an application

I just finished this application, so I figured 'why not post it?' It's a little slice of Kimberly.
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I am going to answer two of your questions, 4 and 5, together, by describing a few essential parts of me... building blocks of who I am; they are my fascinations, and the things that make me tick. Although there are only a few facets of myself presented here, I hope that I am able to reveal an "essence" of myself, and that you are entertained along the way.

I seem to have been blessed (or cursed?) with a mind that acts as fertile breeding ground for new ideas, theories, history, and rhetoric. Let me illustrate. Some scientists claim that humans have a specific appetite not only for large quantities of food, but also for a wide variety of tastes; in other words, we have insatiable appetites presuming that we have an endless array of choices. That theory pretty much describes my approach to hobbies and personal interests. If a new theory or idea crosses my path, I am apt to gobble it up, while greedily clutching onto my tried and true old interests also.

I can't remember when my fascinations all started, but I'm guessing it was the gentle, soothing sounds of spoon-fed science so aptly named "tinker tapes." My favorite tape was about the weather -- tornadoes, hurricanes, thunderstorms, and even earthquakes. My 4-year-old mind was thrilled, and filled with adventurous fantasies of storm-chasing or working in a fictitious 'weather lab'.

Interestingly, a very strong interest of mine all started in kindergarten when I was asked to go and sit quietly in a corner and write a story. I don’t know what I had done to deserve this, but I’ve always meant to go back and thank that teacher, the sweetest teacher I ever had, for starting me on my novelizing kick. I'm almost finished with two novels, which may or may not be any good. Why almost finished with two, you ask? The answer lies in the fact that with only 10,000 words left to write in my first novel, I abandoned it for a new novel with a better premise. As I am nearing the end of my second novel, however, I have realized that this is where the real work starts, in wrapping everything up and formulating the intended ‘lesson’ coherently and meaningfully. I think it's worth it for me to go back and finish the first one.

One of the problems with gobbling up new interests constantly is that you sometimes do not have anyone to talk with about them. For instance, I developed quite an unwieldy passion for religious history, particularly the foundations of Christianity, while attending a public university. I promptly enrolled in the "Prophets of the Bible" class to satiate my appetite for religious discussions. If the public University was not a fertile breeding ground for religious thought, I reasoned, I would find the sector (albeit small) of people who shared my interest. It was a success, and I learnt that no matter what the subject is, there's always a group of peers who share it. You just have to be willing to put in the work to find them.

One of my strongest interests/passions, which I feel obliged to mention here, is tai chi. Because I have been practicing tai chi more or less daily for a year and a half, I sometimes forget that it has not yet gained the same popular acclaim as, say, yoga. I even remember a time during a tai chi class when about twelve of us were outside on a pleasantly sunny and warm summer day, coccooned in feelings of calm and good health when a construction worker commented to his coworker that we were really “out there.” It broke the calm and serene atmosphere a bit when we all broke into giggles. The point, in any case, of me bringing up tai chi is that it has had a large effect on my life and my happiness; much more so than you could probably imagine. When I was 18, there was a death in my immediate family, preceded by months of illness and boomerang hospital visits. Experiencing the slow deterioration and death of a person I had grown up with left me shocked, disturbed, and raw. After a few months of denial and creating a facade of strength and bravery, my walls came suddenly crashing down and I was left a jittering mess, afraid of my own shadow, and utterly devoid of remnants of my true self.
Of course, I healed, slowly but surely, but I didn’t really regain that inner strength or joie de vivre until I got a little spiritual jumpstart from tai chi. It’s such a simple thing, but what the ancient slow martial art did for me was to give me the ability to quiet my mind, get into the present moment, and live my life again. I was, for lack of a better word, transformed, and, I hope, better able to help the others in my family heal also.

I hope you enjoyed hearing a few tidbits about me. It’s a meager introduction, but the essence is there, and I hope you deem me “original, good-hearted, and with a good sense of humor,” but if you are just not certain yet, I am always available for more story-telling “a la my life’s history” if you haven’t gotten enough already!

The Adventures of Penny Part VII

At the name "Galadana", Penny took a sharp breath in. Nonetheless, it was time to stick to business. She couldn't dilly-dally around, telling this zombie ninja stranger all about the guru who betrayed her. She needed the antidote; and she needed it fast and with as few complications as possible.
"Well?! Do you have it?!" Penny asked pointedly, trying to cop an aloof, unafraid attitude.
The tall stranger stared fixedly at Penny and his mouth began to slowly turn up into a knowing smirk.
"Oh.... I have it all right.... Yes, I have it." He stared down at the ground for a moment and his smirk turned into a broad smile. "But you aren't going to get it for free. I've heard about your skills in combat training, Penny. Galadana speaks highly of you, you know, and he talks with my crowd more than you might suspect. And, you know, I have always expected that I would meet you one day, and that on that day I would get you to work for me. And now, here you are, asking a favor of me... a favor that I am in no way obligated to grant..."
"Listen!" Penny spoke through gritted teeth and raised her voice. "Actually, you ARE obligated to grant the favor if you value your physical well-being. You've heard of my combat training and I have no scruples about unleashing them onto you. Now give us the antidote." Penny's breath had quickened and she was about to explode with anger. Hazel gave a quick appraising glance to her friend and her anxiety rose about threefold.
"True, you are a skilled fighter, my dear..." the stranger said in a patronizing tone. "But you are outnumbered. The ninjas are everywhere, eagerly awaiting their chance to defend me. You strike.... they will counterstrike... And to be perfectly honest, Penny, I don't want that to happen to you. If you just kindly agree to my terms you will get the antidote and be merrily on your way. All you have to do is agree to repay the favor some time in the future when I ask you. That's all... Is that so much to ask? What do you think Hazel?" The stranger's gaze shifted to Hazel, and Hazel nearly jumped out of her skin when his penetrating gaze met hers. Oh God she thought. She couldn't move.