Jennifer Plesko

Here it is. My very first meme. Kellie was nice enough to tag me and save me from my writer’s block. I’ll have something original soon, I promise.I only wish I had my photo albums here so I could add pictures to this.

10 years ago…

A lot happened in August 1998. I had just graduated high school, and for my graduation present, my parents were planning to take me to Ireland. However, it was a difficult time to leave the country because my grandfather had bone cancer and was going downhill fast. But he insisted that we take our trip. Before we left, he gave me an envelope full of Irish pounds and told me to have a good time and spend it all. I remember being so touched that he went to the trouble to get that for me because, at the time, he was bedridden and being cared for by hospice. My aunt and uncle flew in from Arizona to be with him while we were gone. The trip was great; we had a wonderful time right up until we were at the airport waiting to board the plane. Dad called home to see how Granddad was doing. That’s when my uncle told him he had died the night before. Talk about a long trip home. And when I finally finished unpacking from my trip, there was the envelope he’d given me - untouched. I could have sworn I had used that money, but there it was. The following week, instead of going to Fish Camp, I went to the funeral. I was just glad that he had lived long enough to know that I had been admitted to his alma mater. A couple of weeks later, as I walked around campus on my first day of college, I thought of him.

5 years ago…

That was the end of a crazy summer. Two of my cousins and I were all married within weeks of each other in three different states so our family was earning a lot of miles. By August, I’d only been married a month, and it still felt like I was drinking from a fire hose. We were young, broke, remodeling a house, using lawn furniture indoors, learning how to be married, housebreaking a puppy, and - if I remember correctly - that was when I was fired from my hellish job as an administrative assistant for the world’s most arrogant allergist (pretty sure he never learned my name - just threw charts at me as he passed). And although I hated every second of the three and a half weeks I was there, I was positively inconsolable. I’d never been fired before (or since)! When I got home, my new husband brought me flowers, fixed me my favorite drink, and rented the all-time greatest “I hate my job” movie - Office Space. Yeah. I think I’ll keep him.

5 months ago…

As is normal in the Plesko house, five months ago our lives were insane. Hubby got a job in Dallas and was preparing to move there. I was wrapping things up at my old job and job hunting in Dallas. Both of us were working on the house trying to finish it. I am happy to report that we both reside in Dallas now; however, the house is still in progress.

5 things on my to-do list tomorrow:

1. Finish the photo editing for the book I’m laying out at work.
2. Finish my blog post.
3. Pray.
4. Iron some clothes.
5. Go to the gym.

5 things people don’t know about me…

1. I have to tell my husband and my parents I love them before one of us goes anywhere - even if it’s a short trip. You never know when it could be your last chance to tell them, and I learned that lesson the hard way.
2. When I was a child, I used to pretend that my life was a movie and that I was the star and there was an audience somewhere rooting for me. It helped me a lot when I was having a tough day. So basically, The Truman Show was my idea.
3. I was born a month late. I was due on October 1st and was born on Halloween. Although my poor mom must’ve been miserable, I’m glad that she left me in there because it’s a great birthday to have.
4. For years, I have had a recurring dream that I am babysitting myself as a toddler. I’m sure Freud could have a field day with that one.
5. My connection with words is so strong that I have passed out multiple times just from reading or hearing something graphic.

5 bad habits…

1. I can’t leave zits alone. If I have one, it’s going to be squeezed…more than once.
2. I work myself up. I can obsess over the smallest thing until, in my mind, it’s huge. (Example: she didn’t return my email … why won’t she return my email? … she always returns my emails … she must be mad at me … but I didn’t do anything … why would she be mad? … I bet I said something that offended her on my blog … come to think of it, so-and-so didn’t return my email either … they must both be mad … I bet they’re talking about me right now and agreeing never to speak to me again … oh look! she just emailed me.)
3. I get road rage. I don’t go as far as deliberately cutting people off or flipping the bird, but I get very annoyed very easily and I’ll totally let it ruin my day. I’m working on this.
4. I love Diet Dr Pepper. I got hooked on it in college when the Coke machine ran out of regular Dr Pepper. I always rationalize that it doesn’t matter that I drink about five a day since there are no calories. But who am I kidding? It can’t be good for you. My stomach is going to rot one of these days. (I still don’t care.)
5. I have a hard time not caring when people don’t like me - even if I don’t like them. I’m getting better at this.

5 places I have lived…

1. College Station, TX
2. Bryan, TX
3. Austin, TX
4. Dallas, TX
5. That’s it. Notice how I listed Bryan and College Station separately? I was stretching.

Tag 5 people…

Maria, Tootsie, Jenny, Ali, Kathryn!