Rich Burridge has tagged me with the "eight things" meme. So.... Blame him for this entry, not me.

1. My favorite color is black. It has been for as long as I can remember. Supposedly as a small child, when asked what my favorite color was by adults who couldn't think of anything better to ask a small child, I was in the habit of claiming purple ("really, really dark purple") because I had been told that black was not a socially-acceptable favorite color.
2. I don't know how to ride a bicycle. Really. I never learned as a child, and I think it would be rather silly to give training wheels a go now. The next time you want to express how easy it would be for me to (re)pick something up, find another expression.
3. Although I consider myself to be an agnostic, I think Gospel music is extremely cool. I also like Gregorian chants. I have no idea why, I just do.
4. When people ask where I'm from "originally" (because it's apparently pretty clear to the natives around here that I'm a "non-native," ayuh), I tell them Austin because in my mind that's where I "grew up," and that's where I lived for 12 years prior to moving to New England. It also explains the twang that occasionally can be heard in my voice. But prior to moving to Austin at the age of nearly 14, I was an honest-to-goodness Valley Girl. Oh my gawd, fer sure, fer sure. <shudders> In my defense, we never said "gag me with a spoon." At least not until after the movie....
5. As an undergrad, I used to work at Captain Quackenbush's Espresso Cafe (back before the drag changed) and was acquainted with quite a few of the people in the movie Slacker.
6. My "scariest moment" was getting caught in a flash flood. My car was actually lifted completely up off of the road and carried for what seemed like an interminable distance by the water, and there wasn't a darned thing I could do about it other than float and hope for the best. The fact that this took place at night didn't help. The next morning, you could see where the water had slammed rocks and other debris against the car. Fortunately the water was flowing parallel to the road on which I was intending to travel.
7. I won't switch my phone service to broadband or FiOS or give up a land line entirely -- but not for the reasons you might expect. Years ago, I had gotten it into my head that I simply must have a rotary phone. A black one of course. The plan was to locate said phone at an antique store (yes, they're antiques now!) and place it alongside the "antique" manual typewriter that graces one of my tables. It was to be just another decorative piece. But, alas, I wasn't having any luck in finding one and gave up. Then on my birthday, my very dear friend (and occasional commenter "Fishn_hikenh") surprised me not only with a black rotary phone, but with a black rotary phone that he had rewired so that I could use it. I love my phone! I love being able to actually dial numbers. (Remember actually dialing numbers?!?) I consider my rotary phone among my most prized possessions.
8. If I could go back in time and choose just one thing to do differently, it wouldn't be what you'd might expect -- like learning to ride a bicycle, or not driving during flood conditions, or not saying such-and-such to so-and so, or whatever. I am who I am because of all of the experiences, both positive and negative, that I've had. What I would change given the opportunity would be to have paid more attention to science in school. In particular, physics. I kid thee not. I've felt this way ever since I heard of string theory. It's one of those fascinating notions that I can't quite grasp because I blew science off growing up. And it bugs the bajeezus out of me that I can't understand it and that I won't ever be able to understand it even remotely to the degree that I want to.

I'm tagging:

• Peter
• Will
• Janice
• TJ
• Melody

Nashua is slated to get a Whole Foods!!! Exactly when isn't listed on the Whole Foods site. But according to the associate in Bedford, Mass. I spoke with tonight, it will be some time in 2008. We're getting a Whole Foods next year! Woo hoo!!!