Uh, About that 100th Post

I had planned to do one of those 100-things-about-me posts for my 100th post. Since post 100 came and went some time ago and I have come to realize that no one really wants to know 100 things about me, I have decide to give you one fact for each year of my age, 38, and add one factoid for each post past 100, 17. So I give you:

55 Facts About Me

1. Love black olives
2. Hate green peppers - they are one of very few things I don't eat. Uh, hence the weight issue. They make everything they touch taste like green peppers. Blech.
3. Love animals: originally, I was a cat person, next came big dogs (big old dogs in particular), then I came to love small dogs of any variety, but Pomeranians in particular. Pretty much anything with fur. Not tarantulas, though. Ick.
4. I am a military brat. The highlights: born in Korea and went to jr. high in Italy. Lowlights: I graduated from high school in North Dakota.
5. I only applied to one university. Go Longhorns!
6. I have never tried any recreational drugs. Not because I am all holier-than-thou about it or anything, but my sophomore boyfriend got busted for dealing and dragged out of physics class. It makes an impression.
7. When I was young, I had a thing for scary skater boys. Dig the Vanns!
8. I know how to weld.
9. I was 30 when I met T. 33 when we got married. 34 when I had Z. 36 when I had Q.
10. My favorite movie is When Harry Met Sally. I first saw it by accident. The theater was running a surprise double feature. We paid to see one of the Karate Kid sequels.
11. I never went longer than a month without a boyfriend from the time I started dating at 16 until I broke up with my college fiance at 21. Then I had two consecutive four-year dry spells (yes, that's eight years) divided only by a couple of unfortunate dates.
12. I screwed up my right knee doing a head roll in dance class when I was 16. And required surgery on the left one after a series of unfortunate events involving a bouncy house, swing dancing and a dunking booth.
13. My favorite book is The Eight by Katherine Neville. I am totally psyched that after 20 years she has written a sequel. Too bad I am too cheap to buy it in hardback.
14. I had both of my kids without painkillers. Even Z, who was induced. I am not a rock star or anything, I think I must just have a high pain tolerance and/or a pelvis made for pushing. Oh, and because my dad said I was too much of a weenie to have any babies at all, let alone naturally. I had something to prove.
15. Purple is my favorite color. Has been for most of my life. There was a time in jr. high when I could wear a different purple outfit every day for two weeks. Now I just have purple couches.
16. I taught myself how to sew so I could make costumes. I love me some costumes. I made my first elaborate one in the 7th grade: a can of Campbell's soup. Now I have a closet stuffed with them and two more people to make them for!
17. I am a night owl. This makes my chosen careers of teaching and parenting a bit of a bitch.
18. I have worked in broadcasting, advertising, and teaching. It took me a while to find a good fit employment-wise.
19. My first car was a loaded 1984 Chrysler Le Baron. I loved that car and cried when they towed it away after I totalled it.
20. My dad says there are two things everyone should do once: have a pool and drive a convertible. He was right about the pool, but not the convertible. I had to sell mine when Z was born, but look forward to buying another one when the kids are grown.
21. My biggest fear is that I will get early-onset Alzheimer's Disease like my mother.
22. My dogs' names are Griffin, Isabella (Izzy) and Blackie. Guess which one I didn't name?
23. I hate my birthstone, yellow topaz. It is the color of urine. Do all of those cool colored topazes count as a November birthstone?
24. I bought a house on my own when I was 31. My father and I did a studs out remodel of the kitchen. It was SO awesome.
25. I bought a coffee pot so I could ask a guy back to my house after a date. I didn't drink coffee at the time. I do now. I was thinking yesterday that "Mama Needs Coffee" would be a good name for a blog.
26. My hair went from stick straight and blond to downright curly and brownish after I had babies. Having pursued curly hair my whole life, I am now completely clueless about how to deal with it.
27. I follow 40 blogs, with more added almost daily. I hate it that I get so behind when I travel - which is ALL the time!
28. If money were no object, I would be an interior decorator. Though now that I think about it, any money at all would be more than I am making now, so maybe is should go for it!
29. I have a low level fear of doctors. But not needles. Huh.
30. It took me six months to figure out that I had post partum depression after Z was born. Those six months were hard on everyone.
31. I have three+ degrees: BS in Radio-TV-Film; MA in Broadcast Journalism; a teaching certificate (that is the plus part); and a MEd in elementary education. School is what I am best at.
32. I LOVE to read. But I mostly read fluff. I have enough serious in my real life, I look to books for an escape.
33. I taught in a huge urban school district for 5 years. I was one of only 11 white people in the whole building. It was a whole new world every day.
34. Being a mom is harder than I thought it would be. I spend a lot of time feeling like I am not doing a good enough job.
35. Though my friends don't believe it, I am pretty shy. I am the life of the party in a group of people I know, but if I don't know anyone, I am a total wallflower. So Frat parties in college? Nightmare.
36. I was in a sorority. Alpha Phi. If I had college to do over again, I would be more active in it and live in the house.
37. There are beach people and mountain people. I am a beach person. T is not.
38. We went to Kauai on our honeymoon. I might sell an organ to go back.
39. I am hoping to get pregnant again in the spring. T is not entirely on board yet. Z has requested a girl.
40. If I could afford it, I would pay someone to clean my house.
41. My favorite food is Korean barbecue, Bulgogi. Our housekeeper in Korea gave us the recipe.
42. The only recipe I know by heart is Cranberry Salad, a family holiday staple.
43. My favorite blogger is Jen Lancaster. I want to move to Chicago, stalk her, and become her new BFF.
44. My husband totally doesn't get the whole blogging thing, which I find frustrating.
45. I have been to Mardi Gras in New Orleans five times. I got lots of beads. Don't ask.
46. I made a recipe called Christmas Crack today. I changed the name to Christmas Crunch because I don't want to feed crack to my kids. But the original name is appropriate. So. Good. 4 boxes cereal (I used CoCo Puffs, Kix, Wheat and Rice Chex), 1 bag of pretzels, 1 bag of M&M's, 2 packages of almond bark. To. Die. For.
47. Happiness is a warm puppy? So true.
48. I am a better mother of infants than I am of pre-schoolers. Once they can talk back, my skill levels drop. I am hoping that I will get better as the kids get older. I did teach elementary school, after all.
49. I am not afraid of spiders, but cockroaches make me scream and dance around flapping my hands.
50. I am a chocolate purist. Which is to say that I only really like it in candy form. Cake, ice cream, or cookies? I would rather have vanilla. Not that I wouldn't eat the chocolate cake/ice cream/cookies, I would just pick something else if I had the choice.
51. I enjoy music, but I am not a "music person." I own maybe 12 CDs and do not own a MP3 player. I did not get a CD player until 2002.
52. My favorite kind of music is alternative/new rock. Small Town radio sucks, so I am not up to date on any songs.
53. I am a passable singer.
54. I don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
55. I would rather be too hot than too cold. Good thing I live in Texas!

And two to spare:
56. I am a huge fan of animal print. I have a chaise lounge in my living room that is leopard print. So cute! I have zebra print seat covers and also carseat covers. I would have preferred leopard print, but they wouldn't match the inside of my car.
57. I am a mediocre speller (thank goodness for Spell Check!) and a grammar Nazi. I don't mind breaking the rules for style purposes, but if it is just sloppy writing, it is like nails on a chalkboard to me.