Seven Things...Plus or Minus About 93 Others
Monday, April 07, 2008
Anyone still there?
*Blink* *Blink*
It's me. I've been gone a good, long while. I spent the past eight weeks trying -- unfortunatlely, unsuccessfully -- to retain Justice Butler on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. It was a typical campaign stint: crazy-long hours, not enough time to do what needs doing, no sleep, hardly a moment to spare for any sort of workout, only sporadic email checking, and absolutely zero time to keep up on what's going on in the blogosphere. But it was one of the most amazingly satisfying jobs that I've ever had. I just wish the outcome would've been different.
So, now I'm catching up. On sleep. On workouts. On life. And over on xT4's blog, I discovered that I had been tagged.
As luck would have it, I started a "100 Things" list a while back, but never finished or posted it. So, xT4, here is your "seven things," plus or minus about 93 others. And Deebs, In the Lup, Lynn, and Krista...you're it (but feel free to do the short version of "Seven Things" which would be, ummm, seven things about you.)
- I hate wearing socks. Ever. Even in winter. Even on my bike.
- I eat Milk Duds with my popcorn at movies. Tastes like Carmel corn. And I can't see a movie without getting some kind of treat. Otherwise, why go?
- My worst jobs ever were (in no particular order): temping for a trucking company doing manifest entry, working at Victoria's Secret (having just acquired not one, but two, graduate degrees), and doing "public relations" for an health savings account company.
- I enjoyed my gigs as a waitress. No lie.
- I'm secretly fascinated by tornadoes. I want to see one in real life. In the same vein, one of my favorite things to watch is "Storm Stories" on the Weather Channel.
- I have never balanced a checkbook. Wouldn't know how if I tried.
- I'm compulsive about hand cream. If my hands aren't lotioned they feel like sandpaper and the feeling gives me the willies. During the Ironman, and my other long training days, I'd spit on them to make them feel lotioned.
- I once stopped seeing a perfectly nice guy because he wore white socks with deck shoes. Ditto for another who said the word, "drinky-poo." Yet, I stayed with at least two boyfriends who had cheated on me.
- After one of the cheaters broke my heart, my mom got me the book, The Rules. I read it and then promptly chucked it. Even at 16, I knew better.
- I used to be a serious nail-biter. I'm in remission.
- Elmo makes me laugh in spite of myself.
- I was once mistaken for Alyssa Milano.
- I like animals better than people. And I think puppies are cuter than babies.
- I believe in ghosts. And they scare me.
- My dogs sleep with me. I like it that way.
- I have a Master of Arts degree in Composition Pedagogy and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Fiction. I also have a completed novel manuscript ready to send out as soon as I sit down and make final edits to it. So far, it's been in this state for well over a year.
- One of the hardest things for me is to make a decision. It's a "skill" I've actively been working on learning.
- I feel as though I've mostly avoided therapy because of my horses and my running shoes.
- That said, I don't understand why skinny people run. If I was a size 2 and could eat anything I wanted, running would likely not be something I'd choose to do with my free time.
- I eat pretty much anything, and love to eat. The exceptions are mushrooms (most of the time), mussels, and clams. This is also why I run.
- I hate when the food on my plate touches. And I don't mix foods. That means no seafood in my pasta, even though I love both seafood and pasta.
- When I was nine I told my pediatrician that I wanted to be a jockey. He laughed and told me to start thinking basketball. I was one of the tallest people in my class until 8th grade, when I quit growing altogether. I maxed out at 5'2".
- I hold the misguided opinion that the more my jeans cost, the better they'll look. Bop loves me.
- I'm anally neat. My CD's are alphabetized, my books grouped according to genre and author, and my sweaters and shirts sorted by color. I loathe knick-nacks. If it doesn't have a function, it's not on my shelf.
- I don't drink milk straight-up. Ever.
- I have the best family anyone could ever ask for. Seriously.
- My ideal night is curling up with my dogs on the couch in front of a fire with a great book and even better glass of wine. Second-most ideal night is throwing a dinner party for a few close friends.
- Crowds, cocktail parties, and meeting new people stress me out.
- I did the South Beach Diet once with great success. But after two weeks of no lattes and no wine, I was a raging bitch.
- I hate Halloween.
- I can't spell to save my life, but I'm a grammar nazi.
- On that note, I secretly love diagramming sentences.
- The sound of Styrofoam nearly brings me to my knees.
- My favorite movie of all time is Top Gun. Coincidentally, as late as my junior year in high school, I wanted to attend the Air Force Academy...partially to be a fighter pilot, and partially to ski for their alpine team. When it appeared that I wouldn't be able to do either, I changed my mind.
- I'm scared of flying.
- I completely blew out both of my knees in high school, one year after the next. My knees have seen five surgeries between them. The resulting scars are ugly, and I love them.
- I'm not self-conscious enough to have ever been really, truly embarrassed.
- I hate nylons and will wear them only if absolutely necessary, and only if they're black or navy blue. Tan-colored hose gross me out. Come to think of it, so does the word, "hose."
- My sister often affectionately refers to me as the "dumbest smart person she knows." I often tend to agree with her.
- I'm deathly afraid of spiders. But they fascinate me at the same time, with all of their legs and eyes.
- The feel of dirt on my hands also gives me the willies. This is why I don't garden. But I do have a horse, and time spent at the barn is usually supplemented with frequent hand-washing.
- This and the lotioning thing makes me sound borderline compulsive. I'm not. I just like clean and conditioned hands.
- When I was a toddler, I cracked my forehead open right down the middle as the result of a temper tantrum when my parents refused to take me to the "big park" down the street. The resulting scar has become a lifelong symbol of my intense temper.
- There are few things I love more than reading. If there is a version of alcoholism as it relates to book consumption, I have it. I can't go into Barnes and Noble without buying at least one.
- I love wine. Really, really love it. Even more than chocolate. And it's not about the resulting buzz; it's about the taste. The way it coats your tongue and mouth and warms you from the inside out. I look forward to every glass...to what tastes I might discover in it.
- A Starbucks latte is second behind wine. Fourbucks makes my coffee taste the same way, every day, and that's why I love it.
- If I could survive on only lattes and wine, I would.
- Oh, and maybe soup, too. I will eat soup anytime, in any weather.
- I don't eat salad unless I absolutely have to.
- Except for Taco Bell's taco salad.
- I love Taco Bell in general and am not ashamed of it. Most of the time.
- I could easily go days -- if not weeks -- without turning the television on, were it not for my need to know what the weather is like when I wake up so I can plan my outfit for the day.
- The day I had to put my dog, Lewis, down was the worst day of my life, hands down.
- This and this were two of the best. As was this...although it didn't seem so at the time, and it's not a day I want to repeat anytime soon, if ever.
- I have never asked for anyone's autograph, and never would, no matter how famous the person is.
- I hate doing touristy things, ever. In any city. I'd rather sit at a cafe and people watch, or somehow immerse myself in the culture in other ways.
- I don't much care for flowers.
- I've often flirted with the idea of becoming a vegetarian, and I'm slowly losing my taste for chicken. But a huge, juicy steak once in a while? LOVE it. So, the vegetarian thing, probably kind of a pipe dream.
- I won't eat fruit or vegetables that come in a can. Ditto for tuna. But I love all of them in their natural state.
- I'm not certain I want to have kids, but if I do, they won't have a TV or computer in their rooms, and I won't buy them any kind of video games.
- But I will make them cupcakes to take to school for treat days, and will not force them to eat tofu (sorry mom).
- I'm actually a pretty fun person, #61 aside.
- I love looking at real estate. Even when I have a place to live. Even when I couldn't afford a new place if I wanted one. The market fascinates me...as do the decorating choices some people make.
- I don't buy chips or cookies. If I want a snack, I make it from scratch (usually oatmeal chocolate chip cookies). This happens next-to-never. Therefore, I almost never snack.
- My sister's hip bones are at the approximate height of my boobs. I've long resented her for this.
- But she's my best friend. Ever.
- I qualified my horse for the World Championships in two different events...once. I made the semi-finals in Junior Hunter Hack. My goal is to go back and win it -- or one of the other over fences classes -- eventually.
- My new horse's registered name was "In the Pocket" when I got him. But his Dad's name is "Natural Iron." So, after Ironman Wisconsin (too superstitious to do it before), we petitioned to have his name changed. He's now, "The Ironman," and he's pitch black. How cool is that?
- I'd like to learn (or learn about) the following in no particular order: violin, photography, web design stuff, to sing, ballet*, piano*, *golf, the stock market/investing...I doubt I will do any. (*took lessons a long, long time ago, but am terrible).
- There's not a day that passes that I don't wish I was a musician of some sort.
- I'm okay with being a word person, though.
- The first concert I ever saw was Richard Marx. My sister and I used to fall asleep listening to him every night. You can laugh now (But it was free!).
- I went to six proms in high school. Four of them were miserable.
- I am a Yooper -- born and raised in the Upper Peninsual of Michigan. Almost my whole family is still there. That place is rural as all get-out (and people there often say things like "all get-out"), but there is a beauty and magic to it that is hard to describe. I'm incredibly proud to call that place home.
- I always said I'd never get married in Iron Mountain, my hometown. Guess where the wedding will be? Yup! Iron Mountain, baby.
- I worry about money constantly. But I do nothing to attempt spending less or even managing what I have better. I am working on this.
- I look and feel better with a tan.
- I swear too much. But I don't try to stop.
- I'm jealous of skinny people. Not just Hollywood-skinny-people -- I harbor twinges of resentment for anyone whose fat jeans are a size 26. Irrationally, I believe their lives must be easier for not having to worry about their weight.
- I've never been overweight, but have always felt like I am.
- I like what I do for a living, but am now thinking of the next phase of my life and how I really want to spend the 40+ hours of the week dedicated to my job.
- If I could do anything I'd be a full-time writer/author.
- My back is constantly itchy, and in need of cracking.
- The only bone I've ever broken is my tailbone. Oh, and I cracked my nose a wee bit once too.
- I wanted to make the US Ski Team. I didn't.
- But they sent me an invite to their development camp when I was a freshman in high school, and I made the Junior Olympics twice in all four disciplines -- downhill, super G, GS, and slalom.
- I still regret quitting skiing after high school.
- I buy US Weekly on a regular basis.
- I don't like beer, and will only drink it if I have to. The exception is a cold beer on a hot summer day -- the beauty of which mom imparted to me.
- I don't follow sports.
- I have no favorite color. Not because I can't choose, but because I just don't.
- I have no favorite book or song or artist or band. Because I can't choose. I just can't.
- I hope to someday qualify for Boston. I'm willing to do it through "aging up."
- I think most people are generally good. The exception is anyone who treats another -- anyone -- as less-than. Waitstaff, counter help, employees, etc... I have no patience for that kind of behavior.
- Patience is a virtue I have very, very little of in general. Unless it's with one of my dogs.
- My sister is one of the most patient, kindest people I've ever met. When angry or impatient, or in tough situations with others, I spend most of my time thinking, WWLD (What Would Lindsey Do?)
- In college I majored in Religious Studies and English, after toying with majors in psychology, statistics, French, and pre-veterinary.
- After that series of changes, my parents took me to the Johnson-O'Connor institute for aptitude testing. They told me I had an affinity for languages, that I should be either a psychologist (my mom's former profession) or a lawyer (my dad's profession), but to stay the hell away from anything requiring dexterity...like performing surgeries on poor, unsuspecting animals.
- I have lived in only two states my entire life -- Michigan and Wisconsin -- with only brief, temporary moves to Washington, D.C. (six months -- for an immersion program in journalism) and New Jersey (yes, really) (one month -- for The Ex).
- With respect to life lessons, 2007 was one of the most heartbreaking-challenging and amazing years of my life, all at the same time.
Posted by Erin 9:26 AM
Labels: Miscellaneous
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Nice to have you back -
13& 15. A given for me :-)
40. Nothing scares me more of spiders. I have panic attacks around them. It's not normal.
53. I followed the link. Your story made me cray, and I instantly went to find Baxter to snuggle with
72. Richard Marx OR Tiffany was my first concert.
88. Us Weekly. I recently switched to OK Magazines. There are more pictures!
It's good to love your scars!
I AM WITH YOU ON NUMBER 44!!
Nice list!!
In particular, because they made me laugh I had to mention...
#24 - What other way is there to live?!
#72 - OMG, me too!