100 Things About Me...Part 4...Praise the Lord It's Over!

I can see the end so let's just do it!

76. I used to love dolphins. Well, I guess I still like them but about 12 years ago, I was fascinated by them. The first gift my husband ever got me was a framed dolphin print. I had always wanted to swim with the dolphins and I finally got the chance on our honeymoon. We went to Cancun and took a daytrip to Xel-ha. This was the most beautiful place I have ever been. I got to get into a lagoon with dolphins while they swam and did tricks around me. I tried to grab on to one of them as it was swimming past so that it could pull me through the lagoon but apparently that wasn't allowed. People started blowing whistles and yelling, "Do not grab the dolphins! Do not grab the dolphins." Whoops!

77. I love cafeteria food. In fact, I blame my freshman 15 on the fact that I had a meal pass that allowed me to eat as much food as I wanted three times a day. I was amazed at the sheer volume of food in that cafeteria. Luckily, I was able to quickly shed the weight when I moved into an apartment and was required to do my own cooking. Perhaps I should try a diet of tuna sandwiches and frozen meals to help me loose my current excess weight? Hmmm...Nah...my husband and kids might object!

78. I like my husband's family. I know so many people that don't get along with their in-laws but I don't have that problem. I consider myself very lucky after some of the things I read on other blogs.

79. We did not have air conditioning when I was growing up. I live in the South and wonder now, how we ever did it. I like it hot but I guess I like it hot with the option to quickly cool down!

80. I am a Google fanatic! I believe that if you have a question, you can find an answer on Google. Wish I owned stock...

81. I had a miscarriage in November of 2006. I was only 9 weeks pregnant but I still think about that little baby almost every day. He's going to be waiting for me when I get to heaven...

82. I have a brown thumb. I have a really hard time getting house plants to grow. For instance, my sister-in-law gave me a wonderful rosemary plant and in less than two months, I have killed it. I keep watering it thinking it will come back to life but right now it looks like Charlie Brown's pathetic Christmas tree. There a little rosemary needles everywhere! Sorry, Cathy!

83. I hate chain letter emails. Please don't ever send me anything that says, "Please forward this to 10 people in the next 10 minutes or your life will be ruined." Can't stand those things! Why do people continue to forward them on?

84. I also hate those WARNING emails. Please do not forward me any emails warning me of a horrible things that are going on in the world without first checking it out on http://www.snopes.com/. 99.9% of the time, Snopes will confirm that it is nothing more than a hoax.

85. I have a huge fear of heights. I first realized this when I was about 8. My parents took us to the Mile High Swinging Bridge. It is 228 foot suspension bridge at Grandfather Mountain. We had to walk up a bunch of steps to get to the bridge and then we walked across the bridge to watch hang gliders glide off the mountain.

The bridge was blowing ever so slightly in the wind. I was scared to death. When we made it to the other side of the bridge I decided that I would just sit on the rocks and watch the hang gliders for the rest of my life. There was no way I was going back across that bridge. My parents finally coaxed me back across and I haven't been the same since.

About 10 years ago, I had a business meeting in Monterrey, California. I flew into San Francisco and spent the weekend sight seeing there. On Sunday, I drove Highway 1 up the Pacific Coast to Monterrey. I hear the scenery is beautiful but I wouldn't know. I was so scared driving along the cliffs that I couldn't even take my eyes of the road. I drove well below the speed limit the entire way. I had traffic backed up and wanted to pull over at one of the scenic overlooks to let everyone pass, butI knew that if I stopped I would be too scared to start again. So I kept going at my snails pace until I finally arrived. It really annoys me that I let my fear of heights get in the way of enjoying such beauty which I may never get the chance to see again.

86. I do not have an iPod. I haven't seen the need for one since I think most people use them when they are working out and since I don't work out...

87. I have never had any broken bones or any surgery...unless you count the two C-sections I had.

88. I attempted breastfeeding with both of my kids and I hated every minute of it. I breastfed Peter for 2 months and cried the entire time. I'm not sure if it was post-partum blues but I know that as soon as I allowed myself to give Peter a bottle I felt so much better. I thought it would be different with Sarah so I tried to breasfeed her but it only lasted for 1 month. I greatly admire women who are able to breastfeed and at times still feel inadequate for not being able to do it longer.


89. My eyes fly open two minutes before my alarm goes off. This happens every single morning.


90. My oldest and dearest friend is Tanya. We met in the 7th grade but our friendship really blossomed in the 10th grade. We were roommates all through college and even after college until she got married. We even both worked at the same company for 10 years until I got laid off. And just like me, she met her husband at this company!


91. It took me five years to graduate college. But in my defense, I did have a part time job for 4 of those 5 years.


92. I worked at a copy/printing shop for 2 years in college. I really knew my way around a high speed copier back then! Then I got a real job at IBM. I thought I was hot stuff because I was making $8.50 an hour...don't laugh! That was 1990 so I think $8.50 an hour was pretty good for back then.


93. I saw Hootie and the Blowfish at a frat party in 1992. (Their album Cracked Rear View didn't come out until 1994.) I remember thinking, these guys are good but I wish they would sing some cover tunes because all they sang were their own songs. I also saw Bare Naked Ladies at a little club in Charlotte about two years before they were famous. I used to be so cutting edge. Now I'm just edgy.


94. I love that when I look out of my front windows I can see horse pasture with three horses and a dilapidated old red barn. And I love that when I look out my back windows I can see the roof of my BFF's house.


95. I love to blog. It makes me happy. I don't scrapbook. I don't exercise. I don't take photographs. I don't paint. I blog. But I don't like to tell people that I have a blog. I feel like a big dork when I talk about blogging in real life, especially if the people I am talking to don't have a blog or don't read blogs.

96. I am Pro-Life and I am against the death penalty.

97. I try to start the day and end the day in prayer. And I pray a lot in between too. I am not a worrier and I don't fret. If I have a problem, I give it to God and let him take care of it.

98. I do not like to play games with my kids. I will read to them, do crafts with them, play with them at the park but I do not like to play board games, play with toys or play with dolls. I hope my children will forgive me when they are older. But don't feel too bad for my kids. I schedule a lot of play dates so they can have fun with their friends and they have learned to play by themselves which I think is a good thing.

99. I have always wanted to go on the Amazing Race with my husband. But I doubt I will ever be brave enough to apply. With my horrible sense of direction, fear of heights, inability to drive a stick shift, noncompetitive nature, irritable bowel and laid back attitude we would never make it past the first leg of the race any way!

100. I think I gave you more than one thing about me in #99 so I think I have finished.

If you read all 100 Things About Me, I commend you! I hope you feel like you know me a little better now and will continue to visit my blog.

I am just glad to be finished!

100 Things About Me...Part 3

Here we go again...25 more things you always wanted to know about me but were afraid to ask...

51. I love Jennifer Aniston. I was heartbroken when Brad Pitt left her for Angelina Jolie but I guess I'm over it now.

52. My favorite day of the week in Thursday. I know this might sound odd but when I was working and Must See TV was all the rage on NBC, I really started looking forward to Thursdays so I could get my Friends and Seinfeld fix. It was at that point that I realized, by looking forward to Thursdays, my weekend started earlier. And if your "weekend" starts on Thursday, you have only a 3 day work week and a 4 day weekend every week! I guess I like to look at the glass half full instead of half empty!

Now that I have a DVR, it doesn't really matter which night any of my favorite shows are on but I still like to think of Thursday as the beginning of my weekend!

53. I have hazel eyes. Growing up I always wished they were green. In high school, I even got green tinted contact lenses. But I always felt like I was misrepresenting myself and they looked fake, so, I came to terms with my brownish greenish eyes and have learned that with the right eye shadow shade, they can look more green than brown.


54. I have no patience and I don't hide my frustration well. My daughter is always asking me "are you happy or mad?" knowing full well that I am upset.


55. I am a homebody. I would prefer to spend the weekend at home with my family than going to birthday parties, cookouts, neighborhood events, etc. Don't get me wrong...I enjoy these things too but only every once in a while...not every weekend! I know this sounds boring but it suits us just fine!


56. My favorite month is September. I was born in September and I got married in September. I love the weather...it starts to cool down and the sky is usually a magnificent shade of blue most days.


57. I love Jersey Mike's subs. My favorite is the vegetarian. There isn't one very close to me now and I miss it. Subway just doesn't cut it if you have ever had Jersey Mike's.


58. While we are on the subject of food...my favorite fast food place is Wendy's. Unfortunately, the kids like McDonald's and Dan likes Chick-Fil-A so we don't ever eat there.


59. I don't like Chick-Fil-A because the chicken sandwiches are too chicken-y and their waffle fries are too potato-y. My family loves to make fun of me when I tell them this. It does sound silly but it's true!


60. I like to keep my house neat. It's not always clean but everything is usually in it's place. I do my house cleaning (and I use that term lightly) on Fridays so that I can enjoy the weekend with a semi-clean house. Although, it usually looks like it needs to be cleaned again by lunchtime on Saturday.

61. One of my pet peeves is toothpaste in the sink. I don't know what it is with my kids, but whenever they finish brushing their teeth, there is toothpaste strung from one end of the bathroom to the other. Drives me crazy!

62. My favorite flower is the tulip. I love white ones, especially. They are so simple and beautiful. I carried a bouquet of red roses when I got married but I love tulips the best. My husband rarely gives me flowers and on the rare occasion that he does, he will bring them home instead of having them delivered.

When I worked, it used to drive me crazy when all the other ladies would trot through the office on Valentine's Day with their gigantic bouquets of flowers and I never got any. He did bring me some tulips home one year but no one got to see them except me. That should be good enough but I wanted to parade my flowers around the office.

63. My husband and I never exchange gifts. For our birthdays, anniversaries, and Valentine's Day, we exchange cards but never gifts. I don't mind this at all. It's actually quite nice. There's never any stress associated with the holidays. My only requirement is that the card be a Hallmark card. I'm a snob that way.

64. My favorite time of day is from 6:00am to 7:00am. This is my time. Monday through Friday, I can be found sitting in front of the computer drinking coffee, checking email, reading blogs, writing posts, etc. This is the one hour of the day that is just for me and it absolutely flies by!

65. I have never smoked a cigarette. Not one. Ever. My parents used to smoke when I was little...this was back in the 70's and I think everyone smoked then. I got really worried that smoking was going to kill them. (I was very smart for my age.) My brother and I hid their cigarettes once. They got upset and when they asked why we did that, I responded, "Because your breath smells like a heart attack." They quit shortly after that.

66. I am a goody two shoes.

67. I wasn't part of the popular crowed in high school but I had a lot of friends. I was a nerd, but you know what? I wouldn't change a thing.

68. My hair grows fast. Really fast.

69. I shave my legs every.single.day. I guess it's because my hair grows fast. Really fast. In fact, usually by noon, my legs look and feel like I never even shaved them at all.

70. I have horrible skin. In addition to my wrinkles, I still get acne. This is confirmation that life is, indeed, unfair.

71. My favorite Christmas present by far was the year my parents surprised me with my very own phone line in my bedroom. I was about 11 and was on the phone all the time. My Dad worked from home and needed the phone for his business. This was back before call waiting so the only answer was to get me my very own phone. Lucky me!

72. I have traveled to Mexico, Canada, Penang, Wales and France on business. I would like to be able to travel overseas again but definitely for pleasure and not on business.

73. I was once given a raise at work because I had been given a lot of extra responsibilities. I told my manager that the amount was unacceptable and that I wanted more. Guess what? I got it! Never sell yourself short.

74. I used to have a poster of Shaun Cassidy in my bedroom. I thought he was cute! Da do run run run...Da do run run...

75. I have Multiple Sclerosis. I was diagnosed in 1997 after I had numbness and tingling in my feet that would not go away. An MRI showing lesions on my brain confirmed the diagnosis. After 10 days of massive doses of steroids, the numbness and tingling went away.

I also began taking Avonex which is an intramuscular shot that Dan gave me once a week. I am now taking Betaseron which is a subcutaneous shot I take every other day. It's less painful and I can give it to myself...although my husband is a sweetie and mixes the shot for me.

After 1997, I was symptomless until one month after giving birth to my daughter. I started experiencing horrible burning pains in my upper right arm which eventually moved to my right shoulder. I still have this pain 3 and a half years later, but finally, finally, I think it is under control with the right combination of drugs.

I thank God every day that the only symptoms I have are the burning pain. It could be so much worse. Always look at the glass half full!

This is so much harder than I thought it was going to be. I knew I was boring, average and ordinary but I didn't realize exactly how boring, average and ordinary until I started this list. I will keep working and hopefully be back soon with the last 25 very soon!

100 Things About Me...Part 2

So let's just pick up right where we left off, shall we? I'm sure you guys are all itching to know 25 more things about me.


26. I love People Magazine. I have a subscription because I figure if I'm going to read it anyway I might as well pay less than the cover price for it.


27. When I was 16, my Dad bought me my very first car. It was a 1980 Honda Accord. (It was 1986 at the time.) We lived out in the country and you needed a car to get around,especially if both parents worked and weren't available to serve as chauffeurs.)

I told him I didn't care what kind of car he got me as long as it wasn't brown or green. It was brown. Well, I guess technically it was copper colored because my friends and I called it "the copper penny". I drove that car until 1993 when I finally purchased my own car...a RED Saturn!

28. I got my first job when I was 16. I worked at Revco (now CVS). I was a cashier. This was before barcode scanners. I was an excellent cashier and could ring everything up without looking at the keypad. Pretty impressive, huh?

29. I can play the flute. I took band in the 7th grade. I continued until 9th grade. After that, I became "too cool" to be in the band.

30. My favorite place to visit is Charleston, SC. I love that town. If you ever go, stay at the Elliott House. My husband proposed to me in Charleston at Poogan's Porch. It's a restaurant in an old two story house. Poogan is buried in the front yard. Poogan is a dog so don't be too freaked out!


31. Thanks to my husband, I am now a huge Boston Red Sox fan. My husband is from Boston and got me hooked on baseball. Go Sox!

32. I am also a football fan. My favorite team is the Carolina Panthers. However, my husband's favorite team is the New England Patriots. It's nice to have two teams to pull for...especially in a year like this one. My team was horrible...his team is going to win the Super Bowl! (We hope!)

33. My favorite color is celadon. I also like lime green but that color trend in clothes doesn't seem to be as hot as it was a few years ago. However, I hear that Pampered Chef is coming out with a lime green line of products in March. Can't wait to see it!

34. I like to cook. I'm not very good at it but I enjoy it. I used to have dreams of becoming a chef but after watching Top Chef I know that I don't have what it takes. It looks like a hard, sweaty job. You also have to be very creative when it comes to preparing new dishes. If I was a chef, I think I would be fat!

35. I hate it when people that aren't handicapped, park in handicapped spaces. I also hate it when people pull right up to the front door of the grocery store, park in the fire line and go in to do their grocery shopping. Why do these people think that the rules don't apply to them? Why???

36. I do not have any tattoos. It makes me chuckle when I see cute young girls running around with "cool" tattoos on their ankles. That's going to look really hot when they are 65 and wearing support hose and sensible shoes!

37. We do not have any pets. I feel bad for my kids because at this point, I don't think I'm ever going to allow pets. I don't want to deal with the hassle of having to clean up after them. I don't want to have to deal with the expense of buying their food and taking them to the vet. I don't want to have to pay for an invisible fence so they can run around in the back yard without running away. I don't even think I want a fish! What kind of mean mom am I??

38. The last book I read was 1000 White Women. I highly recommend it! It was one that I didn't want to put down even though it had some very intense moments in it. Two of my favorite books of all time are She's Come Undone and Memoirs of a Geisha. All three of these books, were written by men from a woman's point of view. Too bad I'm not in college. I could probably do an excellent paper on this, comparing and contrasting these books.


39. I am a Republican. I am embarrassed to admit however, that when I was in college I voted for Bill Clinton. I am repulsed by this (and him) now. And do you want to know why I voted for him? Because I thought he and Al Gore were cute. I am hiding my head in shame now and slinking away from the computer. (I was 18. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!)

40. The first concert I ever saw was Def Leppard. I went through an 80's hair band phase and have to admit that I still like to listen to Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Poison, Cinderella and Guns N Roses. There is nothing like an 80's rock ballad to bring tears to your eyes.

41. I also like country music and Christian music. I am such an enigma!

42. I met my husband at a Jimmy Buffet concert.

43. My husband and I saw Cirque De Soleil once. We did not like it. Everyone else was oooohing and ahhhhing and we were just sitting there wondering what the fuss was all about. There were some interesting moments but I don't think we would ever go back.

44. I was once in an elevator with Dale Earnhardt and his wife. This may not mean anything to you if you are not a NASCAR fan. At the time it didn't mean much to me either but now I wish I had asked him for his autograph. A couple of years after I was in the elevator with him, I went through a NASCAR phase. Dan and I went to quite a few races and we would always watch them on tv. But, once you have kids, you just don't have 5 hours to spend in front of the TV on Sunday afternoon!

45. I would love to have a house on a body of water. I used to have a condo on Lake Norman and Dan used to have one a few miles away. He had a boat and we would spend the weekends on the water. It was wonderful. We traded in the boat and the condos and got a house and some babies. It was a great trade off but I do miss it!

We talk about retiring to Cape Cod one day. At this point though, I'm not sure how we would afford it. Houses up there are so expensive! Maybe the housing market will change in 30 years when it is time to retire and we can make it work!

46. I do not like cold weather. I do not like snow. I like it hot, hot, hot! Hmmmm...maybe I better rethink Cape Cod and convince Dan that Florida would be a better retirement option!

47. I once dated a guy that forbid me to buy a computer. He forbid me. That is the exact word he used. I immediately broke up with him and proceeded to buy an $1800 computer to spite him! (This was in 1994 and of course, it had a modem. Dial up is so quaint!)

48. I have always wanted to write a novel. I even tried when I was about 12 years old. The two main characters were Mia and Tia. They were best friends. Their mothers were best friends since childhood which is why their names rhymed. They were also next door neighbors and Mia and Tia were dating twin brothers.

Sadly, I am not joking about this. The book fell flat after a couple of descriptive chapters on their hair, their clothes, their rooms, etc. I had no plot - nothing but a bunch of rhyming names and descriptions of long flowing auburn hair. The twin brothers even drove a red sports car. Hmmmm....wonder what the girls are up to these days? Maybe I should bring Mia and Tia back to life?

O.k. Maybe I won't.

49. I just bought a new bathrobe. It is pink and soft and girly and just lovely. For the last 10 years I have been using my husband's old bathrobe...the one his mother bought for him when he was a teenager. It is plaid and not at all girly. By my best estimation this bathrobe is at least 25 years old. It is probably closer to 30 years old. I think his mom got her moneys worth out of that purchase.

50. I wear contacts. I first got glasses in 4th grade. They were giant frames with lenses that turned dark whenever I went outside. I thought they were so cool until 5th grade when the novelty wore off and the realization that I was going to have to wear these things F.O.R.E.V.E.R. set in. In 10th grade I got contacts. One of these days I'm going to get laser eye surgery. Honestly though, I would rather have a lap top and a new couch first.


Coming up with 100 things about me is waaaaaaay harder than I thought it was going to be but once I start something, by golly, I will always finish it.


I am not a quiter. Maybe I should make that #51!

My 100th Post...100 Things About Me...Part 1

I have failed miserably as a blogger! It is an ancient blogging tradition that for your 100th post you are supposed to list 100 Things About Yourself. I have known in the back of my mind that I was getting close to my 100th post, but this morning as I looked at my sidebar, I realized that this post would be my 104th!

I am overdue in keeping you good folks from knowing 100 mundane things about myself. And since I'm all about tradition, I decided that better late than never. So, here goes...

1. I am 38 years old. I look 38 but I still feel 21. There are many days that I feel like I'm still in college. There are also many days when I wish I was still in college!

2. I have been happily married to the man of my dreams for 7 1/2 years. I didn't meet my husband until I was almost 26 and we didn't get married until I was 1 week shy of turning 31. I prayed hard for Dan and God did not disappoint me! He tested my patience but he did not disappoint!

3. I always assumed I would work once I had kids. When I had Peter, I had been with the same company for almost 10 years. I took a 3 month maternity leave and after it was over Peter went to daycare while I went back to work. I began praying and 5 months later I got laid off with 10 weeks severance pay. We were so worried about not having enough money that I was too afraid to quit on my own. The lay off was literally an answer to my prayers. Once again, God did not disappoint me!

4. My parents are strong and faithful Christians. I was raised Moravian. My husband is Catholic. Last Easter, I converted to Catholicism. It was only after lots of prayer, soul searching and studying that I made the decision to convert.

5. I was born and raised in North Carolina and have lived here all my life. I moved from my little town to the big city of Charlotte to attend college. I stayed there for 19 years before I moved back to my little town to raise my kids.

6. I live right next door to my parents. Many people have asked if it is hard living next door to my parents. I laugh at that question because it is the easiest thing ever! I have help (free and dependable babysitting) whenever I need it. Plus, mom insists that we eat lunch at her house every Sunday.

7. I was worried that I would be lonely moving back to the boondocks but I have way more stay-at-home Mom friends out here in the middle of nowhere than I did in the big city.

8. The only thing I miss about my old house is the fact that I was literally a two minute drive from Target, Harris Teeter, Kohl's, Old Navy, Gap, a McDonald's with a really big play land...you get the picture. Now I have to drive about 15 minutes to get to all of the good stuff.

9. Before kids, I used to get a pedicure/manicure every other week. I also had acrylic nails. I loved my fake nails and my pretty toes! Maybe once the kids are out of college I can go back to splurging. In the meantime, I have to do it myself.

10. Every once in a while we buy a lottery ticket. It usually happens because we have had to stop at a gas station so one of the kids (or me!) can go to the bathroom. Dan always feels guilty if we don't buy something and a $1 lottery ticket is pretty cheap plus there is always the chance that we could hit the Powerball! Whenever we do buy a ticket I like to dream about what we would do with the money. Other than weekly pedi/mani's, I would hire a maid to clean my house. And I would hire Stacey and Clinton to become my personal shoppers!

11. I graduated from college with a business major and a concentration in marketing and a minor in psychology. So, if you need anyone to work up an ad campaign for your company while telling you how to fix your personal problems, I'm your girl!

12. I never really used my concentration or my minor although I came close. I was offered a job with a tiny little ad agency right out of college but the company that I chose to work for offered me $2000 more than the ad agency. Plus it was closer to my apartment and it is where I eventually met my husband! I think I made the right decision!

13. I have always thought I was going to be a famous. Not exactly sure what I thought I was going to be famous doing...acting maybe. I was in my high school play one year and I wasn't very good. I still to this day think I'm going to be famous.

14. I used to practice my signature in high school and give it to my friends. Tanya - do you still have my autograph? (Geez, was I a total geek or what? I'm lucky I had any friends!)

15. I love reality shows. My favorites are The Amazing Race, The Apprentice, Top Chef and Survivor. I also love, love, love, love American Idol...but does that count as a reality show?

16. My other favorite TV shows are The Office (I love me some Jim, Pam, Dwight, Michael and Dunder Mifflin), The New Adventures of Old Christine and My Name is Earl. I used to also love CSI, Cold Case and Without a Trace but I would get depressed after watching them so I had to stop.

17. I'm not as one dimensional as all this TV watching makes me sound. I also like to read. Before I had kids, I used to be quite the avid reader. Now I only manage one book a month and that is only because I belong to a book club. Thank goodness for the book club or I wouldn't read at all.

18. I am very loyal. If you are my friend, I will stick up for you in any situation. I think this is a trait I developed in college because I am sure I have a couple of high school friends who would feel differently. But that's another post for another day.

19. In college, my friends used to call me "The Voice of Reason". They always asked my opinion and I was never afraid to give it!

20. I hate cloudy, rainy days but I love to sleep during a thunderstorm.

21. I go to bed before 11:00 PM and I'm up by 5:45 AM during the week.

22. My favorite food is the Chicken Bryan at Carrabba's. Love it! I also love their bread, their house salad and their sausage and lentil soup.

23. I have only been drinking coffee for a year and a half and now I need it to start the day! I like Dunkin Donuts and McDonald's coffee better than Starbucks and have never ordered a fancy coffee drink.

24. I have always wanted kids but I had no idea how hard being a parent would be.

25. I used to want 5 boys. What was I thinking??

All right folks....is anyone still out there? If so, check back later for another installment of 100 Things About Me. This is harder than I thought it was going to be. Not sure who came up with this tradition but if I ever find 'em, I may have to slap 'em!