I didn't post a blog for the last question because I honestly couldn't think of anything. I called my mom last night and asked her and she couldn't think of anything either. She said when I was a kid, I was pretty good and usually just read books or did puzzles. I wasn't very destructive.
My favorite cartoon is probably Pepper Ann. When I was younger and it was on Saturday mornings, I didn't have much of an appreciation for it, but by middle school, I realized the subtle genius of it. Granted, I was starting to phase out cartoons anyway, but that show is hilarious. There's a lot of humor that I defintely didn't get when I was younger that made sense when the reruns would play every day when I got home from school before Boy Meets World came on. And that's when I loved it. Spongebob Sqaurepants also has a lot of older humor. I can appreciate that.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
I am ichthyophobic
I am absolutely terrified of fish. I had a really traumatizing experience in 5th grade involving trout. My 5th grade teacher, Mr. Bolling, was an avid fly fisher, so we raised trouts from eggs and released them in the wild (but not super wild, as I grew up in Orange County and it doesn't get really wild in the context of freshwater habitats). They were ugly, but whatever, I named one Bob and all's fine. A few weeks after they were released, Mr. Bolling brought in a bunch of dead trout for us to dissect. Were they the very same that we had raised from little eggs? Potentially. But I think what really got me was how disgusting it was. The smell of dead fish lingered in the classroom for weeks; I had to excuse myself multiple times during the dissection. And of course, it being 5th grade, all the very mature little boys were popping out the eyes and running around, pretending to lick them and shoving them in all the girls' faces saying "Mmm, tastes like chicken." Awesome. I was never a fan of fish, but thus was born my ichthyophobia.
In the following years, it has seriously been a source of much embarressment. I don't like eating fish, and I don't like touching fish. Therefore, although I love the ocean and grew up close to the California coast, it would take literally minutes of me mentally coaxing myself to go in the water. I had to tell myself that fish don't swim that shallow. One time I was on Catalina Island and there was a platform out about a hundred feet from the shore with ropes connecting it to land. I convinced myself that the flourishing fish population couldn't swim past the rope so I wouldn't be afraid to swim out and jump off the platform. Even in high school, at the first sight of life in the ocean, whether it be a jellyfish, sandshark, or a just plain ugly regular fish, I would hightail it out of there. Some years are worse than others. When there is a particularly warm current (i.e. El Nino), it attracts TONS of jellyfish. The biggest I've seen them is about a foot in diameter. They're clear white with purple trim (not that they're a window curtain, but kind of). And they scare the crap out of me. Every few years we get something called the "red tide," where there's an abundance of plankton or something and it makes the water look red, but at night when it's dark and the waves crash, they glow fluorescent blue. I think the glowing part is actually their eggs or something. Regardless, it looks super cool, but it's disgusting to swim in.
Last term, I lived in Hawaii. As a severe ichthyophobe, was this a very stupid thing? Yes, definitely. Fortunately, I didn't find out what Hukilau, the local Laie beach, means in Hawaiian til the very end of the term (it's something like, the locals catch loads of fishes here because the water is packed with them). And there were lots of turtles. I love turtles, so that was cool. Once, I went snorkeling at this place called Shark's Cove. It was a harrowing experience. When I get scared, I hyperventilate and flex my calves really hard. I don't know why, it's a fight or flight thing I guess. Anyway, someone should try that sometime, snorkeling while hyperventilating and using more energy to flex calves than swim. I was fine for awhile in the shallow side because it just looked like the old submarine ride at Disneyland (that has apparently been replaced by a new Finding Nemo feature) through my goggles so I convinced myself it was fake. But then my friend wanted us to go over to the deeper side. I almost died. We had to swim THROUGH a school of fish about the size of my hand and larger. The swells were up that day, so between it all, I had to avoid being smashed against the beautifully craggy basalt (although, if I had to go, being with basalt in my last moment would probably be the best way, especially if the other alternative is "swimming with the fishes," figuratively and literally). And my friend kept trying to point out the giant fishes (over a foot long). She even saw a squid, which I think was probably an octopus but I wouldn't know because I told her "No thanks" and when she saw it again I told her I would rather die than see a squid and acknowledge I was swimming with one. Once at Hukilau, we saw some local kids who had captured 2 or 3 octopii (? that would be the spelling in Latin, but I've heard arguments that it's octopuses. What do I know? After 4 years of high school Latin and English, I still couldn't tell you which is right) from the ocean we swim in. Disgusting.
Anyway, the moral of the story is, I have ichthyophobia. That is a fear of fish. And it is not only just fish with fins and tails and bulging eyes, although that is the main type, but also anything disgusting. Like octopuses/ii, and squids (which we had to dissect in the 7th grade; they told us to hold it like an ice cream cone, so I scooted my chair back and watched with one eye closed), jellyfish, and crustaceans in general. Shrimps are so creepy.
I am not, however, afraid of sharks, dolphins, whales, sea lions, otters, sting rays, turtles, etc.
Except for the sting ray that killed Steve Irwin, may he rest in peace.
In the following years, it has seriously been a source of much embarressment. I don't like eating fish, and I don't like touching fish. Therefore, although I love the ocean and grew up close to the California coast, it would take literally minutes of me mentally coaxing myself to go in the water. I had to tell myself that fish don't swim that shallow. One time I was on Catalina Island and there was a platform out about a hundred feet from the shore with ropes connecting it to land. I convinced myself that the flourishing fish population couldn't swim past the rope so I wouldn't be afraid to swim out and jump off the platform. Even in high school, at the first sight of life in the ocean, whether it be a jellyfish, sandshark, or a just plain ugly regular fish, I would hightail it out of there. Some years are worse than others. When there is a particularly warm current (i.e. El Nino), it attracts TONS of jellyfish. The biggest I've seen them is about a foot in diameter. They're clear white with purple trim (not that they're a window curtain, but kind of). And they scare the crap out of me. Every few years we get something called the "red tide," where there's an abundance of plankton or something and it makes the water look red, but at night when it's dark and the waves crash, they glow fluorescent blue. I think the glowing part is actually their eggs or something. Regardless, it looks super cool, but it's disgusting to swim in.
Last term, I lived in Hawaii. As a severe ichthyophobe, was this a very stupid thing? Yes, definitely. Fortunately, I didn't find out what Hukilau, the local Laie beach, means in Hawaiian til the very end of the term (it's something like, the locals catch loads of fishes here because the water is packed with them). And there were lots of turtles. I love turtles, so that was cool. Once, I went snorkeling at this place called Shark's Cove. It was a harrowing experience. When I get scared, I hyperventilate and flex my calves really hard. I don't know why, it's a fight or flight thing I guess. Anyway, someone should try that sometime, snorkeling while hyperventilating and using more energy to flex calves than swim. I was fine for awhile in the shallow side because it just looked like the old submarine ride at Disneyland (that has apparently been replaced by a new Finding Nemo feature) through my goggles so I convinced myself it was fake. But then my friend wanted us to go over to the deeper side. I almost died. We had to swim THROUGH a school of fish about the size of my hand and larger. The swells were up that day, so between it all, I had to avoid being smashed against the beautifully craggy basalt (although, if I had to go, being with basalt in my last moment would probably be the best way, especially if the other alternative is "swimming with the fishes," figuratively and literally). And my friend kept trying to point out the giant fishes (over a foot long). She even saw a squid, which I think was probably an octopus but I wouldn't know because I told her "No thanks" and when she saw it again I told her I would rather die than see a squid and acknowledge I was swimming with one. Once at Hukilau, we saw some local kids who had captured 2 or 3 octopii (? that would be the spelling in Latin, but I've heard arguments that it's octopuses. What do I know? After 4 years of high school Latin and English, I still couldn't tell you which is right) from the ocean we swim in. Disgusting.
Anyway, the moral of the story is, I have ichthyophobia. That is a fear of fish. And it is not only just fish with fins and tails and bulging eyes, although that is the main type, but also anything disgusting. Like octopuses/ii, and squids (which we had to dissect in the 7th grade; they told us to hold it like an ice cream cone, so I scooted my chair back and watched with one eye closed), jellyfish, and crustaceans in general. Shrimps are so creepy.
I am not, however, afraid of sharks, dolphins, whales, sea lions, otters, sting rays, turtles, etc.
Except for the sting ray that killed Steve Irwin, may he rest in peace.
A real funny joke
Yo' mama so poor, she hangs the toilet paper out to dry!
That's the best one I know.
**note: I did not actually write this post**
That's the best one I know.
**note: I did not actually write this post**
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Weird food
I'm a super picky eater, so probably weirder than foods I eat are foods I don't eat. I don't like any seafood, beans, tomatoes, pickles, olives, mushrooms, bananas, etc. etc. Apparently that's pretty weird.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Pet peeves
One thing that drives me nuts is when people mispronounce my name. More when I was younger, people would say Tara like car instead of Tara like tare-a. I had teachers in middle school who consistently called me Tarr-a for my entire duration, despite multiple corrections. I don't get it as much in college, maybe because in Utah people are smart enough to realize that Tara rhymes with Sara. Intuitive.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Worst Date
Rather than worst date, I will explain what is maybe my worst "dating experience," as it unfortunately did not end at the date...
I was here last summer, and my ward combined with another ward because they were so small. There were 2 Sunday school teachers, one in my ward and one in the other. The one in my ward and I had been on some dates before, but we both weren't feeling it, and that was fine. Near the end of the term, the other teacher complimented my eyeshadow and then asked for my number in front of the other teacher. I was amused, so I gave it to him. Big mistake. This was before my 210 trip. Post 210, after I thought I was in the clear, he called. Everyone deserves a first date, so I agreed. We went to dinner, which is fine. He gave me some weird compliments like... just staring at me silently and then saying "Wow, you are just so beautiful." I guess that could be sweet but it wasn't, trust me. Afterward, he said he'd rented a movie and asked if we could use my apartment because his roommates were home. Fine, because so were mine and I needed their presence. We made carmel apples and watched the Aubry Hepburn version of Sabrina. This is a pretty harmless date, and because I was not in to it at all, I figured he'd never call back. The night ended with a hesitant side hug. If that were the end of it, it would've just been awkward, but not bad.
However, the next week he called back. I was on my way to a class and expecting a call from another boy, so I answered the phone on impulse. He asked me out for Friday, but I said no. I didn't have a date lined up, but I was planning on it, so I had to keep my evening free. He was a persistant little devil though. He asked me out for a weekday instead. I was in a hurry and needed to get rid of him, so, caught off guard, I agreed and hung up. Again, big mistake. Our second date, again, started with dinner. More weird compliments like "You have amazing hands. I would love to draw them sometime." Then monopoly in the Tanner building. This is the second time I have done this activity on a date. Word of advice: if this is ever on the date agenda, run away. Fast. Monopoly was whatever, but as we were walking back to his truck, he grabbed my hand! Holy heck, that is SO not okay. I was paralyzed, I did not close my hand, and as soon as I regained my senses, I pulled away. We then went to the duck pond south of campus to feed the ducks. Holy moly, I just wanted to go home. I was miserable. I kept my arms folded for the rest of the night. Post duck pond, he finally took me home. I'm pretty sure the night ended without a hug.
Well, it unfortunately doesn't end there. He continued to call and I flat out refused. Multiple times. I told him at first that I was too busy and didn't have time. He left a bottle of PowerAde on my doorstep with a note that said something like "Hope your week is good, even though it's crazy" or something like that. He continued to call, and I continued to be busy. I avoided him when I saw him. I panicked. He creeped me out, and maybe I'm a bad person because of it, but oh well. He sent me a single flower with another card and said something to the same effect of the PowerAde. For FHE that night, my roommates and I burned the card. A little melodramatic, but I was only a Sophomore. I guess you could say I was acting "sophomoric."
Finally, one Sunday he showed up at my apartment. Keeping to the honor code, we just stood in my front room. Half of my roommates were in the kitchen and he didn't ask for privacy. It was a horrible confrontation, at least in my opinion. He said he really enjoyed the time we'd spent together and wanted to keep being able to go out. I said no, I didn't see it happening. I'm a mean person. I explained how busy I was that semester and that I just wasn't seeing anything happening between him and me in the future. He left, and my roommates laughed. It was horribly awkward.
He had graduated, but every now and then I'd see him on campus or walking near the apartment complex where we live. I have literally walked blocks out of my way to avoid running into him. I'm just a terribly awkward person.
On top of it all, he was balding.
I was here last summer, and my ward combined with another ward because they were so small. There were 2 Sunday school teachers, one in my ward and one in the other. The one in my ward and I had been on some dates before, but we both weren't feeling it, and that was fine. Near the end of the term, the other teacher complimented my eyeshadow and then asked for my number in front of the other teacher. I was amused, so I gave it to him. Big mistake. This was before my 210 trip. Post 210, after I thought I was in the clear, he called. Everyone deserves a first date, so I agreed. We went to dinner, which is fine. He gave me some weird compliments like... just staring at me silently and then saying "Wow, you are just so beautiful." I guess that could be sweet but it wasn't, trust me. Afterward, he said he'd rented a movie and asked if we could use my apartment because his roommates were home. Fine, because so were mine and I needed their presence. We made carmel apples and watched the Aubry Hepburn version of Sabrina. This is a pretty harmless date, and because I was not in to it at all, I figured he'd never call back. The night ended with a hesitant side hug. If that were the end of it, it would've just been awkward, but not bad.
However, the next week he called back. I was on my way to a class and expecting a call from another boy, so I answered the phone on impulse. He asked me out for Friday, but I said no. I didn't have a date lined up, but I was planning on it, so I had to keep my evening free. He was a persistant little devil though. He asked me out for a weekday instead. I was in a hurry and needed to get rid of him, so, caught off guard, I agreed and hung up. Again, big mistake. Our second date, again, started with dinner. More weird compliments like "You have amazing hands. I would love to draw them sometime." Then monopoly in the Tanner building. This is the second time I have done this activity on a date. Word of advice: if this is ever on the date agenda, run away. Fast. Monopoly was whatever, but as we were walking back to his truck, he grabbed my hand! Holy heck, that is SO not okay. I was paralyzed, I did not close my hand, and as soon as I regained my senses, I pulled away. We then went to the duck pond south of campus to feed the ducks. Holy moly, I just wanted to go home. I was miserable. I kept my arms folded for the rest of the night. Post duck pond, he finally took me home. I'm pretty sure the night ended without a hug.
Well, it unfortunately doesn't end there. He continued to call and I flat out refused. Multiple times. I told him at first that I was too busy and didn't have time. He left a bottle of PowerAde on my doorstep with a note that said something like "Hope your week is good, even though it's crazy" or something like that. He continued to call, and I continued to be busy. I avoided him when I saw him. I panicked. He creeped me out, and maybe I'm a bad person because of it, but oh well. He sent me a single flower with another card and said something to the same effect of the PowerAde. For FHE that night, my roommates and I burned the card. A little melodramatic, but I was only a Sophomore. I guess you could say I was acting "sophomoric."
Finally, one Sunday he showed up at my apartment. Keeping to the honor code, we just stood in my front room. Half of my roommates were in the kitchen and he didn't ask for privacy. It was a horrible confrontation, at least in my opinion. He said he really enjoyed the time we'd spent together and wanted to keep being able to go out. I said no, I didn't see it happening. I'm a mean person. I explained how busy I was that semester and that I just wasn't seeing anything happening between him and me in the future. He left, and my roommates laughed. It was horribly awkward.
He had graduated, but every now and then I'd see him on campus or walking near the apartment complex where we live. I have literally walked blocks out of my way to avoid running into him. I'm just a terribly awkward person.
On top of it all, he was balding.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Color me crayola.
I'm a big fan of color in general, but I've actually been to the Crayola site before. I used to think I'd go with "tickle me pink" because I like pink and I think it's an accurate reflection of myself. In kindergarten, however, I was a fan of salmon. These days though, I'm liking anything from "purple mountain's majesty" to cerulean. I'm liking the purples and blues these days, but greens are always good, from sea foam to hunter to jungle to forest.
I'm also slightly embarrassed that I knew all those names without going on to the site. But I'm a big fan of crayola.
I'm also slightly embarrassed that I knew all those names without going on to the site. But I'm a big fan of crayola.
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