Blogs

A friend of mine came to my rescue this week. I write a weekly PM Style blog for you all (well, I had to take a blog hiatus last week thanks to the stomach bug), and somehow, this week, I was stumped about what to write. As most of you know who know me, there are few times I am stumped for what to say. I could tell a twenty minute story about air. But this week, maybe it was the after effects of being sicky, I just couldn’t figure out what to write or talk about. Then my dear friend Denise challenged me with a fun and simple topic, “Why don’t you make a ‘Top 20’ list of things people don’t know about you? It’s always fun to find stuff out about people we think we know, but have no idea.” And so Denise, this one’s (er' these 20) for you!

1. I’m deathly afraid of snakes. I am not embellishing or trying to sound dramatic. I am genuinely, horrifically, terrified of snakes. I can’t watch them on TV. Can’t enter their glass enclosure at the zoo. Can’t see them in books. Once I discovered a tiny Gardener while raking, where upon I ran inside my house, stripped naked in the foyer of my home in plain view of windows and neighbors, because I was irrationally convinced that somehow the snake had gotten on me. (A second runner up fear is heights. I really can’t do them.)

2. I have two tattoos. One is a ridiculous youthful show of bravado when in my twenties and living in NYC, I wanted to do something edgy. I picked something from the picture wall at a tattoo parlor on Canal Street. The other is far more meaningful to me. It is a ladybug, and it rests over my heart. Three other girlfriends have the same tattoo. It is in memory of our friend Jen from Penn State, whose nickname was ‘Ladybug’ growing up, and who died from Kidney Cancer when she was just 29.

Jen and me on her wedding day; I was her maid of honor.

3. I had my tonsils out when I was 23. It was horrible. But worth it. I haven't had Strep since.

4. I once worked at the store Anthropologie as a Fashion Stylist.  

5. My Dad wanted to name me Brooke. 

6. As a local news reporter, I once interviewed Hillary Clinton. I have no memory of what we talked about. 

7. I grew up partially in Mexico. Ages 11-14yr. I was fluent in Spanish then, although now, it has gone a bit rusty. Before Mom and I moved there, my Dad survived the 1985 Mexico City earthquake by climbing down a 17th floor elevator shaft.

8. I once sent a sneaker to the CEO of the Oxygen Network, asking her if I was still in the “running” for a job.

9. I hate roasted red peppers, cherry filling, eggplant, and grapefruit

10. Rachael Ray and I worked together at the same local news station in Albany NY, when we were both just starting out. 

11. I crack my knuckles.

12. I am an introvert and have social anxiety.

13. I don’t like to read.

14. I was bullied in middle school. 

15. I studied in Geneva, Switzerland during college, and studied AIDS research at the World Health Organization. (So I can truthfully say I have actually had a Swiss bank account) 

16. I had Melanoma on my toe; they cut a small part of my toe off because of it. Please pay special attention to moles on the underside of your hands and feet. Those areas don’t have melanin so moles can be a red flag.

17. I’ve always wanted to work for the Travel Channel. I love to travel, dig up cool places, share my finds, and write about awesome and silly adventures.

18. I’ve had Alopecia hair loss twice. For me, the second time, Acupuncture worked.

19. I can do a pretty good Mickey Mouse impression.

20. I have framed nude drawings of myself in my bedroom. A gift from an artist friend in Greece.

So, there u have it! 

Join me Monday nights for PM Style and if you've missed anything so far, take a look here! And even tho' I'm not big on reading, pictures work, so follow me on Instagram. How about them apples?!  

Shawn
X