You’ve probably seen the “7 Things” meme on the blogs of tech folk. Well, on Facebook it’s “25 Things” and after having been tagged a number of times, I gave up and wrote my 25 things.

1. I’m an ENFP, born in the year of the Monkey, and a Cancer with a Scorpio Moon and Aquarius rising.
2. I was born in Alameda, California and have lived in many Northern California towns, including: Sacramento, El Cerrito, Pacifica, Davis, San Francisco. Oregon is the second state I’ve lived in.
3. I’m the oldest of four children and two step-children and the only female among my siblings. All of my immediate family still live in California and I miss them greatly at times.
4. I attended my first college class when I was 11. It was introduction to Political Science  at the local community college and I remember having a really difficult time taking note quickly enough. I hadn’t really learned how to take notes yet, so I think I was trying to write *everything* down.
5. I’m a total cat person, although I love all creatures. My current cat (Atari), even though he’s only 7, has had a series of medical issues. I’ve spend thousands of dollars taking care of him, all worth it.
6. I earned my Bachelor’s from UC Davis with a major in English. While a student at UC Davis, I helped manage the student-run film theater two years in a row.
7. I paid for my college education entirely on my own with scholarships, government loans and by working. At one point I had three jobs while I was a full-time student.
8. My family owned a series of business when I was young including a construction company and a print shop. I helped out with these business from an early age, earlier than I can really remember. My first job outside of my family’s business was at Radio Shack.
9. When I was 21, my mother and father divorced. My father responded by hatching a plot to kill my mother, her divorce attorney and one other person. Thankfully, the police were alerted. My father was arrested and charged with solicitation of murder. He plea bargained and served two and a half years in a California state prison.
10. The last time I saw my father was during his arraignment nearly seven years ago. He was wearing an orange jumper and shackles. I wasn’t able to speak to him. Sometimes I find myself wondering what he’s up to now.
11. In 2000 I got to see my favorite band, The Cure, in concert 5 times across two continents.
12. I grew up watching Star Trek (mostly the Next Generation) and it’s had a huge impact on my intellectual and ethical development.
13. I love to read, both fiction and non-fiction. There are stacks of magazines and books all over my apartment. I try to read a book a week, with varied success.
14. In 2008 I started practicing with a Zen Buddhist group. As a life-long atheist, it is a very new thing for me to have a connection to both a spiritual community and a spiritual path. I feel like I’ve found something I didn’t even know was missing from my life.
15. I’ve nearly cried at the two Precepts/Jukai ceremonies that I’ve attended.
16. In 2008 I also started a yoga practice. In addition to the positive physical affects, yoga has helped me feel more compassion toward my body, improved my body image, and made me feel more generally connected to my body.
17. I have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of on-going childhood trauma. I have been in on-going EMDR and talk therapy for a couple of years now and have been doing very well. Still, certain circumstances are difficult (witnessing violence, large crowds, loud noises, etc.).
18. I love working with computers and am thrilled that I am able to make a living as a freelance programmer.
19. I’m vegan. At first, my veganism was based primarily in a concern with the environmental cost of meat and dairy production. But as I educate myself further about the ethics of animal treatment and animal rights, I think that is the paramount issue.
20. I am still figuring out what I want to be when I grow up. Increasingly, I want to find a way to bring my skills to public/community service. I’m just not sure how.
21. In 2008 I began my first relationship with a women. It’s the most fulfilling, supportive relationship I’ve had yet and I look forward to nurturing it over the years. I, do, however, somewhat morn the final letting go of my heterosexual privileges. I look forward to a time when we can get married and enjoy the same rights as our straight counterparts.
22. I’ve been married before, once, to my high school sweet heart. The marriage didn’t last long, however, and we were divorced in our early 20s. We didn’t have any kids (thank goodness).
23. I very much want to start and raise a family. Much of my planning these days is about making that happen.
24. I very much look forward to raising that family in Portland, in my newly found dharma community.
25. In August of 2007 I was living in San Francisco and had just come back from a weekend trip to Portland. On the plane flight home I became terribly sad realizing that I did not want to leave Portland and go back to San Francisco. It was that weekend I decided to more to Portland for good. I started making plans and selling my stuff. Six weeks later the $800 Toyota I had bought to move with was packed and I drove to Oregon to start my new life. I love it here and don’t think I’ll ever leave.