Twenty-Five Things You May Not Know About Me...

    So, my friend Lori blogged about twenty-five things people may not know about her. I decided to do it myself in my blog. I came up with the list before I wrote this introduction and found it hard to come up with a list of twenty-five things. I mean there are a few things that I left out; a boy has to have a few secrets about him self. I am also now thinking of other interesting things that are not on the list that that I could put on there. One thing was about my Opa, grandfather, on my dad’s side. He served in the German Party during World War II in which he was killed. Now, this is something one really does not boast about, but it is part of my family history.

My Opa in his German Party uniform. He was declared missing in action in 1943 in the Cape Falcon area of Algeria while serving under German Commander Rommel in World War II, leaving my Oma to raise five boys on her own.

Here is the list of twenty-five things in no particular order.

1. I was in Special Ed. From second grade to sixth grade, I would spend part of my school day in Special Education. I am dyslexic and I would spend that part of the day learning to adjust my thinking process to counter the dyslexia.

2. I have had the opportunity to photograph a few celebrities including Will Smith, Ted Danson, Bruce Vilanch and Leslie Jordan.

3. I am a published photographer. I have had a couple of my photographs published in newspapers and print ads that were in magazines.

That is my photo of Holotta Tymes used in the print ad for Sunday's A Drag.

4. I was JROTC during most of my Junior High and High School years. I reached the level of Cadet Captain before I dropped out and started taking drama. JROTC will be the reason for some of the other things on this list.

5. I have flown in a Huey Helicopter and got to see the damage of the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake from above.

6. I have scored expert level in shooting an M-16 military rifle.

7. I own a Remington Bolt Action Long Rifle. It is stored at my parent’s home and has not been fired for many years.

8. When I was a kid, I was attacked by a Pit Bull. Ok, it was more like “bit” by a pit bull. It had jumped a fence, ran up to me on the sidewalk, and bit me on the knee. I am actually pretty luck, because if my response was to jerk back, the pit bull would of probably ripped my knee-cap off.

9. I have a hereditary issue that causes my knee to dislocate easily. While it is not a big issue right now, it may require surgery in the future, but hopefully not.

10. I was stung by a bee. I know, you are saying big deal, who hasn’t. The thing is, the bee was already dead! I was walking barefoot and stepped on it. I have also been stung eleven times at once when I was caught in a swarm of yellow jackets.

11. Continuing with the insect encounters, I was stung three times by a scorpion. It somehow got under the covers while I was staying at my parent’s house. It stung me twice in the leg and once in the hand when I reached down to see what was stinging me.

This is the actual scorpion that attacked me.

12. I do not have a gallbladder. I had to have it removed when it decided to start producing a bunch of gallstones. I actually had so many gallstones that they had to cut me wide open instead of laparoscopicly. I just tell people that the scars are from a knife fight.

That is what it would look like if I still had one.

13. I have been to Germany. I don’t remember a dang thing about it. I was only a baby.

14. I can make little origami paper cranes. It is hard to come up with twenty-five things!  

Pretty Small? 

15. I have an interest in Native American history and lore. Specifically, the plains Indians, like the Sioux, Lakota, Crow and others that lived with the buffalos.

16. I am bisexual. I bring up anything sexual and they say “Bye”.

17. When I was a kid, I drank a bottle of Dimetapp. I liked the grape taste, but I got really sick from it and can not stand anything grape flavor now. I didn’t tell my Mom what I did either; she just thought I had the flu. Sorry Mom! 

18. My first boyfriend was ten years older then I. I later learned that he also had dated my husband’s brother at one time, too.  In all, my path had crossed many ways with Dale and his family before I ever met him.

19. Although I have not done it for a long time, I like to go fishing. Oh, the memories of sitting on the bank of some pond or creek with a line in the water.

20. I have had Ludwig’s angina. Wikipedia it to find out what it is, but it sent me into emergency surgery and kept me in the hospital for a few days and out of work for a couple of weeks.

21. When I was in collage, I use to do AIDS/HIV prevention out reach with the Contra Costa County AIDS Foundation. That organization is no longer around, but the Rainbow Community Center in Concord does a lot now with outreach programs and testing.

22. I have four different jobs. My primary job is a receptionist for a law firm in Oakland. I also work for Karen’s Flower Kottage at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery location on Saturdays. On most Sundays, you can find me at Harry Denton’s Starlight Room for Sunday’s A Drag where I work as a spotlight operator or dresser. The last job is being a Door Whore for Holotta Tymes’s drag show, Un-Boy-lievable, at Club 1220 in Walnut Creek.

23. My right testicle is a little bigger then the left. Oh, and I lean to the left, if you were to be fitting me for dress pants. (Really, it is hard to come up with twenty-five unknown facts about me.)

24. I was in Boy Scouts. I quit when I moved up to Oakland at the beginning of Junior High School. I learned a lot from the time I was in there, but glad I did not waste any more time with them then I did when I see how homophobic the organization is. I am glad that Girl Scouts are not the same way, because I don’t know what I would do with out my Girl Scout Thin Mints!

25. Ok, this is not really an unknown fact, but I am taking a Pole Dancing class at Twirly Girl Pole Fitness. In fact, my friend and instructor, Lori and I are having a Pole Dance-Off at the Lovely Rita Fundraiser next month. The winner gets to claim the heart of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. You better watch out Lori! I am so going to win!!!