7 random things...

I've been asked to write 7 random things about myself, so here goes... (and they are totally random):

1. My husband and I were neighbors for 5 months before we met. And it's kind of a cool story... We were both in college at the time, and I was feeling very reflective one night, so I sat on my windowsill and wrote a poem about my future hubby. Here's the last few lines of it...
You're out there somewhere,
Perhaps far far away,
Or maybe even next door,
When you find me, will you stay?
Well it turned out that I could actually see his window from mine that night! Well, I couldn't actually see him though... that would be creepy. But he really was next door, in the same apartment complex! We officially met in a theatre class, and then we recognized each other at a backyard barbeque and we've been best friends ever since.

2. I rode on a camel in the Sahara desert during a study abroad program in college. That was an amazing life experience.

3. My dad has Tourette's syndrome. We had no idea he had it until around 10 years ago. He was taking some medication (Zoloft) for depression, and the doctor increased the dosage dramatically. The symptoms of Tourette's were unmasked overnight, including vocal and physical tics. It was pretty devastating to all of us because at the time he was a middle-school teacher and he couldn't continue employment there obviously, so we moved to Utah (my senior year in high school) so he could work for my uncle. He still suffers from the disorder. Fortunately, there's a happy ending... after years of struggle, he went back to school for his Master's degree, and then his Ph.D., and he's now a school psychologist, helping young children with disorders like his own. He has been an amazing example to me of triumph over tremendous odds. I'm so proud of him.

4. I am thoroughly addicted to sugar. I read a book last year called, "Sugar Shock" and decided to take the author's recommendation to give up all refined flour and sugar for 21 days. Well I did it, but, I determined that it was a miserable way to live. So now I'm back to "moderation in all things".

5. I have a secret dream to be a "Turbo-kick" (kickboxing/dance) instructor someday. I love almost all forms of exercise- especially aerobics classes and I always feel so happy when I'm active. Plus, it would help me burn off the extra calories from all the sugar I consume.

6. I had a unibrow as a kid... up until 7th grade when I discovered tweezers. I still remember being teased about it. But I'm grateful, because now I'm super passionate about helping the underdog. When I see someone being teased or picked on or hurt in any way I stand up for them. I think I feel more empathy for people since I wasn't the most attractive girl.

7. We don't watch tv. Ever. Well, I take that back. We own some rabbit ears that Jon insists on taking out for the world series and the basketball finals. We also have a huge movie collection. Most people think we're crazy but I try to explain that it was one of the best things we did for our family and that we have more time for reading, playing games, and getting outdoors... and now blogging. :)