25 Random Things About Me

Coming up with random things was much harder than I thought it would be, but here they are - useless trivia about Sharon:

1. I eat M&M's based on color, always leaving a pyramid of colors, but I eat Skittles in pair combinations.

2. I hate driving, and have been in 2 accidents.

3. As much as I hate driving, I dislike being a passenger even more, and have been known to say "are we there yet?"

4. I hate clothes shopping, especially for shoes - I think my husband has more shoes that I do.

5. I hope to have at least one child before I turn 40.

6. I was selected for a 4-month Grand Jury and serve as the clerk.

7. I love to celebrate my birthday.

8. I tend to clear up food (at dinner, at parties, etc) before people are done.

9. I plan everything - when to clean, what to eat, what to wear, what to buy - there is little spontaneity in my life.

10. I once had eggnog and Sprite come out my nose while laughing at a New Year's Eve party.

11. I love to travel and have been to Europe 4 times . . . in my young and single years.

12. I once owned a red pant suit, and when I wore it to work one day, they made me be the "fire" to find in the fire drill.

13. I became a Thespian in high school.

14. I am not a patient person; I want everything now, when I'm ready for it.

15. I was recently diagnosed with an allergy to wheat, oats, and peanuts.

16. If I was stuck on a desert island, and could only bring one thing, I would want a box of band-aids.

17. I like most foods - especially those I don't have to cook.

18. I dislike peas unless they're fresh from the garden.

19. I rode a Hippity-Hop down our wooden stairs when I was little.

20. I hate being late to things, and I'm even more irritated if someone else made me late.

21. I like to go on walks and hiking, but I dislike jogging.

22. I love to play the piano and hope to have a real one in our house some day.

23. I hate watching scary movies.

24. I've written in a journal almost every week since I was 12.

25. I love to laugh - loud, and long, and clear.

Stress from the Unknown

I hate not knowing and /or having little control over where Ken will be doing his internships next school year.  We got this huge list of possible internship sites, which we are studying and making our list from, but then we have to wait for NAU to do the assignments from our "wish" list.   It would be great if he got assigned to clinics close by, so that he can stay at home, but Ken also doesn't want to pass up great opportunities outside of the Flagstaff area.  I say, just as long as he gets an internship in Flagstaff for the last 8 weeks, I'll be happy . . . I certainly don't want to try to pack and move by myself.   And so we wait, for another month or so, to find out where he is assigned.

I Love My Birthday . . . Every One

I hope I never get tired of celebrating my birthdays.  I love the cards, the well-wishes, surprises, free lunches, parties with friends, dinner with my husband (that I don't have to cook), and the positive attention.  I celebrated my birthday by taking the day off work, spending a lazy morning watching movies, hiking in Sedona with Ken in the afternoon, and a dinner of sushi - my favorite . . . and wheat-free!

Happy New Year!

A Flagstaff tradition is the annual Pine Cone Drop - similar to the ball dropping on Times Square in New York.  Ken and I decided to go this year, even though it was below freezing outside - we just bundled up (I was wearing just about 2 of everything).  Since many of you know I'm not exactly a night person, I was happy to attend the earlier of the two Pine Cone Drops.  (They do one at 10pm and one at midnight.)  

The "Pine Cone" is made of aluminum, is approximately 6 feet tall, and is decorated with lights, which flashed as it started its drop.

There were a lot of people there, braving the cold.  We ran into my boss and our friends, Andy & Amber (Kylee was soundly sleeping).  They even had a band, which Ken was excited to watch - of course he would have been happier if he had actually been playing the gig.

And they had fireworks after the ball dropped.  It's a great idea, because the 4th of July fireworks always get cancelled due to dry weather.  And with all the snow we've had lately, it's certainly not dry.  We video-taped the "drop" with our camera, but forgot that you can't rotate video like you can pictures - so you'll have to turn your head to watch the pine cone.  Happy New Year.  Here's to a great year ahead!