Melissa Kirwan, Omnium Management Company, a Palladium USA Member, Irving, Texas
1. My Family. My large and gregarious family has always been one clown short of a complete circus. We are loud, proud and absolutely ridiculous. Practically everyone has nicknames that are less than flattering. My mother earned her title as Grand Master Flex a few years ago after sporting a red velour jumpsuit at a Christmas party. The time that we spend together means more to me than anything.
2. Our Residents. My community has a hip, urban feel that attracts all walks of life. Each month I receive at least four to five rent payments inscribed with personal messages or funny quotes on the memo line of the check. My favorite: “Warning: This check will self-destruct in five seconds.”
3. Southern Manners. I was raised in a home where every person should be addressed as Sir or Ma’am. As a Texan, this has become second nature. Oddly, I have offended countless people over the years by following this rule of hospitality.
4. “Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire.” This phrase always makes me turn my head to the side like a confused dog. Seriously, if your pants are on fire, the fact that you are lying becomes much less significant.
5. My Service Manager. No matter what kind of day I am having, I can always count on him to make me laugh. Whether it is a prank phone call to the office or an impersonation of another staff member, he is my partner in crime.
6. People Who Fall. I wish I could say that I didn’t laugh until I was sure that the person wasn’t injured, but that would be a lie. Some of the most hysterical fits of laughter I have ever had have been at the expense of someone else’s misfortune.
7. “The Little Rascals.” My favorite quote from this movie would have to be, “Dear Darla, I hate your stinking guts. You make me vomit. You’re scum between my toes! Love, Alfalfa.” My boyfriend and I have exchanged this salutation more times than I can count.
8. Social Networking. I will never understand why people take pictures of their lunch and share it with friends or post to Facebook that they just checked in at Applebee’s.
9. My Dog. My 10-year-old pug has kept me laughing for most of her life. She is stubborn, charismatic, and playful. She runs the home that my boyfriend and I share and she knows it.
10. Picture of My Dad. I lost my father in December of 2008. Not a day goes by that I do not think of him. For Christmas last year my aunt printed my favorite picture of him and stuck it inside a small silver keepsake box. The outside of the box reads, “My Cure for Everything.” Inside is a picture of my Dad with two plastic bags hanging from his ears. Every single time I look at it, I laugh.