33 Things

Because I am procrastinating my last two weeks' worth of projects, papers, lessons, and more, I thought I would blog for fun. I don't have many, if any, real secrets in my life, and even if you don't know everything about me, not much will surprise you. I'm nevertheless going to try to find 33 things about me that you may or may not know about me:

1. I used to really love television, and part of me still does--which is one of the reasons I'm grateful we don't have cable, or I'd waste even more time than I already do. I'm not ashamed to admit that I love "Psych" and "Monk." I'm a little ashamed to admit that I love "The Office."

2. I'm not technologically savvy. While I love blogging upon occasion and facebooking, checking email, etc., and I LOVE Microsoft Office 2010, I would have no idea what to do if my computer didn't do what I wanted it to do, except to cry. I've learned a lot in my last seven or so years of college, enough to put me at an advantage in the workplace, but that's about it.

3. I love teaching. It's not just something I do, it's a part of who I am, and I enjoy every minute of my schooling and my job, even if I have no idea what I'm doing half the time. I'm finally seeing myself in that position, as a professional equal to other teachers I work with.

4. My favorite cocoa is Stephen's, which we faithfully ship out here once a year in mass quantities. I love the Orange Creme and the Mint Chocolate Truffle the best.

5. I'm terrified about finding a teaching job around here...I don't know how to get the job, just how to do it!

6. I hated the color pink growing up. My parents painted my bedroom a bright pepto-bismol pink and I covered almost all of it up with New Era posters and comic strips. I also hated flowers. Anything girly at all pretty much I hated. Now I'm pretty darn girly. I want to have a flower business on the side and I had pink as one of my wedding colors. Go figure. :)

7. I want to learn lots of languages in my lifetime, but especially Japanese, Spanish, and French.

8. I never liked video games growing up, but I played sports and outdoor games a lot. I now LOVE the Wii that Paul bought me because it's something I can do, injury and all, to relive my childhood.

9. I'm a pretty good speller. I didn't know how valuable a commodity this was, especially in education, until last year when we had a spelling bee in my literacy class. Wow.

10. I really do love to write, and wish I had more time to do it for fun. I have dreams of being published someday. (Another side business, on top of the flowers...yeah, I'm gonna be a busy woman!)

11. I want at least 5 kids. So does Paul, so that's lucky. :) But I'm terrified of the kind of mom I'll be...I only recently came to the conclusion that I would be happy if I got a surprise pregnancy right now. But I'm NOT, and I'm okay with that for now. :)

12. I love puppets.

13. I love karaoke!!! A lot a lot. I love that I have a karaoke machine so that I can host karaoke parties to my heart's content.

14. I'm not an awful singer, but I don't have a pretty voice. I've got a great sense of pitch, but I'm more of a choir girl than a soloist. :)

15. Before I ever dated my husband, I tried setting him up constantly with a good friend of mine who was in love with him.

16. Actually, long before that, I was supposed to go on a date with Paul as part of a ward activity--but because I was the activity chair and our activity involved a scavenger hunt, I had to be at the church so I passed him off to the friend mentioned above, which started the whole crazy thing off. Guess the Lord works in mysterious ways! If you had told me then that I was passing off my husband to another woman, I'd have never believed you!

17. The three countries I want to visit most in this world are Japan, France, and the Philippines. Other countries are cool, too. :)

18. I really, really want to go on a cruise before I die. Something about paying a flat rate for all-you-can-eat buffets and entertainment, plus getting to see the OCEAN!

19. I can't wait to serve a mission with Paul.

20. I need light like I need air. Being in rooms that are half-dark or dimly lit gives me headaches and makes me kinda crabby.

21. I was taught how to play chess this semester by some first and second graders, and now it's one of my favorite games to play! I get really excited when I beat the computer. Paul & I bought a small hand-carved set at the Feast this year that will be traveling with us on all our adventures together. :)

22. I love to read, and while I've always been a realistic fiction kinda girl, I've lately been really into historical fiction, science fiction, and fantasy. I feel my horizons broadening even as we speak!

23. I love Oldies music the best, followed by instrumental and then some Asian pop. There will always be a special place in my heart for John Denver.

24. I love planning events, especially if I don't have to be a big part of it. I could be an event planner professionally. I love themed birthday parties and I get really into the planning stages of almost everything.

25. I am learning how to play the guitar (slowly but surely), and I have enough chords down to play 5 folk songs, 3 J-pop songs, 1 John Denver hit, and about 25 Christmas songs. :)

26. If I were a car part, I'd be the steering wheel. If I were the button on a keyboard, I'd be the "control." If I were a button on a remote control, I'd be "power." Get the point? :)

27. I have an intense fear of failure, which keeps me from doing lots of things I would love to do. I'm working on that. I don't know that I ever learned how to fail gracefully. It's something I try to help my students learn early so that they have a better life.

28. I haven't thrown up since I was 9 years old.

29. I don't particularly like roller coasters, but I'd be willing to give them a second chance.

30. There are LOTS of things I want to learn how to do in life--I just love to learn and I really love the creative process. The four things I want to explore more in the immediate future are ModPodge, stained glass, glass etching, and woodburning. Someday I want to learn how to do cakes, photography, quilting, and paper making, too. People I know are going to get sick of all the handmade presents, but oh well. :)

31. I really like my in-laws. They're as crazy as my own family, and they have been nothing but kind to me. I could've had it SO much worse, and I'm grateful that they have let me into their small, tight-knit world.

32. If I had to describe myself as an animal, I'd want to say a horse because they're beautiful, strong, majestic, wild...but I'd probably, if forced to be honest, say something like a platypus...kinda odd and funny-looking and average but still interesting enough to want around.

33. I'm addicted to chocolate milk. Dean's. It literally flows through my veins.

Okay, that's all, folks. For now, anyway. I spent long enough trying to think of those, I've gotta go rest my brain now. :)