50 Things About Me

Messy Christian posted her 50 things yesterday, and encouraged us to do the same. So here goes (hope I can find 50)!

1. I can smell rain a day before it arrives. Regardless of whether there are actually clouds around or not. Can't stand rain spiders though!
2. My first job was as a cheesemaker - I developed a cheese factory from the ground up for a dairy/wine/fruit farm. Unfortunately they closed it after 2 years and retrenched me as a cost-cutting exercise. But it was fun while it lasted!
3. I'm a vegetarian, but not a vegan. However, I will eat chicken at a braai (barbecue) if necessary, but cannot stand red meat or seafood.
4. I was three months preganant at my 21st birthday party. No-one knew.
5. I'm the oldest child of three and the only girl.
6. I'm really shy, but have managed to cover that up with a veneer of out-goingness pretty successfully - even though inside I may still want to run and hide behind the couch.
7. I started piano lessons in first grade and did them right through school - except for the last year of school. I decided to give voice a try for a year. I play by instinct, by ear, and have a hard time reading music without having first heard it.
8. I used to head-bang to AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" and am a Def Leppard fan. I enjoy the occasional bone-numbing heavy rock, but have to be in the mood.
9. I'm really lazy, but cover it by being exceptionally organized so I can have enough time to laze around.
10. I don't plan on ever getting married. I don't think it's for me at all, and am happy to stay single forever.
11. I've taught myself everything I know about computers, the internet and various programmes. This, apparently, had made me the local office expert...
12. I enjoyed horse riding and jumping as a kid. I got thrown off a horse twice at a gallop - same horse, in the space of 10 minutes!
13. I don't know how to fight verbally with another person. I usually just shut up and leave.
14. I love moonstones. One day I'll own a big one.
15. I often dream of flying - but not just flying, rather running so fast that you eventually take off. Or "swimming" just above the ground - the faster you swim the higher you go.
16. I bake, a lot, when I'm depressed. Or on winter weekend afternoons
17. I'm allergic to long-haired cats, but nothing else.
18. I once cracked my pelvis in an almighty car crash. I was lucky to come out of it alive.
19. My ancestors on my mother's side were seafaring men. One of them lost the battle of Saratoga.
20. I don't have any fillings in my teeth.
21. I speak two languages fluently (English & Afrikaans), but can understand smatterings of Spanish, German and Dutch.
22. My first kiss was when I was 15.
23. I haven't had a date in 8 years. Last one stood me up! :)
24. My dad was one of 6 kids. One died a week before his wedding in a car crash. I only ever see the others at family funerals, even though many live close by.
25. I once disrupted a church service where my dad was preaching by coming down the aisle dressed as a bride, little brother holding the train, singing "here comes the bride". It wasn't recently.... :)
26. I grew up in Zimbabwe (12 years there, including during the war), but was born in East London, South Africa. I've lived in the Cape area of South Africa since 1984.
27. I love thunderstorms. Or any other dramatic natural event.
28. I often wonder what would happen if I drove into the side pillars of an overhead bridge on the highway at speed. I'm unlikely to try it though.
29. I can't dive off a diving board into a pool. If I do, it feels like a brick is hitting my head, although I dive "correctly".
30. I don't drink (alcohol). I used to - a lot, but could never get a hangover or lose track of what I was doing, even though I tried.
31. I wrote prolifically in high school - short stories and poems mostly. Can't remember how to now.
32. When I left school I swore I'd never work behind a desk. Look where I am now...
33. I was raised in the equipment box at my dad's evangelistic campaigns, where I used to sleep once it was unpacked while he preached. It was my job to help take down the flourescent letters he used to illustrate points on black fabric after the meetings (early PowerPoint?). I once disrupted a meeting where he was preaching on something dramatic by getting too close to the mains light switches and throwing them on and off rapidly - I was just a babe-in-arms.
34. I know how to silk-screen - thanks to above evangelistic campaigns needing advertising posters.
35. I won't watch horror/occult-type movies. But a little bit of scare isn't too bad as long as it's not the entire movie.
36. I do better in the kitchen at parties than I do as host.
37. I've never been sporty. I tried for 8 years to do a handstand, but only ever got it right in the swimming pool.
38. In high school I could never picture myself married, but could picture myself as a mother - and look what happened.
39. I never held a baby before my own. I didn't really like kids until he came along.
40. I've always wanted to try archeology and go discovering cool old stuff all over the world.
41. I'm fascinated with ancient Egypt - probably as a result of dad's evangelistic campaigns and his prophecy/Egypt slide-shows!
42. I've still got my first teddybear, old and tatty as it is.
43. I don't like things with more than 4 legs - spiders, lobsters, large insects. Snakes have none, and I love them.
44. I'm a dog person. I have 3 schipperkes, but if I had the space would go empty out the local SPCA and give every dog a super home.
45. I throw up easily. The sight or sound of someone "hawking" in the back of their throat will make me hurl.
46. I've been almost-engaged twice. I'm thankful it never worked out. I still have the ring I designed for one of those.
47. I haven't swum in the sea for at least 10 years, even though it's 10 minutes drive from here.
48. I've never tasted mustard.
49. Since being pregnant the smell of car fumes or a certain men's aftershave make me want to be ill. Before, it wasn't a problem.
50. I have/had a crush on a guy 10 years younger than me. I need to get over it. Fast.