7 Things You May Not Know About Me~Gone Viral!

Angela Stockman, a treasured friend and colleague, who I follow on Twitter and have blogged about before, has tagged me for this fun little meme that has been winding its way around the web. Some of the bloggers I keep up with and Twitter with daily have shared seven things about themselves already, and I’m enjoying learning more about the people I’ve come to rely upon so much over the few months I've been in the Twitterverse and the blogosphere.

So, here we go with the rules:

1. Link your original tagger and list these rules on your blog
2. Share 7 facts about yourself in the post–some random, some weird
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged

Seven things you may not know about me:

1. My favorite guilty pleasure is watching Charmed. I just love this show and I was sorry to see it end last year. I watch all the re-runs and try not to miss it...EVER. I have taped it on vhs, dvr'd it, and watched each season and episode a gazillion times. It never gets old for me. I don't know what draws me to it most...the characters, the magic, the complete impossibility of it happening in real life...who knows? I just love it. That's all.
2. I have NEVER seen Pulp Fiction. Honest! I've never seen it and it's one of my sister's favorite movies. Because of her I know some of the lines and can quote them..."You know what they call a Quarter Pounder with cheese in France? A Royale with cheese. " It's a cult classic and I have never seen it. To this day she cannot believe I've never watched it.
3. I wanted to own my own flower shop when I was in high school. That was my first career choice. I love horticulture, gardening, and designing flower arrangements and always have. In high school I amassed a sequence in Horticulture and was a star student. I worked in two different flower shops out of high school and was an awesome designer, if I do say so myself. Never in a million years did I ever picture myself as a teacher or administrator back then. It's funny how life works out, isn't it?
4. My favorite place to travel to is the big town of Vestal, NY. This is mainly because my favorite cousins live there and I have such fond memories of visiting them every summer since I was a tyke, but it is also one of the most beautiful places in New York State that I've ever been to. Nestled in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains and seated along the Susquehanna River, I will admit that every time I leave there and get to a certain spot on the thruway on the way home, I cry...literally. I just can't help it. I used to take the bus there with my grandmother when I was a kid and I look forward to going there and seeing my cousins, The Mooneys, every chance I get.
5. The people I admire most are my parents. I know, it sounds corny, but it's true. My parents were a HUGE scandal back in their day. Mom went to an all-girls Catholic School, Madonna High School, and my dad went to an all-boys Catholic School, Bishop Duffy High School, and when they were 17 they were pregnant and had to get married. I say "had to" because back in their day that was the accepted practice. Before they knew it, they had three kids before they were 22. My mom tells a story, my favorite story, about how she was pulling three toddlers in a wagon one summer day and an old codger sitting on his porch laughed a big belly laugh and said, "Well I guess so, honey!" as she walked past. She didn't quite get it until she got home and started unloading kids from the wagon; suddenly she saw that on the side of the wagon it said: "Rapid Delivery." I came along four years after my sister and they tell me that I was the only one they planned. My point is, my parents had to get married and are still happily married today. I am THE ONLY ONE of my high school friends whose parents are still together. My mom had to drop out of high school and be a mom, but she went back to school when we were kids and became a teacher. My dad just plain worked his tail off to support his family and I had a very happy childhood that I would not trade for the world.
6. I used to weigh 311 pounds. Even when I admit that number to friends who have seen me at the height of my weight, they can't believe it. Honestly, I can't believe I let myself get to that number...it's scary and I was so unhealthy too. I had complications of high blood pressure and my asthma was really bad. I had a hard time walking from my classroom to the main office to get my mail. And doing the stairs? I don't even want to think about it! Thank God I have made better choices in my life and I am on the road to leading a much healthier and happier lifestyle. I've lost nearly 100 pounds and I'm working on the rest.
7. I had an odd crush on my Ken doll when I was a kid. Gosh, that even sounds weird, doesn't it? I remember being very young and playing dolls with my friends at their houses and I always brought my Ken doll. I also remember being upset when the Barbie and Ken family set came out and they had a baby...that should've been me, not Barbie! Just another reason to hate that skinny blonde!

I’m tagging the seven people below, but if you’re reading, feel free to jump into the mix as well. Let me know if you do, and I’ll link to you.

Theresa Gray, Rob Currin, Adam, Vicki Davis, Jennifer Dorman, Glen Westrbroek, Mike Sansone