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Sunday, February 08, 2009

25 Things About Me


This meme is all over Facebook, all over the blogosphere, and I've been tagged enough times that I fear retaliation ifn I don't play nice. Now let's try not to yawn ... maybe you should just skip to the bottom if you're not a speed reader, or haven't had that 2nd cup of coffee yet ... Hey, I know ... who said all 25 things have to be true? Hmmm ... maybe just one little fib, to liven things up a bit.

1. I married my soul mate over 20 years ago. Best decision I ever made. TRUE.

2. I HATE grocery shopping. I hate the bright lights, I hate the huge stores, I hate running around to various stores to get the best prices, I hate the way prices are up one day and down the next, how milk is cheaper at one super-huge supermarket today, but the eggs are cheaper at the discount store just a couple blocks away, and some days the apple juice costs 2.74 and two weeks later it's 4.19, and there can be a dozen employees hanging around the aisle "stocking" (talking to each other about the latest video game) but there's only one lane open, with only one cashier and no bagger and she's ticked off so she's going as slowly as she can and inspecting her nails between each and every item she drags across the scanner as she sighs heavily.

3. I often write very long run-on sentences.

4. I reduce, I re-use, and I recycle, I bring my own grocery bags. I walk to the gym (when the sidewalks are not covered in ice), I try to remember to turn off lights and unplug things, keep the thermostat down even on the coldest nights (there are other ways to keep warm!). I try to teach my boys by example, waste not, want not. But I'm far from perfect ...

5. I drive an SUV. 

6. I've got a long way to go to 25, don't I. 

7. I write in pencil. On paper, even. I mean, sure, I write on the computer a lot. More than I used to, but still, my trusty pencil and notebooks are the old standbys. The ones with the stories, some of which may come in handy someday ... if I could only find them. 

8. I've got no useful filing system. For writing stuff, that is. Except here on the computer, there is some sort of "system". But the stuff in the notebooks? I write, I skip pages, leave room for notes, go on to something else, come back later, only to find I didn't leave enough room, and just flip forward to an empty page and continue. If I like it, and it flows well, and I get a chance, I type it in the computer (editing along the way, of course, till it resembles nothing like what I started). If I get interrupted ...

9. I am easily distracted. Which is just another way of saying I get interrupted a lot. Sometimes I can blame it on my little darlings. Most of the time it's due to shiny objects, like shoes, on zappos.com. Or chocolate. Oh, I need another cup of coffee ...

10. We are a travelling family. Whenever I tell friends we're either going to be heading out of town, or are just back from a trip, the response is always "Again?!" I come by it naturally, my parents took us on summer camping trips, always going someplace new, always looking for a new adventure, and a nice camp fire at the end of the day. While we may do things a little differently, we're still instilling in our children a curiosity about new places, and discovering things together, as a family. And hot tubs.

11. I read too much. I don't know what constitutes too much, just that I passed that point a long time ago. At least that's what I'm told.

12. I'm a terrible housekeeper. Possibly related to #11. or #9. Or maybe I'm just lazy.

13. I work out at the gym every morning. Well, most mornings. So why am I still ... uh, pleasantly plump? Maybe because ...

14. I love food. Pretty much all food. I mean, besides chocolate and coffee. And yet ...

15. I live with, and feed, three men who do not share my love of all things edible and nutritious. It's enough to drive a sane woman batty. Good thing I wasn't sane to begin with.

16. Hey, we're making real progress here! Positive feedback helps me reach my goals.

17. Are you bored yet? Do you really want to keep reading? Cause we can stop anytime, really. Take a short break, come back tomorrow? No? You think there might be some secret to the fountain of youth in here somewhere? Oh that reminds me ... my "RealAge" is 36. Which is nice, since that birthday was quite some time ago. And there ya go ... the fountain of youth must be here somewhere!

18. I really want a Red 1964 Mustang. Fire Engine Red. (but updated with power steering and power brakes, otherwise it's good for nothing but a long straight road)

19. I once played the organ for an audience of over 5,000 people.

20. I like Miley Cyrus. So does the Peanut. 

21. Hannah Montanna makes me laugh (the tv show). ICarly makes me laugh harder. No, you won't find me watching CSI around here. Comedy is King, and so is the Daily Show and Colbert Report. So, I'm not totally shallow. Mythbusters is about as serious as I get.

22. I'm a beach bum at heart. Warm summer sea breezes, blustery November winds, frigid winter wind chills and spring time kite flying ... it's all good at The Cape. But most any beach will do in a pinch, including the sandbox filled with sea shells in our backyard.

23. getting close to the end here PURPLE! sorry, that just slipped out.

24. Family comes first. And that includes my parents and the rest of my family. I kinda like them.

25. We're DONE! I started this list 9 hours and 16 minutes ago. And no fibs, in case you were trying to guess. 

1 comment:

Eric said...

Hi Patti! I thought I had your email address from years ago but I definitely don't have it now. It was a little slow at work so I decided to google around and I ran into you. It wasn't too hard since you've become such a prolific writer! I have three daughters; a college sophomore, a high school sophomore, and my youngest is about your daughter's age I think. She's twelve and in sixth grade. Just wanted to say hi, so take care!
Eric Whitenack