10 things: let's journal like it's 1999

Wow, it's March already, somehow. I mean, really, how did that happen? I have another race in 10 days (woo hoo!) & I have 3.5 more months of being 29 and damn, it's raining outside. In like a lion, out like a lamb, right? While I'm prepping my February wrap-up & March Goals posts, I thought I'd entertain some of the "10 things" and "10 questions" posts I've been seeing floating around the blogosphere. I'm not going to tag anyone, because this blog isn't a social mecca (you may have noticed), but of course, if there's one thing I love, it's a good 90s nostalgia trip...and these things give me 90s nostalgia.

Here are the rules:

• Post a photo of myself
• Tell you 10 random things about me
• Answer some questions that Mandy asked (I picked hers kind of at random, as I've seen so many versions floating around, I had to just make a choice).

So, as they say, let's do this (?) (!)

Me on Muni after a night of photography

1. I truly do not understand how many females have the dedication & consistent commitment to do their nails regularly and put on makeup every day. I have never had this kind of ability. Oh, I've tried; but I've never lasted longer than a month with either task. Lasting a month actually is a huge accomplishment for me! In these ways I really suck at being a girl.
2. I have never in my life (nearly 30 years) had a manicure or a pedicure. As far as I know, my cuticles have never been touched by another human.
3.  I often feel extremely isolated from the rest of society. This is not something I have a problem with most of the time, because I really like myself; but I truly feel like the "odd one out."
4. In spite of my loud motor mouth, I am a natural introvert & require a lot of alone time. I would much rather hang out with myself or with Scott than with a group of people 99% of the time. I am very capable of acting extroverted, but it's very draining, and I need a lot of time to recharge afterward.
5. I have now lived in San Francisco longer than I've lived anywhere in my entire life (11+ years). I've also lived in my current house for longer than I've lived in a single dwelling, ever (7 years).
6. Now that I'm about to turn 30, the fact that my best friends & family live hundreds of miles away from me is really starting to wear on me emotionally. I very much wish for a future where I live close to my family & best friends. This is something I would have laughed at a lot at 20. 
7. I am what they call an "idea person," and true to form, I am not as good at making my ideas happen as I am at thinking them up. If I could just make money off of my ideas, I'd probably be a rich woman, but most of my ideas are really quirky / eccentric / sarcastic / not very PC.
8. I do believe that everything ultimately happens for a reason. That doesn't mean that all of the terrible things that happen in life are positive; my father's death 9 years ago was the worst thing that has ever happened to me and has left a bleeding wound in my soul that will never heal, but that doesn't change the fact that several of the best things that have ever happened to me resulted directly from the fallout from his death and its effect on my life. I can't deny that, and I've never been able to deny that. It's very powerful and I am grateful for those silver linings, if they can be called that.
9. I believe in fairness in all things. I am very upset by perceived unjustness & go to great lengths to balance out situations or the energy of the universe. I think I believe in things that many other people don't just because There is a give & take of energy in all interactions. Anything is possible in life, & between people, from my perspective...as long as you treat the situation fairly. 
10. I have always believed in soul mates, and I always hoped to marry young. I met my soul mate when I was 19, we got together when I was 21 and I was married at 24. ♥

Mandy's Questions:

1. Have you ever met someone famous? Oh yes. As someone who went to a private school in Los Angeles and hung out on TV sets, as well as during the last three years of being a concert photographer, I've met a lot of famous people. I'm not going to get into who, because that's kinda lame (since I consider some of them friends or I am friends with their kids). My cousin is famous. though, and we used to play naked in kiddie pools together in the 80s (as kids, duh).
2. What is your happiest childhood memory? General memories of my idyllic Oregon childhood have been bubbling up a lot lately (you know, turning 30 and all). Late summer nights playing outside with my friends in the twilight, building a tree fort on an island in the middle of a creek, running through the sprinkler on hot summer days, 4th of July block parties, sledding down the hill in the snow on makeshift sleds ... I miss those days so very much.
3. Favorite album of all time? Arctic Monkeys, Favourite Worst Nightmare
4. Are you a salty or sweet lover? SALTY SALTY SALTY. I have lost my sweet tooth!
5. What is favorite guilty pleasure tv show or movie? I could watch Clueless over & over forever.
6. Describe your favorite sandwich. A black bean burger or teriyaki tofu on a whole wheat bun, with sprouts and avocado (or even guacamole), tomato, onion, pickle ... I love "the works" on my sandwiches.
7. What was your first pet? When my mom was pregnant with me, she took a test and it came up falsely negative. To make up for her "not being pregnant," she & my dad adopted a cat named Lloyd. As it turns out, my mom was pregnant anyway, so as my dad liked to say, then he got stuck with a kid and a cat! Lloyd was part Maine Coon & lived until I was 15 years old.
8. What is your biggest accomplishment thus far in life? I've accomplished so much in my 20s that I'm extremely proud of: graduating with honors from UC Berkeley after achieving the goals I wanted to achieve there (dean's honor list & Phi Beta Kappa membership) ... but becoming a professional photographer over the last 12 years of my life & finally believing in myself? That's so priceless. I have to pick that, because I've worked so hard and sacrificed so much for this dream.
9. What is the first blog you started reading? I'm going to pretend that we are talking about "blogger" blogs, as before Blogger started in 1999 this word was not commonly used. I think it probably was the blog of Jack Saturn (saturn.org), a then-Blogger employee whose online journal I'd started reading around that time. Jack is awesome. We are still friends!
10. If you had to choose one dessert for the rest of your life, what would it be? Oh, this is an easy one: Fabe's All Natural Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies, aka Vegan Crack. OMG. SO GOOD. And for the record, I started eating these many years ago. They're addictive for even hardcore omnivores, so don't scare yourself thinking they're just for vegans.  ☆