Red Rover, Red Rover!

This is really a game of tag, but Red Rover was one of my favorite recess games. I'm not sure why, since someone usually gets hurt and it's a little embarrassing when you can't break through the line and instead get clotheslined, but I always loved it.

I've been tagged by Aletha at Pearls Events. I've never been tagged before, so this is a baptism or rite of passage of sorts into the blogging community. It's like they called my name to run on over! Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.

2. Share 7 random and or weird things about yourself.

3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.

4. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Seven random/weird things:

1. I learned to ice skate when I was 5 or 6. My dad froze our backyard most winters. When I was 10, I started begging my parents for skating lessons, which were not easy to come by since the nearest ice rink was an hour away. Finally when I was 14, the dream came true and I took my first lesson with a real coach and all! I've now been taking lessons for 10 years and am heavily involved in the adult skating community and competitions. I'm also working toward my Novice tests, which will qualify me to compete at the Eastern Great Lakes Regionals, which feed into the U.S. Nationals.

2. Matt helped me with this one: A few things I love: black and white photography, Speedway slurpees, lab and golden retriever puppies, nice kittens, the color pink. Things I don't like: cooking, crooked picture frames, mean people, tornadoes. (Does #2 count for more than one thing?)

3. I've told Matt that if we ever have a son, I want to name him Orlando. The name is after our friend, Orlando Perdomo, who is a pitcher with the Detroit Tigers (in the minors). He is from Venezuela and is one of the kindest people we know. Matt isn't so sure about naming a child after him though. :)

4. My last name is so stinkin' long that before I went to kindergarten, my mom made me sit inside at the kitchen table with a pack of colorful markers in front of me. I had to write my name in color after color until I learned to spell it, and I couldn't go out and play until I did. She says she doesn't remember this. But that's how I remember it, Mom. :)

5. My family celebrates St. Nicholas Day (December 6--today) because of our German heritage. The night before the 6th, you put your shoe outside the door, and in the morning, there is a little present from "St. Nicholas." My mom still sends a package for the day, but I have to put it in my own shoe. Matt and I plan to carry on this tradition. It's probably my favorite holiday ever.

6. I love being by the water and spent many summers at my grandma's lake. We stayed in a very rustic cottage (mice, water snakes, the whole deal). But it was very secluded and peaceful. I dream of someday owning a cottage on Lake Michigan.

7. My latest hobby is Adobe InDesign. I took a class at the local art school and now have the software loaded on my computer. I'm spending this weekend experimenting with it in attempts to create awesome stuff for our wedding!

Ummm, I'm supposed to tag 7 people now. I don't know who reads my blog that hasn't been tagged, but Anne feel free to consider yourself tagged!