Patti O'Shea's Blog

I was tagged to post 16 “bizarre, random facts, habits” or whatever. I’m also supposed to tag 12 other people to do the same, but I don’t tag, so if you feel like doing this, post and let me know.

1. I used to dream about sharks every night when I was in grade school and junior high. I ended the dreams by going to the library and reading every book they had on sharks. On a tour of Sea World, I knew more about them than the guide did.

2. I thought about becoming a marine biologist because I became fascinated by my research into sharks. I’d like to write a book about a heroine who studies them. Someday.
3. I have a very eclectic taste in music, but I can’t tolerate polka, rap, or regurgitated disco.
4. The best place in the world that I’ve ever visited is Australia.
5. When I finished college, I had 240 credits. I only needed 180 to graduate and I had no second major or minor. I did, however, take classes in everything from theater to far Eastern art to astronomy to oceanography.
6. Bananas totally gross me out and I can’t stand the smell of them.
7. I’m addicted to the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle.
8. The totally best nature moment I’ve ever had was when a hummingbird hovered no more than two feet away from me while I was watering my flowers. It was the first time I’d ever seen one in person.
9. The biggest class I had at the U of MN Minneapolis was 1500 students (Intro to Psychology). That was as big as my entire high school and nearly as big as the U of MN Morris where I spent my freshman year.
10. My decorating style is modern/contemporary/Asian. I took a test on HGTV that said so, but I knew anyway.
11. I love bright colors and don’t understand why people are afraid of them. My house would need to have almost every room repainted if I ever wanted to sell it.
12. I adore Shakespeare and my favorite play is “Much Ado About Nothing.”
13. I own over 300 pairs of shoes–I stopped counting–but I usually wear the same two or three pairs over and over.
14. I love Monty Python and can watch “Holy Grail” over and over without getting tired of it. “Bring me a shrubbery! Nee!”
15. Baseball. If they played it 365 days a year, I’d be ecstatic. If I get digital cable, it will be solely to get the MLB network so I can watch extra games. Go Cubs!
16. I own over 5000 fictional books (we’re not counting research books or my New Age books) and I’ve read more than 4000 of them. I used to be able to read a book a day and I’d go on vacations where I’d read three, four, even five books in a day.

There! Made it! I didn’t think I was going to manage to come up with 16 facts. I don’t know how bizarre any of them are, but they most certainly are random.

I got tagged with this meme by Michele Hauf, and since I’ve turned my book in and don’t have revisions yet, I’ll do it.

1. I had 240 credits when I graduated from college (The U of MN required 180 credits for graduation). I had 1 major (advertising copywriting) and no minor. I just have an eclectic range of interests and I liked learning, so I explored a lot of areas. I had classes in Far Eastern Art, Astronomy, Theater, Philosophy, History and so on. Since I’ve graduated, I’ve taken classes through other venues, including the local Vo Tech, online, through community education, and have read/learned on my own. I believe that this was great training for being a writer because I know a little bit about a lot of things. I just don’t know a lot about anything.
2. I always wanted to be able to draw pencil sketches, but never had the patience to develop any skills. If it didn’t come out perfect the first time, I’d get frustrated and give up. On the other hand, I’ve been working and practicing and learning with my writing since I was 14. I think that’s because writing is my passion, but drawing is nothing more than an interest.
3. Once upon a time, I wanted to be an Olympic figure skater, but I broke my right tibia bone when I was 6 and my left ankle when I was 9–both while ice skating. That cured any idea I had to do that. Since the age of nine, I’ve gone skating once.
4. I used to be so organized that I was scary. Now I’m so disorganized that I’m scary. I don’t know what changed or how it happened, but I miss that level of order, and I can’t seem to get it back.
5. I have an obsessive personality, and while I understand the importance of balance in all things, I can’t seem to get anywhere close to that in my own life. When I’m working on a book, I literally go to the EDJ, write, and sleep. And that’s it. When I sold Ravyn’s Flight, I gave up all my other interests and I don’t even remember what they were any more. I did develop a new interest, though–scrapbooking–but I haven’t found time to do anything with it in a couple of years. That doesn’t stop me from buying more stuff for this hobby.
6. Before I was old enough to read, I accidentally shoplifted a tiny tube of car wax. It was next to the register and I thought that meant it was free so I took one and hid it in my hand because I wanted to surprise my mom and aunt (we were visiting the aunt in FL). When we got underway, I showed them my surprise and was severely scolded. I was going to throw it out the window to get rid of the evidence, but my mom and aunt said no. And I immediately thought, that’s right, fingerprints. (Yes, I was precocious–either that or even at that age, I’d seen too many cop shows.) Looking back, I think they both overreacted since it was ignorance, not intent, that led me to take that tube. I never took anything that didn’t belong to me ever again.
7. I’ve had three past life regressions done. One session took me to a life in Rome, another to Australia and the third to Ireland. Two of the three lives I saw were not fun lives. In the third (Ireland), I was very poor, but also very happy. I had a big family and a husband I loved. This was the life where I cried when I died. With the other two regressions, all I felt was relief when I went.
8. I was adopted. I met my birthmother when I was 24, but haven’t had contact with her since then. I found out she married my birthfather after giving me up. I have a sister and a brother that I’ve never met, and while I’ve found ways to contact both of them through online searches, I haven’t done so. I don’t know if either one of them are aware of my existence and I’d hate to spring it on them if they don’t know about me. I keep wishing one of them would contact me, and I sometimes consider mentioning their names in one of my dedications in the hope that someone will tell them about it. I haven’t done that either.

I’m supposed to tag 8 people, but I’m not going to do that. If you want to pick up this meme, consider yourself tagged. Here are the rules if you want to do this:

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.