25 Random Things about Me

There's a meme going around, where you write 25 random things about yourself, and then tag 25 other people to do it. Nobody tagged me, but I'm doing it anyway, because I'll never turn down a blog entry topic. I think the idea behind this is so that other people learn things about you that they didn't know, but I found that I learned some things about myself too. You should try it.

1. I went to Japan on a school exchange when I was 14. I was horribly homesick the entire time, and went through a rather severe case of culture shock, but I still don’t regret going.

2. I love history as much or more as I do politics. Which, seeing as I have my master’s in political science, is saying something.

3. My first real job was shilling discount cards by phone in Abbottsford. We worked out of a skeezy hotel room with a kitchen table and some MacGyvered phone jacks, and I hated every minute of it, but I met some cool people.

4. I once went to court to testify against someone who robbed the 7-11 I worked at. They only stole some food and a pack of smokes, but I’m certain they would have actually held us up if other people hadn’t kept coming in and interrupting their attempted robbery. I feel grateful that nothing worse happened.

5. I would like to live outside of Alberta. I’ve lived all over this province, but I would like to try living outside it.

6. Until Grade 9, I used to get A’s in math class. Then I got screwed when they assigned a French teacher to teach math, and she had no clue what she was doing. I got frustrated and gave up, and have done poorly in math ever since. It makes me sad.

7. When I was in London (England, as opposed to Ontario), I had an very eerie experience, where I recognized places I had never been before, and knew streets and buildings before I saw them. I felt an absolutely inexplicable connection to that city, and I want to go back so that I can explore it further.

8. In junior high, I played the trombone, and I loved it. I would like to take it up again, but I don’t really see that happening.

9. There is only one person (non-relative) in my life with whom I have had regular contact since I was a little kid, say 4 or 5 years old. I would value her friendship for no other reason but that, but, lucky me, she is also funny and honest and loving. I love you, Linda.

10. I remember the name of every boy I had a crush on during my school years, starting with David, who I told my mother I was going to marry after the first day of kindergarten, because we both had freckles, and ends with Todd, a guy whom I crushed on throughout high school, and never spoke to. I can tell you the rest too, if you like.

11. I like my freckles. They give some colour to my pasty face, and they hide blemishes like nobody’s business.

12. I love the TV show M*A*S*H*. When I was a kid, it was on after school, and I remember watching it all the time. They are now showing it again on the History channel, and you know what – it really weathers well. I suspect it may be a classic.

13. I was once a part of a church that probably fits the definition of a cult. There were good and bad things about the experience, but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone else.

14. I’m addicted to public radio – CBC Radio 1. I don’t like the idea of having the TV on all day with BabyA at home, so I listen to the radio instead. It helps me feel connected to the world outside my house, and keeps me entertained.

15. Facebook has made me realize that I’m a little bit of a narcissist. I have a tendency to check if other people have commented on my photos, or left me notes, but not do the same for other people. So I’ve decided to try to change that. This is, I think, part of my larger commitment to stay in touch with people I care about this year.

16. I can knit and do cross-stitch, but I haven’t in a long time, partly because I’m easily distracted, and partly because I think I have carpal tunnel syndrome, and they make my wrists hurt and my fingers tingle.

17. Growing up, I was happy to grow up in a household unaffected by divorce. As an adult, I’m happy to be in a divorced family, because both of my parents are happier now, and my dad has a new wife who is kind-hearted and loves us.

18. I love digital cameras. They enable an amateur photographer like me to take a million shots, means I get the one-in-a-million shots too.


19. I believe that if something is meant to happen, it will.

20. The curl in my hair is natural, but the colour isn’t. I’m not totally sure what my natural colour is anymore.

21. I’m lucky enough to be friends with my family – both immediate and extended.

22. I believe in God, but I’m skeptical about organized religions.

23. I love gardening, and I love cooking, but both activities are at their most enjoyable when carried out in conjunction.

24. I’m the opposite of a music snob – I don’t really want to say music whore, so maybe I’ll say a music democrat. I’ll listen to anything, from the Dixie Chicks to the Ramones, to Rufus Wainwright, to (ok, I’m being brave here) the Jonas Brothers. I’ll listen to anything with a good lyrical hook and a catchy tune. I do, however, know the difference between something catchy I can groove to while I’m driving or typing, and really great music that I forces me to stop, listen, and respond. If you want to know who’s always on my Ipod, that would be Sarah McLaughlin, Jann Arden, Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé, and Frank Sinatra. So apparently, it helps to be Canadian or dead.

25. I’m a nerd in any number of ways. I love science in all its forms, and I hope to pass that love on to my daughter. I’m also a nerd because of my grad degree. Anyone with a grad degree is at least a bit of a nerd, simple as that.

So know you know a little bit more about me. And so do I.

P.S. Here's my GiST tidbit for the day. Today, I am happy for onions. They make almost every dish taste better.