For The New-Bees To My El-Jay
Recently, I've friended quite a few new people to my LJ, so I think it's only fair that a make a basic post detailing little things so they know a bit better who I am.
25.5 Little Things About Me & My Life
1.) My name is Jennifer, but most people call me Gwen and, more recently, Jenn, and I prefer it that way.
2.) I'm 33yo. My birthday is March 12th, which makes me a Pisces.
3.) Although I am a Hanson fan, that is not solely how I prefer to be identified. I'm much more than that. Even if they are my favorite band, I do listen to more than just their music.
4.) I met my boyfriend fiancée husband, Steve, in an online chatroom. He lived in California, I live in Massachusetts. He's 33 and a Halloween baby, (yes, his birthday is October 31st), and this makes him a Scorpio. We've been together for just about 13 years, and we've been living together, (in Massachusetts), for almost 12.
5.) We're not finally engaged, and planning on getting got married on October 9, 2009, at a cute little rustic photography museum.
6.) Steve has a LiveJournal, but he never uses it anymore. He's more often found on Facebook or Twitter.
7.) I'm also happily owned by two four cats, 3 living cats and 1 spirit cat who I mention fairly often. Jezebel is an 12yo black and white lap-cat. She has completely claimed me as her human; [See Jezebel]. Buddha is 9yo, and he's a tabby mackerel part-bengal cat who lives to eat and climb in high places, (thus giving me a heart attack). He's totally claimed Steve as his human, and they're adorable together. [See Buddha]. In September 2009, we brought in two stray boy kittens who we intended to keep as fosters until we could adopt them out. Unfortunately, no one wanted to adopt the brothers together, so we decided to keep them. Damian and Tiberius were roughly 6 weeks when we took them in, and both turned 1yo on 8/1/2010 - sadly, the very next day, Damian became suddenly ill and we had to put him down unexpectedly and never had a real chance to celebrate his one and only birthday. Damian was a smoky gray cat with amber-green eyes and some of the softest fur I'd ever felt on a short hair cat. He had selected Steve as his human [See Damian]. We both miss him very much. Tiberius is now a handsome 4yo silver tabby with blue silver eyes, a white belly, white socks, and a silver tabby belt across his middle. He has decided that I am his human both my husband and I are equally his humans [See Tiberius].
8.) Jezebel and Buddha are adopted from a shelter. I'm a huge advocate from adopting from shelters because the animals you get there are already packaged with a personality. Plus the shelters do so much to try and give unwanted and abandoned animals a chance at a good life. Tiberius and Damian, as mentioned above, were stray kittens - they had almost literally just been weaned, (we had to teach them to eat solid food, but they were fast learners), and had been abandoned by their mother. We rescued them from the coming frost and also from the people in the church next door, where they were found, who like to feed rat poison to the feral cats who take up residence in the back.
9.) I have a short fuse when it comes to people who are stupid when it comes to caring for their pets. To elaborate:
-If your animal is sick, take it to vet instead of asking 'Dr. ElJay'
-Feed your pet appropriately. Don't even try to convince me that cats and dogs can be vegan because that's pure crap, just look at their teeth!
-Spay and neuter your animals. No, they do not want to 'experience the miracle of birth'. No, they do not want to be a mother. The animal population is bad enough as it is, you don't need to contribute to it.
-Stop assigning human qualities and thought processes to your pets. They don't think as abstractly as humans do.
If you're new to pet ownership, I'm not usually a hard-ass about these things because I, too was once ignorant to a fault, (Jez got crap food, [Science Diet], when we first got her).
10.) I've gone to school for medical assisting and I am trained in basic medical knowledge, as well as certified to perform CPR and EKGs. I'd like to go on to become either a Radiologist/Radiology Tech, a Vet Tech, or a DVM, with the possibility of furthering my education and pursuing a career as an EAMT.
11.) I'm currently employed as Lead Customer Service Coordinator at one of the many Banfield Pet Hospitals! My ultimate plan is to attend Mount Ida college and get a Bachelor's degree in Animal Sciences through their Veterinary Technician program, or to become a Veterinary Doctor specializing in radiology and ultrasound.
12.) My sleep schedule ,is all over the place, so you may see posts from me either on hear or Facebook at all hours of the day and night is finally steady after years of being all over the place.
13.) I love the color purple, and the numbers 6, 13, and 9.
14.) I'm fat morbidly obese. I don't apologize for it. Rather, I accept it, and I'm happy with who I am, but decided in 2012-2013 that I was ready to stop making excuses and take my health back into my own hands. This doesn't mean that I just say "Hey, I'm fat so I'm not going to do anything about it because that's just the way I am!"
15.) Despite tracking my food intake and eating at a caloric deficit, I still support the idea of healthful eating and exercising to feel good. I don't support dieting or exercising to the point of pain. The concepts of "weight loss" and "being healthy" are two separate entities to me. One does not automatically tie into the other. Basically, I support the idea that you can be completely fit and in shape, but still be fat, (I should note that I don't consider "fat" to be a bad or negative word in my vocabulary).
15.5.) This is my definition of dieting: If - (1) you're cutting out something crucial like carbs or calories, (2) you're spending more time dissecting your food choices than you are preparing and eating them, (3) you're not enjoying food at all, or (4) you live from meal to meal because you're not getting the proper nutrients from what you're eating - you are dieting. I don't consider how I eat to be dieting but rather, a lifestyle change. With the exception of holidays, celebrations, and special events, this is how I plan on eating for the rest of my life.
16.) I don't speak about religion a lot, mostly because I'm in limbo. I used to consider myself Celtic Pagan, but, lately, I feel disconnected from it. I feel generally most comfortable in nature and Earth-based religions, and am finding myself increasingly more interesting in Native American shamanism and even Buddhism. Basically, I consider myself agnostic, but spiritual and with non-specific faith.
17.) I am diagnosed with and attempting to successfully recovering from the following: severe clinical depression, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, emetophobia, agoraphobia with panic disorder, self-injury, and a couple of short-lived bouts with anorexia. All are being treated with medication and therapy. It goes without saying that I support to use of medication and therapy to treat mental illness.
18.) I've engaged in self-harming behavior since about the age of 7, (when I used to scratch and bite myself). I was reformed cutter for about 4 years, but slipped up in December 2006. I also still find myself engaging in behaviors such as scab-picking, lip-peeling, and nail-digging. I'm open about this and it might come up from time to time. I don't post pictures, I only tend to mention it. Currently I'm proud to say that I have not actively self-injured in the form of cutting since my aforementioned slip-up in December 2006. In June 2012, my medications ceased being as effective as I needed them to be and I slipped into a severe depression which led to me becoming suicidal. I devised a plan to end my life, but some part of me determined to live confessed my plans to my husband. He brought me to my doctor, who transferred me to psych emergency. Long story short, I was hospitalized in a psychiatric facility for 3 days where my medication was tweaked and I was reinstated into therapy. I am now on a good combination of medications and I'm doing loads better. I could not be happier about failing my attempt and being alive!
19.) I'm mentioning this a little late in the game, but I have 1 sister, Lindsay, 30, and 1 brother, Joe, 28. I also have a brother-in-law, Chris, 29, who lives in California. Lindsay got married on 2/6/14, so now I have another brother-in-law, Jaime, 25! I have 2 nieces, (Lindsay & Jaime's daughters), named Emery Tegan (2yo), and Kamyla Noemy (she'll be 1yo on 3/26/2014).
20.) This might come off as cocky, but I'm intelligent. I don't waste my time trying to hide this, but I don't brag about it either. I happen to think it shows in some of my more important posts that I actually use my brain. I'd like to think that I'm articulate too, but I might be fooling myself on that one.
21.) I have a tendency speak my mind pretty easily, (sometimes without thinking about the consequences). This sometimes results in me becoming sarcastic or just simply not having a filter when speaking.
22.) I love anime, although I don't mention it much in my LJ. My favorite animes are FullMetal Alchemist, (what most of my icons are of), Bleach, Blood +, Deathnote, FMA: Brotherhood, Kekkiashi, and Ah! My Goddess.
23.) Autumn is my favorite season. 'Nuf said.
24.) I prefer reading to watching television. I love to read! If my TV is on, though, it's often tuned into Cartoon Network. I'm a sucker for cartoons, (probably because I love to laugh).
25.) I'm a nostalgic kind of person and I cherish all my childhood memories. These include the toys, books, movies, TV shows, and music that I grew up with.
25.5 Little Things About Me & My Life
1.) My name is Jennifer, but most people call me Gwen and, more recently, Jenn, and I prefer it that way.
2.) I'm 33yo. My birthday is March 12th, which makes me a Pisces.
3.) Although I am a Hanson fan, that is not solely how I prefer to be identified. I'm much more than that. Even if they are my favorite band, I do listen to more than just their music.
4.) I met my boyfriend fiancée husband, Steve, in an online chatroom. He lived in California, I live in Massachusetts. He's 33 and a Halloween baby, (yes, his birthday is October 31st), and this makes him a Scorpio. We've been together for just about 13 years, and we've been living together, (in Massachusetts), for almost 12.
5.) We're not finally engaged, and planning on getting got married on October 9, 2009, at a cute little rustic photography museum.
6.) Steve has a LiveJournal, but he never uses it anymore. He's more often found on Facebook or Twitter.
7.) I'm also happily owned by two four cats, 3 living cats and 1 spirit cat who I mention fairly often. Jezebel is an 12yo black and white lap-cat. She has completely claimed me as her human; [See Jezebel]. Buddha is 9yo, and he's a tabby mackerel part-bengal cat who lives to eat and climb in high places, (thus giving me a heart attack). He's totally claimed Steve as his human, and they're adorable together. [See Buddha]. In September 2009, we brought in two stray boy kittens who we intended to keep as fosters until we could adopt them out. Unfortunately, no one wanted to adopt the brothers together, so we decided to keep them. Damian and Tiberius were roughly 6 weeks when we took them in, and both turned 1yo on 8/1/2010 - sadly, the very next day, Damian became suddenly ill and we had to put him down unexpectedly and never had a real chance to celebrate his one and only birthday. Damian was a smoky gray cat with amber-green eyes and some of the softest fur I'd ever felt on a short hair cat. He had selected Steve as his human [See Damian]. We both miss him very much. Tiberius is now a handsome 4yo silver tabby with blue silver eyes, a white belly, white socks, and a silver tabby belt across his middle. He has decided that I am his human both my husband and I are equally his humans [See Tiberius].
8.) Jezebel and Buddha are adopted from a shelter. I'm a huge advocate from adopting from shelters because the animals you get there are already packaged with a personality. Plus the shelters do so much to try and give unwanted and abandoned animals a chance at a good life. Tiberius and Damian, as mentioned above, were stray kittens - they had almost literally just been weaned, (we had to teach them to eat solid food, but they were fast learners), and had been abandoned by their mother. We rescued them from the coming frost and also from the people in the church next door, where they were found, who like to feed rat poison to the feral cats who take up residence in the back.
9.) I have a short fuse when it comes to people who are stupid when it comes to caring for their pets. To elaborate:
-If your animal is sick, take it to vet instead of asking 'Dr. ElJay'
-Feed your pet appropriately. Don't even try to convince me that cats and dogs can be vegan because that's pure crap, just look at their teeth!
-Spay and neuter your animals. No, they do not want to 'experience the miracle of birth'. No, they do not want to be a mother. The animal population is bad enough as it is, you don't need to contribute to it.
-Stop assigning human qualities and thought processes to your pets. They don't think as abstractly as humans do.
If you're new to pet ownership, I'm not usually a hard-ass about these things because I, too was once ignorant to a fault, (Jez got crap food, [Science Diet], when we first got her).
10.) I've gone to school for medical assisting and I am trained in basic medical knowledge, as well as certified to perform CPR and EKGs. I'd like to go on to become either a Radiologist/Radiology Tech, a Vet Tech, or a DVM, with the possibility of furthering my education and pursuing a career as an EAMT.
11.) I'm currently employed as Lead Customer Service Coordinator at one of the many Banfield Pet Hospitals! My ultimate plan is to attend Mount Ida college and get a Bachelor's degree in Animal Sciences through their Veterinary Technician program, or to become a Veterinary Doctor specializing in radiology and ultrasound.
12.) My sleep schedule ,is all over the place, so you may see posts from me either on hear or Facebook at all hours of the day and night is finally steady after years of being all over the place.
13.) I love the color purple, and the numbers 6, 13, and 9.
14.) I'm fat morbidly obese. I don't apologize for it. Rather, I accept it, and I'm happy with who I am, but decided in 2012-2013 that I was ready to stop making excuses and take my health back into my own hands. This doesn't mean that I just say "Hey, I'm fat so I'm not going to do anything about it because that's just the way I am!"
15.) Despite tracking my food intake and eating at a caloric deficit, I still support the idea of healthful eating and exercising to feel good. I don't support dieting or exercising to the point of pain. The concepts of "weight loss" and "being healthy" are two separate entities to me. One does not automatically tie into the other. Basically, I support the idea that you can be completely fit and in shape, but still be fat, (I should note that I don't consider "fat" to be a bad or negative word in my vocabulary).
15.5.) This is my definition of dieting: If - (1) you're cutting out something crucial like carbs or calories, (2) you're spending more time dissecting your food choices than you are preparing and eating them, (3) you're not enjoying food at all, or (4) you live from meal to meal because you're not getting the proper nutrients from what you're eating - you are dieting. I don't consider how I eat to be dieting but rather, a lifestyle change. With the exception of holidays, celebrations, and special events, this is how I plan on eating for the rest of my life.
16.) I don't speak about religion a lot, mostly because I'm in limbo. I used to consider myself Celtic Pagan, but, lately, I feel disconnected from it. I feel generally most comfortable in nature and Earth-based religions, and am finding myself increasingly more interesting in Native American shamanism and even Buddhism. Basically, I consider myself agnostic, but spiritual and with non-specific faith.
17.) I am diagnosed with and attempting to successfully recovering from the following: severe clinical depression, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, emetophobia, agoraphobia with panic disorder, self-injury, and a couple of short-lived bouts with anorexia. All are being treated with medication and therapy. It goes without saying that I support to use of medication and therapy to treat mental illness.
18.) I've engaged in self-harming behavior since about the age of 7, (when I used to scratch and bite myself). I was reformed cutter for about 4 years, but slipped up in December 2006. I also still find myself engaging in behaviors such as scab-picking, lip-peeling, and nail-digging. I'm open about this and it might come up from time to time. I don't post pictures, I only tend to mention it. Currently I'm proud to say that I have not actively self-injured in the form of cutting since my aforementioned slip-up in December 2006. In June 2012, my medications ceased being as effective as I needed them to be and I slipped into a severe depression which led to me becoming suicidal. I devised a plan to end my life, but some part of me determined to live confessed my plans to my husband. He brought me to my doctor, who transferred me to psych emergency. Long story short, I was hospitalized in a psychiatric facility for 3 days where my medication was tweaked and I was reinstated into therapy. I am now on a good combination of medications and I'm doing loads better. I could not be happier about failing my attempt and being alive!
19.) I'm mentioning this a little late in the game, but I have 1 sister, Lindsay, 30, and 1 brother, Joe, 28. I also have a brother-in-law, Chris, 29, who lives in California. Lindsay got married on 2/6/14, so now I have another brother-in-law, Jaime, 25! I have 2 nieces, (Lindsay & Jaime's daughters), named Emery Tegan (2yo), and Kamyla Noemy (she'll be 1yo on 3/26/2014).
20.) This might come off as cocky, but I'm intelligent. I don't waste my time trying to hide this, but I don't brag about it either. I happen to think it shows in some of my more important posts that I actually use my brain. I'd like to think that I'm articulate too, but I might be fooling myself on that one.
21.) I have a tendency speak my mind pretty easily, (sometimes without thinking about the consequences). This sometimes results in me becoming sarcastic or just simply not having a filter when speaking.
22.) I love anime, although I don't mention it much in my LJ. My favorite animes are FullMetal Alchemist, (what most of my icons are of), Bleach, Blood +, Deathnote, FMA: Brotherhood, Kekkiashi, and Ah! My Goddess.
23.) Autumn is my favorite season. 'Nuf said.
24.) I prefer reading to watching television. I love to read! If my TV is on, though, it's often tuned into Cartoon Network. I'm a sucker for cartoons, (probably because I love to laugh).
25.) I'm a nostalgic kind of person and I cherish all my childhood memories. These include the toys, books, movies, TV shows, and music that I grew up with.