Hello, fellow Heliumites. I'm Hope...28 years old, I live south of the Mason-Dixon line in Florence, Alabama with my husband and our three furry children-two feline, one canine.

I have been a writer since birth. My first published work was the phenomenal story of "The Magical Pancake." Granted, it was bound in pink construction paper with a spine of blue yarn, the pages handwritten and the illustrations less than Louvre-worthy, but not too shabby for a first-grader. My adult life has brought freelance work from local and national magazines and newspapers, Barnes & Noble, and various Internet mediums. Always seeking new work, I invite any prospective employers and publishers to contact me at the first inkling of interest on your part.

Aside from writing (is there a world aside from writing, really?) I am a yoga instructor, a certified group fitness instructor, and I play the French Horn.

I am thoroughly enjoying Helium, though I do fear it is becoming an addiction. Hopefully no one will stage an intervention anytime soon, so I can keep slinging words around here. Speaking of which . . .

Off to the grindstone I must go!

*UPDATES*

My most recent article, "The 10 Most Ineffective Exercises" has been purchased by American Fitness Magazine. Be sure to check back, as I will post the publication date soon!

My passion is ...

Sleep. Now if only insomnia would allow us to be together!

I know too much about ...

Relationships. Dr. Joyce Brothers has nothing on me.

My parents always told me ...

"If you get stuck in that tree, we're not climbing up to get you!"

My childhood ambition ...

To be the world's first female veterinarian in space, with a best-selling book about teddy bears.

My favorite memory ...

Sitting under the Weeping Willow tree in my grandmother's yard, stringing white flowers into necklaces until I fell asleep on the grass.

Why I write ...

Because I breathe.

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

Watching Blades of Glory.

My first job ...

I believe I was 6. I drew little pictures on scraps of paper and bullying my neighborhood friends into buying them.

My best moment ...

When I paused a beat too long before answering, "I do" just to mess with my groom :)

My inspiration ...

My dysfunctional extended family and my ridiculously vivid dreams.

Food & Drink > Dining & Restaurants (Other) Should restaurants be required to list calories and fat grams on their menus?

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I've read several of the "No" articles on this topic, and they all seem to revolve around the idea that "If you don't know what you're eating, then you're not smart enough to be going to a restaurant in the first place." Quite frankly, that is a ludicrous argument and completely off the mark.

The fact of the matter is, you DON'T know what you're eating when you go to a restaurant. No matter how many calorie guides you take along with you, there is no way of knowing how the food is prepared. A side dish of carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and squash can run in the hundreds of calories thank...

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• Marketplace Premier Writer