Skip to main content

20 random things about me


Image found at University of Bristol

Sarah Louise tagged me yesterday for a new 20 random things meme so here's my go at interesting randomness.

1. When I was a kid, classmates used to tease me by trying to come up with some nice and nasty nicknames for my somewhat unique name - Tara. Unique for growing up in western Pa anyhow. I was called "A rat" ( my name backwards), Tigger (by my Dad for my 24- 7 energy) and "Tara the terrible" (can't remember who started that one). It's weird that recently at my new office, my co-workers have started calling me "Tara the terrible"too. At first I thought of telling them of the not so great association, but I had a second thought. They call me "T the terrible" out of liking me, not for anything else. So with no connection to the origin, I am again "Tara the terrible." :)

2. Sometimes buying a new eyeshadow or lip gloss is all I need to cheer up.

3. I am a sucker for babies and dogs and they know it.

4. It is almost impossible for me to respond to a compliment on something I'm wearing without telling the person who commented on it the story of how I came by it.

5. I love movies and books that make me cry.

6. Sometimes I dream of moving to Europe with my family to go write a novel and paint.

7. When I was a freshman in high school, I was obsessed with the film "Flashdance" and decided I wanted to be a dancer when I grew up. After making that decision, I would go down to by basement every evening after dinner and dance to my Bryan Adams tape over and over again. "Back in the summer of 69..."

8. Jogging on a cool day in the rain is one of the best things in the world.

9. Mrs. Hodak was one of the most difficult teachers I had in elementary school, without her I never would have started writing poems or essays. Without her I don't know where I'd be.

10. I think Facebook is a wonderful but potentially life consuming hobby. Making connections with people is wonderful, but depth in relationships is necessary for them to be real.

11. My first trip to a museum was to Carnegie in Pittsburgh when I was fifteen years old. I touched one of the Monet 'Water lillies' paintings because I didn't know any better. The guard didn't kick me out.

12. Going to my Aunt Dolly's house was great because she was so creative and working on projects, taking care of goat. She also spray painted a mural of the Arizona landscape around the wall surrounding her in ground pool. She had a fantastic pool.

13. Book club on Tuesdays is one of the best things about my week.

14. I think Scrabble is the best board game ever.

15. Sometimes I find that words or ideas find me. Currently, I keep bumping into the word 'Unbuntu'. This week I found it in the book written by Desmond Tutu. This is the third random reference in two months.

16. I've come to realize that after all this time, I much prefer back tea with sugar to any fancy coffee drink.

17. Walking in surf on a puffy cloud blue sky day is the closest thing to heaven on earth, on earth.

18. I'm amazed that after living in my community for about 16 years that I keep bumping into people that I've never met before even though we have been in the same social circles all along.

19. Sometimes I feel as if I belong on the west cost. Not Southern California, but Oregon or Washington State.

20. Tagging other for these kinds of meme's and reading all about them is the best part of them: Mary Lue, Aaron rambles, Jeff Horne, Ian Formation Station, and Belltowne Babe.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

SWB: Claustrophobia and clearings

Mary Lue shared her host post on business and rest for this weeks Sleeping with Bread Examen. Her words resonated with me in the fact that due to a significant staff change at my office, there is more work to be done and my plate is feeling fuller lately. There have been more meetings, and lots of talking and planning. For the most part, I've felt much more connected to people since I've become more involved in this way, but oddly when I'm done for the day or night - I find myself in need of some quiet. Maybe I'm still sorting and planning in the back of my mind, but silence (even my own) is something I find myself being more and more drawn too. It's like the extra noise, both internal and external, makes me feel claustrophobic . A few days after Christmas, I went into a game store with my son and was overwhelmed by all the noise and activity there. The store was tiny but filled with kids and their parents vying for their video game of choice. My head felt hot, my

Sunny and rainy day friends

There are two kinds of friends in the world: Sunny day friends and rainy day friends. This is a statement that my Mom used to remind me of when I was in the midst of drama or conflict with one school friend of another. There are lots of people that we define as friends, but they are really acquaintances. Two men were out hunting in the northern U.S. Suddenly one yelled and the other looked up to see a grizzly charging them. The first started to frantically put on his tennis shoes and his friend anxiously asked, "What are you doing? Don't you know you can't outrun a grizzly bear?" "I don't have to outrun a grizzly. I just have to outrun you!" This story is funny, but it does help define the distinct difference between a rainy day friend and a sunny day friend. The sunny-day-friend is more concerned with watching out for their own health and wellness, than their friends' wellbeing. On the other hand, a rainy day friend is willing to take risks, work fo

What Summer Camp Means to Me...

  I was around six-years-old when I first went to sleep-away summer camp.  At the time I lived in PA and the camp (through my church) was in Ohio. All school year, I attended Sunday School faithfully partially because regular attendance allowed my family scholarships to help with the cost of Summer Camp. Over the school year, I attended most Sunday's and by the end of the year, my little coupon book was full of stamps - providing me with a scholarship to attend a camp session. I provide this background on how I first got to go to camp, because it is an essential part of explaining what Summer Camp meant (and means) to me.   Going away to Summer Camp gave me a whole new experience of community. The whole process of going to and attending was the first times I experienced, "it takes a village", personally. From the Sunday School Teachers who drove a sedan full of kids to Ohio, to the counselors and staff who supported new campers: through the first 48 hours of homesickness