Several of my friends on Facebook tagged me for “Twenty Five Things About Me” (and possibly a blog friend or two – but I can’t remember…) Anyway – I feel compelled to do this. So here it is:
Twenty Five Things About Me
1. I have never colored my hair. Not once. Not even highlights. I made the conscious decision to wait until I got older and “had to.” My grandmother once said to me, “dear – I hope you won’t color your hair…I DO think that gray hair can be awfully attractive.” I concurred with her opinion as I was expected to, but in my heart, I knew that I will never go gray. I’ll go RED!
2. I pick favorites among my children. But it changes every 30 seconds – so I figure it evens out in the end.
3. I was the only girl in my high school class who didn’t wear boxers under her uniform skirt. I thought they made me look fat. Sadly this caused a very embarrassing incident for me in The Quad one day when a big gust of Spring air gave all of nearby construction workers a view of my not fat thighs.
4. I dream of having a career that I love. But I only started thinking about this in the past few years. Prior to that I was fairly apathetic about the connection of my job to my sense of identity. Sometimes I wonder if this is a sign of a midlife crisis.
5. I have already confessed to an obsession with recorded books. I listen to plenty of current fiction, but one of my favorite authors for listening is Jane Austen. Even though I have actually read all of her books and know the stories well, I find something very soothing about hearing them read in a clipped English accent. Is it me or do days of nothing but needlepoint and gossip by a roaring fire sound really appealing sometimes?
6. I wish I knew how to do needlepoint or embroidery. I would create fabulous throw pillows and whip up Anthropologie-quality tops out of plain vintage shirts and embroidery thread. I should have learned these skills when I had the time…
7. I like being by myself and tend to treat a night on my own like a personal slumber party. After I put the kids to bed and clean up, I’m all about raiding the refrigerator for junk food, giving myself a pedicure and watching “girl movies.” Of course, my husband doesn’t travel that often – so I might have a different attitude if these personal slumber parties were more frequent.
8. I can’t stand gum. I find it revolting. The way it looks just hanging out in someone’s mouth, the sound of it snapping and even the smell of it. ESPECIALLY the smell of it if it’s fruit flavored or even worse, bubble gum. The smell of bubble gum flavored anything makes me want to pass out. Not to make light of actual torture, which is not funny and a terrible reality from which I am lucky to be sheltered…but seriously, I think you’d have to pull out a few of my molars with pliers before I’d allow you to put a piece of bubble gum in my mouth.
9. I have an incredibly high suspension of disbelief threshold when it comes to books, movies and television story lines, but I do tend to obsess over everyday details that I find a little too unbelievable. For example, I can enjoy pretty much anything from Harry Potter to Lost; but I just can’t get past how the Cosbys had all those kids and a TV in their living room, but their couch always looked so clean.
10. I’m terrified of sharks. A condition that has grown worse as I’ve gotten older. All of those news reports about shark attacks in Florida a few years back didn’t help.
11. This blog is the first real writing that I’ve ever done outside of business documents.
12. My wedding cake was the best dessert I’ve ever had in my life: chocolate cake with fondant icing and a buttercream and marzipan filling. I knew that I wouldn’t get a chance to have any at the reception, so I asked my planner to make sure that there was a large piece waiting for me in my room at the end of the night. This was quite possibly one of the brilliant ideas I’ve ever had in my life.
13. My writing style tends to be a little verbose. So “25 Things About Me” can be loosely translated into “Twenty Minutes of Your Life That You Will Never Get Back.” Therefore I will be breaking this into two posts. Check back tomorrow more for 12 more things about me!
We would always wear biker shorts under our field hockey uniforms. This definitely decreased the embarrassing incidents, but I didn’t catch on until I had one myself.
Well I think we’ve known each other for close to ten years and I just learned a lot about you! Love that. I was living in Florida during all the shark attacks and now have a hard time going in past my knees. Which is really a shame because swimming is one of my all time favorite activities.
I adore you, my friend in verbosity. And am SO impressed that you’ve never, ever, colored your locks. You’ll have lush, luxurious hair when the rest of us have dry, brittle spiky stuff.
You have never colored your hair? That is crazy talk. I started dying mine when I was 13! And even now, I dye it every 3 to 5 months.
I’ve dyed my hair since I was 16, I wouldn’t even know what my real color is. I would say maybe the color of my eyebrows, but I color them too…
I LOVE watermelon gum!! Love it!!
You don’t like gum! I love gum! Funny.
Your wedding cake idea was brilliant, and I think it’s wonderful that you enjoyed it so much.
I’ve been tagged by six, maybe even seven, people for this exorcise. Like you, I figure there’s nothing left to reveal!
Concerning gum-love it-but those who chew with their mouths open just may recieve a little *slap*. Just ask my kids….oh wait, don’t call CPS on me….
Concerning the Cosby couch-it’s all about the fabric, baby!
I love number nine. I think about these things too. I also notice when things shift in seconds. Like when a purse magically moves from one arm to the other. Don’t they have people to pay attention to these things.
OH MY GOD, you do such great lists.
I’m SO with you on the gum thing. I find it seriously disgusting when people chew gum, especially at work.
And the cake idea…brilliant! I wish I thought of that. I loved my wedding cake and waited an entire year to taste it again and it was JUST AS GOOD!
Love your list! I am so jealous of your fabulous hair. My hair is not my friend.
I’m with you on number one, and I have to admit, I was just thinking I’d have to wait and finish reading the post in the morning when I got to number 13! You’re great!
Oh man, I wish I didn’t love gum. You’d probably think I chew like a cow… it’s that bad of an addiction!
Oh, and LOL about the Cosbys. I always got annoyed with the apt on Friends. Who the eff could live in a place like that on a 20-something salary? You know, it’s the little things. :)
PS- I can’t believe you’ve never written outside of work before. You seem like such a natural. Great list!
Few things. I went commando under my Catholic girl skirt…which also led to some “bad moments”. Wait, by commando, I mean just panties…because, you know, I wasn’t LIKE THAT.
The mid life career thing? I am right there with you. It is now causing anxiety so I totally get where you are coming from.
And…if this is your first attempt at writing outside professional stuff…BRAVO! I don’t often comment, bc I always get pulled away by a conf call or child but I love to read you. Maybe this is your calling?
I’ve never colored my hair either. Not even highlights. People are always asking me who colors my hair.
I loved my wedding cake too… it was strawberry hazelnut. We get one on our anniversary occasionally from the bakery that did your cake. Mmmmm.
so fun to get to know you better!!
Totally with you on # 4 !!!
I am so jealous of your foresight with your wedding cake! I only got the one teenie tiny bite “on display” bite. When we went back the next morning I was praying they had read my mind and saved us some but instead they told us the staff ate the whole thing. sigh.
Yeah, the cake idea was pretty brilliant and I will make sure to toss all my gum before I ever see you (I don’t chew it much, only when my breath is like a bull’s and then only for a few minutes)
I adore alone time too. A bowl of ice cream, a fire, TV, I’m happy. Such a loner.
speaking of delish cake have you had cakelove??? yummmm
I too wish I could whip up some clothing Anthropologie like.
I’m not with you on the bubble gum though. Sometimes I like to get those packs of rain-blo gum and just chew and chew and chew. I bet you hate me a little right now, don’t you?
The wedding cake thing is brilliant!! I have absolutely no recollection of what my cake tasted like.
I’m totally with you on the gum thing. If I think about it too long, I will gag. I have a fear of restaurant tables because I’m afraid of brushing up against gum stuck below.