Hello there! You found me (smile). My name is Joanne. I live in the Bay Area (California for those of you who live elsewhere and have a bay.) Another name for this place is the peninsula.
The first thing I learned was that everyone is keen to differentiate where they live by saying which region they live in. There are several: City, South City, East Bay, South Bay, Peninsula, Silicon Valley (noone says they're from Silicon Valley; in fact, only people not from Silicon Valley call it that. Unless someone from Silicon Valley is trying to explain to someone not from anywhere near here where they live.)
Anyway, I've lived in:
I'm an only child, which probably goes a long way to explain why it seems like such a good idea to ramble on about myself on a website, as if anyone (other than my mother, friends, and family) cares. I did it for the kittens, really I did! (smile)
BTW, I begrudgingly use emoticons. I'm sure the person who first thought of them is quite pleased with themself (as I would be had I come up with them) but I hate going along with the crowd.
My mother and I, after watching "Dances with Wolves" came up with our own Indian names. I'm "She who Swims Upstream." That's me: Against the flow. Exciting, but I end up with a nose full of water a lot of the time.
How else do I describe me?
Oh, and I adore football.
I'm black and very happy with that.
I'm short and quite satisfied with that, too.
I wear my natural hair in twists, did have them in long braids for several years, and am considering different styles of what folks call dreads, locs, etc.
I'm not skinny, not chubby, not fat. I used to say I'm plump¹, but I guess I'm now not since I've lost quite a bit of weight. I need a new word; suggestions?
| ¹ | The summer of '01, I was in Best Buy, looking through the software titles, and a black gentleman called out to me "Hey pretty!" I smiled but continued to look at the boxes, hoping that was the end of the encounter. He then approached, smiling: "Oh, Miss! I'm so sorry; I thought you were someone I work with. She's wears her hair in braids and is pretty and plump like you." EEEK! I think. Plump? No! No? Plump is a sweet word; really (smile). It stayed in the back of my head, just resting, sometimes primping like sweet things do, sometimes dressing up, sometimes blinking back tears and sniffing about really being fat. As cute as plump was, I couldn't keep her around. So now, she's gone; I kinda miss her. |
I'm admittedly lazy (note the hairstyle choices) at times, and yet terribly productive and driven at other times.
I love my profession, instructional design and course development. Over the years, I've had to do more and more training delivery, since it seems folks don't care so much these days to drop bucks on someone who specializes in courseware design and structure. (wry smile) But I'm not bitter...
I have come to terms with needing to actually teach in order to practice my profession. Thing is, from teaching I've discovered that I love to provide information, support, and encouragement to people; travel to interesting places, within the states and all over the world; and talk.
I love animals, all kinds, and love people who love animals.
I really adore kitties; I have 3 inside and have been mommy and grandmommy to several outside ones as well.
I never miss the Westminster and AKC/Eukanuba shows on television.
If I were to get a dog, it would be hard to choose which breed, since I like so many. In general, I like working and herding group dogs as they tend to be rather dignified, independent, and strong; bred for purpose. There are also certain other specific breeds¹ that I like. Spitz-types², with stand-out fur and curled, bushy tails are gorgeous. And I am intrigued by the corded³ dogs.
| ¹ | Smart, chortling Basenji; big, rugged Bouvier de Flandre; worriedly-wrinkled but dignified Chinese Shar-Pei |
| ² | Bespectacled Keeshond; Alaskan Malamute with that gorgeous black widow's peak; foxy Finnish Spitz; sturdy Shiba Inu; serious, cat-like (smile) Chow-Chow; sturdy Norwegian Elkhound (really Elghund, or Moose Dog); smiling Samoyed |
| ³ | Dreds! The Komondor (big, white) and Puli (small, black) |
I love Herman's standard long-haired daschunds; such sweeties. Ebony died in 2003, sweet girl; and Grecco the shy but darling old fella is still with us.
I like spiders a lot. The huge, fuzzy ones kinda scare me, though.
I can recognize which scorpions are poisonous.
I like to cook, and I can (smile).
Some of my favorite foods:
2002-2003 (haven't seen many in the theaters these past few year):
All-time:
My favorite writers are Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Zora Neal Hurston, James Baldwin, Anne Rice, Eudora Welty, William Faulkner, Carl Hiaasen, and Tom Robbins (I know there are more; these are off the top of my head)
My favorite books are "As I Lay Dying", "Their Eyes are Watching God", "Skinny Legs and All", "Beloved", "Possessing the Secret of Joy", and "Double Whammy" (I know there are more; off the top of my head again. I used the "desert island" method: These are the books I'd take, and could read again and again. Preferrably, I'd love to take one book from each of the above writers.)