As noted below, we were tagged by Chicken Spaghetti and Jen Robinson’s Book Page. The Rules (reprinted here for your convenience): Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
So here begins the Stuff About A. Fortis You Never Knew You Wanted to Know (and Maybe Don’t Want to Know After All).
- When I was seven years old, I had three favorite videotapes. My two favorite movies were The Phantom Tollbooth and Disney’s Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and I drove my parents absolutely insane asking them to rent these movies over and over. My third favorite cassette was some kind of Best Music Videos of 1983 that my parents had taped off a program called Video One. I also watched that repeatedly.
- I got to meet Madeleine L’Engle at a book signing when I was in jr. high or high school, and got a signed copy of A Ring of Endless Light. Now, I don’t know where that copy is. I think my mom must have it. This annoys me periodically when I think about it.
- Various things I have wanted to grow up to be include female major league baseball player, ballet dancer, stand-up comic, and commercial artist. Guess which three date from before the age of ten?
- I have a tendency to come up with to-do lists in my head and then set them to a jaunty tune. For instance, if I’m in the shower and think of a few things I have to do when I get out and dressed, in order to remember them better I will repeat them to myself to the tune of some irritatingly memorable ditty like a Christmas carol or folk song. It helps me remember things long enough to do them, but it also sort of drives me nuts in the process. I think I need to buy a shower white board.
- I have trouble saying no to new commitments. I am currently president of a non-profit organization that promotes Welsh language and culture. I am not Welsh myself (that I know of), but I like learning languages and was sort of captivated by Welsh. I took a class or two and then found this yearly language class. Then I got suckered into helping out on the Board, and look where I am now–in severe time deficit. Doh.
- If I’m upset at you, I am much more likely to seethe quietly until I gradually don’t care anymore about whatever it is that upset me than I am to confront you. I don’t like confrontations or arguments, and the most confrontational I am likely to get is if someone is directly aggravating me and won’t quit. Then I might cuss at them and run away.
- I have a pathological dislike of the telephone. I hate making phone calls, and I don’t like answering the phone, either, though the ringing itself stresses me out enough that I’ll usually pick up.
- I used to be a good speller. In 6th grade, I got second place in the Riverside County Spelling Bee (the word I misspelled was “pixilated”), and went on to the state bee in Santa Rosa. By then I had stopped caring and was all jaded about it so I don’t remember how I placed (nowhere significant, I’m sure). Now, my spelling skills have deteriorrrated signeficently.
So I guess we’re supposed to tag 8 people. These aren’t necessarily kidlit bloggers, since I’m pretty sure you’ve all been tagged already!
You Wanna Know What I Ate Today?
Dancing the Polka With Miss El Cajon
You rock for coming up with eight new people (I forgot they didn’t have to be kidlit people.) I’d also like to tag newbie Mary Danielson from A Merry Romance.
Cool! Yay! I just picked ten people I know like to write and/or blog…
Eight people. Sorry. I can’t count. There’s bonus fact #9.
I also laugh that I share the ‘weeping angrily’ gene (which is SO not helpful – my mother does this one, too, which she also hates. She gets mad in a board meeting and has to leave the room. SO not cool.) and the phone phobia (which makes the agent/editor conversations SO much less appealing).
I hate the telephone, too. Which isn’t so great when I’m supposed forcing myself to make sales calls. I’m much more comfortable in email or in person. And your first item reminded me of one I should have mentioned on my own list: my favorite movie of all time is Escape to Witch Mountain (1970’s version, of course).
At least I know that if you’re angry with me, you’re very unlikely to call me on the phone to chew me out.
Sarah! Where are you from? I grew up in Riverside County…
Thanks for sharing the fun!
Madeleine L’Engle and major league baseball? What fun!
I think 6 and 7 must be related some way, and perhaps also connected to an affinity for books, because my boyfriend and I are both the same way.