5 Things: About Me

"5 things" is a new feature to the blog--and hopefully to be a regular one--where I will showcase five things I'm doing, watching, reading, perusing on the web, feeling or thinking about something, etc. The motivation for this idea is to encourage regular postings (which is sometimes hard to do!). I even made a nifty picture in Photoshop to accompany a "5 things" post which you can see above. (I know, thankfully I'm a teacher and not a graphic designer!). I will begin this first 5 things as an about me, simple enough, and lucky for you, I'll even include some dorky pictures too! ;-)

5 Things: About Me

1. I'm the baby in my family and the only girl.  My oldest brother is the art director for a large advertising firm, while my other brother runs IT operations for an international travel company. They both make really good money, and they live in nice places in major cities. I, on the other hand, became a teacher and live in Buffalo, NY. Hmm, go figure! ;-) Here's me as a babe with my two older brothers: 

I was obviously super excited about receiving this Barbie. I vividly remember that giraffe shirt which featured a real hanging whistle! Check out my brother's death glare to me on the right: "I will burn your Barbie with my eyes!"

2. I like girly things, like dressing up, wearing make-up and jewelry, and occasionally rocking a plastic tiara on my birthday or a crown of flowers for Dyngus Day. Unbelievably, I can also swear like a sailor, kill spiders without shrieking, load a gun and actually hit my target, and change the tires and oil in my car. Also, as of this past year, I have become a card-bearing member of NRA. (Thanks, dad!)

 

That's the mayor of Buffalo, by the way! :-) Handmade floral crown, of course! And if you're wondering what the heck is Dyngus Day, read more here

3. In high school, I was voted "Most Unique" in my yearbook. My style was a little eclectic--I was pasty white with wild colored hair streaks and bell bottom pants during the time of tans and midriffs! Here's a picture from high school with my blonde streaks and black Chucks:  

4.   I've come to the conclusion that if I don't make something crafty, I may go mad! I love creating things. My favorite crafts include sewing, beading, and hand embroidery, but I'll try any craft once. My crafty influences include my mom, who taught me hand sewing and gave me my first sewing machine, and my two grandmothers. This picture is from Queen Street West in Toronto, one of my favorite places to be.

5. The only thing that may rival my love for crafting is my love for teaching. I currently teach English full-time at a community college in Buffalo. It's not an easy job, but it is incredibly rewarding. I've been teaching at the college-level for seven years now, and love it just as much as when I started! Here's me on a day off enjoying the sights at Niagara Falls State Park:

Well, there you go--now you know 5 more things about me. Hopefully it wasn't that bad after all! ;-)