A little bit about me
If you are familiar with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), then
when I tell you I am a stereotypical INTP, you'll be able to fill in most of the blanks yourself.
Otherwise, keep reading....
The Basics
Name: Karen D. Alfrey
Current place of residence: San Mateo, CA
Birthday: December 28, 1970
Family
One spouse, Andy Arenson, B.A. (C.S.) Rice '92, now working as a consultant
at Proxicom. We met when he started singing bass with Lager Rhythms, the
a cappella group I helped start in grad school. He is the answer to the
question, "What do you get when you cross Weird Al Yankovic, Gabriel Byrne,
and Felix Unger?"
One younger sister, Cheryl Alfrey. In the past year, she got married to
Blue Lawson, had a pumpkinhead (Kiran Sage), and completed her Masters of
Library Science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her
undergrad degree (also from U.T.) was one of those college scholar
design-your-own-major things -- she chose a gnifty combination of
English with a writing concentration, Religious Studies, Women's
Studies, and Native American Studies. Hence grad school. :)
Dad, Kenneth Alfrey. Retired in December 1999. :) Formerly
used his M.S. in Chemistry as a quality manager at Eastman Chemical Co.
(until, as he put it, he ran out of quality to manage....)
Now apparently volunteering more time than he has on church and community
activities. Mom, Doris Alfrey, B.A. in Business and English, also heavily
involved in volunteer work, including adult literacy.
Both grandfathers deceased (one in 1994 and one in 1999), both
grandmothers still living. Miscellaneous aunts, uncles and cousins
with a combined quirk factor surpassing that of the complete David E.
Kelley oeuvre. (Did I mention the tacky gene?)
More in-laws than you can shake a stick at, including six niecephews.
No pets -- but three beautiful godkitties: Bluebelle, Attacat, and
Fufs Kelly. Also one spouse who is sometimes quite petlike.
Miscellany
- Religion: I am usually heavily involved in the music department
of a Methodist
church; my personal beliefs are probably best described as Rational
Universalist.
- Myers Briggs Personality Type: INTp. Way. Hence my personal beliefs....
- Education and background:
Born and raised in Kingsport, TN. (Interesting geography tidbit: my
hometown is actually closer to Canada than to Memphis.) B.S.E.E. from
Cornell University, M.S. and Ph.D. in E.E. from Rice University.
- Pay rent as:
Biologic modeler at Entelos, Inc., a biosimulation company. I'm currently
working on a large-scale computational model of human metabolism. I love
that I can say, truthfully, "I'm in modeling." I've also occasionally
been known to receive actual money for performing, arranging, and
directing music.
- Hobbies:
Music. Music. Music. During grad school, I spent almost as much time
in rehearsals as I
did on my research (which may explain why I took seven years to get my
Ph.D. but released two albums during that time....)
I sang soprano in Lager Rhythms, and alto in my church choir, played in
the church bell choir,
assistant-directed the church childrens' choir, and arranged and composed.
Now I'm trying to hone (or re-hone) my violin, guitar, and vocal skills,
as well as writing more original material. Since moving to California,
I've also gotten involved in tap again (which I did for nine years as
a kid but have been away from for almost twice that long). I also sew
a little, draw a little, and play a *lot* of ping pong with my
co-workers....
- Pet causes:
Encouraging people to think for themselves -- and education in general.
Gender equality. Fairness in general.
- Pet peeves:
Showing up for a movie after the previews have started (though I've been
doing that more and more lately). Mindless
traditionalism. People who smell like cosmetics and hair products.
- Biggest regret:
I'm not sure I have any. I am the sum of my past experiences, good
and bad, and I like where I've ended up, even if parts of the journey
sucked rocks. The part of me that I'm working hardest on right now
is learning to be more proactive; the first step is to learn how to
separate what I want from what I think other people want me to want.
- Long-term goal:
Get a faculty position or start a rock band. Or both.
- Favorite color:
Take the spectrum. Remove everything in the orange-to-yellow range.
Take what's left and make it dark. Replace navy with black. Now
you know what the inside of my closet looks like.... (For years,
my favorite colors were dark green and black, but I've recently
entered a blue-and-purple phase....)
- What I wore to my wedding:
Dark green crushed velvet dress. Silk flowers and ribbons in my
hair. Silver chain mail necklace and hand flower (the latter of
which I bought at a Nashville RenFair when I was 15, and when my
mom asked, "What are you going to do with that?" I answered,
"Wear it to my wedding"....) Black fishnet tights and black boots.
A blue garter, but only because Andy's favorite aunt had worn it
in her wedding a few years ago and offered it to me at the end of
her reception. (Andy and I weren't even engaged yet. I was
surprised that she had so much faith in me -- though admittedly,
she *had* had a few glasses of champagne....)
- Croutons or bacon bits:
I don't eat mammals. Carbohydrates, on the other hand.... :)
- Loudest person I know (amplitude):
Probably my grandmother, Clela Alfrey. (Imagine
a 5-foot-tall, 175-lb redheaded bluegrass musician in costume jewelry
and a floral muumuu and you get the idea. Did I mention the tacky
gene?)
- Loudest person I know (integral over time):
Probably my best friend, Emily Chou
Ingram. She's frighteningly extroverted. My spouse likes to talk,
but when he's on the phone with Emily, he can barely fit a word in
edgewise. It's sorta' no wonder her best friend is a flaming introvert.
- Favorite web page:
Internet Movie Database. If it were a person, I'd sleep with it.
Last modified: 14 Jan 09 2001