Random Silliness: 25 Things About Me

Remember how on Facebook how your friends would post Notes (remember that feature?) and make lists on topics such as 50 concerts you’ve been too, how many states you’ve been too or my personal favorite If You’ve Read More Than 6 Books, You’re Like So Super Smart! I wrote my fair share back in the day but I ran across one I never finished in an old journal. So I thought, eh, why not finish it? So here are 25 Random Facts About Me. (I have a bad feeling that this might get all long and wordy and probably not all that exciting. Apologies, I guess.)

1 . I love filling out forms. Like seriously, filling in the blanks is so satisfying.

2. My first album was Sonny and Cher Live! that I got for my 3rd birthday from my family. The first album I bought for myself was Olivia Newton John’s Greatest Hits, though my first 45rpm was Rick Springfield’s Don’t Talk to Strangers. In 6th grade I bought my first rock album, Quiet Riot’s Mental Health. I guess it was all uphill (or downhill) from there.

3. I have swinophobia. Yes, I am terrified of pigs. My heart races, and I panic if I come face to face with one. I think it’s such a stupidly weird phobia to have and I laugh about it, but the fear is real.

4. I never went to my High School Prom or any of the reunions.

5. I have 12,445 songs in my music library, but this does not include anything on vinyl. My taste in music is pretty eclectic but most of my music is from various rock genres, the blues and folk music.

6. The smell of olives makes me nauseous.

7. I have dyslexia (and a few other specific learning disabilities). It’s not something that bothers me any longer but when I was younger it was very bad. So bad in fact that my 1st grade teacher told my Mom not to worry about college for me because it was likely I’d never learn to read well enough to even graduate high school. (Nice, huh?) Well I did graduate high school, and I have two BA degrees as well as a Master’s degree. I can read just fine, probably better than most people. Maybe I sound like an egotistical jerk-face right now, but you know what? I worked very hard to overcome my obstacles so a little bragging isn’t amiss. I do feel that my struggles has given me an unique perspective that benefit my students.

8. I absolutely hate being told that I can’t do something. Example: My high school counselor said that I wouldn’t do well in a certain class that I wanted to take, because “you know, that’s a college prep class”. Oh really lady? “And where to you think I’m going?” I replied full of indigent anger. I took the class anyway and I got a great grade.

9. I absolutely hate a dirty bathroom. The rest of the house might be a total wreck but my potty room is squeaky clean.

10. I once sat front row center for a Weird Al Yankovic concert. I purchased the ticket the day of the show too. Also, I could have met Al just before the show. It’s actually an amusing story.

11. I go to a lot of events alone. Movies, concerts, etc. It didn’t used to be that way and I’m not really sure why its that way now but it really doesn’t bother me all that much. I guess I don’t have to share my popcorn.

12. The song Wildfire still makes me cry.

13. I remember making the decision to be an artist when I was in 3rd grade. However I really got into computer programing in high school and I almost went in that direction.

14. Pain medication doesn’t work on me like normal people. (Think Novocain, epidurals). Found that out when I went in for the c-section I needed when my daughter was born. That was so much fun! Yay me!

15. I love the smell of vinegar.

16. The first time I saw Star Wars I was 6. My folks took us girls to see it in the drive-in theater. I thought it was the greatest thing ever and I’ve been a fan ever since. I have just about every action figure released from the 90’s through the early 2000’s, though none of my vintage figures survived childhood.

17. I find abandoned buildings interesting. In particular urban spaces, like malls. There are some really good people who explore these “dead” malls and post them on YouTube: Retail Archeology and This is Dan Bell being my favorites. I kind of doubt that I would go exploring any of these abandoned malls myself but I could watch these guys for hours.

18. I once broke my hand in a mosh pit. Ok, so it was only a hairline fracture near the palm of my hand, but still!

19. I’ve only had two speeding tickets in my life, and one of them was a warning (so that doesn’t count, right?). I’ve only been in one accident. My Caravelle was totaled.

20. As a kid my Mom took us to meet Darth Vader at a local store (from my understanding it was David Prowse dressed up in costume). He was escorted into area by 4 stormtroopers and lots of security of the human sort. I remember being scared, thinking he was going to force choke me. I was 6.

21. I’ve lived in a lot of places. My folks moved us 4 times growing up. (It wasn’t any fun because being the new kid sucks). (Waukee, IA to Sioux City, Iowa to Worthington, MN to St. Joesph, MO to Austin, MN.) I’ve moved several times on my own as an adult for jobs (Henderson, MN, Caledonia, MN, and Mankato, MN). If we include the times I moved away for college we’d add two more towns for that. That makes 10 places I’ve lived. Sometimes I wonder if I’d not have been so insecure and shy if we hadn’t have moved so much growing up.

22. I’m superstitious, as in I believe in ghosts, spirits or whatever you want to call them. I’ve seen and experienced too many things in my grandparents house that really have no realistic explanation.

23. Can’t watch horror movies. Why? See #22.

24. I like video games, but I’m not very good at them. The exception being MMORPGs (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games), such as Everquest and WOW. On Everquest I played a high level wood elf druid and a dark elf necromancer. I feel like the best days for these kind of games is over and its been many years since I played one, however I miss playing them.

25. My favorite painting is Large Blue Horses by Franz Marc. My favorite artist is probably Vincent Van Gogh. He achieved so much in so little time and while he received almost zero recognition when he was alive he kept pushing on.

So there are 25 possibly random things about me. Kudos for you to making it to the end of this silly list.

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