Tag, I'm It.

Nicole sent me a "Tag, You're It" message with a challenge to write seven things weird or random about myself that other people may not know. Then you're supposed to tag other peoples blogs. I'm not going to do that, but if you're reading my blog and want to play along, please do (Meg this will give you a topic for you new blog)! Nicole tagged me about a month ago and I've been thinking about my list ever since. So obviously I'm putting way too much thought into this. Here it goes... I'll be surprised if anyone gets a seven out of seven:

1. When I was a junior in college, I almost changed my major to meteorology because I love the weather. Weather is so interesting to me and when a storm comes in, I always watch it on the radar. So what would I have done with this meteorology degree? I would have been the weather girl. And most days, I wish that's what I was doing... pointing at a green screen, smiling, and making weather puns with the anchorman. But I know I'd probably be doing the weather in Duluth or something, so maybe it wouldn't have been that great.

2. Speaking of career aspirations, my first ambition was to play the accordion just like the man on Hee-Haw. I was 4. I started taking piano lessons when I was 5 and about a year later, my parents discovered that our creepy neighbor had an accordion, so he lent it to me. I tried to play it, but it was really difficult. It ended my dream of becoming a professional accordion player, but I am still secretly fascinated by the accordion.

3. One of my biggest pet peeves is the overuse of the exclamation point! Or the double use!! Or triple use!!! REALLY?!!??!! Every sentence needs an exclamation point??!!! What are people trying to convey?!! Are they excited, yelling, or crazy?!!! A girl that used to work here would e-mail clients and every sentence in her e-mails ended with an exclamation point or a double!! I eventually told her to stop because it didn't look professional! My friends said I was crazy, but I couldn't help it! She had to be told! And this ":)" - or any variation - drives me nuts too.

4. I took my baby blanket to college with me, and I really don't care who knows it because I've been out and proud about my blanket for a long time. My mom tried to "lose it" when we took a trip to visit my grandparents when I was 7 or 8 because she thought I was too old to have it, but then I "found it" when I ransacked their house looking for it on a return trip 6 months later. Why would she want to take it away from me? Maybe she had some strange fear that I would still be sleeping with it when I went away to college? That's crazy talk. I still have it, but it's sealed in a bag because after years of wear, if it's exposed to the air, it will fall apart. It's like the Shroud of Turin.

5. Before Ellie was born, I didn't know any lullabies to sing so I downloaded "Que Sera, Sera" by Doris Day from iTunes and memorized it. It was the first song I sang to her, and it's what I always sing to her when she cries.

6. I'm the most inartistic person you'll ever meet. I can draw a smiley face and stick figures, but that's it. Art class was my least favorite class in elementary. My stuff was NEVER picked to go on the bulletin board. It's like the left side of my brain ate the right side of my brain and I have no ability to create. Well, I shouldn't say I can't create because I feel like I'm pretty good at writing and I've been dying to take a continuing ed class on creative writing. In fact, I have a funny book idea floating around in my head that will most likely never find its way to paper.

7. I'm not a picky eater, but I do not eat raw tomatoes. I never have, but for some reason I can't remember to say "no tomato" whenever I order a sandwich. So every time I order a sandwich, I have to pick the tomato off. I'll end this little exercise with a word problem: Assume Tiffany orders a sandwich every week and has been ordering sandwiches for the last 25 years. How many tomato slices has she picked off? If you said 1,300 slices, you'd be correct. Writing that makes me feel like a genius.

That is everything interesting to know about me that you may not have known. I don't have 6 toes, I can't play the flute with my nose, I have no tattoos, I'm not a secret agent, and I haven't hiked to the highest mountain in North America, but I did sleep with a baby blanket until I was 25.