10 Random Things About Me- Past and Present

In case you were wondering.... yeah, sorry...I'm not that interesting.  But since I'm still new to blogging (as in, I haven't been writing for a year or more and only have about 80 posts), I figured I'd let you in on a few random facts about me.

1. I almost drowned before.  My brother and I were swimming in Avila Beach, CA (when we used to live there) and the under tow, pulled us both down.  We were stepping on each other trying to get our heads above water.  My dad saw us struggling and came to our rescue.  Since then, my worst fear is drowning.
2. My ultimate favorite animal is a raccoon.  Kinda odd, right?  Well it all started when my dad won me a little stuffed animal raccoon before I was born.  When I was a baby, my crib sat next to a window, and a mother raccoon came inside my room, grabbed my stuffed raccoon (named, Re) and took it out to the trash cans where she was feeding her babies our scraps.  The next day when my parents went to take out the trash, they found Re and returned him safely to me...after a few laundry cycles.
3. I stole a full tank of gas by accident.  I was moving to NJ to live with my aunt and uncle after graduating high school in PA.  My uncle went inside to pay for their gas and gave me a "wave", which I thought was him telling me he paid for my gas.  Well after we arrived to NJ, I thanked them for paying for my gas, and when they told me they didn't....I felt horrible!  And stupid!  And criminal-ish!  Oooops!
4. When I was about 5 years old, there was an interactive learning VHS tape called "Teaching Teddy".  It taught things like not to take candy from a stranger, the signs for a house fire and how to exit safely, and how to call 9-1-1.  Well I wanted to put the 9-1-1 to the test and when I called, of course I got an operator.  They asked me if I was ok and if I needed help.  I said no.  But because I was a kid, they sent a police officer to my house just to make sure.  Much to my parents surprise, the doorbell rang and the policeman explained that a call was made by a young child and he was stopping by to see if everything was alright.  Well my parents told this policeman to pretty much scare the crap out of me and he explained that you should only call 9-1-1 if it's an emergency situation or else they would take you to jail.  Let's just say I learned my lesson.
5. On my 21st birthday which just happened to be 04-04-04, I was living in NJ at the time and I went to Atlantic City to have my first legal drink and gamble with a few friends.  I didn't really know how to play any card games, at least not well enough to play with people who spend their days and nights in a casino, so I stuck to the slot machines.  I came across a $.25 slot machine of America's favorite game, "Wheel of Fortune".  I put in maybe $5.00 and was going to play until my $5.00 was out and leave.  Within 2 minutes I hit a jackpot and won $250!  A great birthday present that totally made my day!
6. I am addicted to chapstick.  I love the feel, the flavor, and knowing that my lips will never be cracked or dry.  I put it on right before bed, as soon as I wake up and all throughout the day.  I carry a minimum of about 5 with me in my purse at all times, and have carried as many as 13 (This number also includes lip gloss) at one time.  Intervention?
7. I am most insecure about my acne.  Ever since I hit puberty at age 11, I've had bad acne.  I can't wear certain shirts on some days because of blemishes on my back and shoulders and there isn't a day I don't go without make up on...unless I'm not completely broken out.  I guess that and the fact that I'm 5"4' helps me stay looking young...as in like 13!  Oh well.
8. My husband tells me that I sleep with my arms above my head almost every night.  I'm pretty sure this is partially why my neck and back hurts almost every day.  Am I supposed to sleep in a straight jacket?  Good.  Cause fortunately I don't have one.  :)
9. I have never broken a bone in my body.  And I would love to keep it this way...  My most serious injury that I needed to go to the hospital for was needing stitches to the bridge of my nose.  I was about 13 years old swimming at a local public pool and decided to swim underwater to the ladder to exit the pool.  Well I didn't open my eyes under water like I always did and ran SMACK into the ladder and needed a whopping 3 stitches.  Hey, it still hurt though!  
10. In fifth grade, my friend, Kayla (who I still keep in contact with and now writes at tinyinklings.com), and I performed in the school talent show.  We made up our own dance routine to Aladdin's "Friend Like Me" song.  We didn't win, but I can still remember most of the dance moves we did.  

So there you have it!  A few random things about me.  Thanks for stopping by and reading!  :)

Picture taken at the Jersey Shore September 2010

This post is inspired by my Dear Friend, Sandra who writes at Letters of Muse and wrote a recent post letting readers in on 10 random things about herself.

Your Friendly Mama,