100 Tidbits

**In no particular order…just as I think of things I want to share.  And as of this posting, it’s incomplete.  I may not have 100 things to tell….

100.  I get road rage.  I just deleted that and then typed it again.  Might as well be honest.  I think I do a good job of containing it since Jordan is in the car with me 99.9% of the time, but the feelings are still there, so that counts, I guess. 

99. “Death” and my mortality blow my mind.  If I let myself think about it, I start to get panic attacks.  Huge panic attacks.  I wonder sometimes if this is ‘normal’, or am I the only one who freaks the hell out over this.  Is this a mental defect?  Do most people just accept their mortality because it is a fact of life and never give it a second thought?

98.  I LOVE to sing.  Love, love, love to sing.  And I think I’m pretty good…I can carry a tune.  Just ask Jordan. =]  I wish I had the nerve to do karaoke, but I don’t.  So Jordan is my only audience thus far.  I love to sing in the shower, too.

97.  If I had the money, I would get my boobs lifted.  I would.  Not bigger, just lifted.  I’m a full “B” cup and I’m happy.  Wanting this surgery is major for me because I am the BIGGEST chicken of pain, and I know recovering would be very painful.  But I’d do it. Pregnancy, nursing/pumping, and my weight fluctuation have left my once normal boobs heading south. 

96.  If you asked me to tell you one thing–just one–that I like about my body, I’d be hard pressed.  I can tell you a flaw for every single body part.  Seriously.  I know by now I should accept my body and its parts, and I should be thankful I’m pretty healthy.   In a perfect world, yeah.

95.  I desperately, desperately want to travel to a LIST of other countries.  It’s in my heart that deeply.  I cannot imagine never seeing other places in the world besides my one little tiny place on this planet.  I don’t understand how so many people are okay with that.  We are each just a tiny speck…there’s SOOOO much out there.

94.  Speaking of traveling, I am scared to fly.  I do it and have done it often, but I get nervous every single time.  I know the statistics prove that there are more accidents in cars, but that doesn’t make me feel one bit better.  When you are plummeting from over a mile in the sky (or however high up it is), you have a lot of time to think about your impending death.  At least in a car you have a chance of it being over quickly!

93.  I don’t think I’m a good mother.  If they only had a book of directions that came with each individual baby.  =]

92.   I am not a good housekeeper.  I am messy, and I HATE it.  Before I had Jordan, I had much more time to concentrate on not being messy…single motherhood has changed that.  I have no time for anything anymore.  And I have finally realized at my core, I am messy.  Plus I’m abstract-random…and very visual…and I am seriously sure I have A.D.D…it’s not a great combination when you’re a messy person. 

91.  I make KICK-ASS Sangria.  My mouth just watered thinking about it.  Last summer (‘06), while Jordan was with my family in Indy, it was my goal to find and make the ‘best’ Sangria recipe.  I practiced for a month.  =]  I have it down pat now.

90.  Someday I would love to own my own bookstore.  Sadly, though, independent, little bookstores don’t thrive much now.  I can still dream, though.

89.  I am in AWE of sunrises and sunsets.  And the night sky (moon, stars, meteors, etc). 

88.  I’ve never had surgery of any sort.  I hope I didn’t just hex myself by typing that.

87.  I tell people I hate having curly hair, but really I don’t hate the curls.  I hate not being able to do much with it.   

86.  I am not a morning person.  Never have been.  I thought when I started teaching twelve years ago, it’d get easier to get up early, and I’d eventually learn to like getting up early. HA! Hasn’t happened yet.  I am a nightowl to the bones.  If I don’t make myself go to bed by 10:30 or so, I get my second wind, and I’ll stay up ’til 2 or 3 in the morning.

85.  I think people of color have beautiful skin.   I’m envious that, for the most part, they don’t have to worry about unsightly varicose veins and spider veins…or rosacea.  Just look at Oprah…her skin is so gorgeous…it almost shimmers (I read somewhere she uses Origins Ginger Essence Gloss…it makes her brown skin look even more gorgeous…on me it looks like I have oily skin all over).

84. I am petrified of lizards.  And we have a gazillion of them down here in Florida.  Logically I know they won’t hurt me one bit…but they aren’t something I can swat with a shoe like a roach or a fly or a spider.  Getting rid of a lizard in your house involves CAPTURING…careful capturing because they are so flippin’ skittish.  I need a cat, I know.

83.  Hollywood gossip is an addiction for me.  Well, maybe “addiction” is too strong of a word, but I tell ya, I can’t get enough of the goings on in Hollywood.  It’s ridiculous, I know.  Utterly ridiculous waste of my time.  Yet I visit TMZ and The Superficial almost daily.  I buy the tabloids.  I’m so weak.

82.  I hate talking on the phone.  Hate it.  I’m terrible about returning calls or making calls I know I need to make because I do not enjoy being on the phone.  And now, in the day and age of text messages, I’d much rather text than talk.

81.  Even though I myself have five tattoos (all of which you normally can’t see except for the one on the back of my neck since I wear my hair UP every single day–that’s not to say I try to hide them…I love them!), I tend to think they look trashy on some women, depending upon WHERE the tattoo is located.  Isn’t that ridiculous on my part?  I’m just being honest.  I really think there are certain places women shouldn’t have tattoos because it’s too manly.   I sound so sexist, huh?  Yikes.  I am sure I’ll make some people mad who are reading this.  Sorry.

80.  I still love to watch Jordan sleep.  All you moms out there know what I’m talking about.  We did it when our kids were babies; maybe some of you still do it now, too, like me.  I’ll go in his room before I go to bed, and I’ll sit there (or lie there sometimes), and just stare at his beautiful little face.  I guess once he gets to a certain age, this might just be considered CREEPY on my part, huh?  He’s still little so I think I can get away with it for now.

79.  I have never tried cigarettes.  Ever.  And I’m thirty-nine years old.  Go me.  Cigarettes completely gross me out. 

78.  I wear open-toed shoes almost every single day.  When I go to the gym (which hasn’t been much lately!), I wear tennis shoes, of course.  But to school, I wear open-toed shoes every day. 

77.  The first time I took my driving test at 16, I failed.  That parallel parking is a bitch for me.  Still can’t do it very well.  My dad took me back the next day, and I passed with no problem.

76.  I was in the running for homecoming queen as a senior in high school…didn’t win, though…damn Michele Penhale!  But the funny thing was that I was Student Government President, and SGA sponsored homecoming, so I had access to the crown.  And Heidi Miller (also a candidate for queen) and I tried on that crown and walked around in it many times in the weeks leading up to Homecoming!  Not out in the general population, mind you…in the secrecy of our sponsor’s office!!  We giggled ourselves silly walking around in that thing.

75.  I dated our Swedish exchange student, Robert Kornfeld, when I was in eleventh grade.   He was adorable (still is…I found him on Facebook).  I went to his senior prom with him (sporting some major “Pat Benetar” hair…both us, actually!! lol).  I also have vivid memories of him singing, “Kiss” by Prince to me…with his strong Swedish accent.  Random memory.

74. I’ve lived in Florida for about thirty-eight of my thirty-nine years, and have never water skiied.  Too scared I’ll run into Mr. Alligator!!  lol 

73. I’ve only had one broken bone in my whole life (hope I didn’t just hex myself as with number 88).  I broke the growth plate in my right wrist when I was in sixth grade.  I did it trying to learn to skate backwards.  Never did learn.  Wouldn’t even try again after the broken wrist.

72.  I only wear earrings.  No necklaces.  No rings.  No bracelets.  No watches.  I wore a wedding ring when I was married; and if I ever get married again, I will again.  But as a rule, I don’t like rings because I don’t like my fingers…and necklaces make me feel claustrophobic!!  lol  As for bracelets…no real aversion to them, but I’m so clumsy that I’m always afraid I’ll break them.  But…that’s not to say I wouldn’t love jewelry as a gift =]  I just don’t buy anything for myself except earrings. 

71.  I am pretty sure I’m addicted to sugar.  I’m too scared to even try to cut it from my diet for fear my whole body will shut down from withdrawals.  Pathetic, huh?

70.  I love to crochet. 

69.  I don’t know how to knit but want to learn.

68.  I don’t know how to quilt but want to learn.

67.  I have daydreams of having my own show on the cooking network.  It’s not a goal of mine or anything, but it’s something I entertain in my head.

66.  I love to watch the “Antiques Roadshow”.  I don’t particularly like antiques (I don’t go antiquing or anything…), but I love seeing what people bring in, and then finding out how much the stuff is worth.  So fun!

65.   I love rollercoasters!  Montu (at Busch Gardens) is my favorite.

64.  I’ve been white-water river rafting (up near Whistler in Canada).  Amazing experience.

63.  I’ve never snow skiied.

62.  One of the “things I must do before I die” is go for a hot-air balloon ride.  I have a huge list…this is just the tip of the iceberg =]

61.  Watermelon is my favorite fruit.  I’d eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I could.

60.  If I could have a “super” power, I’d want to fly.  I watch birds fly and think how fun that would be.

59.  My favorite perfume is Origins Ginger Essence.  My sister, Kelly, got me completely hooked on it.  Before that I only wore “Happy” by Clinique.

58.  I don’t eat seafood. 

57.  I hate crowds.  I don’t go to parades (and Tampa is famous for two great ones: “Gasparilla” and “Guavaween”)…and I don’t really enjoy concerts, though there are a select few musical artists I would go, and have gone, to see.

56.  I think the two most beautiful women in Hollywood are Jessica Alba and Kristen Kreuk. 

55.  The two hottest men in Hollywood are Taye Diggs and Benjamin Bratt.  Yow!!!

54.   I lost my virginity when I was 17.5 years old…to John Smith.  No, that’s not an alias either.  He was my first love.  Man, was I in love with that boy.  **Yikes, I feel weird knowing my mother will read this!!  lol  I guess she knows I’m not a virgin anymore.

53.   The first rated R movie I ever saw was when I was twelve…”Endless Love”.  My mom took me to see it for my birthday [I had wanted to see it sooo badly...loved Brooke Shields].  She apparently didn’t like it (I wonder why?!!)…she let me stay and watch it, and I guess she went shopping in the mall.

52.    I’m claustrophobic…in a huge, huge way.  Though I guess there aren’t degrees of claustrophobia…you either are or you aren’t, huh?  But I even freak out in a room with no fresh air able to come in.  This is part of my ‘plane anxiety’ (see #94)…knowing that we’re in that tiny tube of a vehicle and no fresh air is getting in…I have to do some serious concentrating so as not to freak the hell out.

51.  I played the oboe and flute from sixth grade until the end of tenth grade.  Then I thought I was too cool to be in band and quit.  I regret it to this day.  I was pretty darn good.

50.  My favorite flower is the Gerbera Daisy (and yes, that’s spelled right…google it!).  But I love all flowers, really.  I’d take a bouquet of just about anything.

49.  My dream home is a bungalow-style house…hardwood floors…front porch.

48.  My favorite toy when I was young was my “Lite Brite”. 

47.  My favorite book series up until I discovered Judy Blume was the Nancy Drew series.  I read every single book in that series…some two or three times.  Around 7th grade I discovered Judy and Nancy fell to the wayside. 

46.  I spent the summer between 10th and 11th grade at the University of Florida as a participant in this “future scientist” program…can’t even recall the official name, but it was very well known at the time…I’ll have to look up the name.  SPECIALLY CHOSEN kids  =]  from all over Florida were invited to attend, and we lived in Beatty Towers for the summer.  My ‘research’ was with FRUIT FLIES with Professor James Nation (I still remember his name 20+ years later)…and if memory serves I tested different scents to see what they would react to…not sure what significance that would have, but whatever (it was probably just ‘busy work’, unbeknownst to me).  It was interesting.  We also took a couple of college-level classes…I recall taking a statistics class…can’t remember what the others were.

45.  Speaking of Gainesville, I lived there (and went to Santa Fe) during the time of the Danny Rowling serial killings.  Never been so petrified in my life.

44.  I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary English Education from the University of South Florida.  I’ve started work on my Master’s , well if you count ONE class as having ’started’.  At this rate, I’ll be 50 before I finish.

43.  The closest I’ve ever come to meeting a celebrity is riding in an elevator with Michael Jordan (I don’t count this as me meeting him because I didn’t speak to him…too star struck).  This was (I think…correct me if I’m wrong, Lewis) when MJ had come back from retirement (the first time!).  The Bulls were playing the Magic in the playoffs in Orlando.  Lewis wanted to stalksee MJ so we hung out in the Marriott and through Lewis’s stalker skills  craftiness, we caught MJ and his entourage heading for the elevator, and we hopped on.  He spoke to Lewis, and I’m pretty sure Lew wet his pants!!!  lol  I remember thinking, “MJ is SOOO tall!” 

42.  My first “real” job (one that had taxes taken out!) was as a cashier at “Miller’s”, a small grocery store chain here in Florida (I don’t think there are anymore open at this point).  I started there when I was sixteen.  Most all teenagers in the area either worked there or at Fryer’s Chicken. 

41. I love to put potato chips or Cheetos on my sandwiches =]

40. My twenty-year high school reunion is this summer (editor’s note:  this was typed in ‘07), and I have no interest in going.  None.  And, yes, I had lots of friends in high school, so it’s not that.  I just feel like, okay, we haven’t cared about each other enough over the past 20 years to keep in touch, why now?  After the reunion we’ll go another 20 years without any contact.  What’s the point?  Besides, I keep in touch with three of my friends whom I love dearly…Christi, whom I’ve known since we were seven or so…Suzanne, whom I’ve known since KINDERGARTEN!…and Kim, whom I’ve known since sixth grade.   High school was a lifetime ago…a different life.  I loved it then…have wonderful memories of it…but I don’t want to revisit it now.

39.  Ranch dressing is my favorite condiment.  Most anything can be dipped into it…delicious!

38.  My favorite fast-food restaurant is Sonic.  I actually love their burgers more than Steak and Shake.  But what I really love is their cherry limeade.  

37.   To Kill a Mockingbird is my #1 favorite book.

36.  I hate playing video games, though I sure did love our Atari back in the day.  “Space Invaders” rocked!

35.  I wear glasses =]  Tried contacts on many different occasions…couldn’t get used to them or to seeing my face without glasses.  Plus, glasses are a good cover for crow’s feet!

34.  I have a heart murmur.  They’re pretty common I guess.

33.  My favorite board game is Yahtzee.

32.  In fourth grade I was in a play where I played a Spanish man!!  LMAO  I had to wear a sombrero, and I still remember my ONE line (no, actually, I had a few)…drum roll:  “What’s going on?  What’s all the commotion?” I wish I could remember the name of the play.

31.  My favorite book in elementary school (circa 3rd grade) was The City Rose.  It’s been out of print for a long time, and a few years back, through the loveliness of the internet, I found a copy.  I am completely thrilled to have found it and now own it.  Next, I want to get a whole set of the old, original Nancy Drew books.

30. I don’t use salt and pepper on my food.

29.  My favorite toothpaste brand is Aquafresh (in the pump).

28.  I was on the gifted track in school beginning in third grade. Now, I can barely spell my own name half the time.

27.  My favorite thing to collect is anything with dragonflies on it.

26.  I love candles (though not many females don’t, huh?)

25.  I was born in Ohio, but I consider myself a Floridian since we moved here before I was two.

24.  If Jordan had been a girl, his/her name would’ve been Raegan Ivy, my two favorite girl names.  I had originally picked out “Tyler” for his name (and had pondered “Kyle” for a tiny bit), but when he was born, he just wasn’t a Tyler. I had always loved the name Jordan.  And his middle name, Isaiah, is from one of my very favorite movies, “Losing Isaiah”.

23.  My birthstone is peridot, and I am a Leo.

22.  My favorite drink at Starbuck’s is a Chai Tea Latte (Cobbie, you got me hooked!).

21.  When I was pregnant the one and only craving I had was the salad dressing from Olive Garden.  I had to have a salad every day so I could have that dressing.  Thankfully they sell it, so I stayed pretty stocked up.  At the baby shower they had for me at school, one of my fellow teachers gave me the best gift—a gift certificate to Olive Garden! 

20.  I was born in Tiffin, Ohio.

19.  I am related to Don Mattingly.  He’s a 2nd or 3rd (maybe 4th…shoot, I can’t remember) cousin on my mother’s side (her maiden name is Mattingly, FYI).  I’ve never met him. 

18.  I can’t bend my pinky finger on my right hand without my ring finger bending with it—I can’t control it.  However, on my left hand, I can bend it with no issues.  Weird, I know.

17.  My first plane trip was when Lewis and I went to Atlanta for the weekend (while we were married, of course).  This was in 1994 I think (?).

16.  When I write a heart-felt message in a person’s greeting card, I will write rough drafts on scrap paper until I’ve written it ‘just so’.  It usually takes me 2 or 3 practice runs before I’ll commit and write the words inside the card (perfect example…when writing Jordan’s kindergarten teacher’s final thank you card at the end of the year this past May—> literally it took me three hours…not continuously, but off and on for three hours I worked on that thing!  It’s a sickness, I know!).

15.  I think it’s a crime against humanity to give someone a book as a gift and NOT write a personal message inside (and like #14, I write rough drafts before I write a message inside a book to someone).

14.  I cannot for the life of me fold a fitted sheet.

13.  I’m dying to be a contestant on Jeopardy!

12.  Lay’s plain potato chips are my absolute favorite.  Just like the ad used to say, “No one can eat just one.”  And if it’s a brown one–bonus!  I love the brown ones.  And it’s such a thrill when I get one that is folded over, too.  Imagine my elation when I get a brown one that is folded over.  Potato chip nirvana.

11.  As of November 21, 2008, I am a Nationally Board Certified Teacher in Early Adolescent/English Language Arts.  It’s a major accomplisment of which I am extremely proud.

10.  I’m not a fan of the dark.  I won’t say I’m SCARED of the dark, but I do prefer to have a light on at night.

9.    I’m a visual learner.  I forget things I hear, but once I read it or write it, I don’t forget.

8.    I’ve never played poker.  I don’t even know how.  (

7.