Delightfully Living: August 2011

I've seen other blogger friends do this and I enjoyed reading random/entertaining/bizarre things about them that I definitely didn't know beforehand. So I've compiled my own list. If you're bored and feel like reading some useless information about me, enjoy!

25 things you may not know about me...

1. I love snail mail. I prefer written notes and letters over the e-stuff any day. I have a box in my room filled with anything from notes passed in middle and high school to birthday cards and encouraging notes from friends. I get it from my dad, the writer in the family. Many of the notes in this box come from him.

2. I have a slight obsession with school supplies. The word 'slight' probably doesn't do it justice. Nothing makes me happier than freshly sharpened pencils, fresh markers, the perfect writing pen, and a sturdy pencil pouch. Target could hire me just to stand guard on the school supply aisle to attend to children in search of the perfect notebook. Glad I decided on the teaching field, I will always have a valid excuse for these purchases.

3. I can tie a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue.

4. There are 3 foods I could eat all day everyday if it met the criteria for a balanced diet. The first, Kraft macaroni and cheese. No, not homemade. Leave the gourmet and give me the blue box. Second, peanut butter. It is my downfall. JIF Extra Crunchy, or the fresh ground from Whole Foods. Pretty sure I could never marry someone with a peanut allergy. Which leads me to my third, peanut M&Ms. If you wanna get real crazy, mix them with goldfish. Best. Combo. EVER. Portion and control are two words that become nonexistent the minute any of these foods are within reach.

5. I worked at Subway one summer. Yes, I had an apron that read "Sandwich Artist". It was an interesting experience to say the least. The smell bothers me to this day.

6. I chomp on ice like its my job. I don't like using straws because I can't get to the ice. I have never understood people who order drinks "hold the ice". Do they know what they are missing out on? I'm that annoying person...that asks for extra ice. My dream kitchen could be the size of a small closet with minimal counter or cabinet space; as long as there is a good ice maker, I am happy.

7. This sort of goes with #6. I am addicted to Sonic (and Sonic ice). I probably haven't eaten there in 5 years, but if I kept all of the cups from the drinks I get there, I could probably build a house of styrofoam. My mom and I share this fetish. Between the hours of 2 and 4 everyday, you could probably catch one of us at America's drive-in. Happy Hour, half price drinks, duh.

8. My first babydoll's name was "Bzzzzzz". Yes you are reading that correctly, like the sound a bee makes. I wanted to be original?

9. I have overactive tear ducts. After consistent watery eyes and a visit to the eye doctor, that was the diagnosis. When it is windy and cold, I sometimes look like a sad sob story, but don't be alarmed. Its just the tear ducts acting up.

10. I've broken and bruised my tailbone. It is one of the most painful things I've ever experienced and wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy. I had to sit on a pillow at school for 4 weeks. It was in 5th grade. As if that stage of life wasn't awkward enough, let me carry around a pillow everywhere I go.

11. I have a terrible habit of picking my fingernails. It really is awful. I have exhausted every solution and nothing has ever worked. It drives my parents crazy.

12. I have never been to the tanning bed. I will never go to the tanning bed.

13. I am terrified of roller-coasters. Nothing about them is exhilarating or fun in my opinion. That free fall feeling has never been something I've had a desire to experience just for fun.

14. I love surprises. I have been known to plan my own. Ironic, I know. When I was in first grade, on April Fools' Day I wanted my dad to surprise me and play a prank on me. I begged him to do something funny and surprise me with a prank. When he wasn't cooperating, I took a box of toothpicks from the cabinet, emptied them into my lunchbox, and during lunch pulled them out and started laughing hysterically. I looked around and announced to the lunch table "My dad is SO funny! He totally surprised me with this prank and poured a whole box of toothpicks in my lunchbox!!!" Gosh...things I did for attention.

15. I love Christmas with all my heart, but Christmas music should only be played after Thanksgiving, not a second before. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and shouldn't be rushed by Christmas. Same goes for decorations.

16. I am a grammar nazi. My friends know this. Your and You're should never be confused, nor should their, they're, and there. Never end a sentence with a preposition. "Where are you at?" literally makes my skin crawl. Spelling, punctuation, and pronunciation...use it correctly. (I have my father to thank for this quirk).

17. I am 22 years old and have been braces free for 7 years and I still wear my retainer to bed every night. I am paranoid about my teeth. I broke my retainer last semester and drove 5 hours home and skipped a day of my internship just to get a replacement.

18. I was homeschooled for a few months when I was in 3rd grade. When we were in the middle of our move from Little Rock to Nashville, it was easier for my mom to homeschool us until we could start school in October. It wasn't a long period of time, but it was just enough for me. I hated every second. I love school and wanted organization and a schedule. My mother had other plans. She tried, she really did, but there is a reason she is an accountant (and a great one at that) and not a teacher. To this day I am not good at rounding numbers and I know it is because my mom and I never saw eye to eye on the concept.

19. I have song A.D.D. It is near impossible for me to listen to a song in its entirety.

20. I have had a recurring dream since I was little that I am running on a path on a steep cliff that drops off into a fast flowing river. Captain Hook is chasing me. He has yet to catch me. I still have this dream.

21. In high school my dad and I had a morning ritual. He came in every morning 30 minutes before my alarm would go off and ask me if I wanted 30 more minutes to sleep. Of course the answer was always yes. My alarm went off 30 minutes later, giving me a 5 minute warning, followed by the final alarm 5 minutes later. At the final alarm my dad would come in, sit on my bed and say "Good morning sweetie!"...My brothers never received this treatment. Oh the advantages of being the only girl.

22. I will always confuse the meaning of a zip code and an area code. I also still have to use a trick my dad taught me in 2nd grade to remember the difference between a nickel and a dime. I have to stop and think about both of these scenarios before acting on either.

23. When I was little I had imaginary parents. Most children have imaginary friends...I decided to take it a step further. I would literally excuse myself from the dinner table and announce that I needed to go eat with my "other" parents.

24. I love nothing more than belting out a good song while in the car by myself. When I pull up to a stop light or a stop sign I hold my phone to my ear and continue to sing. This gives people around me the the impression I am simply talking on the phone, not singing alone in my car.

25. One of my dreams is to visit all of the Spanish speaking countries before I die. There are 14. So far I have only been to three: Peru, Mexico, and Honduras.

A couple of weeks ago I said goodbye to my little (bigger than me) brother as he headed off to the loveliest village on the plains to begin his freshman year of college. My older brother and I have instilled in him the excitement, along with the jealousy, we have for him has he begins this journey. What I wouldn't give to be in his shoes. Freshmen year really was my favorite year of college. Everything is new and fresh and exhilarating. They don't call it Freshman year for nothing. You're getting a taste of living on your own, while still living off of your parents. Have you really thought about that...? Let's be honest, it doesn't get much better.

My sweet parents have been dreading this day for a while now, taking their last one to college, officially earning the title "empty nesters". I like to subtly remind them that I am back home, still living under their roof, still sleeping right across the hall from them....and still unemployed. That last one doesn't really help my case. Of course they are glad to have me here, but their last one has fled the coop and they are going through a phase in which they feel they must "redefine" themselves (their words, not mine). I can hardly say David's name without them getting emotional. I have also learned the hard way, that it is not yet appropriate to make jokes about him being gone. The day they got back from moving him in, I tried to lighten the mood with "One good thing about Dave being gone is that the bathroom stays a lot cleaner!" I immediately regretted my words. My mom quickly rebutted "I'd rather have a dirty bathroom and David here than a clean one with him gone!" I learned my lesson. Too soon for jokes.

He really is doing great though and is loving Auburn so far. Thanks to the newest Facebook addition, video chat, I got to see his smiling face a few days ago. He is still making time for his sister, and for that I am thankful. I'm so proud of him and know he is going to love it down there.

The day my parents returned from moving him in, I sat in the kitchen with them and soaked up their somber moods. I tried to be understanding, but knew their wasn't much comfort I could give them. I had pretty much worn out the "Hey, at least I'm still here!" line. My mom told me that after having moved all three of us into college, not one of us turned back after they said goodbye to us. I tried to explain the emotions I had when I said goodbye to them. Of course I was sad, but the feeling I had of excitement and freedom cannot even be described. I remember walking back up the stairs to my new dorm room, my new roommate, my new home, after saying goodbye to my parents; and being absolutely thrilled about starting a new chapter. I barely knew a soul, I had no idea what to expect, I had one friend-my roommate, but I was on my own, and felt like I was starting with a blank slate. The thought of meeting new people and living in a new place excited me! I explained it to my mom as "playing house". I grew up with a very girly imagination. I played house and school on a daily basis. I used to pretend the upstairs was my apartment. So when I had my own dorm room, I felt as if I was playing house, for real!

I know David of course wouldn't describe his new adventure as I would. Playing house was never really his thing, unless I made him play with me. But I do hope that this beginning is just as thrilling for him as it was for me. No year compared to freshmen year for me, and I hope he will soak up every second.

After 4 years, you could say I accumulated quite a bit of "stuff" that now sits in the basement. This contributed to one of my dad's greatest goals for moving David to college; that he would be a minimalist. I think they did pretty well. Here are some pics of David's new room/move-in day, and mine from 4 years ago. My how boys and girls differ.