what are your passions/addictions?

[recycling goddess]

what is it your are passionate about... or addicted to?

i am heavily addicted to critters... whether it's feathered, finned, slithering or crawling, furry or croaking... it doesn't matter. i see them, and need to have them in my home!

i'm also very addicted to plants... specifically outdoor ones. my garden is so full of plants that we can't possibly fit another one in the yard (a gorgeous pond in the center... with of course, fish in it LOL) but... we will fit another one... somehow, someway, we will. we'll go to the garden center and come home with a trunk load of new plants... unique foliage or amazing colours... who knows until we see it and have to bring it home!

and then there's rocks... i really love my crystals and fossilized marble spheres... my amythist candle holder... oh the passion is deep and takes over my life!

fountains are another passion... i have one in almost every room of my house where there's an available plug in... as the fish tanks take up a lot of plug ins... even with surge protectors with multiple plug ins - we still don't have enough plug ins (any electricians out there who want to come for a visit and re-wire our home?)

and then there's candles... heavy addiction to buying and burning candles...

i wonder if i could, if i actually wanted to, - if i could overcome these or if i'm doomed to continue collecting... (and at age 42 i still have many more years to feed these addictions!)

i think i'm doomed!

how about you? whatcha addicted to?

(yes this is a selfish attempt at getting to know you all a little better... hope you can all forgive me!)

[Brandon.O]

Aside from Snakes and any other type of animals of course....

I would have to say that im addicted too....hmmm....definitly clothes, even though im a guy i love new clothes and always spend WAY to much money shopping, i love the average teenage clothes, Hollister, American Eagle, Abrecrombie and Fitch.And other stuff like Raulf Lauren. You can never ever have to much clothes, thats for sure.

This website is definitly another one.....i just love this place and keep on coming back, ive been here for awhile and love the people.People like Smynx,Rusty,Marla,Shelby,Rex and some other people that im surely forgetting are just oozing with information and have helped me alot in my snake keeping journey.

And CHOCOLATE !!!! love that stuff like crazy !

[Karma]

I'm obsessed with cars.. its sad really.

[recycling goddess]

no karma... i happen to think it's great that you are a woman and addicted to cars!

brandon you forgot to mention your addiction to naming all your pets with the letter 'r'

[SatanicIntention]

Let's see...

My rats.. I am addicted to buying them at least ONE thing everytime I go to the store... any store...

And I like looking at tubs to house more snakes in...

Horses and trying to keep my tack in good working order... which is a never-ending job... (if anyone knows how to make crappy leather stop seeping sticky stuff, it would be appreciated... It's gross).

eBay... That says enough, I think. Ok! It doesn't. I love looking at Netsukes(net-skay), rat figurines(russian handblown glass is nice), and goldfish figurines(and the live japanese fish on there that I dream of owning *sigh*).

This gosh-darned computer. My mother would like to toss it out the window onto the curb. But whatcha gonna do...

Piercings/Tats. Can we say fun?!

Am I going to the nuthouse yet?

[Brandon.O]

no karma... i happen to think it's great that you are a woman and addicted to cars!

brandon you forgot to mention your addiction to naming all your pets with the letter 'r'

Oh yeah, that too !!

[MedusasOwl]

Dangerous question, I have a very addictive personality

Obviously animals. Critters of all shapes and sizes, I love them. Except for gnats. I hate gnats. But all other animals I love. I used to collect owl stuff, but have had to stop because we're swamped with the things, lol! Skunks too. Snakes, Barn Owls, and Skunks are my favorites, but I love everything. Especially mine, cuz I'm biased *cuddles her bunnies, birds, and kitty*

Medusa. I'm obsessed with the myth, the history, the image, everything. I have books and jewlery and wallpapers and anything else I can get my hands on. I'm even writing a novel about the Gorgons. Seriously, seriously obsessed. I have a silver necklace medallion with Medusa on one side and an owl on the other that I never leave the house without wearing and I have my self designed icon there tattooed on my shoulder. Major Medusa obsession.

Art/Writing. "Art is not a luxury, but a neccessity." I *need* to draw and write. I get very twitchy and depressed when I don't. My webcomic is my baby, and I keep writing *way* ahead of where the comic is which is probably why the site only updates once a month. My brain will be on characters who's grandparents haven't been born yet

Breyers Light Double Churned Chocolate Icecream. If we run low, I panic. Serious addiction. I can say it's okay because it's Light, but it's not. I need the stuff. It's like crack

Villainesses. No idea why, but I crush on them bad. I'd list a few, but most of them are kinda obscure unless you're into weird comics or foreign films. Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy are probably the most familiar ones. I think they make a lovely dysfunctional couple Maybe Medusa counts under this category too, lol.

[MedusasOwl]

Oh yeah, and the internet. I think I'd have a breakdown if I got cut off, lol! I nearly did the one time Daphne found a way to get to the cord and nibbled through it.

[recycling goddess]

oh i guess i should mention my addiction to tattoos... i have three so far... this last one has been in the works since august but i only have one more session and it'll be finished *whew* and then i have to decide what to get next... yup, it's an obsession indeed. my hubby and i take turns getting ink... so i guess i have to wait for him to get his next one before i get to go again.

and, by the way, i am NOT addicted to the computer... it is simply an extension of my being! that's my story and i'm sticking to it thank you.

[rabernet]

Wow! I'm so boring compared to you guys!

Right now my addiction is most definitely ball pythons. I cannot sleep at night because all I think about is ball pythons. I check all the Kingsnake and Fauna ads, just so I can see more pretty snakes. I frequent so many breeders' sites it's not even funny, just to see if maybe, just maybe they've updated their sites with "what's in the oven". I wish to win the lottery, just so I can purchase all the pretty snakes I drool over.

At any given time I'll have 10 Explorer windows open and all are pointed to a ball python related site. I spend my lunch hour at work surfing the ball python sites (and sneak in a few peeks during the day).

I am also, sadly addicted to food. I have struggled with this obsession most of my life. I know where it stems from, and it's deeply personal, but suffice it to say, I'm battling that demon on a daily basis, and have been a Weight Watcher's member for 21 months now and have managed to take off over 70 lbs so far (but did have some weight back on over the holidays). I refuse ever skip a weigh in, even if I know there will be a gain, because I know if I stop going, I'll lose control.

With that said, I LOVE Weight Watchers. I also obsess over their website and collecting recipes that even my picky guy will eat. Most of the time he doesn't even realize that what I've offered is a Weight Watchers recipe. Weight Watchers has taught me how to be more aware of how I eat, vs what I eat.

OK, off that soap box.

Other obsessions - I also volunteer with Canine Assistants, a non-profit organization here in metro-Atlanta that trains service dogs for the physically disabled. I've been a certified volunteer trainer with them for five years this month. We are assigned to staff trainers on a rotating basis (a team of volunteers for each staff trainer and rotated every three months between trainers). Only certified volunteer trainers are allowed to take dogs home and off the facility without a trainer or staff member present. So, I'll take dogs home for a weekend home visit, or for a week during recipient camp and take the dog to work with me to get them used to the workplace environment, as it's highly likely they could be placed with someone who is in the workplace. I'll be picking up a dog next Friday to come to work with me the week of the 16th in fact.

When we have the dog at home with us, they go everywhere with us. To the movies, dinner, grocery store, library, etc. They have the same access as seeing eye dogs and we assist the staff trainers by getting them exposed to various situations. It's gotten so when I go to the convenience store or the grocery store, the first thing the employees say is "where's your dog?" or "no dog today?".

While it's fun to love on the dogs and help them in their training, the real reward is seeing how these dogs change lives, how they make the wheelchair disappear for a teenager, how they allow an older lady the ability to leave her home now, because her dog, Lindsay lets her know that she's going to have a seizure well before it happens, how sometimes these dogs force our recipients to get up and get out (after all, the dogs have to go potty, and someone has to take them out - and well you're out anyway, so why not go do something with your dog?)

OK, enough rambling from me. I guess I DO have obsessions! hehehehehehe!