Totally Random: Stephen Edition

By Stephen Boudreau at 10:20 PM

The Facts
1. I have a series of odd phobias:

(a) I don't like handling other people's jewelry. Specifically rings and earrings.

(b) If at all possible I avoid the use of plastic silverware and straws. Those little spoons they give you at ice cream shops are the worst. In fact, many small plastic objects are going to cause me some level of anxiety. This one does have a small story associated with it. When I was in sixth grade I remember this one kid chewing the end off of his pen cap and sucking air in and out of it. The sound of that saliva flowing about . . . still haunts me.

(c) With the exception of Shelley, I don't like to share my drink or take a sip of a drink from the same glass after someone else. When someone asks me: "Can I have a sip of that?" I usually just let them have the rest. It has no specific relation to germs or cleanliness; I just don't want to do it. End of story.

(d) This might be somewhat related to point c, but my phobia for it is so intense it is worth its own bullet point. Have you ever noticed when a lady with lipstick takes a sip from a glass and the lipstick residue remains behind? Instant gag reflex. No lie.

2. Life as an only child spawned many unusual entertainment options.

As an adolescent, I had a series of fake radio talk shows that I recorded either alone or with my best friend, Jerry. Fake products with fake commercials, interviewing fake guests, doing dozens of impersonations, a variety of voices and even a recurring character or two.

One popular recurring character Jerry and I created was an inventor named "Harry Feldman". In our little world of myth, Harry invented a children's toy called "The Waterful Ring Toss" and later accidentally discovered that there was a unique ingredient in human urine that caused pajamas to glow in the dark. Thus, he inadvertently invented the glow in the dark pajamas. He was so "popular" that he eventually became the M.C. and/or features reporter for the show.

Sometimes I would pre-record commercials at certain segments of the cassette and set my stop watch so I would have to pause for and come back from commercial breaks at specific times. If I had to go to the bathroom, I would just have to wait for a commercial. This is how I simulated live radio in my bedroom.

This went on for years. I wish I still had those tapes . . .

3. I used to be absolutely obsessed with the band Collective Soul. Seriously, if a member stubbed his toe, I knew about it. Furthermore, I did not tolerate even the slightest implication of a negative notion about the band be uttered in my presence!

There was a positive byproduct of this adulation. I took my first steps into the world of web design by starting a fan site for the band (formerly at collective-soul.com). It was one of their most popular fan sites at the time and gained me many "insider" type connections with the band. At the peak of its popularity, they included the site on the back of their CD, "Blender". That was quite a thrill and unexpected honor.

Shortly thereafter, though, I decided the 20+ hours a week i was putting into it was a bit much, so literally out of nowhere I pulled the plug. It was just as well. Within a week they released their own official website and sites like mine became fairly obsolete.

Don't get me wrong, I still have an affection for the music. But in a normal, you're-not-embarrassed-to-be-seen-in-public-with-me, sort of way.

4. I love palm hearts (also known as palmito), jicama, beets, and those little corns. Not a lot of people like these the way I do, so I figured it was worth mentioning.

5. The trailer to the movie "Eight Below" made me tear up.

6. When I was in seventh grade, I met Scottie Pippen at DFW airport. It was right after the Bulls won their first NBA title over the Lakers. I was a huge Magic Johnson/Lakers fan at the time and was actually sporting my Lakers ball cap and t-shirt. Fortunately, he still gave me an autograph -- so it was a fun experience.

Side note: on that same trip I also met the great Jimmy Connors.

7. I used to cover the City Hall and Homicide beats as a reporter for the Brownsville Herald. City budgets and dead bodies -- it was fairly disturbing, yet a pretty remarkable summer job.

8. More than anything else in the world, I wish I was a professional soccer player.

The Tags
Sorry, I'm going to break this rule. If you are reading this consider yourself tagged. Otherwise, have a nice day.

Totally Random: Shelley Edition

By Michelle Boudreau at 03:55 PM

This post is inspired by Katie who "tagged" us. Stephen's 8 facts will follow next week.

The Rules:
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
(check!)
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
(check!)
3. People who are tagged need to write their own facts and post these rules.
(check!)
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
(I'll leave that to Stephen)
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
(Stephen's duty)

The Facts:
1. I am terrified of sharks, but I love the ocean. So, I prepare for the shark attack that I believe deep down is inevitable in my life by watching shark specials on the Discovery channel to get tips on how to defend myself. In one special, I discovered that sharks are attracted to shiny things and that the sun reflects against our skin making a shiny reflection. Apparently the paler you are, the shinier you are. I myself am very pale so when I am in the ocean, I try to find someone paler than me to stand by. In high school, that person was my older brother.

2. I sucked my thumb until I was 5 or 6. My parents tried many different methods to try to get me to quit including putting pickle juice on my thumb.

3. I had a blanket when I was younger that I took everywhere (even hot and sunny Hawaii and Florida). Before I started kindergarten, my parents bought me a book called The Blanket that Had to Go. The book is about a girl who loves her blanket but can't take it with her to kindergarten. She keeps cutting it smaller and smaller to try to make it into different things so she can somehow bring it with her. I was worried after reading the book that my parents wanted me to cut my blanket up. They didn't.

4. I went to Catholic school growing up and my grandparents were friends with a nun that taught at my school in Denver. My grandpa had to go to the hospital once and when the nun asked me how he was, I told her he was in the veterinary hospital. He was really at the veterans' hospital as he was a person, not an animal.

5. I was a very strict rule follower when I was a kid. I hated getting in trouble. When I was in second grade, I got a bad grade on a spelling test and had to get it signed by my parents. I was afraid of asking them to sign it because I thought they would be upset so I attempted to forge my father's signature...in crayon. I realized after using the crayon that I probably could have picked a more mature writing utensil so I proceeded to cross out the signature...with a black crayon. Needless to say, I had to explain this mark to my parents when they signed it and my teacher when I gave it to her. Not fun for someone who hates getting in trouble.

6. I love shoes. This is a well documented fact. I especially love high heeled shoes even though they can make me over six feet tall. I have certain shoes in my closet that I like to just admire every day. And when I wear those shoes, I like to watch my feet when I walk because the shoes are too pretty not to look at.

7. I hate talking to strangers on airplanes. I will fake being asleep to avoid it. I know it's rude but I feel put upon when strangers attempt to talk to me on a plane.

8. I hate crickets. I had two particularly scarring incidents with them in college. One involved a cricket crawling up my pants and another involved one nesting in my hair and only revealing itself as I was getting ready to take a shower.