Tag, I'm it...

I owe my friend, Kara, a tag. She tagged me a long time ago, and I'm just getting around to it. Sorry about that. Ok, the tag is:

The Rules:

“Each person links to the person who tagged them. Then each person posts the rules before their list, then they list 8 things about themselves. At the end of the post, that person tags and links to 8 other people and then visits those peoples’ sites and comments letting them know that they have been tagged, and to come read the post, so they know what they have to do.”

8 things about me (that you don't already know? -ok, at least something I haven't blogged about before...)

1. I am a fanatic about U2 and in particular Bono. I have been since maybe 8th grade - sometime after Rattle and Hum was released. I remember hearing their music on tape on a boom box as we were rehearsing for a ward road show. I quickly loved Joshua Tree, and shortly thereafter, Achtung Baby changed my life. In high school, I would have given just about anything to have been able to see that show. Good things come to those who wait though - I did get to see them live at Popmart tour (not at their best) and again at the Elevation tour just after 9-11 (definitely at their best). I still get chills when I hear "Where the Streets Have No Name" start up. I also get a rush when I hear Bad, With or Without You, Elevation, and Beautiful Day. I am now a huge Bono "solo" fan. I so much admire him and all the work he is doing in the world to help people and to use his fame and fortune for positive change. Seriously, if you are a U2 or a Bono fan, you should read the book Bono, by Michka Assayas.

2. This goes with #1 - I love music of almost all kinds (everything except the rap/hip-hop thing that happened in the last 10 years). I am a closet 80's hard rock fan. Give me some Van Halen or Bon Jovi and turn me loose in my car. It's embarrassing. Grace won't let me sing. I also desperately miss going out dancing.

3. I really like fashion and I wish I could look more trendy, but I don't like buying fashionable clothes, and I don't like spending time to get ready. Every time I go shopping for clothes or shoes, I gravitate to black t-shirts, basic jeans, and FLAT shoes - usually of the clog type. I was telling David the other day that I went from "Doc's" (high school) to "Birkenstocks" (college) to "Crocs" (mommy shoes.) I think I had some decent shoes when I taught high school, but those years of dressing nice were short lived. I don't know why all my shoes end in "ocs", but they tend to be big and bulky and comfy rather than sleek or stylish, or heaven forbid, pointy. Seriously, I would break my neck in a pair of heels. I have to remind myself of this when I wish that Grace would dress more girly and well, brush her hair. Who does she have to look up to except me?! She needs to pay more attention to my sisters...

4. I am a total nerd. I love science and math. The way that a chemistry problem will work out with a perfect answer at the end gives me goose-bumps. I love lab reports that allow you to write (expect you to write) with passive voice and take yourself completely out of the writing. Here, I'll try it now: A blog is being written. Words are typed into the page. Magically - no one knows WHO is doing it all! Very cool.

5. I really like to read. As a kid, I couldn't read enough books. I could read well before kindergarten. At night, I use to read in bed with a flashlight well after my mom told me to go to bed. I gave up reading for fun sometime in high school when reading became a means to an end of getting a score on an AP test. In college I read nothing except text books. Some English teacher friends of mine got me reading again when I taught high school and now I'm in another book group here in New England. I seriously have no time to read (or blog) for that matter, but the small amount of time I take to read something good is such a great escape. It has to be good though - no time for anything that is really depressing, really sad, or really stupid. It has to be uplifting, really intriguing, and a page turner, or I fall asleep. This explains why sometimes I go to book group having only read half a book.

6. I have a serious addiction to chocolate. Seriously. (It's the only vice I have left - I gave up my Coke (a-cola) addiction a long time ago...)

7. I, like Kara, have ALWAYS had an extra job to make some extra cash. My resume of extra jobs on the side has included:
-veterinary technician
-car detailer
-office cleaning lady
-insurance photographer (took photos of houses for insurance company)
-math and chemistry tutor
-book keeper for a horse farm - this is my current extra job. My main job is of course being a stay-at-home mom.

8. I know some people will judge me for this, but I watch what I call the night time soaps! I DVR Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, and Grey's Anatomy. I would watch more shows, but it's all I can do to get caught up with these each week since David doesn't watch them and I have to find time when the kids aren't around AND when David isn't home to watch them. Hey it's better than those freaky reality shows the rest of you watch. Ya - I'm doin' the judging now...

9. You know what, I'm throwing in an extra. After reading this over, I thought of something that people don't really know, but that keeps coming up over and over in my life. Apparently, I am a really good letter writer (I know - you'd never know by reading my blog!) My letters have always gotten results. I wrote letters for the insurance company I worked for that were always complimented and attention given. I wrote letters when I was a high school teacher that always saw results. I write letters and newsletters for the horse barn here and I get lots of results with those too. My latest success was a form-letter e-mail I sent to the Massachusetts State Highway asking for a bridge near our house (currently under construction) to be re-designed so that it was 10 inches higher so that my neighbor could drive his boat underneath. Within 2 days, I got several e-mails back from Mass highway engineers saying that they would most definitely take my suggestion and re-do the bridge design. My neighbors can't get over it. They've been asking for the same thing for 7 years via letter, phone, and fax and have seen no results. Like I said - I seem to have a knack. I was just most happy that I could help my neighbors who have done so much for me. Really, I don't want to brag - I am more surprised than anyone when I get what I ask for from a letter I write. Maybe I need to write a letter to Santa...

Ok - there you go - 8 or 9 things about me in no particular order. None of them extremely important either. I blog about the important things already. I am not really defined by most of this, but it does contribute to who I am.

I tag, let's see...MELISSA. You need to blog sis, so I'm tagging you. I'm tagging my nephew EVAN as well. I keep waiting to see something new on both of your blogs! Also, some newcomers to the blogging family - I tag Molly J, Jen Z, and anyone else who wants to share :-) There, that's at least 8, right? I'm not goin' to your sites - you'll have to read my blog to know you've been tagged!