Blog Entry the First

Hello, I'm Alexis, though most people call me Ali, and welcome to my blog! I've always felt awkward introducing myself, so I'm just going to push on through to get it over with.

I've lived in Minnesota most of my life. There were brief periods away at college near Portland, OR where I studied English Lit and French. There was also a semester abroad in Caen, France and some time in Paris. Tragically, my French has gotten rusty from lack of use. (Anyone willing to help me practice?)

I am a scifi/fantasy fan. I tend to watch more scifi and read more fantasy. I honestly can't remember when I wasn't reading a Terry Pratchett book. I've also read grammar books for fun. And books on the nature of the universe and similar. I never found math that interesting a subject in school, but I enjoy reading about people who are passionate about it.

I also love to knit. And to collect yarn. My house is covered - I should say "decorated" - in handpainted sock yarn. I love handpainted yarns for their color and uniqueness. I've been knitting for about 3 and half years now, after trying to learn on and off since childhood. My mother taught me.

My other two big things (not passions really; possibly obsessions) are tea and pens and ink. I love rooibos teas. I go crazy for just about any kind of rooibos; my favorite is Lavenderberry from TeaSource in St. Paul. I generally write with a fountain pen, and I accumulate ink at a rather alarming rate. (I accumulate pens at a mildly alarming rate.)

All these things I plan to talk about in more depth as the blog progresses, and I figure out what I want this blog to be. I hope to make some new friends and reconnect with old ones. I plan to have fun.