Anyone Up For A Good Old-Fashioned *Mixer?*

[vulgarweed]

> Name:  Would rather not say, except that I share my first name with
a notorious former Presidential intern. (I'm older than her! I had it
first!)
> 
> 
> Also known as: Vulgarweed, A. Vulgarweed, AV, Absentia
> 
> 
> Age/Sex: 34/Female
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> 
> Birthplace/Livingplace and feelings about same: Birthplace - SW
Colorado, USA. (No feelings at all - was only 1 when we moved) Growing
up place -- Mountains, SW Virginia (Gorgeous and historic. LOVE to go
home to visit. Would not *live* in a rural area or the Bible Belt
again even if I were paid by the hour to do so.) Current living place:
Chicago, IL. Like it very much, although sometimes it is still a bit
sleepy and small-town. The music scene is excellent, though, so no
major complaints.
> 
> 
> Family Life: Only child-- close to parents emotionally even if
geographically distant. First-gen American on Mom's side; huge
extended family, but all on another continent. Dad's extended family
scattered and emotionally remote, but I'm close to my (only American)
first cousin, who's close to my age and also an only child, so we are
"honorary sisters." She lives in NYC. Me, I'm set up with my partner
of three years and our two cats. Not to mention my (Wiccan, mostly)
coven/extended-tribe/spiritual group of 14 years' standing--if anybody
ever wants to do a neo-Pagan sitcom, we're your lovable dysfunctionals!
 
> 
> Personality: ENFP. Dogged, relentless, nocturnal, silly, playful,
driven. Ambitious but flaky.
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> 
> 
> Words friends have used to describe you: Intimidating, aloof,
sarcastic, productive, intense, loyal, patient, slobbish, passionate,
adventurous, funny, cynical, romantic.
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> 
> 
> Words you have used to describe you: Twitchy, restless,
dilettantish, lazy, slutty, self-indulgent, undisciplined, aimless,
dissatisfied, moody, talented, curious, dedicated.
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> 
> 
> Things you do when not staring at the computer: Read, listen to
music (on the stereo or at rock clubs), play with cats, play with
boyfriends, play with friends, drink, eat, draw, play music. (My work
also involves staring at the computer, so there's not that much time
when I'm not)
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> 
> Comfort foods: Little Debbie snack cakes, raisin bran, anything with
tons of hot sauce or mustard, cheese, good dark beer, hot chocolate.
Oh and coffee, but that's a constant.
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> Education/Work: BA in Creative Writing. Music
journalist/critic/essayist for alternative newspaper.
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> Language skills: English. Smidges of Portuguese (from the family)
and Latin (from high school)
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> 
> 
> Technical know-how: Can wire own stereo from scratch or figure out
most anyone else's. Not bad with guitars/amps/effects pedals/my
annoying fiddle pickup. Can drive but haven't really needed to in 10
years.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Favourite HP book: OoTP, fer sure.
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> 
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> Favourite HP character(s): Snape, McGonagall, Luna, Lupin, Moody,
Hermione, Fred & George
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> 
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> Favourite HP line: Too many to count. Something about brewing glory
and stoppering death sure runs through my mind a lot. :)
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> 
> 
> Watching/Avoiding the HP movies?: Have seen them and own the DVDs,
but find myself rarely watching them. They just don't grab me like the
books do.
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> 
> 
> Into HP fanfiction? Yup. Read tons of it and write it too. I like
stories that have erotica, plot, drama, *and* humor best.
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> 
> 
> Books you'd recommend to just about anyone: _Little, Big_ by John
Crowley; _Winter's Tale_ by Mark Helprin; the first two _Gormenghast_
books by Mervyn Peake; the _His Dark Materials_ trilogy by Philip
Pullman; the _Mabinogion Tetralogy_ by Evangeline Walton; _Midnight's
Children_ by Salman Rushdie; the _Ramayana_; the _Kalevala_; _My Life
in the Bush of Ghosts_ and _The Palm-Wine Drinkard_ by Amos Tutuola;
anything by Brazilian novelist Jorge Amado; any short stories by Jorge
Luis Borges; _The Lord of the Rings_ by Tolkien; _A People's History
of the United States_ by Howard Zinn; _Civil Disobedience_ by Thoreau;
_Visions of Cody_ by Jack Kerouac; _Leaves of Grass_ by Walt Whitman;
_Silence_ by John Cage;   _Technicians of the Sacred_ (a global
shamanic-poetry compilation by Jerome Rothenberg).
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> Favorite TV shows: None really. _Nightline_, I guess.
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> Favorite Movies: _Princess Mononoke_ and _Spirited Away_ by
Miyazaki; anything by Jim Jarmusch, esp. _Dead Man_; _The Nightmare
Before Christmas_; _City of Lost Children_; Peter Jackson's LOTR
movies plus _Heavenly Creatures_; _2001_ and _Dr Strangelove_; _Time
Bandits_; Monty Python; _Star Wars_; _This Is Spinal Tap_; _The Ruling
Class_; and I'm a sucker for anything very old, black-and-white, and
silent.
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> 
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> Favorite Musical Artists: Too many to list -- I've written about it
for a living for years! I'll say that to relax when I'm not "on duty"
I listen to a lot of classic old art-punk (like Velvet Underground and
Wire and X and Bauhaus), some jazz, a bit of heavy metal, and a lot of
music from Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Oh yeah, and Fairport
Convention, always.
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> 
> 
> One thing about your life you'd change if you could (sorry, but you
> may not say "lose weight"): I think I would keep absolutely
everything about my life, except I would have it all in NYC instead of
Chicago because I think NYC is more beautiful. Besides that, I suppose
quit smoking, or make more money. (Both of which I would need to do to
live well in NYC!)
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> 
> One thing about your life you wouldn't change even for an advance
> copy of Book 7: My friends (including my partner, who's my best
friend). (Wouldn't change my job either but I think that's priority #2)
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> 
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> Philosophy for an easy life: Why would you want an easy life? Bleah. 
> 
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> How you found HPfGU: By recommendation, can't remember from where
(it's been two years or so.
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> Active at other HP sites: Yes.
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> Your most rock solid Book 6 or Book 7 prediction: Dumbledore will
have a moving moment of glory or at least exposition. More characters
will die, including students. Hagrid and/or Ron will do something
reckless. Voldemort will be defeated.
> 
> 
> Take a moment to wave to members of the fandom you have personally
met:  Don't know if I've met anyone here, but I'll wave from a
distance at the Femmes Dangereuses of Witchfics.org, my fanfic posse!
> 
> 
> ADD A QUESTION OF YOUR OWN AND ANSWER IT: What would you like to be
remembered for? At least one great book! Also a few funny, hot, bawdy
stories considering my inability to take monogamy very seriously as
either reality or ideal -- but I'll settle for a couple of pithy
quotes and the love of my friends.