The Ann FAQ

WHO IS ANN?

Ann is a woman of many varied interests; more involved in social activities than physical exertion. Creative, helpful and socially shy at times. She recognizes her shortcomings and accepts her strengths, although this wasn't always easy. It has taken a lot of quiet self-examination and a good sense of humor.

WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT HER PERSPECTIVE?

Ann views the world through the eyes of her experiences, emotions, thoughts and history. Her perspective is hers alone, only parts of which can possibly be shared with others, because we all have different experiences. Her perspective is real and true and valid. It matters, if only briefly.

Equally important is knowing when to make a change and speaking out effectively. Life involves learning and being able to adapt to new and changing situations. From Ann's perspective, the time has come to be an active participant in American politics. The elections of 2006 are an opportunity to hold on to what is important about America. It is important that every adult who is eligible to vote does so in November. Make yourself aware of the issues and options so you go in prepared. And remember that your vote is private, you don't ever have to tell anyone how you cast your vote. Don't sell out and don't allow yourself to be bullied. Our freedoms are at stake!

HOW DID ANN GET INVOLVED WITH THE INTERNET?

My first experience with the internet was in June 1993 when I started a part time job at a crisis facility. A co-worker friend did the technical work for the facility and taught me a great deal about PC's (I had a Mac at home and my previous work experience had been on a Mac network.) and the internet. I still recall vividly the day he first showed me IRC (Internet Relay Chat). At first, my real-life shyness kicked in and I felt self-conscious about "talking to a group of strangers". It wasn't until much later that I got the hang of the "anonymity" of IRC.

WHAT DOES SHE DO ONLINE?

I rely on the internet for national and world news daily. And I gravitate toward psychology and religion web sites. There are many topics of interest to me and the internet has proven to be a wonderful resource for relaxation and learning. Look through some of my web site bookmarks for a sense of my interests and internet travels.

WHY ISN'T THERE A PICTURE HERE?

Ann is working on getting pictures scanned. Thus far, there is a calling card with a small picture which was created by good friend, SLeJ, using his fancy graphics software. And there will be additional pictures added to the family and relatives section of this site in the near future.

EXTREMES IN ANN'S LIFE:

· Longest She Has Been in the Hospital: 3 days

· Farthest Travelled North: Aalborg, Denmark

· Farthest Travelled South: Acapulco, Mexico

· Largest City Lived In: 44,000 people, for two years during college.

· Favorite Car: A white 1969 Ford Mustang Mach I with a 351 Cleveland with only 2,000 actual miles that my dad bought for me in 1976.

· Least Favored Carnival Rides: The ones that make me go upside down. I was stuck upside down for about 5 minutes once and nearly panicked.

· Most Common Bedtime Reading: An Almanac or Map.

· Saddest Time: When my grandpa died in 1967 I was 12 years old. It was my first major loss and experience of mortality. Plus he was my favorite grandparent.

· Least Favorite Flavor: Carraway

· Favorite House Chores: Doing laundry, scrubbing floors, and washing dishes.
LIKES:

· Singing, especially performing publicly or singing loudly in the car to the radio.

· Cats.

· Solitude.

· Gladiolus, lilacs and crab apple blossoms.

· People who have serious and persistent mental illness such as Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder.

· Teaching.

DISLIKES:

· IRC'ers who write 'u' for 'you', 'r' for 'are', etc. It's hard to read, so I don't.

· Being told I can't question authority.

· Perfume wearers who are oblivious to the impact of their scent on another's ability to breathe.

· People who talk just to make noise.

· Being expected to follow a useless or pointless rule blindly.