Saturday, January 31, 2009

25 Random Things

So there's this thing going around Facebook that has been really interesting--basically you just make a list of 25 random things about yourself and then "tag" other people to share yours and invite them to write their own and share them back. As much as I LOVE Facebook (certainly another post about that is warranted someday), I don't usually do these kinds of "extras". I'm an addict of the straight up status/wall post/photos variety. But these have been so fun to read and it was more reflective than I would have thought to write my own.

So I'm posting list here and inviting YOU to write your own and post in the comments. And really hoping someone (of the what, 5 of you that even know this exists?) will bite and join in. I'd love to know more about you!

  1. I didn’t like fish of any sort until I was 28 and agreed to try sushi. Now it’s my favorite.
  2. If I could, I would make chewing gum in public illegal.
  3. I'm a complete wimp when it comes to cold weather and use the heated seats in my car almost year round.
  4. I have a 6’ wrought iron Christmas tree that my grandfather made and I keep it in my bedroom with white lights year round.
  5. Being an aunt is my favorite thing in the world. (And I secretly love that they call me Aunt Moose).
  6. I have a “lifetime to-do list” and am determined, among other things, to visit all of the Seven Wonders of the World.
  7. I grew up believing in God, but my life completely changed when I finally “got it” and fell completely in love with Jesus. I wish everyone knew this perfect love.
  8. I threw up at the Great Wall of China.
  9. I wish I’d been more self-aware in high school and college…I think I would have been a much better friend.
  10. I love to play music in my room when I’m home alone and just sing my heart out. This works in the car, too. And maybe on a karaoke stage after a drink or two.
  11. When I was a kid I wanted to grow up to be a Supreme Court Justice. Now I can think of few things that are less appealing.
  12. I love to have fresh flowers in my house. Irises are my favorite—they are just so intricately beautiful.
  13. I didn’t really understand the point of blogging until I recently started.
  14. I am the happiest when I’m outside—especially if I’m at the beach.
  15. I miss my grandfather so much it aches inside.
  16. I've been skydiving once and bungee jumping twice.
  17. I try to live without regrets, but there are a few things that I’d really like a “do over” on.
  18. I volunteer with an amazing organization called I Am Change. Life is so much better when you intentionally try to live beyond yourself.
  19. Facebook should pay me for all of the recruiting I do on their behalf. I’m an addict and LOVE that I’ve been able to reconnect with so many old friends. And hate that some of the hold outs haven’t given in yet.
  20. I think working at Intel gave me ADD.
  21. Despite it all, I’m still a hopeless romantic and want to fall completely, helplessly, passionately in love. I still believe in the “the fairytale”, albeit a slightly different version than I once thought.
  22. My favorite place in the world (so far) is Lake Como, Italy. Spectacularly beautiful.
  23. I actually enjoy blind dates. Well, most of the time.
  24. Some day I’d like to learn how to sail. This will, however, require the development of a variant of Dramamine that doesn’t make me fall asleep.
  25. I eat way too much Easy Mac. Really.

Tag. You're it!

1 comment:

  1. Here's mine...

    1. I like to eat cereal for dinner a lot of the time. I don't have to, I just like it. Cranberry Almond Crunch is my current favorite, but the box is too small and it doesn't last too long. I keep the boxes in the refrigerator, because, when I was in college, I found roaches in a cereal box in the pantry once.

    2. I have had the privilege to work with some of the greatest people in my field of work: World renowned scientists, physicists, and engineers. Truly, it can be said that the greatest ones are also the humblest ones. That's probably true regardless of profession, I think.

    3. I've learned that character is what you do when no one is around to see. My mother and father have been married for 65 years. They both came from broken homes, yet they decided together from the start that they would stay together, no matter what, and raise their children in a Christian home. Two years ago my mom had a debilitating stroke, she's bedridden, cannot speak, and we do not know how much cognitive capability she has left. However, every day, my father travels across town to sit at her bedside. That's character. I want to be like that!

    4. I think people are more important than the event. When you’re with the right people, you could be watching paint dry, and it would still be fun.

    5. I have 5 older brothers, and no sisters. One passed away before I was born, and all the rest made it through college. One is a lawyer, one a PhD, and I have my master’s degree. My parents only graduated from high school. See #3, above.

    6. Growing up, we had 6 chickens, a pet squirrel, pet rabbits, and a pet gerbil than ran loose in the house sometimes. We also had 6 dogs, 2 cats, and who knows what else. We lived in the middle of town. Even the raccoons that came by every night to the front porch got fed. That still happens, btw.

    7. I have had two different black labs in my adult life. My first one Terra, was 4 when she died in my arms at the vet, and I cried like a baby. It took several years before I could think about getting another one. My second one Dixie, is very much alive and well, and I spend as much time together with her as I can. She LOVES it when you throw the tennis ball for her to retrieve : ) A person learns a lot about getting unconditional love when they live alone with a pet.

    8. I just saw the movie Defiance, and now I wonder what I would really do if faced with a life or death situation like that. I hope I would do the right thing.

    9. When I was little my brothers would tease me relentlessly about girls I liked or girls that liked me. So even now, I don't tell them too much about my personal life. It sucks being the youngest, and I blame them for me being an introverted nerd! : ) Actually its probably my fault, because I took all my brothers toys apart to see what was inside. I never put them back together, either. Revenge is SWEET!!! : )

    10. My 7th grade math teacher changed the course of my life. He taught me how to build and fly model airplanes on the weekends, and took the time to teach me how mechanical things work. Because of him, I am an aerospace engineer today. We are still friends and if I ever get married, he will be my best man.

    11. I broke my wrist in 8th grade when I raced Ben Hunley across the gym floor inside. He slowed down, and I didn't, and I smacked the wall hands out. I won : )

    12. I broke my collar bone on a motocross motorcycle, jumping a ditch. I was showing off, and wasn't wearing a helmet either. I remember pushing the bike away from me in the air, and rolling head over heels on the ground 3 times before snapping the bone with my chin. Then I picked up the bike, started it and rode home before collapsing in the front yard. My friend who was riding on the back took me to the hospital. I was 21.

    13. I taught myself to swim about 18 months ago. The furthest I have swum without stopping is 3.3 miles. I'd like to do 6.2 miles (10k) this year.

    14. I think every home should have a piano in it. I have one in my house, but I don't know how to play it. It's there tho in case I ever want to sit down and plink on it.

    15. I don't believe that abortion for convenience is right, because I don't think the baby would choose to end his or her life this way. Society seems to downplay this aspect of it.

    16. My best friend in college cheated on his vector calculus final exam by turning the pages in his book with his feet under the desk. His book, which I have, has footprints still in it from his tennis shoes. He now trains astronauts for a living. Way to go! See ya soon, man : )

    17. One of my favorite movies is still "It's a Wonderful Life". George Bailey never gets a break, but still tries to do the right thing. In the end he finds out that one person can make a difference with a little help from his friends.

    18. I used to sleep in a lot. But I've changed my tune, and now 3 days a week I get up at 4:30 a.m. to exercise. My new motto is "You can sleep all you want when you are dead" because now I feel like I don't want to waste a second of life sleeping it away. Life is too short and there is way to much to do : )

    19. Two years ago, I started working out by taking a bootcamp class at one of the local gyms. When the instructor left the gym to start his own company all of us went with him. I still train with him MWF 3 days a week. That has led me to do 3 triathlons, and my third .5Marathon. Now I have signed up for a Half-Ironman this July. That’s a 1.1mile swim, followed by a 56mile bike ride, followed by a 13.1mile run. WHEW! But thanks Ryan!

    20. Two great books which have shaped my thoughts on relationships are: “Love Must Be Tough” by Dr. James Dobson, and "How to get a Date worth Keeping" by Dr. Henry Cloud. Highly recommended! One idea that's promoted in the second book is to leave people better off by having known you. I like that. They derive their principles from the book of all books, the Bible, which also does a great job describing a very important relationship : )

    21. It really is true that people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. It's funny, but when I see some of my male friends introduce themselves to girls, they immediately start talking about themselves, every time. Wow, if I could give one piece of advice to my friends, it would be take the I's out of your introduction until asked, dude!

    22. I like warm instead of cold, sand instead of snow, and prefer the ocean to the mountains. My two favorite vacations have been to the British Virgin Islands, and to Cozumel. Both vacations were with great friends. See #4 above.

    23. In high school, I found a perfectly preserved sun-dried green turtle about the size of a golfball out on the dirt road in front of our lake house. I strung some thread through his little head where his eyes used to be, and wore it around my neck to school. Everyone thought that it was cool, and we named him Ralf Richardson. We passed him around for different people to wear, and someone stole him a few days later. He kinda stunk a little.

    24. I take my camera with me in the car everywhere I go. I wish I was better at taking pictures. Some people just seem to have a knack for taking really great photos. I tend to leave my camera in the car, along with my cell phone.

    25. Whew - the last one, finally! Let's see, my Dodge Dakota truck has about 130000 miles on it. I could buy a new one, but I just like the one I have. It has a dent on every corner, and probably needs a valve job done to it too. But even so, it's a cool truck. Last year, I pulled my brother's two ton dually together with his trailer out of the mud at deer camp after he got stuck. If you own a home, you should own a truck, or have friends that do. How else are you going to get that stuff home from Home Depot??? : )

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