What Strangers Say
In general, these are the common statements people make about me when they don't know me well: "She's weird," "She's bouncy", "Who?"
What Friends Say
My friends tend to call me intelligent, introspective, insightful, independent, idiosyncratic. (I'd say "alliterative," but it just doesn't sound right.)
What Psychologists Say
My Keirsey temperament is INTJ, or sometimes INTP.
Philosophy
You can read my credo, written in 1998. I'm sure I could modify and add to this, but I haven't taken the time yet.
Music
I am very fond of music. I love to play, listen to, and occasionally compose music (although I'm apparently not fond of completing my compositions). Most recently I've been focusing on bass and voice. I play tenor sax, alto sax, clarinet, and medieval flute at an intermediate to advanced level, and trumpet, piano/keyboard, and harmonica at a beginner's level. Someday I intend to take voice lessons. I also intend to learn a double reed instrument (bassoon?), trombone, and Western flute.
Dance and Movement
I am also very fond of dancing. I dance silver (intermediate) level ballroom—latin, standard, and smooth. I have also taken lessons in modern dance. I want to learn jazz, tap, belly dancing, and flamenco. I took Alexander Technique and Laban Movement Analysis; I really enjoyed the latter and would like to continue studying it someday. I've studied aikido in the past and may continue if I ever find a dojo to suit me. I like climbing and exploring and stuff.
Academics and Career
I got my B.S. in Computer Science and Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College, with a minor in Cognitive Science. During my academic career I focused on artificial intelligence, psychology, and decision-oriented mathematics. I found I really enjoyed data modeling and squeezing sense out of information. Eventually I acquired industry jobs doing exactly those things. That's right, they give me gobs of data and pay me to play with it. How cool is that?!