Intro post

[kjirstem]

***Name:
Kjirste 

***Nicknames/IDs:
I haven't been particularly consistent with my user names

kjirstem around Yahoo, 
zephyrious on LJ, 
kcm over at FA.  

***Age:
 43, or thereabouts

***Family:
A husband who likes HP but not to the extent that I do.  Two children,
a three-year old son who is enthusiastic about most things and an
eight-year old daughter who is a fan of Ron Weasley.  

***Home
New Hampshire, US, at least for now.
 

***Birthday, Place of Birth:
13 December,  California

***Education/Job/Role in Life etc:
Despite some education (Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, my research
was in biomechanics), I spend most of my time subject to the quixotic
whim of my kids.   I work as an engineering consultant a few hours a
week on one thing or another, often on control systems, often for
robots.   


***First contact with Harry Potter:
I first heard of Harry Potter on the radio, probably NPR, and knew
immediately that I was doomed to love the books.  Being ornery, I put
off reading them as long as I possibly could (this included closing my
eyes when passing displays in the bookstore), until my best friend
pushed me into borrowing a copy of SS sometime late in 1999 or early
2000.  I was hooked, as I knew I would be, and have been ever since.

***Favourite Potter things (books, characters, ships, fics, objets
d'Art, general enthusing):
I think I still like POA the best of the books, probably because I
really didn't figure out anything when I first read it.  
I've only read a few fanfics and I've mostly avoided emotional
investment in any ships.  I covet my daughter's "Weasley" sweater,
made for her by my mom.
 

***Extent of Potter obsession:
Oh, not too bad! I only own the US hardbacks and the school books,
though I do have more than one copy of POA and HBP.  I bought mysef
the deluxe edition of HBP, hoping that the binding will hold up better
than usual for Scholastic's books.  Decided I didn't want to
share and didn't want *my* book to go camping with the family, so
I bought the regular edition for my husband and daughter to share.

***Other interests/activities:
If I'm not reading, I like to be outdoors and active, these days
that mostly means that I spend a lot of time digging holes in the
garden (an activity easily shared with my three-year old).  Sometimes
I get a chance to hike, bike, or mess about in boats.  Other than
that, I like chocolate.

***Current/recent reading:
"Rules for Old Men Waiting" by Peter Pouncey
"Paladin of Souls" by Lois McMaster Bujold
"Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon" by Ghiglieri and Myers.

Not sure who invited me, but thanks, I'm glad to be here!  
kjirstem