Claire

1. During 4 months in the summer of 1987, our family lived outside on the property where we were building our house. We had our choice of sleeping in a tent, on the trampoline, in a treehouse, or in a hammock. It was the best 4 months of my life.

2. In fourth grade I needed glasses. I didn't want to tell anyone I needed glasses, though. So I brought the cheap binoculars that were the toy in the Cocoa Crispies cereal box to school to see the chalkboard from the back of the classroom. No one caught me the entire school year.

3. I once had a dream that I changed my name to Shaegan George, after the uppity desk clerk wouldn't let me change it to Clara Weiss because it was too German.

4. When I was 11 my sister Sarah stole my chapstick. She claimed it was hers. We held court. Beth was Sarah's lawyer. Carrie was my lawyer. Dad was the judge.

5. I have a very vivid memory of riding with my mom in our old VW Beetle, around the age of 4-5, standing up in the front seat, dancing (seatbelts were optional then), while singing Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do With It" at the top of my lungs.

6. My mother told me when I was young that it was illegal for old ladies to have long hair. For many years I believed this, and looked with a certain degree of respect on the few gray haired women I saw flouting the law.

7. In college I went on a hike (Bishop's Peak for you SLO folk). Partway up the mountain, I decided to leave the trail and head straight up to the top (just to the left of the P-wall). It was one of the stupidest decisions I have ever made in my life. I could have EASILY died about six times. One of those times the only thing standing between me and death was a small plant of poison oak I was gripping with all my strength. The hike usually takes about an hour. That day it took me about five.

8. I used to have an allergic reaction to poison oak as a child. I no longer do.

9. I absolutely hate the fact that, as a human, I have to pee.

10.During high school I worked at a laundromat/dry cleaner's. One Saturday I was really bored, and decided to light a kleenex on fire on the space heater coils. Apparently, burning kleenex smells really, really bad. My boss showed up 15 minutes later. He never said anything. I've always wondered if he didn't notice the smell, or if he thought he was better off not knowing.

11. I prefer Miracle Whip to mayonnaise.

12. I knocked out my front tooth when I was about two years old when I fell down a ladder.

13. During my junior year of high school, I burned my eyebrows off during a Raku firing accident.

14. I took an auto class in high school. My math skills made me the "alignment" go-to girl. Fractions, angles, and all that. At least, that's what I tell myself. Probably all the other guys hated alignments.

15. When I was nine, I thought 'Gremlins' was an hilarious movie. I forced the rest of my family to sit through it, and couldn't understand why no one else was laughing.

16. In college I had a pet beta fish that once survived without food for 3 weeks when I went home for Winter break. Then he later survived going down my garbage disposal. He was tough.

17. I spent about 45 minutes in the back of a police truck driving around downtown Guatemala City in March 2008.

18. Our family once held a spelling bee to settle some ugly smack talk amongst the Ashby sisters. I did win.

19. One sister calls me the Oracle. One sister calls me Hot Lips. One sister calls me the Fixer.

20. I love orange juice.

21. I am a huge fan of Tom Waits. He rarely, and I mean rarely, tours. I passed up a chance to buy Tom Waits concert tickets last year, because he wasn't coming to my state. That decision easily passes up the hiking decision in the 'stupid' category.

22. I hate shopping for clothes, shoes, jewelry, and home furnishings. I love shopping for electronics, music, groceries, and almost all drug store items (shampoo, toothpaste, lotion, garbage bags, laundry detergent, etc).

23. I like trees. A lot.

24. When I was 8 I owned a pair of finches named Jack and Lili. I kept them in a cage outside. In the morning I would open the cage, and they would fly out. In the evening they would fly back in, and I would shut them in for the night. Finally, after a couple months, they didn't come back.

25. I can't whistle.