Friday, July 20, 2007
Eight (or nine) Random Facts
Ross, my son, put out the challenge to give eight random facts about myself. I knew all of his, except that he has to have his ear covered when he sleeps. I’m not in to ‘passing things on’, so I’ll just post my answers.
1. My mother and I both ‘graduated’ from high school in 1969. She got her GED and I graduated—and this was the same high school that both of my kids graduated from.
2. I once set the forest on fire and accidentally burned down an outhouse. My kids will remember this very well and I think they still have a couple of “I told you so”s left!
3. But on the other hand…I once saved a mansion (the white one) from burning down (and no, I didn’t set the fire!) When I was coordinating an Elderhostel program, the city administrators from Little Falls asked us about hosting programs in the two ‘Mansions on the Mississippi’ that had recently been deeded to the City. These two neighboring homes were built in 1898 by Charles A. Weyerhaeuser and Richard "Drew" Musser, who were lumber men and are furnished with antiques and original heirlooms. A friend and I were touring through the homes with two women from the city when there was a loud crackling sound in the basement—two women immediately ran outside, one went for the phone to call the fire department. I peeked around the corner and saw a huge electric panel that had flames all over on it and the wall. I ran up, got the fire extinguisher, figured out how to use it, and sprayed the wall and put out the fire.
4. I use to be able to outrun all the boys in my class in the long distance race we did every year while I was in elementary school.
5. When I was in 6th grade, I was playing in a fort that my sister and I had built. I was standing on a branch that broke and as I fell to the ground, my leg was ripped open by a nail. I needed 33 stitches on the outside, plus three layers on the inside to sew my leg up. I discovered then that I have keloids which make my scars get larger than they should—so I’ve always had a big scar on my leg.
6. I moved eight or nine times (and several thousand miles) before I was eight years old, but have only moved once (15 miles) in the last 34 years. (Mom, correct me if I’m wrong.)
7. I love violent thunderstorms with lots of lightning and loud, booming thunder. I like to sit in our solarium during thunderstorms and watch them and the rain pour down.
8. I love to travel and have visited all the US states except Alaska and Hawaii (and am going to Alaska in August). I’ve also been on three continents and would like to visit them all. We love traveling with our kids—so have decided to spend any inheritance they may get now, rather than after we’re dead!
OK—one more—you all know this one, but it’s probably my biggest accomplishment!
9. I once thru-hiked the Superior Hiking trail (about 230 miles) in 18 days in 2001, carrying a pack that weighed between 35-45 lbs.
1. My mother and I both ‘graduated’ from high school in 1969. She got her GED and I graduated—and this was the same high school that both of my kids graduated from.
2. I once set the forest on fire and accidentally burned down an outhouse. My kids will remember this very well and I think they still have a couple of “I told you so”s left!
3. But on the other hand…I once saved a mansion (the white one) from burning down (and no, I didn’t set the fire!) When I was coordinating an Elderhostel program, the city administrators from Little Falls asked us about hosting programs in the two ‘Mansions on the Mississippi’ that had recently been deeded to the City. These two neighboring homes were built in 1898 by Charles A. Weyerhaeuser and Richard "Drew" Musser, who were lumber men and are furnished with antiques and original heirlooms. A friend and I were touring through the homes with two women from the city when there was a loud crackling sound in the basement—two women immediately ran outside, one went for the phone to call the fire department. I peeked around the corner and saw a huge electric panel that had flames all over on it and the wall. I ran up, got the fire extinguisher, figured out how to use it, and sprayed the wall and put out the fire.4. I use to be able to outrun all the boys in my class in the long distance race we did every year while I was in elementary school.
5. When I was in 6th grade, I was playing in a fort that my sister and I had built. I was standing on a branch that broke and as I fell to the ground, my leg was ripped open by a nail. I needed 33 stitches on the outside, plus three layers on the inside to sew my leg up. I discovered then that I have keloids which make my scars get larger than they should—so I’ve always had a big scar on my leg.
6. I moved eight or nine times (and several thousand miles) before I was eight years old, but have only moved once (15 miles) in the last 34 years. (Mom, correct me if I’m wrong.)
7. I love violent thunderstorms with lots of lightning and loud, booming thunder. I like to sit in our solarium during thunderstorms and watch them and the rain pour down.
8. I love to travel and have visited all the US states except Alaska and Hawaii (and am going to Alaska in August). I’ve also been on three continents and would like to visit them all. We love traveling with our kids—so have decided to spend any inheritance they may get now, rather than after we’re dead!
OK—one more—you all know this one, but it’s probably my biggest accomplishment!
9. I once thru-hiked the Superior Hiking trail (about 230 miles) in 18 days in 2001, carrying a pack that weighed between 35-45 lbs.
# posted by bjm @ 8:13 AM 
