Laura

Well, my hair’s been very long for a couple years now—I trim it myself when I’m able to sit on it, since, y’know, that hurts. It took three or so years for it to grow from my shoulders to my waist, with no special treatment. Just remember:

1. Don’t wash it too often or it’ll get dry, break, and make you sad. Mine’s thick and curly, so once a week is all it needs (hooray!).
2. Don’t process. Lay off on the blow-drying, coloring, and straightening. No, really.
3. Be patient, and don’t bitch too much, unless you want a hair terrorist to shave your head while you sleep.

Had alligator nuggets years ago—they were more like crab cakes than anything else. Pretty good, actually.

At our local zoo, I paid five damn dollars to feed a giraffe a giraffecracker (crackers made for giraffes, not out of them), thinking I’d get to pet it. But there were specific instructions: hold the cracker like this! stretch your arm out! don’t touch the giraffe!

What a hopes and dreams c-block.

Being able to pump out Hamlet’s “To Be” soliloquy is always a crowd-pleaser, though I’ve felt more accomplished as a human being after having memorized all of Titus Andronicus’ “Sorrows to the Stones” bit.

Don’t bother with Romeo and Juliet unless you like looking like a sap.

Best band of all time—according to me.

Best album? Master of Puppets, hands down.
Best album for beginners? Black Album.

I live in Buffalo, NY, where one of the country’s largest outdoor Shakespeare theaters puts on free performances almost every day during the summer. I’ve gone to every play for a few years now: Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, Love’s Labour’s Lost, and, most recently, Othello.

It’s a great time (unless it rains). Just make sure to bring dinner and a sweatshirt—and pee before you leave.

Tried a recipe for Butter Cupcakes with Sticky Fudge Frosting from a book I bought in Sonoma, California—but I didn’t cook the frosting long enough, and it melted all over the place the minute I put it on the cupcakes. Then I put foil on top to carry them to a party the next day, and all the frosting got stuck to it and came off. It was depressing. But, hey, I got points for trying.

Good book, though: Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans

I was fifteen, and it was just after the release of Black and Blue. I’m a rabid Metallica fan, but I’m not going to lie: BSB carried me through childhood, and the concert kicked ass. Even though AJ made some weepy speech about drug addiction.

Lived in Buffalo most of my life, but recently moved to New Hampshire and realized that the wings just aren’t the same outside of Western New York.

My favorite place was always Fred’s Pizza in Pendleton. Very hole-in-the-wall, but very good.

Spent six weeks in Northern Idaho, up in the mountains above Sandpoint – it was beautiful. Don’t know about the rest of the state, but up near Canada it’s just amazing. Sandpoint is a great city, very laid-back.

A couple years ago I had the opportunity to meet Peter Riegert (he played Boon in Animal House) at a screening of his independent film, King of the Corner. Afterwards, he stayed around to answer questions and talk with the audience cordially. It was pretty neat to meet/kick it – for a few minutes, at least – with someone famous. Well, kind of famous.

Either way, he was very nice and personable.

Been to Paris three times, though the last trip was five years ago. Nonetheless, it’s a wonderful city, so full of history and beautiful sounds and fabulous food. The things I remember being the most impressed with were, oddly enough, menus being posted outside the restaurants, the feeling of security (even on the subways late at night), and the people in bright green vests who cleaned the streets every morning just after dawn.

Just had it done about a month ago – didn’t bother until I was twenty, then did it on a whim – and went back two weeks later to get another hole. It was awkward sitting in Claire’s with a bunch of twelve-year-olds watching me, but pain is beauty, right?

Back in 2004, as part of a ‘troubled teens,’ outward-bound-esque, six-week misadventure, I spent two weeks hiking in the wilderness of Northern Idaho, Montana, and Washington. Our highest climb was Black Peak in the Cascades. Only 8,970 feet, but it was the first real hiking I’d ever done, and getting to the top (it was quite a scramble over the skree fields and ice) was really, y’know, empowering.

Yeah, climbing up there was tiring, but getting down was worse. Managed to lose two toenails and slice up my knee.

Still, I’d do it again, and would recommend it to anyone. Being on one mountaintop and watching it rain on another one miles away was pretty damn cool. Do it.