1...2...3...4...5!

My good blogger friend Barb has passed along a meme where I am to share five little known facts about myself. I'm happy to play along, Barb!

In thinking about what to write, my first question was...little known to whom? I moved from the south to New England right after graduate school, so my friends here don't know a lot about my growing up. On the other hand, family and friends in the south don't know all there is to know about my life here. And since I've only been blogging for less than six months, you guys don't know a lot about me at all! So what to choose?

Here are the five I decided to share with the world...

1. Barb shared that she was a cheerleader, so I'll start with my cheerleading story. No, I did not date a cheerleader. I was a cheerleader. Okay, only for one day. But I get full credit! Way back in middle school, we held an annual "powder puff" football game as a fund raiser. Looking back on it, "powder puff" seems a very politically incorrect name for girls playing flag football. But hey, this was a long time ago! Anyway, the girls played football and the boys were cheerleaders. I don't even recall how I got selected to be one. Probably lost a bet or something. But I do remember dressing up in the cheerleader skirt and sweater, donning a wig, leading cheers in the gym at a pep rally, and then leading cheers on the sidelines. No doubt, Barb made a much better cheerleader!
2. In my senior year in high school and all through college, I was on the debate team. I know, pretty nerdy. But that was my extracurricular activity of choice. The teams traveled throughout the south competing in tournaments. I also participated in various individual events at these tournaments - primarily dramatic poetry reading and extemporaneous speaking. I wasn't so good at the individual things. But my partner and I pulled in a ton of trophies in the debate competition. And what benefit did I get from all that? I am totally comfortable speaking in front of groups. And I can argue with the best of them!
3. I attended a private religious school for my undergraduate degree and my first graduate degree. And at the time, no one would have been surprised by that. But the people that know me know would find it hard to believe that I could have survived in such a rigid environment. I've changed a LOT in the past 26 years!
4. How did I work my way through college? I was a disc jockey. Broadcasting under the exciting pseudonym of "Ed Larson", I spun those discs at an adult contemporary station. Hours and hours of college life spent listening to Barry Manilow and Dan Fogelberg and Seals & Crofts. For you young readers, Google them. Those are real people. In fact, I really liked Dan Fogelberg.
   
5. Finally, number five, I love pets. My family loves pets. At the moment, we have two box turtles, a golden retriever, and two rabbits. But we are at a low point in pet ownership. At times we've had as many as thirteen pets in the house...not counting tropical fish in the aquarium or goldfish in bowls.

Now, sharing those five things about me wasn't so hard. The hard part is passing this along to five unsuspecting victims. Five blogger friends who at this very moment are happily going about their day, oblivious to the fact that I'm about to meme them upside the head. So, dear friends, don't hold it against me. I'm just playing by the rules. Feel free to share your five...or politely decline. Either way, you're still a-ok! But if you want to share...Sheila, Dorky Dad, Beth, Kati, and Baron... the spotlight is yours!