I've been tagged!!

The lovely Mrs B from Decorating a Modern Home, has tagged me, and wants to find out 6 interesting things about me! Well, here goes!

1. I'm a storm chaser who used to be terrified of thunderstorms!

Believe it, or not, I was terrified of thunderstorms, and used to hide under anything I could find to 'avoid' them. After having children, I decided I should conquer my fear head on, and I did just that! I found out all I could about thunderstorms, and how they weren't going to 'come and get me'. I joined a few weather groups and forums and met some wonderful people. I now marvel at their power and awesome structure, and take photos of them instead (and many other aspects of the ever changing weather). I have been chasing through Victoria, Darwin and the Top End, NE NSW and SE QLD. My goal is to chase through the Great Plains of America, and I had the opportunity to this year...although house plans got in the way! One day I will, and hope to have many images of supercells and tornadoes...from a VERY safe distance. I have appeared in the local paper with an article and storm damage photos, and in a couple of magazines, one being a well known photography magazine alongside a couple of other well respected and knowledgeable chasers. All this lead me to judge a couple of local photographic clubs' monthly competitions, and design and maintain my own website.

Hence the name 'stormygirl'...just in case you were wondering ;)

The best way to conquer your fear is to face it head on...


2. I'm a closet chocoholic, and used to collect chocolate bar wrappers (back in the mid 80's).

Not much else to add to this point, really! I love chocolate, always have and always will. I 'have' to have some everyday, and my 'problem' was compounded by the fact my Husband used to work for Cadbury Schweppes for 10 years! Milk chocolate is my favourite, but if dark is on offer I won't say no!

The collected wrappers were mainly given to me by friends, and I had a whole draw full! At one point I was going to write into 'Simon Townsend's Wonder World' (Anyone remember that show??) with my collection in the hope I would appear on TV...OK, so I was about 14 at the time! They have since been thrown out MANY years ago...but I still go through lots of wrappers!!


3. I sang in a (now disbanded) cover band.

Music has always been such a huge part of my life. I grew up singing ABBA, The Seekers, and Nana Mouskouri! I can always remember singing softly to myself when I was younger, and loved playing the recorder in Primary school (always at Mondays' Assembly, various local comps and Eisteddfods.). In secondary school I played the clarinet, trumpet, bass guitar and taught myself to play a few things on piano, as well as appearing in House Music Comps.

These days, it's mainly just singing. My nails are now far too long to even think about the bass, and there is always added percussion on the piano keys when I try and play! ;). I met my husband through music, and we played in a few bands together as well as performing in a musical 8 years ago.

Our cover band performed at a few private functions and Weddings, and we always had so much fun. Although I always found it extremely nerve wracking, I actually miss it!


4. Some of my earliest memories.

My earliest and quite vivid memory is of my christening. I distinctly remember being held by my Mum outside the front of the Church, and I was touching the lacy material of my gown. I also remember seeing the photographer who took a photo at the time. The photo exists, and some people think the image may have triggered the memory, but I honestly remember being there at the time and feeling the 'rough' material of the gown. I guess it was so different to anything I had worn before. I was about 6 months old.

Another memory is from when I was about 2. My Sister had been brought home from school as she had been sick, and I remember seeing her lovely black school shoes covered in vomit!!! Revolting, but true!


5. No Dentist for 25 years.

Up until about 4 years ago, there was a rather huge gap in between Dentist visits. Why? I don't know. Scared of the unknown perhaps? I was actually quite proud of the fact that all through my teenage years and my 20's that I didn't have any fillings! There was a jolly good reason for that...I hadn't been to the Dentist!!

I always said I was going to go after I had a baby. If I had gone through 'that' I could go through anything! I finally succumbed when I no longer could eat on my left side, and the pain was too great to enjoy an Anniversary dinner. 4 fillings later and an experience which really wasn't that bad at all, I had broken the dental drought!



6. I once faked a sickie to get out of a maths test...

....IN GRADE FOUR!!

Not entirely sure if the teacher or my Parents cottoned on to this, but at the time, it was the ONLY thing I could think of. I hated maths, didn't really like the teacher, and obviously didn't want to do his ridiculous maths test which was waaay above my head...

...I have NEVER done it again!


So, there you have it!I would like to tag the following bloggers to think long and hard about 6 interesting things about themselves!

Louise from Lululollylegs

Michelle from She sells sea chelles

Artychick from Artychick and Co

A-M from The house that A-M built (private blog)

Toni from The Neils Cremorne (private blog)

Good Luck, Ladies!! If you have done it before...you can do it again! Or post a link to the post where you have been tagged. ;) ;)