I was tagged by my friend Paula at American Koukla for this one. It's simple--list six random facts about myself.
1. Like most people from my fifth grade class, I can recite the entire list of US Presidents in chronological order. We learned it by singing a song of all the names. We would stay in at recess and sing and sing and sing until we knew the whole thing by heart. I think the song was called Presidents' Rock or something. I've tried to find it, but had no luck.
The song was catchy, and I don't think I'll ever forget it (at least the Presidents part--the little intro ditty and bridge have escaped me). Being able to recite the Presidents is a great little party trick. (At which party, I'm not sure. Probably one where the other guest would have an appreciation for a someone able to recite the first 100 digits of pi.)
The sad thing is that I really didn't know much about any of them until I got a lot older and started reading biographies.... Still. It impresses Ada to no end that I can do that. Now if I could just start memorizing pi.
2. I can change the oil on a commercial diesel truck.
Me, in the junior high years.
3. When I was in junior high, I lied about having a two-story house to a few kids at school because I was embarrassed that my family was relatively poor. By my faulty logic, I had put associated two-storied homes with wealth. And I had associated wealth with happiness. In junior high, I felt like I was on the wrong side of both of those, so I lied. After I told that lie, I worried that someone would find out and call me on it, but none of the kids I tried to impress ever came to my neighborhood. I now live in a two story home, which we built ourselves. Sometimes I think I've tried to overcompensate...
4. I am drawn to read the backs of shampoo bottles and cosmetics when I am showering or getting ready for my day. I know what each says, as I've read it a million times, but I read it again anyway, almost every time. I am a little touched in the head with OCD, I think.
5. In high school, we moved to a new house, and I got a new room. During this time, I went through a phase in which my entire room had to match--the wallpaper was white stripes with pink and blue squares, my lamps were matching shades of pink and blue, and the striped Marimekko bedspread reflected exactly the stripes of the wallpaper. I hung empty, white acrylic frames on the wall, around an all-white, non numbered clock from Crate and Barrel. As often as I could, I would wear pink or blue pajamas that matched the color of the lamps and squares. Did I mention I might be a bit touched by OCD? I'm actually a lot better since those years. More nights than not, even my pj tops and bottoms don't match.
6. I have small feet. While I can wear a small women's shoe (a 5 or 6), I can also fit into a larger kid's shoe. Each summer Ada and I get a few pairs of matching sandals or clogs from a store like Payless. It's very fun to go out and about with our matching shoes. Ada's now looking forward to the fast-approaching day when she can share my shoes--she's got her eye on a lovely pair of hand beaded kitten heels in blue (also my favorite shoes!).
Now the tag part: Honestly, I don't know enough bloggers well enough to tag them for this--the ones to whom I would passed this along have already done it. So I will tag any of you who chooses to answer in your blog or in your comments below. I hope you take me up on it. I wish someone had tagged me sooner--this was fun!
1. Impressive. I could use to do some pi tricks. I love pi as it my birthday. I call my birthday pi day.
ReplyDelete2. Really impressive.
3. In the area you grew up in there does to be a lot of emphasis on size and location. Even in Lake Bluff everyone wanted to know if we were on the West or East side. We were on the "prestigious East" side. I swear that is how every realtor described it. Silliness.
4. When I am stressed I sometimes have to go back and check to see if I locked my car and house( sometimes twice or even three times).
5. I had a floor to ceiling matchy-matchy pink and green Laura Ashley dream room, including a canopy bed.
6. My feet are double your size. I wear a 9.5 or 10.
Hi Kirie
ReplyDeleteYour achievements are impressive - I had forgotten that you learned to change oil in the trucks. You neglected to mention your scaling and pinboning skills - did you fillet as well? Or your language skills - you have such a good ear.
Daddy says that by the way, we have 8 trucks in need of an oil change - where are you?
This is such a cute picture of you - I would love a copy.
Love, Mom
You did the best job with this meme that I've seen on any blog. Have you checked YouTube for that President song? I'd love to find it to learn them myself! You sure were a bright and darling junior high school girl.
ReplyDeleteSix about me:
1. I knew all the third grade songs when I was in second grade because our doors were left open and I sat in the back row of my classroom by the open door. Unfortunately, their music hour was our arithmetic hour. Although I passed on to third grade I was really behind in math and didn't catch up until my deficiencies were recognized by my fifth grade teacher (who wouldn't pass me if I didn't catch up with my class).
2. One of my favorite things to do is to reconcile our bank statement. Go figure!
3. Because of blogging I (who am childless) now have a son, who lives in the Philippines. His mother walked out on the family when he was young. Last year, after sharing communication, he asked me to be his mom.
4. I love cats so much I could cry.
5. My high school boyfriend became a doctor. I later had relationships with two lawyers. My first marriage was to a law student. My husband is a CPA.
6. My favorite food is Indian food. My least favorite foods are German food and barbeque.
I love learning bits and pieces of other bloggers through these kinds of posts.
ReplyDeleteI have little feet, too, and often buy kids' shoes.
Ooh, this is so fun! And we have yet something else in common. Here are my six facts -->
ReplyDelete1. I, too, can recite the Presidents! I don't know the song but am dying to hear it; I learned cuz my dad knows them, and I have to do what my dad does. Cuz I do. To know that someone else can do this pleases me to no end. Several years ago, I was in a training class with "the best and the brightest" that my company had to offer, and no one could name the president before Reagan. Ugh. I'm now teaching my 4-yo the Presidents. He can get to #20 without help. But he's now rebelling and won't learn the rest. Hmm.
2. I can also name all 50 states in alphatebical order thanks to a song we learned in 4th grade called "Fifty Nifty United States" (hear it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_HeLofy7IE, tho I don't knwo that last verse). Now, the capitals I've always had a hard time memorizing.
3. I went bungee jumping when I was 21 as part of a story when I was a reporter in college. My news director had to fight the administration to get them to let me do it (insurance stuff) and eventually won. I thoguht I was very clever cuz I did this over spring break and "scooped" everyone. Only when I got there I chickened out, started to sob in the cage, and screamed my head off all the way down. One of the worst experiences of my life, and am now very prickly about heights as a result. Total idiot.
4. I have met and worked directly with nearly every Star Trek actor across four of the five series during STar Trek conventions I worked. There is one that would probably remember my name; the rest, you're just a blip on their radar. Most of them are very nice. Some of them are very not.
5. My father's a judge.
6. I live for Halloween and, in fact, the entrie month of October. It is my very favorite day of the year. I would give up every birthday and every Christmukkah and every Passover/Easter to get my Halloween. We used to have a big bash every year and just started it up again for the first time since Matty was born. I think I may ahve been a witch in a former life. No really.
Belle: Great list! A pi birthday--love that! Numbers are such fun to play with--though I'm not very good at it, admittedly.
ReplyDeleteI envy your shoe size, if only because it means that you are tall, girl! My feet match my height--which means I am on the short side of short. And while I used to be "petite," the extra pounds show up WAAAY faster on frame like mine.
Thanks for doing the list, dear Belle.
xo
Not-so-little old Kirie
Mom, you are my biggest fan. Thanks for being impressed at my little feats.
ReplyDeleteI regret to inform you that I have hung up my wrench and formally retired from the changing of oil and the wearing of coveralls. The scent of diesel in my hair clashes too much with my latest perfume. Sorry!
Just kidding. Sorry I'm not there to help. Get one of those stellar employees to give you a hand...you and Daddy should NOT be sliding on creepers under the trucks anymore.
XO
Kirie
Lydia, I love your list! Thanks for playing. I, too, love cats so much I could cry. Ours are babied in every sense of the word.
ReplyDeleteIt's great that you made such a connection through blogging. I'm finding that the relationships I make here on the blog are incredible.
Great to get to know you, better! Looking forward to more.
xo
Kirie
Lisa, Yea for kids' shoes. They are often sooo much cheaper, so I never feel bad about wearing a pair of kids sandals into the sand at our New England beach, where the sand is on the muddy side of grey.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading!
Kirie
I loved your random facts! I wish I could name all the US Presidents and change the oil on a commercial diesel truck.
ReplyDeleteI lived in a two story house as a kid and I always hated lugging the vacuum cleaner up the stairs to clean the upstairs- I would have so preferred a 1 story house.
I read the backs of shampoo bottles all the time!
My PJ tops and bottoms often don't match now either, and I wish I had smaller feet. :)