25 Things About Me February 1, 2009 at 7:58pm 1. I had three families growing up with three houses that felt like home, three moms, three dads, two best friends and many more siblings. And cats. Robertsons, Shepherds and Barlows. 2. My New Year's resolutions changed from athletic and financial goals to things like, "write to ten friends" or "visit at least four long-distance loved ones". It worked, but the numbers are still too low. 3. It took all four of my mom's kids to look after her when she got old. It's quite scary being childless. 4. Exercise has been a god-send, especially the long, drawn-out, gritty, epic kinds. 5. Actually, pretty much anything that results in me getting filthy is pleasurable: mowing the lawn, camping, commuting in the rain, cleaning my bike, etc. 6. Once every decade, I experience the "audible click" when I meet someone and within a few minutes I know I've met a friend for life. My college roommate Lois, Alita in Chicago, Kathy in Philly and Matt and Suzanne in Boston. That's not to say others don't become great friends; it just wasn't immediately obvious. 7. Commuting by public transportation has made me claustrophobic. 8. Graduate school was the richest, most memorable time of my life so far, and those friends collectively make me laugh harder than anyone...so far. 9. I'm typically awe-struck by my friends and I have a little problem with hero worship. 10. My husband is the first person I really allowed to nurture me and now I'm getting soft, but it's okay. 11. As much as I'd like it to be true, I can't really crack walnuts with my thighs. 12. At one point I had three dating rules that turned out to have some predictive power: 1) must have clean drive train (he takes care of his possessions and doesn't inconvenience those around him); 2) doesn't drive a Saturn (not afraid to negotiate); 3) I can wear his pants (not sure what this one adds). 13. I have no trouble talking to people when I meet them for the first time or the fifteenth time, but those third through twelfth times leave me tongue-tied. I can fake it numbers 2, 13 and 14. 14. A recent epiphany: if I can't do great things myself, I can still make time for people who can, and that's not such a bad thing. 15. I love to make lists, and in the 90's they were prioritized and they aren't any more. Not sure what that means. My best friend's mom used to leave lists around the house and my friend would write "buy presents for Beck" at the end of every list. That still makes me laugh. 16. I hate house plants, but it's okay when other people have them. Like brick-a-brack, they gather dust. Like pets they leave messes, but they don't offer affection. 17. Most of the time I know how good I have it but sometimes I forget. 18. My husband has a really great group of friends who would do (and have done) anything for him, which pretty much sums up what kind of person he is. 19. The world really is a mirror. 20. I once read that there are 14 kinds of intelligence and it's true. My dad always said not everyone has to go to college to realize their potential. 21. At this point in life I'm surrounded by a really smart group of people and it's exhausting in the best way. 22. This is an extremely comfortable time in my life and I know it will end, but I'm so grateful for the stability and support that are currently in place. Things are really easy right now. 23. When Frank and I married in 2004, the main thing I felt was buffered, as if calamities could come along and they wouldn't cause as much upset. 24. When I don't have a good book to read it hurts and I don't want to go to bed at night. 25. I'm totally a morning person but my dad used to say that the only way he could get to an 8 o'clock class was from the other side and my brother is like that, too. He used to set an alarms to show up to work at 4 pm. But just because I'm sharp in the morning doesn't mean I like to talk.