That picture to your left is of me in 2000, it's the most recent picture I've got on my harddrive. My friend Naoko took the picture and caught me offguard, which explains the stupid expression on my face. Ok that's a lie, I have one of me in "dog" mode with my friend Sara's dog Cleo from 2001, but I look way to crazy to put that one up here LOL Maybe someday I might...

So, you've decided you want to know more about me? That's interesting. My real name is Cassie. I live near the Kansas City, KS area. It's not really all that exciting. I was born here but I have lived in several other places during my life. First here in Kansas. Second in Augusta, GA; third Neenah, WI; fourth Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia. Then I would say I went to boarding school in Beaver Dam, WI (at Wayland Academy) so that would be the fifth place I lived and then after I graduated in 1998, I moved back to Kansas.

While I lived over in Saudi, I was able to travel around the world. I've visited Cyprus, Bahrain, Holland, France, Switzerland, Germany, and England (I'm probably forgetting some). I loved all of those countries. Because I had travelled so much, I grew to love learning foreign languages. I have been studying French for 12 years now, and for about 3 years I have been taking some French courses on and off. I've had 2 years of German, 5 months of Spanish, and 2 years of Russian. Of all of those languages I would like to be fluent in French and Russian. I also know selected phrases in Japanese and Korean (right Naoko & Ji? *wink* *wink* :::nudge::: :::nudge::: Haha!).

For the past three semesters I was a Communication Design (CD) major at my college. I was going through that program in order to complete a two year degree to get into the Computer Interactive Media (CIM) program. Well the CIM program has decided that they need more students enrolled in their program and it is no longer required that I complete the CD program :) So starting this semester I'll finally be where I want to be. I'll be taking Interactive Media Concepts, Interactive Media Assets and Intro to Dreamweaver.

Books

When I was younger I was such a bookworm, I remember reading books for hours on end, finishing 2 books in a day. Nowadays I don't read too much, but when I do I love reading John Douglas. He's a former Criminal Profiler for the FBI, his books take you into the criminal mind and offer readers a way of knowing how to watch out for someone who may be trouble. He's just fascinating. I don't read a whole lot of fiction, mainly because when I have tried to pick up, let's say a Patricia Cornwell novel, the author weaves in a romantic relationship in some way. If I'm going to be reading a book about solving a crime, I don't want to read about romance, if I did, I'd waste my money on romance novels (which I am proud to say to this day that I have never cracked one open). So I stick to non-fiction, it's always more interesting than fiction.

Ok, so I can say I've cracked open the book "Gone With The Wind", of all the fiction books I've read that is the only one that sticks in my head as being excellent. Scarlett O'Hara is one of the best characters ever written. I have two copies of this book. And for your information, when you go to Waldenbooks and ask what section the book is in, it's not in romance, it's in fiction.

And if you are wondering what book I'd recommend you pick up and read, I'd say "My Sergei: A Love Story". It's the book Ekatarina Gordeeva wrote after her husband and figure skating partner, Sergei Grinkov, passed away in 1995. Their story is a beautiful one and it's so sad. If you read it, keep kleenex close by.

Ekatarina Gordeeva & Sergei Grinkov won the 1988 and 1994 Olympic gold medals in the pairs figure skating events.

Oh yeah, I also Figure Skate!

When I was 13 years old, living in Saudi Arabia, I picked up roller skating (since there are no ice rinks there) ... I learned how to jump and spin (kinda spin) with roller skates before I started taking private figure skating lessons (on ice) in 1997 with my previous coach Dina. I competed in the 1998 Badger State Games. I finished last but had a great time with my high school friend/fellow figure skater, Erin and got to meet Caryn Kadavy and had a pic taken with me her and Erin. One day if I get a scanner, I'll scan that picture and post it on the site.

When I moved to Kansas, I got another skating coach, Amy (who won the 1994 Junior Collegiate Championship). It was great for me to get out of Wisconsin, since I was in boarding school, I didn't have time to practice as much as I would have liked to ... here in Kansas I can basically go whenever I want. I skated in the 1998 1st Annual Holiday Exhibition (hosted by the Kansas City Figure Skating Club), I skated to Alabama's "Oh What A Night". It was fun, I'm not much of a competitor LOL. Over the summer me and my sister worked with our coach/choreographer, on a new program to Cher's "Walking In Memphis" (our tribute to The Great Mutato of The X-Files). We never got a chance to perform it in exhibition or competition, we still know it! I've decided not to test through the USFSA levels, I'll just learn what I want to learn and not worry about tests.

Starting in June of 2000, I began training with the 1996 World Figure Skating Pairs Champion (with Andrei Bushkov) and 1998 Olympian, Marina Eltsova. Since working with her I know I have improved greatly. She is one of the nicest people I have ever met, she even helps me with Russian if I need it, and I help her with her English when she needs it. She has choreographed an exhibition program for me to Garth Brooks' "The Dance", music from "Edward Scissorhands" (duet with my sister, Kristi), and Doris Days' "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps" (duet with Kristi). Spaseeba Marina!!

Some of my favorite figure skaters are Todd Eldredge, Kurt Browning, Brian Boitano, Paul Wylie, Kristi Yamaguchi, Chen Lu, Gordeeva & Grinkov, Eltsova & Bushkov, Shen & Zhao, Bourne & Kraatz, Jamie Sale & David Pelletier, Berezhnaya & Sikharulidze, Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen, Angela Nikodinov, Brian Orser, Yuka Sato, Fumie Suguri, Irina Slutskaya, Timothy Goebel, Michael Weiss, Nancy Kerrigan, Dorothy Hamill, Rudy Galindo, Krylova & Ovsiannikov, Ilia Kulik, Scott Hamilton, etc. This list goes on and on.

Hobbies

Some of my hobbies include: learning foreign languages, collecting foreign coins, playing in Adobe Photoshop 7.0, making websites, writing X-Files fanfic, watching tv/movies, skating and if the weather is good (low 70s high 60s, very little humidity), I like to play tennis.

Congrats if you made it this far and if you would like to contact me, please feel free to contact me at this email address: foxytime@yahoo.com.

Roam about as you please.

~Cassie