25 Things

      16 Comments on 25 Things

I’m astoundingly late to the “25 Things” meme. And yet, here it is.

I’m unmarried, have no kids, and am happy about both. I think I’m allergic to white picket fences.

I know the words to the Swedish Chef’s song.

I know the secret family recipe for Sweet Potato Biscuits.

I am a reformed southerner, but somehow I did not acquire the accent.

When I was nine years old, my family house was destroyed in a fire.

I put myself through school working as a bouncer, a trolley car driver, a book store clerk, a copy editor, a show carpenter, a tutor, and a library clerk.

My major was Civil Engineering, so of course I ended up working in computers. *shrug*

Most people who meet me think I’m an extrovert; it’s only the people who know me well that realize I’m a huge introvert.

I once moved five times in a year and a half.

For a year, my voice was used for all the phone tree recordings for a corporation. “Welcome to Radius Technical Support. All of our agents are currently busy with other callers…”

I’ve been ocean kayaking in the Monterey Bay.

I took flying lessons and completed ground school, but never got my license.

I’ve seen Les Paul perform live. Twice. And Annie Ross at Birdland.

I took sailing lessons over the course of two summers, getting as far as sailing 30-foot keelboats.

I walked the Paris ossuary catacombs on Halloween Day.

I took a year and a half off work, just because.

I made a three month road trip in a VW camper bus, all on the backroads (eschewing the interstates), west coast to east through the US, east to west through Canada.

I’ve traveled to Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico, Canada, London, Paris, Bruges, Amsterdam.

I’ve had 400+ hours training as a massage therapist.

I’ve taken two classes in a cadaver lab.

I completed a pre-med program, despite having no interest in med school.

Despite not being a mental patient, a chef, nor a Scot, I own a straitjacket, a chef’s coat and a black watch kilt.

My yard has an apple tree, cherry tree, pear tree, grape vines and boysenberries. And rosemary, thyme, bay, oregano, and catnip. And other stuff that isn’t edible.

I’ve smelled five different body parts (my own) burning. Hair is not the worst.

I’m currently tutoring Math, Physics and Engineering at a local community college, just because it’s my twisted idea of fun.

16 thoughts on “25 Things

  1. typsie

    Most people who meet me think I’m an extrovert; it’s only the people who know me well that realize I’m a huge introvert.

    Hehe, I’m exactly the opposite. 🙂

    Sounds like you’ve had a pretty interesting life!

    Reply
    1. istar

      Let me try to parse the exact opposite of that statement… 🙂

      A few aliens who’ve never met know that she’s an introvert; only the aliens who don’t know her at all have no idea she’s a tiny extrovert.

      Reply
  2. yoopie

    I am totally with you on #2 there

    I think the idea of marriage is antiquated and tainted. This is not to say that I would not like the idea of being bound to my mate until death do we part, but since the WORD Marriage is tarnished beyond belief, I would like to have something different that doesn’t end in cheating or divorce and all that other stuff.

    Hmm, that sounds snotty…I believe divorce is a good route for many people and I don’t necessarily believe people enter marriage thinking Well if this does not work we will just divorce (though maybe some couples do) I just do not think a lot of people REALLY wrap their head around what marriage truly is.

    Thankfully for me and my mate, we have both witnessed what it REALLY is…the long haul..for better or for worse as both of our families never divorced.

    blah blah ramble

    kids….yeah we are overpopulated and I enjoy my freedom..so let everyone else ruin their own lives and be miserable..my kids will be with fur only

    Reply
    1. browse Post author

      Just to be clear, I don’t begrudge anyone else their own marriage, or their own kids. I have plenty of friends with kinkier habits than those. 🙂

      I just know those particular kinks aren’t for me. S’okay; I have plenty of other kinks to keep me occupied.

      Reply
      1. yoopie

        lol no I went on some mini rant and am sorry about that

        I have some really old friends that I swear cannot take NO!!! I do not want to join your ” I am married with kids cult” I have many friends that are married and some have kids that do not do this but I would imagine you have an idea what I am talking about.

        I am cool if that is the route people want to take, I just don’t like the whole IT IS EXPECTED bs…especially if you are a woman..I mean DON’T YOU KNOW…I have my own EASY BAKE BABY MAKER and I should USE IT?!?!?!?!

        ahahahah wow I am cranky today..I am going to go sit down now lol

        Reply
        1. browse Post author

          Ahh, now you’ve got me bouncing up and down in total agreement. Just like I do not try to deter anyone else from their marryin’, child-havin’ ways, I get really cranky when people hassle me about my decision to eschew the same.

          Having gotten snipped some years ago, I’m still waiting for the perfect opportunity to pull this one. “Why don’t you have any kids?!” “*sniff* *big puppy dog eyes* “I’m not able to get anyone pregnant.” *burst into tears*

          Reply
    1. browse Post author

      A Show Carpenter is the person responsible for keeping a set and all its mechanicals working during a theater production. Making sure the curtain and rigging is right, making sure technicals like rain/snow/fog/smoke effects are working, making sure doors and windows open and close.

      On some plays/productions, the set might be simple enough that there isn’t really a dedicated show carp. However, I’ve worked on some productions (with massive movable sets, where separate parts of the entire set rotated independently) where multiple show carps had to work in coordination.

      Reply
  3. curiousangel

    I put myself through school working as a bouncer, a trolley car driver, a book store clerk, a copy editor, a show carpenter, a tutor, and a library clerk.

    OK, most of those I remember, but I’m very surprised to see “bouncer” on the list. Where was this, if I may ask?

    Reply
    1. browse Post author

      My first year in college, at a comedy club in Knoxville called “The Funny Bone”, Friday and Saturday nights. Mainly it meant helping the hostess with seating pre-show, and periodically discouraging a rowdy audience member during the shows; I only got to frog march someone out of there twice in the six months I did this.

      Reply
      1. curiousangel

        I remember the Bone!

        I actually inadvertently heckled Paula Poundstone there. She was doing the random “talk with the audience and improvise” bit, and asked if she’d been overcharged for cabfare. The answer from some random guy in the audience was “Depends on how far it was to where you’re staying”, and she said, “Ohhhh, you’re just trying to get me to tell you where I’m staying for *later*, you naughty boy”, and everyone laughed. A couple of minutes later, she looked out and saw a kid whose parents had brought him for his 18th birthday, and when that was revealed, she said, “Ohhh, so you’re a MAN now, hmmm?”

        I couldn’t help myself, and yelled out, “Bet you’ll tell HIM where you’re staying!”

        Much laughter all around, and she had no real comeback besides calling me sleazy. I didn’t want to be too much of a jackass heckler, so I shut up for the rest of the night. 🙂

        Reply

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