25 Random Things

Did this on Facebook, so I'll do it here, too:

1. I was born in Manhattan, KS - my parents were both students at K-State at the time. My parents divorced when I was 4, and then my mom & I moved to Austin to be near my uncle & nana - they both still live here, too.
2. I haven't spent a lot of time with my dad (in Kansas), but when we are together people say we have the same facial expressions & mannerisms. My mom has also told me that over the years.
3. My dad & step-mom have 3 kids: Robbie, Evan & Lizzy. I regret that I don't know them better than I do, and wish I had the same relationship they have with my dad.
4. When I was 10 years old I introduced my mom to a man that would become my step-dad 2 years later. They're still married, and have 2 kids: Jaye & Katie. I became Catholic as an adult to be spiritually closer to my step-dad.
5. My grandfather committed suicide when I was in high school. He was an alcoholic.
6. There are few things I despise more than folding laundry & unloading the dishwasher.
7. Two things that make me the happiest: giggling children and frolicking dogs.
8. I have broken both of my feet, exactly one year apart.
9. In high school, I placed in the top 5 for a solo dance I performed in a national competition. I wish that I had auditioned for the Kilgore Rangerettes just to see if I would have made the team. I had no desire to actually attend Kilgore because I really wanted to go to UT (which I did).
10. I don't color my hair, but have had greedy hairdressers tell me I should.
11. I love squirrels, and I think it's mostly because that was what my dad called me when I was a kid. He also called me "Shorence" because so many people would ask if "Shorey" was short for something (people still ask that & no, it's not). The story is that "Shorey" was a childhood crush/girlfriend of my dad's, but my mom didn't know it at the time.
12. I've never been married, but I was proposed to once. He was in jail when he asked me. He was an idiot.
13. I have an affinity for poppies, especially red ones. My GrandMaggie & Grandpa Les owned a gift store when I was a kid called Poppies. I loved to visit the store because I would always get toys. I spent hours watching GrandMaggie make floral arrangements & wrap gifts, both things I love to do today. The sight of poppies always makes me think of those grandparents, the store and all sorts of memories.
14. I am taking a painting class to learn how to paint. I love original paintings and figure either I'll find out that I have some talent, or it will just teach me to appreciate more fully all the paintings I already own. I'm loving it...my best painting so far is of, you guessed it, a squirrel.
15. When my sister, Jaye, was in college and was pledging the same sorority that I had been in, I surprised her at the pinning ceremony and gave her my pin.
16. I keep a dog leash, pet food, water bowl, and pet carrier in my car at all times in case I find an animal that needs to be rescued. These items have all come in handy many times.
17. My favorite song of all time is Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'"
18. My nose always runs when I eat - doesn't matter what I'm eating and it's not related to spicy foods. Etiquette indicates you're not supposed to touch your face or anywhere from the neck up when dining, but I can't have my nose drip in my plate!! I get this from Nana.
19. My eyes always water when it's cold and/or windy. People often ask me if I'm crying, but I'm not (unless I've also been punched in the face or something really painful). I get this from my mom.
20. I've traveled to Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Bali, Malta, New Zealand, Cape Town, Dublin, Glasgow, London, Germany, Turkey, Greece, New Zealand, Taiwan, Cayman Islands, Singapore, Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Sweden, and Belgium, and all across the US. I used to keep postcards from every city I'd traveled to, but the box of them was getting out of hand. I've lived in Manhattan (Kansas), Austin, Malta, Dallas, St. Louis, NY (during 9/11), and now I'm back in Austin again.
21. I almost drowned while scuba diving in the Dominican Republic. I didn't have a dive buddy, so was relying on the dive master. Shortly after he swam off, I had equipment failures. It took every ounce of strength I had to not completely break down once I was rescued and got on the dive boat. Sometimes if I drum up that memory it haunts me for days and I can't sleep.
22. My first concert was the Bee Gees and I went with my Nana. My second concert was Duran Duran when I was 13 and I got shut out by two friends I was supposed to go with to the concert. At the last minute they changed plans because they had VIP passes to meet them at the Austin Hyatt, got autographed t-shirts, and front row tickets and didn't tell me - I found out when I saw them at the concert getting a shout-out by Simon LeBon. I was so hurt, and it still irks me to this day.
23. A poem was written for me about my name then published when I was a little girl, and I can still recite it.
24. I am incredibly sentimental, and am sometimes frustrated that others are not.
25. My great-grandmother, from the time I can first remember, was frail and full of cancer, and I miss her terribly. I wish I could still talk to her. If I think about her too much, it will make me cry. I often wonder what she would think of me today, if she would be proud that I am finally happy in my own skin.