Friday, September 2, 2011

10 Not-So-Random Facts About Me

Right, we know these facts are not random, right? If I were really picking random facts about myself I'd be telling you I spend inordinate hours worrying about my dog's bowel movements (hey, she's really old, okay?).

Blogger campaign buddy Jessica has started a fun get-to-know-each-other game, which I found out about from Joanna (don't ya just think the universe is one big divine web of connectedness? Don't ya?). Rules: Post 10 facts about yourself, link back to Jessica's blog, and leave a link to your own blog in the comments section of this post.

So here goes:


1. People often think I'm aloof, or even snobby, but the fact is, I'm painfully shy. (working very hard on this).

2. Brittle cynical exterior masks mushy heart (see #1. My goal is to reverse this equation before I die -- downy exterior/rock-solid sense of self).

3. I quit high school a month before graduation and went surfing in Puerto Rico, where I lived on peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and coconut milk (kindly supplied by a nice beach-bum with a coconut pick. You have to have a coconut pick if you want coconut milk, which may be another way of saying: Always arm yourself with the right tools, or find somebody who has them).

4. My mom took me to see lots of movies like Night and Fog and Woman in the Dunes when I was 8 or 9, which pretty much explains everything.

5. If I won the lottery I would open a progressive elementary school.

6. When I'm not obsessing about my dog's bowel movements, I am trying to figure out how to be a better person: wiser, stronger, braver, truer.

7. I'm living the life I want.

8. Will always choose savory over sweet. (applies across the board)

9. Jumping out of an airplane was one of my peak experiences. I will NEVER do it again.

10. My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.

23 comments:

  1. I love it! I too am painfully shy, which many people take for snobbery...little do they know, I'm super wacky and fun once you crack through the shy shell. I think it's a writers thing...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Absolutely loved your open-hearted list, Gail.

    I put down #8 then changed my mind!

    So did you eat the coconut flesh too? yummee

    I am sure knowing #1 and 2 now, I'd see straight into the squishy interior ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow! So, you ARE leading an interesting life. This must make for some great writing! Glad I am getting to know you. I will be posting my list of ten soon.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Random facts are very cool :) My personal favourite is no 9 -NEVER do it again! :) I'm a fellow campaigner (MG/YA) -just getting round the circuit! Nice to meet you.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I think I like number 7 the most.

    Also, I LOVE your layout! It's so awesome!

    And, last but not least, Hello! I'm Jesi and I'm in your MG/YA group in the Campaign!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow. You jumped out of a plane? I'm shaking just thinking about it.

    I think number seven is pretty cool. We should all aspire to it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Like your random facts! Very brave to jump out of a plane. I too prefer savoury over sweet.
    My blogs are: http://joanna77juliet.wordpress.com and http://joanna77.vpweb.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love your list and the lists of fellow campaigners. I'm gathering pictures for mine. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your number one makes me think of Georgiana Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. :) It was fun to get to know a little about you!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'm shy, too. Guess that's why we can sit at Wednesday night groups and smile while everyone else is talking, lol.

    Becca @ The Bookshelf Muse

    ReplyDelete
  11. I fit right in, been shy all of my life. that probably explains more than anything why I'm *Self-Published* Lol!

    Would love to visit Puerto Rico. One of my sons-in-love was born there. His grandmother still lives there, but he moved to CA when he was 13.

    Looking forward to getting to know everyone on the Campaign! ; )

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great getting to know you through this list and the Campaign!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Gail, I'm visiting from the Campaign list. I don't know if I'll participate in this 10 random things link-up, but if I did, I might borrow a few from you. I'm also a shy person who's been accused of being aloof. That comes from good posture, I think. (A shy person who slumps around would not be deemed a snob.) As for savory over sweet, I agree. Especially with peanut butter. I don't like Reese's cups at all, but peanut butter and horseradish on a cracker is awesome. Seriously; try it!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Fellow writers, thanks for all your comments. Seems that a lot of creative people are shy (introverts), and quite a few also prefer savory. hmmm, wonder what that adds up to? Lesson for me is, don't assume somebody is blowing you off or dissing you--they may just feel awkward. Just barrel through and try to make friends, right? Looking forward to getting to know all of you.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi, Gail.

    Visiting from the campaign trail. Love your #4 but relate, sadly, more to the first part of # 6 (ala beloved aging, incontintent corgi mix).

    ReplyDelete
  16. Fantastic random facts! Don't you just 'love' when your shyness is misunderstood? sigh (I can relate).

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Gail! I'm a fellow campaigner in the MG/YA group. It's so great to meet you! I loved getting to know you through your random facts.

    I LOVE your background!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love these. I always enjoy gettng to know people better and discovering all these neat factoids. :) We sound a lot alike (sans the surfing and dog bowel movement thing, lol!)

    Angela @ The Bookshelf Muse

    ReplyDelete
  19. Yeah, Alain Resnais at 8 or 9 can really screw up with someone. :P

    By the way, that cycling guy on the side of the blog design? <3 Awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Skipping off to Puerto Rico and living on coconuts actually sounds like fun to me! I bet your folks weren't too happy about you doing that instead of graduating, but I bet you had a blast. :)

    We're both in the Lit Fic Crusade group.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I am impressed at your number 9 and find number 3 fact fascinating( very brave and adventurous of you!) It sounds so exotic I wish I knew exactly what happened to you during that week. Have you considered writing about it? Maybe even in the format of a short story?

    ReplyDelete
  22. @LA Speedwing: well that's an idea. I'm starting tonight teaching a memoir class; maybe I'll use this experience as my jumping off point and write a memoir along with my students. Thanks for your comment, and you too @tinadchayes -- um, no, my parents were not happy, but it all turned out ok in the end.

    ReplyDelete