Eight things

that you really wanted to know about greenolive!

You know the deal. A blogger tags you (thanks Al) and you need to post eight (one of my favourite numbers) things/facts/anecdotes about yourself. I'd been reading all about the rest of you and wondered what I would say if I ever got tagged. Well, now I have. So here goes...

1. I have naturally curly hair. I need to emphasise the naturally bit. (Those of you also blessed will completely understand.) Naturally curly hair has a mind of its own and some days we are not the best of friends. I see-saw between growing it long and Rapunzel-like, and chopping it off into a very chic, textured crop. Just when I've decided to chop it off, some very nice stranger stops me and tells me how lovely it is and how lucky I am. Like the lady at Lincraft last week. She made my day. And she saved my hair. For now.

2. I'm a list maker. You've probably guessed this already if you've read this post. I don't always cross everything off, but making the list gives me a sense of control and appeals to my INTJ brain. I even wrote a packing list for my trip to Brisbane!

3. I'm a bad speller. So bad in fact that it cost me first prize at the local show. You need the full story. Grade three. A young greenolive diligently working on a poster about the explorer George Bass (note spelling). Once finished, the poster was entered in the local show. (This was something school kiddies did in the 1970s in Redcliff.) One of the judges happened to be my Godfather and a teacher at my school. After the judging was complete we discovered I'd been awarded Second Prize. What, not First Prize? It all became clear when Mike whispered in my Dad's ear: it was clearly the best poster, but we couldn't give it first prize because of the spelling mistake. Instead of George Bass written very neatly in big fat letters, I'd put GORGE Bass! Can you believe that neither of my English teacher parents had spotted the mistake before the poster had left the house? I've never lived this one down.

4. I'm rather obsessive. And I think its getting worse as I get older. Its not bad enough to be diagonised, but its pronounced enough for me to have "quirks". For example, I can't just order a few books from Amazon, I need to maximise the freight charge and buy 11 in one go. I can't just buy a few metres of a nice fabric, they might run out of it and I'll never be able to get it again. I count things, like the handful of peanuts Myles had on Thursday night, would you believe an even 50? Everything gets zip-locked: food, wool, anything. (My sisters and Mum are now following suit and pointedly make comments about the zip-locks.) I'm always looking for that perfect shade of green wool. All my handbags are displayed on the wall of our walk-in wardrobe. As are my beaded necklaces...

5. I'm quite shy. Even though I'm very comfortable with public speaking, I hate parties and having to make small talk. I used to be President of the Queensland Chapter of AGDA and once a month would have to host the member's function. I have delivered all-day training courses to groups of 16 people. I regularly speak at conferences. I enjoy this and have been told I'm very good at it. But get me at a social event where I don't know anyone. Yuck. Maybe that's why blogging appeals.

6. My maiden name is ZAJACEK. I grew quite attached to it, and miss it now and then. Mr greenolive is a Booth, so now so am I. When I made the switch one of my work colleagues commented: slightly less exotic isn't it? I have to agree. Mum, ever the teacher, made sure I could pronounce, spell and write ZAJACEK before I started grade one. Well I had to, because no one else could! The advantage of Booth over Zajacek is that it means you are at the start of the alphabet instead of the back, and people don't stumble over it like they used to do with Zajacek.

7. I bite my fingernails. I always have and probably always will. When I was a child my mum used to try to bribe me with a big box of Derwent coloured pencils, the box of 72: if you stop biting your nails, I'll buy you some Derwents. Didn't work! But I got those Derwents in the end. Earlier this year I managed to grown them a bit. This coincided with my Easter trip to Brisbane and my Mum gave me an manicure to celebrate. But I found that nails just get in the way. Of typing. Of picking things up. Of threading a needle. So, they soon disappeared!

8. I'd like to live in an English village. Mr greenolive is English so I'm pretty sure they'd let me in! Somewhere in the country, in an old-ish (1700s or 1800s) stone cottage with a dry-stone wall around the garden. He can potter around in the garden, grow organic vegetables and do woodwork in his shed. (Do they call them sheds over there I wonder?) I would sit in my studio by the fire and knit, sew, crochet, lino-print, write, read, eat chocolate. I think its kinnda cool that I already have some English blog visitors. Perhaps we can become friends in real life?

Now its time to tag eight others so we can find out eight things about them: Justine, Nikki, Tiel, Lucie, Alice, Anna Laura, Nora and Amelia.

Phew! I'm glad I knew eight people out there in blogland. Also, this post is well overdue. I can only blame it on my trip to Brisbane and my inability to cope with dial-up connection and a PC laptop. (Once a mac user always a mac user. That could be number 9...)

Comments

[greenolive]

Hi Amelia, did you know that INTJs make up only 1% of the population? But its not unusual for them to stick together. At my new work there are four of us within the one group. And interestingly I knew the three of them before I got the job there. Good luck with the list, it took me a week to write mine!

[Amelia]

thanks Martine - being a bit of an INTJ perfectionist planner myself I am going to have to think long and hard about my eight. stay tuned!

[vera]

I had a feeling it was! That's so cool. :0)

[Tiel]

yes, it was at that time I was a member. I went to a couple of functions in Bris.

See, I am a bad speller too. THREW not THROUGH!!!

[greenolive]

Hi Vera: would you believe its Czech? The family moved from Czechoslovakia to America before the first World War, settling in New Jersey. Apparently I have inherited my Czech Grandfather's curly hair, face shape and blue eyes.

Hi Samantha: good to meet you and Aunt Cookie. Going to check out your blog now. Watch out for stalkers!

[Samantha]

nothing wrong with listing what you want to pack :) and I'm a nail biter too - given up trying to break the habit - oh well.
It was great to meet you at Magnolia Square - and I'm looking forward to reading your next article, I loved the first one. But you're no stalker!!

[vera]

Thanks for sharing! I just love finding out interesting facts a tid-bits about people!
You name, Zajacek sounds Eastern European? My dad is Czech so i always find things like this very intriguing.
And i am with you on the English village thing. That would be great!

[greenolive]

Hi Tiel: it was around 1996 to 2000. It was when we had the monthly newsletter and lots of functions at the RAIA building in South Brisbane. I used to work at TAFE Qld, then Southbank TAFE as an designer. We will catch up next time.

Justine: first draft done, some more research underway. How many words can I have this time?

[Tiel]

now you know you can't blog me!

My hair is quite wavy in summer and straightish in winter..best of both worlds.

i always write lists. Infact I have a 'going away for the weekend' list saved on my computer. It is a spreadsheet and each row is for a family member..even the dog if he comes with us. It only changes with the season.

OK, now when were you the president of AGDA? I used to be a member. ANd I am sure I remember your name now on letters and invites. I am sure I even contacted you when I was teaching at TAFE in Toowoomba. I only recently through out my old file with that info in.

Hope you enjoyed Brisbane. Next time, we should catch up.

[French Knots]

Perhaps I could live in the same village and visit your work shop to help with the chocolate!

[Anna Laura]

Good to hear you're home safe, back to the cold cold hills!

I also love making lists, but I don't do it that often, although I have a list of things I want to do this weekend so I don't waste it!

[justine]

wow! nice to get to know you a bit more :)
thanks for the tag, I will do it this week-end
hows you article coming along!