this is me…
so I’ve come up with a title finally for this blog… simply, “This is Kris”. Stay tuned for logo with all the “is”s lined up on the right. 
in honour of finally making up my mind, I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon my friends have been on this week with all the “25 Random Things” “16 random things, facts, habits, or goals about me” and “Let’s Play 20 Questions” notes and journal posts and blog entries.
Instead of picking one of those (how to choose?) or doing them all (I must leave some mystery to my wacky personality!), I’m going to just post a new meme with a different theme – things you may *not* already know about me.
If you don’t already know the basics, I refer you to the About Kris page of this blog, or my bio on the YM Staff page or my new bio up on BlinkieMommies.com.
New meme: 18 & 1/2 Things About Me You Didn’t Know
Rules: No peeking at the last fact (the “and a half”) until you get there! When you write your own facts, they should be things your friends probably may not already know about you.
1. I was a child model until I was about 8 years old. I modeled for Sears and the Bay and did shows at the Rideau Centre and St. Laurent. I was in ad shoots in the paper and did a shoot with PM Brian Mulrooney during the ‘88 Olympics.
2. I get waaay too into movies, they affect me very strongly. If a move is really good, it has the power to totally take me away with it, becoming hopeful or sad. I totally can’t watch horror movies! and don’t like to watch sad movies that make me cry (I still can’t bear even thinking of some scenes in “Titanic”).
3. I say I’m a horrible cook but actually I’m not that bad (I make a mean Shepherd’s pie that the whole family loves from the moment they come in the door smelling it until it’s all gobbled up fast). Given a recipe, I can put things together pretty well.
4. I’m really lazy with music. I love it, but it has to find me. I rely far too much on the radio, even though there is probably music out there that better suits me. I have an MP3 player but am too much of a technophobe to get into using it.
5. I’m a dessert freak with a huge sweet tooth. I’m a product of the “you get a treat as a reward for eating your dinner” generation and it’s stuck with me. Even if it’s a handful of marshmallows or chocolate chips, I feel like I always have to have that treat.
6. I have interstitial cystitis, which was found in my teens via microscopy. People with IC have tears in the bladder lining which causes pain and other difficulties. I am mostly able to manage it with diet, but it means I can’t have artificial sweeteners. I blame all the 12-hour drives between Ottawa and Moncton with only one or two bathroom stops.
7. In addition to signing (I think most people already know I’m a pretty good singer), I can play a few instruments. I started playing the violin at age 6, I play the guitar a little, I can play the clarinet (and bass clarinet), and I’ve got very basic piano and trumpet skills. I’ve always wanted to play the cello but never have. I have a CD that has a few songs on it of me singing and playing bass guitar with a band (”Nifty”) that was formed just for that brief musical project.
8. I played with dolls until I was 12! I think I was born to be a mommy, thinking back to how I toted baby dolls around and had motherly, nurturing urges towards younger children. I loved playing with Barbies, ew.
9. Anytime I’m successful, I totally doubt myself. I have this tape playing in my mind that tells me I’m faking it, that I somehow tricked people into thinking I’m smart where I’m really not. That I don’t really look as pretty as I think I might.
10. I’ve been a writer pretty much since I could write! I’ve been keeping diaries since I was 10 and started my first novel (”Pine Valley”) around then too. I’ve started over a hundred novels but only ever finished the first one!
11. I can’t decide if I have high or low self-esteem. I think I’m really cute and funny, an interesting person, and a good friend, but I’m very sensitive to criticism and negative feedback.
12. I love watching design shows. I think it’s going to be so fun to decorate our new house after years of picking up little home decor tips and tricks.
13. I only had my first kiss at age 14. I got tired of waiting (and was about to start high school) so I went out biking with one of my male friends and “practiced” with him. Meanwhile, about 4 years later I was pregnant, quite the jump!
14. One of my worst habits has been biting my nails, which extends to skin-picking and not being able to leave mosquito bites alone. Now that I’ve been diagnosed with OCD, I see it as being very much related.
15. In university, I had short hair of varying lengths – starting out spiky, then going to buzz cut, and then shaving my head completely bald. At the end of university, I started growing it out and did a lot of clips and hairbands and bandanas.
16. I had a surprisingly mature awareness of sexuality as a young child, which has sometimes made me suspect possible sexual abuse in my pre-school years.
17. A surprising percent of my partners have been queer… obviously all the women were, but even a few of my boyfriends turned out to be at least bi (or people wondered if they were because of their somewhat feminine traits).
18. I’ve traveled overseas, including a trip to Europe (France and England) and over to Nepal with a brief stop in the United Arab Emirates. I’ve been to Florida and the Bahamas and look forward to traveling more (maybe when Paul and I become early “empty nesters”).
&1/2. One of these 18 and a half facts is not true (or not completely true). Guess which one.
ETA: 
January 30 2009 01:41 pm | EZ-blog Oven and OCD and family and friends and hill to haven and love & marriage
