Allison Says » Meme

10 Things You (Probably) Don’t Care About

allisonbarton — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:29:00 +0000

The wonderful Trinity at Phanatically Speaking recently tagged me in a meme. The rules of the meme:

The Honest Scrap award is given by other bloggers who consider a blog’s content or design to be brilliant. The awardee must then post ten honest things about themselves and pass the award on to other bloggers who fit the bill – in other words, whose blog is brilliant.

(Can I take a moment and say that I blushed when I read that? I feel so special!)

So, ten honest things about me, in no particular order (unless you count the order of how my mind comes up with ten things):

I have lived in over 18 different places in my life. I have lived all over the city of Pittsburgh, in houses and apartments, and lived in Florida for a (not so lovely) short time during my sophomore year of high school and Massachusetts during my three years at Smith College.

I get cold really easily. When most people are comfortable, I’m cold. When most people are complaining of the heat, I’m comfortable.

When I cook, 90% of the time it is with some asian influence. I find “American” food horrendously boring, and I rarely find meat and potatoes to be anywhere near as good as stir fry on rice, indian or thai curry, or udon noodles topped with just about anything. I use soy sauce, ginger, chili paste and sesame seeds more than seems possible.

I have successfully lost at least 40 pounds. I estimated my starting weight when I began this weight loss journey in January, so I don’t know the exact amount. I am very happy about it (though I still have a bit more to go), but very not amused that this weight loss has given me gallstones and the need for surgery in August.

I didn’t learn how to study until I left Smith College. While I was a pretty good student during my three years at Smith, it wasn’t until I was home with an infant and limited time to focus that I really learned how to study. I currently have a 115% in one of my classes thanks to a great curve, but without the curve I would have a 98%.

I know nothing about pop culture. If you name a singer, actor, model, or just about anything to do with the behind the scenes of movies and TV, I won’t know who you are talking about. There are exceptions, of course, but for the most part I never know what people are talking about. It obviously doesn’t bother me enough to put any effort into learning about these things. But I do know all about the Real Housewives of everywhere and Jon and Kate.

I kind of have 7 siblings. My father was married before he met my mother, and with his first wife he had 7 children. So, I have 7 half siblings. And something like 23 nephews and nieces, including many who were my nephews/nieces before I was born.

I want to have another child. One day, not now or any time soon, I would like to have another child. I don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl, though I always pictured myself as a mom of an older boy and a younger girl about five years apart. So, here’s hoping I can convince Zach of that!

Removed.

I would go vegetarian if Zach would. I don’t want to have to deal with making separate meals, and while Zach has become very willing to eat many vegetarian meals I prepare, I’m pretty sure he would have a conniption if I took all meat out of our diet.

And now I must tag:

Jen at jayesel
Dawn at Red Pen Mama
Sarah at Becoming Sarah

Posted in Meme, Ramblings, School, Zach Tagged: About Me, Meme, Zach

Thursday Thirteen #6

allisonbarton — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 01:47:28 +0000

This is part 6 in my Thursday Thirteen series, getting me up to 104 things about me!

Allison’s Thursday Thirteen: Part 6

1. I cry at the drop of the hat. This wasn’t always the case, but I cry during movies and TV shows all the time now.
2. I have always dreamed of having two children: a boy and then a girl. So far so good!
3. I wanted to be an Astronaut for a while growing up. Quite frankly, I still think that would be an amazing career! (But I don’t have the brains for it!)
4. I grew up watching TV Land. As such, I grew up watching shows that most of my generation doesn’t talk about.
5. I won a spelling bee once. It was pure luck.
6. I wear glasses. I got them in 9th grade and was told to only wear them when I needed to see things that were far away (the chalk board or a movie).
7. I used to play Ultimate Frisbee.
8. I really enjoy a nice cold beer. As long as it’s not too “hoppy” I will probably love it! My favorite beer (I think…) is Magic Hat #9.
9. I want to travel the world extensively. There are very few places that I don’t have a lot of interest in visiting.
10. I have had two manicures and one pedicure. In my entire life.
11. I could watch the movies “Knocked Up” and “Juno” over and over again. I saw Knocked Up when I was, ::ahem::, knocked up, so it was extremely fitting for my life at that point.
12. I am Irish. And Russian. And a bunch of other things. My Irish side shows itself the most, though.
13. I am not religious.

Thursday Thirteen #5

allisonbarton — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 22:06:25 +0000

This is part 5 in my Thursday Thirteen series, getting me up to 104 things about me!

Allison’s Thursday Thirteen: Part 5

1. I was in the 5th percentile for height until I was in 5th grade. I hit a growth spurt at that time, and since then have been just above average. I’m 5′5″ now.
2. I love to sleep. If I could, I would sleep for 12 hours a night and be thrilled.
3. I took four years of French. I couldn’t hold a conversation in french if my life depended on it!
4. I have gone on many long drives. My Mother and I always drove places. We drove from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin, PA to Florida, PA to MA, PA to ME, PA to AR…basically, I have spent an enormous amount of time in the car!
5. I type at around 100 words per minute It varies a bit. I just took two typing tests online and got 98 and 112 wpm. (I am always about 95% accurate too.)
6. I have freakish hair. It grows insanely fast. I can chop it all off and within a year it will be back down to my shoulders.
7. I love taking baths. I don’t take them to get clean, but to relax. Generally, I shower and then take a bath to relax. It’s wasteful, so it doesn’t happen very often.
8. I hate buying people presents from a list. I feel like it doesn’t show how much I care when I just choose a gift from a wish-list (like on Amazon.com), so I try to rely on thinking of something on my own.
9. I love to shop. Fortunately, I’m also really cheap. The two even each other out pretty well.
10. I have bad knees. They got bad during that growth spurt and have never been great since then. While I rarely feel them now, I still can’t run very much without them throbbing.
11. I love Pixar. They make the most unbelievable movies.
12. I enjoy reading Sci-Fi. My most recent read was “Red Planet” and I loved it.
13. I wish I had a talent. Most people are amazing at something and I haven’t yet found my something. Hopefully I will.

Thursday Thirteen #4

allisonbarton — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 22:04:59 +0000

This is part 4 in my Thursday Thirteen series, getting me up to 104 things about me!

Allison’s Thursday Thirteen: Part 4

1. I hate raw onions.
2. I love raw peppers, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, cucumbers, and most vegetables that you can eat raw. I don’t eat nearly enough of them, but hope that my new diet will get me back to eating them more often!
3. I have seven half brothers and sisters. My Father had seven children with his first wife. I consider myself an only child, but in reality I have seven siblings!
4. I have only broken one bone in my body. It was one of the bones in my middle finger on my right hand. I had to wear a little finger splint for a short period of time. Now, my right middle finger is fatter than my left middle finger.
5. I have an amazing memory. When it comes to my life and the life of the people I care about, I remember everything. Sometimes I may need a reminder, but it’s there!
6. I have a horrible memory. When it comes to facts, specifically about people or things I don’t really care about, I cannot remember a thing! Even if I enjoy a movie, I couldn’t tell you what it was about a few days later!
7. I have a tremendous sweet tooth.
8. I didn’t know that I loved steak until a few years ago. My mom insists on eating her steak medium-well to well done. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I tried it medium rare and realized that steak is delicious.
9. I used to have my belly button pierced. I took it out when I got pregnant.
10. I was taught how to tightrope walk when I was about five years old. My Grandmother had a student who became a clown, so when we went to visit him at a circus I got to walk on a tightrope. Don’t worry, it was only about a foot off of the ground!
11. I have done two illegal drugs. Both of them are actually legal, just not for me or here in Pennsylvania.
12. I don’t understand the whole Star Wars thing. I have only seen the original three movies once, and it was about 10 years ago. I guess I need to watch them again to really judge them.
13. I am petrified of getting old. The thought of aching all the time, losing my memory, not being able to walk without hurting, getting diseases, etc., all scare me. A lot.

Thursday Thirteen #3

allisonbarton — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 22:13:01 +0000

This is part 3 in my Thursday Thirteen series, getting me up to 104 things about me!

Allison’s Thursday Thirteen: Part 3

1. I would have been named “Tiffany” or “Melony” if it had been up to my Father. I’m glad my Mother didn’t approve, because I don’t think those names fit me at all.
2. I wore a size 8 shoe until I got pregnant, and now wear a 8.5 or 9. I really wish my feet had shrunk back to normal size, because I miss my shoes dearly.
3. I think my eyes are my best feature.
4. I am a Capricorn, though not always. I don’t know why it changes, but occasionally I’m a Sagittarius. My Mother is a Capricorn, my Father a Sagittarius. My Mom was in labor all day on what would have made me a constant Sagittarius, but I was born a few hours after midnight. I’m a “cusp baby.”
5. I scored higher on the math portion of my SAT than the verbal by 10 points. I can only think of one other person who scored higher on the math.
6. I have lost two dogs and a cat in my life. I sobbed tremendously after each of them passed.
7. I have taken two religion classes. One was a study of (parts of) the Hebrew Bible, the other an overview of a few of the most prominent religions. From my studies, I think Buddhism is the most beautiful religion.
8. I can’t whistle. It’s pathetic when I try because this tiny little high pitched noise sometimes makes its way out of my lips. Normally, I just blow out silent air and look silly.
9. I was amazingly good at gymnastics as a child. I competed multiple times a week, but quit because I hated the competition aspect. You couldn’t just do gymnastics at that level, they made you compete.
10. I have the most boring dreams you could possibly imagine. The last dream that I can remember having: I was at Whole Foods with my son, trying to find black beans. They weren’t where they normally are, so I had to ask someone for help. The person I asked for help told me that they were in aisle 10, but there was no aisle 10. I found the beans in aisle 11, which also had Heinz ketchup in very large glass bottles. See? If you even read that I’m impressed.
11. I love the movie “Big Daddy.” An inordinate amount. I’ve probably seen it over a dozen times.
12. I come from a family of educators. My Mother, Father, Grandmother, Grandfather, Uncle, Aunt, Great Aunt, Great Uncle, and maternal Great Grandparents were all educators. Some teachers, some administrators. My Great Grandmother even had a Ph.D
13. I was pulled over by a cop for speeding once. I had just gotten my license, was pulling off of a main highway in Maryland, and there was no speed limit sign. I kept with traffic, and about 6 of us got pulled over. I started crying (out of fear) and he gave me a warning.

Thursday Thirteen #2

allisonbarton — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:58:48 +0000

This is part 2 in my Thursday Thirteen series, getting me up to 104 things about me!

Allison’s Thursday Thirteen: Part 2

1. I hate it when people touch my ribs, clavicles or sternum. It really bothers me. I get chills, actually.
2. I have always been considered “normal.” Starting at a very young age, family and friends have always called me “normal.” I still don’t know what that means. And I don’t agree.
3. I crack almost every joint in my body on a daily basis. I crack all of my fingers, my wrists, my elbows, my shoulders, my neck, my back, my hips, my knees, my ankles and all of my toes multiple times a day. It happens accidentally a lot, but I also do it on purpose.
4. I know nothing about pop culture. It’s pathetic. I can see a movie and forget it two days later. I couldn’t tell you the name of a famous actor if their picture was in front me.
5. I take really hot showers. Most people find it too hot, but I find it perfect.
6. I am horribly clumsy. Here’s proof.
7. I was a tomboy growing up. I played sports, beat all the boys, and refused to wear dresses and skirts.
8. I have never read the Harry Potter books. At this point, I feel like giving in would be weak.
9. I have a fake tooth. My right central incisor was knocked out when I was 8, so I have had a fake tooth since then.
10. I still love pop music. Specifically from the 90′s, and early 00′s. Britney Spears, ‘N Sync, Backstreet Boys, Five, Christina Aguilera, Jewel, early J. Lo, Hanson…
11. I hate my body. That’s nothing special among women, but I’m working on getting back into shape and being happy with my new Motherhood figure.
12. I hate arguing. Debate team was never my thing. I hate to argue about anything, especially with people who I like.
13. I was a vegetarian for the summer of 2000. I missed chicken.

Thursday Thirteen #1

allisonbarton — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 22:20:07 +0000

In what will probably be a pathetic attempt at wrangling together my 100 things, I’ve decided to partake in the Thursday Thirteen! So, for the next eight weeks (likely more as I’m sure I’ll “forget” at least once) I’m going to put together 13 things about me in my Thursday Thirteen. At the end of the eight weeks (or longer) I’ll have 104, of which I’ll delete four awful ones, which should be easy enough, and have 100 for my “about me!” Or maybe it will just be 104 things.

Here goes!

Allison’s Thursday Thirteen: Part 1

1. I love buffalo chicken. Wings, sandwiches, salads, pizzas, you name it! If it’s buffalo chicken I’m all over it.
2. I don’t drink soda. I gave it up as a New Years Resolution in ninth grade and to this day it remains the one resolution I have stuck to. (One caveat: I’ll drink diet soda with vodka.)
3. I have been with Zach for over five years. Our relationship has lasted longer than most of the couples I know, and is longer than some of the marriages.
4. I still smoke cigarettes on occasion. It’s a nasty habit, I know. Never around my son.
5. I lived in Tallahassee, Florida, for 6 months in 2001. Otherwise, I’ve spent all of my time living in Pittsburgh, or in Massachusetts for college.
6. I hate throw up. It makes me nauseous, anxious, and really unhappy. I can smell it for hours after it’s gone. I generally have to shower if Alex throws up even partly on me. If I never had to deal with throw up again, I wouldn’t.
7. I don’t get scared during scary movies. Ever. They just don’t scare me.
8. I make unbelievably good chocolate chip cookies. They are sweet, perfectly undercooked, gooey madness.
9. I don’t know what I want to be when I “grow up.” I think I want to be a nurse, but I don’t really know. I don’t think I can know until I do it.
10. I was raised an only child. I always wanted a sibling, but I’m glad I was an only child now.
11. I don’t make friends easily. While I can get along with almost anyone, I don’t make real friends quickly. It takes a long time for me to get close to someone.
12. I was a dancer when I was growing up. Not a ballerina, but I was very into dancing and was on a dance team, performed all the time and wanted to be a professional tap dancer.
13. I am addicted to Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm. It is amazing.

…seriously, I have to come up with 100? This was hard enough! I’m a really, really, boring person.