random

25 things about me you probably didn't know....
(originally posted as a note on Facebook in December 2008 & modified for this blog)

1. I was born in Concord, Massachusetts. I have a compulsive need to tell people that this is where Paul Revere rode on his famous ride, too. Don't ask why; I have no idea why this seems relevant to me. [It turns out that I was wrong... not about the fact that I was born in Concord, but that Paul Revere ever rode through the city on his famous ride. Apparently, he was captured and a friend was the one who warned the townspeople of Concord.]

2. I worked as a barmaid at Finnegan's Wake Irish Pub in London for about 6 months. It was just after Princess Diana was killed, and the pub was just down the street from Kensington Palace where Diana had lived with her two sons. The work experience was both awesome and awful! But I learned a LOT from that job, and met some truly unique people.

3. While growing up, I was set on becoming a child psychologist. I have no idea how that idea came into my head (perhaps my Aunt Sharon inspired me somehow?), and I'm not sure why I didn't end up pursuing that in college, either.

4. In sixth grade, a weird thing happened to my knees. One day, I was playing flag football in PE, and suddenly, I couldn't run anymore... or walk, or even stand. Both knees were hugely swollen, and doctors had no idea what was happening. I was on crutches for months. I had numerous "draws" of fluid and eventually went to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, DC. Nothing was ever determined, and I began walking again within the next year.

5. In third grade, I was obsessed with stickers- especially ones with kittens. I, like every third grade girl in the school, had a little sticker book that I carried everywhere. My student teacher that year pulled me aside at the end of the year to give me a special sticker of a kitten hanging from a branch, with the words "Hang in there!" I was excited, because I had a key chain JUST LIKE IT!!! :-) Now the sad part... this mean blond girl named Brooke told me I owed her a sticker from a trade, and insisted upon my kitten sticker!!! I'm STILL mad about this.

6. When my father was in the Army and we were stationed in South Korea, I traveled to Inchon with my friend Linda and her mother. We took a train and stayed with Linda's Korean side of the family. It was really cool, because we stayed in a room that had all wood floors that were heated from below, and the rooms were kept completely empty except at night when you'd pull out mats to sleep on. Linda and I went to the market, got completely lost, and couldn't figure out how to communicate with anyone (neither of us spoke the language). Eventually, an uncle found us... but it was scary for 13 year olds!

7. For a time, I was involved in a prayer group at my church in Arizona. I have been told I am prophetic, and have had some amazing experiences while praying for people. This type of experience has not happened in a long time, and I miss it.

8. Every time I have ever gone into a store- from the time I was first able to read- I would beg my parents to buy me a book. It got to the point where my family would just leave me in the book section, shop, and then come back for me. I still have that thought in my head when I go by a book section in grocery stores, and any bookstore is like a second home to me. (Even in China, I would go into bookstores and wander around, though I couldn't understand anything!)

9. I misspelled the word "balloon" in a third grade spelling bee, and still second guess myself when I write it down.

10. When I was in DC to be in a wedding, I took a video camera with me to tape the famous monuments and museums. Why? I was teaching sixth grade at the time, and my students had been studying WWII, and they were particularly curious about the Holocaust Museum. When I got into the very long line, I started chatting with people, and discovered I could not use any form of camera inside. The people in line around me stopped a guard and told him, and he took me to the front, where they let me in for free and gave me a ton of stuff to take back to my class. Isn't that cool?

11. I spent a summer as "the hostess with the most-est" or dining room hostess at a church camp. I made some great friends while there, and have many fond memories, including: cutting lines at Disneyland due to my injured ankle, taking Saturday trips with a few peeps, shouting "Michelle!" at Mission Beach, drooling on Luke Skywalker, getting stuck between an Aussie and a hard place, and Ryan's snot dive!

12. I refused to watch The Grinch (cartoon version) growing up, because I felt so excessively bad for that poor dog who had to pull the Grinch's ginormous sleigh. It didn't MATTER that it got better afterward, okay? :-)

13. I was deeply and madly in love with Steven in sixth grade, Nate in seventh grade, Frankie in eighth grade, Monty in ninth, and Wayne in tenth. In 7th grade, I was humiliated to discover that my friend had written "Steph G luvs Nate G" all over the teen room at our army base's rec room (what was that place called, Mo?)- it took foreeeeeeeeeeever to live that one down.

14. I have been to James Bond Island, ridden an elephant, and eaten banana pancakes while watching the sun rise over the ocean in Thailand. I have also ridden a bus with pigs riding in the baggage area below, paid waaaaay too much for a seafood dinner, and visited a hospital in Macau. All of these adventures were with two girls I met in Yulin... ;-)

15. My mom was my Girl Scout troop leader for several years (thanks, mom!) and once, we made an oven out of cardboard and aluminum foil to bake things while at GS Camp! The thing I recall more than anything, though, was laying on the floor of our tent and making hand puppets in the flashlight shadows.

16. In junior high and high school, I sang in numerous choirs, took private lessons, and even went to State a few times. I miss singing so much that I now force my friends to play Rock Band as much as possible!

17. In fourth grade, I met a deaf girl named Stacey who taught me sign language. I lost my fluency when we moved away, but took classes in college and volunteered at the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind. Eventually, I became an ASL interpreter two two boys and dreamed of becoming a teacher for the deaf, but eventually decided I wasn't fluent enough in ASL (Looking back, I believe I was being too hard on myself).

18. I have two younger brothers, and while I wouldn't say we're close at this point in our lives, they were very important to me growing up. We moved a lot- being Army brats- and often relied on each other while getting to know our new surroundings. All three of us are very different in many ways, but I love them deeply for that common experience.

19. While living in South Korea, my mother signed me up to visit orphanages with the church group. We would go and feed little babies and toddlers who had been abandoned because of disabilities such as cleft lip and spina bifida. The level of poverty and the kindness of the workers made a very deep impression on me.

20. I have broken the baby toe on my left foot twice: once, walking into a lifeguard stand by a pool while trying to convince a camp kid to get out of the pool, and once on my night stand while stumbling around at 5am talking to a Borders supervisor about how they needed me to pick up milk. Both jobs required walking and standing, so the toe has healed twisted and at an angle.

21. My favorite Halloween costume of all time: I took two small squares of astro turf, duct taped the edges, added straps to make a sandwich board like sign. Guess what I was? "The grass is always greener on the other side!" HA!

22. While visiting Colorado, Karen 'forced' our little group go to a thrift store... and we got bored. Dan threw a dog toy knitted in the shape of a chicken at my head, and the rest is history. That chicken became a long standing gag, and has since traveled to London and Costa Rica. I have no idea where he is now...

23. In China I discovered Japanese "dofu" which is a uniquely textured egg tofu that is usually cooked with meat and vegetables. I promptly fell to eating it two or three (or seven) times a week. Upon my return to the states, I couldn't find this dish anywhere, and only recently discovered a hole in the wall that will make it for me. No one, not even Heather (who lived in China), finds this dofu in the least appetizing- while I would eat it every single day if I could.

24. I used to get SO MAD that Jo wouldn't marry Laurie in Little Women! I just couldn't understand how anyone could like Amy nearly as much as Jo. Now, when I read it, Jo kinda irritates me and I think Amy's progression as a person is quite beautiful. I wonder now how I can relate so much more to the character of Amy, but I'm glad, because it makes me like the book a lot more.

25. Before I adopted my lab/German shepherd named Otis, I wanted an English pointer for two reasons: 1. They're beautiful! and 2. I saw one sitting obediently (and slothfully) next to his owner's feet, and the owner told me the breed doesn't like to run and can be extremely lazy. I thought this would be the perfect dog for me... but now I know that Otis is.