25 things about me

Yes, I've been tagged to do this about a bjillion times on facebook. So I wimped out and will post it here, too, for my nightly post.

1. In the championships of freshman regionals in basketball, I hit a 3-pointer at the first quarter buzzer, I lost a contact (a woman in the top row of the stands saw it and came running onto the floor to pick it up for me), and I fouled out. We lost, but after that craziness, I was impressed with my showing.

2. The first time I had shrimp scampi was in Lake Lure, N.C., in a fancy restaurant where my sister fell asleep at the table. I was nine.

3. I sometimes wonder if I would have had a better experience playing volleyball rather than soccer in high school. But then I wonder if my knees would have gone out earlier than they did because of the additional jumping.

4. Hal generally cooks and I generally do the dishes. It’s better for everyone that way.

5. When I was a kid, we would sometimes scatter nails and screws in the street to see if we could make someone’s tire explode. We never did see one.

6. I met my sophomore roommate in French class first semester of freshman year. We bonded because our teacher seemed terrifying. Then we realized how awesome she was and stuck with her for several semesters. When we moved in, Heather wouldn’t say a cuss word. Halfway through the year, she called someone the b-word, and I knew I had ruined her.

7. I wrote a feature story involving an interview with an adult film actress. A website picked it up and changed the title to “Life as a porn star.” Which, with my byline directly underneath it, made ME look like the porn star.

8. When I was little, I thought my uncle Walt sold anvils door to door. He obviously did not, I don’t know why I thought that, but I always worried about his back.

9. I always wanted to be a camp counselor. For the past five summers, I have kind of been one, although we call it a “summer program” and it’s at UK, not at a camp. And my fellow counselors and I have a great time together, and we’ve only found one dead body (truth).

10. I was observed 18 times during my first year of teaching. 17 of those were by Mrs. Meyerrose, who taught me English for 3 years while I was in high school.

11. When my siblings are together, we speak with a different cadence. I also catch myself making the same faces as my siblings, especially my brother Donnie, even when we’re not together.

12. I am lucky to still have so many friends who I’ve known for most of my life.

13. My freshman year of high school, one of the junior boys, a friend of mine being a dork, asked my mom (a teacher at the school) what size bra I wore. She told him we were going bra shopping for Homecoming after school (we were) and she could tell him tomorrow (she didn’t).

14. My friend Joanna and I pushed my brother Donnie down our front yard hill while playing King of the Mountain. He took a wrong turn and cracked his head open on the concrete stairs. Any hopes I had of being a vet left then, as I couldn’t handle the blood.

15. I used to shoot basketball for hours. Most of the time, I would be making up and talking through fictional stories while I shot around. My neighbors probably thought I was crazy, but I have loved writing/storytelling for as long as I can remember.

16. Speaking of storytelling, I come from a great bunch of good storytellers. I regret that my grandpa Meihaus got rid of his writings, because I would have loved to read them. But we do have all my great-grandfather Tipton’s (my Pa-Pa’s) sermons (he was a minister).

17. My favorite and most used soccer move was an outside Maradona. Diego Maradona, whom the move is named after, was addicted to cocaine. That is not why it’s my favorite move.

18. When my sister’s volleyball team, which was supposed to be in a rebuilding year, walked into the gym for the state finals, I burst into tears.

19.Growing up, we cleaned the kitchen to “Inna Gadda Da Vida,” we blasted “Another One Bites the Dust” and “Taking Care of Business.” My father sang the paratrooper theme “Blood on the Risers” to us, and he always sang “That’s Amore” to me. I remember watching The Beatles Anthology with my dad when I was in the 8th grade and it was on TV for the first time.

20. I interviewed my mom for a column about how Stacie’s mom has got it going on.

21. I call my brother Stephen “Steve-o,” I call my brother Donnie “D.” Stephen and I look alike. He is one good-looking kid.

22. If you haven’t guessed by now, my family is the coolest.

23. I’m so much happier in grad school than I was in law school.

24. I loved working for the Kernel and I love my friends I met there. So many silly memories! I do wish we would have claimed just one Pacemaker while I was there, though (we were finalists three times).

25. Hal and I have lots of traveling to do this year. I can’t wait.