100 things about me for my 100th post!!!

100 things about me

1. I have 3 younger sisters

2. We are all named Mary…. Simply because someone told my dad he couldn’t do that…

3. I get my stubbornness from my dad

4. I went to 7 different schools by 8th grade, we moved a lot

5. In 1st grade (the first half), I went to Catholic school. My teacher’s name was Sr. Joyce and all the kids were mean to me because they thought we were related.

6. In my second half of 1st grade I went to public school in KC. In Kansas we were not allowed to use erasers EVER. I cried every time I thought I made a mistake.

7. I would continue to quietly cry about things in school until 6th grade when I started to cry when I didn’t know the answer to a math question. Sr. Celestine reamed me out in front of the class for being a crybaby and told me never to shed a tear in school again.

8. I never cried in class again.

9. Some people may harbor anger over something like that. I chose Celestine as my confirmation name—guess I wasn’t damaged too much.

10. In 3rd grade I was bullied by a girl named Maria. She made fun of me because I couldn’t shake my fingers and make some weird sound. Daniel came home doing it last spring – the older ones were annoyed because they said it mimicked shaking down a can of Skoal—they can all do it and I still can’t.

11. I considered my best friend in KC the weirdest girl I knew because she ate ketchup on her eggs and liked to fart in her sleeping bag and then hide in there and smell it.

12. I learned to love the Spanish language after I was assigned to be a “buddy” to a young girl who moved to KC from Bogota in 1st grade. I was her ESOL. We would remain great friends for a long time

13. Years later we would both have dads who transferred us to Atlanta. I think she is still here. I should look her up.

14. I love watching “How it’s Made” on the Discovery Channel because it reminds me of the factory visits on Mr. Rogers. That was my favorite part of the show.

15. I was secretly excited to watch Mr. Rogers with my daughter because they were running reruns from 1971 in 1990, and it was like being 6 all over again.
16. I lived in KC for almost 3 years and I never remember it snowing or being cold, I only remember hot.

17. One of my happiest memories of childhood is sitting on the top of the toilet tank watching my dad shave in the morning.

18. I was an outspoken bull-headed high school girl who ranted and raved about women’s equality in the workplace and then I stayed home for 18 years with my kids—and pouted miserably when I went back to work.

19. I was “Sweet 16 and never been kissed”.

20. I have a horrible potty mouth and am way to comfortable dropping the f bomb.

21. When I moved to Atlanta I couldn’t understand a southern accent, including Jimmy Carter’s…now I don’t ever hear it.

22. My first job other than babysitting was scooping ice-cream.

23. I managed the Pub on campus in college. We were only allowed to serve beer and wine coolers because we were within 100 ft of an elementary school.

24. I was a little sister to 2 different fraternities in college – and not because I slept my way in.

25. I once told a joke that was so funny my friend fell on her face from a standing position (OK, other things may have contributed)

26. My second half of 4th grade was in a split class. I can’t remember if it was 3rd/4th or 4th/5th. I don’t remember anything about that school other than both my friend and I had a crush on Michael Landon.

27. I love to read and spent many Saturdays reading 2 or 3 Nancy Drew mysteries in a row when I was 10 – 12.

28. Bit-o-Honeys remind me of my grandpa who used to keep them in his desk drawer in the basement. He would always sneak me one.

29. I made 2 First Communions – one in KC where we lived and one in Detroit where the family was. I don’t thing my grandparents knew about the first one. I got to wear my dress twice!

30. Despite many years in Catholic school, I still can’t remember the Act of Contrition and get nervous before confession every time.

31. Nothing but a chain link fence separated my house from my school when we lived in KC. We used to climb under the fence to play on the playground.

32. When we lived in Farmington, we had a babysitter that was very heavy. We loved her so we would lie and tell my mom that we ate all the chips and ice-cream so that she wouldn’t get in trouble.

33. I hate Star Trek.

34. I bought a stick-shift in college just so people wouldn’t borrow my car.

35. I am sort of known as the “worst case scenario” person, I don’t think of it as anxiety I just think it is being ready for any situation.

36. In high school I participated as a native speaker in Spanish oration contests and won, even though I am not Hispanic.

37. My bedroom in our apartment my last year in college was actually a sun porch—an un-insulated window-filled sun porch. I coughed through most of my senior year.

38. My friends and I were charter members to our sorority just so we didn’t have to go through rush.

39. I worked in CBD in New Orleans in college and used to walk 5 blocks to the street car ALONE with a ball point in may hand for self defense because I was too shy to ask people for a ride home.

40. For my senior vocation project in high school, all my friends had cool “jobs” like working for radio stations and ambulance services. I worked with a nun in Hispanic Catholic Social Services.

41. I went to speech therapy for 3 years because I could not correctly make the soft “g” “j” or “ch” sound. My maiden name starts with J and I am still self conscious if people ask me to say it loudly in front of them.

42. I loved swimming, and got up at 5 am to go to swim practice before school because our school didn’t have access to a pool. I did this just for HS swimming—never swam year round.

43. My car pool hated me and used to make me walk to the front of our neighborhood (in winter) to meet them – just to be mean. It was the only way to get there so I walked – if my mom didn’t drive me 10 houses down the street.

44. I ended up going to college with some of the guys from my carpool and they still didn’t like me. I still don’t know why.
45. I tore ligaments in my ankle twice in high school, both times by falling down like a spaz I am still a little afraid to wear high wedge heels in case my ankle will turn.

46. I was flashed 3 times my freshman year in college – and I would end up punching my nearest guy friend in frustration just because they had the “equipment”.

47. My second date with my future husband was going to the zoo on a Sunday afternoon. My room mates followed us the whole afternoon with a camera playing spy because they had nothing better to do that day.

48. We never saw them.

49. We got engaged after 9 months of dating. My first answer was “Yes!”…. then “I don’t know, I have to pray on it…. “And I did. Good thing, 20 years later I am still glad I said yes.

50. Unfortunately, Rhett’s grandfather passed away a few days after he proposed. When distant cousins asked who I was, Rhett answered honestly. His sister always chided us for “announcing” our engagement at a funeral.

51. We forgot to choose a wedding song, so the wedding band chose for us…”Cherish” by the Commodores is forever “our song”.

52. My first piece of wedding advice to young couples is to choose a song first!

53. As newlyweds we left a cat at my folks’ house saying we didn’t want to pay a pet deposit but adopted a dog 5 months later. The cat stayed with them. My mom hated cats.

54. I have peed in a parking lot in a bridesmaid dress --- not my most stellar moment.

55. My husband I made a vow NOT to play Pictionary in order to maintain a happy marriage – haven’t played game one in 21 years! (Let’s just say architects and spazzes are not good matches when drawing)

56. My dream house is the Incredible Family’s house.

57. I have a degree in history and know little about European history because I just never cared about it. I have a family that is addicted to the Renaissance Festivals and they are always asking me questions I can’t answer.

58. I am rarely wrong and seldom admit it if I am.

59. I went out drinking 50% of the days during my freshman year in college and I got a 4.0—I wish I could reconnect to that inner intellectual (not the inner drunk).
60. We got pregnant early in our marriage and were both very upset-- it was too early. Then we had a miscarriage and we were so devastated that we got pregnant with Claire 3 months later (Not by mistake!)

61. I hate being late and used to be very impatient when things/people were late. God has put lots of opportunities to perfect this flaw and practice patience--- lots---- and I am now late on bills more than I should be …

62. Sometimes when I get really angry tears come out, I am not really crying, but the fact that it looks like I am crying makes me even angrier and it becomes a vicious cycle.

63. I have always hated brussel sprouts. So much so, that when forced to eat them as a kid I would cut them up in ¼‘s and swallow them whole. My kids do not have to eat brussel sprouts.

64. Chicken pot pies and the smell of Shalimar will always make me think that a babysitter is coming.

65. In college when I was working at Saks and very homesick I followed a woman around the store because she was wearing Shalimar and it reminded me of my mom.

66. I shamelessly quote lines from movies in any situation; especially when the conversation hits a dead spot.

67. I wish I had travelled more when I was young, but wouldn’t trade the alternative (Rhett and kids) for anything.

68. I am personally responsible for my sister Sheilah hating Chinese food because I force fed her nasty bean sprouts from an “a la Choy” dinner when babysitting.

69. I never learned my 12 times tables, I think I moved before we got to them.

70. I am birthday challenged. It is horrible. I don’t want to be, I have gotten all kinds of organizers and electronic reminders to change that, and still I forget. The best is when I buy a card a week ahead of time and still don’t send it. If you are my friend, know that I do think of you on your birthday, I am just incapable of letting you know in a timely fashion.

71. We once spent a weekend reunion with our college friends where we did nothing but play UNO, drink a few beers and occasionally feed the kids. Two days straight of
UNO!

72. I love to refinish furniture.

73. I love NBC t.v. and can’t wait for the new season.

74. I also love the Desperate Housewives of ______ series on Bravo. Sad, but true. The jury is still out on the new Atlanta series.

75. I used to be able to ride a unicycle. I bet I still can.

76. I am a Martha Stewart addict; you wouldn’t know it by my house.

77. I love flowers, and HATE working in the garden.

78. I wear my extended wear contacts WAY too long.

79. I am 100% Irish American.

80. I love to knit, but I can only knit rectangles.

81. When I was 12 I was on a “water ballet” team, and we performed in front of an audience an entire show to the Grease soundtrack.

82. I love IKEA.

83. I HATE matching socks, I have tried every trick in the book to make it easier and I still end up with a basket full of mismatched socks.

84. I love the smell of Downy.

85. When I retire I am going to take advantage of those programs that let seniors audit college classes for free and I am going to go to college until I die.

86. I have never watched an episode of Little House on the Prairie with out crying, even at 11.

87. I work as an assistant in the special ed program in our local high school and love it.

88. I went to school in NOLA and consider it my second home! Red beans and rice, Barqs, Dixie, mufalettas, Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest

89. I am a movie junkie, sometimes the stupider the better!

90. I love to cook and my kids hate to eat anything beyond the 10-12 meals they are used to .

91. I really don’t like to argue….

92. I have watched all 3 Lord of the Rings-Extended versions in one sitting, THREE times!

93. I am a giant goober.

94. I am an active happy practicing Catholic.

95. I have 4 kids that I love dearly.

96. I have one husband that I love even more.

97. I am an uncoordinated spaz for the most part. The best part is that I trip, but I never fall.

98. I am a fountain of useless knowledge, sometimes called She Who Knows Everything.

99. I got to see sea turtles hatch and begin their journey to the sea.

100. This was the hardest thing I have done in a long time, but I am glad that I did.
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