25 Things You Didn't Know About Me

A la Myspace or US Magazine, here are 25 things you didn't know about me!  (Or you actually probably did since I don't know how to keep anything to myself.)

1.  I LOVE live music.  In 2000, I met the band Sunburn, which had just moved to the Bay Area from Hawaii.  So began my love affair with the live music scene.  The electricity created by a crowd waiting for a  band to come on stage is indescribable. 

2.  I also love horseback riding.  I miss my horse, Tank (I had to give him up due to money and time constraints -- thanks, Sam!!!!!).  Riding on the ocean beach is like heaven to me.

3.  The big toenail on my left foot is acrylic, thanks to the aforementioned 2,000 pound Percheron horse.

4.  In 2008, with the help of my friend, John, I climbed to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite.  It was one of the most amazing (and painful) experiences of my life.  I attempted it again in 2009, and didn't make it to the top that time.

5.  I was on a reality show with my sister once.  It was called Born Country - Karaoke Moms on CMT.  It was an interesting experience and soured me on "reality" TV for good. 

6.  I used to weigh 350 pounds.  I had gastric bypass in 2004 and initially lost over 165 pounds (from 347 pounds to 179 pounds).  I am currently, uh, somewhere in between those weights. 

7.  I am six feet tall -- pretty tall for a girl.  :-)

8.  I have worked in the legal field since I was 18 years old -- so I'm almost 18 years in.  I have worked this field for half of my life.  I have worked with my current boss for 9 years. 

9.  My nose runs when I eat (byproduct of the gastric bypass surgery). 

10.  Pole dancing has changed my life on so many levels -- both physically and mentally.  I owe many things, including this blog, to my love affair with Twirly Girls and pole dancing.  

11.  I had three rounds of plastic surgery, consisting of seven or eight procedures, in 2006. Painful as shit. 

12.  I still have my tonsils.  I don't know why that's important.  Coming up with 25 things is harder than I thought. 

13.  I broke my collarbone when I was around 12 years old.  I was snow skiing in Lake Tahoe with family, crossed my skis, flipped over and landed on my shoulder.

14.  When I was three years old, I was collecting ladybugs in my neighbor's backyard.  They had family visiting with their dog -- an Airedale.  When I tried to leave, the dog grabbed me by the head and took off with me.  Although he was trying to shake me to death, I only ended up with ten stitches in my head.  But that probably scrambled my brains for life. 

15.  I rode in a helicopter one time.  I got to ride around the Golden Gate Bridge.  It was really awesome.

16.  My amazing nephew, Dillon, has leukodystrophy.  Essentially, it means that, even at almost 7 years old, he's still practically an infant.  My sister, Kati, works her ass off to take care of him.  He is the sweetest boy you will ever meet.

17.  I hold many jobs other than my legal job.  I now teach at Twirly Girls, and also attempt to handle their social media and some events.  I write for Vertical Art and Fitness Magazine.  I write blogs for places like Social Sonar and The Pole Dancing Shop (among others).  I seed Twitter and Facebook accounts for Social Sonar, and do other social media related tasks for them.  I also house/pet-sit.

18.  My brother has his pilot's license and flies around in a little plane.  I've only gone up with him a few times because I get a little air sick.

19.  I grew up in the Mormon Church.  I haven't been to church since I was 14 or 15 years old.  Although I feel like I gained certain values that I appreciate, I do not otherwise wish to associate with religion in general.

20.  My youngest brother is almost 18 years younger than me (he, in fact, turns 18 this year, which makes me feel old).  My parents split when I was 12.  They each then had another child.  My mom had my sister when I was 16 (I drove them home from the hospital), and my dad (well, I guess my stepmom) had my brother when I was 17 -- two months shy of my 18th birthday.  My little brother, Eric, was barely two weeks old when I graduated high school.

21.  When one of my grandfather's passed away in 2003, there was a ladybug in my car when I left the funeral.  I now always think of my grandpa when I see ladybugs.  I often think of tattooing a ladybug on my neck behind my ear, so my grandpa can whisper good advice to me.

22.  I was named after my mom's best friend in high school.  I had one of the funniest trips to LA around the time of the OJ Simpson murder trial.  My Auntie Lori was obsessed with OJ and we drove by his house to throw fake blood on his driveway.  I had two friends with me and we were in the back seat of an old school Jaguar, laughing like crazy people and driving around a super posh neighborhood planning our attack.

23.  I'm right-handed.  I know, lame, but I'm running out of ideas.

24.  WHEN I win the lottery, I have a whole plan of what I'm doing with the money.

25.  I have a huge crush on Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.  In fact, my friend, Robert, and I are having a dance-off at the Lovely Rita Fundraiser next month to "win" The Rock's heart.  You better watch out, Robert, because I plan to win!!!!