Sep. 11, 2009 - Friday Show & Tell - Interesting things about me
I thought I would share several interesting facts about myself today. I have posted this a couple of times before, but I have added even more info at the bottom of this thread. (Newest info is in a different color.)
I saw Ronald Reagan in person when he was campaigning in our city.
DD and I went to see Obama when he was campaigning. If you've not read about that experience, here is where I blogged about it.
I saw NBA star Eric Montross play ball when he was in high school. His school and our local high school were playing at the state finals. Of course, his team won. 
Pocahontas is a great-grandma (several generations back, of course!), to my uncle (he is my uncle by marriage, thus Pocahontas is not in my genealogy.
I have a cousin who married a cousin to Elizabeth Smart, whom you may remember as the girl who was kidnapped from her home in Utah a few years ago. (This cousin is a son to the uncle mentioned above.)
Country music star (from several years ago), Sylvia, is from my city and I met her while working as a cashier in Target.
One of my friends has a cousin who does tattoos. He has done several very popular bands, including Metallica. He is one of the top 10 tattoo artists in Europe. Anyway, I met him a couple of years ago.
I went to high school with American Idol David Cook's mother. She graduated with one of my brothers. When I work out at the Y, his uncle is often working out at the same time.
I know a lady who went to high school with David Letterman. After hearing something he did to her in high school, due to her being "well-endowed," I have no respect for him. (Not that I had much respect for him to begin with.) 
Ryan White, who died of AIDS many years ago, used to come in the bank where I worked as a teller. He was a very sweet kid. After Ryan died, I discovered that our birthdays were on the same day (though not the same year).
When I worked at the phone company several years ago, I talked to a couple of the Colts' football players. One of them was Tony Siragusa. I don't remember the name of the other one. I also talked to Chuck Lofton's son. One day I talked to Anne Marie Tiernon, whom I had the pleasure of meeting in person earlier this year when I was Indy. (Only those who live in Indiana will recognize those last two names.) 
I have kept in touch with my third grade teacher all these years. In fact, she even came to my wedding. When hubby and I took our first vacation (after the honeymoon), we went to visit her in Kentucky.
The devotions I write are being translated into Polish (I am half Polish), Hindi, and Indonesian languages.
The first time I submitted something to try and get a professional writing assignment, I got the job! It's not much money, but I am thankful for it.
My best friend from my childhood gave birth to her firstborn just 35 minutes after I gave birth to my firstborn. One of my online friends in England was giving birth by c-section to her daughter at the exact time I was having my own c-section. They were both emergency c-sections. The lives' of all four of us (moms and babies) were in danger. I also share the same wedding anniversary with my English friend. 
I met our current governor on two different occasions. One was local, the other was at Homeschool Day at the State Capital. When he was here locally, I also met the attorney general for our state. DD had her picture taken with all three of the local news anchors.
I know two people who are on the heart transplant list and I know one person who is on the kidney transplant list. (Update: I now know one person on the heart transplant list. My bff got her heart just before Christmas '08).
When I worked at the hospital while pregnant with my daughter, my boss was a man who used to be a priest. He married a woman who used to be a nun.
We know a hs family who lives in the house where dh's maternal grandma grew up. We also know a hs family who lives in a house where dh's paternal grandparents lived many years ago. Isn't that an odd coincidence?
Feel free to post your own interesting tidbits in the comments section.
When 9-11 took place, we saw Air Force One fly over our home. We knew it AF1 because no other flights were allowed in the sky at that time.
My dad's mom met Bobby Vinton's mother just shortly after his single, "Roses are Red" was released.
BreakSk8, who made the top 40 on America's Got Talent this year, is from my city. My dd clogs with a young lady who is personal friends with one of the members of BreakSk8.
Before I met dh, I was good friends with a guy who was in the Air Force. He eventually had the opportunity to meet former Pres. George W. Bush. You can see a picture of him with the President here. It is the bottom row, to the far right.
We have a squirrel who is so tame she will climb my leg to get a peanut. She will even let us pet her. It is funny to watch the expressions of people who happen to be driving by at that time.
This last one will likely shock many of you. I knew four people who have been murdered. Three of the murders were never solved. One was ruled an accidental murder, but rumors are contrary to that. While I wasn't close to any of these people, I did know them and converse with them on several occasions. One was friends with some former friends of mine. He was often there when I was visiting. Another is a guy I knew from high school. He was on the cross country team with my brother. The third was a female customer of mine at the bank when I worked there. The last one owned a business where I often took my car to have work done.
Country signer Dusty Dawn is from my town.
Many years ago, my Mormon cousins had a chance to host the Osmond family in their home. They were unable to do it due to a prior commitment. (If my memory serves me correctly, I think that was the same weekend that my grandparents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.)
My paternal grandma lived next door to a man who was distantly related to basketball legend Larry Bird. We could see the family resemblance in their chins. 
The same grandma mentioned above also knew Perry Como.
My paternal great-grandpa worked for a railroad company. One day, he decided to duck down and walk under a train. It started moving, and decapitated him. 
I personally know a gal who was on the Dr. Phil show. She works at our local Walmart, but I knew her when she used to attend my church.
One of my cousins posed for Playb*y magazine many years ago when they came to our city. This is the same cousin who taught me about the "birds and the bees" when I was in third grade. 
I have personally met gospel singer Karen Wheaton.
Do you remember the Columbine shootings? I personally met Rachel Scott's father (Darrell). I also met her grandparents, who live just an hour north of us.
My dh's neice was the flower girl in our wedding. Many years later, she married her own dh on our anniversary.
When I met dh, I was working at a bank. So was my mil. I was also involved in a singing ministry at the time. So was my mil. In fact, we both sang at the wedding! (My song was prerecorded though.) 
Dh has three brothers and no sisters. I also have three brothers and no sisters.
I have two cousins named David. Both by the same father, though they have different mothers.
My brother owns a dragster. Here is a photo of him and his car. In the two years that he has owned the car, their team has never been beat. Just last weekend, they won the World Fuel Altered Nationals in Iowa. My sis-in-law said that win was a HUGE one. When they aren't out racing the car, my brother does engine work for other racers. He is so well-known that people come from several different states just to have him work on their motors.
Author Norman Bridwell, who wrote Clifford the Big Red Dog, was from my city.
Rupert (of "Survivor" fame), is originally from my city. He now lives one hour south of us. I have seen him twic in person. (Once locally and once at the State Fair.)
• 13 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Jan. 9, 2009 - More interesting things
A few weeks back, I posted some interesting tidbits about myself. I happened to think of a few more.
I was struck by lightning several years ago. It really is true that you shouldn't talk on the phone during an electrical storm. I wrote a devotion about that experience. (Tab down toward the bottom of this page to find it.)
I have experienced two earthquakes in my lifetime. One was when dh and I were engaged. The other was just last year.
I flew over the Mississippi River when it was flooded back in 1993. It was amazing to see from that angle -- an unbelievable sight.
I was hit by a car when I was in high school, and I landed on my head. (That explains a lot, doesn't it?) 
. It happened on the busiest street in town, near the park that is uptown (for those of you who are local).
I was a page at the state senate two or three times. One year I had my picture taken with the Lt. Governor. I believe it was Robert D. Orr at that time. Another time, as my dad was driving home, the blizzard of 1978 was starting to hit this area. The ride home from Indy was quite rough, and of all things, my dad had broken ribs. So every time he hit a bump, I heard *&%*(#@! By the next morning, we couldn't get out our back door. We were snowed in for several days, with the snow drifted over six feet high in several places in front of our house.
Here's a funny for you: We were eating brussel sprouts for supper one night. Dh said, "These look like lettuce for Barbie dolls."
