Eight random facts about moi

Oh no, I’ve been tagged with a blog meme! I generally tiptoe past memes when I encounter them; as they drowse in the hot summer sun, they are unlikely to retaliate – unless prodded with vintage medical paraphernalia, of course. Alas, the Evilutionary Biologist got me anyway (I knew there was a reason he spelled his name that way) and now I have to tag eight more hapless bloggers!

Here are the rules:

• We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
• Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
• People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
• At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
• Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Eight random things about me. . .

1. I never learned to type properly. Instead I hunt and peck with two fingers (at 50+ wpm).

2. I have a phobia of the circulatory system – not shots, or isolated blood, but veins and arteries. This is one of many reasons I am not a medical doctor (nor a phelebotomist, John)! I’ve not only passed out while donating blood, I’ve fainted on the floor while setting up my own physiology lab. Fortunately my students were not present at the time.

3. I was the 1st runner-up in my hometown Junior Miss pageant, thus earning the privilege of riding on parade floats wearing princess dresses for an entire year. And I know the secret pageant wave!

4. But I do not know my left from my right, unless I glance at my hands while making pencil-clutching gestures. (No, the “L” mnemonic doesn’t work, because I read just fine backwards – both hands look like “L”s to me).

5. I am addicted to jogging. I have to jog several miles every day or I get bitchy (that means bitchier than usual). The farthest I’ve ever jogged is 13 miles, but I have no desire to run a marathon: it seems quite painful.

6. When I took a French class in elementary school, I had a small crush on the instructor (a high school student – he probably wasn’t even that cute, but hey, he know French). I was too embarrassed to say “je t’aime” to him, and would only say it to the poster of a large purple octopus on the wall. So you can see the cephalopodmania started early for me. I have no idea what everyone else’s excuse is.

7. I have a pet corn snake who is afraid of (live) mice.

8. I once built a little apparatus to aerosolize crack cocaine for fruit flies. Sadly, they did not seem to enjoy it: they convulsed and died. For the record, I didn’t inhale – my drug preference is alcohol, specifically cocktails. And I’ve never had a hangover. That’s actually three random facts at once, so this meme is done!

I will tag Morbid Anatomy, Snail’s Eye View, Curious Expeditions, Dandelion Diva, Hungry Hyaena, Witless Wanderer, Cabinet of Wonders, and Simplistic Art.

C’mon now – most of you don’t write much about yourselves on your blogs, which is why I’m curious to hear some Random Facts! But if you have some no-personal-stuff rule, or you detest memes, you’re exempt. (Though at least consider participating. Those lumbering memes are safer when satiated!)

PS sorry if anyone has already been tagged!