Happy Birthday To Me!!

Today's my birthday. :-)

Yay!

It's been a whirlwind week of birthday lunches, dinners, parties and other festivities. :-)

It is, indeed, a good one. :-)

This post is ALL ABOUT ME!! Ha ha!!

Enjoy!

101 Things About Me

1. When I was in kindergarten I had an 'enemy' named Chelsea Berkey (sp?). My sister and I made up a song about her called, "Chelsea Berkey Is A Turkey." One of the lines was something about how she eats beef jerkey. Ha ha... We moved between 1st grade and junior high and I was free from said enemy. Then due to our school districts, we ended up at the same junior high. When we ran into each other again, we both said, "I remember you. I used to hate you."

2. My first crush was in 1st grade on a guy name Steven Houston. I wonder what he's up to? (Steven, if you're out there, call me! ;-)

3. I love fresh cut strawberries with french vanilla ice cream, preferably Haagan Daaz.

4. I didn't learn how to ride a bike until I was 24 years old.

5. I didn't learn how to swim until I was 25 years old, even though the house I grew up in had a pool.

6. My right eye is slightly smaller and a bit more slanted than my left eye.

7. I LOVE The Apprentice, Trump version. Martha's version sucked. Hers doesn't even deserve a hyperlink!

8. I cry at everything.

9. When I was in college my friends and I snuck into U2's Zooropa concert. We actually didn't really sneak into the concert. We just walked straight through security, not really knowing what we were doing, but none of the security guards questioned us and by the time we realized what we got away with, we just kept on going! Ha ha! We eventually ended up in the front row!

10. I had my first boyfriend when I was 16. We met in biology class, due to alphabetical seating.

11. I twisted my right arm once. My brother tried to "spin me" by the arm and popped it right out of the socket.

12. When I was a kid I used to be part of a dance troupe that would perform cultural dances at all sorts of events around the state. Aboriginal dances, Mexican hat dances, Chinese fan dances, and so on.

13. My favorite color is any shade of blue. I've been liking shades of red, purple and green lately, but blue has always been my favorite.

14. I had a doll growing up I called, "Primrose". I used to feed her, dress her, and wrap her up in a blanket every day.

15. I accepted Christ at the age of 28.

16. I took 10+ years of piano lessons.

17. I took 6+ years of violin lessons.

18. I used to take my violin and play it like a guitar. This always made my mom angry.

19. I actually have 4 first names, plus my last name. How very British of me. Think "Prince Charles" aka "Charles Phillip Arthur George Mountbatten-Windsor", only female. Ha ha...

20. I took voice lessons when I was in college.

21. I resemble my dad, my siblings resemble my mom.

22. I LOVE to bake.

23. I rolled my car into a ditch on 2-hour the drive home from college once. I walked away with just a small bruise on my face. It truly was a miracle. I'll have to find the pic sometime and post it.

24. I have a 6 inch scar on my right thigh. Everyone always thinks I have scotch tape on my leg the first time they see it.

25. I LOVE thunder and lightning storms in Arizona. There's just something about rainstorms in the desert southwest that is so magical and romantic.

26. I had many pets growing up, but the first three dogs we had were named, Moochie, Brownie, and Bandit.

27. I LOVE Tom Hanks.

28. I was spelling bee runner up in 6th grade at my school.

29. I outlasted the spelling bee winner at the district level and placed 10th. Booya!

30. I lost at the district bee because I misspelled "gimmick". I knew it has two "m's". I was just nervous and spelled too quickly!

31. I look about 6 years younger than I really am.

32. I've got a good ear for accents and can mimic most of them I hear.

33. I'd love to drive cross-country someday.

34. I LOVE the convertible mini cooper.

35. I didn't learn to ski until I was 24 years old.

36. Every time my nephew makes his "monkey mouth" face, I just crack up.

37. I learned how to sail when I was 28 years old.

38. I'm totally in love with my nieces and nephews, but my nephew and I just have a special bond.

39. The first time I highlighted my hair red I thought I was the sexiest thing there was.

40. I volunteer at a suicide crisis prevention hotline.

41. I LOVE Taco Bell. No way is it "Taco Hell".

42. I can speak two dialects of Chinese, Spanish, and I try to speak English.

43. I took archery lessons from someone I worked with while I was in college. It's an awesome "sport".

44. I was once held at gunpoint by the police when I travelled to China.

45. I travelled to Europe once with a now ex-boyfriend. The best part of the trip was when he got sick and stayed in the hotel while my gal pal and I went off to see the countryside without him.

46. I work in high tech but not in a technical role.

47. I don't snore.

48. I LOVE board games: Pictionary, Scrabble, Boggle, Trivial Pursuit, Guesstures, Monopoly, just to name a few.

49. I've always dreamed of joining the Peace Corp with my (future) husband someday. *sigh* Someday.

50. I can roll my tongue like a hotdog bun.

51. I do my best 'thinking' while taking a shower and often have many 'Ah-Ha' moments while brushing my teeth.

52. I want to have at least 3 kids.

53. When I was a kid I brought a sand dollar to school for show-and-tell. I told my teacher she "could have it." When I told her that I meant she could have it to put on display with everyone else's stuff, but she thought I'd given it to her as a gift. I was too confused to ask for it back. I never saw that sand dollar again.

54. I didn't go to my 10-year high school reunion.

56. I have a tendency to win all sorts of raffles and drawings. I've actually won a lot of prizes this way. Unfortunately my luck hasn't worked with the lottery.

57. I'm a good candidate for lasik, but I'm still too chicken to mess with my eyes like that.

58. At one point in college I held 3 jobs, a full course load of classes (18 credits), and walked 30 minutes to and from campus everyday because I wrecked my car (refer to #23).

59. Although everyone loves Phantom of the Opera, I equally love The Scarlet Pimpernel. I don't know why TSP wasn't as well-received.

60. I've seen an actual autopsy on a human cadaver.

61. I used to be in a jump rope club and could perform all sorts of mean tricks, besides double dutch. :-P

62. I wear two rings. One on the middle finger of my left hand. The other on my ring finger on my right hand.

63. I wear heart-shaped gold earrings every day.

64. I used to wear an aquamarine solitaire pendant (March's birthstone) every day until my niece broke the necklace this past Christmas. As soon as my sis replaces the chain my wardrobe will once again be complete. :-)

65. One of my favorite teachers in high school was my Spanish teacher, Senora Norma Garcia. We kept in touch over the years but she passed away a few years ago to Croup. I miss her dearly and think of her often.

66. In first grade I had a teacher named Mrs. Kilkerry (sp?). I remember she used to wear a dress that had a pattern of Budweiser cans all over it, and I remember she docked me 2 "good behavior points" for kissing Bryce Patterson (sp?) on the playground at recess. It was totally PG. It was only a peck on the cheek!

67. I'm typing up this list on my Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop.

68. I'm listening to Yahoo Music's Christian Praise and Worship station while I type up this list.

69. This list is taking a lot longer than I thought to write up, but it's been fun as I recall and record these things.

70. I'm trying really hard not to repeat anything from my previously posted meme. I think I'm doing well so far.

71. Two of my favorite drinks are Dr. Pepper and Tapioca Milk Tea.

72. I played Candy Land for the first time last Christmas with my nephew. I never played it as a kid.

73. I LOVE a cozy bed and comforter and lots and lots of fluffy pillows.

74. I truly want to believe that 30's is the new 20's.

75. My first car was a 1991 Acura Integra. It didn't have a radio or power anything, but I really loved that thing.

76. When I first moved out to California the rent for my 1 bedroom apartment was $1150. I really don't know *what* I was thinking when I moved out here, but I survived. Whew!

77. I have 3 rogue hairs on my body that I pluck religiously: one on my chin (doesn't everyone have one there?), one on my belly, and one ... umm ... on my boob.

78. I have one white hair on the front of my scalp that I pluck religiously. *sigh*. I freaked out the first time I discovered it.

79. When I was a kid the bathroom was the only place I had time to myself whenever the house was full. I still get that "Calgon" feeling when I'm in there.

80. I LOVE a hot shower. I could take one forever.

81. I LOVE to read. Anything and everything.

82. The last book I read was "The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers", by Amy Hollingsworth. "I'm so glad you're reading my blog, neighbor!" :-)

83. Another great read IMHO is "Travels", by Michael Crichton. It's a loose account of his life and essentially his search for all the elusive answers we all look for: direction, vocation, travels, marriage, psychic powers and phenomena, etc.

84. Both my sisters married men whose first names started with "S." I sometimes wonder if my husband will also have a name that starts with "S."

85. I LOVE the night sky. I LOVE the moon. I LOVE the stars. But I really just LOVE the moon.

86. I'm a night owl and really more productive during this time of day.

87. I had to use up frequent flyer miles on an airline I rarely travel on, so I got magazines instead: Self, Time, Gourmet, All You, Family Circle, and Adventure Travel.

88. In 6th grade I played the lead Indian in a play about Thanksgiving. Part of the costume was a headband I wore around the forehead. At the time I had a perm and I ended up looking like a hippie instead of an Indian in my costume.

89. My first real date was to the Homecoming Dance my junior year of high school. (refer to #10).

90. I never danced at my Homecoming Dance. We only showed up for pictures then left to go see the movie, "Little Man Tate."

91. For my junior prom I wore an emerald green dress with gold sequins on the bodice. I had gold shoes and a matching gold purse. I felt like a princess. :-)

92. In college my gal pal and I were bored one 3-day weekend and decided on whim to drive to Vegas. We were given a Ford Aspire which we affectionately named "Pepe Le Peu Le Aspy". Don't ask how we came up with that.

93. On our 'whimsical' trip to Vegas we hustled an inn keeper. He made us a bet that we wouldn't find a cheaper hotel without having a reservation on a holiday weekend. We went to the youth hostel next door and then back to the inn keeper. We showed him our receipt and he paid up. My gal pal and I both made 10 bucks within our first hour in Vegas. Not bad for 2 silly college girls.

94. I still have my "baby blanket". It's a pink and white crocheted blanket that my childhood pastor's wife gave to my mom when I was born. I hope to pass it along to my daughter (or son) someday.

95. I use the alarm clock on my cell phone to wake me up these days instead of my clock radio. I'm not sure how I got into this new habit.

96. I can eat a whole jar of salsa without chips.

97. My favorite numbers are 4, 8, or 9 and sometimes 7 or 11, depending on the day, the stars, my mood, and the way the planets are aligned that day. ;-)

98. I still believe in the power of love and the magic of finding a soulmate, despite many disappointments lately.

99. I can't believe I'm almost done with this list. It's actually been a fun exercise to do.

100. I was so shy as a kid that people sometimes thought I didn't understand or speak english.

101. I'm actually looking forward to, and feeling excited about, this chapter in my life. I'm older, wiser, and much more thankful for every blessing in my life.

Happy birthday to me, indeed!