Day 1 - When were you born?

The short answer is March 4, 1978.  Most awesome day on the planet, ever!

I feel the "where" in this story is much more interesting than the "when." So, where was I born?  Wauchula, FL.  Phonetically, that's What-CHU-La.  Don't know where it is?  It's located right next to Zolfo Springs and Bowling Green, and just north of Arcadia.  Yep, right there, in that sprawling metropolitan of citrus groves.

The last census estimates have Wauchula housing just under 4,500 residents, in an area of just over 2.5 square miles.  The entire county (Hardee) has some 28,000 residents in 238 square miles.  Wauchula is a part of the Florida Everglades, and is located an easy drive from both Orlando and the Tampa Bay area, two of my favorite places in Florida.

Wauchula is home of the famous "Baby Swap" case of 1978 (thank God I wasn't born in the hospital!).  However, in my family, it is more famous for the direct hit from Hurricane Charley on August 13, 2004.  The city was declared a federal disaster area, and several of the houses destroyed belonged to either friends or family of mine.  When I went down to salvage what I could from my grandmother's house two weeks after the storm, there was still no power anywhere outside of the city square.

On September 5, 2004, the city took another direct hit from Hurricane Frances, followed in quick succession by Hurricane Jeanne on September 24, 2004.  It was the most devastating thing I've ever seen with my own eyes.

I have not lived in Wauchula since the 70's, but I still visit often, and will always consider it my home.

Day 15 – What are five things people don’t know about you?

1. I only have one kidney
2. I am an ordained minister
3. I want to compete in triathlons
4. I have 4 siblings (3 older, 1 younger)
5. This is the place where I used to put: I have never broken a bone.  But I can't do that anymore.  So, I guess it's "I've only broken one bone, ever.  My big toe."

Yeah, yeah, I know.  Boring!  But I can't help it.  If you know me, you know me.  I don't hide who I am.

Day 14 – Would you want to be famous? Why or why not?

Once again, I have to ask: What, exactly, constitutes famous?

I have never wanted to be an actress, someone known worldwide for my looks or for the people I've dated (or even for the movie/television roles I've played, since that is what some actresses are known for).  I've never dreamed of being a professional athlete, not because I wouldn't enjoy it, but simply because there was never a doubt in my mind that I didn't have what it takes to be a professional basketball player.  I have absolutely NO interest in politics.  I love to write, but I don't ever remember entertaining the thought that I might one day write novels known around the world.

But once upon a time, I harbored the dream of being a professional musician.  Not Bono or Springsteen, not Carrie Underwood or Miranda Lambert, not Rob Thomas or Santana.  No, I dreamed of being the next Wynton Marsalis.  The next Chris Botti.

I never wanted to be someone that was immediately recognized by face or name, anywhere in the world.  But to be recognized by the masters of the brass instruments, in the small world of brass virtuosos??

That, my friends, would have been the perfect completion to my musical experience.  I still dream when I play my horn.....

Day 13 – Are you a morning or night person?

One of the hardest things I have to do each day is get up to go to work.  I am NOT a morning person!  I sleep best between the hours of 6am-12noon.  I am the most awake, aware, observant and active between the hours of 4pm-12midnight.  Nothing I've done has managed to change that.  I've always been that way.

This has its distince advantages and disadvantages.

At work, my boss is in the office from 6am-3pm.  She gets more accomplished before noon.  I work 8am-5pm, and get more accomplished after I get back from lunch.  Between the two of us, we have a nice little system going.

When I'm traveling, I LOVE to drive at night.  I'm awake, there's no sun trying to blind me, and there is little-to-no traffic on the roads.  Plus, once I've been up all day, followed by all night, I'm running on adrenaline, and can usually stay up another 12 hours, completing the "day" cycle.  That means that I don't lose any precious vacation time.

On the flip side, I often feel like a louse when I sleep until noon on my non-work days, b/c everyone else I know gets up at a more reasonable time.  Plus, that schedule makes it hard to get errands completed, due to normal business hours.

There are definitely times I miss working nights!!!  It really fit my schedule!

Day 12 – Who do you live with?

I live with my mommy.

No, seriously.  I do.  I live in a 4-bedroom/2 bath house, with a kitchen, dining room, den, living room, front porch, back deck, and pool, all on 1.5 acres of land (mostly woods).  I originally moved into the house with both my parents and my younger brother, some 11 years ago.  Things went fairly smoothly.  I was supposed to move to South Carolina in October 2005, but sadly, my father passed away in June.  I decided to stick around a little longer.  As the years have passed, I've continued to stay in order to help my mom.  My younger brother has stayed, as well.  He will be moving out this summer, in order to be closer to campus and his classes at UGA.

The situation is finally working out to where I believe I'm going to be able to move.  I've got a house in mind.  I've got a roommate for my mom in mind.  Now, I just have to wait for everything to fall into place.

Until then, I'll enjoy being able to step off my porch and into a pool.  I do love my pool.

Day 11 – How many languages do you speak? What are they?

I speak Southern.  It's supposedly a recognized form of English.  I'm a big fan of the word "ya'll."  Also, I've never met a word that ends in "g."  I go huntin' and fishin' and muddin' and divin'.  You may catch fish, but I ketch 'em.  It's breakfast, dinner and supper.  We don't have soda or pop, we have Coke (though I have enough Yankee in me to prefer Pepsi, most of the time).

I am as fluent in Pig-Latin as I am in English/Southern (sometimes more so), and I enjoy using it to confuse those few who don't know it (Op is another fun gibberish language I'm fairly good at).

I've studied Spanish, Latin, American Sign Language, and some French and German, but I cannot hold a conversation in any of them.

I can read music fluently (treble and bass clefs), which is as much a way of communicating as any spoken language is.

Day 10 – Do you have a religion? What is it?

I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses.  It is a recognized religion, but most importantly, it is a way of life.  I believe that it is only through his sacrifice that Jehovah God will include me in his future blessings.  But it is more than accepting that Jesus died for my sins.  It is living my life in recognition of that sacrifice.  I don't always do a good job of it, but I try to live my life in imitation of Jesus Christ.

I was raised in a family of Witnesses, but I really didn't take religion (any religion) seriously until I was in my 20s.  There were always the rules and morals and principles that I largely ignored (I dated a Marine - I can swear with the best of them), but there were also those that I was loath to break (drugs and sex).  I really pushed the envelope sometimes, and yet I never truly crossed lines.

I continue, everyday, to struggle with honesty, respect, anger and self-control.  I wish I was more loving, more generous, peacable, instead of being selfish and angry and picky.  I suffer from depression and anxiety, and often find myself doubting God's ability to help me - or more, my ability to trust that God knows best, and to rely wholly on Him.

But on the good days, I know that I couldn't ask for anything more than what I have.  I have the chance to continue to grow in love and knowledge for my heavenly Father, with the constant reminder that if He hadn't called me to Him, I wouldn't be where I am spiritually.

And if Jehovah God see something good in me, maybe I should try to see it myself.

Day 9 – What are your hobbies?

I can see Alicia reading this, and just shaking her head, saying, "That girl has more hobbies....."

I blog, obviously.  I've been writing - songs, poems, short stories, books - since I was about 12.  It took me awhile to finally break into blogging, but now that I've done it, I'm hooked.
I am a certified scuba diver.  I hike, run, bike, swim.  I collect Monopoly games.  I sing.  I play trumpet, French horn, and guitar (a little piano, as well).  Photography is both a hobby and a vocation.  I travel every chance I get.  I read, voraciously.  I analyze movies and television shows the way English teachers analyze books (and then I blog about them).  I go to sporting events - LOTS of sporting events.  I'm active on numerous social networks.

OK, Ali, what have I forgotten????

Day 8 - How old are you? Do you like being the age you are?

I am 33.  Honest-to-God truth.  I'm not one of those people that is frightened by my age.  Getting older doesn't bother me, so I see no point in hiding or lying about my age.

I've truly enjoyed being in my 30s.  Hitting 30 gains you a modicum of respect from society.  You can be just as dumb and immature as you were at 29, but turn that magic age of 30, and people actually tend to assume you've suddenly become almost respectable.  I firmly believe in letting society continue to believe that, while I go on acting like a kid.

In truth, I don't feel like 33.  Mentally and emotionally, I vacillate between feeling like I'm 18 and feeling like I'm about 21.  That may not seem like a big difference, but it has to do with who I was at that time.  At 18, I was a recent high school graduate, had a sort-of boyfriend, a limited part-time job and no car, and had absolutely no clue what I wanted to do with my life.  At 21, I had a good job at Barnes & Noble, had recently kicked the so-called boyfriend to the curb for mutilating my heart and my self-confidence, had a good car, and had absolutely no clue what I wanted to do with my life.  At 33, I have a great job at the University of Georgia, have mostly avoided members of the opposite sex (atleast in terms of romantic relationships), have my dream car, and have absolutely no clue what I want to do with my life - so you see, it's not much different from being 18 and 21.  I may have more toys, but I still haven't figured out what my role in life is.  I have ideas, but so far, they're not panning out.

If anything, I'd say the best part about being 33 is realizing that getting older doesn't mean finally reaching a point where you know what life is about.  Life changes around every corner, and if you get up in the morning expecting those changes, it can be excited.  Often frustrating, but always exciting.

In conclusion, I'd describe my age as this:
I'm still young enough to have fun and goof off and toss back a beer (or three) and get up and sing karaoke.  But I'm mature enough to realize I don't know everything, and I allow myself to learn from my mistakes.

Day 7 – Do you like sports? What are your favorite sport?

Everyone who knows me well is laughing at the questions.  Do I like sports?  Ha!

Over Thanksgiving 2011, I spent 4 days in Orlando at a college basketball tournament.  I'll be going back again over Thanksgiving 2012.
In June 2012, I'll be attending major league baseball games at Nationals stadium in Washington, DC, and at Orioles Park at Camden Yard in Baltimore, MD.
I've been to major league baseball games in Atlanta (GO BRAVES!), Seattle, and Kansas City, and spring training games in Orlando (GO BRAVES!), and Sarasota.  I travelled to North Port, FL, to watch my cousin pitch in high school, and will continue to travel to Orlando, FL, to watch him pitch in college.
I've gone to Greenville, SC, to watch teams from the NBA's Development League.
I spend my childhood going to Indiana State High School Basketball Sectionals each winter.
I've been to so many college football games that I have lost count of the number.
I went to USA v Norway baseball in the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games.
I've seen minor league baseball games in Little Rock, AR, Indianapolis, IN, and Chattanooga, TN.
As a staff member at the University of Georgia, I've been to basketball and baseball games, tennis matches, and I work the PGA Nationwide tour golf tournament every May (First Aid tent just off the 2nd tee).  I'll be hitting softball, soccer, swimming and football this year.
In 14 days, I'll be attending my first ever PBR event, the Atlanta Invitational.
In September, I hope to run my first 5K, at Disney.
I am a certified scuba diver.

My all-time, absolutely no-questions-asked, over-everything-else favorite sport, in the entire world, is basketball.  I. Love. Basketball.  Watching it, listening to it, analyzing it, playing it, coaching it, everything about it!!  I simply love it.

So, what do you think?  Do I like sports?

Day 6 – What do you do in your free time?

With this question, there is an implication that I have free time.  I find that amusing.

My schedule:

Monday
work - 8am-5pm (home around 6pm)
supper and relax - 6-7pm
personal Bible study - 7-8pm
shower, get ready for bed - 8-9pm
in bed - somewhere between 9-10pm

Tuesday
work - 8am-5pm (home around 6pm)
supper and relax - 6-7pm
personal Bible study - 7-8pm
shower, get ready for bed - 8-9pm
in bed - somewhere between 9-10pm

Wednesday
work - 8am-5pm (home around 6pm)
supper and shower - 6-7pm
Bible meeting - 7-10pm
in bed - ASAP

Thursday
work - 8am-5pm (home around 6pm)
hike at campus lake - 5:30-6:30pm (home around 7pm)
supper and personal Bible study - 7-8pm
shower, get ready for bed - 8-9pm
in bed - somewhere between 9-10pm

Friday
work - 8am-5pm
gym workout - 5:30-6:30pm (home around 7pm)
suuper - 7pm
personal Bible study - 7:30-8:30pm
shower, get ready for bed - by 10pm

Saturday
public ministry/field service - 9am-12noon

Sunday
Bible meeting - 9:30am-12noon

For the next two months, I also have either an extra gym workout, or a fitness class, one other evening a week.  After that program ends, photography school starts up again, and I'll be in class every Tuesday evening from 6-8pm, probably until August, when I graduate.

In March and August, I spend most weekend at photo shoots.  There are other occasional and random shoots thrown in throughout the year, as well.

Now for the fun stuff:
Atleast once a month, I spend a weekend in South Carolina with my Bug and his family.  I occasionally visit separately to do some hiking or scuba diving at one of the lakes/state parks in SC.

I make approximately 3 trips to Florida each year to visit family (and Walt Disney World).  I try to attend several college and/or professional sporting events each year.  This year, I'll be spending a weekend in Birmingham, AL, at an Indy car race.  I love to hike and swim, and do both whenever I can find the time (swimming happens rather frequently in the warmer weather, when it's not dark when I get home from work).  I enjoy reading, blogging, playing my trumpet, and do them as often as possible.  I play a lot of Words With Friends.

In all honestly, I'm pretty boring.

Day 5 – Have you ever met a famous person? Who was it?

I always struggle with this question.  What, exactly, constitutes famous?  Famous, as in, President Barack Obama, someone that 99.9% of America and a large percentage of the rest of the known world, is familiar with?  Famous, as in, Matthew Stafford, former UGA quarterback and current NFL quarterback?  Famous, as in, Warren Buffet?

There are so many factors that decide fame.

That said, here is a list of people I've met that I consider, atleast in my little world, famous:

Dale Murphy
Russ Nixon
Claude Raymond
Herb Score
Phil Niekro
Luke Recker
Dean Oliver
Vince Dooley
Mark Fox
Mark Richt (OK, I haven't met him yet, but I will, on April 19!)
Jair Jurrjens
Boss Bailey
the Wilkinsons
Wynton Marsalis (twice!!! He even gave me a trumpet lesson!!!)

For those of you who haven't figured it out yet, virtually every single person in the list above is in the sports world.  The MLB, NFL, NBA, NCAA football, NCAA basketball - they all played, managed, and/or coached.  The others listed are musicians, in the country genre and jazz genre.

I'm sure there are others I've met, whether they'd already reached a modicum of fame, or they were on their way up the ladder rungs.  But when I think of famous, it's the list above that I think of.  These are the people that were important in my world.

Day 4 – Where do you live? Have you ever lived in another country from where you do currently?

I live in NE Georgia.  I won't give specifics, but I do work at the University of Georgia, so you now have the general area of my existence.  I'm close enough to Atlanta to drive down for something special (like, the PBR's Atlanta Invitational, to which I now officially have tickets!!!), and close enough to Greenville to drive up for the same things.  Situated between those two major cities, I have various family members that I can easily visit at most any given time.

I've lived in Georgia for most of my life.  I was born in Florida, and lived there for almost 2 years, before moving to Atlanta.  I lived in the suburbs of Atlanta for 22 years before moving up near Athens.  A year later, I moved briefly to Phoenix, Arizona, and then returned to the Athens, GA, area.  Since then, I've been close to moving on several occassions, always with the intention of making my way permanently back to Florida.  I now know that I will never return to live in Florida, unless major changes happen.  I am in love with a little boy in South Carolina, and don't know how I could live without being able to visit him atleast once a month.  He's my <3.  South Carolina is where I will be.....soon, very soon, I hope.

I have never lived in another country.  I've visited several, but never for more than a day or two at a time.  I once considered the idea of doing some missionary work in Mexico, and I won't rule that idea out, but at this time, that plan has been tabled.

Day 3 – Do you like to cook? What’s your favorite food? Are you good at cooking?

I like to bake and I like to grill.  Otherwise, I cook because I have to.

My favorite thing to fix is Vernon's Special Chicken.  It's a secret recipe (unless you know who to bribe), and takes a while to fix, but MAN, it's worth it!!  Best served with the chicken is mashed potatoes or potato salad, green beans (another secret, special recipe), and good, Southern sweet tea.

I can grill just about anything that'll fit on my grill, but I rule at chicken, burgers and dogs.  I've done fish and other seafood, and I've done kabobs, but I'm better at the heartier, more durable meats.  I have yet to try ribs.

I also rule at chili.  I made my own recipe for chili, and over the years, have tweaked and perfected said recipe.  It's amazing chili!

I'm not a bad cook, but I burn water.  I tend to get sidetracked with other things while cooking, so it's best not to have me do something that can't be set to a timer.  And aside from my chili, I have to have a recipe, and I have to follow the recipe TO. THE. LETTER.  I cannot deviate, or I get panicky.  And if the recipe says to eyeball something, or add until a certain texture is reached, forget it!  I need precise measurements, even if it's something I've made many times before (even my chili is based on can sizes - no preopened-and-saved-in-the-refrigerator items allowed).

Day 2 – Do you have any pets? If yes, what kinds, and what are their names? If not, why don’t you have any pets?

In my mind, I have a dog.  A lab/German shepherd mix.  He looks like a shepherd, with the temperment of the lab.  His name is Gus Gus.  I love dogs.  One day, I will have a Gus Gus.

I don't like cats.

I have 4 cats.
Gracie is my old girl.  She will be 16 in April, and I've had her since the day she was born.  She is a sweet-natured calico who loves attention, and loves to cuddle at night.  Because of my crazy schedule (and her advancing age), she lives next door with my brother's family, where there is someone home virtually 24/7/365.

At 5, Tiger Lily is the indoor baby.  She showed up on my back deck in November 2006, a tiny, silky, solid white ball of fur, staring up out of crystal blue eyes.  It took me about 2 weeks to get her to let me touch her, but once she figured out that all I wanted to do was pet her, she warmed right up.  I brought her into house one night when the temps dropped into the teens, and blocked her up in my bathroom.  The little brat figured out how to move all the towels and blankets shoved under the doors, and I woke in the middle of the night to the kitten meowing at me from the floor beside my bed.  Thinking someone had accidentally let her out, I put her back in the bathroom.  She was back in my room 5 minutes later.  She has been inside ever since, and though she is now full-grown and weighing in at 11lbs, she still believes she is a kitten.  Her entire life revolves around playtime and attention.  She still sleeps on the floor beside my bed.

The outdoor baby is Fluffies.  He's a gray tabby stray kitten that lives in my backyard.  I didn't have any intention on keeping him, but he really is a sweetie.  All the outdoor strays are called "Fluffies" by me, so I guess he needs a name, since he's about to get neutered and made a permanent member of the family.  He shall, from here on forward, by known as Flynn (as in, Rider).

The love of my life, despite the fact that she is a cat, is Mocha.  Mocha was born in May 2005.  I met her the day I brought her home from the vet's office.  Carol and Kyle adopted a little brown kitten from the vet in July 2005, and I just thought that little kitten was the cutest thing!  All tiny and fuzzy and the color of a Hershey bar.  While at the office, the vet tech informed us that she was fostering the rest of the litter, and that there was one other kitten with the same coloring, a little girl.  Sight unseen, I adopted her.  Almost 2 weeks later, we picked up our new kittens.  I held the carrier all the way home, but it wasn't until we got inside the house that I was able to coax my little girl out and get a look at her.  I usually only tolerate cats, but from day one, I was totally in love with my Mocha.  She is my Baby Girl, and she knows it.  Mocha is independent, easily disturbed, ornery, and firmly believes that every other cat needs to be on another planet.  She is often anti-social, which makes the times that she wants to cuddle even more special.  For all her quirks, though, Mocha is one of the sweetest cats I've ever met.

Day 1 – What is your name? Were you named after someone else? Do you like your name?

Laura Diane Burris.  Socially, it's Laura Burris.  Professionally and legally, I always use Laura D Burris (or, in the case of my photography business, ldburris).

My first name is a family name.  Going back several generations on my mother's side, you can usually find atleast one Laura in each generation.  Specifically, my name came from my maternal aunt, Laura Ann Davis.  She was the only sibling that my mother never met, as she died at the age of 5-days, in 1941, three years before my mother's birth.  I like to say that my middle name is a variation of Aunt Laura's middle name, but enough different to separate me from my maternal cousin, Lara Ann.  In truth, my parents had three possible names in mind for me:  Laura Nicole, Laura Charlotte, and Laura Diane.

Growing up, I always wished that my parents had chosen Laura Charlotte.  Charlotte was my grandmother's name, and a name that I love.  I also wanted a nickname, and you just can't create a nickname from Laura Diane.  With Laura Charlotte, I could have been Charlie.  I was a tomboy.  I wanted a boy's name.  I was always glad I wasn't Laura Nicole, as that name combination is all too common.  As I got older, I grew to appreciate my chosen middle name.  I have yet to meet another Laura Diane.  It's different, and it suits me.

15-day Introductions Blog Challenge

Day 1 – What is your name? Were you named after someone else? Do you like your name?

Day 2 – Do you have any pets? If yes, what kinds, and what are their names? If not, why don’t you have any pets?
Day 3 – Do you like to cook? What’s your favorite food? Are you good at cooking?
Day 4 – Where do you live? Have you ever lived in another country from where you do currently?
Day 5 – Have you ever met a famous person? Who was it?
Day 6 – What do you do in your free time?
Day 7 – Do you like sports? What are your favorite sport?
Day 8 – How old are you? Do you like being the age you are?
Day 9 – What are your hobbies?
Day 10 – Do you have a religion? What is it?
Day 11 – How many languages do you speak? What are they?
Day 12 – Who do you live with?
Day 13 – Are you a morning or night person?
Day 14 – Would you want to be famous? Why or why not?
Day 15 – What are five things people don’t know about you?