I had a rare moment (you know, in the bathroom with the door locked) where I managed to sneak a little quality reading time with my favorite tome, Us Weekly. They have a section where a celebrity tells “25 things we don’t know” about them. You guys, how have I lived my whole life without knowing that Alison Sweeney only has three keys on her key chain? I mean, this is earth-shattering stuff.

Then I started looking at my idea list for blogs posts, and it basically read like a 25 things list. I’ve already written ten dorky facts about me, so what the hell, here’s ten more.

1) Topiary animals scare the crap out of me. Yes, it’s because of The Shining (the book, not the movie). Plants are not supposed to look like animals! My first apartment after college required me to drive by a crazy house that had five or six topiary animals right out front. I would often get stopped at the light by the house, and I SWEAR to GOD the animals would stare at me. I refused to drive by the house at night. (If you lived in Hermosa Beach, you know the house I’m talking about.)

2) Feet. Are. Disgusting. Specifically the bottoms of feet (baby feet are exempt). I cannot stand to see the soles of a person’s bare feet. Just writing that makes me gag. The root of my foot phobia can be traced back to junior high school.

3) I am afraid to order take-out food over the phone. I know this is irrational. But every time I place an order over the phone, it’s messed up. And it almost always has to do with Mike’s food. They forget his order, make a weird substitution, etc. Here in LA we have an online ordering system for a lot of restaurants, and this has saved me. But if it has to be placed over the phone? Mike does it.

4) I talk in my sleep. Not mumbles, but full-on conversations. I’ve done this my whole life. When I was a kid, my parents would constantly go into my room in the middle of the night, convinced there had to be someone in there with me. My friends and college roommates delighted in having conversations with me when I was unconscious. Mike HATES IT. I have no memory of it, ever.

5) I’m just gonna say it loud – I love me some Britney Spears. I’ve worked in the music industry, specifically with singer/songwriters and jazz musicians, so I’m “not supposed” to like a pop machine like her. But damn it, I just can’t quit Brit Brit! I even dressed as her for Halloween one year, and convinced Mike to join me:

britkev2

Britney forever!

6) When I’m traveling, the first thing I do when I get to a hotel room is unpack. Even if I’m only staying one night. This is the exact opposite of what I do when I get home from traveling. I’m pretty sure there is a suitcase in my closet with stuff from my Mexico trip last summer.

7) I carry a list of potential list of songs for karaoke on my person at all times. You never know when a sing-off could pop up. One must always be prepared.

8 ) I suffer from horrible motion sickness. I always had to sit in the front seat or window seat as a kid (and I still need to, most of the time). My brother Kyle is still bitter about this, 16 years later.

9) Don’t fall asleep before me unless you are prepared for the consequences.

Never fall asleep before me

I sent this picture out over twitter. Hey, I should put it on Facebook!

10) I am really short, and pants are always too long on me:

Perhaps I should have these hemmed

Everyone always seems surprised when I say I’m short. I think it’s because I have good posture, thanks to years of piano teachers smacking my back. “SIT UP STRAIGHT!”

10.5) I’m scared of piano teachers.