2) This is bad beginning/good ending. I met my husband while he was married to someone else (I didn’t know it until much too late). He was in the middle of divorce proceedings when I got pregnant. We made it through some pretty harrowing times, got married, and are now ridiculously happy 14 years later, and with a beautiful daughter.

3) I always question my spelling of “weird.” The whole “I before E” rule doesn’t apply to this one, and whether I put the I or the E first, I always think I’ve spelled it wrong. And I’ve always been a phenomenal speller. I can’t figure it out.

4) “The Outliers” by Malcom Gladwell.

2.) I met one of my ex’s while she was a heroin junkie. You can imagine for yourself how that ended.

3.) Gray vs. Grey…the whole debate is gray…or is it grey? Argh!

4.) Right now I’m rereading ‘Red Dragon’ by Thomas Harris. Starts slow, gets better as it goes on. But I would *highly* recommend a somewhat rare book by Hunter S. Thompson entitled “The Curse of Lono”. An avatistical look at Hawaiian culture through the eyes of the good Doctor.

1. There are no children in what I consider my ‘family’ (brother/sis-in-law and her brother and sister and sister’s husband. Get that?) – I’m the youngest at 35.

Before I moved to NZ, the tradition was to all get together on Christmas Eve and go out to dinner. Then we were all required to stay in the same house (whomever was hosting that year). We put out our ’stockings’ (random small gift bags) which ‘Santa’ would fill with random stuff overnight (used to be my sis-in-law and her sister, but after a few years we all started getting up at different times and putting stuff in the bags).

On Christmas morning, we’d get up and open the ’stockings’ then have breakfast, then open all the other gifts – one by one. Oh, and the women are forced to wear Christmas pins and matching PJ bottoms (forced because it wasn’t my idea).

Then we play a game of croquet or some other competitive game.

We’d all shower, prepare and eat Christmas dinner. We aren’t religious, so instead of saying grace, we’d tell jokes around the table.

2. Almost all my “how we met” stories were good, but all the ‘how we ended’ stories were horrific (but now entertaining).

3. I can’t spell embarrassed (embarassed?) either. The whole lay/lie thing confuses me as well – I just use ‘lie’ for everything. Also..vaccuum? Vacuum? Vaccum?

When I lived in Pittsburgh, I would hear people say “I’ll ride you home” instead of “I’ll give you a ride home”. Drove me crazy!

4. Just finished “Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac” by Gabrielle Zevin. Excellent book and highly recommended! She has an incredible gift for writing.

3. I’m bad at the its, I always get corrected on Word.

4. I’m reading “Ulysses” by James Joyce for a class. It’s(is that right?) the most difficult book I’ve ever read and would have stopped by now if it weren’t for the class. Also I’m supplementing this book with The Mentalfloss History of the World to keep my sanity. I’m almost done with it though so I don’t know what I’m going to do without it. Maybe start over.

Also, during present opening, it’s required to wear all apparel items for the duration of the gifts. This isn’t so much a factor now that we really don’t get/give too many presents any more. Then after presents, my dad makes omelets that have a bizarre secret ingredient like flaked coconut.

3. ie seems to be trouble for me: their, weird, receive.

4. I am reading:
a. Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
b. Autobiography of My Dead Brother by Walter Dean Myers
c. A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again by David Foster Wallace
d. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
e. Troy by Adele Geras
f. Maps and Legends by Michael Chabon

I’d recommend a, c, d and f. The others are kind of meh, but I’m a teen librarian so it’s work related.

2. My dad threw a tomato at my mom’s head while they were both working at the grocery store so she would have to talk to him. Their first date was to a demolition derby where she got pelted with bits of tires. I have no idea how I was born.

3. I always write nesacarially and probally. It wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t use those two words way too often.

4. I just borrowed “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis but I haven’t started it yet

2. I met my ex through a friend. No foreshadowing there.

3. I cannot say the word specific it always comes out “pacific” unless I really think about it.