I'm it.

Kat got me - she asked me to list 8 random facts or habits about myself.  Here goes:

1. I used to be oddly superstitious, but I would cherry-pick my superstitions, and would do things like hold my breath while passing cemeteries and in tunnels, lift my feet off the floor of the car when crossing bridges, and throw salt over my left shoulder when I spilled some.  When I went to freshman orientation for high school, I discovered that the high school was across the street from a cemetery (Pigpen is buried there).  I had to give up that superstition right away - seeing as learning to hold my breath for eight hours was out of the question - and the rest of my superstitions sort of fell away with it, except throwing salt.  I still hold my breath in tunnels, actually, but I'm half-assed about it.
   
2. I have mild trichotillomania; with me, it usually manifests in pulling out my eyebrow hair.  Usually, it's pretty much under control.  The past few months I've been pulling more, for some reason, and I fear that I will soon look like Queen Elizabeth I.  The other night I saw a photo of myself taken some time ago, before this current phase, and got so sad when I saw how full my eyebrows were.  Must get a handle on myself.  The good news is, I don't have to spend money getting my brows waxed.  Ha ha... sigh.
   
3. I do not like having wet hands or wet hair at all.  Not one bit.  I feel like Lady Macbeth every time I wash my hands... not with the washing, but the drying.  "Off, damn drops!"  Let's just say:  I'm very thorough.  Oh, and those blowdryers in public restrooms give me the willies.  They don't get my hands dry!  That's just creepy.
   
4. I've almost always gone by "Mary-Heather," except for when my family moved to Palo Alto, CA from Fairfax, VA when I was in 7^th grade.  I was convinced at the time that I could become an Entirely Different Person at the new school, so I decided I would go by "Heather" only.  It was 1990... Heather was a cool name; a name that totally fit my new and improved California personality.  During roll call in my first class (Drama 1), I told the teacher and the class that I went by my middle name, Heather.  The only problem was that there was already a Heather in the class - and her last name rhymed with mine - and school had been in session for over a month, and during that time, Heather Rhymes-with-Cogar had firmly established herself as one of the popular girls.  I was so decidedly not on the popularity path, but of course, being 12, new, and not knowing a soul, I really didn't want to make waves.  It only took one giggling, muttered, "Hey, Heather (not me - the other Heather), your names rhyme!" and a pubescent glare from Heather Rhymes-with-Cogar* for me to say, "oh, that's OK - you can just call me Mary!"  Bad move!  I finished junior high as Mary, and thought, "ooh, in high school I can, at last, be Mary-Heather!"  But helloooo, I went to high school with the exact same people.  My transition back to Mary-Heather sorta kinda "took," but some people from J.L.S. and Gunn still call me Mary.  Finally, at CalArts, I got to use my real name.  By the way, I am shocked that my junior high school has a Wikipedia entry.  And also, I didn't know that my high school mascot had a name. "Timmy the Titan."  God bless the internet.
5. I pronounce the "w" in "drawing," like drah-wing.
6. When I wake up in the morning, I stumble into the living room and lie down on the floor for at least 10 minutes in child's pose.  God bless coffee.
7. I have a freaky good memory for song lyrics, and I sing a lot in stolen moments.  Almost always, actually.  Jacob would like me to point out that I freestyle rap, too.  While this is true, I save that talent for him.
   
8. Though I became a vegetarian at 14, I had, in my childhood, eaten all kinds of animals: the "usual" chicken, pork, fish, and beef, and more exotic fare including shark, snapping turtle, rabbit, deer (both venison stew and jerky), groundhog, rattlesnake, and squirrel.  Except for the shark, which I think was just my mom being creative, these were all served up by my Mam-maw** in West Virginia, who, despite the... um, rodents as ingredients, is totally the best freakin' cook on the planet.  I'm not exactly sure what all I've eaten, to be honest with you.  Mam-maw only recently admitted to the childhood squirrel stew.  Basically, if it roams wild in West Virginia, and you can shoot it, I've probably eaten it.  And liked it.
   

*She was nice, actually.

**Mam-maw is my grandmother - my dad's mom - people always ask when I post the word Mam-maw.  It's a Southern thing - I think it may specifically be an Appalachian thing.  My grandfather is Pap-paw.  On my mom's side, my grandparents are Roberta and Ed.

Comments

[Marnie]

First of all, that picture is too funny for words. I could look at it all day.

Love the other 8 random things. I am sort of stunned by how many different animals you've eaten. It all sounds about a million miles away from who you are now.

The whole thing about school and names, I can so imagine trying to pull that off and failing, though I've never had problems with other people sharing my name, until I got to college when I was damn sure not going to agree to being "marna" so that the other marnie could have the name to herself. :)

I don't like having wet hair but for totally different reasons, namely that I'm always cold and cold + wet hair = colder.

[beki]

Maw-maw's and paw-paw's are the norm in La. too. ALso, I've eaten squirrel. There's even a squirrel hunting season. My mom used to make squirrel stew as well as squirrel jambalaya.

[Kuma]

you are so funny. . . Great to read all that about you. The freestyle rapping does not suprise me as you are quite "hip".

I too tried in school to change my name as Kuma-booma-fruit-of-the looma gets old pretty fast. So I changed to Ann and was shocked at how boring/foreign it felt to me. (No offense to those named Ann, it's just, to go from Kuma to Ann was a huge jump into obscurity which in high school is a major no-no.). Anyway, the next year I was Kuma again and I haven't looked back since. . . gotta love these strange names! Luv ya Mom~

[Nonnahs]

Names are an interesting thing. You are so Mary-Heather to me, not Mary, not Heather. I share your part-time superstitious nature. The tunnel thing can be a problem at times, but only the really long ones. ;)

[Mary Heather #2]

I too went by only "Heather" but it was when I was in the 3rd grade. I was tired of trying to specify "Mary Heather" everytime! But it didn't do so well, b/c I was at the same school I started out in and everybody else already knew me and called me "Mary". The only exception was this one girl who moved in that year and she called me "Heather" until we graduated. Ha! Still I am "Mary" to my close friends and family AND to the people that I've known since Kindergarten. I wonder if Mary Ann's have this problem?!?

[Emily F]

I think I was in that drama class with you and that other Heather. I remember learning about pantomime and having to do a scene where I washed dishes that weren't there. And I remember calling you Mary until 11th grade when we started calling everyone by her/his whole name (probably required by the Kates and possibly by the fact that we could call some teachers by their first and last names). High school was hilarious.

[Kat]

That picture really is toooo funny! The two little ones have priceless expressions.
And yes...god bless coffee. No wonder school is hard as a kid, no coffee! Your list is brilliant, thanks for playing along.

[MJ]

Aw man - we had parallel double names with Mary experiences!!! Right down to dropping the Jessica in middle school and attempting to bring it back by the end of high school! It seemed like so many people would automatically drop the second name anyway, even after first introductions. anyway...hope you are well, my dear!

[Janet]

OMG. I love that photo! I too could look at it over and over again.

You make the most interesting lists of random facts about yourself.Thanks to your last list, I think of you every time I get out the egg carton. Seriously.