I'm sure you're asking yourself...why do I want to read about this girl? Well, maybe we have something in common ...
The Basics
My name is Barbara Elizabeth Prater. I was born in Plymouth, Michigan, and lived there till I was 10 years old; then I grew up in Roscommon, which I still consider my "home town." My mom's house (the house I grew up in) is just a couple hundred yards from the sixth most beautiful lake in the world (according to National Geographic), Higgins Lake. Currently, I live in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, in a 140-year-old house that needs some TLC. The mountains make up for the lack of lakes out here; it really is beautiful.
Mom (Susan Prater) works at a headstart program in Houghton Lake. Dad works as a car salesman at a Chevy dealership in Roscommon. My sister, Dawn , has two beautiful girls, Samantha and Violet. I love my family dearly (immediate and extended), and am fortunate to have a family that I am proud and happy to spend time with. I love you guys!
I graduated in May 2000 from Central Michigan University with two degrees: a Bachelor of Science, with majors in Earth Science: Meteorology and Geography and a minor in Mathematics, and a Bachelor of Arts degree with an English major and a History minor. I managed to perform in CMU's Concert Choir and Marching Band and take the occasional voice lessons. I started in the fall as a graduate student at Penn State. I started work with Dr. Jenni Evans this summer toward my graduate research; if you're interested in the details, check my meteorology page.
Occasionally, I even get time to relax! Lately, I've been doing a lot of camping and hiking with my boyfriend, JP (*big smile*). We've also been remodeling my house--look for pictures of the process soon. This page is another project in my free time. I write a lot, both short stories and poetry. To keep myself active last semester, I took ballet lessons through a local studio (?!), and I actually hope to continue dancing out at Penn State, if it will ever fit into my schedule. During the summer, I love to waterski behind Daddy's 30th Anniversary MasterCraft, as well as jet ski, tube, swim, sunbathe, and generally soak up as much as I can of Higgins Lake. In the winter, I'm mainly housebound, but I do get out to snowmobile and ice skate. I much prefer curling up in front of a fireplace with a good book, or renting a few movies and cuddling up under a thick blanket. Finally, I have recently had the opportunity to begin storm chasing.
| Color | Purple, because it's regal, pretty, and deep |
| Animal | Fox |
| Food | I couldn't possibly pick |
| Style of Music | Again, I couldn't possibly pick ... generally, blues/jazz/swing, nice pop/country ballads, oldies, Broadway tunes ... anything I can sing to :) ... then some hard rock/metal (Metallica), techno (Mortal Kombat soundtrack), original alternative (They Might Be Giants)... get the idea? |
| TV Show | When I have time: The Weather Channel and ER |
| Movies | Apollo 13, Braveheart, Deep Impact, Fried Green Tomatoes, Last of the Mohicans, Terms of Endearment, Titanic |
| Actors | Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Meg Ryan, Claire Daines, Winona Ryder |
| Hair Color | On me: strawberry blonde |
| Type of Clothing | Dresses. I'm such a girlie. |
| Flower | Tie between the red rose and lilacs |
| Place | Another tie: Higgins Lake, MI and St. Armand's Key, FL |
Pet Peeves
- Bad grammar
- Stupid people (as in lack of sense, not book-smarts)
- People who cheat in school
- People who don't speak up for themselves
- Pushiness (which means that I occasionally annoy myself)
- "Twister" (no, that's not what storm chasing is really like)
- People who ask me, "Are you going to be on TV someday?"
- Abusive people--mentally, physically, whatever
- Athletes' perks and salaries
