Top Ten: Things You Might Not Know About Me

So, I’m not a big confessional type person. I talk a lot about my kids, some about my work, and some about myself. But there are a lot of things that most people don’t know about me, and today I feel like sharing.

1. I won first place in the 50 yard dash when I was in elementary school. I remember the day pretty clearly because my mother’s cousin, Pat, met us at the school in time for the awards ceremony. She was, to me, super glamorous, and I thought she was so neat. I had no idea. None.

2. I have a sister. I only rarely mention her because she does not have an online presence and would prefer not to have one. I can respect that, but I don’t think it violates her trust to say that she exists.

3. I can play the piano. Not super well, but I can play. One of my long range plans/dreams is to buy a piano.

4. I used to decorate cakes on a fairly regular basis for friends and events. I even made a wedding cake once. I would never (NEVER) do that again.

5. I cry at the drop of a freaking hat. Always have. Commercials. Sad stories. Happy stories.

6. I laugh at inappropriate times. Like, say, my grandmother’s funeral. Yeah, that was fun. Or my aunt’s funeral. The cousin I mentioned above was very mad at me because I sat with her dad and we told jokes during the viewing. I was probably 12 or 13.

7. I collect dolls. Specifically Madame Alexander dolls. I have, um, a large number of them. My grandmother started me collecting them when I was in third or fourth grade. I used to get two or three a year.

8. I have a horrific fear of drowning. To the point that I am now afraid to put my face in water. This makes swimming a bit of a challenge. I intend to take swimming lessons in May (even though I know how to swim; I have to overcome the fear, and I think that’s a safe way to do it).

9. I have a horrible track record for starting projects and not finishing them. I also buy more material than I could use in ten lifetimes. Stashes are a big thing for me and I have a lot of them.

10. I can keep an extremely calm head in a crisis for someone who cries as easily as I do. I can be perfectly calm and work through a whole list of things that need to be done, get through whatever has to be gotten through, and then fall apart later, sometimes much later.

And a bonus one:

11. If I could do anything in the world, I would take pictures and write stories.

Now that you know about me, go check out the other great posts at Amanda’s blog. There’s always a lot to learn and a lot to see there.