10. I'm an expert typist.
9. I have a bachelor's degree in French Literature.
8. I sleep with my 'banky' out of habit. ;)
7. I can do most of the major types of needlework to some extent (knitting,
sewing/costuming, embroidery, beadwork, weaving, quilting/patchwork, crocheting).
6. My hair doesn't get any longer than this.
5. Beautiful eyes, intelligence, kindness, and a sharp wit in a
man make me weak in the knees.
4. I once worked at Vic's Popcorn in Madison.
3. I have been singing in choirs since middle school and consider myself
an expert choral singer and sightreader.
2. When I was 12, I went to the Renaissance Faire, came home, and
attempted to make myself a bodice and chemise out of some clothes
my mom had bought me for camp.
1. I used to be afraid of driving.
Nicknames: SCA name: THL Eliane Halevy; online handles: Gillyflower, Gfleur, Eliane, Chantal; college nickname: Switzy; my sister calls me Nennifer or Dun-d'-duh.
Birthdate: 12/19/70
Hometown: Madison, Wisconsin
Current home: Madison, Wisconsin
Height 5' 1"
Hair color: Black with red highlights...yes they're natural.
Croutons or Bacon Bits: Real bacon bits, chilled.
Favorite Salad Dressing: Curry dill cucumber yogurt dressing at Kabul on State St. in Madison.
Do you drink: Not a drop.
Do you smoke: Nope.
Righty, lefty, or ambidextrous? Righty in most things.
Shampoo or conditioner: Both, every day, or the frizzies strike.
How many times have you been pulled over by the police: Three times, speeding stuff. Folks, be CAREFUL on WI Hwy. 14!
Do you make fun of people: Often in my head...less often with my mouth (and getting better). I am a curmudgeon at heart.
Top three movies of all time: The Breakfast Club, The Princess Bride, and Xanadu. That Thing You Do, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Dead Again, The Saint, Roger & Me, A Life Less Ordinary, Better Off Dead, Ever After, and Lady Jane are runners-up.
Top three books of all time: This changes a lot, but some of the enduring ones are Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh, Microserfs by Douglas Coupland, and A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller Jr. See my Favorite Books page for more.
Have you ever been convicted of a crime: Do speeding tickets count? I wasn't even cited for the accident.
One pillow or two: Depends on the thickness. I've been known to tuck my arm under the pillow and make do with that.
Pets: None.
Favorite Type of Music: Undoubtedly choral, especially 16th century English madrigals and motets, but I also like celtic, current pop and alternative, classical, Renaissance/medieval, and (my secret shame) the eighties dreck I was so in love with in 6th grade.
Hobbies: All kinds of needlework including cross-stitch, knitting, quilting/patchwork, and most recently Renaissance costuming, choral singing, shopping, SCA and all the accompanying traveling and flirting, watching movies, weird food, reading (esp. historical fiction), swimming, walking, wasting time on the computer, writing.
Dream Car: I like my current car. Not huge, but big enough for SCA travel.
Words or phrases you overuse: "Yeeps." "It's not period." "Life's a tradeoff." "Helloooo..." "Aren't you cute!" "That's life." "So..."
Toothpaste: Tom's of Maine Peppermint.
Favorite Food: Ongoing romance with artichokes. Mild obsession with other fresh vegetables; have been known to cut up everything in my veggie drawer and fry it up for dinner. Anything with corn (popcorn, creamed corn, corn chips, puffed or parched corn, etc.). Pasta, Japanese food, and a good steak are also on the list.
Favorite TV show: Current short list of "must see" stuff includes ER, The Apprentice, and American Idol. I usually try to catch David Letterman because, you see, he's DAVE.
Ultimate Travel Destination: Paris, of course.
Piercing or tattoos: Got my ears pierced as soon as my mom would let me (age 10) but nothing since then. Maybe a rose somewhere discreet, someday, if I ever get over my fear of needles.
How do you characterize yourself (a hopeless romantic or non-romantic): Extremely hopeless romantic with odd definitions of the word 'romantic'.
Do you get along with your parents: I love them to death. We can't live together but I love talking to both of them.
Habit you'd like to break: Chewing the inside of my cheeks.
Favorite town in which to chill: Chicago, Philadelphia, on campus in Appleton, Stillwater (MN), Minocqua (WI), MADISON.
Favorite Ice Cream: Chocolate Peanut Butter, or Mint Chocolate Chip, if the chips are those tiny flake-like chips and not the big chunks.
Favorite Drink: Toss-up: Decaf mocha latte, or Torani blackberry Italian soda, both with extra sugar.
What's your bedtime: No later than 12 on a work night. 3 or 4 otherwise.
The best actor currently out there is: ?
The best actress: ?
Best singer: Connie Dover, Dean Friedman; in the SCA, Owen, Purple, Valencia, Wyndreth, Ysolt, Garraed, John of Inchingham
If you had to choose a Spice Girl name, what would it be? Bookish Spice
Do you type with your fingers on the right keys? Of course...it's the most efficient way to do it!
What's on your mousepad? The labyrinth from Reims Cathedral
Favorite thing to do on weekends: Sleep in, sew, bake cookies, go to SCA events!
What's under your bed? I don't store things there, you know, out-of-sight, out-of-mind...so hopefully, just dustbunnies.
First thing you do when you wake up in the morning: Hit the snooze button. (Can anyone
truthfully say differently...?)
How many rings before you answer the phone? Voicemail picks up on 3, so I don't let it ring for more than 2.
Do you get motion sickness? Sometimes...when riding on the aisle of a plane, or on a bus. To say nothing of scanning rolls of microfilm on a rolling microfilm reader.
Have you ever been in love? Yes.
Adidas, Nike or Reebok: None at the moment. Historically: Nike, Reebok or Tretorn.
Favorite Perfume/Cologne: 'Dirt' by Demeter Fragrances (I am NOT kidding; I have always wanted to smell like this!)
Favorite Song(s) at the moment: "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand. I don't really know why. And Valencia's "Fear Not" song.
Favorite Website: Too many to list. I read Unshelved every day though.
Favorite Subject in school: In high school: English, choir, French; in college: historical linguistics and psycholinguistics, cognitive psych, French, choir, history.
Least Favorite Subject: In high school: Math, sciences, history.
Favorite chick drink: Shirley Temple, hot cocoa, Italian soda.
What is your favorite number? 14 and 17 appeal to me. I don't know why.
Favorite magazine: Utne, Maisonneuve, the Skein, the Northwatch.
Favorite Sport to watch: Figure skating. Hockey (with Dad, at the Badgers game). But mostly figure skating.
Most recent humiliating moment: ?
Favorite Play or Musical: Pippin.
Would you ever ask a guy for the shirt off his back? No, I think we all have the right to be decently covered...unless
he looked REALLY GOOD without a shirt...let me think about this one a little.
If you could have any job you wanted, what would it be? I'd like to run a consumer health library again.
Do you sleep with stuffed animals? Yes, my stuffed loon Colleen, and when her sister Claire is in town, she stays in bed with us too.
Loudest person you know: Purple, or maybe Dahrien.
Craziest or silliest person you know: My sister, who has been known to answer the phone with, "Teww me twoowy, do you wuv me?"
Favorite Holiday(s): Rosh Hashanah, or maybe National Library Week.
Favorite Time of Year: Autumn, followed closely by spring.
Favorite Board Game: Balderdash
Favorite Card Game: Apples to Apples
Do you eat the stems of broccoli? No, all broccoli gives me severe gastrointestinal whatever...but I miss it 'cause I like it!
Favorite Historical Personage: Lady Jane Grey, who was Queen of England for nine days in the 1500's.
I collect: books, button badges, beads, and, hey, anything starting with b, I guess. And Pocket Dragons (though I only have three). And Renaissance garb. And songs to sing. And fabric!