I make the rounds and greet the people that I know. If I only know a couple of people, I do gravitate towards them until people get comfortable with each other.

What is your strongest sense? If you had to give one up, which would it be?
 Well, I wear glasses to correct my awful vision and I have some hearing loss in my right ear/tinnitus, so neither of those, haha. Out of the remaining senses I don't consider myself to be super-sensitive in one particular area, but I do love food. So I'll go with taste as my strongest. As for which I'd give up...probably smell.

How many times a day do you look at yourself in the mirror?
 When I happen to be standing in front of a mirror - usually while washing my hands.

What is one guilty pleasure you enjoy too much to give up?
 Diet Pepsi! I know it's bad for me and I've given it up before, but ugh, I keep coming back.

 How often do you read the newspaper? Which paper? Which sections?
 I read the Washington Post because my mom has a paid subscription. I always read the sports section but usually read local and national stuff too. I really enjoy reading the classified ads, too.

Which animals scare you most? Why?
Bugs, but mostly spiders. I think it's probably just societal conditioning to dislike bugs, but their jumping and legginess doesn't help either...

Are you a creature of habit? Explain.
Yes, definitely. I get up at the same time almost every weekday for school or work, I go to bed around the same time every weeknight unless there's an upcoming exam or Monday Night Football on. I think having a routine helps me be productive but also appreciate the big, out-of-routine stuff like parties or club meetings.

Do you prefer that people shoot straight with you or temper their words? Why?
I prefer people to be not only honest, but forthcoming. Don't sit and stew - just tell me what's wrong and I will do my best to fix it so that we're both happy.

How and where do you prefer to study?
I need a quiet study environment and generally study at home. Last semester, though, I started studying with two good friends and it was actually really helpful, so I may be changing.

What position do you sleep in?
Usually on my side, sometimes on my stomach.

What’s your all-time favorite town or city? Why?
 I really enjoy Portland, Maine, probably because it's where my husband and I meet up during the school year and I associate it with seeing him again. It's also a really fun town with a lot going on - I just wish we were there more in the "on-season"!

When do you find yourself singing?
In the car frequently; sometimes in the shower, if there's a song stuck in my head.

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