The Real Me

Everyone gets it from time to time; it comes around every so often. You know, the "25 things you didn't know about me" chain letter. Or various themes on the subject. Using the second letter of your middle name, write down 412 things you like to do on vacation (I would, but there is no "S" anywhere in my name)...list a favorite food for every letter of the alphabet (really, how can you have 26 favorites? Doesn't that sort of negate the whole concept of a favorite?)...and of course the crazy lists of completely random questions that nobody cares to know the answers to (what's your favorite legume? Who CARES?).

Anyway, I've decided to create a list of things about me that might actually be interesting and worthwhile if you want to get to know me better. If you know me well, then you probably already know some of this stuff. If you don't care, then skip this post. I won't hold it against you. And just for the record - I pretty much dislike all legumes.

1) I am a voracious reader. Books are as necessary as food to me. I don't read, I devour. I will go slightly nuts if I don't have a book to read. I've had a Kindle for about a year now, and it's the best purchase I've ever made. My current literary obsession is the Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning. Awesome books, but not at all for the faint of heart.

2) I have traveled to 20 countries, to include the United States. They are, in approximate order, as follows: US, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, Japan, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Netherlands, Italy, Bulgaria, England, France, Switzerland, Slovenia, Croatia, Greece and Canada. It comes out to about 10% of the countries in the world. That means I have another 90% to explore.

3) I have yet to visit the two places that have long held the most appeal for me. Ireland, and Israel. I WILL see Ireland before I die. I'm not sure my terrorist-hunting hubby will allow me anywhere near the middle east, but I can dream.

4) I have a huge sweet tooth that I inherited from my Grandpa. He got it from his mother and gave it to me and I have now passed it onto my youngest son. Hey...family legacies are important.

5) I'm fascinated by vampires, and have been since long before Bella met Edward. I'm not one of those "hey look at me, I'm pale and pierced and wear black all the time and walk around with an eternally depressed disposition cause I want to be a vampire" type of people. I like my pink and sunshine too much for that. Plus it's just plain weird. But still...something about them draws me.

6) Paul Newman is my favorite actor and always will be. He was classy. My husband married me with the full knowledge that if Paul ever came to the door and asked me to run away with him, all bets were off. I guess he figured it was an acceptable risk. At the end of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, when he looks at Liz Taylor with those blue, blue eyes and says, "lock the door", I just come unraveled.

7) My close friends and family will tell you that I'm a walking encyclopedia of useless facts. Nobody will play Trivial Pursuit with me. But knowing when the Battle of Hastings took place (1066), the first line of Hamlet ("Who's there?"), or that the Pyramid of Giza is the only one of the seven wonders of the ancient world still standing will come in really handy if I ever try out for Jeopardy.

8) I got mugged once. In Germany. To make a long story short - he attacked me, I got pissed, we fought, I won. Never underestimate the power of 4 inch stilettos.

9) I make a killer giant cheesecake. It's huge. Tall, thick and about 80,000 calories. It takes about 2 days to make and It. Is. Fabulous.

10) I don't like to drive. I consider it a necessary evil. I prefer to be driven around. I think it's a throwback to my past life when I was Queen of Everything. I'm pretty sure I had a chauffeur.

11) I absolutely love the smell of sandalwood. I don't know why, I don't know what kind of repressed, sensory memory it evokes in me, but the smell of sandalwood magically transports me to another place. One that is rich, luxurious, soft and warm. And quiet. I had a perfectly scented Tibetan Sandalwood candle once, and when it got too short to burn I would just pick it up and smell it. I'm pretty certain that Heaven smells like Sandalwood.

12) I am displaced in time. Born in the wrong decade. I should have lived in the 30's and 40's. I love the music, the style, the class and the grace. I love the simplicity of the pride we felt in who we were as a country, as a people. No insane politics, no misplaced guilt. Just the determination to go on, to fight the bad guy, to go where we were needed and to rebuild. Plus - great hats.

13) I absolutely cannot handle people touching my feet. It just weirds me out and gives me the willies.

14) I once broke a finger doing laundry. Not a fingernail, a finger. I was in Korea and I was taking a belt out of one of my husband's uniforms. This belt was slightly elastic and as I was pulling it out of the belt loops I lost my grip and the metal buckle snapped back and cracked me on my ring finger. It started swelling and turning purple pretty much right away. The medic said it was fractured and made me wear a splint for 6 weeks. Who knew mundane housework could be so dangerous?

15) And last but not least...my natural hair color is brown. Who knew, right?

And for all of you gutter minds - my favorite thing to do on vacation is to go SIGHTSEEING. :-p