LoriChickadee

"Here I am, out here on the cutting edge of quantum uncertainty. Grappling with the imponderables. May I have the envelope please so I can push it?" -- Lily Tomlin as 'Trudy'

Logo for Star Trek Freedom

"Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go." -- Herman Hesse

"Mr. Kim, we're Starfleet officers. Weird is part of the job" -- Janeway (Deadlock)

      "Fondest greetings to you all!
     A few instructions just before rehearsal starts: Carlotta must be taught to act ...
     ...not her normal trick of strutting round the stage.
     Our Don Juan must lose some weight - it's not healthy in a man of Piangi's age.
     And my managers must learn that their place is in an office, not the arts.
     As for Miss Christine Daae . . .No doubt she'll do her best -
     it's true her voice is good.
     She knows, though, should she wish to excel she has much still to learn,
     if pride will let her return to me, her teacher, her teacher...
     Your obedient friend...
     ... and Angel ..." -- from The Phantom of the Opera

About Lori

Those who have met my character Lo'ren T'Vof understand some about me already, as she is based upon me. For those of you who don't know my character(s), sit back and read the story.

Family History

I am the youngest member of my immediately family - though I have a plethora of cousins and I have a niece and a nephew, with another niece on the way. I hold my family very dear to my heart and when I manage to get away from my busy life I give the greatest hugs to those I love deeply. At last count, my family numbers 41 when we gather! (That's Grandparents, Parents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Niece, Nephew and In-Laws)

I was born and raised, and continue to be a Roman Catholic. I do hold dearly to my faith, but don't make that scare you off. I have no desire to convert others - as long as they are not attempting to convert me! I do so love a good solid eccumenical discussion. If you are looking for something faith based to scare you off, perhaps this next tidbit may do such: I am in the process of becoming a Religious Sister (a Nun), though not a Cloistered Religious. AND I AM IMPATIENT TO GET THERE!!!! Hurry up student loans and BEGONE! Update: As of August 2011 I am within a year of finishing off my loans! YAY!

I am the only member of my family (almost) to have any degree of professional musical inclination - though I am trying to convert my nephew in that regard. The only others are my father's father and my mother's cousin. The rest are nearly hopeless musically. I am most fond of Choral singing and when I have been unable to be in a choir I have languished horribly, I also have a deep love for Muscial Theatre, I will sing along to the point where I know all the parts and will have my own little show in my bedroom. I know I'm crazy because I volunteered to help with the Musical at the school I work at, which came off really well and I look forward to the next bought of craziness that is Musical Theatre with High School Students!

Life today

Currently I am struggling to return to active singing after an extended absence. I have lost several notes off the top of my former vocal range and need a new vocal coach to regain them, hopefully the new year will bring that into existance. For those of you who know music I am a first soprano and was able to hit B5 regularly and C6 occasionally, but now am struggling to hit A5 without strain. Life has curveballs aplenty. I am once again not in a classical choir due to issues surrounding a very cranky and tempermental back. I have tried out for a Barbershop style chorus, I really enjoyed the experience, but it's outside of my means at this time. So I now content myself with my Church Choir and singing in the shower.

I sometimes find great humour in the fact that I am, in general, the most musically inclined member of my family. Why, you might ask? Ah, well, I am Hard of Hearing. I wear, and have worn since I was two years old, Hearing Aids. With out my 'ears' I am unable to hear in any sort of normal range. This has also been one of the greater struggles coming back to music, I got a new set of hearing aides during my absence from music and am having to re-learn how to listen in a choral setting... sigh, the things we do for what we love. I actually acted like a Diva in my frustration (so not like me)!

Note about Hearing Aids: They are dying and so I NEED money to get new ones. Anyone got a spare 5000 Dollars? So, yeah, got the new ears... one cost $2075 the other... $3850, thank God for programs that are set up for people like myself (aka no money to spare and NEED aids to live/work/funtion). Next on my list after paying off the loans... set up an account to shove some money in to cover these down the way.

Passions

I am very much in love with language and take every opportunity I can to read and increase my vocabulary - it's no wonder that I have found and enjoy this wonderful forum of creativity (Would that I had discovered it before!) Recently I finished reading the "Sword of Truth" series by Terry Goodkind and am now looking for the next great adventure in reading.

I spent a good portion of the summer of 2009 with my ears glued to the book on CD I chose to tackle. Yes, on CD, I wouldn't DARE tackle this particular one in print.... drumroll please.... "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens.... a slog of a book even on CD (15 CDs to be exact). I'm thinking my next project will be to re-tackle "Gravity's Rainbow" by Thomas Pynchon and/or some other large (extremely large) classic of a book. Suggestions? "Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger is my current read but it's not super long. Actually, my current challenge is that I've gone back to University. I'm currently studying for a Masters in Religious Education. (YIKES) I have 8 credits under my belt and plan on taking 1 course per semester during the year and a couple in the summer. This coming fall is "History of the (Catholic) Church".

I am also a self proclaimed computer geek and love to fiddle around with computers. I particularly enjoy working with a program similar to PhotoShop (called Gimp), where I have created the Character photos you see for my characters. (Not bad eh?) I think I'll drop in a couple of my other creations as well, just for the heck of it... scroll down, you'll like them.

And last but not least I am a Canadian. (Eh.)

Characters

Peter Jacob Holland

Lieutenant Peter Holland

This player has a character stationed aboard USS Hades!

Pete Holland grew up at Utopia Planitia Fleet yards where his parents worked.

Pete is a semi-nod to one of my favourite movies and the rest is an amalgamation of parts, some from my own life and some from imagination.

I created Pete after a hiatus from the game where we sent Lo'ren (see below) off on special assignment somewhere.

Viskhard

Lieutenant (jg) Viskhard

This player has a character stationed aboard USS Rosenante!

Viskhard is a rather intellectual fellow who likes to study in his free time (he has a list of subjects he wants to take). A scientist through and through, he is always fascinated by just about anything. He's not your typical Denobulan though, in that he is not, and has no desire to begin marrying - though should he find the right girl(s) he wouldn't be against the idea!

He sometimes struggles to maintain his composure in difficult situations. One can usually tell when Visk feels threatened, as his face tends to puff out in typical Denobulan form and his eyes will take on an electric violet hue.

I'm remaking Viskhard a little, making him more of a nod to my brother, who passed away this year.

Check out Visk's profile by clicking on his name.

Arysha Tethlin

Ensign (jg) Arysha Tethlin

Arysha is a member of the Atrean species. She was born on a Federation Space Station after her parents had fled their home planet Atrea. The planet's magma core was found to be cooling and many people fled the planet. Most returned following the help the Enterprise-D provided Drs. Pran and Juliana Tainer that reliquified the core, but Canek and Timil Tethlin were engineering scientists and interested in working with the Federation elsewhere.

Arysha's parents chose to explore the Galaxy and Arysha was born during an extended stay on Science Station Tango Sierra, where her parents were working as scientists at the time.

Arysha looks like a typical Atrean, and the only thing that one would see in looking at her is that she wears a pair of black gloves that shimmer in the light as her hands move. She also wears what appears to be a pair of silver framed glasses. Both these items are essential for Arysha to get through day to day life. The glasses provide her with a realtime textual translation of speech and other pertinent information around her. The gloves provide a realtime translation that is vocalized by a vox when she communicates. Arysha is completely Deaf and uses Sign Language to communicate, the vox she wears translates her language almost literally - thus, most of the time she "speaks" Federation Standard but the syntax is similar to a Latin-based Earth sign language colloquially known as ASL.

Lo'ren T'Vof

Lieutenant Lo'ren T'Vof

Lo'ren T'Vof is a product of the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor. She is also a product of who I am - a musician, a curious being, occasionally daft and oblivious, almost always friendly and trusting - but when such trust is lost it takes major work to gain it back from her.

She's a very affable person, except when it comes to Cardassians - she's had many a difficulty restraining herself in their presence as she was under the thumb of the Cardassians until she was 9 years old - forced to work the mines on Bajor, where she received the scar that runs up her left arm to her temple. She's usually content and polite, but sometimes she can be a bit impatient and has little tolerance for those who shirk their duties.

Just click on the name to head over to Lo'ren's profile. For a background check head over to Lo'ren's Story.

Aurik Barsh

Third Lieutenant Aurik Barsh

Aurik Barsh is a Takaran and a member of the Starfleet Marine Corps. He is a career Marine.

Because of a wicked sense of humour, Aurik has the nickname of "Brash".

Aurik grew up a somewhat troubled youth. Growing up amongst 6 siblings, 5 of whom are male, caused him to seek attention in all the wrong ways. Aurik was sent to Starfleet Marine Boot Camp at 17 in hopes that the discipline and training provided would help focus his energies and halt his decline onto the wrong path.

Yuri Abelev

Ensign (jg) Yuri Abelev

Yuri has the nickname "Bear" from his size. He's a well-muscled, stocky guy who can handle just about anything thrown at him. He loves to drink and make booze - it is a family tradition after all. Yuri is on a deep space science vessel... who knows where. He is trained as a CONN officer, but can swing over to Tactical or Security if needed as he minored in TAC/SEC (His bulk gives him an advantage over most species).

Yuri is on deep space assignment where he is called upon to use his CONN skills and his TAC/SEC skills aboard the USS Aquinas, an exploratory vessel with a very small crew.

This is a character I created for the sake of practicing... how did Al put it... talking to myself. He was an addition to the party when we new recruits were getting bored at Geneva.

Bihotz

Counsellor Bihotz

Counsellor Bihotz is a Napean. Napeans are empathic and I figured... well... an obvious choice for a Counsellor. Another character to be used down the road.

Bihotz tends to wear the more casual attire allowed to counsellors by Starfleet. She is a wonderful person - always ready to listen and very down to earth, but don't ask her to cook. She will burn water if let near a stove. She has a deep desire for children - her specific number is 6 - but hasn't met the right man who shares this desire for a larger family.

Having grown up on a farm, Bihotz likes having animals around - currently she has a pet dog (Australian Shepherd breed) by the name of Oots. So when ever I break her out she comes along with a dog.

Counsellor Bihotz is currently on an extended leave.

Radulf Tancred

Instructor Radulf Tancred

Radulf is an instructor at Starfleet Academy and is assigned to Holodeck 11. He comes from an old German family and carries the straight-laced, strict, no nonsense attitude taught to him by his Vater and Grosvater. Part of this attitude is an attentiveness to detail that borders on obsessive compulsive. He is also rather touchy on the subject of respect and doesn't like cocky cadets.

Yes, Radulf has his own page too, click on his name!

For those who wish to know: I have no idea who the guy that I used for this picture, he’s a random google search guy pasted onto Picard’s body.

Nayeli

Nayeli

Nayeli will, in time, be one of Viskhard's love interests. I'm expecting him to marry her - but whether she will be first, second or third wife.... well, that remains to be seen.

Collette Holland

Collette Holland

Collette is still more or less an extension of Peter right now, but their kids are more so and I think eventually I would like to bring her on board with Pete, so I thought.... heck... she needs her own file.

My Work

Well... in reality... my work is as a Teaching/Special Education Assistant in a High School (am hoping to one day move from working one-to-one to Teaching...). What I like to do sometimes though is art. I paint using acrylic, I like to draw, and I like to do computer art. These are some of my works. Look forward to seeing some of my pencil drawings down the road. I've just got to scan them into my computer.

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  Lo'ren T'Vof - Manga

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  Luke 24

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  Across the Waters

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  Sorrow Hollows

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  Rock Flight

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  Holy Spirit - Thunderbird

Also, I did my characters' pictures. Lo'ren is me, add Vulcan ears and Bajoran nose ridge. Viskhard is my brother (don't tell) add Denobulan forehead, Bihotz is my cousin-in-law and Napean forehead and Aurik Barsh, Yuri Abelev and Arysha Tethlin are my cousins (again don't tell). Also, when you check out the pictures from Lo'ren's Story those are my actual parents. My dad makes a decent Vulcan no?