I'm not obsessed

Okay, so I got tagged by "Lawyerish" (not sure if I should use her real name) but DUH, you should be able to figure it out if you read my blog at all. I'm supposed to write about my obsessions over the years. Okay, I went back to her blog and I copied this from it: List/discuss the various obsessions that you have had over your lifetime. I had to get David to help me with my current obsessions because I would like to think that I have none. Alas.

Okay, #1 would be stickers. I loved the sticker books and Meredith and I used to freaking trade stickers all the time. That is the dumbest pasttime ever. Of course, we only ever traded with each other so our stickers did not ever change much. I remember one time I went to Oklahoma to see my cousins and Karen and I went in this Hallmark and I spent ALL of my money on stickers. I think it was like $5 but I had a momentary twinge of "I'm going to get in trouble." The only sticker I remember from the spree was this gigantic Lisa Frank teddy bear that I ended up sticking on my "work table" in my bedroom. I was too cool for a desk. Also, Meredith went to Charleston one time and got some Lisa Frank stickers which "I was forbidden to have." Fine! I think I eventually wore her down.

2nd and I even cringe to type this was STATIONERY. How dorky can you get? I freaking loved to write letters when I was a kid. Again, Meredith and I wrote letters to each other because you know we lived in the same town and could not pick up the phone or ask our moms if we could go over to each others' houses. Of course, now I'm glad we did, because I have all of those letters to look back at. Anyway, I loved some fancy stationery and sometimes Meredith and I would trade with each other. Wow. We were monumentally cool.

3rd and I don't know that I was really obsessed with this was playing the piano. I liked to do it and it was fun and I certainly took lessons for a long time. I guess I was pretty good but it was mainly because I took lessons for THIRTEEN years. For a long time, also, I only listened to classical music. Ugh, how did I have any friends? I would rock out to Bach while I "did my homework." I was probably really reading magazines.

4th--oh I almost forgot this! Little House on the Prairie books! How could I forget that? Meredith and I thought we had found Laura Ingalls Wilder's house BURIED in her backyard. IN GEORGIA. Because Pa accidentally took a detour around Missouri and made a wrong turn.
In this same vein, I was also hugely obsessed with reading. One time in 2nd grade, I was reading after I had finished my classwork and Miss Whitfield called my reading group and I did not even hear her because I was so immersed in my book. I think it was "Little Town on the Prairie" even. The class laughed at me and I had to take my own chair up there to the reading group and OH THE EMBARRASSMENT. Meredith and I used to have competitions to see who could check the most books out of the library at once too. It's a good thing we met each other in 1st grade because I think we would have been some lonely nerds growing up.

5th--I almost forgot this too! I was OBSESSED with Bon Jovi. Meredith gave me a Bon Jovi video for my birthday (which she later revealed to me was a re-gift) and I used to try to pause the VCR so I could take pictures of the videos. I had a door sized poster of Jon Bon Jovi and a LOT of posters in my room, including some on my ceiling! My grandfather thought JBJ was a woman and I was highly offended. I was also a "fan" of Europe, Poison, Whitesnake, Cinderella, and Motley Crue. Meredith and I were very mad that our parents would not let us go to the Motley Crue concert when we were in 7th grade. I cannot imagine why.

Nowadays, my obsessions are a bit more simplistic. David and I had to discuss this because his idea of my obsessions is a little different.

First would be lip balm. My lips are not to be chapped. I have tubes of lip balm EVERYWHERE. On the computer desk, in my desk at school (and it's this giant tube from Bath and Body Works and my students always think I'm putting GLUESTICK on my lips. Like, why would I do that?), on the table next to where I sit on the couch, on my nightstand, in my purse. If I were ever on "Survivor," my luxury item would SO be lip balm. Burt's Bees to be specific because it burns when your lips are chapped but is allegedly not addictive like Carmex.

Second would be undoubtedly the INTERNET. I freaking love the internet. It's not so much an obsession as it is an addiction. I felt a little nervous when we were at the beach because I was missing all my emails and message board postings and blog writings and such. We had to go to Starbucks 3 times so I could read my email. Admittedly, that was when we got our referral so I did have some business to deal with but mainly, I was in withdrawal. I tried to give up the internet for Lent one year (not that we really do that) and I couldn't do it! I think I lasted 3 days.

Third would be the non-messing with of my routine in the morning. Well, when I have to go to school. During the summer, there is no routine. But if I oversleep and have to eat breakfast in the car or not make my lunch and have to buy lunch, that screws with the routine. That is the main reason David and I do not share a bathroom. In our teeny house with 2 bathrooms, we have to have separate bathrooms. And also closets but that is because mine is a disaster and there is no room for David's clothes anyway. Also, I like to get to work a little early to prepare myself mentally for the onslaught of 7th graders. Actually, I get to work early to talk to my friends but we'll pretend it's so I can prepare. David will be taking Maggie to daycare once I start working again, because I can't have her messing with the routine. It's on his way to work so I am not some heartless mom and I will be picking her up.

Fourth would be not getting sticky. I hate stickiness. I used to eat pancakes and waffles with a napkin wrapped around my fork because what if the syrup touched me???? The beach is sometimes a problem because there is a LOT of stickiness going on there. First you have to put on sunscreen, then you walk to the beach which makes you sweaty, then you slog through the sand which STICKS to your feet and legs and then if you get hot and go swimming, the salt water makes you all sticky. Ew. It gives me chills. I am of the opinion that the beach should be cement. Maggie better be able to walk next summer because the thought of carrying a sunscreen-y, sticky child with a sand laden diaper makes me want to puke! We need a wagon.

Fifth is my obsession with Target which you should be familiar with. I LOVE Target. I try to go weekly even though their merchandise does not change that much. It's so relaxing to lean on my red buggy and wander around. I really like to go to Target alone because I can take as long as I like. I do not like to be rushed through Target. I really do not like to be rushed at all. Rushing=bad.

Sixth is my obsession with hair products. If it says it's for curly hair, I'll buy it. It does not matter how expensive it is. I love to buy hair products. Another reason to go to Target regularly.

Seventh is the order in which I must read the paper. I have to read the Local section, then Living, then look at the editorials on the front page, glance at the business section and NEVER read sports. On Sundays, I have to look at the ads and coupons first.

David says another of my obsessions would be my lack of planning and doing as little as possible. I wrote lesson plans EVERY week this year, people. Mostly because I got written up the previous year for not writing lesson plans but whatever, micromanaging boss! Yes, I have been guilty of doing little to nothing in previous years but I worked very hard this year because I had never taught 7th grade and I did not know what I was doing. Now my maternity leave sub will have lesson plans she can use while I'm gone and I will know exactly what's going on when I return. Supposedly.

I think that is all of my obsessions. I shall briefly address the adoption since this blog is Maggie's Red Thread and not Allison's Forum to Discuss Herself. I packed Maggie's suitcase last night. I put all her junk in our largest suitcase and let me tell you, David and I are going to have to wear all of our clothes on the plane to China. Good grief, she has a lot of stuff and there are still a few more things I need to put in there. She is going to be very well dressed with her ironed clothes and David and I will look like hobos.

I have become quite prolific with the making of mix CD's lately. Because I don't teach 7th grade, I'm IN it. I love iTunes. I could go broke downloading music. Perhaps I will make Maggie a mix CD instead of making her silly scrapbook that I will probably finish by the time she's 18. "Here baby! I brought you a CD of cool songs!"

I just sang "God Bless America" for David. You should have seen the animals. The cats had to vacate the den. My voice was cracking again, dangit. I should drink some herbal tea before playing iPod karaoke. David wouldn't play with me though. We are going to see "Raiders of the Lost Ark" tonight at this Retro Rewind series at a theater. I do not think that movie is very retro. "Napoleon Dynamite" which came out, what, last year, was included in the series. That is hardly retro. I suppose I should go put on something nicer than a Strand t shirt and running shorts.

I'm going to tag Jon and Krystil. All you people who do not have blogs and read this, you'd better email your obsessions to me. If I get no emails, I'm making this blog password protected!