Writing 8 things about me instead of 8 things about any number of work related issues

The strong and thoughtful Em has tagged me to do this 8 things meme. Really, I should be finishing a report. editing papers, writing presentations, blah, blah, blah but I'm going to give myself a break and do this. I'm at the computer so its practically like work isn't it? This is how it goes:

A. Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves.

B. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed.

C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Here goes:

1. I do a lot of writing for my work and I don't enjoy it. I have to fit templates, use institutional language and second guess reviewers and others who say 'yes' or 'no' to what I think and write. People often comment I am overly wordy and meandering, which I consider to be strengths, but apparently are not.

2. My middle name is Agnes, after my paternal grandmother and maternal great grandmother. I was teased mercilessly about this name when I was in primary school - indeed, the teasing was lead by my fourth grade teacher, Mr Groves - and I hated it. Now I'm proud to have such a link with two strong women, and have handed it down to my first daughter as her middle name.

3. I really wish I had never gone out with my high school boyfriend. I adored him at the time, I guess, but it was a very dodgy relationship, very much in the soapie young love mold, and now, as my Grammy says, I wouldn't pee on him if he were on fire.

4. I like to wear matching bra and panties. I feel slightly scrappy if I don't.

5. My favourite garden was built on the balcony of my friend Tambo's house in Elizabeth St in Toowong, in Brisbane. Everything was in pots; it was lush and beautiful and fruitful. I have a much, much, much larger garden but I still strive for that feeling of generosity and elegance Tambo creates wherever she goes.

6. I hate asking people for any kind of a favour: lifts home, babysitting, feeding the chooks, borrowing a pen, anything big or small. I quail a little inside when I have to rely on someone else.

7. None of my very dear friends live in the same town as me. I really miss being part of their daily lives: seeing their children, eating meals together, sitting around drinking and talk, talk, talking.

8. One of my dearest and staunchest friends gave me Candide during a very bad time in my life. In the front he wrote: 'May you find peace in your garden'. I always do, and each time I stand there, feeling happy and blessed, I think of him. It's a really nice way to keep someone in my mind.

I'm working at home on my Mac, which doesn't obviously let me create weblinks in the text, so I'll list the people I want to tag and link into them tomorrow when I'm back at the office PC. So, keeping in mind point 6, I tag six people who always have something interesting to say about life and themselves: Victoriae, Tamsin, Kate, Janet, Nutmeg, Jenny Wren. Not eight, thereby breaking the rules (oh dear) but I really feel a bit uncomfortable asking people to tell me about themselves when I only lurk about their sites (again, point 6!).

Back to the short word, short sentence and the point: blah, blah,blah.