A Fun Little Survey

So, I realize that I have been acutely absent from the blogosphere and all will be explained at a later date. However, today is not that date because I have a fun little game to play that is much more exciting to me today than anything I could update y'all with!

Maren, bless her pea pickin heart, tagged me in a little survey game on her blog and therefore, due to my overdeveloped sense of responsibility, I have no other choice than to do the same.

MUST.... FULFILL.... DUTY....

*cut to a mental image of me fighting an incredible cosmic inner battle and smoke pouring out of my ears as my eyes bug out of my head*

Here is goes....

The Rules:

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the 11 questions that I answered.
3. Choose people that you want to play (11 are suggested), and tag them on your post.
4. No tag backs!


My 11 Things:

1) I have an irrational fear of clowns, sharks, bears and spiders. Like the kind of scared where you claw with your bare hands through jagged concrete to escape them.

2) I dream in full story arcs. There are typically beginnings, middles and ends. But by morning, I don't always remember all the pieces to them.

3) I have so many different things that I love to do, there truly are not enough hours in the day to do everything that I want to do. Reading, painting, writing, scrapbooking, cardmaking, spending time with family and friends, going on walks, swimming, watching movies, researching and planning for my next trip somewhere, designing floorplans, etc, etc, etc. The list just keeps going.

4) I LOVE to learn about different cultures, religions, and peoples. It's like my brain is a sponge and it just can't seem to get enough. This is why I love to travel so much and typically traveling within the confines of the USA doesn't ever feel like enough.

5) I am a convert to the Church. I was baptized at age 9, because my grandparents insisted but I rarely went to church and didn't get really active until I was about 17. I made a choice at that point and never looked back. I'm coming to find that making a choice like that and never going back on it is odd. But it never occurred to me that I shouldn't do it that way. And I've never regretted it.

6) I 100% believe that family is something you make, not what you are born with. I barely know a LOT of my family members who are blood relatives. However, I would walk through fire for some people who I have decided are my family members. Some people are in my life because I choose to make them family. Some are there because I have no other choice because I share blood. I believe there is a difference to what makes family, family.

7) I am exceptionally opinionated. BUT, I LOVE to learn and hear about other's points of view. Whether it be religion, politics or what colors best go with someone's new shag rug they bought, doesn't matter. I LOVE to hear what others think and WHY they think those things and HOW they came to that conclusion.

8) I have a sick obsession with grammar, spelling, punctuation and correct English usage.

9) I was dead for 45 minutes when I was 4 months old. I had open heart surgery and they had to "establish cardiac arrest" because they had to repair the holes. The body cavity of a 4 month old is very small and it was hard to get their big man hands in there to do the intricate work of slicing open a tiny heart and do the work inside that heart. What do you think would have happened if they had left it going? Yikes. Once that part was completed, after about 45 minutes, they were able to get my heart restarted.

10) I seem very confident and extroverted. I'm not. It is a defense mechanism I use. Most times it's when I'm nervous. If I make someone laugh, then I've controlled the situation to make the person laugh and they aren't laughing at me, but at my joke. I don't want to be a leader, but I do it when others won't step up and get something done that needs it. If I am confident, funny and loud, it tells others to be more interested in what I'm saying/doing or joke I'm telling instead of looking at how badly I may be failing at something. It may be ridiculous, but it's true. As a child, I was terribly shy and terrified of my environment. When I was home alone with my stepmother and she would leave the room, I would start crying and panicking because I was afraid she'd left me. If she would go to the bathroom, I would stop what I was doing and sit outside the bathroom door until she was done. I've overcome that one. Thank goodness! Alan would go crazy! :)

11) I have some very tender experiences to share with anyone who cares to come back and read the next post I write. But since we are still trying to make sense of it all still, it may wait a week or two.


Now for Maren's questions:

1)What is one thing you wish hadn't happened last year?

-Hmm... You know, there are only 2 things that happened last year that were awful and that was the deaths of Keely and Logan. So, if I had to say one thing, I'd have to say that I couldn't pick just one, but that I wish those two hadn't have died.

2) What is your favorite thing about yourself?

-I'd have to say that was my ability to connect with other people. I can walk up to just about anyone, start a conversation and find something to connect with them about. Then, through conversation and compassion, I can very easily come to love and care about them, even after only meeting them 5 minutes previously.

3) If you had the choice, would you want to know when you're going to die?

-Yes. I am a control freak that way. I want to know when so that I can make sure all my affairs are in order before I go, make sure those that I love know that I love them, and go on one heck of a trip to Europe!

4) What was your favorite toy/ past time as a child?

-Barbies. Gosh, I could play Barbies for hours and hours and hours. My favorite thing to do was shake the crap out of my Barbie house and pretend like there had been a tornado or earthquake. My mom and baby sitter watched a LOT of daytime soaps. :)

5) What is your ideal way to spend a weekend?

-Typically is is doing a little bit of everything. I like to have some friend time, some family time, some Me time, some Alan time, some cleaning time, some church time, some organizing time, some hobby time, and if there is any time left, a little bit of travel thrown in there to some place I've never been before.

6) What is one thing you just have to have your way every time?

-The toilet paper roll. The roll has to have the TP coming over the top. Coming from under the bottom is just all kinds of wrong!

7) Where did you go/ would you like to go on your honeymoon?

-We didn't get a honeymoon. But we would have both liked to have gone on a cruise. We will, someday.

8) What do you really want for Christmas this year?

-Pregnant, Alan to have a new job, a house, Maren to have some answers about her whack a doodle body and why it's acting the way it is so she can make a concrete decision, and probably good health.

9) You have to perform in a talent show - what is your talent?

-Playing my nose. Or, maybe telling jokes. Or, maybe they would just let me MC! That takes a talented person, folks!

10) What's your dream job?

-Stay at home wife and mommy. I'm working on it. Someday it'll happen. :)

11) What's for dinner?

- We had yummy streak, taters, and ribs! Delish! :)

TAGGING:
Here are my list of folks I'm tagging. You can play, or not play. But, it was kinda fun and I'm only tagging you because I think it would be fun to know your answers!

Ann Sorensen, Kari Warden, Melissa Vickery, Heather Crandall, Laura Velez, Megs Tracy, Janna Long (I know Maren tagged you, but I'll use you anyway!!), Corinne Proctor, Nadine MacMillan, Natalie Barrow, and Alison Anderson.

Get bloggin' Ladies! I can't wait to read them!!!