six facts about me

I've been tagged... by Kim
Here are the rules:
A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

1. i do not have a sense of smell.

2. i had a head injury in the year 2000 where i had over 20 brain contusions and the midline of my brain shifted three degrees, and miraculously healed...the only lasting effect of this injury was the loss of my sense of smell.

3. my hair was always stick-straight until after my head injury and now it is very curly naturally, but i still blow dry and straighten it almost every day(even though dave likes it better curly) i have heard that it may have been the trauma, that my skull became thicker, that people with curly hair have thicker skulls and the hair follicles have to work harder to grow out. i don't know if this is true or not, but isn't it a fascinating explanation?

4. i have a birthmark on my left eyelid. it has lightened up dramatically over the years, it used to be so dark. when i left the state to go to college, one of my best friends told me that one of the things she missed most about me was the birthmark on my eyelid...

5. i love to read. it is one of my life-long dreams to write a book. i am currently reading "the virgin suicides" and it is a very interesting read.

6. i have chronic insomnia. i have for as long as i can remember, even as a young child. it has definitely gotten worse over the years(i never can sleep unless i have taken some kind of sleep aid, but the prescription sleeping pills like ambien don't work for me) i have always had vivid nightmares, starting with a horrifying recurring one as a child and i have often wondered if subconsciously there is something inside me that actually does not want to find sleep.

So I have to tag SIX people...gustogirl, a force that brings good fortune, hankstown, the kirnan crib, hopeless romantic, time-for-a-paws and anyone else that wants to participate...

have fun and i won't feel bad if you choose not to post six facts about yourself on your blog even though it would be fun to read so if you post, leave me a comment letting me know!

i like you aunt dulie

so dave and i went with his sister, brother-in-law and their kids to dinner and to see the bee movie on saturday night. my little niece gwen is always so entertaining with the things that she says. we got out of the car and she comes running across the parking lot yelling, "aunt duuuullliiiieee" when we sat down at the pizza place she grabbed my arm and said, "i like you aunt dulie." we sat by each other in the movie too and she was holding onto my arm the whole time and leaning against me and periodically she would look up and say, "aunt dulie, you're da best" or "i like you aunt dulie" ...her mom told us later that when she says she likes someone that means she loves them. too bad we didn't know this before the outing because when dave told gwen that he loved her, she looked up at him and said, "i'm not your wife" and since i am still laughing about it four days later i thought i would share.

sweetie pie

i stayed home from work today. i have a head cold and had trouble breathing last night and woke up with a sinus headache. it was nice to be able to go back to sleep and take the day to rest. I couldn't wait for dave to get home though, i was missing him like crazy. when he walked in the door he brought home dinner from the cheesecake factory because he knew i was not feeling well. what a sweetie pie. i thoroughly enjoyed the shepherd's pie and cheesecake. thanks dave. you are the best.

Scattergories

i am stealing this idea from Kim. Thank you! This was fun to play. i am tagging everyone that reads this...answer the following questions with the letter that your first name begins with.

What is your name? Julie
4 Letter word: Jade
Vehicle: Jeep
TV Show: Jeopardy
City: Jerusalem
Boy Name: Jack
Girl Name: Jessica
Drink: Jaegermeister
Occupation: Janitor
Movie: Jurassic Park
Popular Band: Jimmy Eat World
Something you wear: Jewelry
Celebrity: Jimmy Fallon
Food: Jell-O
Something found in a bathroom: Jacuzzi Tub
Reason for being late: traffic "Jam"
Something you shout: Jerk

i miss me

warning: this is not a clever, entertaining post(haha, not that any of my posts are) this is an expression of the sadness and frustration i feel today.

a couple of weeks ago i was having a heart-to-heart with my mom and i couldn't keep it together emotionally and really fighting back tears as i was describing how much i am struggling with trying to become a mom. my mom mentioned that she missed that "julie lilt" in my voice. i know that she said that with love trying to lend support to me, but as soon as i got off the phone i started crying. i know that i don't recognize myself lately, that i often feel hollow and tired but i thought i was pretty skilled at putting on a good show...if not happy, at least calm and okay. it was hard to hear that other people can't see me right now either. i don't feel like the same girl that i once was. i don't look the same, i don't act the same. i look at pictures of a happy me and i don't even resemble that girl. i think that must be one of the greatest abilities one can have in life...the ability to move forward when your heart is broken, to keep giving when you feel you have nothing left to give, to be hopeful and optimistic when your experiences have painted life in harsh, menacing tones...this is what i strive to do, but lately i am tired. i miss me, and hard as i try i can't find myself. where did i go? i have been through tough times before and i made it out okay. how did i do it?

cutest monkey in the world

is my nephew JJ the cutest monkey in the world or what? it made my halloween to see him all dressed up. wish i could have seen all my nieces and nephews in their costumes...i can't wait to see pictures...

circus celebrity

i blogged all about how dave took me to the circus and somehow the post was deleted so i am going to write about it again. last year (2006) was the first time i had ever been to the circus. dave took me and we had so much fun. i loved the elephants the best. this year dave told me we had really good seats and that we needed to be to there early, but what he didn't tell me was that we had VIP seats and we were circus celebrities! it was so much fun. they pulled us up and we got to ride around the circus parade and wear hats and had the clowns take our picture. i will never forget it. i felt just like a kid. it was so much fun. dave claims he didn't know they were VIP seats, he just wanted me to be able to see things. last year we sat next to this little girl who would laugh and clap whenever i laughed. it seemed like she was watching me more than the circus animals. i really do love the circus. here are a few pictures:

fancy schmancy front row seats


before the show, with the nose the clown gave to me


the clown that kept trying to make me laugh


picture of one of the elephants