April 2, 2009

• 24 Not-So-Random Things

  1. 24 years ago today, I spent the entire day in this building.

  
  Where she was born has had a profound effect on my daughter.

  2. I spent most of that day staring at a poster of this guy taped to the ceiling:

  
  DO I LOOK LIKE I HAVE STUPID
  WRITTEN ALL OVER MY FACE?

  This may have had an unfortunate effect on her psyche.
  Sometimes I can see Ernest P. Worrell in her words or actions.

  3. Twenty-four years ago today, my daughter was the only Caucasian baby in the nursery. The rest were adorable, tiny Asian babies. The nurse who held my 9 lb., 9 oz. baby over the gurney for me to gaze at for the first time snapped, "Hurry up! She's breaking my arm!"

  4. When she was a year old, she stored food in her chipmunk cheeks. I'd see her chewing something an hour after supper and find green beans in her mouth.

  5. When we walked at the Swap Meet at Aloha Stadium, she always brought a plastic bag and filled it with litter, dumping it in the trash barrels at the end of each row and filling it again on the next row.

  6. When we walked in the neighborhood (which no longer exists) she always carried a plastic bag and filled it with plumeria blossoms that had fallen from the trees and covered the sidewalks. She was very sad when I had to explain to her that most children don't live where flowers cover the sidewalks.

  7. Ball pits weren't popular yet when she was a toddler, but she enjoyed playing in Papa's Button Barrel whenever we went back to Arkansas for a visit.

  

  8. She has a knack for making friends with shy, hurting, or socially awkward people and helping them find their niche. I've seen her do this at every level of school beginning in kindergarten.

  9. She's a talented musician who can play piano, guitar, flute, bari sax, trombone, djembe and taiko drums.

  

  10. She discovered Lucille Ball in high school and I Love Lucy became one of her favorite TV shows.

  11. She discovered Absolutely Fabulous in college and that also became one of her favorite TV shows. She says Edwina reminds her of one of her grandmothers.

  12. She's been a voracious reader since written words began making sense to her 20 years ago.

  13. She enjoys dressing up as characters from movies and going to midnight openings.

  
  Scary resemblance.

  14. She loves animals of every size and type. I wish I could find the photo of her literally grabbing a tiger by the tail.

  15. She once took a fish to a Messiah concert.

  

  16. She's always been adventurous and she has the scar on her chin to prove it.

  17. She's loved the ocean and the beach since she was 3 weeks old.

  

  

  18. When she was about to go into middle school, I explained sex to her. She was completely and utterly disgusted. When I explained menstruation to her, she burst into tears and proclaimed, "It's NOT FAIR!! I want to be a BOY!!!"

  19. When she was four years old, she was determined to marry a fireman someday. I told her she could BE a firefighter, but she just shook her head no and said, "I'll just marry one."

  

  20. She loves to travel. She's been on many cross-country road trips and has also visited England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and France. She wants to visit Italy and Malta. She'd better marry a rich fireman.

  21. She spent 13 years in Girl Scouts, starting with Daisies and working her way up to Seniors. She earned the Silver Award and the Gold Award, went to the British Isles with Girl Scouts and stayed at Pax Lodge in London.

  

  22. She began taking dance classes at age three and continued through her senior year of high school. Her first job was student teaching at the dance studio.

      

  23. She helped me get started on xanga and was my first subscriber.

  24. Her name is Krysten and her xanga site is here. Today is her 24th birthday. She's grown into a remarkable young woman, but she's been feeling very stressed lately; I'm sure lots of birthday wishes will cheer her up. Go spread some love and happiness.

  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, COOKIE!
  I LOVE YOU!!

  • 6:38 pm
  • 49 Comments