L
I was going to go out and read under a lilac tree, but the current London weather just ruined that plan. Instead, I will steal an idea from
amadruadaboleyn.
50 Things About Me
1. I am addicted to Classic FM Radio. I'm even at the point of waking up early so that I get to hear more music in the day. I need an intervention.
2. When I took a self-defence class, the Ukranian ex-gangster instructor took one punch from me and then asked if I boxed. I felt powerful.
3. My first memory is Errol Flynn. Not my parents or my brother or Christmas or snow... Errol Flynn in his Robin Hood tights. That pretty much explains my life.
4. I was one of those people who scoffed at Daniel Craig as Bond until I saw the movie and realised I was an asshole.
5. I am very competitive.
6. I let pop culture sway my important decisions. I voted for Brian Paddick in yesterday's mayoral election because he looked like Bill Buchanan from 24.
7. Lavender and lilac are my favourite scents.
8. There is a photo of Richard Burton on my front door saying, "I have to think hard to name an interesting man who does not drink."
9. When I was between the ages of 2 and 4, I would wait for my elder brother's friends to come over to play, take off all my clothes and run past them, thereby purposefully mortifying my brother. He has never a) forgotten it or b) gotten over it. I still terrify him when I give him my "dastardly crafty" look.
10. I'm allergic to anchovies, which means I can never eat Caesar salads in restaurants.
11. I have no feeling in half of my left pinky finger due to a bar fight... with a fruit fly.
12. This year I became a convert to Greek Yogurt.
13. I feel guilty whenever I can't finish a book, even if it's crap.
14. I have entered that phase in life where most of my friends seem to be getting married... and I still don't even have a real job.
15. My three shopping obsessions are shoes, movies and books. This has made the process of moving back across the ocean even more difficult, because I don't like to be separated from any of them.
16. My hands are the size of a ten year-old girl's. Really. I have empirical evidence.
17. I hate it when people say my hands are "dainty".
18. I also loathe that, because of said small hands, I can't flip anyone off without them thinking it looks rather cute.
19. Before he went all crazy, I liked Mel Gibson. I still like Lethal Weapon 1-3.
20. I am not named after any of the following: Jane Eyre, Jane of Lantern Hill, Jane Austen, Lady Jane Grey or Jane Goodall.
21. Within twelve hours of my birth, Charles and Diana announced their engagement.
22. Other things that happened the year I was born: Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Pope got shot, Reagan got shot, Bobby Sands died in prison, Chariots of Fire.
23. Blue is the best colour.
24. I do not look good in yellow.
25. I am allergic to plane trees, which makes springtime in London rather hellish.
26. I am an elitist. I realised that while smiling snidely at the plebs when I was at Royal Ascot last year. I was in the Royal Enclosure drinking Bollinger... and they weren't. Definitely an elitist.
27. In my high school "Grad Goodbye" I wrote that my pet peeves were republicans and revolutionaries. I pretty much stand by that.
28. I am sick to death of the American Election, but I know that I'll become addicted to it once I'm home... but I'll complain the whole time.
29. I have become a gym bunny. I need to feel that burst of endorphins in the morning. But I'm not one of those weird women who wears eye make-up while working out. The point is to sweat, ladies. Sweat + Mascara = Bad Idea.
30. Diamonds are a girl's best friend, but sapphires make me smile. Rubies are pretty kick-ass too. Not a fan of topaz, however, or aquamarine. When it comes to gemstones, I can be fairly fickle.
31. My heart lifts whenever I hear the bells of St Paul's chiming through my bedroom window.
32. Between the ages of 5 and 12, I refused to wear dresses. I liked my brother's hand-me-down track pants and Notre Dame t-shirts. I think of this now as my "Jean Louise 'Scout' Finch Era". Sometimes I really miss it.
33. The most gorgeous place I have ever seen is a toss-up between the Antrim coast near the Giant's Causeway and the Five Sisters mountain range on the road to Skye.
34. I allow myself to have one "Eastern Ontario Moment" per day, which usually involves me being grossly politically incorrect.
35. I read Seven Pillars of Wisdom for fun.
36. I still worry that I'm the "fat one" among my friends. It doesn't seem to get any better with age.
37. I believe deep down in my heart that Julius Caesar and I would have had a lot of fun together.
38. For my 16th birthday, my friend arranged for me to be sung to and hugged by Great Big Sea backstage at the Grand Theatre in Kingston. It was really cool.
39. I was at SARS-stock, but I didn't drink anything that day because there were about 2,000 people ahead of me in the line for the beer tent.
40. I like hanging out with my parents. We've moved past that brief teenage "I can't be seen with you in public" phase, and now I see them as very fun, caring, intelligent and funny people, as well as being my parents. Plus, they can both cook.
41. I am terrified that I will never find a job in academia and that all of this money will have been wasted because I'll be working at Tim Horton's and smelling like stale coffee and glazed donuts for the rest of my life.
42. I have a tendency to "spin" and freak out over practically anything.
43. I like to write stories, but I don't know if I'm any good, or if people have just been kind in the past.
44. Although my PhD viva was hell on wheels, I got through it by clinging to the realisation that I now could wear one of those Thomas More hats.
45. Flying is not my favourite thing in the world, but I wonder if that's because I've always flown economy and never in my life been bumped up to business or first class.
46. Most of my joints "pop" at some point during the day. It can freak out the house-guests.
47. I love chess, but I'm rubbish at it.
48. Indiana Jones might be perfect for me on paper, but I still prefer Han Solo.
49. My favourite food is homemade pie -- chocolate, raspberry, blueberry, butterscotch, rhubarb, pumpkin, mince, lemon, key-lime, coconut cream... they're all bliss.
50. Part of me still hasn't forgiven my best friend for making me wear a Texas-style bridesmaid dress. It was moss green and had tassles. I might never get my revenge.
amadruadaboleyn.
50 Things About Me
1. I am addicted to Classic FM Radio. I'm even at the point of waking up early so that I get to hear more music in the day. I need an intervention.
2. When I took a self-defence class, the Ukranian ex-gangster instructor took one punch from me and then asked if I boxed. I felt powerful.
3. My first memory is Errol Flynn. Not my parents or my brother or Christmas or snow... Errol Flynn in his Robin Hood tights. That pretty much explains my life.
4. I was one of those people who scoffed at Daniel Craig as Bond until I saw the movie and realised I was an asshole.
5. I am very competitive.
6. I let pop culture sway my important decisions. I voted for Brian Paddick in yesterday's mayoral election because he looked like Bill Buchanan from 24.
7. Lavender and lilac are my favourite scents.
8. There is a photo of Richard Burton on my front door saying, "I have to think hard to name an interesting man who does not drink."
9. When I was between the ages of 2 and 4, I would wait for my elder brother's friends to come over to play, take off all my clothes and run past them, thereby purposefully mortifying my brother. He has never a) forgotten it or b) gotten over it. I still terrify him when I give him my "dastardly crafty" look.
10. I'm allergic to anchovies, which means I can never eat Caesar salads in restaurants.
11. I have no feeling in half of my left pinky finger due to a bar fight... with a fruit fly.
12. This year I became a convert to Greek Yogurt.
13. I feel guilty whenever I can't finish a book, even if it's crap.
14. I have entered that phase in life where most of my friends seem to be getting married... and I still don't even have a real job.
15. My three shopping obsessions are shoes, movies and books. This has made the process of moving back across the ocean even more difficult, because I don't like to be separated from any of them.
16. My hands are the size of a ten year-old girl's. Really. I have empirical evidence.
17. I hate it when people say my hands are "dainty".
18. I also loathe that, because of said small hands, I can't flip anyone off without them thinking it looks rather cute.
19. Before he went all crazy, I liked Mel Gibson. I still like Lethal Weapon 1-3.
20. I am not named after any of the following: Jane Eyre, Jane of Lantern Hill, Jane Austen, Lady Jane Grey or Jane Goodall.
21. Within twelve hours of my birth, Charles and Diana announced their engagement.
22. Other things that happened the year I was born: Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Pope got shot, Reagan got shot, Bobby Sands died in prison, Chariots of Fire.
23. Blue is the best colour.
24. I do not look good in yellow.
25. I am allergic to plane trees, which makes springtime in London rather hellish.
26. I am an elitist. I realised that while smiling snidely at the plebs when I was at Royal Ascot last year. I was in the Royal Enclosure drinking Bollinger... and they weren't. Definitely an elitist.
27. In my high school "Grad Goodbye" I wrote that my pet peeves were republicans and revolutionaries. I pretty much stand by that.
28. I am sick to death of the American Election, but I know that I'll become addicted to it once I'm home... but I'll complain the whole time.
29. I have become a gym bunny. I need to feel that burst of endorphins in the morning. But I'm not one of those weird women who wears eye make-up while working out. The point is to sweat, ladies. Sweat + Mascara = Bad Idea.
30. Diamonds are a girl's best friend, but sapphires make me smile. Rubies are pretty kick-ass too. Not a fan of topaz, however, or aquamarine. When it comes to gemstones, I can be fairly fickle.
31. My heart lifts whenever I hear the bells of St Paul's chiming through my bedroom window.
32. Between the ages of 5 and 12, I refused to wear dresses. I liked my brother's hand-me-down track pants and Notre Dame t-shirts. I think of this now as my "Jean Louise 'Scout' Finch Era". Sometimes I really miss it.
33. The most gorgeous place I have ever seen is a toss-up between the Antrim coast near the Giant's Causeway and the Five Sisters mountain range on the road to Skye.
34. I allow myself to have one "Eastern Ontario Moment" per day, which usually involves me being grossly politically incorrect.
35. I read Seven Pillars of Wisdom for fun.
36. I still worry that I'm the "fat one" among my friends. It doesn't seem to get any better with age.
37. I believe deep down in my heart that Julius Caesar and I would have had a lot of fun together.
38. For my 16th birthday, my friend arranged for me to be sung to and hugged by Great Big Sea backstage at the Grand Theatre in Kingston. It was really cool.
39. I was at SARS-stock, but I didn't drink anything that day because there were about 2,000 people ahead of me in the line for the beer tent.
40. I like hanging out with my parents. We've moved past that brief teenage "I can't be seen with you in public" phase, and now I see them as very fun, caring, intelligent and funny people, as well as being my parents. Plus, they can both cook.
41. I am terrified that I will never find a job in academia and that all of this money will have been wasted because I'll be working at Tim Horton's and smelling like stale coffee and glazed donuts for the rest of my life.
42. I have a tendency to "spin" and freak out over practically anything.
43. I like to write stories, but I don't know if I'm any good, or if people have just been kind in the past.
44. Although my PhD viva was hell on wheels, I got through it by clinging to the realisation that I now could wear one of those Thomas More hats.
45. Flying is not my favourite thing in the world, but I wonder if that's because I've always flown economy and never in my life been bumped up to business or first class.
46. Most of my joints "pop" at some point during the day. It can freak out the house-guests.
47. I love chess, but I'm rubbish at it.
48. Indiana Jones might be perfect for me on paper, but I still prefer Han Solo.
49. My favourite food is homemade pie -- chocolate, raspberry, blueberry, butterscotch, rhubarb, pumpkin, mince, lemon, key-lime, coconut cream... they're all bliss.
50. Part of me still hasn't forgiven my best friend for making me wear a Texas-style bridesmaid dress. It was moss green and had tassles. I might never get my revenge.