100 Things

Okay, anybody who's anybody has on their blog a post about 100 Things About Me (not about me, but about them, you know what I mean?) I've been thinking about doing mine, but I am not going to sit here and brainstorm about various things trying to come up with 100 things that may or may not describe me, that may be how I'm feeling at this particular moment. I'm going to try to figure out 100 things that really describe me, that make me different/unique from others, and truths. This is going to take a while and I'm going to start at #100 and work my way down to #1. Maybe when I get to #1 I will find my true self?

So, check back to this post periodically to see my journey to finding myself. To learning who I am, because at this point, I sure as hell have no clue! This might be a fun exercise. (If you would like to add your corresponding number in the comments after I post a THING, then we can work on our 100 List together!)

100. I sleep on the left side of the bed if you walk into the room; the right side if you are lying down in the bed. (Okay, so this might not exactly be very unique, because probably half of you can say the same, but it's a start!)

99. I am one of those women who cannot apply lipstick without looking in a mirror, and I never apply lipstick at a dinner table as it makes me feel uncomfortable. However, I will be the first to be in my car, searching for my lipstick in my purse while talking on the phone, then apply the color portion of the lipstick, blot my lips with a Kleenex (a box is always in my car, along with a box of wipees), and then apply the gloss portion of the lipstick. I am convinced one day I will get into a fender-bender because of this inane need to apply lipstick while driving. What's your #99?

98. I've had my heart broken, have cried a thousand and twelve tears over a guy I thought loved me or two or three, or cried over a guy who I knew didn't love me but took me whole and I gave him everything. But I am pretty sure I've never broken anyone's heart. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I might have liked to have broken a heart in my day. You?

97. Whenever I brush my teeth, which is at least twice or three times a day, I wonder if I do the same motions each time, like do I always start on the left side, brush four times, then move to the right, then brush the tongue? I wonder if there's a way to track these brushstrokes to compare them each time, you know, like a lie detector test or a heart monitor, to see if I brush the same way every time? That's what I wonder about.

96. Back in the old days when they only had cassettes and records and tape recorders, I would sit with my red radio (wasn't called a Boom Box back then) and my tape recorder next to each other and wait until Blondie's Heart of Glass would come on the radio and then hit the Record button so I could have a copy of my favorite song. Life sure was lame back then.

95. I feel I lost a part of my childhood, a piece of who I was when I was 16 and moving from Tampa, Fla to Oak Brook, Illinois. I decided to give away my collection of paperback books. I had over 400 of them... John Saul, Steven King, all the Young Adult books I could snag (I usually could purchase 3 of them for five bucks at the mall, and still have money left over for Chic-Fil-A). I clearly remember my uncle driving away my books in the trunk of the car, and thinking, "I should not be doing this."

What I wouldn't do to see, touch, smell, page through those books, those books who were my friends, just one more time.

94. Before I met Hubby, I had never eaten at an Italian (not even Olive Garden!), Mexican (except Taco Bell) or Chinese restaurant in my entire life and felt he had opened up a whole new world for me. (And a whole new pants size!) Now I will eat almost any type of food, but I'm not a fan of sushi or Indian food. I would probably like sushi but always get the impression that it's not very filling. I know I am wrong.

Things I will never eat: raw oysters, grilled or sauteed calamari (although I love fried calamari rings, just not the tentacles). I'm trying to think of other food I will not eat: olives for sure, green peppers, oh and I think I may have tried that fo de graix stuff, but will never again, oh and tripe.

What are your food enemies?

93. Outside of the US, I have been to Grand Cayman, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, St. Thomas, Nassau, London for a layover, Canada, Jamaica. If they weren't so far away, I would like to see Ireland, Italy, France, Tahiti, Fiji, Australia (Ramblin' Rose!). I have no interest in visiting Japan ever. Or Iran, Iraq. There are more I would like to visit, more I would not like to visit, but I don't feel like searching through the Atlas right now.

92. I used to crave all things salty and crunchy -- a favorite being chips and salsa -- but now I'm not so sure anymore. Chocolate was never one of my downfalls, but I never seem to be able to pass on it like I was once able to.

91. However, speaking of chocolate, I used to always, always get chocolate cones or chocolate shakes if the choice was for one or the other. Now, I will never get chocolate, always opting for vanilla.

90. I like the idea of being mysterious even though I am far from it.

89. I'm discovering that I'm either really boring or I don't know much about myself.

88. I went to Catholic school from Pre-K all the way through 8th grade in a small school where our graduating class had 23 students. I understand the school is going to be closed this year, or already is. In ninth grade, I went to an all-girl's Catholic school. Tenth through Senior year, I hit the public circuit and that's when all hell broke loose and Manic Mom got her groove on! Ha, just kidding.

87. Because of the Catholic upbringing, in sixth grade, I was chosen to crown the Queen Mary in this Catholic ceremony called The Crowning of Queen Mary or something along the lines (maybe it's to recognize the annunciation--someone tell me, and wait, is annunciation something you do when you speak? In seventh grade, out of every single seventh grade girl (okay, there must have been 12 if our graduating class was 23, right?) I was chosen to play The Virgin Mary in our school remake of the night Christ was born, aka The Christmas Play. I had no lines to memorize, but had to remain very still, kneeling, holding a plastic baby doll the whole time. My legs went out on me when I finally got to stand, and my foot was numb so I almost fell. I cried to my parents. Sidenote--It was appropriate to be chosen to play The Virgin Mary as I was still most definitely a virgin at that time.

86. I've had cryosurgery, a colonoscopy, mammograms, MRIs, CATscans, a C-section, wisdom-teeth removal, and tonsils removed. I take my health very seriously, and I'm all about being proactive.

85. I've never had an abortion. But only because I lucked out.

84. I never throw out a photograph of loved ones. I feel it is a jinx. I also do not delete voicemails from loved ones until they are in my presence.

83. Hubby was ready for children before I was. I had them when I was ready.

82. I never did crack, crank, heroin, acid, X, cocaine, speed, 'shrooms. I wonder if I should have experimented more? I always wanted to feel that intensity from X that people talk about. Plus, it might have made me feel like I was a really good dancer.

81. Every time I go to the movies, I bring my own popcorn, not because I am cheap, but because I am semi-health-conscious and feel less guilty about the calories consumed if I mix my 94% Fat Free Smart Pop Kettle Korn in with some of the good stuff (non-buttered, of course). Still tastes great.

80. I bite my nails, and never paint them. They've gone to crap ever since I had my children and quit taking prenatal vitamins. My toes, however, are always painted, but I would bite them if I could reach. I did this when I was a kid.

79. I pick my face. And can usually spot-on guarantee a blemish for any kind of important event.

78. I pick and pull the skin on the bottom of my feet. They are the ugliest feet-bottoms in the entire world. If I lived in Florida or NYC where pedicures are as cheap as $12, I would get a pedicure weekly.

77. Practically every night, when I'm on this computer, I tell myself, "Self, you are going to bed at a normal time tonight." And every single time, I get sucked into this damn computer and never sucked into bed early.

76. Before I had children, I was always on time. As soon as the periods stopped being on time, and the stick turned purple, my DNA decided to add some weird DNA-Now-Be-Late-For-Everything Code. I am never on time for anything now. If I arrive fifteen minutes after the time we agreed upon, then, to me, that is on time. I hate, hate, hate that this is now a habit that describes me.

75. I enjoy sex so much more with a good buzz-on. Not because I don't enjoy sex when I'm sober; it's just that I am so much more relaxed and apt to do much more interesting things when I'm making love buzzed... like move a little.

74. When I'm feeling fat, I wear black. I am wearing black right now, except interestingly enough, my bra is red.

73. I never had migraines until after the birth of my daughter. I wonder if this is a sign? And that she is the cause of them?

72. I bury myself under the pillows and dig out a little hole in order to breathe. I love to sleep in pitch-black and hate any sunlight to wake me in the mornings. If I could do it every day, I would allow myself a nap, and for me, a nap is not a twenty-minute-close-your-eyes-snooze. A nap is falling into a deep sleep that could even include mid-day dreams. I also enjoy sleeping when I am majorly depressed; my college roommates can and do attest to this to this day--that when I was/am depressed I get into depressed mode and actually have a thing we've coined my "Depression Sleep."

71. I only just recently started buying some limited costume jewelry. Usually though, I just wear the same jewelry daily--same diamond earrings (nothing extravagant, I can assure you), my original wedding/engagement ring on my RIGHT hand, the diamond my mother gave me in place of my engagement ring is now on my left hand along with the anniversary band I got on our seventh anniversary (no surprise there--I begged for it). I wear the necklace hubby gave me when Ajers was born, that is a garnet, that my mother actually chose for me for hubby to give to me. I wear two bracelets--a Nominations one Hubby got me for Valentine's one year with the kids' birthstones and hearts on it, and a silver bracelet a dear friend gave to me--these on my right hand. On my left hand, the watch I got on our honeymoon over 13 years ago. I used to wear the diamond tennis bracelet my mom gave me on my left hand too, but some diamonds are loose and I've been too lazy to get it fixed. What jewelry do you wear?

70. I love cuddling with my children, but not when it's time for bed and they beg me to cuddle in order to stay up later like Diva is doing right this minute. But cuddling for no other reason than they want to feel their bodies next to mine and there's nothing else to do is better than a lot of things in life.

69. I used to; not so much anymore.

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