Pro-Soup Propaganda

11 Things

I got tagged by Stina in her "11 Things," so I thought I'd take a break from soap and fill it out!

There are five rules:
1. Post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 random things. 
3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post. 
4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them. 
5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you've tagged them. 



My 11 things...

1. I lettered in both Speech & Drama and Academic Decathlon in high school. Big surprise, huh?

2. I have my septum not just pierced, but stretched it from a 14 gauge to a 10 gauge. Why? Why not? I've had it since 2006, but have only worn jewelry in it that is visible just a small handful of times. I can't find any jewelry (and haven't looked lately) for anything I like and have something fairly specific in mind.

3. I was on JV softball in high school, but for not very long. I don't remember the details, but I think I may have only played a few games.

4. I have an excellent sense of direction, am good at reading maps, and having a sense of spatial awareness. I think I got this from growing up with my dad. Thanks, Dad!

5. I have what we call a Zombie Thumb on my left hand. When I was four, my babysitter told me not to play with a fold-up playpen. Well, she got on the phone and wasn't watching me, so I started to play with the playpen and smashed my thumb in the hinges. I went to the emergency room and had surgery to reconnect my thumbnail to my thumb. (In hindsight, why was this important? Do people need nails on every digit? Is this worth having surgery for?) To this day, my thumb still has the five stitch marks in it and the nail grows very thick and very slow.

5 1/2. Okay, I have another fact about my left thumb because it is fabulous. I can also bend this thumb back over the back of my hand and hold it there. It looks awesomely gross and I have freaked people out with it.

6. I can fold my tongue into a clam shell.

7. I used to speak both Russian and Spanish fairly well and was able to get around Russia in 2005 pretty well. I would love love looooove to go back but I want to take Russian classes again so I can speak and read it to be able to get around and find things.

8. In high school I thought I was going to be an Electrical Engineer in Communications. My eventual life plan was to work for NASA with the shuttles. This life plan changed when I realized that engineering school is really, really expensive and, since I would be paying for this on my own, I didn't want to be a slave to debt for a long, long time, and I knew my life would work out well some other way, even if I wasn't an engineer.

9. I am a huge Lewis and Clark nerd and have traveled around Oregon and Washington looking at sites they were at and doing a lot of research about the Corps of Discovery.

10. As of this month, April, 2012, I have worked exactly eight years in the coffee industry. I started out in Alaska and am still working with coffee in Oregon. Kind of neat to say that!

11. I feel like my last fact should be really great, but I'm not sure what it will be. How about... I do not like to eat breakfast food in the mornings and am not a huge fan of sweet stuff in general. Jonathan always laughs at me because I will eat a sandwich for breakfast, or dinner leftovers from the night before. The closest thing I eat that he considers breakfast food (I think) is fried egg sandwiches. (Because they are DARN GOOD!!)


And now to answer Stina's questions...

1: If you were an animal what would you be and why?
I would probably be a whooping crane or something loud, but also kind of alone.

2: What is something you would LOVE to do one day? Something you DREAM of doing. What's holding you back?
I think most people know this, but I am GOING to Antarctica!! This has been something I have been dreaming of since I can remember. The only thing holding me back is money!

3: Do you have a favourite poem? If so, please share it! If not, what is your favourite song (lyrics)?
I do! It is "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll. It's the only poem I have memorized!

4: Do you feel deeply attached to where you live, or would you like to live somewhere else? Would you like to be a nomad? Are you a nomad?
I don't feel really deeply attached to Portland, to be honest. I am still very attached to Alaska and visit it as often as I am able. I need water and trees around me to be truly happy and Portland doesn't completely fulfill that. That being said, when I am able to make more money I would like to go back to Jonathan and I's tradition of going to the coast once a month or so.

5: What picks you up when you are in a funk?
Turning on some good music, dancing around, and having an alcoholic drink or two. ;o)

6: Do you have a special or secret recipe that you love to make? What is it? Do you feel like sharing it? (I need to start being more domestic, haha)
I don't, really! I am not really a recipe person. I like knowing what foods taste like and then mixing them with other foods I know they would go with. I eat a lot of veggies!

7:What is your favourite animated movie, or your favourite movie from your childhood if you're not into that? Why?
I should probably say, "Up" or something. I don't really prefer animated movies.

8: Are there any causes or charities close to your heart? Tell us about it.
As I have mentioned many times before on the blog, I love planting trees with Friends of Trees! It helps fulfill me on many levels. I LOVE helping people and interacting with them on a positive basis. I love getting outside and getting in the dirt. I love that it gets me some exercise. I love the staff at Friends of Trees because every single one of them is a nice person. Wednesdays are usually the day I plant with them and they are my favorite day of the week for that reason! Sadly, this upcoming Wednesday is the last planting I'll be able to attend in this planting season, but I have signed up for two tree care days and for their Summer Inspector program, so I'll still get to hang out with trees a bit!

9: What is your superpower? Your superhero name?
One of my super powers is that I am a good listener! Not everyone is, so someone's gotta do it!

10: Tell us about someone you'd like to be for a day, or like to spend a day with, past or present, living or dead.
Oh, gosh, I don't know? Maybe Lewis and Clark would let me be part of the Corps? That way I could wear "mockersins" and have some good adventures.

11: Tell us a funny story from when you were young. Maybe that's not technically a question but whatevs.
When I was four (four was a good year for me, aside from that whole "thumb smashing" thing) I was Megan from "My Little Pony" for Halloween. This was back when they made costumes all from plastic.



My questions for anyone who wants to answer them. I don't know who to tag! But I would love to hear from anyone! I love reading this stuff. :o)

1. What is your favorite song and why?

2. What popular internet thing are you sick of and why? Bacon? Cupcakes? Those "Keep Calm" posters and EVERY SINGLE VERSION out there?!

3. What is your favorite thing you do to get exercise?

4. If you were caught in a zombie apocalypse, what skills do you have that would help you to survive?

5. Three favorite vegetables and why?

6. What are some of your favorite smells and why?

7. Did you have a favorite dinosaur when you were little? Do you have a favorite dinosaur now?

8. What is the #1 most played song on your iPod (or other mobile device)?

9.  What story does your family always tell about you?

10. What is the oldest item you own?

11. If someone offered you a $5,000 shopping spree to just one store, what store would you choose?

Have fun, kids!