A Meme

I was reading a blog linked to a friend's blog and found this "meme". For definition of a "meme" click here. The blog where I found this meme is here. This particular meme looks like fun, so I have decided to try it. So here goes....

The rules:

1. Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged write a blog post about their own 8 random things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog you need to tag 8 people and post their names (I challenge my readers to add their answers to my blog and I will tag one person).
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment and tell them they’re tagged, and to read your blog (See 3 above).

The facts:

1. I bit my nails when I was in grade school. My friend Charlotte, who lived across the street and was a year older, bit her nails. I thought she was cool and wanted to be just like her, so I started biting my nails too. I stopped biting my nails when I got braces at age 11. The last time I saw Charlotte (at my wedding), she was still biting her nails.
2. I love to write letters - I had three pen pals when I was in high school. One from Trinidad, one from Finland and one from Australia.
   
3. I HATED typing class in high school. There was a boy in my class who teased me and told me that I would become a secretary. I got very angry and told him that he was wrong. Being able to type has helped me pay the bills for over 20 years. My job? An administrative assistance (politically correct term for secretary).
4. I was born with a cleft palate (a hole in the roof of my mouth). When I was a year old I got a candy cane stuck up there. Yikes! I had plastic surgery to correct it at age two and did not have speech problems or the need for speech lessons.
5. In the sixth grade I was one of the three tallest girls in my class. My class did "The Wizard of Oz" that year. If you tried out for a part and didn't get it, you were cast as a munchkin. I tried out for the part of the good witch and didn't make it. I was taller than Dorothy and the same height as the good and bad witch, yet I was a munchkin. Seems funny now as I look back, felt ridiculous at the time.
6. I was in a musical in high school called "Tin Pan Alley". I said something under my breath one day during rehearsal and someone repeated it. The teacher liked the line and it ended up being my line in the play. I also sang through a tire as one of the numbers.
7. I would love to be able to play the piano like a pro. I took lessons as a kid but didn't keep it up. I love watching and listening to people who can play the piano. They make it look so easy.
8. One of the greatest gifts my parents ever gave me was teaching me to read. In 2nd grade I got a "D" in reading and I remember my parents working with me with flash cards to improve my reading. I have loved reading every since and often times "devour" books in a day if I have the time and opportunity.

I am going to tag Kathryn to respond to this meme. No pressure, but it would be fun if you did.

Maureen