There is this a meme going around Facebook where folks are sharing 25 Random things about them. For those of us who have been around for awhile, a few years back the thing to do was a "100 Things About Me" post... I think this was even before the word "meme" was invented. Anyhow, I was finally tagged yesterday on it... so in a not terribly inspired move, I went back to my 100 Things post (which I posted right here on this blog on January 1st, 2004!) and pulled out my 25 "best of" ... actually combining some of the 100, since I didn't have to "stretch" it as much.
So for those of you who have been around here for a looooong time, here's a reminder... and for those of you who are newer, here's perhaps a few things you may not know about me!
1. I moved to Arizona in 1990 and age 22. It still surprises me. Not a whole heck of my family budged very far from NJ (likely dating back to arriving at Ellis Island) and it's not generally part of my nature to do such "big" things.
2. The reason I moved to Arizona was to go to Arizona State University for an MBA. Basically I made the decision to attend ASU based on how much I loved AZ (and the weather) while visiting relatives.
3. I am self-employed (9 year anniversary in May) and work out my home. None of my post-ASU jobs ever utilized that MBA degree.
4. Despite incessant begging, I was never allowed to have a pet growing up as a kid. This led to "making up for lost time" when I moved to AZ. In the past 18 years, 6 cats and 3 dogs have been a part of day-to-day life. As of this writing, the count stands at 2 cats and 1 dog.
5. Despite repeatedly watching dog training shows, I remain the "good cop" when it comes to my pets - with their comfort more often than not taking priority over my own.
6. I hated being dragged to my brother's Little League baseball games so much, that I would often (gladly) be sent off to my grandparents for a couple of weeks over the summer. Oddly enough, one of the highlights of my life was attending all 4 home games, and particularly the Game 7 9th inning win for the AZ Diamondbacks in the 2001 World Series.
7. Prior to college, I had never had any topping on a pizza other than sauce and cheese. These days, I'll eat pretty much whatever you can put on a piece of baked bread.
8. My favorite food genre is Mexican... something that I had never experienced until I moved to Arizona (which is retrospect is probably a good thing)
9. I talk to my Mom on the phone at least once a week and, at max, to my Dad perhaps 4 times of the year. We get along fine, just not that big of a talker.
10. With the exception of my Mom, I hate talking on the phone -- or would go as far to say I am phobic about making phone calls, even it's calling up to order pizza.
11. In the 5th grade I was hit by a car while riding a bicycle. I did not sustain any major injuries, other than some bumps and bruises... and remains (knock on wood) the only time I've been in an ambulance and to a hospital (as the "patient").
12. I was a writer/photographer for several years for an online tennis magazine, back when the Internet/Web was a new thing. It was a fantasy come true combining all my true loves (tennis, writing, photography), but after several years of doing it I realized I wasn't "good enough" to do any of it as a job.
13. My childhood dentist did not use Novocaine for fillings (the only time it was used was for a tooth extraction). This lead to a fear of dentists (I remember running out of his chair and out the front door of the office one time), until about a decade ago when I got a lot of work done and now go to the dentist 3x/year for cleanings.
14. The week after I moved to Phoenix, the all-time high temperature of 122 degrees was hit. While that was truly crazy, I still stand my belief that a "dry heat" makes a huge difference.
15. I don't like public restrooms... and I'll just leave it at that.
16. I have needed corrective vision since the 4th Grade... did not get contact lenses until I was a sophomore in college... and these days, wear lenses that I swap out on a monthly basis. I'm not sure I will ever feel comfortable enough to have elective eye surgery (aka LASIK)
17. As of this writing, I have seen 68 *different* musicals. This is largely thanks to having season tickets to the Broadway Across America series. I have become a theater snob of sorts and found that most of the shows really aren't very good.
18. 5 years I had never been a to a foreign country other than Canada (which hardly counts). That count is now up to 5: French Polynesia, England, France, Netherlands, and China. The latter 4 all coming within a 6-month time span in 2008, a year I traveled about 25,000 miles and one that is likely never to be repeated.
19. My recall of 1980s trivia/music is often better than where I put my car keys and other more recent activities.
20. I don't like celery, mushrooms, or olives - but can deal with any of they are either well-cooked, in small pieces, or hidden in a dish (though I don't mind knowing that they're in there).
21. I could not imagine life without TiVo and pretty much refuse to watch "live" television these days... and can be compulsive in trying to figure out how much a show needs to be time-shifted to finish at the same time as the "live" broadcast.
22. A couple of years out of grad school, I found myself with over $30K worth of student loan / credit card debt. Once I made the effort, it took me about 7 years to get out of it and these days I rarely even allow myself to carryover a credit card balance.
23. My first concert was Hall & Oates (I believe 'til Tuesday opened for them) and camped out overnight (only once!) for tickets to Bruce Springsteen's 'Born in the USA' tour (circa 1985).
24. My (undergrad) college graduation ceremony lasted 10 minutes thanks to a torrential downpour. Kinda felt a bit robbed, but had got another chance at a real one at ASU about 6 years later... and despite gorgeous weather, the ASU one was indoors.
25. I love to cook - as long as it for someone other than myself!
