because you might care

This came in an e-mail from a dear friend (who is far better at keeping in touch with me than I am with her, although I did meet up with her when our family went to Disneyland a couple of years ago. That may not have been her idea of super fun though...), it seemed interesting, and my list blog has been neglected.

If you would like to consider this a super fun meme, please feel free to copy and leave a note in comments so we can visit your version.

Random stuff I've done. Discuss.

( ) Gone on a blind date
( X ) Skipped school (to finish a paper...How lame am I ?)
( X ) Been to Canada (oh, long lost Canadian kind-of-boyfriend...)
( X ) Been to Mexico
( ) Been to Florida
( X ) Been on a plane
( X ) Been lost (literally and metaphorically, as a matter of fact)
( ) Been on the opposite side of the country
( ) Gone to Washington, DC
( ) Swam in the ocean (Does having a panic attack there count?)
( X ) Cried yourself to sleep
( X ) Paid for a meal with coins only (I don't remember specifically, but surely I must have at some point...I've been that tightwadded thrifty)
( X ) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't (Um. Daily?)
( X ) Made prank phone calls (GASP! Don't tell my kids)
( X ) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
( X ) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
( X ) Danced in the rain
( ) Written a letter to Santa (Made lots of detailed lists - SURPRISE - but never wrote an actual letter)
( X ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
( X ) Watched the sunrise with someone you care about
( X ) Blown bubbles
( X ) Gone ice skating (It was disastrous. And cold. Not for me)
( ) Been skinny dipping outdoors (Sounds disastrous. And cold)
( X ) Gone to the movies alone (Once on Mother's Day and people kept looking at me with pity - I CHOSE to be without my kids, people!)


1. Any nickname? Well...Formerly "Frog," which spun out of control and was quickly regretted
2. Mother's name? Loraine (yes, only one R)
3. Favorite drink? Pepsi for anytime; raspberry lemon drop for grown-ups-only time
4. Tattoos? Negative. Pain = bad.
5. Body piercings? Doubles in my ears, but I rarely fill them.
6. How much do you love your job? So much it hurts. (I'm serious; it's my destiny)
7. Birthplace? Oak Harbor, Whidbey Island, Washington
8. Favorite vacation spot? Disneyland with family; Shanghai with my man
9. Ever been to Africa? Not yet...
10. Ever eaten cookies for dinner? Cookies, no. Cake? Yes.
11. Ever been on TV? Not on purpose.
12. Ever steal any traffic signs? That would be illegal and wrong.
13. Ever been in car accident? Sigh. Yes.
14. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? Only 4-door for this suburban hipster
15. Favorite salad dressing? raspberry vinaigrette or honey mustard
16. Favorite pie? Some kind of berry, or my own chocolate chip-walnut pumpkin (Yes, I have baked)
17. Favorite number? 28
18. Favorite movie? To make me choose one, that is crazy and mean. Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Terms of Endearment come to mind first
19. Favorite holiday? Christmas, and my birthday
20. Favorite dessert? Nanaimo bar followed closely by the easier-to-find Oatmeal Carmelita
21. Favorite food? See "Favorite dessert" But also pepperoni & pineapple pizza and cinnamon toast
22. Favorite day of the week? Friday is most hopeful & exciting with prospects
23. Favorite brand of body wash? I usually use bar soap - Trader Joe's Oatmeal Almond is pleasant
24. Favorite toothpaste? Tom's of Maine Cinnamint
25. Favorite scent? Coconut or nutmeg, depending on the season
26. What do you do to relax? Read, listen to quiet music (Natalie Merchant, Chris Botti, Norah Jones)
27. How do you see yourself in 10 years? As blissful as today. Maybe still teaching, or maybe running a funky bookstore.

thirteen things i should have learned by now but...whatever

1. Cheese melted to a molten state in the oven will be hot and probably burn my mouth. (But I really wanted brie now!)
2. "The Girls Next Door" is a vapid, ridiculous waste of time & brain cells. (Yet I can't turn the channel).
3. Teenage boys do not genuinely care about creative writing. Ever. (But they will pretend, and write excruciating, interminable stories involving marijuana).
4. Mornings are a complete drag, especially when there are meetings scheduled during them.
5. Some people truly believe that kids with "piercings, weird hair, and you know, stuff like that" are not as reliable as preppy, 4.0 Key Club members. (There was a PTA committee meeting tonight and I had a moment...Of restraint, no worries.)
6. Preteen boys find moms invisible. (My best friend & I went to pick up her son at youth group tonight and he actually looked directly at us in the foyer, then walked into the game room)
7. Mornings are horrible. (Did I already mention that?)
8. If I take my coat in the horrible morning, it will be sunny & delightful by afternoon. Leaving a coat or sweater at home means the day will turn into a natural disaster.
9. I cannot be trusted with a credit card, especially one labeled GAP or Nordstrom. I lose my mind (and paycheck) over cardigans, cosmetics, and underwear.
10. Counting the days until vacation makes me feel guilty but I do it anyway, in my mind.
11. Listening to Queen, Squeeze, or ABBA almost always improves my mood.
12. Breakfast is important. Skipping it causes turmoil, for everyone.
13. There is no shame in OCD.

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