Wednesday, January 28, 2009

25 Random Things

So, my friend Mary tagged me in Facebook - I didn't even know that was possible. I will do what I am asked to do in tags but I won't tag people just because I don't want people to feel pressured by me. But since I did the tag I decided I would put it in here too. If you want to do it, go ahead.

25 Random Things

Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

1. I have weird and specific tastes when it comes to chocolate. I like real milk chocolate (like in candy bars), but I do not like dark or semi-sweet chocolate – at all. I like tootsie rolls, but other chocolate flavored things disgust me, including chocolate flavored tootsie pops. There are a few hot chocolates that I am okay with (although I would never crave) but the thought of chocolate milk, or even worse, chocolate ice cream makes me squirm. I like brownies (at least fudgie ones) but I have never had a chocolate cake that I like (with the exception of munchedoucious cake.)
2. There are some processes that I can only tolerate part of and can’t stand the other part. For example, I am fine with writing letters, but I am horrible at mailing things. I don’t know what it is about mailing, even if I have stamps it is still an obstacle. As a result I have tons of unsent letters. I am fine with, and sometimes even enjoy, talking to most people on the phone – but I HATE calling people. The ONLY exception to this is Ryan, I can call him without having to give myself a pep-talk first. I am fine with washing and folding laundry but I can’t stand putting it away. I’m fine with cleaning the bathroom, all except the toilet – it grosses me out.
3. I love women’s pant suits, at least looking at them and buying them, but pretty much only want to wear jeans. So now I will only look.
4. There are times when I will just cry because I just get too excited – like one time when I went to a ballroom dance performance and another time in marine biology class when the whole lecture was on dolphins. I guess I sometimes just can’t hold my emotions in.
5. I an Olympic junkie. I generally really dislike watching sports on TV, but I don’t care what sport it is, if it is Olympics I LOVE it. I don’t get much accomplished whenever the Olympics are on – I am glued to the TV and usually I never watch TV.
6. I got a PhD not because I had great career ambitions, but just because I thought it would be a good thing to do and I wanted one. (I do think education is invaluable and I am addicted to school.)
7. There are certain jobs that I think I should take up if I ever stop doing what I am doing. For example, I think at some point I should become a locksmith. It can’t be that hard to learn how, the overhead can’t cost that much, each job takes about 5 minutes and you make $50. Sounds good to me.
8. I also think I should become a speed walker. I have two reasons for this. It is my only hope at getting into the Olympics and I already walk pretty darn fast. I can generally out-walk pretty much anyone I know, even if they are taller than me. I can walk fast for a long time too. I think the reason for this is because my dad is a fast walker and we would always hold our hands and we would have to keep up with him.
9. If I were male I would be an exotic animal veterinary dentist – I think that would be the best job in the world. The reason I went into neuroscience instead is because I didn’t want to have to pay off a ton of school debt (instead I got paid to go to school) when I didn’t intend to work all my life and I think as a stay at home mom the things I learned in my graduate program will be pretty valuable. I did really like my grad. program and I like what I am doing now so that is good.
10. I think being a full-time mom would be the greatest job in the world and I can’t wait until I can do that.
11. Until I can be a full-time mom I am really enjoying my life because I have the best-husband in the world, he is my best-friend, we have so much fun together on all of our adventures, and we are way blessed.
12. I served a mission for my church in northern California. It was the Santa Rosa Mission. I was never disappointed to have been called there. Although there has always been a part of me that would also like to have served in a foreign country just to have that experience as well, I would not trade my mission for any others. I am so grateful to have served with the people I did, to have taught the people I taught, to have been able to return to the same mission after coming home sick, and to have learned all that I did there. It was the best mission in the world, at least for me.
13. I have a goal to go to every continent – or at least all but Antarctica as I am not sure how plausible it is to get there.
14. I also have a goal to be able to name all 50 states and fill them in on a blank map before I have any children. Yes, it is ridiculous that someone as educated as I am can’t already do that, but there is a big whole in my knowledge of geography…and history…and government.
15. I read books multiple times. There are books that I have read more than 10 times. To me it is like watching a movie more than once. If I know I like a book I know I won’t be disappointed when I read it again.
16. I often wondered if I was adopted when I was little because I am the only blonde in my family. I have 6 sisters – 5 have red hair, 1 brown. My mom has red hair, my dad has brown. And then there is me. But I do look like my family, so it is all good.
17. In fact, whenever I show a picture to people of me with my sisters people will always say “Oh, you look exactly like her”, pointing to one of my sisters, but it is always a different sister. And one time when I was student teaching my youngest sister came to visit so I took her to school with me and at the start of one class period I was out of the room while the kids were coming in but she was there and they actually thought she was me and started asking her questions. Since it was the last period of the day she knew all the answers to the questions they were asking and so just answered them. They were totally blown away when I came in the room. It was pretty funny. One of them said, well I though “Miss Earl, what did you do to your hair?” She is also an inch or two shorter than me, but I guess they weren’t paying that close of attention.
18. When I offer to babysit for people I actually mean it. I enjoy babysitting for people – it makes me feel like we are really friends.
19. I did study abroad in London – I loved being there and totally plan on taking Ryan back with me sometime. I also need to get back to Paris as I was only there 3 days – not nearly enough time.
20. I have a goal to go to all 50 states – I need to count how many I have been to so far but I would guess at least ½.
21. I one time picked up a bird I thought was injured on a package of tortillas and gave it a ride home with me in my car. (It’s kind of a long story and I don’t feel like typing out the whole thing but if you care and know me well enough to talk to me in person or on the phone I will tell it to you. – it was pretty dang funny.)
22. I have a very difficult time with change. I don’t like it if plans change – once I already have things set in my mind on how things are going to be it is hard for me to make adjustments. I also don’t really like big changes in my life. It should have been good to graduate, but it was really, really hard on me. When ever I had to transfer (move areas) on my mission I hated it. I just like things to stay the same in my life and be predictable. (Little, good surprises are okay.)
23. I get very attached to people. I have a hard time letting people I have cared about move out of my life. That is really the only reason I do Facebook – to try to find the people I have lost track of and make sure they are doing okay.
24. I came from a family of almost all girls – I had 6 sisters and no brothers. Now we are all married and all my sisters have kids. My youngest sister just had my 16th nephew yesterday and I only have 6 nieces, so now we females are way out-numbered. But I really like my nephews, and my brothers-in-law, so it is okay.
25. I want to learn to be a better photographer – especially of people, but also of nature.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

75,000 lost their jobs

Ryan told me that 75,000 people lost their jobs yesterday. It made me very sad for all of them, and very grateful for the good jobs we have. I struggle sometimes with knowing how to feel about being financially stable and being able to save when I know people are struggling so much. Sometimes I kind of feel guilty. I wish that everyone that wanted a job could have one and that this economic crisis we are in would end. I am sure it will some time. But I was sent an email today from one of my old mission companions that was a reminder of all the things we as Americans take for granted, how easy we have it. I tried to copy and paste it into here but the pictures wouldn't copy and it wouldn't have the same effect without the pictures. But what I came away from it with was a feeling of gratitude for living in this great country. I am sure that since Ryan and I still do have jobs and we aren't really struggling it is easier for me to be grateful - but I am grateful. I'm grateful I have never had to know what it is like to be truly hungry. I'm grateful I have never had to watch a child starve or someone I love die just because there wasn't sufficient medical help to save him/her. I am grateful I have always had clean water to drink and to wash with. I am grateful I have always had a home to shelter and clothes to keep me warm. I am grateful for a bed to sleep in. I am grateful for the great education I have received and that I haven't had to perform hard-physical labor all my life. I am grateful for the opportunity I have to know of Christ and worship God as I choose and for ALL the freedoms I have. I am grateful that even though happiness sometimes seems elusive we are free to pursue it. I am grateful to be American, even when things aren't great. This is a great country - how blessed we are. I will pray tonight not only for all those who lost their jobs, but also for all those who are struggling every day just to survive.