Monday, December 1, 2008

Tagged a Third Time!

Yes - it is true... I have been tagged for a third time by my cyber buddy, Mark Adams. You should really check out his work - he has some fantastic paintings of pets - dogs and cats, as well as the other fine work he is known for... like seafood.

Back to the tagging game. This is supposed to be a fun way to get to know more about we artists who blog. So... here are the guidelines for playing:

1.  Put a link in your posting to the artist who tagged you.
2.  List 7 unusual things about yourself.
3.  Tag 7 other bloggers at the end of your post, and comment on their blogs to let them know they have been tagged.

Okay - deep breath. Deep sigh. And here we go with 7 more things about me: 

1.  I am an introvert. I am such an introvert that I would be happy to stay home and not "work"; I would be very content painting, taking photos, cooking, walking my dogs... you get the picture! My Myers' Briggs profile is INTJ... and every other personality test I have taken shows I am highly introverted. The thing is, it really surprises people to hear that, as I have become adept at meeting and being with people. But it still drains me, and I definitely NEED my alone time or I am one grumpy bear.

2.  I was kidnapped in Costa Rica. Well, maybe not exactly kidnapped - but it could have been! It felt like it was going to be... we were headed to the coast for a week at the beach, when we came to a roadblock. The workers for an electrical company were having protestations against the government, and they had set up roadblocks throughout the country at various times and on various days. Our road to the coast was blocked by one such blockade - tree trunks across the road - trucks parked to block both lanes, and people who meant business. We waited for quite some time, when along came a truck with guys in the back, calling out to follow them if you wanted to get around the roadblock. My son-in-law, who is totally bilingual, understood what the men were shouting, and quickly turned the car around and took off following the truck, down back roads, through cornfields, across ditches... the dust was so bad we lost sight of the truck until we came around a corner. There the truck was, with the men in the back, rifles slung over their shoulders, and the driver standing beside the truck smoking. RIFLES???? Where did they come from???? I must have been a bit hysterical because my daughter was telling me to "be quiet". Hmmm - she must have heard that from somewhere at one time in her life. They stopped us - to tell us that if we just continued on the nearby road, it would lead us to the highway again, beyond the roadblock. Whew! When you are in a third world country where kidnapping is not uncommon, it feels really scary to see men with rifles, and no one near by who could help you.

3.  I actually like my in-laws! For the last 2 years, we have met my husband's 3 sisters and their spouses in the summer for a 5 day vacation. The 1st day we all fly from our homes in 4 provinces to the chosen destination, meeting at the airport, rent a van, stay in the same place, and then go exploring for 3 days. The 5th day is a half day of being together, and then we return the van, and fly back to our respective homes. The first year we flew to Quebec City, and this past summer it was Victoria BC. We are thinking maybe Newfoundland next year, but it's not fully decided yet.

4.  I really dislike shopping. Even when I know what I am going for, and where to get it, shopping is usually my least favorite thing to do. 

5.  I am on Facebook under a code name, which was supposed to maintain my anonymity. It didn't work.

6.  I am a brain tumor survivor. In September, I had surgery to remove a large pituitary gland tumor which was causing me to go blind. I had my eyesight tested just a couple of weeks ago, and it has returned to normal, which is really good news.

7.  I have an extremely rare "geopathic" profile, according to a homeopathic doctor I saw several times before my surgery. It is so high that she asked me if I had ever been electrocuted. Perhaps that is why I have trouble operating many machines, and why my son (and my dad) can't wear watches... they simply stop working in very short order.  Of course the trouble operating machines could be that I am technically challenged when it comes to photocopying!

There! Made it through another season of being "it" in the tagging game. Since most everyone I know is already tagged, I am instead going to give you some great sites to visit, even though I am not going to tag the artists. Happy blogging!













6 comments:

Jean Victory said...

Hi Joanne,
I was just reading your interesting factoids and realized we have some things in common. I'm a major introvert and I hate shopping with a vengence also, lol!

Anonymous said...

Aw, come on, Mom. It wasn't THAT bad in Costa Rica. You left out the tire burning, by the way. And, hey, look at the great story that you have now for your blog! Once we drove through the river and into the peninsula it was cool, right? Best vacation of MY life, I tell you! Love you, Mommy.

Cynthia said...

That was fun to read! You may be an introvert, but you're also one very cool chicky-poo!

Unknown said...

Hey Jean - I KNEW there was a reason we became good cyber friends so quickly! :-) Don't forget - we also love to paint!!! lol

Unknown said...

Yup - it was the best vacation of my life too! I loved every experience - even the wild ride chasing after these rough characters! We laugh about it now - but you have to admit, the adrenaline was pumping at the time! The peninsula was fantastic - and the casita, beach, surf - all absolutely wonderful! Wish we could go back sometime in the near future.

Unknown said...

Hey Liam's mommy - you are one very cool friend! Glad you enjoyed reading about my "near death" experience! I should tell you about the roosters, turtles and coffee plantations in Costa Rica - perhaps another day over that coffee we keep promising to have! :-) One day soon, girl...