With the effects of winter and cabin fever driving far too many of us nuts of late...lets do something fun. Something to encourage people (esp. lurkers) to participate on this forum (yeah, I can see the next effort will be to encourage Dan Watkins to shut up!).

Tell us something (maybe one or two things) about yourself that not many people know. It would be awesome to get some of the peeps who have 0 or very low # of posts to jump on here and tell us a few things about themselves...at the same time it will be fun to learn more about the people we feel like we already know!

I'll start.

I had a tracheostomy when I was three -- it saved my life. They were worried, since it was a relatively new procedure in 1970, that I'd never be able to talk again. (And people have been trying to shut me up ever since! )

One of the craziest and coolest things I've ever done (dateline April, 1993) was to drive to Titusville, Florida to watch -- from up close -- one of the very rare night time space shuttle launches. It remains one of the most amazing things I've ever witnessed.

Your turn...

Wow, Dan - very cool topic!

Many people probably do not know that I quit my "day job" to do photography full-time, but that I am also in Nursing school full-time, which is wonderful!

People ask me all the time why I'm bothering to go to Nursing school because of how great the Photography thing is going, but I tell them that there's something in me - a drive of somekind (if I may say, I think it's the Lord) that wants me to do both. It's scary, stressful, exciting, and fabulous all at once!

Anyway, there's a little tid-bit and I am excited to hear about others, as well!

Blessings,
Stacy

Let's see -

My best friend and I used to drive her parents brand new Chevy truck (full of boys) out to this gravel pit and launch it off of piles of gravel going about 40 miles an hour. We tried to make the boys wet their britches. It never worked and we only made one barf. I guess we didn't try hard enough! But it was so much fun to listen to them scream!!! (I grew up in Idaho )

I really like to quilt. I've only made three (one california king - it was like wrestling an alligator, and two twins) but I'm working on two more and can't wait to start the next one.

Okay. There's my two. Want more?

Okay,
I lived in the Phillipine Islands for 2 years when I was 20.
I didn't get my Drivers License until I was 27.
I love Polaroid Transfers!!
Candy

Ooh fun.....let me think.

I have 3 degrees, in nothing close to photography.

I've been hit by a car, while shooting.

Also hit by a car!
I'm a 2nd degree black belt!

No way, when were you hit by a car? Did you get hurt? Mine was just emabarassing.

edited to add:

And I'm drunk and apparently can't spell in english.

I've hit someone before with my car
wasn't my fault though - some fool was speeding down a hill with his bike and couldn't stop when he reached the parking lot, where I happen to be driving, and he lost control and ended up almost under my engine! Boht of us were in shock but lucky for him, I was only going 5mph. The bike was hurt the most - both wheels were destroyed under the car.

I've had a quite a few different jobs: Army mechanic, Playboy Mansion valet, waiter, architectural illustrator, effects animator for Warner Bros. and Disney, desktop engineer, and mortgage loan software developer, until I ended up shooting somebody's wedding.

I lived on Wake Island when I was 8 - 10. It's 3 square miles and highest point on the island is 26' above sea level. We snorkled and fished a lot, it was a kid's dream! It was all government workers so no worries about "crooks" and if I got lost "exploring" I just had to walk in a straight line and I'd hit the ocean or the lagoon. I knew every person on the island and learned that the smaller the community the more the friends. There were no snakes or deadly spiders, and there were no known cases of rabbies in the rats so we were allowed to roam free - something I often did for an entire day alone (they'de be arrested for that today, sigh)

It was rich with "kid brags". All true however - a regular adventureland. Like the following:

I went to school bare-footed and had calloses so thick I once didn't realize I had a thumb-tack in my foot (for an hour or so) and we would run across "fire coral" on a dare (but even our feet couldn't do that much - it was sharp). We had family bon-fires 10 feet wide and my dad would lead the sing-alongs. I was once chased from the water by a giant 5 foot Moray eel who's rock we were tilting 10 feet under. The channel waters ran up to about 8 miles per hour when the lagoon drained with the tide and we'de jump from the bridge and swim to shore before being carried out to sea. I once found a live gernade from WWII (we were at least educated to call the bomb squad). We regularly "played army" in real WWII bunkers and we even discovered a new one buried under a hatch. My dad scuba dived and took thousands of photos with his Nikon Underwater SLR, including schools of barracuda, shark, and his dive buddy riding a giant sting ray.

It was wiped out by Typhoon Sarah (around 1968), a Cat 4 storm (they think, weather meter blew off the roof at something like 160 knots - but I was young to my story may have gotten stretched over the years). Nobody was killed but one house had an 6 foot bolder that blew in through the roof (it was a pre-evacuated beachfront house - although the housing area was only 3 streets deep). The eye lasted 3 hours and was a dead calm during which life saving rescues occurred. All homes were hurricane built and we were huddled with 2 other families against my parent's brick wall. Most non-hurricane built structures were entirely swept away.

My favorite pastime was searching the beach for "glass balls", our little treasures. One pile of driftwood was about 15 feet tall and 40 feet wide, after all, noone had ever cleaned it up and was the best glass ball searchground.

My parents were born and raised in Grand Island, Nebraska and my dad was in Greenland for his 4 year Navy tour, so we grew up in Arizona and California, then tropics (Hawaii, American Samoa, Wake) and one 3 year stint in Maryland, but it was too cold so back to the South Pacific.

At 30, I jumped off a 50' cliff (into the water at least) "because Steve Stewart did". I had to jumb before collapsing because my knees were so weak from fear.

At 2 years old I had an "experimental operation" to drain my lung - because they figured I was a goner anyway. The doctor read about it in a magazine on a flight some days prior (or so I've been told).

My wife has a Masters in Physics, speaks 3 languages fluently, and was a refugee at 15 and cared for her little brother whom she also helped to get a University Degree. I have no academic bragging rights, but love her a lot so does that count for something? Ummm, I saved someone from drowning once, but that was just right place right time - nothing like guiding a younger sibling through a sheer survival situation for years much less seeing it done so right.

nice thread. long story - hope you didn't mind.

I can ride a unicycle. Or I could. Haven't been on one for a while. I suppose it's like riding.....oh, never mind. My bike got stolen in high school so I used what we had around. Made for people thinking I was even dorkier than before.

I lived in Japan for the first (almost) 18 years of my life.

Wow! This post is fascinating!! It's too early for me to think of anything extraordinary... but the first things that come to mind are:

My real name is Carlene Madge Viohl, but that is just asking too much from ANY telemarketer! So since birth, I have gone by Carrie.

Uhm, my eyes are two different colors, one is "normal" brown, and the other is blaaaack black.

I have three siblings: one is a minister/IT guy, one is a missionary/art teacher, and the next stop for her is a tour with the Peace Corps, and the last one is a real-life bum. (By choice! He's been happily homeless for oh, 4 years now??)

Oh! And I suppose my path to photography is crazy like everybody elses! I was offered a full ride at a great music school for Opera, but I turned it down, because I *thought* that I wanted to be a school teacher, for like 8 seconds. Then I majored in Psychology. Then I dropped out of college, got hitched, moved to Germany, and FINALLY picked up a camera. *sheesh*

Well....

I gave up a 20K severance to take a photo library job that I quit 6 mo. later

Then I fudged my photoshop skills to get a job at a prominent studio...got fired for that!

But now I grew up a little, I'm a FT teacher. I freelance for the local paper. I get practice wherever I can and I'm happy with that.

Wow, great tidbits everyone!

Let's see... something about me:

• I sang backup with Michael W. Smith in Chicago.
• I became a U.S. citizen when I was a senior in highschool.
• I'm allergic to cold temperatures -- I actually break out in a rash, but if I take Benedryl before going outdoors I'm fine.
• I have a Kevin Bacon number of 3.
• At WPPI I'm going to be rooming with two of the best female photographers in the world!

That's about it!
Leann

Something about me...

I ate 30 baby asprins when I was 2 years old, becuase they were those yummy orange flavor ones. My mom took me to the hospital just in time, and I had to have my stomach pumped.

I modeled when I was 8 - my mother and her friend created children clothing and they would have fashion shows. I should put up a picture, talk about making you laugh!

My grandfather was a Chef in Chicago's finest Returants
My mother was a designer (she even created her own patterns)
My sister an interior designer
My neice works in Hollywood on films, my favorite was iRobt, she worked in the FX department on this movie .. The Hulk was my least favorite

When my first child was 6 weeks old I was in a See's Candy chocolate eating contest. We had three minutes to eat as much as we could. I won. I was the only one that they got a second box ready for. The amazing thing was, I didn't even feel sick after and my nursing baby wasn't effected by it at all.

I was a huge disappointment to all of my college professors, they really wanted me to go straight into a doctoral program in psychology when I graduated. I chose to get married and teach preschool. I loved what I did! I did go back to graduate school, in education. I got halfway through the program (I did great, but hated being back in school) and realized that all I really wanted to do was have kids and be a stay at home mom, so I quit.

I was a stay at home mom for 8 1/2 years before we started our business. I loved it! Never wanted to return to work. I would love to be able to not work, now, but this business really does take both of us. Adam would never bill a client, would never be able to come up with pricing, never do any of the business end of having a business and we would be living on the street, so now I work and am a stay at home mom. Pretty much I do as much of this job as I can during naptimes and nights.

In the past, I was a co-leader of a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group and loved being in a position to mentor other moms. I don't have time to be in a leadership position any more, and I miss it. Oddly, I usually connected the most with moms who were a bit older and waited to have children (I was pretty young when we had our first two) and were really struggling with parenthood. It was nice to be able to help them.

This is fun!

I have a black belt in Judo (which I WISH I had the time to take back up).

My son was 5 weeks premature and my daughter attempted to come 8 weeks premature, but luckily I was able to spend a few weeks in the hospital on various drugs and she held off until 36 weeks. Needless to say, I'm not pushing my luck with any others!

I took my first trip across the ocean to London (for 3 days) and Paris (for 5 days) last year with my husband (without the kids as a sort of honeymoon we never had). It was amazing and something I hope to do again with our children.

Awesome idea!!

-I once saved an older lady when I was a paper boy. I was about 14 and noticed that her papers had been left the day before (this was in a lodge and not common at all) I stuck my ear to the door and hear very very slight noise, put my shoulder into the door and found her with a broken hip on the living room floor where she had been for 2 days.

-I was in air cadets (its a Canadian thing) which is basically a weekly military type thing and learned to fly

-Thats what I can think of off the top of my head

Edit ------

I was also hit by a car... it was winter and waiting to be picked up by a friend of mine... needless to say ice.... no stopping... Jacob on the hood of the car (I was fine)

Fun topic!!

* In high school, I was a cheerleader and band geek at the same time!!

* I saved my grandmom's life when I was young and she was choking on a hot dog. Then went back to watching tv. Never thought it was a big deal, until recentlly when I was working on a documentary of my grandparents (now both deceased) and finally brought myself around to watching a video interview and she started crying talking about it. That was really weird...I seriously didn't think anything of it and even forgot about it!

* I was a member of the country's most prestigious Fire Company band for almost 14 years. I started my membership when I was 14 years old (the youngest member ever by special consideration).

* I was a 9 year blue ribbon winning cook as a child. But PLEASE don't tell my husband this. I seriously hate cooking now and contribute it to not knowing how I seem to mess up everything in the kitchen these days.

* My full time job as Technology Manager and photographer is at the school that the movie Dead Poets Society was filmed with Robin Williams. Now you know why I don't quit to go full-time photography!

* I went 6 years without my two front teeth because my mom accidentally ran over me with a bicycle when I was 2. LOL "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth...."

I think it's becoming clear... if you want to be a photographer, you need to get hit by a car, or hit someone with a car Maybe this moment makes you subconciously realize how fragile life is and from that point we all feel we need to capture it.

-My kids still sleep in my bed (2 and 3 yr old) Honestly, I love the way it feels to have all my family close!

-I was raised on a farm with chickens, cattle, horses, ducks, pigs, and rabbits.

-I never had any major accidents...I did get knocked out by a kick ball once. The guy was a jerk and laughed about it...his name was Darrell Neal...

-I have taken guitar lessons 2x...I plan to start again this year!

my parents are my heroes. my dad has been struggling with multiple sclerosis since i was in elementary school and he is the biggest fighter i know. my mom has stuck with him every step of the way. even as they struggle themselves, the two of them put me through college. they are always more than willing to help me out in any way that they can. they are both amazing! and i'm soo excited for them that they are finally grandparents! we've all got my 6 month old niece, reagan, to spoil. she's brought out an even more loving side of them.

I was crossing a busy street when I was....14, 15. Something like that. She got out and yelled at me because her antenea broke...i was like......

She ran over my foot but it didn't break. So mine was emabarassing too!

fun! i'll play...

i make the best flame-broiled BBQd steak in the world -- just ask my son.....or better yet, come over for dinner and find out for yourself!

Wow! Awesome stuff so far! Gread idea, Dan!

When I was 3 years old my Mom came home and found me on the roof of our house with my Dad 10 feet away from me shingling. She freaked out. I continued to go up there by myself almost everyday after that. Now I'm terrified of my 3 year old wanting to rock climb with my husband and won't let her do it.

My best friend saved me from being hit by a speeding car on I-95 in South Florida - we were frantically searching for some lost (important) things on the side of the road and some idiot kids thought it would be funny to give me a scare by swerving the car toward me... only I didn't see them coming and I didn't get out of the way. My best friend grabbed my arm and threw me face down into the dirt to save me. I was ready to kick her butt until I realized what had happened. Probably not the brightest idea to stand on the side of I-95 at 2 AM on a Saturday.

I started developing my own B&W film in second grade at a gifted summer program.

I had an award named after me at my high school for video production. I would challenge my teacher everyday in that class and argue with him about EVERYTHING. We made eachother crazy, but my stubborness paid off - I won serveral awards for my videos. I was #1 in my video classes throughout HS and won more awards than anyone in my school -at least for that decade. He decided to name an award after me the year after I graduated - the qualifications included something along the lines of not letting anyone (including the teacher and principle) stand in your way of your vision. I rarely went to any of my other classes in HS. For a couple of years I wanted to be a video editor or director, but went right back to photography. I still talk to that teacher... first he was disappointed that I didn't go into video, but is now very proud of me.

I am allergic to basil, but I love Italian food... not a good combo.

I am technically an only child, but I have a step sister & two step brothers that I don't talk to, and over the years 4 of my cousins have been my "foster siblings".

My Dad is my hero and one of my best friends.

I was born and raised in Florida - I have only met a handfull of people who can say the same. I actually grew up with a very funny mixed accent - half southern, half New Yorker... my closest friends are all from NY and it kinda rubbed off on me.

I went skydiving on a date and Karl Malone landed on me once. When I was 6, I rolled out of bed and broke my collar bone.

Oh, I forgot to add that I was taught how to drive with a tractor at 6 year olds, and a car at 15 by a Nascar driver.

How fun . . .

Let's see -- I have a tattoo on my back (which if you knew me, is completely out of character for me). It's a daisy with "restez toujours jouyeux) around it . . (translation - be joyful always).

I have been married for 3 1/2 years -- and my husband was a student teacher at the high school that I went to (scandalous -- not really -- we were just friends).

The last year of my life has been one of the worst years ever, but because I have gotten through it, I know I am better for it.

I have lived abroad - in France during college.

My favorite comfort food is macaroni and cheese (kraft) -- gotta go with the stuff from childhood.

I come across as confident and self-aware -- when really, I am pretty scared and insecure.

I love, love, love outdoor stuff.

When I grow up, I want to be the first female president.

This is fun... hard to pick just a few

I drove a train several times between the ages of 4 and 10 thanks to my grandfather who brought me to work with him at Conrail

I built my parents house and did all of the work except for the plumbing and the excavation with my father, and two grandfathers from around the age of 10-14

When I was around 15 I fell 20 feet off of a frozen waterfall fall onto ice and walked away unharmed

The average age of my friends is somewhere around 40...

I am teaching myself Mandarin Chinese in preparation for some upcoming business

I love the winter much more than the summer

I have been tempted to buy a Mini Cooper several times but I just can't bring myself to be the 6'5" guy in a Mini

I'm not sure why, but TDAmeritrade credited my account with 1,000 commission free trades!

Several years ago, when I was making a lot of international phone calls, I had a bulk phone card from MCI that never deducted time from the remaining total of minutes... it still is full today despite hundreds of hours of calls

I live a pretty unbelievable life and most people don't think what I do and who I know is legitimate

Beth,

My 6 yr old daughter would love to be in your place! A race car driver is the only 'job' she wants to have. She has consistently said that for the past 3 years. It's very strange, because my dad (whom hasn't spoken to me for almost 12 years....long sad story, but hey he is missing out on his own kids & grandkids!) was a race car driver & I have lots of negative memories of that.

Brady...

1000 free, huh??? That is awesome. I'm sure you haven't made an inquiry about that.

As for me,

I also was hit by a car. Not really hit, smashed in between two cars. I was a junior in hs. A drunk senior was backing out & didn't see me & drove right over my legs!

My mom & I traveled Europe together after my senior year. It was a blast!

I had 2 minor consumptions (I'm not bragging about this one). No one would ever guess that as when you meet me everyone thinks I'm a goody, goody.

2 of my friends got killed by a drunk driver (one in 7th grade, one when I was 18). Being in 7th grade, I can still clearly remember every small detail about the event. It was my boyfriend (yeah a boyfriend in 7th grade!), & I still have dreams about him & what he would be like today.

For the scenario above I *never* drive drunk!

I lived 10 miles N of Mexico in deep south TX & managed a retirement community.

If I had a million dollars...

Hey, I like Kraft dinners, I think we'd eat more!

(sorry, BNL flashback... )

WOW... I love this...
OK well lets see how I do.
I work full time as a Commercial Insurance Underwriter, I am that lady with glasses that looks over every policy and decides whether or not to accept the risk... I check health inspections (because of my job) online for every restaurant before I go out to eat...

Click here if you are in FLORIDA and want to check on a restaurant or hotel.

I was married at age 16, husband was 17, We are now 23 & 24, and have a 6 year old.

My mother in law died 4 years ago from plastic surgery, tummy tuck, she was only 51.

I still have all the christmas decorations and tree up(do to as stated above, 6 year old, full time underwriter, photogrpaher & managing our business) I hope to take it down next weekend, I've been saying that since Dec. 26.

I love to scrapbook. But because I love to take photos, I can't catch up. I did a calculation a few months ago and basically I would have to scrapbook 1 layout(2pages for the next 4 & 1/2 months in order to just catch up.

I never wanted to be a show off and hated people that bought expensive cars, but I just leased 7 days ago a brand new BMW X3... And I love it, My husband and I fight over whos going to drive. I can't believe I drove a honda civic for so long... I'm totally spoiled now, which is a big thing I am trying to overcome.

I love to lurk on everyones blogs and websites, I am so inspired by everyone here.
I love OSP.

My biggest problem right now is that everuone thinks I am between the age of 11-15.
On a really lucky day I may get 16. Deep down inside I am a little old lady.

It took me a while to decide to post here cause I just wanted to read through everyone's posts. And now I over did it. SORRY. I did leave out my "almost hit by a car" story though, no offense to anyone, my story was just not that interesting.

Really?

Wo xian-shi Zhong-wen xue-shung!

(hope I got that right...'tis been 25 years!)




Me too.


BTW -- welcome Melissa!

Haha... I'm still like a little kid learning how to read boat

B-O-A-T

Buh - Oh - Tih
Buhoh - Tih
Boat

hmmm...the thing about me that my friends love to tell is that...

I once fell and broke my ankle as I was being chased by an angry transvestite down a street in Savannah.

And I thought I knew you Jill!

Since you guys really don't know me yet, this should be pretty easy.

• I just joined OSP this month and love it. I can't wait to meet everyone at OSP Indy!!
• I'm friends with the "Turtles" (Nate and Amanda)
• I just recently decided to pursue a career in photography and I pretty much have zero experience. I'm scared to death to be quite honest.
• I've been married for 15yrs to my High School sweetie Troy. We have 3 children (Brandon 9, Sarah 7 and Grace 4). We also have a pug named Lilly.
• I've never been hit by a car, but my first wreck made the papers. It included a bridge, a funeral procession and 4 cars (one of which included a girl scout troop) LOL
• I love remembering things from way back when, like the little orange asprins mentioned before. I so loved those things and totally forgot about them.

do tell this story so funny! i'm very entertained by your stories...

seriously - how many people have or have almost been hit by a car on this forum? geez...scary!

odd facts about me:

- was a competitive nordic skier growing up in minnesota
- i still run NBA player Marcus Camby's foundation and have worked for the NBA, NHL, US Figure Skating and NFL prior to starting a life i really love in photograpy
- have two pugs
- i only like Diet Coke in a can (just not the same in bottles)
- i am the absolute worst person when it comes to telling people directions using lefts and rights
- my husband is a kindergarten teacher and avid whitewater kayaker
- i'm a nervous passenger in any vehicle
- love animals and the outdoors

Oh and I'm an internet addict - but if you are reading this...you most likely are too

Umm....it's a little fuzzy. But it pretty much involves a bunch of naieve (sp?) small town young college girls at a late night diner after maybe a few too many libations. Seeing a few 6 ft tall men (who looked like football players) a few tables away in glittery evening gowns and boas just sent us over the edge. I think we got a little too tickled and it ended with the waitress telling us these "guys" were not so nice and we better get out of dodge. So we all took off running in different directions and they came after us. It was crazy. Somehow we all got away. The horrible thing was that it was 1989 and those hideous lace up boots were in style - and believe me - it was no fun trying to get those things off! Just another one of my proud moments...
ha

When I was younger I was taking a shower at a camp site and got choked on my contact ( shampoo got in my eye) a friend of mine was taking a shower in the stall next to me and had to give me the heimlich maneuver..... then 2 old ladies came in to witness it... I guess this is also my most embarrassing story too...

my husband and I used to have a pet pig... which we were told was a girl and one day we went outside to find out NOPE for sure a male!!

Well, I have been hanging out here for over a year...so I guess it is about time you know a little about me.

I usually have a baby in my lap when I am at the computer.

I have lived in St. Petersburg, Lakeland, Winter Park, Pensacola and Bradenton, Flordia. I also spent most of my childhood in Macon, Ga. Got married Tom (the hottest guy I have ever met) in 1996 and moved to Long Beach and then Huntington Beach, California. We moved to St. Louis 6 years ago to get closer to family.... mine being in Georgia and Tom's in Michigan.

In 2004 I was diagnosed with non hodgkins lymphoma... cancer. It was an amazing experience and I would go through it again to gain the wisdom that God gave me. I got the chance to live out what I believe and know that He has all things in His control.

In January of 2006 we had 1 child. Today we have 3!! In the last year we have adopted a little girl and then found out at our adoption physical that we were pregnant. The baby is 4 months old.

I also home school my daughter who is in the first grade.

And, I have never been hit by a car.

amazing brandi. i'd like to meet you some day.

3 kids since 2006 - no wonder you have a baby in your lap at all times! amazing!

I have a pug named Lillie!!!!!!!!!

i use to be a zookeeper

i have lived in grenada (the caribbean), germany, + england

i use to race mountain bikes

i have a degree in zoology + microbiology

i use to raise sheep + guide dog puppies for the blind

i love guinness











site

blog

A few things about me.

My oldest memory in life: are members seeing a big orange ball and green leaves and blue sky. After telling my mother this, she said when I was a baby and we lived in Orlando Florida were she was in nursing school and
where I was born in 1963. My mother said she use to to rock me in a cradle on the front porch next to an orange tree and that must've been what I saw. I still love Oranges and orange and blue are my favorite colors.

I grew up on a peanut farmer in South Georgia, a learned to swim in and a muddy fish pond at age 3. I shot my first deer at age 8 with a 30/30 rifles without a scope. ( that's funny because I don't even care anything about hunting anymore) I think I learn how drive on an old John Deere tractor around six years old my older brother and I took turnds hauling in a big wooden sled behind the tractor to nock up all caw turds in the pasture. in 1967 and 68 my uncle least some of our farm land to the US Army and the infantry soldiers from Fort Benning Georgia that were going off to the Vietnam War would come and have war games and train on the land. The Huey helicopters would land in the cow pastures and my brother and I would run up to the helicopters and get the soldiers canteens and go over to the caw water troughs and get some fresh running water and bring the canteens back to the army men. The soldiers would give us bandoliers of blanks that they were shooting in the machine guns. I had one that was fitted to go around my waist
and double crossed across my chest I thought I was cool. I must've looked like Ponchoe Vea with a John Deer cap. As the helicopters landed they would put out orange and red smoke as a smokescreen. The soldiers would all jump out of the helicopters and taking a defensive positions. To them it was all real training for the real war that they were about to undertake but for us at the time my brother and I at 6 and 8 years old it was all fun and games much better than any old John Wayne black-and-white movie we could have watched. I never realized in those hot summer days in the cow pastures of south Georgia that one day I would have my opportunity to wear green army jungle fatigues carry my m16 and take rides on big green helicopter in Central America.

That has all changed now and I have been a photographer for 20 years.

I met Mandy Moore in Samy's camera once.

I said, "Hi! I cut my hair like you once."
Mandy: "Aww how sweet! My name's Mandy
"Hi, I'm Shannon. So...are you buying...binoculars?" (as she stood in front of the binocular section of the counter)
"Ummmm...no.............I'm buying a camera for my boyfriend." (then she looked at me strangely)
"Oh! Right. Okay...well, can I have your autograph?"
"Sure"


I still don't know why I asked for her autograph while I was in Samy's Camera.

That's sooooooooooooo funny! I did the Mandy Moore hair cut too in college. I went from hair down to the middle of my back to the short pixie do. And I donated the hair to locks of love afterward. :-)

I'm so glad to have my hair back long now though. Yours still looks cute in your avatar!

We had that happen with a rabbit. The pet store and the vet told us that Coca was a she. When she was about 6 months old she started acting weird and aggresive and spraying. We still thought she was a she, the books said sometimes females spray. One day I picked Coca up and HUGE surprise, she was most definitely a HE. We figured out that he only had been spraying when Adam or our son were around me. He had chosen me as his mate. I wouldn't go near him after that until he was fixed.

Hmmmm.... I don't have quite as fun of a life as a lot of you! I wasn't ever hit by a car, but if it would make me a better photographer, maybe I should....

So, here is what I can come up with....
1. Our car broke down on our honneymoon.
2. Our car broke down on the Mackinac Bridge. This is a 5 mile long bridge that connnects the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. When our car broke down, it was pouring down rain. We pushed it off to the side, and someone gave us a ride to land. Then, we contacted the bridge patrol (they worked the bridge) and they were happy to hear from us because they thought they had a jumper when they saw the car sitting there with no one in it.
3. I got into photography because I wanted nice pictures, and I didn't want to pay a photographer to take them. (I didn't realize that I would spend WAY more on the equipment than what it would have cost to pay someone else!)
4. I had to find customers to pay for all my photography equipment that I realized I needed to get the good pictures that I didn't want to pay for! (and a business was born....)
5. My other job is a hairdresser.
6. I hate tax time (can you tell it is tax time right now?)
7. I hate winter, but live in MI
8. I swallowed a steel marble out of my grandma's game when I was a kid. After we "found" it, we gave it back to my grandma. When ever my brother and I played that game at Grandma's house after that, we would fight over who had to have the "rusty" marble. (I usually had to have it, because it was my fault it was rusty.)
9. I crack my knuckles
10. I play the flute in my church band.

Dry cotton makes me nauseous.

Now that I have kids, driving on the freeway makes me crazy.

I spent 4 months in the labor union as part of my field training as a structural engineer - so I actually know how to use most major power tools.

I hate talking on the phone.

I once caught a big mistake in The New York Times and the news desk let me call the pressroom. I got to shout "STOP THE PRESSES!"

This is counter-balanced by the time I captioned -- on page 1 -- President Bill Clinton as being president of the Disney Company instead of the country. (It was a mistake, I SWEAR!) The news desk editor literally slammed the printed paper down on my desk under which I was hiding. I thought it was a gunshot.

And speaking of gunshots, a man pointed a gun at my head when I worked as a summer receptionist at the county prosecutor's office. Gun-man wanted to see the prosecutor and I was the person responsible for buzzing people into the office. I subtley placed my elbow on the intercom button and calmly asked the man to put the gun down. He was unaware that the entire office could hear me say that. Within seconds he was lying on the floor surrounded by police officers with guns pointing at his head.