My First Meme

I've been tagged by Drew, and am eternally grateful. And to think, before I started reading random blogs last week, I didn't even know what a meme was!

These are the rules.

1. Thank the person that tagged you. Thank you, Drew.

2. List 5 random/strange/weird things about you. See below.

3. Tag 5 other people. They will be random people, maybe, unless I try tagging Code Dependent. Or Plate-Of-Shrimp, both of whom could use a good kick in the ass to start blogging again.

So here are my five things:

1. Since Jet and I have been together (13 years as of Feb. 10, but don't feel obligated to send a gift) we have always lived within five miles of US Route 1. This is in two different states, four different cities and seven different domiciles. Now, facing an imminent move to a new city through which Route 1 runs, I am under the obsessive belief that we must continue to live within five miles of it. I'm also planning to drive the length of it one day and write a coffee table picture book about my travels.

2. I don't have any desire to be the boss of anything, ever. I used to really beat myself up about it, but after taking a Meyers-Briggs test (I'm solidly INF, usually followed by J but sometimes P, depending on the day) I realized that that's just the way I am, and it's okay to be that way. Besides, quite selfishly, after accepting myself for being that way I realized that being second in command is often a much more powerful position than being in charge. All the power, none of the blame.

Not that I couldn't be an effective leader if I HAD to be, mind you.

3. On a similar note, I am obsessed with secondary characters in television, movies, comic books, etc. The more of a cipher they are, the more I like them. I am compelled to learn every bit of minutiae there is about them, and sometimes, to create an imaginary background for them out of whole cloth. I suppose this proves to myself that even though I don't want to be the boss of anything ever, I'm still an interesting person. You can read my top ten list of secondary characters here and here, though in re-reading it I'm reminded that I forgot to add Ann Curry to the list.

4. When I'm alone in the car, or sometimes the shower, I practice my half of important conversations that I anticipate having. I have a scenario for every possible reaction from the other person, and in my practice I am always calm, cool, and have an unlimited vocabulary.

And yet, with all my practice, I am still awkward and fumble for words when having the conversation in real life.

Practicing conversations sounds like a good idea when I read it in print, but it doesn't feel like such a good idea when, say, you accidentally dial your home phone while you're in the car having a practice conversation, and your home answering machine picks up and records you talking to yourself for a good long time, and someone, say Jet, listens to the message, and then you have to explain to Jet that you often hold practice conversations with yourself.

5. Billy Baldwin stole a cab from me once.