Ten Things You Now Know

I just discovered I was "tagged" (over a month ago) by my friend Bekah. Which in blog speak means you have to write 10 random things, facts, habits or goals about yourself. At the end, you choose 10 people to be tagged. Though I don't think I know ten people who blog, consider yourself tagged if you read this (and you have a blog).

1. I've been thinking about trying to make yogurt for the first time. I'm not big on dairy (besides good cheese) but yogurt has an important place in my mornings. I was vegan for a month (Jan. 2006) as an experiment and I found the only thing I really missed was yogurt.

2. I love the Neti pot I bought while home for Christmas on Maui. I just developed allergies in the last few years and they were wretched while I was home. At first it burned (like the feeling of jumping in a pool and having water shoot up your nose) but I realized it was because I used sea salt and not non-iodized table salt in my mix. Plus it has to be the perfect warmth so you don't feel it. I'd recommend it to anyone who has any congestion issues. It makes you feel all cleaned out and refreshed--like you just got out of the ocean. I used to associate the practice with yogi extremes I knew as a child (weirdos) but it is all hip and mainstream now--it was even
recommended on Oprah!

3. I adore making lists. I write them all over the place. Places to visit. Things to read. People I want to write letters to. Movies to watch. All kinds of wish lists. I carry tiny notebooks on me everywhere so I am always prepared to add to my lists.

4. I like lifting weights. I met my boyfriend while lifting weights. I haven't been doing it consistently like I used to but every time I do I wonder, "Why don't I do this more? I love it!" It's very empowering.

5. I suffer from TERRIBLE vertigo. My neighbors built a three story treehouse--I never made it past the second floor. My knees start to wobble when I'm 5 stories up (say Pioneer Place mall in downtown PDX) and I look down. I literally had to crawl up the last section (the open air part) of a 300 ft bell tower my class was visiting in Siena, Italy. I'm not afraid of flying at all though. Where does this come from?

6. I hope to raise bees and have a chicken coop some day. I have very fond memories of gathering eggs with my elementary best bud Kasumi.

7. I like the experience of going to church (even though I don't belong to one). While I believe everyone has their own spiritual path and don't appreciate the exclusivity of some religions, I like the communal energy and I enjoy praying (and sometimes the singing too even if it is truly not a talent of mine).

8. I love a good library. So peaceful yet full of voices and possibility. Like a free bookstore. Lake Oswego's library was the best! Santa Barbara's is decent. Maui's are pretty rotten. My first "real" job was shoveling and shelving books at the Makawao public library--for $5.75 an hour. So not fun.

9. I think it would be cool to have my DNA tested and find out what my ethnic heritage is. As a yellow-haired girl, I'm obviously mainly a Euro-blend, but I could have some other continents mixed in somewhere.

10. I'm into flossing. I sometimes floss twice a day. When I met Andrew he wasn't religious about flossing--now he's hooked too (but I think he uses WAY too long of pieces, we go through it so fast).Reading this I realize I am a bit nerdy: I like libraries, churches, flossing, yogurt, and chicken coops?