I've been tagged!

Miz Minka tagged me for a meme that amused me, so here's the deal.

25 Random Things Meme

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to publish a blog post with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose up to 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you.

If the following folks decide they feel like playing too, by all means let me know: Sharon, Karen, Alice, Leigh, and Michelle. If not, that's ok too.

1. My best friend is my husband. Without getting overly mushy he balances me.

2. I prefer the company of animals more than I enjoy being with most people.

3. One of these centuries I would like to get back into academia and earn at least a Master's degree so I have a chance of actually being successful in my field.

4. I love sorting and washing laundry. Once it's clean I want nothing more to do with it. I will grudgingly fold clothing, but I loathe putting garments on hangers.

5. My food allergies/chemical intolerances are so limiting I get tired of eating the foods that don't make me sick. In fact every time I turn around there seems to be another thing on the list.

6. I've been interested in dollhouse miniatures since I was tall enough to look into other people's dollhouses. Before my parents would get me a dollhouse I would fashion my own out of cardboard boxes and make furniture out of "found" items like empty spools of thread.

7. I am nocturnal by nature. Given my druthers I will happily sleep until mid afternoon and be up all night. To switch my internal clock around takes a lot of time and effort. And it only take one 24 period to reset myself back to being a night owl.

8. I dream of being recognized as an artisan in the world of miniatures. Someday I'll be a practiced enough sculptor of clay things and start applying to I.G.M.A.

9. I legally changed my first name because I never used it. My parents always called me by my middle name. I never heard my old first name unless I was in trouble or a teacher at school refused to call me by my middle name.

10. I was an "accidental" child. Dad thought he was too old (59) to make anymore children. Mom proved him very, very wrong. There are 15 years between me and the next sibling.

11. The one place in this world where I've always considered "home" is Alamogordo, New Mexico. Someday I hope to live there.

12. I have a not-so-secret obsession with a particular children's toy. Webkinz are the most insidious things on the planet. They are cute little toys and the games on the website are fun in a silly way. I think the main draw is getting to design and furnish little virtual rooms. It's the miniaturist in me that loves it.

13. The only reason I eat vegetables and whole grains is to stay *ahem* regular. I force myself to eat things other than meat, dairy, warm bread, and the occasional piece of fresh fruit. This probably is related to the food allergies mentioned above. I know I'm generally safe with a big steak and a baked potato.

14. When I see people eating food in a grocery store as they are shopping it makes me nauseated. Not sure why. It just does.

15. I firmly believe in the "it takes a village to raise a child" philosophy, but if you do not know the parents and children they stay out of it. Let the adults attached to the kids in question handle them.

16. I think that people should be required to take tests before owning pets. A different test per species/type of critter in question. Nothing irritates me more than people who don't know how to properly care for an animal in their charge. It wouldn't be a bad idea for people wanting to have kids either... but that raises all sorts of issues that I don't want to think about.

17. I have spina bifida.

18. My favorite color is any shade or tint of purple.

19. Someday I want to have horses. This is predicated on having the space and the money to care for them. But it's a goal.

20. My obsession with all things relating to snowmen drives my dear, FH to distraction. I love how patient he is with me with regards to this aliment. He did very well with all of them in house during the holidays.

21. FH and I are very non-Christian. This is not to say we are anti-Christian or anti-religion. Our beliefs are spiritual and peaceful. If Jesus showed up at our door he'd be invited in for refreshment and conversation happily. We turn noone away in need and shun noone for their personal beliefs. What is irritating are people who try to push their beliefs onto other people. That is what we're against.

22. I believe in the Constitution and Bill of Rights as was written by the founding fathers. I don't like governments trying to regulate every aspect of a person's private lives. Yes, make it against the law to kill someone but don't make it against the law for a restuarant to serve fois gras.

23. When I'm nervous my fingernails suffer for it. I don't bite them as much as I did when I was a kid, but I worry at them until they tear off.

24. I'm terrified of flying. I have to take tranquilizers to do so.

25. I used to be fluent reading in Russian and German. Not so much these days since I haven't bothered to jog that part of my memory. I really need to get back to it again. Maybe this summer.

That's it. Hope to see some other lists of 25.