Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Tagged!

Poker Girl has tagged me. I'm supposed to tell seven things that you may or may not know about me. So here goes.

1. I took piano lessons for six years, starting at age 11, and wanted to be a concert pianist. My teacher finally told my mother that I had learned as much as she could teach me, and that I should go on to more advanced lessons. By that time, I had lost a lot of my interest, and just enjoyed playing for my own enjoyment, so I didn't take any further lessons. Now, I couldn't play a note if my life depended on it.

2. I had two dogs, growing up. One got Distemper, as a puppy, and had to be euthanized, and I was allergic to the other one. So much for man's best friend. Then, I got a couple of parakeets and gave one to Tommy, the boy next door. We never could teach either one of them to talk, because they kept hollering at each other through our open windows. That bird never did like me. Come to think of it, I wasn't crazy about her, either.

3. I used to walk in my sleep. I never tried to go outside in my sleep-state, but I would glide right by my mother and daddy without ever knowing they were there. They would just lead me back to bed, and that was that.

4. My Algebra teacher accused me of cheating on a test once. I had a dreadful grade in that class, but, somehow, I understood the material covered for this one test, and I aced the thing. I can't blame her for thinking I cheated, but my feelings were hurt, anyway. I did much better on subsequent tests, but that old witch never did apologize for doubting sweet, honest little me.

5. At the UofA, I had a 7:30 a.m. Political Science class on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. One Saturday, it was raining like crazy and I plodded all the way across campus to class. I crossed the room, to my desk and turned around to sit down, and found myself almost nose to nose with my professor, who had come in after me, and walked in my wet footprints right behind me. He scared the bejeesus out of me, and the class laughed. I thought it was a tacky thing to do at 7:30 a.m. on a Saturday. But, it was funny.

6. When I had Kell, our local hospital was a very small one, and since it was DJ's home town, he knew everyone working there. Back then, they had a box with a light in it that they trained on your bare patootie for a few minutes each day, to dry the stitches, if you had any, and lucky me, I did. They covered the box with a sheet, for privacy, and closed the curtain around the bed. One day, I was lying there, meditating, or something, while my stitches dried, and a little man weilding a dry mop pulled the curtain aside and greeted me as though I were fully clothed. He wanted to say hello to DJ's wife, and as he stood there chatting, he rested his elbow on the sheet-covered box. He droned on and on, with me gurgling out answers, until I couldn't contain myself any longer and started laughing. And, couldn't stop. I laughed until tears poured down my cheeks, and he beat a hasty retreat, no doubt thinking that DJ had married a mad woman.
I never saw that guy again.

7. I love movies and books about disasters, such as the Poseidon Adventure, and books and movies with lots of blood and guts, such as Jaws. The more gore, the better. I don't know where I got this bloodlust, and have often wondered if I would benefit from deep therapy. But then, I wouldn't enjoy the carnage any more.

There you have it. I'm not going to tag anybody, because most of the bloggers I read have already been tagged. My next blog will be a review of the latest book I read. You will not be surprised at how much I enjoyed it, after you read No. 7 above.

17 comments:

unknown said...

Betty,
Patootie? I am still laughing. I have not heard that expression in a long time. It was one my grandmother used to use. I LOVE IT! Skip the deep therapy, they would just find some other reason after they cured you of your love for carnage. I, myself, love fire........and no, I do not keep matches in the house. LOLOL Loved all your answers.....hugsssssss

Anonymous said...

Having children nowadays sure isn't like what it used to be, is it?!!

Cazzie!!! said...

OMG I used to sleep walk too!! Now, I just sleep talk, LOL.

Betty said...

Lorna: I'm just too old for deep therapy. Bring on the carnage.

QofD: I don't know, maybe it's just restless leg syndrome.

gawilli: You got that right. Childbirth used to be fun.

Cazzie: I talk, too. In fact, in college, my roommate heard that if you put the "talker's" hand in tepid water, the speech would clear up and you could understand it. I woke up with my hand in a pan of water, and three of my classmates leaning over me, saying, "Talk, talk, talk."

Newt said...

Patootie, ha ha ha - I love that story. Actually they were all good little tidbits. I have a love bird that likes to talk to the birds outside. They chatter all summer long.

Galla Creek said...

Loved hearing about you. They had the 'light' when I had my two babes. Brought back old memories.

patsy said...

47 years ago i had my first child and they had a gallon can , like food is packed in. they put a light socket in it with a light bulb and that was our light sticth healer. i had my son at scaggs hospital in branson mo.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad that you mentioned the Poseidon Adventure after my cruise :-) and many thanks for the 'Thinking Blogger' award.

Annie said...

Betty, I laughed and sighed and laughed again all through this post today. You are a master storyteller.

katy said...

omg never heard of the 'box with a light' for you 'patootie' ha ha, and i have been known to sleep walk, outside in the snow and calling at the neighbours!!!

CarmenSinCity said...

I love disaster movies too!!!!!! Titanic is one of my all time favorite movies and it still makes me cry. Same with Beaches and the Notebook too.

Other than that though, I like the ones where a disease is going to wipe out a nation or when the aliens invaded and Will Smith had to save earth! good stuff!

Tink said...

I have an odd bloodlust when it comes to movies too! Because I like them, I forget when I'm recommending movies to other people that they may not. It's gotten me in trouble before.

Anonymous said...

Hi Betty,

I loved your hospital story and have one of my own to tell you.I had just gotten back to my room after major surgery and was really groggy. The bedside telephone rang and instinctively I picked it up and said,"Hello". A voice I didn't recognize said," Hello, Nancy, this is Mrs. Paul." Note: (Mr. Paul was an associate of my husband whom I didn't know and he had his wife call to see how I was)

Not having a clue who I was speaking to, and not wanting to be rude ,I said." Hello, Mrs. Paul, I really don't know who you are, but want you to know that I have often eaten your fish sticks." Then I hung up.

Anonymous said...

Oh such fun little random bits!

My mom is a big fan of disaster movies as well. Kinda strange. That combined with Shaun's love of gorey horror flicks makes me avoid most movies altogther!

Betty said...

Newt: The movie "The Birds" is one of my favorites, but it cured me of wanting a bird as a pet.

Sister3 and Patsy: Which do you think is better, a wooden box or a gallon can?

John: Omygosh. I didn't even think about the cruise. I'm glad you were back, too.

Annie: I'm glad I could give you a laugh.

her indoors: It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, "I've seen the light", doesn't it?

Betty said...

carmensincity and Tink: If we lived in the same town, we could go to the movies together. I can't get any of these wussies here to go. Had to see Jurassic Park all by myself.

Nancy: I think your story is funnier than mine. lol

Susan: Your mom and Shaun could join me and Tink and Carmensincity at the movies. We'd probably be the only ones in the theater.

Drunk Drama Queen said...

That was great!! (I'm a sleepwalker too, went to the backyard ONCE- scared the bejeezus out of my mom though)