I'm Erin. I'm twenty, and I'm a junior at Trinity College in Hartford, CT. And y'know what? That last sentence probably pissed my parents off a whole lot, because they're convinced that you, the reader, are a killer who is going to track me down, use candy to trick me into following you away from a well-lit area, then proceed to rape and kill me. And it'll be totally the fault of this website. My parents aren't terribly rational people.

(I think that sentence may have pissed them off even more.)

Yeah, I've put a few pictures up so people can compliment me. Or just know who they're dealing with. (I am who I claim to be: a lovable, whimsical twentysomething female with a penchant for the dramatic.) I'll add more when I start being photogenic.

This little section is fairly masturbatory on my part; like my Junior year English teacher says of Joyce's writing - it's "a work getting off on itself." I like talking about myself because I happen to think I'm an interesting person. This is where I talk about how interesting and funny I think I am; you may not agree. However, this is my website, and I think I'm cool. I've done some of those silly email surveys to get the basics down, and maybe I'll add more later. There's a lot of random shit here, and if you get around to reading it all, you need something better to do. Call me up and chat instead. Come knock on my door. All you have here are my statistics; just numbers. That's not who I really am...at least, I hope not.

Cheat Sheet

A silly survey that resided under the journal section for a few years.

ON YOU........
FULL NAME: Erin B...with middle name Emily, making my initials EEB.
NICKNAMES: EEB, EEBS, BoR, hey you...I answer to most everything, and I don't get offended if you don't remember my name.
SEX: not often, no.
BIRTHDAY: 1/10/85 (belated/early cards and gifts are always being accepted.)
WHERE DO YOU LIVE: Inside my head. It's peaceful there, I can decorate it however I want, and I don't have to let strangers in. Just be sure to wipe your feet. My physical self is currently living in a house in Richmond, VA, but as of September I'll be living in Maynooth, Ireland. Pretty cool, huh?
PARENTS: Yes? What about them?
PETS: Two. A fat-tailed gecko named Geidrah who has little redemptive social value; and my hamster, Dammit (aka 'Little Ball of Hate') who bites and craps on everyone but is undeniably cute. (RIP Dammit - March 2004.)
WHAT'S YOUR SIGN: Right lane must turn right.
INTERNET FRIENDS: Over the years I've coerced quite a few into talking to me. I've fallen somewhat out of touch since I quit Ridges, but there's still Lauri (who goes to school with me now!) and Erin and Dan....and now Veridia's out of defunct-ness, I hear from Ava and Keri and Risa & co, too.
FRIENDS THAT LOOK LIKE YOU: People use to tell me I look like Lora, and she's pretty, so I take that as a compliment. My hockey coach used to get me and Lea confused, which was also fine with me. Ms. Simko swears Becca and I look alike, even though we don't. My NSLC students thought I looked like Sam, my APD...::Shrug:: I look like me.
YOU GO FOR ADVICE TO: Whoever I can strap down long enough to listen. My roomates kept me sane last year, and I have been lucky enough to consistently find people who will let me vent, whether it's in a dark ampitheater in the middle of the night, or over AIM, or anywhere else in between.
YOU'VE DREAMT ABOUT: There was that horrendously biblical thing with Lora...I have odd dreams, and I'm generally cursed with the ability to remember them, or at least the feelings of them.
YOU TELL YOUR DREAMS TO: Anyone who reads my away messages, generally.
YOU TELL SECRETS: Also people who read my away messages...although that means they're not really 'secrets', doesn't it? I guess most of my 'secrets' are easily discovered if you take the time to read through my pages...there isn't much I don't say here. Yes, sometimes I'm speaking as a character, or hypothetically...but if you're perceptive, you can learn a lot about me through, say, Hannah and Deborah. I'll also generally answer any questions you can throw at me. I don't keep secrets, often...I just usually don't tell everything at once, but I'll tell you whatever you want to know. You just have to care.

!~~ON GUYS (FOR GIRLS TO FILL OUT)~~!
BOXERS OR BRIEFS: ...what makes you think I would care? The fun thing about boxers is that guys are always talking about the cool patterns or pictures they've got...like Anthony and the Australian flag or Proctor and the weed-print. Meanwhile, Cordie wearing Ishy's underwear was the most disturbing thing I've ever seen.
LONG OR SHORT HAIR: depends on the guy. Usually short. As I told Alex, I tend to stray from guys whose hair is longer than mine. But if it works for the individual, who am I to judge? (Note: I have yet to see an individual for which this works.)
DARK OR BLONDE: see above. But when brown-haired Graham went to the beach and made his yellow-bordering-on-orange, it took me a week or so to get used to it. Anything's fine, really - even blue - if you can pull it off.
TALL OR SHORT: This is a shallow section, isn't it? You're trying to trick me into giving something away. Well, I won't fall for it. My Sweet 16 date was over a foot taller than me; my prom date was shorter than I. So there.
6 PACK OR MUSCULAR ARMS: I have one word for you: Speedos. Alright, so it's not relevant, but I felt like saying it anyway. Besides, why does this have to be an either/or question? I like guys with a six pack AND muscular arms. (See also: climber and/or paddler boys. Yup)
FUNNY GUY OR NOT: Someone with a sense of humor to match mine. What I DON'T like is when a guy acts goofy because it fits his idiom and gets the girls to drool. I like people who can understand my subtle humor but don't mind a good toilet joke every now and again. So 'funny' guy...unless by that you mean clown. Clowns make me cry.
GOOD GUY OR BAD GUY: nice guy. Who decides what's good and what's bad, anyway?
HAT OR NO HAT: isn't that the question? I like guys that look good in hats, though. So whichever way they look best.
EARS PIERCED OR NOT: ::shrug::
TAN OR FAIR: Keeping in mind that it generally changes with the season, and also that I live in New England, I can't really afford to like exclusively tan guys, can I?
FRECKLES OR NONE: Usually depends. In fact, always depends. If nothing else, freckles make for interesting conversation starters. ("Hey, sexy freckles you've got there." etc, etc)
STUBBLE OR NEATLY SHAVED: since it varies from day to day, I have to say a definitive ::shrug::
RUGGED OR SPORTSY: doesn't matter...aren't they pretty much the same, anyway?
ACCENT OR AMERICAN: Who cares? I love voices; I can generally tell a person by their voice after only hearing them speak once or twice. I think Robert's voice is funny, Clayton's is pleasant, and Noah's impressions are hilarious.

ON PREFERENCES.........
CHOCOLATE MILK OR HOT CHOCOLATE: Varies seasonally. Rum always helps.
MCDONALDS OR BURGER KING: I try to avoid both as a matter of principle. I will only go to one if it's on my way and I'll have to eat my own foot if I don't get food soon. And for the record, the BK near Peak is the slowest one on the face of the planet.
COKE OR PEPSI: Coke all the way. I really didn't appreciate it until Trinity got bought out by Pepsi...being raised near Georgia meant I drank mostly Coke products growing up, and it's a lot harder to get used to Pepsi than I expected.
MARRY PERFECT LOVER OR PERFECT FRIEND: who cares how well he fucks if he can't carry on an intelligent conversation? Being the perfect lover isn't that important.
ROOT BEER OR DR. PEPPER: Tough call. Most varieties of root beer upset my stomach, but I drink it anyway because I'm a masochist.
TEA OR COFFEE: Coffee. I'm a caffiene addict; there were days at NSLC when I was drinking 4 cups a day just to stay functional. I'm getting better - down to one or two - but I still spend entirely too much money on coffee.
SAPPY/ACTION/COMEDY/HORROR: I like most movies...but chick flicks piss me off, because they're stupid. I guess I usually prefer comedy, but action and horror are great too, in the right company. I don't watch many movies (I saw 'The Matrix' for the first time February 2003) but I know what I like. I like horror a lot, but only if I'm guaranteed that I won't be alone for the next 72 hours or so.
CATS OR DOGS: Both make me sneeze, but I'm definately more of a cat person.
COOLER RANCH OR NACHO CHEESIER: Whichever's closest.
MUD OR JELLO WRESTLING: who's wrestling Jello? Why wasn't I invited?
W/ OR W/OUT ICE CUBES: Well, if it's supposed to be cold, ice cubes would be ideal. If it's supposed to be hot, ice cubes would be icky. Therefore, I have to say that this is a stupid question.
WINTER/SUMMER/FALL/OR SPRING: Also a stupid question. Fall = school, winter = holidays, spring = slacking off, summer = goofing off. None of these would mean anything without the others to balance them out. (Wow, how philisophical of me...) I like 'em all. However, since I do live in Connecticut (I keep coming back to this, don't I?) 'Winter' spans roughly November - April.
VANILLA OR CHOCOLATE: Strawberry!
SKIING OR BOARDING: falling down with sticks versus falling down with a slab of plastic. Regardless, I fall down. Onward.
BIKING OR BLADING: After hanging out with Jon Rugh all summer, I'd really like to get into mountain biking. Not blading, because I know I'd get utterly worked. But biking I can deal with.
CAKE OR COOKIES: What's so wrong with cookie cake?
CEREAL OR TOAST: I avoid breakfast, but in the afternoon, I generally go for cereal.
ROCK/SKA/PUNK/RAP/R&B/ALT/TECHNO/COUNTRY/SWING/FOLK: Pretty much everything, except for country. Everything else, even rap, has a place in my life, just not as big a one as, say, REM or Less Than Jake.
NIGHT OR DAY: for what? I'm a night person, which makes 10am classes suck.
GLOVES OR MITTENS: Neither right now...I need to get a pair of something, though, for when the cold weather hits.
BUNK OR WATERBED: We'll ignore the fact that these two really aren't either/or choices and say 'fuck you, and hand me my teddy bear.'
CHEWING GUM OR HARD CANDY: Another stupid question. 'Hard Candy' is my second-favorite Counting Crows album (after 'August'), and I don't know of any albums called 'Chewing Gum,' although I'm sure at least one exisits.

YOUR FAVORITES.......

COLOR: purple
NUMBER: Either 42 or 24. Or 216.
SUBJECT: English. It's the only thing I've always been good at.
CLOTHES BRAND: whatever happens to be in my closet, which usually ends up being Prana. Anything that's comfortable will keep me happy. I have several articles of clothing that aren't mine (but are now), and I'll wear anything. I hate people who refuse to buy clothes because of the label; they're as bad as people that buy things because of the label. I own something from Abercrombie...it was a gift, and I love it. So nyah.
SHOE BRAND: Gotta go with Chacos. Kickass sandals that withstand Passages year after year...great for hiking or easy climbing, too. That or La Sportiva sneakers. I love my ridge runners.
SPORT TO PLAY: Climbing and swimming, not necessarily in that order (or at the same time.)
DRINK: Most anything. Why the fuck do I have to pick a 'favorite'? I like light blue Gatorade, and I like Christine's OJ concoction. Similar consumption method, different end result.
ANIMAL: Dragon.
HOLIDAY: FLAG DAY! (Go see Eddie Izzard, you ignorant prick.)
FAVORITE LINE FROM A MOVIE: It's just a flesh wound! (the black Knight).
Ray, when someone asks you if you're a god, you say YES! (Egon)
We need knives. Big fuck-off shiny ones. (Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels)
QUOTE: "I don't know about you, but life never issued me an instruction manual. I'm just muddling along as best I can, knowing I'll never make it out alive but trying not to fuck things up too badly in the meantime." -Stephen King
"Build a man a fire, he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, he'll be warm for the rest of his life." -Terry Pratchett
"I don't like anything up my nose except my own finger." -Jay
SOUND: voices. Lots of chaotic voices, preferably in a large room. Or when we're singing chords in chorus...or when two people are singing and it clashes really badly...it sends shivers down my spine, but it's cool.
BAND/GROUP/Artist: REM will always be at the top, I think...but I also dig The Hippos, Tori Amos, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Less Than Jake, Phish, Barenaked Ladies, Dispatch, Counting Crows, Ben Folds Five, Dashboard Confessional, Wilco, Flaming Lips, Three Years Accident Free,...I like different kinds of music for different things. The simple mainstream-ish stuff is fun for singing with, which I love. But I also can sit and listen to music for hours just to listen...that's what everything else is good for.
SONG: Whatever I happen to be listening to at the moment.
RADIO STATION: Since ClearChannel clearly has a pact with Satan, my radio-listening choices have been reduced to, essentially, LoveLine. Not that I mind. And I have no idea what CT's LoveLine carrier station is, but it's my favorite.
PLACE: Anywhere where I can spread out and be at ease. The gym, mainly. There's something about Taylor's house, too, that is totally relaxing. I haven't really found that many totally comfortable places at college yet, but I will.
SCENT: people. I'm not naming names, but people. Everyone has their own scent. Most people don't believe me, but go smell your friends today and then try to tell me otherwise! Bradley smells REALLY nice. So does rock, especially at the New. After a rainstorm.
FOOD: Whatever's within arm's reach.
SHAPE: INVERTED CUBEOCTAHEDRON!
FABRIC: Flannel, usually. And if anyone wants a detailed history of Gore-Tex, I've got it. (Thank you, July staff meeting.)

IN THE FUTURE.......
WHAT'S YOUR HOUSE GONNA LOOK LIKE: a mountain. With a river out back.
WHERE ARE YOU GONNA LIVE: on a mountain, next to a house. And a river.
HOW MANY KIDS: Unsure. Shouldn't I, like, get married first?
ANIMALS: A Dragon! A golden dragon of my very own...or a few cats. I'm totally gonna be the crazy old lady with lots of cats, and no one will come into my yard, even if they hit the baseball over the fence.
COLLEGE: Trinity College. Typical student quote on a Monday night: "Guys, I need to go get high. I'll be right back."

ON RELATIONSHIPS....
WHAT DOES YOUR IDEAL B FRIEND/G FRIEND LOOK LIKE: I don't really think about that. I guess I dig guys who have light eyes. Doubly so if they have dark hair. I don't know why...eyes are interesting. And glasses I like...dunno why.
HOW DO THEY ACT: like a decent human being. I could write a detailed character sketch, but it would be pointless, because real people rarely - if ever - fit into someone's ideal. They come close, but there's always something that keeps Prince Charming, well, a prince. But who wants a prince, anyway? I'm happy with someone who will fall in love with me and let me fall in love with him. No need to muck about with things like castles.
DO YOU LIKE TO CALL OR BE CALLED: depends on the situation, though I usually like to be called. It makes me feel like they wanted to talk to me, and I'm not bugging them.
MAKE PLANS OR GO ALONG W/ THEM: Depends on what kind of plans we're talking about. I'll take charge if I don't think anyone will mind, but when it's things like 'play in the rain' or 'sit inside,' I prefer to let the other person decide.
MAKE THE MOVES OR WAIT: again, depends. Although it seems that I usually make them. But when someone else takes the initiative, it makes life much easier. It's also a good sign that I'm not just 'convenient' at that moment. It also makes me a lot less awkward being forward at future times. Oh, and being drunk helps. And it makes this question irrelevant, 'cuz no one can remember who started it anyway.
WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE IN A GUY/GIRL: It depends on the circumstances. I usually notice voice and eyes, but sometimes it's something about someone's personality. Of if he's doing backflips on the soccer field. That kind of thing sticks with ya.
HAVE YOU BEEN IN LOVE: Yes. And still am. And the reason for this is that, to me, 'love' is simply the strongest emotion you can feel about someone. If you say you love someone, you mean it, even if it's not 'real' love, because you care about that person more than anyone else in the world. So you're probably in love right now, and didn't know it. It doesn't make it true love, but it's still something. And chances are, it's incredible.

IF YOU COULD........
MOVE ANYWHERE WHERE WOULD IT BE: No idea. I want to travel, and I've discovered that I'm rather adaptable. I can get drop-kicked into college, dust myself off, and be set from then on. Wherever I wind up, though, there'd better be mountains nearby.
SHAVE SOMETHING OTHER THAN YOUR HEAD WHAT WOULD IT BE: My legs.
DYE YOUR HAIR WHAT COLOR WOULD IT BE: Stripey. The blue and red hilights I wanted to do over Thanksgiving and never got around to. But I like the color it is now a ton - way better than the orange.
LIVE W/ ONE PERSON THE REST OF YOUR LIFE WHO WOULD IT BE: I'm really not sure. Even with someone fascinating and lovable, you'd eventually run out of things to talk about. Besides, I'm way too young to be thinking about 'the rest of my life.' It could end today...I want to look no further ahead than my next meal. Keeps things simple.
DO SOMETHING YOU WISH YOU HAD BUT DIDN'T: This is the most poorly worded question on this whole damn thing, and that's a feat. I hate missed chances, so I've stopped risking kicking myself about not doing something. If I want to get to know a person better, I'll send him an email or show up at her door. If I want to say something, I'm going to say it, because I may never get the chance again.

YOU REALLY WANT: what? Or who?
YOU'RE GONNA DO TODAY: (7/26/05) Just watched the Discovery launch, still eyeing coverage of that...work later, maybe climbing, reading, I dunno.
YOU DID YESTERDAY(7/25/05) Did a lot of NSLC-related stuff, hung out at home, read, hung out more, watched TV, was a general waste of space, cleaned my room, worried about a friend, went to sleep.
YOU PLAN ON DOING TOMORROW (7/27/05) Shit, you plan on me thinking that far ahead?

SOMETHING...
THAT ANNOYS YOU: Being hovered over, interrupted, being ignored; shoved into a corner. Getting screwed over.
THAT TURNS YOU ON:If you know, I don't need to tell you. If you don't know, you're creepy.
THAT TURNS YOU OFF: the light switch.
WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU DO WHEN GET UP: Try and figure out how much more sleep I can get and still not miss my class. Or just swear loudly and get up.

~*~ARE YOU A...~*~
WUSS: Nah. I'm not shy about taking risks, because I'm a moron. Also, I don't like wondering 'what if?'
CLASS CLOWN: Absolutely. I live to make people laugh.
GOODY TWO SHOES: Somehow this and 'class clown' are mutually exclusive, right?

~*~Do you/Does/Is/Are/Would you...~*~
Have a Secret Crush: Shouldn't everyone? So yea, I do. Several, actually. And some that aren't so secret. It keeps me on my toes, and makes life interesting.

~*~FRIENDS.....~*~
Funniest: Kitz, Noah, Jay, Neil
Craziest: SEG, Heiner, Noah (dyno to Tabletop? No, thank you), Alex
Smartest: Kitz, Schewel, Flynn, Lenoch, AlexMan
Ditziest: Ellen
Coolest: This is a silly question. Steven's always cold. Does that make him the coolest?
Cutest: Bradley
Hottest: As a general rule, I tend to not judge on appearances. Really. (Jeff G.)
Saddest: everyone has a dark secret to tell.
Scrubbiest: What the fuck does this mean?

~*~This or That...~*~
Deaf or Blind: Blind. Music is entirely too important to me to have to life the rest of my life without it.
MTV,VH1,BET,CTN: comedy central or cartoon network.
WWF or WCW: ew...
Ocean or Pool: pool...or river.
Cake or Pie: pie
Love or Lust: love...as long as it's returned. Lust, however, is lots of fun in the interim.
Silver or Gold: silver (Gold on dragons)
Diamonds or Pearls: Eh, Lucite does essentially the same thing, right? And affordable, too!
Shaken or Stirred: ::refrains from making the expected James Bond joke::
Taco or Burrito: neither; I don't like Mexican, unless it's Rio. And I have no idea what I always get there. It's number 17. I also don't like Mexican when Sam eats it. And farts.
Armageddon or Independence Day: Book of Revelations.
Pencils or Pens: I can rarely find either
Sunset or Sunrise: Sunset (if I'm still awake and the sun's rising, there's something wrong...)
Crushed or Cubed: crushed
Showers or Baths: shower, unless I have bubble bath. Hot, either way.

~*~My Friend With The Best....~*~
House is: Chrisp.
Room is: Mine. Totally. 'Cuz I said so.
Family is:::shrug::
Clothes: This is a shallow question because I don't pay attention.
Grades: I have no idea.

~*~Misc. Questions....~*~
1.) Do you like school? Loving it. The classes are fun, but I'm also loving the freedom and the amazing people and everything. Everything, I tell you!
2.) Do you like to talk on the telephone? depends on with whom.
3.) Do you have your own line? no....I have my own extension, and my own cell phone, though.
4.) Can we have your number? It's in the phone book.
5.) Do you like to dance? Yep. Dance party in Jamie's room = good times. I have to be in the right mood, though. And singing with Josh and Prom while we both harmonized with 'I'll Be' remains the most incredible dance moment ever.
6.) Are you scared to ask someone out? Not really, although I don't mind when he makes that step himself, either.
7.) Have you ever gone skinny dipping? yeah, in the bathtub.
8.)Have you ever thought you were gonna die? not to my knowledge...I've thought other people were going to die...and that was scary. (Dave.)
9.) Do you sleep with stuffed animals? Yep. I've got a tan teddy bear with sparkles that I take everywhere (like, even lockins and stuff), but I'd always rather have a real person to hold on to than a bear. They don't hug me back. (Edit: I left that teddy bear on a plane from Chicago coming back from NSLC. Andrew gave me a kickass replacement for our one-year, but nothing will ever bring back my Bexbear :( And yes, I do still sleep with whatever's most cuddlable)
10.) Have you ever broken/fractured a bone? Yup. My little toes have been broken for a little over a year now. Those little fuckers snap easy.
12.) Do you have any piercing? Four in each ear.
13) Do you wear braces? Nope.
14.) Do you consider yourself a good listener? Sometimes. It's not that I don't care, but that my mind tends to wander. But I try. But then I psychoanalyze people. And myself.
15.) Can you Swim? yes! I love to, too.
16.) Do you sing in the shower? whenever I don't think anyone's around to hear me, yeah. In fact, I do even when I know there's people around.
17.) Do you think cheerleading is a sport? Good cheerleading is a LOT of fun to watch. I don't think I'd ever participate in it myself, unless I was paid a good deal of money. My high school had neither, and neither does Trinity.
18.) Have you ever stolen anything? ::ponders making obnoxious comments:: not that I can think of..
19.) What's on your ceiling? (at home): slinkies, Twiggy, lights....a cup, several CDs, 15 SoBe caps, three dragons, an inflatable astronaut, an inflatable space shuttle, some posters, a purple spinny-thing, many flowers, a block of wood with a pencil in it...and a partridge in a pear tree. (Seriously.)
20.) What color is your toothbrush? clear and blue. It's one of the kiddie ones because they were really cheap.
21.) What's you worst injury ever? there was that striplight incident...or the time I took a chunk out of my knee doing press-outs at VCU...Does a broken heart count? No? How about a shattered soul? For sale, slightly used? No? Good, 'cuz I sold it to Carter anyway. Well, my shoulder got interestingly fucked up when I took a dive from that piling at Peak. That might be a chart-topper...oh, and my right little toe, which was broken August 2002 - September 2003.
22.) What's the hardest thing about growing up? life. Making amazing friends and then watching them leave you. Finding out that the person who you spun your world around doesn't hold you in any higher regard than the next person. Learning that all of the clichés are true - life's not fair, it's not fun, and you simply can't win.
23.) Do you believe in love at first sight? Love, no. Interest, yes. Love comes later.
24.) Have you ever been in love? Haven't I answered this? Yes, and I still am.
25.) What are you wearing right now? Khaki pants, Conn-Men tshirt, socks. I never wear socks in the summer, but I've got work in a few hours.
26.) Favorite place to be? Andrew's Castle, in the arms of someone I care about, the island, Peak, somewhere where there's cool people, or my bed (doubly so if there's cool people...)
27.) What do you wear to bed? clothes - any kind of clothes, really. I will fall asleep in whatever I'm wearing if I'm a) tired enough b) too damn lazy to change. (This is why I get dressed for bed at 6pm.)
28.) What's the best feeling in the world? feeling loved and/or appreciated. After my Senior Speech, when even Burke told me I'd done a good job...or when Peter complimented my Match column...finding out that people do notice you, and do like what you're doing...it's a huge ego trip, but it's also a really, really nice feeling. Also - coming back after a break and climbing really hard; being happy with how I'm climbing, sending a project 11.
29.) Do you think looks are important? Not really. I mean, yes, we all (even you) base opinions on looks. It's human nature; we look different, so we judge. However, I don't let it affect the way I deal with a person.
30.) What do you look for in a guy/girl? someone who doesn't run screaming when they get to know me. Seriously - they keep moving to different time zones.
31.) How many kids do you want to have? Not sure. As of two months ago, I hated kids. Now I realize that they're not all that bad. So ask me again in a few years.