25 interesting things about me

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. If you have the time, reply to this comment and post your own "25 Things" on your blog. Why you ask? Because the weather sucks and you're a friend and I want to know more about you. Here we go:

1.) I have an interest in Japanese tea ceremony and I plan on taking a 10 week class in it (and other Japanese cultural aspects) come January at a local community college.
2.) I love jumping in elevators (or generally messing) with people who are afraid of heights.
3.) I've never been brave enough to start a food fight, but I fantasize often about throwing food in public cafeterias.
4.) I have an irrational fear of apocalyptic events thanks to the book "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy. I want to learn how to shoot a bow and fence (so I can kill my enemies) and learn how to forage for food in the wild.
5.) I am a level 68 Human Mage... if you are a World of Warcraft geek, then you know what I mean.
6.) I wrote a personal essay for my mom to the MS Foundation and she won a grant to get a special wheelchair easel so she can paint again. We are looking to get her set up now.
7.) One of the reasons why I want to own a German Shepherd is because they would look so good with a Siamese Cat. The other reasons are their brains, easiness to train, loyalty and size.
8.) I am scared to go fast snowboarding but I love going fast on the Jetski or on the runway in an airplane.
9.) Even though I enjoy riding horses, I have a new respect for them since I got kicked as a kid. I tend to be timid with them and like the more docile ones. I haven't ridden in years but I would like to ride again. If horses weren't so expensive, hard to take care of, and difficult to house, I would want a half-dead mare of my own :P My aunt has my mother's saddle so if I ever wanted to ride again, I'd just ask for her tack back.
10.) After living in NYC, I hate watching dogs poop on concrete. Plus you always see these brown smudges on the sidewalk and it just grosses me out. It takes forever to wash off.
11.) I am frightened of global warming. Thanks Al Gore. Thanks a lot.
12.) I spend more time with "South Park" then most people do with their children.
13.) I think our government needs to shift toward socialism instead of capitalism.
14.) Ever since my lung collapse and Michelle's death, I've been less willing to take chances. I think people who escape death and who have seen death understand what I mean.
15.) One of the most interesting movies is "Sliding Doors" with Gwenyth Paltrow. It's about what happens when Gwen's character misses her train and a parallel story line when she makes it. Basically she finds out her boyfriend is having an affair when she makes it and she doesn't when she misses it. I find myself wondering those same "parallel stories" with the choices I make with my own life.
16.) My favorite movie is Mulan because the ending scene is a father telling his daughter how proud he is of her and how thankful he is to have her in his life.
17.) I LOVE reading art history text books and taking notes. It helps me retain the information. I'm studying cave art right now. Fascinating to think that 200+ generations of homo sapiens have come and gone from the earth since those paintings were made.
18.) The time when I feel most alive is when I am partying with my friends.
19.) I have been to all the Disney theme parks except Disney Tokyo and I hope to go to that in January. I love them!
20.) As a profession, I have considered becoming a doctor, a dancer, a yoga instructor, a dance teacher, and a photographer at some point in my past.
21.) I am anal when it comes to coloring books. I think it's important for the artist to sign the page their name and the date they completed it and I think the person should finish the page before moving on to another page. They don't have to be in order... just completed, signed and dated.
22.) Even though I struggle with math and science, I realize that reading the text book, having an open class / group discussion, and doing all of the possible homework really helps with understanding and retention.
23.) I am frightened about the current state of the economy and I may start to stockpile resources and knowledge to help me in case our society collapses. (See #4, #13)
24.) I firmly believed in the power of knocking on wood... until my uncle knocked on wood that he had never broken a bone, knocked on wood, went out to the freezer in the garage, and slipped on ice and broke his leg.
25.) When I travel, I love delving into a country's history so I can improve my chances of understanding the culture.

New Thing #75: Quilting 101

Hi everyone, It's been a while since my last post. I am sure I've done a few things since last time I was on but I will tell you what I can remember:

1.) Took a lovely walk in the snow (I know!!) and looked at all the Christmas lights!

2.) Made Chocolate Chip cookies from the Gourmet cookbook.

3.) Writing in my hand-made Christmas cards that I stamped, embossed, glitter-fied, and sequined!

4.) Made a blanket for my mom and (gasp) quilted it all by myself! Since forever I only thought there were 2 ways to baste a quilt: by hand or by "gun". But now I have discovered that they make "quilter's basting pins" They are like safety pins but slightly curved. So now, I don't feel so bad about quilting and I was able to make a Christmas present for my mom.