Tag! You're it!

Ok, the whole internets has been tagged by Crazy Aunt Purl, and since I'm going to ask her to look into my astrological chart, and I don't want her to foresee rampant destruction, raping, pillaging & looting in my future, I think it's best to appease.

TEN random things you might not know about me.
1. I have unbelievably weak ankles. Seriously, I've sprained my ankles (right and left) a combined total of 20+ times in my life. And I'm only 30 years old, so you do the math.
2. I have ugly feet. Very wide (say, D width), and my second toe is longer than my big toe. Plus, they are generally deformed looking from 7 years of dancing ballet on pointe.
3. My first real job was teaching ballet. You wouldn't think it to look at me, but from age 15-18, I spent almost every Saturday getting 2-8 year olds to point their toes.
4. I am insanely ticklish.
5. I am addicted to lip balm. Benefit's Lip Tint is good when I want some color, but the best all-around lip balm EVER is the Walgreen's special: Cococare's Cocoa Butter Lip Balm in the yellow tube.
6. I never pictured myself meeting the love of my life at age 18. In high school, I always thought I'd be a Miranda: career focused, ruthless single girl type. And then, first semester of college, I meet Richard, who sweeps me off my feet. And who, 12 years later, still makes me weak at the knees.
7. I misspelled the word "calendar" in the 4th grade spelling bee. Pathetic.
8. I obsess for YEARS over the stupid and inappropriate things that come out of my mouth.
9. I hate doing laundry. It wouldn't be so bad if I had my own washer & dryer, but I have to go into the basement to use the coin operated ones, and I just can't be bothered.
10. I am a sci-fi nerd. I am obsessed with the new Battlestar Galactica and I have read every book in the MageWorlds series. Bet that one surprised you!

NINE places I've visited
1. Rome
2. Florence
3. Playa del Carmen
4. Honolulu
5. New York City
6. Washington D.C.
7. Lake Tahoe!
8. New Mexico (Alburquerque, Santa Fe, Taos)
9. Tennessee (Nashville, Gatlinburg, Memphis)

EIGHT ways to win my heart
1. Make me dinner. The way to my heart is definitely through food.
2. Get along with my family. They may be crazy, but they're mine.
3. Have good spelling and punctuation. Ever since the "calendar" incident, nothing makes me crazier than using "it's" when it should have been "its."
4. Do my laundry. One year, Richard paid to take all my dirty laundry to a cleaning service for my birthday. Best present ever.
5. Go to flea markets with me.
6. PIE! Or cobbler. Or brown betty, buckle or bundt. I love me some fruity desserts.
7. Foot massage. Richard is the only person ever to touch my feet and not tickle them. I can't even get pedicures because I can't stop giggling, but for some reason, Richard gives good foot rubs.
8. Kitty love. When I'm feeling down, nothing beats having Deano or Doyle crawl up in my lap to snuggle.

SEVEN things I want to do before I die
1. Take a photo safari to Africa with my dad.
2. Read the final Harry Potter book. If I die before I find out how it all ends, I'll be very upset.
3. Spend as much time as possible at Lake Tahoe, my favorite place in the world.
4. Get my parents to talk to each other like normal people.
5. Become a good enough seamstress so that I can create any clothing item I can dream up.
6. Have kids. We're moving towards that, but I'm not counting any chickens yet.
7. Enjoy the life that I have every day.

SIX things I'm afraid of
1. Cockroaches.
2. Losing Richard.
3. Losing my family.
4. Losing my friends.
5. People realising I'm not as smart as I pretend I am.
6. Not being able to have kids. I've spent the last 13 years trying not to get pregnant. What if, now that I want to, I can't?

FIVE things I don't like
1. Laundry, but I already said that.
2. Broccoli.
3. Maraschino cherries.
4. Cotton candy.
5. Poor grammar! (and anyone who reads though my blog entries and points out all the mistakes I've made)

FOUR ways to turn me off
1. Criticize my cats.
2. Be insensitive.
3. Blow smoke through your nose. (Richard used to smoke and the brown spots he'd get under his nose were so gross)
4. Wear inappropriate footwear. No open-toed shoes with nylons! No man sandals at formal weddings!

THREE things I do every day
1. Oversleep. Seriously, I roll out of bed at about 8:15 a.m., 8:40 if I'm not taking a shower. My work day is supposed to start at 8:30 a.m., but I'm lucky if I'm here by 9:10 a.m.
2. Wear at least one thing I've made. If I'm wearing a completely store bought outfit, it just feels wrong, somehow.
3. Wear lip balm. I'm addicted, I tell you.

TWO things that make me happy
1. Getting compliments on things I've made. I know I make things because I like them, and not so they please others, but it's still nice to get a compliment.
2. Egg nog. Best part about the extended Christmas season (Oct. 20 - Jan. 6)

ONE thing on my mind right now
1. How much work I'm avoiding right now.

OK, Aunt Purl, I'm done. Anyone else feel like giving this one a whirl?