facebook me me meme

I did this thing because I've drunk the kool-aid and been facebooked. Since I went to all the ridiculous trouble to catalog myself, I thought I'd dump a copy here for those of you not thoroughly bored by self-congratulatory list-making. Here are 25 damn things about me:

1. I'm a Puerto-Rican/Irish, ex-New Yorker, naturalized Texan, ex-Mormon (attended BYU—no shit), narcoleptic queer. (for the love of labels, people...)

2. I am now a happy atheist. Going from nun to heathen was one of the most liberating experiences of my life.

3. Design is one of my life's passions. I think about it all the time. Typography. Tea kettles. Book covers. Bass violins. China. Chaise lounges. Keyboards. Kiwi salad.

4. I minored in Art History and wept when I saw Florence's Duomo for the first time.

5. As far as I'm concerned, wood, flour, metal, fabric, paper, cement, leather and glass are all the same: raw materials. Knitting, carpentry, baking, metalsmithing...it's just the tools and joins that differ. And I love all the tools. I want to learn all the joins.

6. I am a late blooming feminist and believe that no woman should have children if she doesn’t want them. Ironically, my favorite job was raising my two children.

7. I loathe deferential treatment based on my gonads. I am not, nor will I ever be, a "lady."

8. I find it disturbing when women take their husband’s name. Sorry. It harks back to the days of being property. Besides, you're getting married, not adopted.

9. I was über-dedicated to being the BEST parent ever and fancied myself well qualified and successful. Over time the idealism of early parenting has gotten a solid ass-kicking. When all is said and done, I think I did a decent job but owe my parents an apology for making such a fuss about "not making all the mistakes they made."

10. My (grown) children are amazing. Even Especially when we don't agree.

11. I am ambidextrous. (Yes, Virginia, it's a euphemism.)

12. I have been married (not legally, of course--this IS Texas, after all--but in every way that counts) to the same woman for 22 years. I am still stupidly in love with her.

13. Facebook is too fucking public...okay, even when I was the most obedient, god-fearing, letter-of-the-law little prig, my secret sin was how much I LOVED to swear.

14. I am driven to be financially stable. Obsessed about becoming debt-free.

15. I grew up blue-collar and aim to be a balanced intellectual. Whenever I get too up my own ass about things, my common sense mocks me. Without mercy.

16. I am unfazed by title, degree or position. I have neither reverence nor irreverence for those in power. The only people I am in awe of are those who have done something awesome.

17. Humor has saved my life. Most people survive a shitload of things and credit God, psychotherapy or macrobiotics with their survival. Thanks to my mother I survived a crisis of faith, a divorce, a custody battle, dear friends dying of AIDS and other scary-as-shit events because she'd taught me to laugh.

18. I wouldn't have sex with anyone who didn't love good food.

19. As much as I love design and building and fixing things, writing is dearer to me.

20. I have a job that I truly enjoy. While the process (animation) is very satisfying, the end product (banner advertising) is meh. I'm surprised at how good I am with that. It doesn't hurt that I work with funny, talented people.

21. I love fixing my home. Because we have no option, we've learned to fix almost everything. Ignorance is a valuable asset.

22. I love being at home. With my partner or by myself. It is my favorite place.

23. I have been lucky enough to travel to Europe many times. I lived in Spain for three months. I also woke up in Paris on my 50th birthday. That was fucking awesome.

24. I am a shameless math, word, design, grammar, cooking, technology geek. And I love me some puns.

25. I don't believe that monogamy is a sacrament.

26. I was once a juror on a torture/murder trial.

27. I hardly ever watch television. But I'm not too proud. I'm online way too much.

28. I will get a tattoo someday.

29. I hate what image-obsession and dieting has done to our individual and collective sense of self-worth.

30. I taught myself not to be afraid of the dark when I was young by walking around our basement with the lights out.

31. I am not superstitious.

32. I love adhesives. Epoxy, wood glue, duct tape and...don't get between me and my stash of double-sided tape.

33. Jesus, I’ve reached 33 (too). Oh, I‘m also wordy.