Pratt the Gonzo SEO tagged me in his meme titled 8 Random Things About me so here goes my attempt.
1. Despite living in San Diego for 6 years, I haven’t been in the ocean since I was a child. I’ve probably only been to the beach 10 times since moving to California 8 years ago. I love the sun and looking at the coast but the beach is such a hassle to me and I hate hassles. The beach is crowded, there are children everywhere, you get sand in places that you can’t get it out of without a visit to the doctor and most recently they enacted an alcohol ban on San Diego beaches. If I didn’t go to the beach drunk before I’m sure not going to go sober.
2. I compulsively swallow gum. It is impossible for me to chew a piece of gum for more than 10 minutes no matter how hard I try. It happens without me even realizing it. One minute I have gum, the next it’s gone. In fact thinking about not swallowing the gum will cause me to swallow it almost immediately.
3. I learned to ride a motorcycle before I could ride a bicycle. My parents owned a Yamaha sales and repair shop when I was young. In 1984 I got a 50cc Yamaha Zinger and quickly learned to ride. I didn’t learn to ride a bicycle until I was about 8 years old and I only learned because the cute neighbor boy wanted to teach me so I would ride with him.
Growing up in South Dakota I attended the Sturgis bike rally every year and always loved the great people I met who would ride for days just to camp and hang out with other bikers. I haven’t ridden in a long time but I still consider buying another bike every time I am stuck in traffic and watch a motorcyclist split the lanes and cruise on by.
4. Just like Pratt I too am a people pleaser. I would say my people pleasing is to a fault in many cases. I have spent too much time trying to please everyone around me, never stopping to realize that I wasn’t pleasing myself. I have ruined relationships by becoming the person I think they want me to be, only to become someone I’m not. When in reality, if people are worth your time they want you to be who you are, not who you think they think you are (or should be). People pleasing to an excess can damage personal and professional growth. It’s something I’ve realized and worked hard to modify over the last few years and I’m a better person for it. I still go out of my way to take care of everyone around me and make sure they are happy, but not at the expense of being who I want to be.
5. I am addicted to Chapstick. I probably put it on every 30 minutes and I’ve been doing it for at least 15 years. You will never catch me without at least one tube of Chapstick on me at any given time and I never wear lipstick because it interferes with the Chapsticking. I have tubes tucked in desk drawers, purse pockets and a few sitting on various flat surfaces throughout the house. Even if I am in a dress with no purse to carry it in, it will be tucked in my bra for quick access. I even keep one on my nightstand and wake up at least once in the night to put it on. In fact just writing this caused me to put some on.
6. I can’t pick favorites. I don’t have a favorite anything…color, food, song, movie…nothing. I have to do top 5 lists for anything most people would have a favorite for. If you were to poll my ex-boyfriends they would probably say it has something to do with a fear of committing to anything haha.
7. I am deathly afraid of roller coasters. The closest thing I have ever been on is a kiddie roller coaster and one at Sea World here in San Diego which doesn’t really qualify as a roller coaster at all. I have no desire to fly through the air with no control over my speed on a contraption controlled by a carnie (small hands…). I have enough excitement in my life that I don’t need more adrenaline or artificial fear. If I need a dose of excitement my drug of choice is driving too fast through the deserted roads of nearby deserts. At least then I’m in control of the speed.
8. I graduated college before I could (legally) drink. I finished high school at 17 and completed my bachelor’s degree in 3 years. I tested out of 13 credits, took 16-19 credits every regular semester and 9-12 credits every summer. When people learn this, they generally say I must not have enjoyed my college years like most kids. But I did just as much partying as my friends on 5 & 6 year plans and saved myself a lot of money by getting out early. The timing ended up perfect as well as after graduation I landed in Southern California during the tail end of the dot com boom when they were still handing out jobs to anyone that walked in the door. So, I was able to start at a higher position and salary than most college graduates, jump starting my career.
So there’s my random things. Now I pass the buck to Michelle Oshen and my favorite gansta Snoop Bloggy Blog.
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