25 Way Random Things

My friend Sarah tagged me with this on Facebook.

1. I wish I was better at making new friends, and keeping in touch with old ones.
2. I learned to drink coffee at a very young age. We're talking grade school here. Daddy (my grandpa) taught me how. It was instant coffee with lots of sugar and powdered milk. I remember pouring it over a plate of steamed rice and scrambled eggs. And liking it!
   
3. I dream of living in the Philippines again.
4. In another life, I think I could have been an architect. In this one, I'd settle for becoming a better writer.
5. The best thing to come out of my grad school stint was meeting V. I still sometimes can't believe he married me.
   
6. As far as I'm concerned, it's never hot enough.
   
7. When I was 6 or so, I swear I saw a vampire. He was standing in the middle of the street, in front of our house. I stared at him from my bedroom window, frozen in fear, for what seemed like forever. Finally, I mustered up the courage to roll myself off the bed. I fell with a thud, waking up my parents who wanted to know what on earth I was doing.
8. I have a brown thumb, which V suggests I parlay into a weed control business.
9. I miss being near my family.
10. I regret not being there when Mommy (my paternal grandma) died.
11. I'm scared of swimming in open water. But I love the beach. I'm deathly afraid of drowning, so I forced myself to learn to scuba dive.
12. I'm really good at making V laugh.
13. Ever since I can remember, I've always thought about adopting a kid. Or two.
14. I had a hard time learning the multiplication table. I used to cheat on tests by counting the windows of my classroom. To this day, I can't recite tables 7 and 8. That's why I got a calculator watch this Christmas.
15. I dream of being my own boss.
16. So far, I've lived in 17 different houses/apartments, in 14 different towns/cities. I'm used to moving around but look forward to planting roots one day. I could be happy and fulfilled in one place, as Tracey would say.
17. I used to be sporty and outdoorsy. The smell of freshly cut grass still takes me back to those countless afternoons on the football (soccer for the Americans) field. And the sight of my hiking boots makes me yearn for the time when I climbed mountains for the view, and the good company.
    
18. In Los Banos, my adoptive hometown, I was happiest walking among the trees.
    
19. People buying cases of bottled water at Costco annoy me. Unless you're catering a party, or going on a long road trip, or living out in the woods for months on end, there is no need for individual serving-sized bottles of water in the house. Ever heard of a pitcher and glasses? A Nalgene bottle and a Brita filter? Folks, let's all try a little harder for the environment, shall we?
20. I would always want to travel more.
21. If I ever win the lottery, I'd pay off all my friends' student loans.
22. I was only ever as cool as the friends I surrounded myself with. Left to my own devices, I read gossip magazines, shop at the Gap and listen to Top 20 music.
23. I was once described by a medical professional as a "mole producer." As in, I have lots of moles all over my body. Her terminology suggests that I will constantly make new ones. So does that mean that one day, I'll be totally spotted?
24. I will tell anyone who asks that I went to the gym today. Even though I didn't.
    
25. The only thing I miss about being young is being fearless.