25 Things About Julie Johnson

"Previously published on Julie Johnson's Facebook site."

1. I turn 24 every March. No joke. I have all my college friends trained to know that. And they usually let me get away with it.

2. I have always wanted to be a teacher. For as long as I can remember, I toted my school books home on the weekends so that I could "teach" my imaginary students at my grandparents house (they had the double, built-in chalkboards in the basement o' fun).

3. I miss the Basement O' Fun. My grandparents had an extremely large house, while I was growing up in the suburbs of Chicago. Their basement ran the entire length of their house. Want to play pool? Head down to the basement and hang out at the pool table. Want to play pinball? No coins necessary! There's a race-car pinball machine down there next to the pool table! Want to play school or legos? There are 15 boxes of random legos in an alcove across from the pool table, complete with built in, dual chalkboards. Like I said.....Basement O' Fun!!!!!

4. I play Toontown. Disney's Toontown online. You are a toon. You save toontown from evil cogs (robots) by throwing pies in their faces and squirting them with water hoses. I'm really quite a powerful toon. I'm addicted. Go ahead, laugh.

5. I like labels. I know labels. Coach, Christian Louboutin, Dolce & Gabana, etc. I can't afford labels. But I like labels. I also have an amazing grandmother who hands down her designer purses to me. She's also been known to hand down items that weren't hers....such as bedroom furniture, bowling balls, etc. But let's not open THAT can of worms.

6. I love eating out at restaurants. I mean, I REALLY love it. My love for it probably stems from the fact that as a family of six, we didn't eat out. Pizza delivery was as fancy as it got in my household. So I still look at eating out as a treat.

7. I write. Books, short stories, funny stuff. I just love to write. I can't call myself an author, because to do that, I feel a person should be published. But I can definitely call myself an author-in-training.

8. One of my favorite places in the whole wide world is Menahga, Minnesota. Wonderful in the summer, fun in the winter. It has it all. It's a town of 1000 people, full of pine trees, and more scandanavian folk than you can shake a stick at. I love it!! It's my kind of town.

9. Back injuries suck! But back surgery can be a wonderful thing. My surgery was extremely successful and I live every day without back pain. After having pain for so long, it's an amazing relief to be free of it. I wish I could share my no-pain-living with my Tauntie.

10. I have an awesome family. We are loud, crazy and irreverent. But they make me laugh. Some of the best times have been at the worst times. In the midst of my Grampa's funeral, we found ourselves (all 14 of us, I think) sitting around the kitchen table reminiscing and telling stories. We laughed until we cried. Even though we'd heard the stories tons of times, they seemed just as funny, and just as new as if we were hearing them for the first time. Then we got up and went on a lucrative treasure hunt. Yes, I'm serious. I LOVE MY FAMILY.

11. Family can also be messy. And hurtful and just plain difficult. But going through the crappy stuff makes you realize your capacity for forgiveness. And mercy. It makes you more aware of the good times, especially if they are few and far between. Crappy family stuff makes you thankful for the peace as it happens, and glad for the harmony when it surprises you.

12. Depression scares me. Having gone through it for so many years, without the assistance of medication, it makes me very aware of my frame of mind at all times. I am fearful of returning to the "dark place." But I also know how to combat it, which kinda makes me feel like Wonder Woman.

13. I owned a pair of Wonder Woman Underoos (many, many years ago). If you don't know what those are, google it. I had a ritual when the Wonder Woman tv show would come on. I got into my uniform (the underoos), complete with brown shoelaces yanked out of my shoes, which went around my wrists and became my golden bracelets that stopped bullets. The only time this plan failed was when my brother Roy had my underoos on without my permission. I doubt Batman ever had this kind of problem............

14. I am a Tauntie (pronounced TAN-TEE). For those of you who don't know what that is, don't try to google it. You probably won't get any results. Taunties are amazing Aunts! I have a Tauntie, and I wanted my nieces and nephews to have a Tauntie nearby, so Tauntie I became. It's the closest feeling to being a mother I can imagine. With the added bonus of spoiling the nieces/nephews, hopping them up on sugar, then sending them on their way, allowing me to miss the meltdowns, thus regaling me to "evil sister" by my siblings.

15. I spend alot of time with Mr. Laptop. He's my almost-constant-companion. When he doesn't work properly, it makes me very angry. I feel lost without him. He makes me happy most days.

16. I LOVE my church. I have never found a church like the one I attend now. I could write ten paragraphs about it. But I won't. They invest in the lives of their congregation. They don't play the numbers game. They disciple those who want it. It's truly amazing. And it makes my heart do small cramps when I think about ever leaving.

17. I exercise in my mind. In my mind, I am really good at Tae-Bo, and Core Rhythms. I can also do TurboJam like no one's business.....in my mind (that's not saying much....because in my mind, I can also dance as good as the stars of So You Think You Can Dance). When it comes to reality, I'm not good at any of these items listed. Oh, but I am good at the Walking Away The Pounds DVD, which consists of walking for one mile, in place. Ya, I'm really good at that.

18. I almost drowned when I was five. Someone (I think my Dad) had the bright idea of teaching me how to waterski at the tender age of 5. Yes, I said 5. I received many pieces of advice from many different uncles. The one common thread was "hold on to the rope." The boat took off, I fell face first immediately.....and I held onto the rope. And held on. My Tauntie saved my life. She somehow got to me and yanked on my ankle, causing me to let go of the rope. We sputtered and cried our way to shore, as I vehemently refused to ever waterski again. The mother and grandmother on shore agreed through their tears. It was all slightly traumatic.

19. I can see the light at the end of the college-tunnel. I am in my major classes, and I LOVE it. I'm learning tons about children, how they think, what I won't do in my classroom, what I will do, etc. I will be graduating in December 2010. That's next year. It's way exciting. ***Update*** - The light shines ever brighter....graduation is a little over four months away. I am beyond excited...

20. I want to learn how to quilt. My Mom has given me her old sewing machine (which isn't all that old) and I want to learn how to quilt. I don't yet know what my first quilt will be, or who it will be for, but I am currently taking orders. ***Update*** - I've made one quilt (it happened to be a Robert Pattinson quilt for my Twilight-freak roommate, Sheridan...she L-O-V-E-D it....and another quilt remains strewn about in my extra bedroom...someday.

21. I have awesome in-laws......not parental in-laws, but brother and sister in-laws. These three individuals treat me like a sibling. They allow me to treat their children like my own. And they let me bunk at their house when I'm in town, no questions asked. They rock.

22. I want to buy a new keyboard. I'm currently planning to stash away some money at some point this semester in order to do so, after I get some bills paid off. It would be nice to have an 88-key, weighted action keyboard for Chi-Alpha. I think its very logical for a piano player to have two pianos in her small, 2-bedroom apartment, don't you? ***Update*** - I bought an 88-key, weighted action keyboard, sold to me by an amazing friend who gave me an even more amazing discount at Guitar Center. That keyboard filled a huge need within our Chi Alpha Worship Band. I love that keyboard. And its mine forever!!!

23. I think about plastic surgery. Not all the time, but occassionally. I wonder if I'm going to mind seeing the wrinkles appear on my face. Or if I will be content to grow old gracefully. I freak over gray hairs that pop up on my head, and yank them out immediately. So if that's any indication of how I'm going to react to age, I may be in for an expensive lifestyle......

24. I've come to realize that I am very much like my Tauntie in one area. I love living alone. My brother even made a comment to this effect last week. I love not having to answer to anyone. I can clean my apartment, or not. I can cook, or not. I can play Toontown, eat raw cookie dough, and watch movies on my laptop, without having to worry about another person and their needs. It's a great life.

25. I hate Facebook. I love Myspace. But I get on facebook because it seems that the tide is turning and suddenly all my family and friends have a facebook, and I'm being left out of the loop. So to Facebook, I will go. Even if it IS against my will. ***Update*** - I love Facebook. I hate Myspace.