Eleven random things

I was tagged by Elspeth to do this little meme, and I'm glad I was, because it looked like a lot of fun when I was reading hers!


There are six rules:

1. Post these rules.

2. Post 11 random things about yourself.

3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.

4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.

5. Go to their blog and tell them you've tagged them.

6. No saying, "If you are reading this, you're tagged."

Eleven random things:

1. I prefer to watch a TV show long after the series has ended rather than while it's still on the air.

Some examples include: Lost, Friends, Scrubs, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and King of Queens. When I get involved in a show like How I Met Your Mother, which is still on the air, it's torture to me to have to wait for the next season to come out on DVD (because, of course, I don't have cable). It's much easier to just watch the next episode on Netflix instant.

2. I didn't realize my hair was wavy until I was 22.

Back in the mid-90s, I got a perm. Despite its name, perms are not permanent, and I was convinced that I did something to make it come out. I used to think that it "came back" whenever my hair was wet.

Turns out it has always had curls, and if you have curly or wavy hair, you know that the most important thing is NOT to brush it. I need to use stuff in my hair to get the waves, because they don't know how to dry properly without being frizzy, but now that I know how to manage my hair, I love it! (Most days)

3. I want to be a beer snob.

Similarly to Elspeth's beer-geek admission, I love beer. I want nothing more than to be a beer snob the way some people are wine snobs.

I think I started loving beer because I wanted to be the cool girl who likes beer. The fact that I actually like it, coupled with the fact that I'm really not a huge fan of wine, sealed the deal for me. I almost always order beer in a restaurant (on tap, of course, and local is always best!) when I'm ordering a drink.

4. I love hearts.

When I was little, I had heart curtains, sheets and a comforter in my room. I'm convinced that these things spawned a love for hearts. I love all things heart. The first necklace Geoff gave me when we started dating was a heart. If it wasn't so girly, I'd decorate everything with hearts! Surprisingly, I don't have a heart tattoo, however, because I find them cliche.

5. I collect (cute) dragons.

Most of my dragons have come from my grandmother, and I honestly don't remember how the collecting started. This is a little known fact, and I like it that way, because otherwise I'd probably have a million dragons that people gave me because they know I like them. I have dragon figurines, stuffed animals, and I've been working, for a long time, on a dragon cross stitch.

6. I failed my sophomore honor's English midterm.
I love to read and write. I'm a librarian. I'm a writer. And yes, I failed an English midterm. I sailed through English my freshman year, and it was obvious to both my teacher and I that I should have been in the "humanities" course that year. So, I was placed in Honor's English, and did terrible.
I'm a decent student, but I'm not a straight-A student, and I'm okay with that.

7. I'm a suburb girl through and through.
I grew up 15 minutes North of Boston, close enough to go into the city, far enough not to be living in the city. I now live in the same proximity to the city on the other side of the country, and it's perfect. I've never lived in the city, and while I admit it could be nice not to have to deal with car insurance or gas, I don't think I could do it. I love the quiet of the suburbs!

8. 90% of the time I'm not a girly-girl, but 10% of the time I really want to be one.
I don't wear makeup. I typically don't wear nail polish. I get pedicures about once a year. I wear a t-shirt to work every day (well, that's my uniform!) But when my husband has the opportunity to rent a tux and I can dress up, I absolutely love it.

9. I love my birthday.
That's right, folks. I'm 28, and I still love my birthday. I spend 4-6 weeks before my birthday reminding people that it's coming up, and on that wonderful day, September 10, I'm all smiles. I also love receiving gifts, which goes along well with enjoying my birthday.

10. I hate math, but numbers fascinate me.
I think this comes from the fact that my birthday is 9-10. When we decided on our wedding date, I was thrilled, because it's a palindrome....01.02.2010. Yet, I hate math. Go figure.

11. I love to bake, hate to cook, yet would rather eat a good meal than a sweet dessert.
Those are slightly related. Baking is a science, cooking is an art. There is little experimenting with baking, and I love that. Baking is cut and dry. You need x amount of sugar, to activate the yeast, and another x amount of salt, to stop the yeast when it's done rising. Mess with those numbers, and you won't get a properly risen bread.
Cooking bores me. I feel like I need to be more creative, but I don't have the interest or inclination to do that. And yet, I'd rather eat a good meal than the cookies I've baked. I have a savory tooth, not a sweet tooth!

And, Elspeth's questions to me:

1. What's your favorite cookie?
Panera's chocolate duet cookie. Chocolate, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and walnuts? Delicious.

2. What's the silliest thing you've ever done to save money?
Geoff says "you made your husband install a clothesline". I don't think this is silly, though.


3. What's the silliest thing you've ever done to get someone to like you?
I used to stay up until long after midnight, talking to my husband on IM on nights I had to be at work at 5 am. :)


4. If you are unmarried: what is your dream location/time-of-year for a wedding? If you are married: what would it be if you could do it again?
I'm married, obviously! Our anniversary is Jan. 2, 2010. I absolutely love that date, but there are times that I wonder what we were thinking! Mostly because it's so close to Christmas that it makes gifts difficult.

I suppose if I were to do it again it would be in the fall, because New England colors are just...amazing. So, likely it would be in October, some time.

5. What do you do when you're bored?

When I'm not poking around on the internet, I'm playing Plants vs. Zombies. If I've managed to pry myself off my computer (it's a problem) then I'm either knitting or cross stitching.

6. What does your dream home look like?

It's old, but doesn't need a lot of work. It was built in the late 1800s, and has a small staircase off the kitchen, for the servants and another, nice one, in the front of the house. There are hardwood floors, and it creaks. It has character and it's far from a "cookie cutter house".

Logistically speaking, it'll have at least 2 bathrooms, and the master bathroom will have 2 sinks. And it would be nice to have a little land.

7. What is your biggest musical guilty pleasure?

Katy Perry. Don't judge. I love Firework.

8. What is your most prized possession?

I didn't know what to say to this, so I asked Geoff. He said, "Snapper Blanket" (which is my baby blanket). Ok then.

9. What single life experience of yours are you most grateful for?
My cross country trip with my dad. It was during a horrible time in my life, it was incredibly stressful, and, in many ways, I still can't think about it. But. It was a wonderful experience with my dad, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

10. What one movie do you wish you never wasted your time watching?

Bambi II. There's 86 minutes of my life I'm not going to get back.

11. What was the first reality TV show you liked?

A Baby Story, on TLC. I used to run home every afternoon and watch it in high school, often with my best friend, Kristin. Consequently we both know a lot more than we should about babies, newborns and pregnancy. It actually scares Geoff a bit!

OK! If you go through all that (I hope so, because I barely did!) then I'm going to tag you. I know it's against the rules, but I'm doing it anyway. I honestly don't know who to tag! Also, I have insecurities, and I'm afraid if I tag someone they won't do it, and I'll be sad. So have at it. Here are my questions:

1. Have you ever wanted to change your name? What to?

2. How many states have you traveled to?
3. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
4. Favorite quote?
5. Everyone has one...what word do you hate the sound of?
6. What was your favorite grade in elementary school?
7. What movie could you watch over and over and still never get sick of it?
8. If you could do anything in the world, what job would you want?
9. What's your favorite season?
10. Coffee or tea?
11. What is the best gift you've ever received?