I had my first and last names legally changed in 1998; combined, they used to have 7 more letters.

"Grumperina" is a combination of "grumpy", my favorite mood, and "-rina", the last four letters of my former first name.

I do not have a middle name.

The most typical way to describe my work is "all hell is breaking loose"; alternatively, "the shit is hitting the fan." I write/blog, doodle, knit and shop to keep my sanity.

I have an incredible memory. For faces, for names, for directions, for events, for URLs, for what people wear, for what people say. If I think I shouldn't remember something, I'll play dumb (Oh? That guy we ran into three years ago who was wearing an Army t-shirt, brown shoes, his front tooth was a bit chipped, and he needed a haircut? No, I don't remember him).

There are only a few instances where my memory fails me: if I see a bad movie, or go on a bad date, I completely wipe out what happened. Guess how many times I saw Moonlight Mile before I finally made myself remember that I don't like it? Three. Guess how many times I went out with... never mind.

I used to be a semi-professional (I competed and performed for money) ballroom dancer when I was younger.

My most challenging job has been working as a pre-school teacher.

Although I love 3-year olds, it's hard to handle 10 of them at a time.

As far back as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a scientist of some sort.

I've briefly contemplated only two other professions: medical doctor and high school teacher.

In a parallel universe where no one would judge me ("you're wasting your mind"), I would work on a construction site. I would operate the Cruncher.

I speak three languages - one is Germanic, one is Romance, and one is Slavic. The Romance one could use a tune up.

I like listening to rap with embarrassingly-dirty lyrics; Missy Elliott is my favorite.

It's a good thing I don't have a good ear for lyrics; I do not know the lyrics of any song except the Star-Spangled Banner, which I had to memorize like a poem in 6th grade.

I have only 176 mp3s, and a handful of CDs. I do not have any desire or need for an iPod.

I have a long mental list of foods I do not eat; it includes onions, cinnamon, parsley, and celery, among others.

I have a long mental list of foods I've never tried, but insist I'll hate; it includes Butterfinger and Taco Bell.

I dislike Mexican food so much, I wouldn't touch it with a six-foot pole.

I go through food moods, where I eat the same food day after day after day... until one day I say, "no more!" and mean it. Right now I'm in the fresh blackberry and non-fat yogurt stage.

It is difficult for me to resist eating something if I want it. Therefore, dieting is an incredible challenge.

I cannot drink beer without feeling like I'm going to explode, but I can drink vodka and rum without any additives or chasers.

I do not like coffee and coffee-related products. That's right, in case you think you read it wrong, I do not like coffee and coffee-related products.

When it comes to snacking, I never crave salty things.

Obviously, I'm a very picky eater.

I have dreams every night, and remember at least parts of them most of the time.  Except if I'm very stressed or busy.

Sometimes my dreams are best left unsaid :).

My hands and feet are always very warm.

This leads to severe frostbite and windburn in the winter, because my hands are too hot in gloves.

The first thing I notice about people is their teeth. Tom Cruise has beautiful eyes, but a very asymmetric smile.

I have broken hearts, and have had my heart broken. The latter is worse.

I own more tools than a lot of men. Home Depot is one of my favorite stores.

I have a not-so-secret crush on TLC's Evan Farmer. He has lots of power tools :).

I bought bootleg Ali G tapes years before he appeared on HBO in the States.

I wore black pants before they were the "in" thing. Ditto for black pea coats, pink, and tweed.

I once had a dwarf hamster who lived until he was 2.5 years old. This is nearly unheard of for a hamster!

I didn't "come into my own" until I was a sophomore in college. Now Pandora is out of the box :).

My mom admitted to me that because I haven't lived with her since I was 18, she has very little idea of what I'm like. This is a bit ironic, because I think I'm just like her, and more so every day.

I am slightly claustrophobic.

I am allergic to dust (who isn't?). I think that's my only allergy (ah!).

My skin is lighter than most manufacturers' lightest shade of makeup.

My hair doesn't tangle, so I hardly ever brush it.

I like mascara that either stings a little, or feels heavy on the eyelashes, or both. Otherwise, I forget that I have it on and rub my eyes.

I do not bite my nails or pick at my cuticles. The sound of someone chomping on their nails irritates me.

I am an amazing shopper. I know how, when, and where to get the best deals on everything. All my friends can attest to that, since I've saved them hundreds of dollars over the years.

I am the polar opposite of an impulsive shopper. Sometimes I mull over future purchases for weeks... months, and I have no problems waiting until something goes on sale.

I never hesitate to return things or ask for price adjustments.

I picked up these economical habits from my father, but I've maintained them because I've always been poor.

If a friend needs something, I am very likely to buy it for him or her.

I have more clothing than I care to admit. For starters, I have five black knee-length wool pea coats.

It's a good thing my tiny 300 sq. ft. apartment has three closets.

I do not have a lot of shoes.

I have five watches, and feel lost if I leave the house without one.

My most prized possessions (in material terms) are my laptops and my digital cameras.

I tried being a Mac person, but when my Powerbook G4 needed to be replaced, I got a PC.  So I guess it didn't stick.

As confirmed by my friends and coworkers, I have early onset of middle-aged grumpiness; it's not difficult to piss me off.

I often feel anger towards people on the train who fail to move to the center of the train car.

Ditto for people who put their bags on the seat next to them in rush hour.

Ditto for able-bodied men (and women!) who do not help old ladies put their suitcases in overhead bins on the train and airplanes.

I like kicking leaves with my feet in the fall. Sometimes I also skip and laugh. People look, I don't care :).

I do not tolerate humidity very well; I have a hard time breathing.

Only the promise of air conditioning gets me out of the house on the warmest days.

Although I'm not very good at athletics, I got decently good at skiing, and fairly quickly. I'm very proud of this fact.

Winter is my favorite season.

I have never played billiards or ice-skated, and I have no particular plans to change this in the near future.

When I was little, my dad used to take me along when he fixed his car. We would ride around and test the brakes after they were "fixed".

I get carsick easily, especially if I'm very hungry or have just eaten. I literally turn green.

I was nearly kidnapped when I was 5 years old. Nothing happened because my uncle chased the kidnapper and rescued me.

I come from a very small family; I have only two first cousins.

I have not seen my female cousin since 1990, and my male cousin since 1998.

Sometimes I wish English had nominal cases, so I wouldn't have to say "female" cousin.

One of my degrees is in linguistics.

Unlike being a scientist, I didn't expect to become a linguist. I took a linguistics class to fulfill a requirement, and wrote a paper that ended up being good enough to be submitted to a national undergraduate linguistics competition. "Well," I thought, "this is something!"

I would not be living in this country if it weren't for the Democratic Party.

I am a registered Democrat.

I grew up on the coast of the Black Sea, and I have very fond memories of my childhood, which usually look and feel like this:

My favorite movie is Fargo.

I'm a huge fan of Robin Williams, but as a comedian, not as an actor. Have you seen Inside the Actors Studio with Robin Williams as the guest? No? I'm sorry, I can't talk to you anymore.

I don't have a favorite book.

I like to read about the cultures of the Far East. Some of the books in that category that I've enjoyed: Waiting, The Good Earth, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Memoirs of a Geisha (which I read way before the mediocre movie), Life of Pi, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, and Kite Runner.

I have a driver's license, but (to a first approximation) haven't driven since 1998.

I have been itching to take a trip to Alaska for several years now, but it hasn't happened yet because I'm not comfortable driving.

Instead, I take trips to the Caribbean.

Interestingly, my very fair skin doesn't burn easily, even if I sit outside the majority of every day. If I use SPF 8, I come back with a very light tan. If I use SPF 30, I come back with my skin tone unchanged.

For such fair skin, it is also surprising that I do not blush! When I'm embarrassed, I feel my face turn hot, but it doesn't change color.

It is nearly impossible to embarrass me. I am not shocked easily, either.

I have 20/20 vision, and so does my 21-year old brother. I don't know how it happened, since both of my parents wear glasses.

I see better than anyone else I know.

I have an excellent sense of direction, distance, and time.

I'm really good at reading maps.

I am often the navigator in the car.

I hear quite well, but don't tell anyone, because I like to practice selective hearing once in a while.

I cannot smell for the life of me. I would be useless in detection of a fire.

On more than one occasion I've had spoiled milk because I cannot smell that it's gone bad.

I have a more than casual interest in the design of household objects. For instance, I found this epitome of design at Target.

I have a more than casual interest in modern architecture and want someone to give me the Phaidon Atlas of Contemporary World Architecture one of these days (because you know I can't afford it myself. That thing should come with a low-interest loan!).

I'm seriously running out of shelf space. Even though I have two bookshelves, there's a permanent pile of books residing on my couch.

I usually read at least two books at once - one on paper, and one in audio format during my walks to work.

I like to finish things, and I tried really hard to finish both The Name of the Rose and Wonder Boys recently, but it just isn't going to happen.

I'm a perfectionist. Really, that should be #1 on this list.