Facebook 25

There's a chain letter going around Facebook, asking for you to post 25 random things about yourself and then tag 25 friends to do the same. I resisted the call a number of times, until I was inspired/shamed into it by reading my dear friend Zack's (a.k.a. Michael Kaminski's) brilliant list. So here's mine, for posterity.

1 I knew I should’ve responded to this tag back when it required only 5 random things, or even when it upped to 15. I’m hoping it gets all the way to 50 in the near future, so I can feel like 25 was a breeze.

2. I like pie. Or cheesecake. Not cake.

3. Superbowl weekend 2 years ago I finished 3^rd in my gender/age-group an 18-mile trail run in Death Valley. This Superbowl weekend I doubt I could’ve run around the block, unless it was necessitated by concern for the safety of a toddler. I miss exercising.

4. I try to make most of the gifts I give, especially at Xmas. This Xmas they were all made out of duct tape.

5. Inflating tires of any variety scares the pants off me. I would rather not have to do it. Ever.

6. My mom is in the Galapagos right now. She also sometimes builds computers from parts.

7. My dad, who is not married to my mom (in case you didn’t already know that) is the most noble man I know. He can also be counted on to have a horror story for any occasion. You like licorice? He knows someone who got liver poisoning from eating too much. Your kid likes to play at the steering wheel of your parked car? He knows someone whose kid got in solo one day, started up the car, reversed through the garage door, then shifted gears and drove into the kitchen. Wool socks? I don’t know, you’ll have to ask him. The good news is: even he seems to think it’s funny these days.

8. I had absolutely no concept of myself in 6^th grade until Paul Sheats posted our 6^th grade class photo on Facebook. Now I have an image of myself in 6^th grade that I cannot possibly forget. Hard as I keep trying. Yikes.

9. If you’re ever at a drinking party/establishment with my brother or sister & I and you say something about wanting a tequila sunrise, we will assume you want our immediate help beating a hasty retreat from the person you’re currently near.

10. I have never, to my knowledge, actively visualized a scene from a book I was reading and yet I’ve frequently felt surprised by who gets cast for certain roles in certain books-turned-movies. What gives?

11. I know – and love – a dozen or more lawyers.

12. I put my right hand over my heart and say (most) of the pledge of allegiance every day. I can’t bring myself to say “under God.” It bristles me.

13. I loved being pregnant. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. If you know anyone interested in helping me out on this count, please send them my way. Umm, immediately.

14. At every stage of my long-winded education, I’ve been blessed with teachers who moved and/or mentored me. Thank you Mr. McCutcheon, Mr. Adams, Ms. Polite, Professors Fujii, Grappard and Kohl. There are so many people I have learned from – and need to learn from still. I wish it were easier to name & find them.

15. I used to like pigeons. Now I don’t, really. I worry that this means I’ve lost a part of my humanity.

16. I do not understand the man who stands in the street outside his house on Market St. (an urban thoroughfare) in the mornings, sweeping leaves from the place where cars might park, at risk to his own life & limb from the traffic traveling 40 mph down the road. That’s some serious OCD.

17. At age 9, I wrote my own musical to go with the Styx release “The Grand Illusion.” I wish I still had the copy.

18. I used to think my dream job was being an acrobat in Cirque du Soleil. Now I think it’s reporting about the traffic for NPR.

19. I’m afraid of microwave ovens. I’ve certainly used my fair share of them, but I refuse (so far) to have one in my home.

20. As an elementary school teacher, I have laughed & laughed about parents who spell their kids names all funny. Then I had my own, and named him Django Rey.

21. Without ever even coming close to having a fiancé in my life, I have managed to plan at least 4 fantasy weddings for myself.

22. My mom’s father used to eat sandwiches with peanut butter and anything – ketchup, onion, meat, etc. I think I inherited a little some of that from him. My favorite is peanut butter and chive cream cheese.

23. Last week someone else set my car radio to the Smooth Jazz station. They play Sade a lot. I have been thinking about changing it. I haven’t yet. This makes me feel old. And soft.

24. I don’t like it that rice is too small to really chew – unless it’s stuck together for some reason. I avoid eating rice because of this. I like to chew my food.

25. I’ve been keeping a mostly-weekly blog for my son since he was born, but have been having a hard time keeping up lately. So I’m cutting & pasting all of this into the blog and calling it a post…Now you know 25 truly random things about your Mama, baby boy!