get to know me

Friends, followers, family, foes (just kidding), this is a BIG moment! This is my 100th blog post on TDAA! Honestly, when I started TDAA I didn’t think this would would happen. I also didn’t think it *wouldn’t* happen. I didn’t have a plan at all! I just wanted to write. I wanted to be of service. I wanted to apply what I’m learning in my career to contexts relevant for my grassroots activist community. I wanted to bridge the technology/organizer gap. Most of all, I wanted to do all of this in a fun, low-stakes, goofy, punny, 100% nerdy, goofball, justice seeker ME kind of way. There are 236 of you following along for the ride, and I reach more people every week! I’ve written about my vision here and here and a bit more about my core motivation here. So today, I wanted to re-introduce myself by using a goofy Facebook quiz template.

1. Are you named after anyone? YES! I’m named after my dad’s dad and my mom’s mom. I take their legacies pretty seriously and I wish I could talk to them about what my life is like. I bet my dad’s dad, the O.G. Sam Shain, himself a journalist, would love this project! I got my middle name from my maternal gram, who preferred the name Jean to her given name, Cecelia. I have inherited her chutzpah and love of crafting.
2. When was the last time you cried? Probably 2 weeks ago when a basket of laundry put me over my limit.
3. Do you have kids? If no, how many do you want? Right now I have all the kids I want – YOUR kids! I love being a neighborhood auntie to the kids in my synagogue 😀
4. If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself? I hope so!
5. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Who, me?
6. What’s the first thing you notice about people? If they are wearing a backpack, I check out their backpack. I LOVE BACKPACKS.
7. What is your eye color? Hazel
8. Scary movie or happy endings? No brainer – I’m a wimp. Happy endings all the way.
9. Favorite smells? Sauteed onions, freshly baked bread/cookies/pastries, baby heads,
10. What’s the furthest you’ve ever been from home? Dakar, Senegal, where I lived for a year at the age of 11.
11. Do you have any special talents? Are VLOOKUPs a special talent?
12. Where were you born? Trenton, NJ
13. What’s your zodiac sign? Do you believe in it? Pisces. I don’t put much stock in astrology, but I love the queer poetry written about it.
14. What are your hobbies? Any kind of needlework, but lately cross stitch, embroidery, and knitting. Is database management a hobby? Lately I’ve been going to Pilates classes and mostly enjoying them. I love cooking and entertaining.
15. Do you have any pets? Yes! We have an uncountable number of fish and one very special pet lizard named Bubbelah Hazel.
16. Do you have any siblings? In fact, I’m a TWIN! shoutout to my sister, Ab. #TwinsiesForWinsies
17. What do you want to be when you grow up? The first career ambition that I can remember was being a sign painter for the grocery deli counter.
18. Who was your first best friend? My sister!
19. How tall are you? Depends on if I’m having a good hair day or a bad hair day 😉
20. What is the least favourite thing about yourself? I’m a perfectionist 🙁
21. Funniest moment throughout School? What comes to mind right now is filming a historic fiction project in 10th grade history where we pretended to be drunk (perhaps at the Boston Tea Party?) and had our sleek re-usable waterbottles confiscated (this was in the era where re-usable waterbottles were just becoming popular!)
22. How many countries have you visited? 6
23. What was your favorite/worst subject in High School? Favorite was English. Least favorite was advanced math. How ironic is it that I write about math and logic?!
24. What is your Favorite drink? Animal? Perfume? These are strange questions! Favorite drink is Bubble Tea (black tea with milk OR wintermelon flavor). Animal – besides Bubsie, of course, I would say whichever small, fluffy creature is right in front of me. I don’t wear perfume.
25. What would you (or have you) name your children? I don’t have a good answer!
26. What Sports do you play/Have you played? I played field hockey, competed in my high school marching band, and earned a black belt in tae kwon do. During college and the intervening years, I didn’t exercise much but I’m trying to get into Pilates!
27. Who are some of your favorite YouTubers? Honestly, I only go on YouTube to watch Brandi Carlisle and First Aid Kit concerts… or watch spreadsheet tutorials
28. How many Girlfriends/Boyfriends have you had? 3ish
29. Favorite memory from childhood? My earliest memory is sitting in the living room and watch dust particles float in a sunbeam.
30. How would you describe your fashion sense? Eclectic but professional. When I’m not wearing pajamas, that is.
31. What phone do you have? (iOS v Android?) iOS, but who cares?
32. Tell us one of your bad habits! I’m still trying to quit nail biting 🙁
33. 3 things that upset you? Injustice, impostor syndrome, putting away laundry
34. 3 things that make you happy? Blogging + blog followers!!!, treats, being a hostess
35. How is your relationship with parents? If our family text thread is any indication, we have a great sense of humor and a lot of health problems. I’m still figuring out how to be an adult kid.
36. What’s on your mind? Will anybody think this listicle is funny?
37. What’s your talent? Didn’t we already cover this? I am efficient in the kitchen, I know how to juggle, and I can tell you all about the Curly Girl hair method.
38. One word that describes you? Sassy
39. What’s your favorite quotes? “People are not ‘well-behaved’ mathematical functions.” – Grace Hopper
40. Any pets? This quiz is dumb, they already asked this question.
41. What is the farthest you’ve been from home? This quiz is dumb, they already asked this question x2 !!!!
42. Are you an extrovert or introvert? I’ve been both at various points in my life. Lately, I’ve been feeling more introverted
43. Are you left or right handed? Right handed, but I’ve always admired ambidextrous people.
44. Do you consider yourself a good cook? Ummmm YES
45. Does your name have a special meaning? I was named after two of my grandparents who I never met. That is pretty special to me!
46. If money were no object what would you get for your next birthday? I really want to visit Iceland!
47. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? I love my life here in Philadelphia.
48. What’s your favourite thing to have for breakfast? Nutella, fresh baked bread, (in that order, haha!), hard boiled eggs, and fruit
49. What’s your favourite gadget? Toss up between my stand mixer or my food processor. I use them all the time!
50. What’s your longest relationship so far? Being a twin takes the cake!

Ok ok, I hope that wasn’t TOO self indulgent! When I was a teenager, we used to fill out quizzes like this all the time and share them on Facebook. Nostalgia just isn’t what it used to be!

This blog is near and dear to my heart, and my current plan is to keep it going as long as it feels fresh and exciting. I’ll continue my laissez-faire blogging procedure with:

• No editorial calendar
• No sponsorships
• No rigorous editing
• Yes fun
• Yes puns
• Yes “data tips and tricks for changemakers”

I’ll keep answering your Dear Spreadsheet Whisperer questions. I’ll keep exploring the boundaries of what we can accomplish when we tie our best “organizer” qualities to spreadsheets AND injustice. I’m here with you on your spreadsheet journey and I’m glad you’re here with me on mine. Thank you for an amazing 100 posts <3