25 Random Things

Over on Facebook there's a meme going around that I swore I wouldn't do, but I guess the joke's on me. My dear friend Colleen tagged me this morning, so I bowed to the peer pressure and did it.

To be nice, I'm not going to tag anyone here. You can thank me anytime.

Rules: Once you have been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you!

1. I procrastinate by writing on Little Merry Sunshine.

2. I don't believe in randomness, but that everything happens for a very logical reason. I can't always explain the reasons, but everything happens for a reason.

3. I tend to get stuck in my head where the world is logical and in order.

4. Math was my favorite subject in high school. In fact, I loved it so much, I graduated with 6 or 7 years worth of math credits. Yes, I graduated in 4 years.

5. Ironically, it was my love of math that made me continue to take math courses in college until I took that one high level course with all the math majors and I failed it. Yep, I got an F.

6. Failing Multivariable Calculus was the best thing that ever happened to me. Ever. I learned that I didn't always have to be the best at everything, that risk taking was okay, and how to get up and dust myself off.

7. I always wish I was more touchy-feely, but I'm not. Sometimes I can be, but it's not usually my first instinct. Maybe that's changing as I get older though.

8. I almost gave Betsey and Ross back to their original owner because I was scared I couldn't handle the responsibility of pets. I'm so glad I didn't.

9. I'm blonde and frequently make dumb mistakes (raise your hand if you wore your non-prescription sunglasses for 3 hours indoors today before noticing like I did!).

10. My favorite snack is white grapefruit from Florida. It must be fresh, not in a jar. And definitely not the ruby red grapefruit. Ick.

11. I love that in the last year I've rekindled some really important relationships in my life, but there's one I still miss. A lot.

12. It always makes me sad when I have to let someone go from my life. Even if it's for the right reasons.

13. I hate eggs.

14. Ever since the tuna croissant incident in college, I have a very difficult time even looking at tuna.

15. It is my most fervent belief that the Cubs will win the World Series in my lifetime.

16. Family is far more important to me than I let on.

17. I love country music, but most of my friends pretend not to know this.

18. One of the happiest nights of my life was Election Night 2008.

19. It is really difficult for me to take credit for my accomplishments. I'd always rather let others bask in the recognition, but I have two good friends who loved me enough to show me the error of my ways.

20. I love peppermint ice cream and yellow tulips.

21. I've only been in love once.

22. My favorite spot in the world is a secluded beach where I can just be quiet.

23. It took me a long time to feel like I'd found MY place in Chicago and it wasn't just the place I grew up and where many of my family members are located. I think I've reached that place.

24. I believe in that eternal wisdom of the Rolling Stones: We can't always get what we want, but if we try sometimes, we might find, we get what we need.

25. Jimmy Buffett taught me to swear.

26. BONUS: 9 years later, I still miss my hair stylist in DC. He was the best there ever was and ever will be. The first time I walked in he asked how I wanted my hair done and I couldn't describe it, but I wanted a relatively radical change. I sat down in the chair and he got to work. When I left, it was the exact style I had in my mind and had been unable to describe. He's still there though, so go see him: Christopher Rosenthal at Salon Nuance.

I Didn't Get Rich . . .

This whole George Carlin 7 Dirty Words routine reminded me of a funny story from when I was about 5, so I thought I'd share it this morning in hopes that you'd all think it was funny too.

When I was growing up, Jimmy Buffett was constantly on the record player (and for you kids who aren't familiar with these machines, click here) because my mom was an original Parrothead, not to be confused with a Deadhead. Jimmy's music is very singable, even for a 4 or 5 year old. One of my favorite albums then, and now, was A1A, which was released in 1974, when I was 3. We played it over and over and over again. And, of course, being the brilliant child that I was, I memorized all the lyrics.

One of the songs on A1A is called Door Number Three and is about this guy who is trying to make it big and believes his "whole world lies waiting behind Door Number Three" on Let's Make A Deal. He gets himself on the show and loses big. Crushed, after the show, he's walking backstage when he sees Monty Hall and says "No I didn't get rich you son of a bitch, I'll be back just wait and see." Of all the songs on A1A, Door Number Three was my favorite. I'm not quite sure why, given that A1A is full of Buffett classics - "Makin Music for Money," "Stories We Could Tell," "Life is Just A Tire Swing," and "A Pirate Looks At Forty" to name just a few.

But I LOVED this song. And I ran around the neighborhood singing it at the top of my lungs - especially that famous line "I didn't get rich you son of a bitch, I'll be back just wait and see!" I guess I have always been an optimist and believed that no matter what, I would always succeed, even if it took multiple tries.

Needless to say, my mother wasn't exactly pleased and as soon as she discovered that I was running around the neighborhood doing my best Jimmy Buffett impression, she informed me in no uncertain terms that we were no longer going to be listening to A1A and I couldn't sing that song. Something about dirty words in the song. I don't know, but I can't find ANY of the lyrics from "Door Number Three" on the list.