Pursuit

I have recently come to the conclusion that one of the qualities I find most attractive in a guy is the willingness to pursue his girl.

Maybe it's just me: Maybe I'm overly insecure and need the affirmation. Maybe I don't know what I want and am easily persuaded. Maybe I'm desperate...

But I don't think so.

In fact, I have several very good girlfriends who weren't particularly interested in their now-husbands or boyfriends, but who were won over by their wooing. And I'm probably no different.

I can't say for sure, because I've rarely been pursued in my 30 years, but I'm thinking that I could easily fall for a guy who puts himself out there, who isn't afraid to make the first move, who pursues me. Guess we'll have to wait and see about that, though. That is, if I can guard my heart and be patient enough to not make up mind prematurely...

Intrigued

I got to spend some time with several intriguing people yesterday. Yay! :-)

Setting Satisfactorily

Another fun fortune cookie prediction:

"You will make many changes before setting satisfactorily."

Uh, what?

You WILL Do This

Yup, I think I just might...

Personality Test Fun

I like personality tests, and really all sorts of quizzes and questionnaires. So when I saw this one on a couple friends' blogs, of course I had to try it! I can't say I like all of their conclusions, particularly on the color grid, (explanations of the traits here), but I do think that the descriptions that follow are fairly accurate. Interesting... And if you'd like to play, too, check it out here!

Animated Director

About you:

As a DIRECTOR, you combine an unusual openness and passion for beauty and style with confidence and a down-to-earth sensibility that allow you to realize your vision.

You are practical and pay attention to the details that others tend to miss.

By focusing on what is real and concrete, you achieve more than those who always have their heads in the clouds.

When it comes to what really matters in your life, you are confident in your ability to succeed.

Having beautiful things in your life gives you pleasure and satisfaction - you have a keen eye for style.

Even when problems present themselves, deep down you know you will overcome these challenges.

When routines get too familiar, you become bored and start looking for ways to spice things up.

You are open to new types of experiences – you are not afraid to take a risk on something new.

You have a highly developed sense of taste – you know what looks good on you, in your home, and in the world at large.

Your independent streak allows you to make decisions efficiently and to trust your instincts.

You are balanced in your approach to problem-solving, not letting your emotions hold you up.

You prefer to have time to plan for things, feeling better with a schedule than with keeping plans up in the air until the last minute.

You do your own thing when it comes to clothing, guided more by practical concerns than by other people's notions of style.

Generally, you believe that you control your life, and that external forces only play a limited role in determining what happens to you.

How you relate to others:

You are outgoing, comfortable with others, and up for anything, which makes you ANIMATED.

Some people find crowds and parties exhausting, but not you! You are able to be yourself in many situations.

Sometimes it is hard for you to understand why others feel the way they do, but that doesn't stop you from trusting them or having faith that they are good people.

You know the world is complicated and that there is often more than one side to a story, so you are careful not to make judgments about others too hastily.

You would rather experience the world than sit back and observe it—you are not one to sit on the sidelines.

You are an independent thinker and don't get too worried about how others might perceive you—you are not self-conscious about being the active, engaged person that you are.

Although you have a keen understanding of different people's life circumstances, you occasionally have trouble seeing why people get so upset and emotional about things—they should just lighten up and have fun!

In addition to having faith in the world, you have faith in the people around you—you trust others to do the right thing and to be honest.

Speaking of Which...

The whole condo-buying thing is one reason I haven't blogged recently: in addition to waiting, there is a surprising amount of paperwork and things I've had to take care of!

The other reason I haven't been online much lately is that until this (Monday) afternoon, we were without internet access, a very annoying effect of the huge windstorm last Sunday. (Which, incidentally, also left me stranded in Newark for a night...)

Anyway, it's good to be back! Though I really shouldn't complain, considering some folks were left without electricity just as long.

The Waiting Game

Buying a home has taught me a lot about patience!
So far, I've had to wait...

To find just the right place.
To get just the right price for said place.
To lock in the mortgage rate at just the right time.
For the home inspection and appraisal.
For the seller to fix some stuff the inspector found.
For the underwriters to give the final o.k.

And I still have to wait for the closing.

And then to have the locks changed.
And the chimney cleaned.
And to paint?
And...

And finally, to move in.

I'm so excited about this new chapter in my life,
and I sort of want to shout, "I can't wait!"

But I know that I can. :-)

Missing My Kitty...

But apparently I'll be able to bring her back to Cincinnati at the end of the month when I move into my new condo...

Interview Me

O.k., so my cool friend Kim did this blog interview thing, which sounded like fun. So let's play! Here are the rules:
01. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
02. I will respond by asking you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
03. You will post the answers to the questions (and the questions themselves) on your blog or journal.
04. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
05. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions. And so on and so on and so on.

And here are my answers to the questions Kim asked me:

1. If someone wanted to make a movie of your life, what would it be about and who would play you?
Uh, it'd probably be about my life, duh. Just kidding... But more specifically? I guess it'd be a drama, with an underlying theme of overcoming adversity. And who'd play me? Well, it's a toss up between Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Garner. What do you think?

2. What do you hope your next relationship will consist of?
Lots and lots of honesty, first and foremost. And spiritual intimacy as well as all the other varieties, like it'd be nice to serve in ministry together. And there should be plenty of action and adventure; for example, backpacking, triathloning, traveling, etc. Oh, and definitely unquestionable commitment, that'd be nice. :-)

3. What instruments do you play and what does it mean to you?
Piano, trumpet, percussion instruments (of the marching band variety), guitar, and a little bass most recently. I must admit that I don't really understand the second part of your question, but I'll answer as best I can... I began taking piano lessons when I was about 5 or 6, and music has been a huge part of my life ever since. When I moved away from home for college, I taught myself guitar because I no longer had a piano, and now worshiping in song is one of the ways I feel closest to God.

4. What three top things would you want to do before you die?
Travel. (Specific places I want to visit include Italy, Peru, Egypt, Cambodia, and more of China.) Get married (again and for good) and have a family (which I would like to include adopting a baby from China). And... I can't think of a third right now, sorry.

5. If you had to visit Michigan, what would you want to do?
You mean, if I GET to visit Michigan! I don't really know, though; I just want to see you! But fun fall-y things are nice, like maybe hiking? I don't know what there is to do up there, though, so I'll leave it to your discretion. :-)

Coming Home!

Well, I made it! My two months in Princeton are up, and I'm heading back to Cincinnati tomorrow. It's gone quickly, and I've had fun, but I'm also excited to come home.

What I'm Most Looking Forward To
10. Not having to get ready or dressed up for work
9. Not having to make small talk as soon as I get up or get home
8. Not having a curfew (in effect)
7. Playing guitar (and maybe piano) again
6. Being able to check my email at home rather than at the hospital
5. Cooking rather than eating out or eating frozen dinners every day
4. Getting back into yoga and racquetball and soccer
3. My sweet, soft kitty :-)
2. Sunday worship and Friday night Bible study
1. My awesome friends!

What I'm Actually Going to Miss
(So I couldn't come up with 10, but this is still not too shabby!)
6. How close everything is
5. The slightly cooler temperatures
4. Having regular work hours and pay
3. Having minimal expenses (I know: In Princeton?!? But yeah!)
2. Training with a cool running group and masters swim team
1. The new friends I've made...