100 Things About Me

Nobody has asked me to do this, but I must take a computer break for a while. My carpal tunnel/tennis elbow issue is screaming for this. And so, I leave you with some unsolicited thoughts from my freakishly random brain. Feel free to read them a little at a time, all at once or not at all. Nevertheless, this is bits and pieces of me....

1. I am the daughter of a former amateur racecar driver.
2. I spent my childhood summers at racetracks throughout the Midwest.
3. I can throw a very good football spiral.
4. When I was young, there were three things I wanted to do when I grew up: Be a mom, work in advertising, work in an office. I was blessed to do all three.
5. My first job after college was typing McDonald’s commercial scripts.
6. My middle name comes from the main character in the musical “West Side Story.”
7. My daughter’s first name comes from the same musical.
8. Ironically, “West Side Story” was also one of my husband’s favorite musicals, even before he met me.
9. One of my totally useless talents is the ability to walk with a full cup of beer on my head. Don’t ask how I figured that out.
10. I can whistle the main melody and the counterpoint to the theme from “Bridge Over The River Kwai.”
11. I break out in a rash if I sit in the sun in jeans or denim.
12. I have almost no allergies.
13. I had no cavities until I was an adult.
14. I love chocolate, especially dark chocolate.
15. I hate white chocolate.
16. The thought of a wooden spoon or stick in my mouth makes my skin crawl. Therefore, popsicles are not appealing to me, nor are tongue depressors.
17. I applied to one college at the end of high school, even though I had never seen it. I went there because it was in Florida and my brother went there. I transferred the next year.
18. Halloween is my favorite holiday because it’s fun and doesn’t require presents, unless you count candy.
19. There is nothing, NOTHING, better in the world than the sweet smell of a baby. No, not THAT smell!
20. If I could do it all over again, I would have joined every club possible in high school.
21. Watching the news depresses me.
22. Hearing the sound of soap operas during the day depresses me even more.
23. I can’t stand Oprah and her self-absorbed pop psychology.
24. I would happily attend a taping of Oprah’s show if I knew she was giving away things. (Yeah, I’m that way.)
25. One of my secret dreams was to have People Magazine do an article on me.
26. I’ve always wanted to have my own newspaper column.
27. I’m horrible at arguing a point. I’ll back down faster than a cat confronted with a hose.
28. My oldest son is severely developmentally disabled and lives in a wonderful state-run institution.
29. His birth was both the most tragic and most beautiful thing that has ever happened in my life.
30. I believe there’s a special place in heaven for people that work with and for the disabled.
31. I’m terrible at and hate mingling at parties.
32. I’m pretty good at meeting new people if it is for a reason.
33. I’m much more shy than you would think when you meet me.
34. I love thunderstorms and severe (not dangerous) weather.
35. I’m obsessed with looking at the radar online.
36. One of the greatest feelings in the world is being completely lost in a great book. That has rarely happened to me.
37. I’m a lazy reader and am easily distracted, which is why I’m more drawn to “easier to read” books.
38. I’m embarrassed to admit that.
39. Math frightens me. When my kids were in sports and we had to do gym duty, I always got there early so that I wouldn’t have to work the concession stand. I cannot do math under pressure.
40. I get irritated when I have discussions with people that talk about themselves and never ask: “...what about you?”
41. I am not a good cook. Nothing I make tastes very good unless it’s out of a box.
42. I have a bad habit of cooking and/or ordering the same things over and over and over.
43. I’m a creature of habit. I do things the same way at the same time, over and over and over again.
44. I love change, but it’s really hard for me to initiate it.
45. Throughout my day, I often have the feeling that I have done something wrong, have said something wrong or have forgotten to do something.
46. Now that I’m older, I worry less about what I’ve done wrong, etc.
47. I hope to grow into a wonderfully eccentric old woman that loves life.
48. I hope to never dye my hair...unless vanity overtakes me.
49. I’d love to be thin, but don’t want to work that hard.
50. I have a ridiculous notion that I’m thinner than I am and am usually horrified when I see myself in photos. Duh.
51. I am rendered mute when in the company of celebrities. Therefore, I have no interest in meeting anyone famous.
52. I once had dinner with Mister Rogers. He sat next to me and showed me pictures of his kids. I could actually talk to him.
53. I am very irritating to shop with because I can’t stand moving at other people’s paces. (I’m often walking around people and passing them by.) My husband and I no longer Christmas shop together.
54. My dream car is a 1964 ½ Ford Mustang convertible, although I love the hardtop too. I think it should be red.
55. I think that spending a ton of money on a car is a waste of money.
56. I think bad thoughts about people that drive ostentatious cars.
57. I’m an excellent speller.
58. I’m an excellent driver.
59. At all family gatherings, I’d usually rather hang out with the men than the women, but I usually opt for doing the dishes.
60. When I make my kids bag lunches, I always include a cartoon from the newspaper. I scour the paper throughout the summer and collect good ones.
61. I listen to sports radio in my car. This is why I’d rather hang out with the men at family gatherings.
62. “Field of Dreams” is my favorite movie – ever.
63. When I was a child, I was in a bowling league and I was good.
64. I love bowling but hate the culture that surrounds it. That may make me a snob.
65. I cannot see violent, scary, gory, depressing or sad movies or TV shows, no matter how good they are and especially if they’re true stories. I find no entertainment in other people’s sorrow.
66. I believe that when we die we will find out the answers to questions like: Who really killed JFK? Where is Jimmy Hoffa? Who killed O.J. Simpson’s wife? Where is Osama Bin Laden?
67. I am in awe of humble people.
68. I can’t stand people that are loud, obnoxious and treat people in the service industry badly.
69. Conversely, I can’t stand employees that treat you as if you’re bothering them.
70. Sometimes I stare at my children because I’m stunned at their beauty and their talent and I can’t believe that we’re related.
71. The major perk about being a housewife is that when everybody leaves the house, I get to yell at them for not picking up after themselves.
72. I need to be around people, but I’m terrible about picking up the phone and calling them.
73. I often eat when I’m bored.
74. I do not like to share popcorn at a movie theatre.
75. I am not above living vicariously through my children...but hopefully they’ll never find that out.
76. I don’t really like wind. Breeze is OK, but gusty wind is not good.
77. If I were reincarnated, I’d be beautiful, thin and would sing like an angel.
78. My most embarrassing moment is when I accidentally tucked my skirt into my panty hose right before a large church service. The thought of that moment makes my stomach drop every time.
79. When I get angry, I slam cabinets and drawers. My family hates this about me.
80. I’m hypersensitive to other people’s moods and somehow think they always have something to do with me.
81. I love the fall – cool, crisp days and nights, school starting fresh, Halloween and, oh yeah, my birthday!
82. On the first day of every month, the very first thing I must say when I wake up is “Rabbit, Rabbit.” It’s a dumb superstition that I somehow think will improve my month.
83. I’ve now gotten my husband to say “Rabbit, Rabbit” on the first day of every month – ha!
84. When I talk a lot, I give myself a headache.
85. When I chew gum, I give myself a headache.
86. I’m a HUGE sports fan and I believe that there’s nothing more fun than sitting in a stadium or an arena cheering on my team in a big game.
87. I have been to one Super Bowl (in New Orleans) and my team, the Green Bay Packers, won.
88. Going to that Super Bowl was the best vacation I have ever been on.
89. I can breathe easier when all of my children are with me. Literally.
90. I love television and now I love it even more since we have a Digital Video Recorder. It’s changed the way I watch TV.
91. I’m a pop culture fanatic because we shouldn’t take life so seriously.
92. Great music during church gives me goosebumps.
93. I’d really like to know more about Jesus’ life between the ages of 12 and 30.
94. I believe that no religion is completely right and that persecuting someone who disagrees with your beliefs is wrong.
95. I’m a fairly devout Catholic, but I don’t believe that Jesus would speak against gay people.
96. My husband is my soul mate and sometimes I can’t believe how I got so lucky.
97. I’m a ridiculous sucker for a compliment. No, that’s NOT how I got so lucky!
98. My dad designed the Scrubbing Bubbles character.
99. Sometimes, with the right circumstances, I love REALLY loud rock music.
100. I can’t park a car with the radio on.