25 Random Things

1. I love to write but I don't do it nearly as often as I should. I kept a personal journal on and off from 4th grade through college, and it amazes me that I had such dedication (or maybe it was merely teenage angst) and passion back then for writing pages and pages in a single entry. Now when I get home from work I usually just want to read, watch TV, check CNN.com, and go on facebook. Luckily my career enables me to write on a daily basis which does make me feel a little better about not writing for myself.

2. I am not very graceful. Never have been, never will be. I am constantly tripping, falling, ramming into things, getting bruised, dropping objects on the floor, etc. I don't know what it is but I have spent my entire life crashing and burning. Falling down entire flights of stairs, breaking my wrist rollerskating, falling off my bike, breaking my ankle (twice), and constantly watching things slide from my grip (my deodorant, my hairbrush, tupperware--you name it, it's on the ground).

3. I work really hard to maintain my weight. I've lost 30 pounds on Weight Watchers since joining nearly 3 years ago and every day is somewhat of a struggle. I eat healthfully for the most part but I find it hard when I see skinnier people consuming however many calories a day and staying the same weight when I have one bad day and notice every single ounce gained. I try to keep a positive self image but after battling a negative one for so many years, it can be difficult at times.

4. Jeff and I met in Chorus at UConn. He was sitting in the Tenor section and I was an Alto, and he was always laughing and being friendly to everyone around him. I could tell right away that he was truly a genuine person (and the cute floppy brown hair and shining brown eyes didn't hurt, either). I developed a crush at 17 when I was a freshman (he was a sophomore) and soon found out that he was still with his high school sweetheart of three years. So we became friends and I waited my turn...we finally started going out my junior year. He was well worth the wait.

5. My favorite city in the world is London. I spent the fall semester of my senior year of college there and I have been there a total of 4 times. It feels like home to me. I love Oxford Circus and Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, Piccadilly Circus, and Leicester Square. And Jeff proposed to me on Tower Bridge on September 12, 2005.

6. I love clothes from JCrew, Ann Taylor Loft and Banana. If money wasn't an object, I would seriously buy new clothes every week. I'm not shallow or vain, but I just like the way I feel when I'm wearing a certain pair of cute pants or a nice sweater. I have been told that I am "preppy" which I suppose is accurate...I might describe myself as "classic." I love cords and sweaters and cardigans, jeans and flats and button down shirts. I don't wear a lot of t-shirts/sweatshirts/sneakers out unless I'm exercising or going for a walk.

7. My favorite author is Jodi Picoult. She writes vividly and realistically, and while I don't love all her books equally (a few favorites include "My Sister's Keeper," "The Pact," and "Salem Falls"), I find that she tends to write in a voice that I can relate to. I had the opportunity to meet her at a book signing once and unfortunately I was so nervous I could barely even pay her the compliment that was inside my head. She ended up telling me she liked my coat.

8. Speaking of famous encounters, I suppose I should tell one of the stories that has become one of my claims to fame. When I worked at the Goodspeed Opera House, I met Julie Andrews who was there directing "The Boy Friend." You would think I would tell her how much I enjoyed "The Sound of Music" when I was growing up (loved it!) but oh, no...I was making platters of cheese and crackers for the Opening Night party and since I am clumsy (see random thing #2), I was having an issue cutting the cheese in perfect little squares, so I had a plate of misshapen cheese pieces to the side. Anyway, Big Jules comes in from rehearsal and exclaims "I'm starving!" so I run over with my plate of misshapen cheese pieces and say "Would you like some rejected cheese pieces?!" to which she replied "Rejected cheese pieces would be lovely. Let me just go get some bread." No joke.

9. My parents have one of the best relationships I have ever known. They are each other's best friend, they still have date night every Friday and honestly enjoy being with each other. I think they were an excellent example for my own relationship with Jeff.

10. We have a cat named Nutmeg. I love cats!! Throughout the course of my life, my family has had many cats: Natasha, O.J., Buckwheat, Frisky, Cupcake, Fievel, Tuxedo, and Oreo.

11. I have my Teaching Certification and am certified to teach K-6 in Connecticut, however, I know that teaching isn't where I am meant to be. I had applied to 54 teaching jobs in 2004 and couldn't land a single interview despite being in the national educational honor society...so I ended up at Goodspeed for 3 and a 1/2 years and now I am working as a Strategic Proposal Writer at Aetna. I like my job because it involves strategy, editing, writing, and every case is different and dynamic. OH, and the people in our department are young, driven, and smart. And great.

12. I only have 2 wisdom teeth and to date I haven't had to have them removed. However, I have been feeling a dull pain where my right one is and am wondering if it will be time soon (they told me it would be time years ago).

13. One of the hardest things I've ever had to go through was when Jeff's dad died in 2003. We knew for a year that it was coming, but we didn't know when. I was 23 when he was diagnosed with cancer and honestly had no idea how to deal with my boyfriend/best friend's father dying. I know it was obviously way harder on Jeff, but it was one of the first times I felt like my listening skills and love were just not enough.

14. I love rollercoasters, water slides, and almost any other amusement park ride...but I HATE the bumper cars. This all stems from one incident when I was probably 10 or 11, and I couldn't get my car to face the right way...so I was driving the wrong way and getting hit by EVERYONE while simultaneously being yelled at by the ride operator when everyone was staring at me. I was a crying mess by the time I exited the ride (never did get my car to face the right way!!) and I have never been back on the bumper cars since.

15. I am incredibly nostalgic, sometimes to a fault. I love looking at old photos, home videos, yearbooks, discussing memories with my family and friends, watching chorus concerts and even sometimes (don't laugh) reading an old Baby-sitters Club or Sweet Valley Twins book. There's just something about that safe and innocent piece of your childhood that will always feel like home to me.

16. I hate when people tailgate me on the highway, but I also hate it when the car in front of me is going 20 miles an hour when the speed limit is 45. I am usually sandwiched between the two (someone on my ass and someone in front of me that is never going to get where they're going). Ask Jeff. I am a bad driver magnet.

17. My brother and I used to use his glow-in-the-dark Construx to create outerspace in his bedroom. We would spread out the Construx all over his floor (strategically, of course) and then turn off the lights and pretend we were above The Milky Way somewhere.

18. I love theatre. I wish I could see more shows...but over the years I have seen "Les Mis", "Phantom", "Rent", "Mamma Mia", "Wicked", "Fiddler on the Roof", "Doubt," "A Streetcar Named Desire," "The Glass Menagerie," "The Lion King," etc. and countless Goodspeed shows.

19. I value my husband, family, and friends over anything else in my life. I really would do anything for the people who are close to me. And I love listening and giving advice (when asked for it).

20. I once made up a song about Lunchables to the tune of "Silver Bells" on our family trip out West in 1995 (somewhere between Utah and Arizona). Lunchables...lunchables...oh how my brother loves to EAT them! Ham and cheese, turkey breast...this is what my bro loves beeeesst. Crackers and cheese, two kinds of each, it just melts in his mouth....while his sister looks on in...pure envy. (You get the point).

21. I love listening to music and singing. I like a wide array of music from alternative (Fleet Foxes, Kate Nash, Band of Horses) to high school favs (Tori Amos, Indigo Girls, Dave Matthews Band) to 80s (any of it) and 90s (grunge--Pearl Jam, STP, Candlebox)...also musicals, old favs like Simon and Garfunkel, etc.

22. I am currently craving Birthday Cake Remix from Coldstone. Yum.

23. I believe in ghosts. My dad had a personal experience and I love all paranormal shows (especially "Ghost Hunters") but I have never experienced anything myself.

24. I am mostly Irish. (75%) and then a little Polish and French (Canadian).

25. I love the Howard Stern show. And Artie Lange cupcakes.