tagged! 7 random facts about me

My friend JamBerry tagged me for a meme. But I'm not linking to her blog, because it's private and most of you won't be able to get in anyway! Here's the meme rules:

1) Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
2) Share 7 facts 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.

This fits in pretty well with my I-can't-think-of-much-to-blog-about theme lately, so here's 7 things about me that you probably could have done just as well not knowing:

1. I love filling out surveys. I'm sort of a survey-aholic. I'm not sure why, except that I really like to share things about myself, even if it's filling out bubbles on pre-designed consumer studies. Like "Ooh! Missy Numbercounter from the National Bureau of Random Facts wants to know how many bottles of shampoo I use in a year! Yes, I must share!!"

2. Speaking of odd things I really love, funerals is another one. Of course, I don't love the REASON necessitating a funeral, but I love hearing all about the life and times of the loved one, sharing memories with family and friends, and the camaraderie and support of being with others who loved the same person. It's all about the love! And that love doesn't quit when the person's body does. Feeling that person all around me is what makes funerals a really special event for me.

3. That said, however, I've been to one funeral that was just awful. Not that the ceremony itself was bad. I just had trouble accepting the death of this particular person. Jim was a former supervisor of mine, who had left the state's Wildlife Biology division to become a Conservation Officer shortly after I left that job. He and I had a unique relationship -- we shared an office, and nagged each other constantly. The bickering was nearly constant, and extremely amusing both for us and anyone within earshot, but anyone could tell it all came from a place of really caring for each other. He called me the nagging wife he never had, I called him the bratty child I never wanted. Jim was shot and killed by a hunter (who was hunting illegally after dark) while on duty, 9 years ago last week. I hadn't seen him in several years and felt extremely guilty about not staying in touch. The combination of guilt and mourning and general shock left me a mess for weeks. I sobbed through the extremely enormous State funeral, and the graveside ceremony afterwards, and pretty much continually for several weeks. I haven't hunted since.

4. Speaking of that, and trying to lighten the mood a bit, I worked for the State's Wildlife Division on and off for several years, after which I went into the Veterinary Technician field, where I worked for more than a dozen years. However, prior to all that, I worked as an Environmental Educator for several state and town environmental conservation programs and even a fairly large Science Museum after graduating from college.

5. My major in college was Wildlife Management. Among other jobs I held while at school (I was working 6 different jobs simultaneously during my senior year), I worked at a research facility where I bottle-raised deer fawns, took care of coyotes and bobcats, and followed radio-collared animals through the woods to record every bite of food they took. I also worked at an Aviary where I cared for a countless variety of waterfowl from around the world, and studied Aspergillosis (a fungal infection) in Eider Ducks. Wildlife Management was a VERY cool major.

6. Ok, getting back to the random: When we were young teenagers, my brother and I each had a bedroom in the basement of my parent's house. At bedtime many nights, I'd sneak downstairs ahead of my brother and hide somewhere in his room. Then, after he was settled into bed at night and just about falling asleep, I would leap out and scare the living daylights out of him. Good times....

7. I've been a life-long New England Patriots fan. Ok, ok, I know that's not news to anyone. But I don't think the rules of this meme say it has to be NEW facts about ourselves! And this is SUCH a good year to be a Patriot's fan. For those of you not keeping track (and if not, WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?????), "we" (don't you love how possessive sports fans are of their teams?) are undefeated so far this year, and look to remain that way straight through the Superbowl (which will be "our" FOURTH Super Bowl title this decade). Everyone credits super-coach Bill Belichick and our totally rockin' record-breaking Quarterback Tom Brady with the success of the team in recent years. But I personally know it's all due to the birth of our own lucky charm, J. They sucked before he was born! And now they're unstoppable. What else could it be?

And now onto the other rules of this meme. I need to tag 7 people. SEVEN. I couldn't even think of 5 that hadn't been tagged before the last time I did a meme. Seven just ain't gonna happen -- I don't even read 7 blogs! So I guess I'll stick with my old stand-by and say, sorry, I'm going to break that rule. If anyone WANTS to do this meme and hasn't been tagged yet, you are more than welcome to consider yourself tagged by me!