Ocho

Memes are blogging-lite, which seems to fit the theme of my little corner of the web. I'm tagging myself from Christina's meme (see the link to Mausi's blog on the sidebar):

1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

*****************************************************************

Things you probably didn't know about me...

1. I have more than 30 FIRST cousins. About half are married with children, and a few even have grandkids. Planning the wedding guestlist was a bit of a challenge!

2. When I was little, I wanted to be a ballerina. Being too tall, with too-big feet, and a complete lack of coordination killed that dream, but I still love ballet.

3. I still love Christmas the way an 8-year-old does.

4. I grew up in the country, where my sister, brother, and I used to catch frogs, toads, lizards, salamanders, the occasional snake -- anything that would make my mom shudder and order us to "get that out of here right now!" Despite my friendliness with the reptile and amphibian kingdoms, I hate bugs and I'm really, really scared of spiders.

5. In my short journalistic career, I've covered an execution, at least 10 homicides (four who were little girls), two drownings, and more violent crimes, fatal car crashes and sick people than I care to count. (No wonder I need a vacation!)

6. My grandfather was a state poet laureate and wrote the official state poem of Indiana. (Bet you didn't know there was one!)

7. I have a strange way of eating Skittles, M&Ms, or any other small colored candies. If I eat a red one on the left side of my mouth, I have to eat a red one on the right side. (And so on with the other colors.) If I only have one red one, I bite it in half. I've done this as long as I can remember. I realize this makes me a total freak, and I've tried not to do it, but it just comes naturally.  

8. In grade school, the mean girls in my gym class called me Olive Oyl (Popeye's girlfriend) because I was so skinny. When I went home and cried to my mom, she laughed because they called her the same thing in school. She told me that in 10 years, I would thank the lord for my metabolism. (She was SO right, as usual.)

I won't tag anyone either, but go ahead and do this if you want!

---

Don't miss your chance to WIN $10,000 and other great prizes from Microsoft Office Live