Randomness is a word dating back to 1803 (at least)

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

(To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.)

1. One of the best perks of my job is having access to the OED online.

2. I love to sing, but I really can't.

3. Even as I get less able to do things, (curse you, middle age) I derive more pleasure from doing things. I'm more physically daring than I was as a kid.

4. I'm a sorta vegetarian. I've never been a big fan of red meat, especially not as a kid, but I love seafood and poultry.

5. I'm good at remembering authors and titles of books, even when I can't remember character names or plots or even whether I've read a given book.

6. My favorite thing to do is read. My very favorite thing to do is read aloud to the kids. I give the characters distinctive voices and everything.

7. I have the best family, better than my niece Lauren's, because my in-laws are awesome, too. Finally, my dream of a Brady Bunch-like family has come true!

8. As a former Air Force brat, nothing brings me greater pleasure than just staying home.

9. I love other people's dogs, but am much too lazy to have one of my own.

10. I only like coffee if I have cream to put in it. Milk is inadequate. Which probably means I don't really like coffee. But even cream won't help Starbuck's coffee, which tastes burnt.

11. I spent three years as a college freshman, three years as a college senior, and I was kicked out of two different acting programs.

12. Sky-diving with my mother and brother is my best adventure so far.

13. It's a good day if I illicit a spit-take from one of the kids at supper. It's a great day if I make the Spouse laugh.

14. I'm obsessive about my socks. They have to match my outfit. Even though I wear my jeans long so that they don't show.

15. I think I sound like an American, if not actually a Southerner, so I'm still weirded out when people say I sound English.

16. You know what's just as cool as marshmallow guns? Foam swords.

17. Real life is sadly lacking in big production numbers and fight scenes.

18. Good implosions are just as much fun as good explosions. And, if one is feeling really stompy, you can always make a block town and go Godzilla on it.

19. I'm nonplussed when other people use "nonplussed" incorrectly.

20. My favorite video game allows me to spectacularly wreck cars, which I try not to do in real life.

21. I was shocked to learn that not everyone can point to the cardinal directions from the homes and workplaces.

22. There's lots of stuff I don't know how to do, but I'm willing to wing it. Except with cooking.

23. I have a lousy sense of smell, and therefor, taste, and I'm a bad cook. And I'm okay with that.

24. Who knew I'd be this happily married after fifteen years? This marriage thing is great.

25. My motto: "I don't know, but I can look it up."

I'm not going to tag anyone except Lauren, just because I know how long it took me to finish this. But if anyone wants to play along, be sure and let me know.

For the Spouse

Video that's sure to please of

the only living mammal that can actually inject venom into its prey through specialized teeth

Sadly, there's no good close up of the poisonous fangs, or anything, it just looks like a possum. But knowing it's poisonous makes it cool.

Update

I've been sick, the kids have been sick, we had another outbreak of Mr. Knacksaps, hopefully put permanently to rest by Ovide, the holidays were extremely pleasant in a low-key sort of way, the kids are now playing Scattergories with a vengeance and some glee and my work computer was taken down yesterday by no fewer than 14 different invasive agents. The very helpful gentleman who disinfected poor Ferret was given leave to re-write everything (that sometimes being easier). All the work stuff is backed up, so that's okay. Three hours after the resuscitated Ferret was returned I realized The List was not backed up elsewhere.

So, it's trivial in the greater scheme of things, but I'm really sad about the loss of that work. More than 6,000 books, and when I finished them, all gone. Well, mostly gone. I'd gotten about ten percent into Note:Books and most of the titles (but not dates read) into LibraryThing.

I'm still sick, by the bye, but now I feel really bad.

And no, I haven't gotten the holiday cards out yet, but I have them, and an address book*, and a really adorable picture of the Offspring, so email me (with contact info) if you'd like a January pick-me-up.

* Yes, an old fashioned spiral-bound book, because I lost all my addresses and phone numbers in an earlier** home-computer related disaster.

** Much earlier. Years ago. So, that's why you didn't get one last yer, either. Or the year before that. Or, you know, ever.