7 Things About Me and a New Award

First I need to thank Joy from The Joy of who gave me this award. It is such an honor for me especially coming from her. She is such a sweet and genuine person; a great friend and wife, a caring mother and honest businesswoman - Joy's name is the perfect description for her.

I want to pass this award on to Barb at The Life and Times of a SuperMom, Rosemary at Rosemary's Attic and Angela at The Voluptuary. All three women are super sweet but so genuine about everything. I don't think a fake bone exists in their bodies. And I love that about them!

Now on to the Seven Things About Me. I was named by Nancy at Knitting Paths of Life a while back and just recently by Anita at Prairie Dreams. It's hard for me to do this type of meme because I rarely hold anything back. I tell you all everything whether you asked for it or not. Because I ramble on and on you would think it would be easy. Well it's not. So here goes nothing:

1. I have slight touch of OCD when it comes to this one thing. If something touches my right side, something must then have to touch my left. Freak, I know. But seriously, say you tap me on my right shoulder, tap tap tap. I swear it leaves an impression, an indentation of sorts until I touch my left shoulder, tap tap tap. It's a feeling of being balanced. I can't explain it. But that would be the fastest and least messy way of driving me insane. Touch one side of me and then don't allow me to touch the other side. Yep - HUGE FREAK. I know. Can't help it.

2. I am notorious for getting my finger or thumb stuck in something. For instance, a pop bottle, a roll of tape, a bowling ball! Yep, you read that right. Holly and I went bowling years ago. And when I was picking out a ball, I found this little, teeny tiny 6 pounder. My thought was I could hurl it down the lane. WRONG! I tried it out and my thumb got stuck in the hole. I tried to hide it from her but alas I couldn't it get it off. I plopped this ball and thumb down on the desk and asked the attendant if he could help me. Once he stopped laughing, he found some lotion or baby powder (I can't remember anymore it's been so long) and that worked. POP! My thumb popped out and I ended up having to bowl with a 10 pounder (common size for me now but not back then) because my thumb had swelled so much.

3. I love the beach. I know that you probably already know that but to what degree? I adore the water. It might be because I'm a Pisces. Or it might be that I live in western PA where the closest body of water is Lake Erie and that's 2+ hours away. I don't know. But I NEED to live by the water. It is my dream to someday be able to look out my bedroom balcony at the ocean. And not just for a week on vacation. There is something about the ocean that I can't describe. But I have to be near it.

4. I'm allergic to cats. Yes, I know. I have 6 of them. But, if you get a kitten, when they have no dander, by the time they develop it, you're immune to it. Now if I walk into your house with cats, new dander so to speak, I'm terribly allergic. Hives, itching, sneezing, the whole nine yards. And even if I got a long-haired cat as a kitten I would still be allergic. Long haired cats mess with me big time!

5. I'm afraid of heights. Not in the way you're thinking though. I can (and have) stand at the top of the Empire State Building and look down and think nothing of it. I have looked out the crown of the Statue of Liberty (which is no longer an option in the wake of 9/11) with no problem. I have no problem climbing up anything, but don't ask me to climb back down. A few years ago my cousins and I went to McConnell's Mills. We trekked up this rocky hill and picnicked on this plateau overlooking the falls. It was beautiful. Until I had to climb back down. I was completely frozen in fear and my cousin John had to put my arms around his neck while I leaned into his back to lead me back down the hill.

6. I'm a smoker. Terrible, yes. Expensive, you're telling me. Harmful to myself and others, I know. But it is a habit that I can't break. And the reason why you ask? Because I don't want to. Now how sad is that? But I like to smoke. I like holding the cigarette. I like the cool 'hit' I get when I inhale (I smoke menthol.) IT'S A TERRIBLE HABIT. So I pray for the desire to quit. That's first. If you don't want to quit, you won't. So, say a prayer for me that I'll have the desire to quit. Then once I have the desire, I'll pray for the will power to do it.

7. I have a tattoo and a half. Don't laugh, it's possible! My first tattoo was a flower toe ring. It was adorable! It was a yellow flower with purple accents and green ivy to make the 'ring.' The man told me to keep it moist for the first few days. I put Neosporin on it. Logical, right? Wrong. Neosporin is an antibiotic. It pulls out everything foreign in your body. Including your brand new tattoo ink. So it's very faded now, barely noticeable in fact. So when I went to get the one on my back (my cousin Sherry drew me a beautiful dragonfly that ended up looking like a butterfly when he was done) the guy told me - Keep this moist for a few days. I said ok, like with Neosporin. His head almost snapped off. 'No, that...did you put that on your toe??' Yeah why, I asked. And then he told me. I guess he meant like A&D ointment or Vaseline. Well I wasn't taking any chances the second time around so I bought the Tattoo Goo at a ridiculously high cost just to be sure! I'm proud to say that the Butterdragonfly on my back is still there and it's not faded!

Now, I'm not going to assign this meme to anyone. But please, if anyone hasn't done this, it can be really fun. Not just for the reader but for the writer. Unless you're an open book like me and can't come up with anything new.

Blessing of the day: I'm blessed to have friends like Holly in my life. She sent Bill to work (Kenny's BF who works with him) with a package of pie weights for me, The Bible on cassette and The World's Bible Handbook by Robert Boyd. Little things that she had or found while shopping that she knew I would like. She's my best friend and I love her!