I've Been Tagged

Gah!!! It appears I've been tagged!!!
Miss April over at 30 before 30 was sweet enough to include me in her list so here is my follow up. I'm always surprised by these "gotcha" blog thingys since I still consider myself a novice when it comes to blogging.
HOWEVER - I think this type of thing is fun in lieu of dong a regular post about my fatty woes (I have plenty of time to write about THAT), so I am going to answer the questions posed to me and then hit up a few other ladies 'round the blogging circuit too....
Here are the rules:
1. post these rules.
2. you must post 11 random things yourself.
3. answer the ques­tions the tag­ger set for you in their post.
4. cre­ate 11 new ques­tions for the peo­ple you tag to answer.
5. go to their blog and tell them that you've tagged them.
6. no stuff in the tag­ging sec­tion about ‘you are tagged if you are read­ing this.’ blah blah blah, you legit­i­mately have to tag 11 peeps!

11 Random Things About Me:
1.  I met my husband on Match.com
2. Despite my weight, my blood pressure is damn near perfect!
3. Both my big toes are double jointed.
4. I'm deathly afraid of heights and even watching someone on TV rock climbing or doing something remotely dangerous makes me sick to my stomach (and yet I love rollercoasters)....
5. I still have my wisdom teeth and have never had braces (and my teeth are straight).
6. I have an inexplicable bizarre secret old man crush on the following old timers: Gene Hackman, Al Pacino and Jimmy Johnson (ex-coach of Dallas Cowboys). (And no, I do not have Daddy issues - LOL)
7. My hair has been about every color under the sun at one time or another.
8. I love speaking with a fake accent - any Halloween costume that causes me to speak differently than in my own voice is the goal each year.
9. I always thought my biological clock was broken or non-existent....until this year.
10. I wish I had the ability to throw things out without analyzing everything about it and placing sentimental value to it first. I don't mean regular garbage - but stuff that I no longer use or need that just causes clutter. It makes getting organized that much harder.
11. I have the ability to tune the world out when I am reading a good book for pleasure, but I need absolute silence when doing school work.

11 Random Questions:
1. What are your all time favorite songs? 1-3 choices and why?
This is a hard one! I have so many favorites.
I would have to say these are the top 3:
Girls on Film by Duran Duran because it takes me back to my youth and makes me happy when I hear it.
First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Jeffrey Gaines version (my wedding song)
Tie between Christmas Wrapping by the Waitresses and The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) by Nat King Cole - when I hear these songs, my holiday spirit soars! I absolutely love Christmas time!

2. Who is your favorite author and/or book?
I love a good chick lit book when I get the rare chance to read for pleasure - such as Bitter is the New Black written by Jennifer Lancaster or Stupid and Contagious written by Caprice Crane.

3. What is a word that you dislike and wish would be abolished from the human language?

I hate the words "bowel movement" and "menstruation".....they just sound so clinical to me.

4. What is your dream job/career/profession?
I DIY'd most of my wedding and became addicted to party planning! Give me someone else's money to spend and I would LOVE to plan special events like weddings, showers, birthdays, you name it.

5. Do you have a particular tradition on your birthday
Not really - but I kind of wish I did. I used to treat myself to either a massage, or mani/pedi but haven't for the past couple of years. Usually it's just a dinner out and a day to do whatever I want without guilt.
6. What is your dream vacation spot?
Give me a beach with soft sand and decent surf or turquoise waters and I am one happy chick. But maybe if money were no limit - I'd go to Bora Bora - because let's face it - it just sounds cool.

7. What is your biggest nerd trait or habit, if any?
Hmmm...I don't know - maybe it's that I read my e-mails from most boring to most exciting - not that my e-mails are all that exciting - but I like the anticipation of opening an e-mail from a friend AFTER I've opened the e-mail about Williams Sonomas latest sale...

8. Do you believe in ghosts and/or spirits?  Any encounters/hauntings?
Yes  - growing up in a house that was well over 100 years old, some strange happenings would occur from time to time. Things moved, noises were heard, strange smells (like cigars) filled the air from time to time (no one smokes in my parents house), and doors closed inexplicably.....but I always felt the spirits were friendly so I never was very afraid. My gram swears she saw a little girl in a white nightgown enter our bathroom once during the night, and my brother in law took a photo that shows a weird reflection that could be a girl in a mirror.....I guess you could say I am a believer.

9. From the time you get out of bed until you get out the door for the day to work or wherever... how long does it take you?  Shower, dress, make-up, coffee, etc..?
It depends - I used to have a routine when I was working (and will soon resume that routine when I begin student teaching) but all told - no less than an hour and a half to be fully ready and out the door. I am very forgetful so I often have to leave and then come back in the house for something I missed. I REALLY need to work on my organizational skills.

10. Did you have a childhood toy, teddy bear, etc. that was your fave and what was its name?
I had a stuffed giraffe I absolutely loved, named Cuddles.

11. Did you make 2012 Resolutions and what are the top two?
I'm not calling them resolutions this year - I'm referring to them as solutions! I need to get better organized (see #9) and also to finally get my health and weight under control - but most importantly to maintain my sanity and stress levels while completing school by focusing on the truly IMPORTANT tasks and trying to let go of my perfectionist attitude about my work.


Ok -here are my questions for those people I am tagging:
1. What would the opening line of your autobiography say?
2. What is your favorite alcoholic beverage - or non-alcoholic if you don't imbibe?
3. What is one thing that you would never want to change about yourself?
4. What is the one characteristic about other people that you simply cannot tolerate?
5. Name a time when you felt extremely proud of yourself.
6. If you could relive (and make -over) a year of your life,  what year would that be and why?
7. Is there a particular unusual ritual or routine you do in the exact same way absolutely everyday (something other than brushing your teeth, for example)? If so, what is it?
8. What is a talent you do not have but wish you did?
9. Build your ideal person. Fill in the blanks: I'd want the hair of ________________, the face of ___________________, the body of _____________________,  the brains of ____________________, the talents of ___________________, the sense of humor of _______________________, and the bank account of ____________________________.
10. What do you feel the the worst thing is about trying to lose weight?
11. What song best defines where you are in life right now?

I am tagging the following people ( I don't have 11 because so many people have already been tagged):
No pressure to answer! This is a time consuming post - but it is fun!

Rachelle@ My Hips Don't Lie
Taryn @ Fat Girl in a Skinny World
Karen @ Wasting Time
Becca @ Size 24 No More
Sarah @ Watch Sarah Shrink
Shannon @ 365 Days of Weight Loss
Shayla @ Follow Me Down
Michelle @ Ruminations and Uncovering
Pockets @ Pockets New Image
Thursday's Child