I said goodnight to my thirties last night and woke up in a new decade. For real this time. To celebrate, I thought I'd share 40 random things about me.
40. I became a neat freak/organized wannabe during my first pregnancy. Considering the amount of stuff that comes with children, the timing was not ideal.
39. Two of my favorite shows are Wait Wait Don't Tell Me on NPR and Gossip Girl on the WB (this barely nudged out The Bachelor). It's all about balance. Plus, it's hard to knit something complex while watching riveting tv.
38. Most people think I'm of Hispanic descent (I am not, btw. I am half Thai).
37. No, really, when I did this thing at the White House, the Hispanic caucus would make a beeline for me and surround me (no idea what they were saying).
36. I have taught the same aerobic class since my last year of law school in 1996. They spoil me and have thrown me a celebration for just about every milestone in my life. They are like family.
35. I am generally a nice person. But once when I was cross-examining a witness, I made him cry. Also, a juror once asked me if I handled divorces. She was hoping I'd skewer her husband. I suppose in court I can play the mean part.
34. I don't understand parents who drone on and on, bragging about their children. Besides, we should really be talking about my children who are so smart, funny, cute, talented, sweet, etc., etc.
33. I love to cook and entertain. It is a shame that I am so neurotic about it.
32. I totally expect the man to offer to drive--is that horrible?
31. And I think he should offer to pay. That probably is horrible and dated but there, I said it.
30. I will be raising my boys to always offer to drive and to pay.
29. I think milk is quite thirst quenching and drink it like water after working out.
28. I try very hard to not take things for granted. Especially people.
27. I read fashion magazines and keep up on trends even though most of my wardrobe comes from L.L. Bean and Lands' End.
26. Except my purses. I still save my pennies to splurge on a nice designer purse. I can go either way with shoes.
25. Three times now I have bought a designer purse from a line just a few months before it signs with Target to introduce an affordable line. Target's will be out of pleather and say "Linea Pelle for Target" and it's not the real deal. But suddenly the silhouette I just invested in will be ubiquitous and it kills me. I am fully aware that this is crazy talk.
24. I cannot stand raw celery (ants on a log? Yuck.) And it does too have a flavor. Raw celery is the only vegetable I dislike.
23. I have a thing about grammar. I don't know it all, far from it, and can get over spelling errors when writing casually. But it hurts me to read "he is such a jackass. Literally." Because then I can't stop myself from mentally questioning, "really? So you're saying he's an honest to goodness male donkey? Or did you mean he's a fool in which case you meant figuratively?"
22. I have given Ethiopian food a try three times. I'm done.
21. I say my favorite color is red yet grays and blues surround me.
20. I am absolutely obsessed with knitting.
19. I am also really into canning and am good at sewing and hand embroidery.
18. This does not mean I'm eighty.
17. I am usually either freezing or overheated. There is a two degree window where I am comfortable, temperature-wise. Mastering the art of dressing in layers is key (think cardigans).
16. I don't understand why drivers don't know the rules of the road. I fantasize about having a stack of DMV study guides in my car to fling at bad drivers after I shout, "need a refresher??? Here you go!" This would be especially handy when I drive up to an intersection where the signals are flashing red and no one knows what to do and it's like a game of Frogger.
15. It is really, really hard for me to get rid of books.
14. I adore that Charlie will just build me a bookcase instead of suggesting I need to get rid of books.
13. I have a thing about teeth. Specifically, loose teeth. I think seeing a wiggly tooth is about the grossest thing on earth.
12. I love taking pictures and use my camera almost every day. But fyi, there is not a single picture of a kid's loose tooth.
11. I am an incurable DIYer. Four days before our wedding, I decided I could not live with our kitchen table in its current state because we were having an open house party two days before our wedding. I sanded the table, painted it, and tiled a mosaic top. It now serves as my sewing table.
10. I have a ridiculous memory. Numbers, facts, names, and there's more but I can't remember at the moment.
9. I think writers and photographers have my dream job. And I believe the notion that everyone has at least one novel in them. I have a box filled with notes from teachers and such encouraging me to write. Some people hate to write but I enjoy it. Part of it comes naturally but I am much better when I practice. I need to practice.
8. I wore a uniform in the Coast Guard for ten years and not one day did I feel pretty in it. It is hard to feel pretty in blue polyester. I should add that I also spent three pregnancies in uniform--meaning maternity blue polyester. Shudder. That said, I love the Coast Guard.
7. I have the greatest friends. They make my life fun in a way that only good friends can--especially my girlfriends. Same goes for my immediate and extended family, including inlaws. I really lucked out there.
6. I hated running until l gave it a chance.
5. I eat an obscene amount of food so it is fortunate that I started running.
4. I am an avid reader, all genres. But if a book doesn't grab me pretty fast, I move on with no remorse.
3. I am always rushing. Every year I plan to write one of those Christmas newsletters but never plan ahead enough. But I do write a little something in the card and people often ask me how long it takes (I think they think I have a lot of time on my hands but I don't). I spend one night right before the holidays brainstorming and just go with it.
2. I am not a coffee snob. If it remotely tastes like coffee I will drink it. But that's not to say I don't appreciate a really great cuppa because I certainly do.
1. My husband and children are my life in the best possible way. And it works out well because they make me feel like I am their world, too.
Sandra