10 Things You Don't Know About Laurie

1. I feel a little guilty every time I hear the furnace start up or see a light on in the house that does not have someone directly using it. This comes from my dear Grandma Goudie I think. She was the ultimate conservationist. She always wore a Shetland sweater in the winter to keep warm and told me often that it was wrong to 'keep the light burning'.

2. When I was little I had mild OCD. When I felt anxious I would repeat a drum beat in my head in a pattern and then force myself to also do it backwards. If I didn't do it right I had to start over or something bad would happen to my family. Thats why my report card consistently said "Laura doen't listen". I also felt relief from anxiety by pulling strands of hair out of my head. There was something about the slight pain that was soothing. I stopped when I noticed a bald spot looking at myself in the mirror one day.

3. I used to believe I could communicate with animals. Especially cats. I knew just what they were feeling. I perceived that they didn't have complex thoughts, only fleeting emotions which caused them to act. I didn't think it was a two way conversation though.

4. I think I could be a good artist. I rarely paint, but it feels so instinctive when I do. I want to paint grizzly bears. I love to paint at the lake.

5. Death doesn't scare me. I am intrigued by it and like to read books on how it happens.

6. I just stopped biting my fingernails! Another OCD-related thing. Wow, it only took me 40 some odd years.

7. My favorite smell is pine needles on damp earth. This smell is one reason why I love to run. I always prefer running in the woods.

8. I love words and witty people. I think people who can tell a captivating story or can spout off witty thoughts on a whim are the most intelligent beings.

9. I wish I were witty. More than almost anything else.

10. I dislike talking on the phone because it frustrates me to not be able to see the other person's facial expressions. Talking over each other because you can't see the other person makes me irritated. My mind goes blank and I struggle to find an interesting thing to say.