11 things

I have been reading these everywhere in the blogging world and decided that I wanted to play along.  Here are 11 things that you may or may not know about me:

1.  I love planning parties.  It is one of my most favorite things to do.  My friend and I have joked about starting our own party-planning company and if I had the time and the money, I think I would actually do it.  We have planned a themed Halloween party every year since Damien and I began dating (the last 5 involved renting a hall).  We've already begun planning Max's next birthday party and will be having a fundraising party this spring for Damien's MS Bike Ride.  I can find any excuse to plan and throw a party!

2.  At our wedding, I did not do a traditional father/daughter dance.  There were many reasons behind deciding not to do one, but towards the end of the night, The Talking Head's Wild Wild Life came on and my dad, cousin and I had an impromptu dance together.  Growing up, he would always take the two of us on little road trips and we always listened to either The Talking Heads, Bob Dylan, The Dead or Meatloaf.  I think that is where my love of music began.  I am so happy to have had that dance with him.

3.  Even though I have been blogging for a few years now, I still get intimidated by the blogging community.  I read a lot of blogs but lately, don't have the time to comment on many of them.  Most times, I feel like an outsider looking in on a world that I really enjoy.  I have found it hard to break through those barriers.  

4.  I teach at the high school from which I graduated.  I graduated in 1997 and after college, my parents divorced so I moved back home to be with my mom.  I kind of fell into the job and have been doing it (and loving it) ever since.

5.  I also live in the town in which I grew up.  When Damien and I decided to buy a house, we agreed that we wanted to be close to our families and friends.  One of my goals in life is to invest time in making this town a better place.  There are good people here and it is an old mill town with so much history and could be a way cooler place to live.

6.  I haven't sat in my own house in watched television in over 3 years.  I just stopped watching it when we bought our house and haven't missed it.  Sure I'll indulge when we are at friends' houses or my mom's but besides watching movies or TV shows on Netflix, TV is just not a part of my life anymore.  (This does cause me to feel really out of touch with pop-culture, a reference made in Julie's 11 Things).

7.  I eat 3 scoops of Teddie Peanut Butter every night before bed.  Now that I am typing this, it seems a little ridiculous but I tend to be a little hungry before bed and in lieu of snacking, I find that peanut butter does the trick.  

8.  I have ridden on a camel in Africa.  That might be my coolest of the 11 things I am sharing.  My friends and I went to Spain in 2002 and decided to take the ferry over to Morocco.  We spent the night in Tangiers and the next morning, while walking down the beach, saw a man with a camel, on a leash.  I can't remember how the whole thing transpired but I ended up on a camel.  There are pictures.  I'll have to find them.

9.  I'm 33 but I feel much younger (I totally agree with you Jen!).  I have 2 older brothers and am just used to feeling younger than other people.  When I tell someone my age, I'm often saying in my head "Really?  No way, that can't be right." In fact, this past October, I forgot how old I was.  It was a little embarrassing for sure.

10.  I am an altruistic person. I fear the world in which we are raising Max.  Beyond the world that we are creating for him, our day to day life, I fear what people are becoming.  Not all people.  But many.   I think that we should be good because it is the right thing to do.  I can't tolerate those who only look out for themselves and their own.  I cry over bigotry and close-mindedness.  I cringe at what we are doing to our environment.  I am constantly amazed at some of the parenting (and lack there of) in my school.  I can only try to do better.

11.  When I was younger, I wanted to be an archeologist.  My best friend and I would spend hours in the woods, looking for buried treasures, or anything buried.  We would clean things out in the stream across from her house.  We would search for fossils, rocks, anything that had a past.  Now as an adult, this love has transformed into wanting to be a picker.  Going into abandoned places, old homes, and sifting through someone's own treasures seems like a dream job to me.

Now here are the questions posted originally in Danielle's blog and reposted by Jen and Julie:

1.  If money, schooling and time were no obstacle, what career would you choose?

Easy, just read numbers 1 or 11 from above!

2.  What's the one thing you look forward to everyday?

The hours of 5-8pm, when I get to spend time with Max and Damien.  

3.  What is your number one, all-time favorite blog?

This is tough.  I'd say any of the ones that are on my What I'm Reading list.

4.  Biggest online pet peeve?

I can't say that I really have one.

5.  What is your all-time favorite book?

I feel like this is constantly changing.  I just finished the "best" book but I think I say that every time I read a book that I like.  This one is up there though.  It is called The Forgotten Garden and is just awesome.  I had to draw (many) family trees and take lots of notes but that just made it all the better.

6.  What would your "last meal" be?

Homemade macaroni and cheese and rice pilaf.

7.  Do you believe in love at first sight?

I'm not sure.  I think there is something to be said about the physical attraction that is felt between two people the first time they see one another.  It's not love, but in the right circumstances, it can lead to love.  There is much more behind love than that first sighting but it can be the spark that starts it all.

8.  What would your ideal Sunday morning consist of?

The whole family sleeping in, like til 8:00.  Beyond that, I don't care what we do.  As long as it is together.

9.  Why do you blog?

I like the creative outlet that is gives me.  I like that I have a place to keep my thoughts, my pictures, the memories of our lives.  It is also nice to be able to share it with others.  I enjoy reading about/getting glimpses into other peoples' lives and I like to think that I am doing to same for others.

10.  If you had to choose one color to wear forever, what would you pick?

I have no idea.  This question makes me anxious.

11.  What is your all-time favorite band?

Radiohead

Ok, so here are the rules:

1.  Post these rules.

2.  Post a photo of yourself and 11 random things

3.  Answer the questions set for you in the original post

4.  Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them

5.  Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you've tagged them

I tag Rebekah from shellblog.  And anyone else who wants to do it.  I fear Max will wake up from his nap soon so no new questions from me.  Just use the ones from above and let me know if you play along too.