Seven confessions

My friend and fellow blogger, Elizabeth, asked me to participate in a 7 Random Facts blog posting. Here’s an introductory random fact – Elizabeth and I were pregnant at the same time with both of our children, and because our kids are roughly the same age, we often battle similar kiddo issues at the same time. It’s helpful to find someone who is experiencing the same joys/frustrations you are.

Because I am often unintentionally random, creating this list was a breeze.

1. When I was in third grade, two mean boys on my bus gave me the nickname Rudolph because of a tiny red birthmark I had on my nose. That birthmark disappeared by the time I hit middle school, but a smattering of them appeared on my chest and hands with each of my pregnancies and have yet to vanish. If you can see beyong the mullet, which I sported from third through fifth grade, and look at my nose, you’ll see the little dot.

I know what you’re thinking: She had a haircut like that and the thing they teased her about was her nose?

2. More often than I care to admit, I have total amnesia about how to spell a word or desperately struggle to recall the right word for what I’m trying to say. This wouldn’t normally be a big deal, but because I write and edit things for a living, it’s kind of embarrassing and disturbing. I blame it on all the lead paint I inadvertently inhaled while smashing down dozens of ancient plaster walls when renovating our house.

That’s our foyer.

3. My tool box is probably better stocked than yours. Since I was young, my father, a huge DIYer and handyman extraordinaire, gave my sister and I a new tool every Christmas. I’ll admit I never really intended to use them, but then my husband and I lost our minds and moved into a shit hole with the sole purpose of rebuilding its interior. After that 5 year project, we pretty much own every tool known to man.

4. I passed my drivers test by a single point. I should not have been allowed on the road. I came dangerously close to causing car accidents on a weekly basis. I am happy to say that 23 years later (wow that makes me feel old), I am a much much better driver.

5. The first pet I owned, a guinea pig names Spike, died within 24 hours of arriving at my home. I dragged my best friend home with me after school to meet him. I will never forget what it felt like to touch something lifeless. The pet store owner assured me it was not my fault. I was traumatized for 3 days and then came home with another guinea pig named Abby. I managed to keep her alive for at least a year or two.

6. I believe that at the right angle and in the right light, I look like a man. But I have reasons for this. First, when I was little and already battling the Rudolph thing, I was mistaken for a little boy on several occasions. Second, my mouth is an exact replica of my father’s. So I feel like I have a masculine mouth. It makes perfect sense.

7. I don’t like to chew entire sticks of gum. I prefer half sticks because whole sticks of gum feel like too much gum in my mouth. This rule does not apply to smaller pieces of gum, like Trident. Just big sticks, like Juicy Fruit.

If you would like more randomness, click here. Or just check back here on a regular basis.

• ← Toddler’s photos reveal intimate look into her soul
• It’s like a Latisse commercial up in here →