Fifty-seven

In honor of my birthday- yes I’m 57!- I’m going to tell you fifty-seven things about me that you might not know, and may wish in a few minutes that you didn’t know! LOL But hey, it’s my blog and my birthday! These were written on different days at different times over the course of a week. So, in no particular order:

1. I was born in Madera, California on February 20, 1950 at 3:20pm.
2. My aunt once told me I was the ugliest baby she ever saw. (11 pounds, 2 oz.)
3. One of my earliest (2+) memories is of my father driving recklessly and my grandmother yelling at him. I was in a car accident as an infant, and later in three auto accidents as an adult. (Not counting hitting critters.)
4. I hate and refuse to eat liver, hominy, oysters, turnips, and pork rinds.
5. I don’t really like, but will occasionally eat white gravy, black-eyed peas, Spam, bacon, mashed potatoes, and mustard greens.
6. I have eaten snails, alligator, bear, squirrel, quail, dove, raw fish, goat, grape leaves, goose liver pate, caviar, and a few other strange things. Some, like the bear, were NOT eaten intentionally. I have a few relatives who think “surprise” foods are entertaining!
7. I have ugly feet. Really. I’ve broken four toes, two of them twice. One is still crooked. I inherited stubby little toes. My heels are always dry and cracked. I have a scar along one ankle and if you look closely (who would want to!) you can see the screws underneath the skin. Just an explanation for those of you who wonder why I NEVER wear sandals except at home.
8. I can cut almost anything from a blank piece of paper if I can visualize it in my mind. I don’t have to draw it first. I can take a blank piece of paper and cut a rabbit from it and my students think I’m “magic”. I’m pretty darned good at paper dolls too!
9. When I was a little girl I wanted to be an artist, but my dad informed me that “You can’t make a living at that.”
10. When I was in junior high I wanted to be a model. Then my peers kindly pointed out that I had a “Bob Hope” nose and I was short, short, short. Thanks guys!
11. When I was in high school I wanted to be an architect. Then a friend reminded me that I was terrible at math.
12. When I grew up I decided to become the teacher who would tell students they can be anything they want to be if they stop listening to everyone else!
13. I am morbidly afraid of open fires, yet I tolerate one in my living room. Lots of traumatic events behind my fear. My brother fell into a fire when we were children. I caught my hair on fire while trying to light an oven when I was about ten. My gggrandmother died in a fire. My cousin was badly burned by a heater.
14. I never wear panty hose. Ever. Don’t even own any. Invented by a man to torture women!
15. I love sailing! We used to own a sailboat and I’ve also been on a few others. Such a wonderful feeling.
16. I’ve traveled by truck, train, ferry, and airplane. Never been on a glider, helicopter, or hot air balloon. Might try the helicopter, but a definite “no” on the other two.
17. I get sick when I’m on the second floor of most buildings because I can feel vibrations in the floor. Especially bad on mezzanines in large department stores.
18. I once drove from California to Oklahoma with three children, two cats, and a dog. And I was hauling a trailer and had two flats!
19. I don’t like to enter buildings that don’t have windows.
20. I seldom wear pink, purple, or yellow.
21. I HATE to be LATE.
22. I have no sense of direction. None. Zilch. It takes me ten minutes of concentration to determine north and south in a familiar location. If you just dropped me down somewhere I’d never figure it out!
23. I once made an “F” in an art class. (I was sick and failed to drop the course.)
24. I’ve had red, brown, black, blond, and very blond hair. 
25. I once modeled in a hair show.
26. I’ve visited 38 states and lived in CA, TX, OK, and IA. I want to see the rest of the USA!
27. I took real estate classes for a while and dreamed of being one of those “million dollar club” real estate agents. Unfortunately I kept falling asleep in class and had to drop it.
28. I’ve had lunch with Anne Rice. (Yes, the vampire one.)
29. I’ve been two feet from Alex Haley, but I was afraid to introduce myself. I just stood by and listened to him talk to someone else.
30. I’ve ridden in a race car on the track at Willow Springs, CA.
31. I’ve driven my Chevy Blazer on the track (slowly) at Laguna Seca.
32. I worked as a proofreader for an advertising company where I learned such essentials as the difference between “ketchup” and “catsup”.
33. I worked for several years as a typesetter.
34. I can sew. I used to sew really well. I made clothes, and dolls, upholstered furniture. I even made a coat. Haven’t sewed anything besides a button in several years.
35. I’ve watched an emergency tracheotomy.
36. I’ve watched someone die.
37. I studied nursing but couldn’t cut it in the anatomy class.
38. I love cats, tolerate dogs.
39. I love movies. My favorite movie of all time is “Hatari”. I don’t know why.
40. I love to read mysteries, science fiction, historical romances, and “self help” books.
41. I love to study the Old Testament.
42. I’m not a very active person even though I used to hike, run, and dance.
43. I love dancing, but haven’t danced in years. Always wanted to take a ballroom dancing class.
44. Gardening is my favorite pastime.
45. I’d like to take a sculpting class.
46. I’ve been to a casino, but I can’t understand the appeal of gambling.
47. I’ve climbed a mountain to 11,000 feet and I’ve visited Carlsbad Caverns.
48. I love to swim.
49. I love to sing.
50. I could spend a whole day reading.
51. I love to read history, especially if it’s about people, not just events.
52. I hate to shop, especially for clothes.
53. I can’t drive a car with a standard transmission. Yes, I’ve tried…and tried…and tried.
54. I have a cell phone but I only use it about once every three months.
55. I have very few regrets, but I have at least a dozen things I still want to accomplish before I die.
56. I’ve written a novel, but I’m very lazy and I get distracted, and so I haven’t finished editing it. Haven’t mailed it out to any agents. Haven’t even looked at it since last summer.
57. Corresponding with distant friends and family is one of my favorite treats. Just don’t have time to do it often enough. That’s one of the reasons for my blog.

Comments

[katrina]

awesome list. I'll have to comment in more detail later...but for now,

Happy Birthday!!

[tracy]

friend of Katrina's from high school . . . and I did a similar thing last Friday. I posted 35 things about me for my 35th birthday, and managed to make it my 35th post as well. congratulations on a great list, and hope you get those other things done that you want! Happy birthday to you!

[Roman]

Happy Birthday!

[Roman]

Happy Birthday!

[kelly edgerton]

GREAT LIST! Happy, happy birthday to you. Today is my mom's birthday too! How cool that Katrina's mom and my mom share the same special day. Just one more reason that I think you are so great! Enjoy your day. You deserve everything nice and wonderful.