On things that make me, me....

I've done these kinds of things before so it's not like this is new or different. However, it's Friday and I have nothing terribly interesting to write about (yet) so this is the best I can do right now.

Ten Random Facts About Me

1. My parents have effectively scarred me for life. "How?" you ask. I'll tell you. When I was 17, the movie SCREAM came out. My parents knew that I wanted to see it, but basically forbade me from watching it. The logic was sound. I have a really overactive imagination and they knew what seeing that movie would do to me. But being the normal teenager that I was, I watched it with a bunch of girl friends one summer evening. My parents found out. How? Because my brother, who was 12 at the time and had recently become interested in art (I have no idea why), wanted to be The Scream by Edvard Munch for Halloween. So my dad, not yet knowing I'd seen the movie, took my brother to buy his costume. My brother modeled for us one late-September evening and I lost my shit. From then on, my parents and siblings made it their goal to scare the hell out of me with that mask (often including chef's knives in their antics), day and night. Now, almost 15 years later, they can still get me with that damned mask.

2. Growing up, we didn't have a lot of the same backyard toys that most kids did. We lived in the 'burbs, but on the out-skirts, on two acres of land with a giant chicken coop, horse stalls, a rabbit hutch, a pond, and a garden twice the size of the backyards most of my friends had. We also had a giant teeter-totter (it was something like 10-feet long, made from a giant tree my dad had to cut down), a merry-go-round that tried to kill us, a rickety swing set that wasn't cemented into the ground, a grape arbor, and, well, the ditch. But among the weirdest things we found entertainment in would have to be the dirt hill and "the rock shop." The dirt was from digging out the pond. We'd take our bikes (or sleds, depending on our mood) to the top and ride down. That dirt hill was bigger than what most East Coasters ski on. The Rock Shop takes way too much time to explain. Suffice it to say, when you live on a dirt road with a ditch in front, you spend a lot of time finding quartz and washing it off in the ditch water.

3. Roadkill fascinates me. I'm not quite sure where the fascination comes from. But when I'm on roadtrips, I've been known to stop the car to take pictures. I have yet to see a dead armadillo, but I've seen my fair share of deer, elk, and skunks.

4. The feeling of hot pavement under my feet puts me in one of the best moods. It's no secret that I love summer. And while most people who love summer enjoy the feeling of cool grass or an easy breeze, I much prefer hot pavement. This probably stems from a lot of things. Growing up on a dirt road, I got quite used to wandering about the property in bare feet. The rocks and sticks and weeds never really bothered me until very recently (though I still prefer to be barefoot in the summer). My feet tend to stay cold all the time, so hot pavement always warmed them up quite nicely. There's also the small matter of some of the best nights of my teenage years spent with friends, laying on driveways on hot summer nights, watching the stars and laughing till we cried.

5. I love to sing a solid solo number, really I do. But given the option, I'd much rather rock the harmonies. Maybe that stems from being a first soprano my entire life and being subjected to the melody in virtually every choral arrangement ever written. I don't know. What I do know is that there is something absolutely magical about finding the perfect harmony to the perfect song. I especially love when the harmonies take me somewhere unexpected, into a minor key or a 2nd step (the most dreaded of harmonies) or hearing a moment of absolute pleasure, knowing you've found what you've been looking for the entire time.

6. I have come to be known as a bit of a mother-figure among my group of friends. This has apparently stemmed from making sure there are always photos taken of only the best parts of the evening, and also being able to ensure that no one gets arrested...which has never even come close to happening. More than that, it's because I roll up to any good party with red gatorade in hand.

7. I am a beer snob to the n-th degree. I cut my teeth on Guinness and ever since then, I've been very very picky about the kind of beer I consume. I realize that I'm incredibly lucky to live in a state with as many micro-breweries as Colorado has. My "designer beer" habit has probably cost me more than any of my designer bags or shoes. That said, if there's an option to have a PBR, either on tap or (preferrably) in a can, it's a pretty solid bet that's what I'll go with. Especially if it's only $2! I mean, PBR is an award-winning beer, after all!

8. In keeping with the edible snobbery theme, I can be somewhat choosy about food. I love going out to eat...doing the fine-dining thing is something I've come to love and appreciate. In fact, I'd almost rather eat out than make something on my own (though I do love a good home-cooked meal, don't get me wrong). As with other things in life, why do for myself what someone else can do for me? There are so many amazing restaurants and styles of food to try! And while I kind of can't get enough of fine dining, I have certain "comfort foods" that I recognize are pretty disgusting: Totino's Party Pizzas, Taco Bell, Peeps, those sugar-coated fruit slice things...I've even been known to open a can of black beans, heat 'em up, and go to town. Honestly, if it came down to a $40 steak and frittes or a frozen cheese pizza, I'd probably have to take some time to think.

9. I love surprises more than just about anything. I love being surprised and I love doing the surprising. But without a doubt, one of my favorite surprises are "just because" flowers. I know that ordering flowers can be pretty pricy so when I get flowers delivered to me, out of nowhere, for no reason at all, I nearly come out of my skin! I can be having the worst day/week/whatever, but the second I see flowers -- chosen JUST for me -- everything turns around. It's hard to have a bad day when you have your own personal bit of sunshine staring you down!

10. I love the rain. Just not when the weather is cold. This past Wednesday marked for me one of the worst days I've ever had since discovering that I have SAD. It was 55*F and raining, often in sheets. I cried from about 7a until well past midnight that day (for a lot of reasons, but it was all compounded by the crappy weather). What a world of difference 20* can make...if it had been 75*F or warmer and raining in sheets, I'd have probably taken to the streets for some puddle jumping, dancing, general shenanigans! And while it's probably not entirely safe, I do enjoy sitting outside during a good lightning storm. Summer storms are my favorites...feeling the hot, muggy day melt away underneath fresh, delicious water just makes me happy. Watching a storm roll in over the mountains, feeling the first drops on my forehead, slipping around in my flip-flops...it's hard to beat.