This should keep you busy

So I was tagged from a high school friend of mine to come up with 100 things about myself. I told her that in no way, shape, or form, could I come up with 100 things (notice she didn't say interesting things) about myself. I'm not that deep.

It has taken me a week to do it, but alas, here are 100 things about me you will now know and will probably hold against me for the rest of the time we know each other.

1. I am “officially” the youngest. Though I have a younger “half/part time” sister who is a friend who adopted my parents and so considers herself the youngest.

2. And as the “official” youngest, I am therefore the best.

3. My Sun is in Capricorn and my moon is in Taurus - which means that I have the coolest, most exciting main sign. And all my stubbornness is from the Taurus.

4. I really, REALLY, really don’t like bees.

5. I love cooking. I love everything about cooking. I have a brandy sniffer that contains about 500 recipes. I pick one each week to try.

6. I have a secret crush on Don Quixote. I love that story. My former cars all had the license plate DULCNEA on it for Dulcinea. Who was DQs secret princess. Dulcinea means sweetness in Spanish. Because I’m sweet. Now, if you know the story, you know that Dulcinea was actually a bar tramp. You decide, quietly, which one I really am.

7. Ethnically – I think I’m Heinz 57.

8. I have an enormous scar on my left wrist from a cat scratch when I was like in 5th grade or something.

9. When I was in 4th grade I made three wishes. I wished on them every day. All three came true.

10. My secret goal is to open a coffee shop somewhere – someday and be the lead barista.

11. I’ve played volleyball for 15 years. I was good, but never going to be the best.

12. I went to a boarding school in Switzerland - TASIS. Several friends I made back then I still keep in contact with. It was, by far, the most amazing experience.

13. I have driven, and I will drive again a Mustang. Next Mustang will be a 2005 or later, Black Convertible. Just you wait and see.

14. I adore my parents.

15. I adore my cat, PookieSnackenBurger. He’s my buddy. He’s a nutcase. And if the theory that pets are like their owners is true, then Pookie could be the poster child.

16. I spent 5 days in the critical care area of a hospital due to several blood clots in my lungs. Thanks to birth control and thick blood.

17. Because of #16 I will never be able to use hormone replacement therapy when I hit that time in a woman’s life when she has her own personal summers. (aka Menopause).

18. When I was younger, I used to sing…a lot. My friends and I used to sing in front of the church congregation on a regular basis. To this day I can’t imagine how I got in front of all those people and sang.

19. Now I sing mostly in my car, all the time and LOUDLY.

20. I can’t count how many first, second, or third cousins I have. We have an enormous family. We joke that we don’t have a family tree, we have a family hedge.

21. I have an irrational fear of being in water in which I can’t see the bottom. For example, you won’t find me floating on a smooth lake. I’m sure there are dead bodies at the bottom and they’ll resurface in time to drag me down.

22. I have lived in 25 different places in my life. I’m only 37.

23. I’ve never broken any bones in my body. Knock on wood!

24. I was the only freshmen in history, at the time, to march with the rifle team at the high school I had attended, Antelope Valley High School. I was good at rifles. It was easy for me to pick up and learn. I had many a bruises to prove it.
25. I was later to be Captain of the Quartz Hill Rifle team – The rival high school across town.

26. I was on Banner for Jr. High. I was so proud to be on banner too. We got to wear these really cool Indian head dresses. They weighed a ton. We were the Warriors.

27. I’ve been in two car accidents. One was my fault. The other totaled my Mustang.

28. I have good hair. My hair will do anything I want it to. It’s my favorite body feature.

29. I hate my feet. But love my eyes.

30. Little Mermaid is my favorite movie.

31. Followed closely by Beauty and the Beast and Lion King.

32. I watch the food channel probably 80% of the time I watch TV. Rachel Ray is my hero.

33. I love to quote movies, but am bad at remembering which movie I knew the quote from. Often I’ll be watching a movie and hear the quote and think, “Ah hah. That’s where it’s from.” Then I promptly forget. I marvel at people who can remember stuff like that.

34. I scrapbook. I have 19 scrapbooks that I’ve done since 1998. I have an entire room dedicated to my hobby. I’ve probably, easily, spent $10K in scrapbook materials, tools, etc. And that’s a low estimate. I am almost completely up to date – as in all my childhood, high school, college, etc are done. I’ve done several books for friends and family for gifts.

35. Se habla espanol? I used to be fluent. Now it takes a little to get me going. Alcohol usually helps.

36. I’ve lived in Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Switzerland. I’ve toured through Italy, France, Spain, and Germany.

37. I was an exchange student in Guadalajara, Mexico in 1990. I still keep in touch with the family I lived with as well as my roommate who lived with us.

38. I have an irrational fear of death. Not of dying. But just the thought that it’s permanent and what if I haven’t done everything I’ve wanted to before then.

39. Which leads me to be always eager to do, and go, and see everything I can. Especially on vacation. I don’t usually relax on vacations.

40. Hawaii is my favorite vacation destination that doesn’t require a passport. The Big Island is my fave, followed by Kauai.

41. In 2nd Grade I got a piece of tissue stuffed in my mouth from the teacher for talking too much. Go figure.

42. In 3rd Grade I went to 4 different schools: Morningside, Low (or Lowel I can’t remember), Longfellow, and Sacajaweah. All in Great Falls, Montana. To say we moved a lot is an understatement.

43. I beat Dana Yamaguchi (4 time winner) in a spelling bee in 6th grade.

44. You won’t EVER find me traipsing around in a locker room naked. I was glad to see the gym put in changing stalls.

45. I am a coffee-aholic. I love drinking coffee. Starbucks is my favorite, followed by Tully’s. In fact, my like of coffee sometimes crosses over to that “almost addicted” arena.

46. I usually have two coffees a day. One from the latte stand on my way to work and one from the Starbucks café in my building at work. I drink Grande Vanilla Americano’s with room. Then I put in 3 Raw Sugar packs and half N Half. The stronger the coffee the better the consistency with sugar and half and half. Every afternoon you can find me walking down to our Starbucks café at work and buying myself a coffee. 3pm on the nose.

47. My favorite person who’s no longer with us is my Grandmother Spaid. I so loved her and I miss her every day. She was deaf and I always marveled at how solid and strong she was. She is one person I would never, ever cross. She had a mean streak…but in a loving way, which I think she transferred to my mother. Which probably means I have it.

48. I have three older step brothers.

49. I love the fact that I never write checks. I pay everything online. Rent being the one exception, but that’s because of the timeframe it takes to get the check to the rent office. Otherwise, I’d pay it online too.

50. I frequently wonder how we ever survived without email or instant messenger. I’m more in touch with my friends around the world now then I ever have been.

51. I harbor a secret fantasy to one day run into a past boss who made my life a living hell, and be the client, and have him bow to me.

52. I hate bell peppers. All colors, all shades, all of them.

53. In my next life I think I will be a professional organizer. I’m super duper UBER organized. Just ask anyone who knows me. And I’m full of advice on how to be organized.

54. I have a million pet peeves. I couldn’t even begin to explain all of them. But the most peevish has to be the inconsiderate drivers on the roads these days. Or people who cut in line at Starbucks and think because they’re in a hurry its okay. Or parents who don’t pay attention to their kids who are running all over the restaurant screaming. Or people who don’t wash their hands after using the bathroom.

55. Jenny has never been a nickname of mine. EVER. Only a few special people have ever been allowed to call me Jenny. And they “get to” because I’m afraid of them.

56. I hate being called “mam”.

57. I love celebrating my birthday. I think birthdays are the greatest reason to celebrate one’s life. Each year I try to come up with something fun and different to do. I usually fail miserably at that, but if nothing else we go to dinner and celebrate in style.

58. I love having my birthday right after Christmas.

59. I have 4 nephews, four nieces, and a great niece.

60. I am a Professional Project Manager (PMP). I love all things project management, and in a geeky / nerdy sort of way. I have a zillion books on the subject and read constantly about PM work and leadership stuff.

61. The person who got me into blogging is married to a good friend of mine. He and I are friends now and we’ve never met.

62. I’ve been fired from a scrapbook store. Can you believe it?

63. At one time in my life I had three jobs.

64. I happen to really like my first name.

65. I love to BBQ. I get that from my dad. He’s the master of BBQ’ing. His specialty is BBQ ribs. I used to joke, well only half way joke, that his BBQ ribs were my dowry.

66. I’m way too sarcastic at times. And I never understand people who don’t get sarcasm.

67. I hate giving presentations to people who are smarter to me. I don’t mind so much getting up and talking to people whom I believe I am “training”. But if it’s a room full of people whom I’ve already thought are smarter than me, I just get all nervous and dry mouth…and well I hate it.

68. I have a sixth sense. My mom has it. My sister has it. My grandma Spaid had it. It’s been a guide for me in my life. I’ve gone to psychics who have stated that they can read me openly because I have such a strong psychic feeling. You think I’m crazy. I knew you were gonna think that. See? Psychic.

69. I’ve been so drunk once in my life that there wasn’t likely blood running through my veins, but alcohol. By all standards, I probably should be dead. It’s the reason I can’t even think about tequila today.

70. I never used to get hang overs in college. I could drink ALL the boys (and girls) under the table. I was the MASTER at quarters. Now that I’m past 30, recovering from too much drink takes too long. The last time I got really drunk was my 30th birthday. It took 3 days to recover.

71. I get obsessed with series shows on Netflix. Once I start watching some series, I can’t rest until its done. I’ve gone through Queer as Folk, Sex in the City, 6 Feet Under, Smallville, most recently Angel and soon Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Gilmore Girls is hovering as the next after Buffy.

72. Most of my heartbreaks have been named Mike. It appears to be a cursed name for me. My mom warns me against them regularly. Any time a new guy comes into my world, her first question is, “His name isn’t Mike, is it?” But now I have a crush on a non-Mike fellow. Wish me luck.

73. I write everything down on a calendar. I can’t remember shit. So if it’s not on my calendar, it doesn’t get done and or remembered.

74. Some day I want to live in Tucson. I love the dry heat the desert offers. And I love the fact that when I spell desert I have to stop and think if its “desert” or “dessert”. Then I remember “desserts” is stressed backwards.

75. The only person, besides my mom, who knows me WAY too much, is Sherrie. I’d have to buy both of them off if I ever decide to run for office.

76. Pet Peeve #11900: Drama. I hate people who build and expect drama.

77. I’m a vice president to a project management association. One that’s been failing miserably. We’ve re-org’ed recently and now I’m officially the “Chairwoman” and I’m determined to make something of this association. It’s my baby and I’m going to see it through to success.

78. When I was in high school me and one of my many Mike’s promised that if by the time we were 40 we weren’t married, we’d marry each other so we wouldn’t die alone. I’ve since made that commitment to two other men. All three…married. And further more, when we were in high school I laugh at the idea of how OLD we thought 40 was. And now sitting on the downward slope to 40, it doesn’t feel so old.

79. My mom is my best friend.

80. The first 45 record I ever bought was “Heart of Glass” By Blondie. The first CD I ever bought was C&C Music Factory. I remember when MTV first launched. I remember watching “Video Killed the Radio Star” as the first video. Thinking all the while that this video thing was kinda cool. Never imagining that MTV would cease to actually play videos.

81. Pet Peeve #658890: People who instant message you to call them.

82. My period is called “Aunt Flow”. She’s been Aunt Flow for as long as I can remember. I’m sure I wasn’t creative enough to come up with that, but there you have it. She visits regularly. On time and usually with little or no problems.

83. My biggest guilty pleasure is watching Survivor and Apprentice. I love those two shows. Though Survivor tends to get to me, and I usually start thinking I don’t need to watch it, but I keep on it anyhow. And recently Hell’s Kitchen.

84. I wish I had an accent. I think accents are very cool. With the exception of a deep south accent. Texan accent is okay. Alabama accent…not so okay.

85. I have a not-so-secret crush on the lead singer of Dudley Manlove.

86. Growing up we always had dogs. And usually excellent dogs. Even today my folks have amazing dogs.

87. When I was in Jr. High, my dad moved my entire bed out to the front lawn on a day I didn’t make my bed. I came home to find it perfectly made, and in the front lawn.

88. I rarely leave the house without makeup.

89. I am a very self aware person. I spend hours delving into me. Searching to figure out what makes me tick, what I can do to make me better, how can I improve. It’s tiring. But it’s worth it.

90. I’m a part time photographer. I love to take pictures of flowers and nature stuff. People and candid’s I’ve never been good at.

91. I collect flamingos. Not normal flamingos. They have to be a bit different in order to make my collection.

92. I have over 500 recipes in my recipe database. I’m geeky enough to have it reference-able and cross reference-able.

93. I had a HUGE crush on Shawn Cassidy growing up. I begged my mother to buy me a Satin jacket that had an image of Shawn Cassidy’s head on the back. I cried the day I out grew it.

94. I have struggled my entire life with weight. When I was a child I wasn’t over-weight, but I know in elementary school I was never “as small” as the other girls. But, I am very content with the person I am, so my weight doesn’t seem to bother me. Which it should.

95. I get a Yahoo Horror-scope every day and only keep the ones I like.

96. I can tell you most family and friend’s birthdays without hesitation. I have an odd ability to remember dates and numbers.

97. When I was in college I made up the perfect guy. His name is Jack. I had everything about him made up. His eye color, height, weight, job, education, family background. The whole works. I often wonder if I ever meet anyone named Jack if I’m going to automatically assume he’ll be marrying me.

98. I love the college football. I love watching it, going to games, whatever. I’m a Pac-10 Girl. Rooting for the Washington State Cougs first, then the Huskies, then any other Pac10 team BESIDES Oregon or USC…hate those two schools.

99. I’m a Diet Coke girl. If I have a choice I would pick Diet Coke to drink over anything else. Especially their recent Diet Black Cherry Vanilla coke. If it came to choosing to drink out of a can, I’d pick Diet Pepsi. For some reason Diet Coke in the can doesn’t taste as good. It has to be over ice. But Diet Pepsi out of the can seems to be okay. Though I’d usually have a coffee over that.

100. I love having a blog. I don’t even care if anyone reads it. Though I am glad that people do. I’ve been told by a few friends that they read it fast because that’s how I would say it. And I can’t believe you read these 100 factoids about me. You win a prize! (official game rules to be posted whenever I want)