seven:

I notice if people are right or left handed. For some reason it just seems to matter.

I have to eat some things in two's: frozen burritos (but not peterburrito frozen burritos, those are so yummy and filling you really only need one!), bowls of cereal, hot pockets, donuts... Now I don't have to eat a second one because I'm hungry. I'm usually not, I just feel incomplete if I don't. I'm trying to be better, though.

I don't like to throw things away. You would think I grew up in the depression. Or maybe it's just my need to reduce, reuse and recycle. But you just never know when you're going to need to use something for something else.

Peter says I always defend the downtrodden, the underdog, the little guy. Which, I've come to realize I do. I've even found myself defending criminals! Hey, maybe they've just had a hard life--we can't judge!

I always want to make stuff. If I see something cute in a store, I don't buy it because I think to myself, "hey, I could make that." I don't, though. I think it's just pure laziness. Or the fear that it just won't turn out that cute and I'll be a total failure. (things I want to make: furniture, random cute crafty things, a long board, and clothes. Specifically technical running clothes. and skirts. and maybe cute capris and long shorts? should I just be a clothing designer or what?!) I always feel the need to make things completely from scratch too.

I have an intense fear of the phone. This is an extreme phobia that many people just don't understand. It's true, though. I have a severe aversion to talking to people on the phone. So if I don't answer, or just never call you back don't be offended. It's not because I don't like you. Maybe just text me and we can meet up somewhere and talk in person. I'm into emailing too.

Moths. They FREAK me out! Seriously. I think I'm more scared of them than spiders. And that's saying a lot! I think it all started when I was at girls camp and was lucky enough to get a top bunk. I was sitting in the dark with my flashlight focused on the book I was reading, when all of a sudden fifty moths came flying out of nowhere and attacked me. It was probably the scariest thing I have ever experienced in my life. If I even see a moth now, I get that scared feeling inside. And not to mention the fact that they always want to fly at your face. Freaky.

This list was inspired by Stie's post entitled, 7 weird things about me.

sleeping with the stars (but not in that way)

I had a dream last night that I was best friends with Gwyneth Paltrow.
She came out for Sundance and we all went to dinner together.
Peter, I think you were there.
We started dancing in the Restaurant, until someone tried to attack Gwyneth.
She was out after that.
I was left, trying to chase down my friend.
But she was gone.

the top ten

some days are a little rough at first. . . but then you might find something positive about it. and then another thing. and soon you'll have a list of ten things that made you happy that day! here is my list, because today was just one of those days. . .

ten: pure hydration
nine: big yummy oranges
eight: the butterscotch pony box (from the makers of FurReal Friends - 'pony sounds, pony motion, pony friendship!')
seven: fondue parties in honor of my birth!
six: seat heat
five: assorted pastries
four: hand warmers in my pocket
three: new sharpies
two: secret notes and treats
one: my cutest husband, who rescues me daily

books galore

A while back my brother stumbled across a list of 1,001 books to read before you die, of these I have read (those I've only started reading but never finished are in italics) the following:

49. Life of Pi – Yann Martel
86. The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver
223. Beloved – Toni Morrison
315. Song of Solomon – Toni Morrison
349. Sula – Toni Morrison
399. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel García Márquez
433. The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
451. Catch-22 – Joseph Heller
456. To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
464. Henderson the Rain King – Saul Bellow
467. Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Truman Capote
508. Lord of the Flies – William Golding
522. Wise Blood – Flannery O’Connor
574. The Little Prince – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
592. The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
608. Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
610. The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien
671. The Sound and the Fury – William Faulkner
699. The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
767. The Jungle – Upton Sinclair
780. Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
825. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain
831. Treasure Island – Robert Louis Stevenson
837. The Brothers Karamazov – Fyodor Dostoevsky
857. War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
863. Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
867. Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoevsky
876. Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
883. A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
889. Walden – Henry David Thoreau
897. The Scarlet Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne
904. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë
931. Frankenstein – Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
938. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
970. Candide – Voltaire

I guess I need to keep reading, or just never die.

the big race rescheduled

Because of unforeseen circumstances (that mostly have to do with skiing), the First Annual All-County Swimmeet has been postponed.

I know that all of you have been practicing hard for this event and I'm sorry if this has inconvenienced you in any way. But this will just give you a little extra time to get your stroke down. I mean, you do want to win, don't you?

So, with that being said I would greatly appreciate a little feedback. If you're into the idea of having a fun swimmeet, where you can kick back in a pool with friends and family, and potentially win a trophy and other neat prizes, just let me know! It's as easy as that. Leave me a comment or shoot me a line.

And remember, it's for all ages and skill levels. No previous swim experience needed.

Thank you.

Anna C. Halverson
Race Director