25 Things

For those of you without facebook... This is 25 random things about myself... Most of it you'll probably know, but its fun anyway...

1. I can't whistle. Nope, not at all. Its kinda sad. Once my sophomore year of high school, I whisted for 15 seconds and it is one of the great accomplishments of my life.

2. I grew up in a candy factory - like Willy Wonka style. My family owns a business called Sweet Taste of Texas in Houston... I used to sleep under the tables, and my grandfather would hide jelly beans all over the place for me to find.

3. My name is actually Kassandra Naron (no middle name). This has been a source of pain for me for many years, for many reasons. a) Kassandra (and Kassie for that matter) means "goddess of doom", "prophetess of doom", or (my new favorite) "she who entangles men." My mother thought it meant "light". b) I have no middle name. Why you may ask? Because my mother was going through a "practical stage" and decided that "when she gets married, she can use her maiden name as her middle name!" - I think that's a lot of pressure on a little kid to get married. and c) Every year in school, I have had to spend weeks correcting teachers and professors that I do not go by Kassandra, I go by Kassie. Why would you ever name your child something that you're never going to call them?!

4. One of my pet peeves is when people spell "ridiculous", "rEdiciulous"... I'm sorry but you can't RE - diculous something.

5. I love to read. A lot. Anything that you give me. I've been through a lot of different phases: sci-fi, fantasy, philosophy, classics, history. I made a goal a few years ago that I would read 10 new books a year; but usually I read around 20. (I also have a spreadsheet with every book I've ever read, the date I finished it, and what I thought about it... yes, I love excel.)

6. I hate horror movies. Some have suggested that this is a "phobia", but I completely disagree. I don't like being scared - my imagination is overactive as it is. I walked out of the play "Dracula" my freshman year of high school. I change the channel when scary movie trailers come on. I don't like them, and I dont' plan on changing.

7. I want to adopt a child. This has been something that's very important to me for a long time (I've even done a lot of research on it.) I don't think its fair to have a ton of kids when there are so many children in the world without homes and familes and opportunties.

8. I LOVE talking in front of large crowds. I think this appeals to my need to be the center of attention. Which is why I love giving tours - they even PAY to listen to me!!!

9. I am extraordinarily loud. You wouldn't think so (most people don't). I think they get thrown off by the little, blonde girl thing - but I can be heard over Parisian traffic and crazy bums. My 4th grade teacher once said, "How can such a big noise come out of such a small mouth?"

10. I am an only child. With a brother. He's 12 and if we didn't look kinda similar, you'd think that we were from different.... planets. Think of someone who is completely different from me in every way (shy, hates school, etc.) and you have my brother.

12. I am better in math than I am in english - but yet I majored in Liberal Arts. What was I thinking? If I could do it all over again, I would major in finance.

13. When I was little, my favorite toy was a set of colored beads. I liked the sort them. But I PERSONALLY didn't sort them... I would tell my mom (or grandmother) to put the red ones there, and the yellow ones there, and the blue ones... I also had these cat stickers that I had copied a bunch of times in the copy machine. I made them bigger and smaller, and smallest and then I cut them all out. Each one had a name and a very intricate story line. Refer to #6 - I have an overactive imagination.

14. I also had imaginary friends. It was a bunny named Thumper. And Sharky, the shark. They would play with me.

15. I love to travel. The end.

16. I generally don't like sports. I go to sporting events for the social aspect, but I actually have no idea what's going on. Oh... and I think rivialries where people are mean to each other and deface the other teams property, and start fights etc... I think those are stupid and I refuse to participate. I may make snide remarks, but ultimately, I respect UT (sorry to all those other super Ags out there).

16b. I reserve the right to change my mind. About anything.

17. I'm a little bit of a closet emo. I went through a phase where I dyed my hair black and wore black nail polish. (Then I tried to bleach my hair blonde again and that was a fiasco in which I looked very similar to a golden retriever for about 2 weeks.)

18. I once really got a pony for Christmas. Actually, it was a Quarter Horse, and there were 2 of them. Mine was named Kathryn Freckles (Kat for short). Unfortunately when I got in to high school, I didn't really have time for them anymore.

19. I have been known to dance to the music in my head.

20. If I could live off of any food it would be bread and cheese. I don't really need anything else to be happy. (Which is why France is my version of heaven...)

21. I crochet. Like an old woman. I have also recently taught myself to needlepoint.

22. I can't wear earbuds. Why? Because my ears are too small.

23. My biggest fear is that I'll let the people down that I care about.

24. I have a compulsive need to buy groceries in pairs. 2 loaves of bread. 2 jugs of milk. 2 boxes of cereal. Its a problem.

25. To quote Gertrude Stein, "America is my country, and Paris is my hometown." I wish I had a better explanation for my feelings about this city - but you have to be there to understand it. It will truly change your life.