101 Things

I've seen these all over the blogosphere, so I thought I'd start one of my own. It'll prob take me a while to actually get it done, but if I never start I'll never finish, so here goes.

1. I'm half Italian, half mutt (English, Scottish, Irish, French-Canadian, Native American, German, etc); but when asked, I consider myself Italian.
   
   
2. I wish I could cook a LOT better than I can. Actually practicing might improve that (improves most other things, right?)
   
   
3. I threw an elementary school spelling bee qualification because I was too shy to stand up in front of the whole school & parents & administrators to compete in the school-wide contest. (I misspelled hammer, adding a 3rd "m".)



4. I smoke, and I hate it, but I haven't yet been able to quit on my own.
   


5. I can't function properly without a morning shower, and at least 1 cup of coffee.
   


6. I put more of this in my coffee than should be allowed by law.
   


7. I believe in God, but am anti-organized religion. My take on it is that each person's relationship with God (or lack thereof) is their own business.
   


8. I graduated HS as an honor student, and walked away from a scholarship at a state university because I thought my high school sweetheart was "the one", and I didn't want to live 3 hours from him.
   


9. I think I'll kick myself FOREVER for #8.
   


10. I miss my Grandpa... every day.
    


11. I think I talk to him more now than I did when he was only a phone call away.
    


12. He still gives the best advice I've ever gotten.
    


13. I'm terrified of never getting to be a Mom.
    


14. I over-talk things to the point that it drives my husband nuts, but I only verbalize about 10% of what I think.
    


15. I think that I think too much. What do you think?
    


16. My "win the lottery" dream is to buy at least 50 acres of land in northern Michigan, and to build a house right in the middle of it. That way I only have to see people when I want to, rather than listening to their daily bullshit outside my kitchen window.
    


17. I am a VERY nervous car passenger, but I do my best to not let it show.
    


18. I'm good at saving money.
    


19. I married a man that LOVES to spend money.
    


20. That's not a great combination, and sometimes it makes us want to strangle each other.
    


21. As much as I love my kitty, I don't know if I'll own another one. I'm a dog person.
    


22. Oh, and I hate the litter box.
    


23. I work at a job with absolutely no advancement potential, that I really don't like anymore.
    


24. I stay for 3 reasons: 1) I work for my husband's family. 2) Once we have kids, I know I'll have the flexibility to work fewer hours. 3) I work 1.5 miles from my home.
    


25. When hubby goes out of town, I sleep with the lights and TV on, the cordless phone and my cell phone on the bed, and the dog on the floor next to me. And I triple check the deadbolts on all 3 doors.
    


26. I don't like when hubby goes out of town (even though I sometimes think the break is good for us).
    


27. I wish I were less judgmental.
    


28. I'm really trying to work on that.
    


29. I have made (with the help of family) homemade Italian sausage, tomato sauce, pasta, ravioli, and about a dozen varieties of Italian cookies.
    


30. My favorite memories of those marathon family cooking sessions include teaching my younger cousins how to clean the natural sausage casings (the boys loved that), and teaching them how to "snot" ravioli (seal the edges with egg wash). Good times!
    
    
31. I have never colored my hair, and hope to never have to (but as I see more grey coming in, I'm slowly letting go of that hope).
    


32. The number 11 runs rampant through my Mom's side of the family. Mom is the oldest of 5 siblings. The youngest is 11 years younger than her. I am the oldest of my generation, and am 11 years younger than my youngest aunt. The next 1st cousin from me is 11 years younger than I am. There is another 1st cousin further down the line that is 11 years younger than her. Let me see if I can simplify that... Mom - 11 years = Aunt P. Aunt P - 11 years = Me. Me - 11 years = cousin G. Cousin G - 11 years = cousin J.
    


33. The number 27 runs like that through my Dad's side, but to a lesser degree. Dad is 27 years older than Mom. Dad's parents we're also 27 years apart. My oldest sister (from Dad's 1st marriage) is 27 years older than me.
    
    
34. I briefly substituted on a Midget Racing pit crew. I was the stats girl.
    


35. Hubby and I have doomed the language skills of our future children. We mispronounce lots of things, just for fun. Examples: "Yemonade", "Mazagine", "Merote" (as in remote control), "Beeyankie" (for blanket). Most of these have a cute story behind them (at least to us), but I still feel guilty about the damage we're causing to our yet-to-be-conceived kids.
    


36. I make "the best brownies EVER", according to a friend of mine.
    


37. I disagree with her, as I have another friend who makes far better brownies than me!
    


38. I have a horrible habit of giving assvice, but I'm working to break it.
    


39. The endo surgery I had in '04 left a scar that looks like a c-section scar... same placement, same size, just no baby to show for it.
    


40. Hubby's business, "Grumpy's Garage", is a repair facility. Basically, he'll fix anything with an engine. I handle the books (duh, I work in accounting), and have the title of "Business Bitch".
    


41. I gave myself that title.
    


42. I love love LOVE cookbooks, but they must have lots & lots of pictures. My food never looks like it does in the picture, but I have to have some visual of what I'm working towards.
    


43. I am TERRIBLE at anything having to do with spacial relations. Hubby is a machinist, and can tell if a picture is hanging 3/100ths of an inch off center from 20 feet away. I let him manage those things.
    


44. I can give you a pretty damn accurate verbal inventory of the groceries we have on hand (not including condiments... I suck at condiments) at any given moment.
    


45. The smell of beer disgusts me (courtesy of a VERY drunken afternoon when I was 15).
    


46. Me & Mike are good friends.
    
    
47. My mother-in-law thinks I'm allergic to onion. I'm not, but I let her think that, because it's easier than explaining that I just don't like raw onion (she loves it).
    


48. We just bought a camper (read about it here), and I am SO FREAKING EXCITED I can't see straight!!!
    


49. I am 5 years and 1 week younger than the Grumpy One (that would be hubby).
    


50. I have a tendency to get sucked in to pyramid schemes. In fact, I'm still an inactive consultant for this and this.
    


51. I had my 1st cavity when I was 21.
    


52. That's also when I got glasses for the 1st time, and when I found my 1st grey hair.
    


53. I blame hubby for all of those things (and he lets me).
    
    
54. I would much rather graze on munchies & nibbles than eat an actual meal. Some of my favorites are tortilla chips & queso, pita with hummus, crackers with cheese spread, spinach dip with french bread, etc.
    


55. I very rarely get sick, but I take lots of "sick days" at work.
    


56. I'm a $ nerd... so much so that I have a spreadsheet for our Christmas shopping. I track who we're buying for, what ideas we have, what we're budgeting, what we actually buy, how much we actually spend, when we've completed their gift, and when it's wrapped.
    


57. I enjoy getting Christmas cards, but am too lazy to send them.
    


58. I live today in the same suburban city that I've lived in all my life, and that my Mom has lived in all her life.
    


59. The GrumpyOne & I traveled to Italy with my Mom & grandparents to visit my family there (that I had never met). We pulled the trip together (including getting passports) in less than 2 weeks. It's the biggest, most spontaneous thing I've ever done, and I LOVED IT! We had an incredible time, and talk about it frequently.
    


60. That trip is the reason my hubby refuses to ever travel with my Mom again.
    


61. I have lots of other reasons that I shouldn't travel with her, but it's hard to refuse an all expenses paid trip to Italy!
    


62. My parents separated when I was 15, but didn't divorce until I was 28.
    


63. I absolutely LOVE Christmas ornaments. We already decorate 1 full sized tree and 1 miniature tree, but if I'm not careful with the ornament addiction we'll need another tree!
    


64. I worked myself into such a frenzy before my first HSG that I was too freaked out to even walk by myself into the hospital. Afterwards, I felt fine, but couldn't let onto Hubby what a wimp I had been.
    


65. I went on a cruise with family (34 of us total) when I was 15. Gloria Estefan & her family were on the same cruise, and my aunt & I spent a 3 hour drive back from an excursion talking to them. I don't remember much detail, but I remember thinking how "normal" she seemed, lol.
    


66. After a very, very rough few months, I fell in love with hubby all over again when he took me to Kenny Chesney's concert, and we slow-danced in the concession area of the arena.
    
    
67. When I was in 1st grade, I cracked my head open on the corner of an art room table, requiring 4 stitches. Those are the only stitches I've ever had. (My surgical incision was closed with glue.)
    


68. I really enjoy reading, especially crime or courtroom drama. My current favorite authors are John Grisham and John Lescroart
    


69. 3 movies I can watch over & over & over again: My Cousin Vinny, 40 Year Old Virgin, and Exocist.
    


70. I own a KitchenAid Classic stand mixer, but I'm afraid to use it.
    


71. Hubby & I take a Christmas light drive every year, and I think that's my favorite night of the season. We take big ol' mugs of coffee, listen to Christmas music, and drive all over the Metro area looking at decorations. This is the "big money" part of our Metro area, and they have some unbelievable decorations there!
    
    
72. I have never broken a bone (but have had more twisted or sprained ankles than I even want to try & count).
    
    
73. I am my own generation, on both sides of my family. On Mom's side, I'm smack in the middle between her generation and the rest of my generation. On Dad's side, I'm the same age as my 1st cousins' grandchildren. If you look at ages, I don't seem to fit.
    
    
74. I am a member of the local chapter of this volunteer organization, and have been for over 7 years now.
    
    
75. I took a speed reading class in high school. Although I can't read as quickly as I used to, I can still easily get through a 250-300 page book in a day (if it sucks me in), with close to 100% comprehension.
    
    
76. I played slow pitch softball throughout elementary school, holding every position at some point during my 6-year organized sports career.
    


77. Hubby & I have had names picked out for our future kids for YEARS. We have 2 boy names decided, our first will be Jacob Marcel, and our 2nd Daniel Paul. We have Rose for a girl's middle name, but are still debating on a first name. Choices are currently Madelyn or Morgan.
    
    
78. Each of the middle names listed above is a family name. Marcel for Hubby's paternal grandfather; Paul for my maternal grandfather & father, and hubby's father; Rose for my maternal great-grandmother & aunt.
    
    
79. Yes, I've always pictured us having 3 kids, boy then girl then boy. Would be nice if we could get started on it, huh?
    
    
80. I can't believe how hard it is to come up with 101 trivia type things about myself. If you've read this far, I hope you're not bored to tears (but wouldn't be offended if you are).
    
    
81. I have never been stung by a bee (or hornet, or wasp, or any other stinging thing), and am absolutely terrified of them.
    
    
82. Of the 350 or so people we *should* have invited to our wedding (I come from a BIG Italian family, with more cousins then I want to try to count), we got away with having the small intimate wedding of our dreams, with less than 50 guests.
    
    
83. It was very important to both of us to have only people that were important in our lives, those that we knew would be their to support our marriage when it needed it and celebrate it when we could, attend our wedding. For the most part, I think we pulled that off flawlessly.
    
    
84. Because of how small the wedding was, we were able to have the ceremony in a quiet wedding chapel (he was raised Catholic, I was raised Presbyterian, but neither of us are "religious" as adults), we had the dinner at a local restaurant that has always been special to us, and afterwards we rented a boat to take a cruise along the Lake St. Clair shoreline and onto the Detroit river. It was PERFECT.
    
    
85. We honeymooned at Walt Disney World, in Florida, driving down & staying for a week. The entire trip was 10 days long, and it's the only vacation we've taken (in almost 11 years) that we didn't bicker at all!
    
    
86. Of the travelling I've done, Italy was by far my favorite vacation destination. I hope to someday be able to go back, and spend about a month touring the country, with a week at the end spent in Sicily with family.
    
    
87. Over the next few years, I hope to take our camper and stay in ALL of the state parks in Michigan.
    
    
88. Once we've seen all of our state, I want to branch out, and eventually camp in each of the 48 continental US states.
    
    
89. I hate my ears, and have often considered having plastic surgery to "pin them back".
    
    
90. I love to play cards & board games, and can easily spend an evening at my Grandma's playing rummy with her. Family functions often involve 10 or so of us (adults & kids) around her dining room table in the basement, playing Sequence, Apples to Apples, or the latest game one of the kids got. On Christmas we sometimes go through 3 or 4 new games received that day.
    
    
91. This love of card games extends to hubby's family as well. We will often spend a weekend evening at his parents house, having dinner and then playing Michigan Rummy (often called Tripoley) or Euchre.
    
    
92. My favorite fast food restaurant is Taco Bell, and I could easily eat it once a week or more.
    
    
93. I check in on all of the blogs in my blogroll at least once a day, and sometimes more often (if the daily-ish updaters haven't updated when I check them in the morning).
    
    
94. I have a second blog, and even tho it doesn't get much "outside traffic", I usually do something with it a couple times a week. If you take a peek, you can see what it's about.
    
    
95. I absolutely love fire, and water. My ideal evening would be spent with Hubby, sitting in front of a bonfire, in front of the river, drinking our cocktails of choice & watching the boats go by.
    
    
96. I am a very impatient person most of the time, but am trying really hard to ease up a bit on my "I want it and I WANT IT NOW" attitude.
    
    
97. I ADORE pumpkin pie! I can sit down with a pumpkin pie, a can of Reddi Wip, and a fork, and eat half a pie in one sitting! (Can you say glutton?) Grumpy & I generally go thru 3-4 pies every year between Halloween & Christmas, in addition to all of the pumpkin pie we eat at holiday dinners. Yummy yummy in my tummy!
    
    
98. In high school, I worked at Burger King, Imperial Sports, Chuck E Cheese, and Murray's. I feel like I learned a lot at Murray's, and best of all, that's where I met Hubby.
    
    
99. When I was in 2nd grade, I won 2nd prize in a Halloween costume contest at my church. Mom had made me a red crayon costume, and I remember being thrilled that I won 2nd prize instead of 1st, since the red ribbon matched my costume!
    
    
100. The email adress I use most frequently, and my instant messenger ID, have my maiden name in them, even though I've been married for over 4 years now. I want to change them, but don't want to go thru the hassle of changing them.
     
     
101. I didn't think I was cut out for this blogging thing, but I really do enjoy it. I'm not nearly as talented as many of the bloggers that I read regularly, but it feels pretty amazing to be part of this community. And it gives me such an incredible release, to be able to document my thoughts, and get feedback on them.