Nothing to add as a swim blog at the moment, but since I'm paying for this domain, I may as well use it! I found this on Gordon Gridley's blog, and it seemed funny. So here we go, my Top 10 Most Embarrassing Moments (as if there are only 10!)
10. 6th grade, day one. I transferred mid-year from being a dorky home-schooler (NOT my choice!), so it was my first time in a school since 1st grade. We were going into the locker room to change for gym. I started taking off my clothes when I realised that I was, very obviously, the ONLY girl in the room not wearing a bra of some sort. I was mortified. They all noticed this. The second I got picked up from school, I asked to go buy bras, even though I did not need them!
9. College, 2004. I was walking toward the j-school, listening to my new iPod. I was not paying attention, and rammed right into a parking meter. I hit so hard that it made me fall backward, flat onto the pavement, in front of approximately HUNDREDS of people. I tried to laugh it off, but my bum hurt really bad, and I was shaky as well. Not to mention my bright red, mortified cheeks!
8. UT Summer School, 2006. I was walking, again toward the j-school, lost within my iPod, when this journalist AND camera blocked my way. I took off my earphones, and the lady goes 'Hi, can you tell us who the group "Hezbollah" is?' I stammered. Foreign affairs have never been an interest of mine. I looked at her like she was nuts, created a nice double-chin scrunch, and went something like 'der, uhh, a terrorist group, or whatever?' I should know what I looked like and what I said. The stupid journalist put it on the 5 and 10 o'clock news that night.
7. Valentine's Day, circa 1994. Yep, I was probably around 8. And I had a massive crush on an 'older' swimmer, who was likely 10. I decided I was going to 'go for it', and bought him a 'teddy bear holding a heart' balloon and some chocolate. I went up to him, told him it was for him, and asked if he would be my Valentine. He looked embarrassed, and responded that he fancied my sister, not me, but took the balloon and chocolate anyway. Side note: that was the first and last time I ever pursued a relationship with the opposite sex.
6. Basically anything from August 2004 to April 2005. It was a very embarrassing time.
5. Doctor's appointment, age 6. Yes, I remember I was 6, because I was about to move from just doing summer league to swimming for TWST. I was so excited, and I needed a physical, so we went to the doctor. Dr. Wilkerson, my pediatrician. He was old, on the verge of retirement, and I was kind of scared of him, but liked going because there was a big fish tank in his waiting room, and a purple or orange Safe-T-Pop when you finished. I went in, and was sitting up on the examination table, when he came in and told me to raise my shirt so he could listen to my heart. I started to raise it, and he grabbed a part of my tummy and chuckled something like, 'My, we've got a bit of baby fat to lose!' The only thing I computed was my doctor laughing at me for being fat. And, for the record, I wasn't. I kind of hated myself from that point on.
4. 8th grade, 2000. I was not a great kid at this point in my life, mostly because I went to a school that was about as intellectually stimulating as watching grass grow in a field. I got in a lot of trouble, but on one afternoon, I was on the swings with my other juvenile delinquent friend, Jenny, when this kid Blake came toward us, and threw a huge fist-full of those playground rocks into our face, for no reason at all. I screamed out to him, 'YOU BITCH!' and, of course, got in major trouble for doing so. I was written up with a yellow slip, probably my 15th one, and I was not embarrassed for this. Instead, I was embarrassed because I called a boy a bitch, and had meant to call him a bastard.
3. Channel swim, 2009. I swam the first half of my channel with my right boob hanging out. I knew my suit was not positioned ideally, but I didn't want to touch it because I didn't want to get Vaseline on my goggles. I wouldn't have been embarrassed, but Nick posted the video footage to Youtube and now the entire world can see my right boob if they so choose.
2. Spring Nationals, 2001. I was swimming along, I think in my 400 IM, in prelims. I did great, yada yada, all was well, until a few weeks later, when every single person I have ever met in my entire life was telling me that I was in Sports Illustrated. I was ecstatic. I finally went into Barnes and Noble to see it. When I found it, I opened right to the page. It was 2 pages of me snarling into the camera on a breath. I wanted me to look all dainty, happily and gracefully swimming along at nationals. But no, I looked like I was a freaking monster ready to attack whomever was in my way. My shoulders looked about as big as chimneys. I wanted to be excited for making it into such a prestigious magazine, but really, I am to this day mortified that such a god-awful picture of myself exists!
1. 9th grade retreat. Some crazy Lutheran school I went to decided it was a great idea for the Freshman class to bond by going away to some retreat place for a night. I remember absolutely nothing about the trip, and I believe this is likely because I have psychologically blocked it out. We were sitting in a chapel, when, heads bowed, a teacher asked a few girls to leave the chapel with her. I thought nothing of it, and they left. It was time to go back home, so we were exiting to gather our things. I caught some sideways glances, but still had no idea what was about to ensue. When I got back to my bed, my stuff was missing. I heard shrieks of laughter, and went into the bathroom, where I saw the previously mentioned girls washing shaving cream off of all my stuff. We're talking everything. The backpack, my brand new one for high school, was on the ground, filled to the brim with shaving cream. My clothes were ruined, and I had to take everything home in a black plastic bag filled with soaking wet clothes and gear. I decided, then and there, that I was leaving high school as soon as humanly possible, and day one had not yet begun. (Note: I did drop out after that year, and started college. I graduated with 2 bachelor degrees before turning 21, so I think I got my 'revenge'.) ;)
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