“Her dreams linger in the space between beginning and end.”
~Unknown
The lovely, insightful, super-talented Megan was kind enough to share the Very Inspiring Blogger Award with me. Thanks, chica — you’re the one who’s so inspiring! As per the instructions, I’m sharing seven facts about myself and tagging … well, instead of the requisite fifteen bloggers, I’ll just send this along to anyone who wants to participate. Each and every one of you is a starburst of inspiration for me!
1. I never used to have springtime allergies, but apparently that’s changed in recent years. The entire area (and, judging from the forecast prediction maps, a good portion of the country) is blanketed in a powdery yellow film, and my sinuses are not happy. Go away, pollen, so I can be outside for more than five minutes without getting a pulsing headache and dry, itchy eyes.
2. No exaggeration, I’m the lightest sleeper ever. I was awake for nearly three hours last night (this morning?) because of the incessantly chirping birds. Eventually I gave up on blocking them out and dove back into Sarah Pekkanen’s THE BEST OF US instead. Nothing like a great book to shut out the noise.
3. I didn’t get my driver’s license until a few weeks before my eighteenth birthday – and even then, it was only because I needed it to commute to college. My mom and I were in a pretty bad car accident when I was fifteen (we were stopped for a red light when a car came flying over the hill at 65mph, slammed into us and sent us into a traffic light pole, and then drove off half on the sidewalk), and it totally turned me off to driving. I’ve long since gotten over that, but to this day, I’m still one of the most cautious drivers you’ll ever meet.
4. One of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had was working at the 6ABC Thanksgiving Day parade. I got to escort the Disney World float and then watch the rest of the parade from the press area. It was completely surreal to be part of the celebration I’d watched on television every year since childhood, and as an added (awesome!) bonus, I also had the chance to meet Kelly Monaco, who was a special co-host that year.
5. When I was little, I wanted to be a veterinarian or meteorologist. My passions obviously changed over time, but I’m still fascinated by the weather and would love to take a course in meteorology someday.
6. The written component of my college senior thesis had to be twenty – thirty pages. Mine was fifty-nine. At least I’m consistent with my tendency to write a lot?
7. I used to want a Southern accent. Now I live vicariously through my characters who are Southern, dropping in a “y’all” and a “bless your heart” into the pages of my manuscripts. And yes, I may occasionally use those phrases in real life, too. Gets me some interesting looks up here in Pennsylvania. Ha.
Your turn — share a random fact about yourself!
Shari Speaks 
How funny is that? I was about that age when I got my license having minmal interest in getting it sooner, so it always tickles me 2 read about YA characters driving @ 15-16 yrs of age or see it in film. Sorry to hear about your allergies. And yes, those birds can start @ 4a over here on the island. My lil girl wants to be vet too! Let’s see, random fact about myself…I used to be a serious gamer before the video games got all 3D on me. And I’m talking 1st video games ever, compliments of Commodore 64 & Atari ;)
I can’t even imagine driving at fifteen … it just seems so young for such responsibility, you know?
How fun! Do you still have the games as a keepsake? :)
lol, oddly, no. I held onto my old nintendo–that I had to blow in the games in order for them to work properly–for as long as I could but I horded enough stuff as it was :P
Southern accents are adorable! Fun to read some facts about ya dear. The birds wake me up too. That, and the house being built two doors down. So. Stinking. Loud.
Oh, that must drive you bananas! How early do they start construction?!
Ditto the allergies, although mine are typically limited to eyes/nose and not headaches.
HOLY COW that accident sounds awful!! I hope that driver faced some serious karma.
And hey, I wanted to be a vet as a kid too! Hehehe. Great minds think alike. ;)
Oh yes, definitely agree about great minds! ;-)
Yeah, the accident was really bad. The policeman on scene said we were lucky to walk away from it. My mom had to go to PT for awhile for whiplash and neck pain, and I ended up with some bruises and an achy back, but we were so, so lucky. As for the driver … nope. He was driving someone else’s car (his son’s girlfriend or something like that) and without insurance, but in the end he just ended up having to pay a bit more than a regular ticket. I hope he still learned his lesson though and has since bettered his driving ways.
Karma is a long play, not a short game. I’m not saying I wish him ill, just saying (like you) that I hope he’s learned his lesson.
Southern accents are adorable :) And I feel your pain as far as spring allergies go. I get hay fever all year around. Seriously, don’t put me near freshly mowed grass or flowers! :( I love spring, but I am dreading when it comes back to Australia. Yay for autumn!!!
Oh boy, grass AND flowers? I feel for you. I hope you’re enjoying the relatively allergy-free autumn!
My characters have an accent too. I was writing at a restaurant and stopped at the counter on the way out to order a piece of pecan pie for one of my kids. I asked for “pea – can” pie with a hard accent on both syllables. The cashier (who was missing a front tooth, not that there’s anything wrong with that) laughed at me and said, “Do you mean pecaaan?”
Hmm, I wonder if that’s a regional thing? I pronounce it “pea-can,” too, and so does everyone I know. Maybe we’re all right and the cashier was wrong?! ;-)
Congratulations on your blog award! You know, I had noticed more headaches lately. Wonder if they’re due to allergy season? I never made the connection before. And I know what you mean about chirping birds keeping you awake. I have the same problem. I always feel so petty, being annoyed by chirping birds. I mean, they’re spring! And happiness! And all that is lovely! But they still keep me awake and remind me that there’s not much time left to sleep, so I’d better get to it, only I can’t because, well, you know… :-)
Yes! Finally someone who understands! Everyone’s always like “but the birds are so peppy … and cheerful … and innocent!” My response? Yes, that’s true, and I have nothing against them … other than when they don’t shut up for two hours straight, beginning at 4:00AM! Agh!
Exactly! Oh, and I have to tell you…this morning I woke up around five, and there were the birds, chirping away. And you know what? I thought of YOU and this blog entry and was glad someone understood my pain! Thank goodness I managed to fall asleep again. :-D
We must be kindred spirits! ;-)
See, but I’d be okay with it if I could actually fall back to sleep. Once they start, I’m awake right along with them unless I blast music on my ipod (instrumental music, though, because anything with words would just energize me) to drown them out. I have listened to Pachelbel Canon more times than I can count since March!