Day 01 - A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself

It was surprisingly difficult to find a recent photo of only myself that wasn't overly photoshopped or given cell phone built in effects. I managed this one, though. It was taken this past autumn at McConnell's Mills, a nature/historical reservation in Butler, Pennsylvania. 

Interesting Facts

1. I'm borderline nocturnal. Even right now, it's 1:31AM and I find it to be incredibly too early to sleep. The only time I'll actually fall asleep before the sunrises is if I intentionally wear myself out in some way, be it mentally or physically. I do a lot of my exercise, cleaning and writing during the nighttime.

2. I'm obsessed with John Stamos. Anyone who knows me well know that this isn't a secret, though. When he starred in that Propel commercial I drank that disgusting flavored water for weeks, hoping that he'd appear in the sidewalk I was jogging along in the same way as the girl in the commercial. To this day, I still call it "John Stamos water." 

3. I sleep with a stuffed cat named Figaro. This is something else that's no secret to anyone close to me. It's the cat from the Disney movie, Pinocchio. My best friend, Anya, bought it for me many, many years go. At this point, the poor thing looks like a ragged rat, but I can't sleep without it. I've tried. It doesn't work.

4. I love to dance. I do this in as many ways as possible- belly dancing, club dancing, while spinning fire, ballroom, with my dog every night before bed...all of it speaks to me.

5. I dislike coffee, but I can't live without my tea. Seriously, I don't think my body knows how to function if I don't have some first thing after waking up.

6. I shower in the evening. I hate taking showers in the morning. I already despise mornings enough...the last thing I want is to suddenly be sopping wet and miserable. 

7. I have no real religious path. Usually I refer to myself as "some odd shaman, druid blend of pagan." I know what I believe, but it doesn't seem to follow under any specific category. Part of me likes that. Either way, my "church" is patch of grass and an open sky.

8. I despise the feeling of denim on my skin. (The only reason I'm wearing them in the above picture is due to the fact that we were going rock climbing that day.) I live in pajama pants. I have about a dozen pairs that I rotate through- skulls, candy canes, Ninja Turtles, pink plaid, Spongebob, pirate flags, etc. Sometimes I get odd looks when I wear them out in public, but I couldn't care less. Go on and call me a slob. I'm comfortable.

9. I suffer from severe anxiety. I've been on a heaping dosage of Prozac, every day for the past seven years. If I don't take it, I turn into a spazzy, overly-emotion and depressed mess. I'm not ashamed of it. I don't hide it. It's one of my faults that can be easily remedied by a daily pill. So be it.

10. I love to read. I rarely watch movies, but I'll happily live inside books. I savor young-adult novels the revolve around fae and fantasy. I'm pretty sure that's where I'm supposed to be. 

11. I love my dog. My dog, Murphy, is my world and owns my soul. He was a gift to myself in a very rough point of my life. He's a purebred, but he was the runt of his litter. In a way, we saved one another.

12. I refer to myself as and "overweight health nut." I know the routines, the calorie calculations, scales and activity points and all the fancy technicalities on what fuels your body best and when you should eat it. I preach it, but I don't practice it all the time. I should. I try. I'm working on it. I workout every day. I've lost thirty pounds in 2011. I'm hoping for another thirty in 2012.

13. My phobias include: Clowns, driving in unknown areas, hypodermic needles, dentists, small spaces, deep water and squirrels.

14. My very best friends are all the character and muses from my novels that live inside my head. Psychological disaster? Probably.

15. I believe that soul mates aren't restricted to people that you're meant to be with, romantically. They're the ones who come into your life and leave an enormous impact that helps you grow stronger. They're the people who you learn from and will never forget, no matter what.  

xoxo,

Cat