8.13.2008

And in the center ring... it's Thursday Thirteen

Step right up, y'all and take a look at today's featured attraction. Little known facts will be shared... some interesting, some shocking, some downright embarrassing.

So grab some cotton candy, put down your sparklers and be prepared to be dazzled with the brilliance that is... ME!

(Stop laughing and enjoy, 'kay...)

1. I’m a second generation native Floridian on both the maternal and paternal sides. Yes, we do exist. I’m proud of my state, weird as it may be, and as much as I bitch and moan about the heat and lack of seasons, I cannot imagine living anywhere else. (I’m also a third generation graduate of the University of Florida...GO GATORS!!!)

2. I hate snakes. Snakes are the debil -- just read Genesis and the story of Adam and Eve in case you had any doubts. Can’t even stand to see them on TV, much less in person. Needless to say, I don’t watch a lot of Animal Planet. Will sings a little song about picking up baby bumblebees/puppy dogs/kitty cats/etc. His favorite verse is about the baby rattlesnake, which he sings over and over, complete with the Ssssssss sound effects. Who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor...

3. I’m not a big fan of chocolate. I don’t dislike it, but I also don’t go out of my way to find it -- no chocoholic tendencies here. Now, caramel and/or pralines are a complete other story... a praline from Aunt Sally’s in New Orleans is a little bit of heaven as far as I’m concerned.

4. I can’t drive a stick shift. I have a recurring nightmare in which there’s some sort of emergency and I’m the only one who can drive to safety and the only vehicle available is a stick. I also have a recurring nightmare about trying to drop a class in college before the drop period ends and not being able to find the administration building. Thank goodness the two scenarios have never collided into one Super Nightmare. Yet.

5. I have never seen one single episode of Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I’m the only person I know who can make this claim, by the way.

6. I didn’t see snow in earnest until I was 35 years old. (See fun fact #1 for a logical explanation of this.) I’d seen the fake stuff on some ski excursions to NC in my youth and there are photos of me as a toddler, posing with my parents next to a patch of snow in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But see drifts and drifts of the powdery stuff -- not until just a few years ago. I did it right, though -- in Park City, Utah. That was totally some serious snow. And I loved it. Although I quickly discovered that I’m better at apres ski then actual skiing. One day of lessons. It wasn’t pretty.

7. I would rather speak in front of a group of 100+ people than go to a cocktail party where I know only one or two people. Public speaking = love and thrive. Small talk = terrifying and paralyzing. I have been known to decline invitations to great parties because of this. Help...

8. My happy place is my kitchen. I love to cook and read about cooking and think about cooking. My home library has well over 100 cookbooks. I would never want to be a professional chef or caterer, though. I’m content being a fairly proficient home cook, thank you very much. Although I do wish my knife skills were better...

9. I’ve never broken a bone, never had the chicken pox or other such afflictions and still have my tonsils. Quite the medical marvel, aren’t I?

10. I’ve not seem my natural hair color in 15 years. Underneath the colorworks on my lovely locks, I’m probably 60-75 percent grey. Yep. Premature greying runs in the family -- just not ready to go there yet.

11. I almost failed kindergarten because I couldn’t tie my shoes. Seriously.

12. I took piano lessons for 10 years. You’d never know it now, because I didn’t keep up with it, but for a while there, I was pretty darn mediocre. My double-jointed pinky was a real issue, as it kinked up after playing for longer than 20 minutes. However, I can still read music pretty well and can plunk out a tune one-handed, which comes in handy with the Choir Urchins (sidebar fun fact: I direct the 4 & 5 year old choir at my church. Most challenging -- and rewarding -- 45 minutes of my week. Just you wait for the stories...)

13. I won money betting on sporting events -- when I was in middle school. Used to throw my lunch coin into the ring with the boys for the World Series and Super Bowl pools. Did OK with the baseball -- GO REDS! -- but got creamed when it came to football. Stupid Vikings. Damn Raiders. Haven’t bet on sports since.

But I am thinking about doing the Fantasy Football thing, if I can find some cohorts in crime who are interested... hint!

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was raised in Fl left 33 years ago for college--USC...yep I'm a Trojan and never returned...I enjoy visiting from Nov. - Apr.
I love pralines and cream ice cream...yum yum.
Fellow TT Participant

My Busy Life said...

I hate snakes too! I live in Michigan, we usually only see those ugly gartner (sp?) snakes, but boy do they make me yell! I just don't like them.

Jen said...

I'm totally with you on 8 and 11.

Danielle said...

Very interesting tidbits. My eldest is 7 and they still haven't seen snow.

Happy TT!

Wishing you and yours health, balance and joy.

Danielle
Modern Musings' Thursday Thirteen 02

Marissa said...

Chocolate? meh, take it or leave it.

Snakes? Meh, take 'em or leave 'em unless they cross my path and I notice the markings are that of a copperhead.

Snow? Midwest born and bred.

Admit to seeing much of 90210, Melrose Place until Marcia whatsherface got all crazy, Buffy? More episodes than I care to admit to seeing. Something about vampires is a real turn on.

"I can tie my own shoes!" is my go to phrase when I feel awkward or just at a loss for something to say.

Anonymous said...

Okay, we have a lot in common.I am a native Floridian, but only my mother is a native, and her mother as well. I feel the same about chocolate. i can take it or leave it. I enjoy it if I have it, but don't HAVE to have it. I also really like caramel. Will take caramel or chocolate anyday! No stick shift here either. I know the basics, but have never been able to do it. Yet another thing, You have now met one other person who has never seen any of the shows you mentioned. I had to think really hard about that because I remember seeing previews, but never an episode. I was a little younger when I saw snow. I was 27. It did snow in FL when I was 2, but I have no recollection of it except for pics my mom has of my brother and his TINY snowman. Also took piano lessons. My mother was a piano teacher, but she couldn't teach us, she would get too mad, so our great aunt taught us. Sorry my comment was so long. See ya on the plurkside!

bronsont said...

Commented earlier, but got it lost some how. Apologize if they both turn up, but recomment here.

LOL, but I've got #11 beat! I was expelled from kindergarten. Took a pair of garden shears to the bunny's ears to make him look like the cat. Traumatized the whole school, but that was middle Tennessee in the 50's.

Anonymous said...

Snakes are the WORST!!!!

I havent seen snow properly yet either!

Nice TT!

Anonymous said...

Great list CJ! #2, 7, & 10 - me too! Plurk you soon!

XOXOXOXO

Ruprecht said...

*sigh*

Sucked in again:

"5. I have never seen one single episode of Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I’m the only person I know who can make this claim, by the way."

I'll give this one a go:

Like cj, Rupe's never, ever seen an episode of Melrose Place or Buffy (believe it or don't) .....

But Rupe's proudest claim to ignorance is ....

..... wait for it .....

..... it's comin' .....

..... ready or not, here goes .....

..................... Rupe's never viewed a single episode of Seinfeld.

What a loser. And proud of it .....

.............................................. (puffy shirtless) Ruprecht

Anonymous said...

I'm there on #7. I'd rather gouge my eyes out than go to most parties. I guess I don't like meeting new people... in person.

#5. I've seen all of those shows. *sad sigh*

#11. WTF. I hate it when a kid's intellect is judged based on one skill. This shit happens all the time: "You're 5-year-old might be able to read college material, but he still wets the bed and can't tie his shoes." WTF. Yea, let's hold him back academically b/c he can't tie his shoes.

Great list. Thanks.

Malcolm said...

Your fact about not being able to tie your shoes in kindergarten reminded me that I had a similar problem at that age. Although I couldn't tie my shoes the conventional way, I did come up with a suitable workaround (kinda hard to describe in writing though).

As popular as fantasy football is, you shouldn't have a problem joining a league or forming your own. :-)

XX said...

OHNO. Please do not open the box coming your way. I just mailed you a snake and a box of Goobers (I had some extra cash and thought every cool chick liked a good snake and a box of chocolate covered peanuts, my bad).
I've never seen CSI (OH,KS,NYC,FL,HI, or any of the other states), Law and Order, or any of those shows for the thinking criminal.

Lisa said...

#10 - Amen sister! Natural color is so overrated anyway....

And I will be happy to come hang out in your Happy Place, provided you can provide the eats. No need for it to be special and fancy, I prefer good old home cooking any day!

Happy TT!

Arlene said...

I hate snakes too, I am not a huge fan of chocolate, and I live in california so we do not have a lot of snow here.

~RaenWa~ said...

Great list I have to say I have never seen an episode of any of those shows either I never have been a really big tv fan Happy TT

Miss Janey said...

Well, you now know (at least via blog) one other person who has "never seen one single episode of Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place or Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

Miss J is also a Florida native, tho her peeps are from WV.

And like Citizen Jane, Miss J got grays early.