50 Things

1. I think tomatoes are nasty yet ketchup is a necessity.

2. Smart is sexy. Funny is sexier. Talent is necessity.

3. I have gone on dates with at least three men who ended up gay.

4. I have no hometown. If asked, I answer “Erie.”

5. I am less than six degrees from Kevin Bacon.

6. My favorite WDW ride is The Haunted Mansion.

7. I have a fascination with famous murders (the Bordens, Jack the Ripper, etc.).

8. I have a small, select collection of pig-related items. I also collect Campbell Pottery and Belleek at the rate of one or two pieces per year. I haven’t added anything since the kids came along. Too much clutter & too fragile.

9. I have written a novel two novels (doesn’t mean they’re published)

10. I am fascinated by maps and love reading anything from globes to close-ups of my neighborhood at MapQuest or at Google Maps.

11. Crafts I do regularly include: knitting, crochet, scrapbooking, embroidery, cross-stitch, some sewing, decorative painting, stenciling, floral arrangement. I like things that are unusual and not too “crafty” looking. I made my first complete outfit (from a pattern) at age 10 or 11. I learned painting (and sewing) from my mother, who had a ceramics shop in the garage in the late 1970s.

12. If I were a stripper, my stage name would be Ginger Hale and I would only dance to the Stones.

13. Magazines I regularly read are Entertainment Weekly, Cottage Living and Bust (I also subscribe to The Atlantic and Mental Floss). I would rather read some obscure hobby or sports magazine in a waiting room than pick up a copy of People.

14. I have been under general anesthesia three times: wisdom tooth extraction, some kind of gall bladder scope and lap choli. I have had spinal blocks for two Caesarian sections.

15. I never had a nickname until I went online and even then it’s a stretch of the definition of “nickname.”

16. I am adopted. My birthmother found me in April 2006 and we connected in a very positive (and ongoing) way.

17. I am a shameless liberal.

18. I’m an actual soccer mom. Not in the political definition.

19. In the early 80s, I was a “Duranie.”

20. My first job out of college was in the customer service department in a Burdines. I worked there for a year. I became manager of the customer service department after six months and quit six months later.

21. I am fascinated with package tracking.

22. I am a witch.

23. I do not own a turtleneck. Since I got my chin done, I’ve added one or two back into my wardrobe.

24. I have lived in four states and in 27 places.

25. I garden. My favorite way to garden is with bulbs & plant and forget.

26. I am an alumna of Florida State University.

27. I have ridden an elephant.

28. I read in the bathroom. I also read in bed almost every night.

29. If I were to start my own business, I would sell one-of-a-kind handmade items like handbags, jewelry, lip balms, knit goods, etc. or I would open a yarn shop and witchy supply place.

30. I have had letters published in EW and in Mode, a plus size fashion magazine that no longer exists

31. My first job was the equivalent of a coat check girl but at a public pool. I also occasionally worked the concession stand and was known as the Queen of the Graveyard. A Graveyard is a drink made of many or all the available drink choices from a self-serve drink fountain. The key is adding a dash of a flavored soda, like straight cherry or orange.

32. I have touched a giant snake. I don’t remember if it was a boa constrictor or a python. I do not care for snakes. The smaller and skinnier, the worse they are.

33. At parties, I hover around people I know and prefer to blend in.

34. I do not store things under my bed. I now store stuff under the bed.

35. The pet in my life the longest was a Jakey the Jakedog. Second was a black cat named Midnight.

36. I have attended Lutheran and Baptist private schools. Denominations of churches where I have attended services include Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Roman Catholic and Christian Missionary Alliance.

37. My only piercing is my ears (single pierce) and I have no tattoos.

38. I have belonged to NOW and Planned Parenthood. I currently belong to Americans United, which strives to defend the separation of church and state.

39. My favorite movie as a kid was The Wizard of Oz. I acted it out all the time, carrying a little basket full of faux fruit.

40. I have a scar on my eyebrow from running into a marble coffee table when I was a toddler. It’s hard to see, thanks to the gifted doctors in Manassas, VA circa 1973.

41. I prefer skirts to pants, provided the weather is conducive, and I often wear skirts around the house.

42. I do crossword and other puzzles in ink. Crosstics and logic puzzles are my favorites.

43. I own about 5 pairs of shoes I regularly wear. I have about 6 pairs of dress shoes that rarely see the light of day. I sold those shoes on eBay for about $85. I am not a shoe freak by any means and only have the dress shoes from my working days. If asked, I could probably rattle off the list of all my shoes (and count them on two hands and maybe a foot).

44. In my old age, I would like to be known as a bohemian and I would like to live in a big house or a beach cottage, surrounded by ongoing art projects (paintings, pottery, etc.). Naturally I would have several gardens to tend and a hunky young gardener.

45. My favorite sport to watch is college football.

46. I had part of a letter published in the 2000 ed. (ff) of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. It was under the “American Experience” portion of EPCOT.

47. You can also find my writing at your local bookstore with this ISBN number: 1573441600.

48. Charities I have donated to include Witchvox, The United Way, Heifer Int’l, Habitat For Humanity, SafeNet, RAINN, The Erie County Humane Society, Oprah’s Angel Network, The March of Dimes, Big Brothers Big Sisters and America’s Second Harvest. My current charity of choice is the USO.

49. At a coffee shop, my most likely order is a flavored decaf latte. Second choice is chai.

50. I love Mad Libs and board games yet have trouble finding a partner for either.