You know how sometimes people on your friends list post about stuff going on in their lives, and all of a sudden you think "Wait a minute! Since when were they working THERE? Since when were they dating THAT PERSON? Since when?" And then you wonder how you could have missed all that seemingly pretty standard information, but somehow you feel too ashamed to ask for clarification because it seems like info you should already know? It happens to all of us sometimes.

Please copy the topics below, erase my answers and put yours in their place, and then post it in your journal! [Ed.: only if you want to.] Please elaborate on the questions that would benefit from elaboration. One-word answers seldom help anyone out.

FIRST NAME: If you don't know my real first name, I'm not planning on telling you. On the internet and in fannish circles, I go by Mel.

AGE: I'll be turning 24 in April. Dear God.

LOCATION: A suburb of Washington DC, but only for another six months or so. If I have any luck, I'll be accepted to a college by the spring and moving a new city this summer.

OCCUPATION: Currently a part-time student, part-time stagehand at the theatre on campus, and temp website wrangler for a law firm. I have another temp-type position in the pipe, and am considering getting a second part-time job. I'm broke!

PARTNER: Still single, unfortunately. There was a brief and shining moment there when I thought that was going to change, but that's a whole post in and of itself, and I'm not in the mood right now.

KIDS: Does the rabbit count? No? Then nope. Maybe someday. Need to get the rest of my life sorted out a bit first.

BROTHERS/SISTERS: I have a brother, referred to here as Geekling. He's a sophomore at Ye Olde State Schoole in a part of Maryland we call Frostbite Falls. He drives me up the wall sometimes, but I love the kid.

PETS: BUNNY!!! JJ is getting old, though, which worries me. I don't want him to die before I move out!

3 5 THINGS GOING ON IN MY LIFE:
1. College Applications: I'm in the process of applying to six schools, in no particular order: Boston University, Emerson College, Point Park University, University of Miami, DePaul University, and Virginia Commonwealth University. I'm going to be pursuing a BFA in stage management, because apparently I want to be a starving artist forever. :P This has been a saga, and it's barely started.

2. SG*TV with mckays_lab and theemdash: This means semi-frequent trips to Florida, scriptwriting at all hours, and actually paying attention to advertisements to come up with new ideas for spots. We're currently working on a big project, which we'll be filming in June, but it's a secret. You can find SG*TV online on YouTube.

3. Health Insurance! You wouldn't think this would be such a big deal, but you try being functionally uninsured for three years when you have multiple medical conditions that require treatment. The new healthcare bill (yay, Obama!) means that I'm back under Dad's health insurance plan, which is great. Went in for my general physical today, but I'm also going to the GYN and getting my eyes looked at, at least. And--best of all--my meds won't cost an arm and a leg anymore!

4. Writing: I'm insane, and I'm doing both stargate_summer as a participant again this year and getyourwordsout. I'm doing pretty shitty so far, but I keep reminding myself that it's only January.

5. Mod Duties: Still modding stargate_summer and fandom_grammar with theemdash, and jd_ficathon by myself. I'm also considering expanding jd_ficathon to include a second challenge this year, or maybe taking over the Kirk/Spock swap-a-thon that someone did last year. And I have a supa-sekrit project in the works that would increase my LJ involvement even more. Did I not mention that I'm insane?

PARENTS: Still married, much to my surprise, and I'm still living with them in the childhood house. Dad got his knee replaced in July, Mom sleeps only a few hours a night. It's a rollicking good time.

CLOSE FRIENDS: My friends can pretty much be divided into three groups: friends from high school, local friends, and online friends. I need to get better at keeping in touch with everyone, and hanging out more.