A bunch of statistics on me—survey style.

Name: Julie Sondra Decker.

Nicknames: Ivy, SwankiVY, Swanky, JuJu, Hairball, Sprite, Jo0, Vee, Tiny, Ives, Stevie, Gidget, Sprite, Pixie, Yin, Sprittle.

Current Residence: Tampa, Florida.

Age: 46.

Date of Birth: January 17, 1978.

Day of Birth: Tuesday.

Zodiac Sign: Capricorn (bordering on Aquarius).

Chinese Astrology: Year of the Snake, and my day sign is “Earth Rabbit.”

Birthstone: Garnet.

Place of Birth: Summit, New Jersey.

Weight at Birth: 5 pounds, 12 ounces (about 2.6 kilograms).

Hair Color: Blonde.

Eye Color: Blue.

Ethnicity: My mom’s side is all German and French Catholics.  My dad’s side is all Russian and Hungarian Jews.  And I guess I have a tiny bit of Dutch ancestry because my great-great-great-grandmother was from Holland.

Blood Type: O positive.

Parents: Marcia and Marlon.

Siblings and Ages: Patricia, one year younger, and Lindsay, five years younger.

Marital Status: Single, not looking.

Sexual Orientation: Asexual.

Children: I don’t have any, don’t want any, but LOVE playing with other people’s kids and LOVE squealing over photos of babies.

Pets: I don’t have pets and I don’t want pets. I don’t like being around animals, even though I’m a vegetarian and give to animal rights groups—I like animals in theory.

Height: 4 feet 11 inches (about 149 centimeters).

Weight: 110 – 120 pounds (50 – 54 kilograms).

Physical Condition: I’m in good shape, but I wouldn’t call myself athletic. Maybe just “active.” I play tennis, ride my bike, and play DDR. I don’t get sick often.

Allergies: Penicillin.

Distinguishing Features: I look young for my age—have been mistaken for more than ten years younger than I am. Probably because I’m unusually short and sometimes wear childish things. I have long hair. And some people have said I am pixie-ish.

Voice: Soprano!

Education: Graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education.

Myers-Briggs Personality Type: INFJ. (I’ve tested as an ENFJ before too, but I think that only happens when tests think “introverted” means “shy.” I’m not shy.)

Religion: Atheistic Pagan.

Favorite Colors: Pink and black.

Favorite Number: 4.

Favorite Word: Shine.

Favorite Holiday: Probably Samhain.

Preferred Hand: I write with my right hand, but for some reason most of the rest of me is lefty. Like I get on my bike on the “other” side, cross my legs and arms and fold my fingers like a lefty, steer with my left hand, can bat either way, you know.

Pet Peeves: When people make typos, when people rip off my work, when people expect me to know something when there’s no reason I should, when people assume things about me, when people judge other people by what they look like or because of a group they belong to, when people act like I’m a jerk if I don’t agree with them, when people won’t stop trying to convert me to their religion, when people speak for other people when they have no right to do so, when people insist that their romantic attention should be considered flattering and “a compliment” when I think I have the right to be left alone.

Most Prized Possession: My novels, and the computer that holds them.

Typing Speed: 90–110 WPM.

Instruments Played: My instrument in school was voice, I recently taught myself to play basic ukulele, and I can play sorta decent piano and crappy violin. I also know my way around flute, clarinet, percussion, trumpet, trombone, and recorder because of music skills classes, though I’m sure I’d be useless if I tried to do those instruments now.

Sports Played: Tennis, ping-pong, and DDR, if it counts.

Sports Watched: None, regularly.

Best Personality Trait: Probably my creativity and my selflessness.

Worst Trait: Sometimes I’m a little too confident or critical.

Best Physical Trait: I don’t know honestly.  My eyes are a cool color.

Worst Physical Trait: I dunno. I don’t like my nose or my ears and I think my smile is dorky. And I don’t like that my skin is kind of see-through. That’s yucky.

Hobbies: Writing (though I don’t consider it a hobby), editing, journaling, reading, manga, drawing, working on my webcomic, working on my website, listening to music, singing, karaoke, playing instruments, musicals, anime, tennis, Dance Dance Revolution, biking, baking, crafting, digital photography, decorating, looking for four-leaf clovers, gardening, stargazing, hanging out with my friends, talking on the phone, eating out with friends.

Current Day Job: I work at a transportation engineering firm as an administrative person and documents coordinator, and sometimes I fill the role of utility coordination support. I used to do freelance editing on the side, but I really don’t take clients anymore.

I’m Really Good At: Being creative, writing, singing, drawing, giving advice, finding reasons to be happy.

I’m Really Bad At: Mathematics, being authoritative, hurting people’s feelings (even when it has to be done), finding my way to somewhere new, driving (I don’t have a license!).

Political Views: Leftist and registered Independent.

Position On Smoking: I don’t smoke, and I hate it. If someone wants to smoke a cigarette, a cigar, or a joint, I don’t have a problem with the idea, but overall anything that becomes a habit which affects other people when you do it is . . . meh.

Position On Drinking: I don’t drink, but I have drunk alcohol. I’ve never drunk it just to get drunk, and never because I can’t have fun while sober. I generally don’t drink unless it is for something in a ritual or something.

Position On Abortion: I wouldn’t have one, but I am pro-choice.

Position On Homosexuality: I don’t see why people shouldn’t pursue those that attract them.

Position On War: I think it’s ridiculous that we teach our children that violence isn’t the way to solve problems, but don’t solve our world’s biggest problems according to those ideals.  (Obviously fighting for something you believe in is noble and I respect what soldiers do in protecting their homes and countries, but I wish the “fighting” did not have to be literal.)

Short-Term Goals: To get long fiction published, to make my websites smashing, to make enough money to live comfortably and not worry about money, to begin working more regularly on my writing.

Long-Term Goals: To develop a decent following for my books, to become more well-read.

Fears: I’m afraid of not having what I need to be happy, of losing my computer (what if it dies??), losing the people in my life, having them lose me, not succeeding at what I want to succeed at.

Health Problems: Skin that’s prone to sunburn and feet that cramp easily.  And if split ends counts.

Phobias: I’m afraid of being lost.

Outlook on Life: Optimistic.

Philosophy of Life: Do what you must to achieve happiness without stepping on others’ feet. REACH FOR THE STARS!!!