100 Things

I've been meaning to do this for a long time. So, here goes:

1) I am the youngest of four girls.

2) We all had/have various natural shades of red hair.

3) My sisters and I are quite close. We would love to live in a compound together.

4) Reading has always been my favorite past time.

5) Although I have been told that I have a very good singing voice, I hate to perform. I miss singing. I'd join
a choral group if it wasn't for the concerts.

6) Sometimes my OCD overwhelms me.

7) It took me a long time to come up with a bucket list. I made one when I was in high school but I've done everything on it. So I am making one as a grown up.

8) I don't walk gracefully in high heels. I prefer a wedge.

9) I'm lucky that I have a keen eye for accessorizing. I can put together a sharp outfit.

10) I've been a chubby my whole life. I accept that it's just one part of who I am. A visible part, but one part.

11) Chocolate makes me happy.

12) Pomegranate and pineapple are my favorite fruits.

13) I love most vegetables. Potatoes are my favorite.

14) I was vegetarian for several years but had to expand my repertoire because I was getting anemic.

15) I have quite a few guilty pleasures. Including People magazine, E! tv, and the Housewives' series on Bravo. So sue me.

16) I alphabetize. Everything. When I can't sleep I list everything alphabetically.

17) I prefer writing in black ink. Pretty much any color but blue.

18) It took a long time to get used to my handwriting, especially on the board at school.

19) Using # on Twitter bores me.

20) The Voice and American Idol are two of my favorite shows.

21) Dancing and singing in the car makes my commute fly by.

22) No one would guess it, but I love funk music. I absolutely love 70s pure funk.

23) Disco makes me wiggle but not dance.

24) My favorite band is U2, since I heard them in 1983. Favorite. Forever.

25) In the late 80s and early 90s, I traveled a lot. Frequent trips to Europe. And the Caribbean.

26) Since my passport expired a decade ago, I finally applied for a new one.

27) When we were kids, my sisters and I went to the movies every Sunday. For years. My parents would drop us off at the Cinema for the matinee. Sometimes we would have babysitters, but often my older sisters would have to watch out for me.

28) Going to the movies has always been a real treat. Luckily, the local theater has a $5.00 rate.

29) 80s music makes me nostalgic. I kinda can't believe it's "so long" ago.

30) Would I rather have a maid or a cook? I'd rather have a housekeeper--the best of both worlds! Ok, ok, a maid.

31) Sometimes I feel like the only person on earth that doesn't text or have a smart phone. But I don't need one. No one calls me. (not that I'm complaining)

32) There are a lot of things I like about teaching high school social studies. I get to be creative. And I get to laugh every single day.

33) I don't wear makeup. But I am diligent about my skincare routine. I love Mary Kay.

34) The local news broadcast makes me insane, it's so poorly done. And the commercials also are horrible.

35) Unfortunately, because of the lack of local news to watch, I sometimes don't know what's going on in and around town.

36) My hometown has been home for my whole life. I used to be self-conscious telling people that I've always lived here but I have traveled a lot and I'm worldly enough that I don't think I'm a yokel.

37) Some day I'm going to New York City during the Holiday Season to see the Rocketts and stare at the fabulous window displays.

38) Traveling by myself doesn't bother me. I'd prefer company. But I like my own company.

39) If napping was an Olympic sport, I would finally be a jock. Napping is my favorite.

40) One of my worries is that people will think I'm lazy. Because I nap a lot. Some of it is chronic major depression.

41) I spend so much energy at school and I'm constantly surrounded by people demanding my attention that when I leave, I leave.

42) 42 = the answer to life, the universe and everything else.

43) Often I catch myself wondering how I got to be a kid trapped in a grown-up's life. Really?

44) Random Acts of Kindness make me happy. I try to do something every week. Usually I buy the coffee of the person behind me at the Dunkin' Donuts drive-thru.

45) Because I go to Dunkin' Donuts daily for coffee. Iced coffee. Even when it's well-below-zero. I know, I know.

46) Buying school supplies makes me almost giddy. When kids ask what to get me as a gift, I say POST-ITS! They know I adore cool post-its.

47) When I was in high school, I didn't get especially good grades. Most of the time I was bored. And I often thought I was smarter than my teachers. And that wasn't typical high school know-it-all-ness, either.

48) My first job was as a babysitter. I love babysitting. There were a couple of families that would "fight" over me, especially for big nights.

49) When I was in college, I started working at a convenience store. And an ice cream shop.

50) I paid my own way through college by working full-time hours in part-time jobs.

51) Going to Ireland changed my life. It was the first time I went someplace where no one knew my dad. Or my sisters. And people liked me for me.

52) When I first moved into this apartment, I had to work three jobs to pay for it. I was determined to not have a roommate. And the rent was expensive compared to some other dives I looked at. Now, it's kind of cheap. But living here since 1995 and being very low maintenance has its benefits.

53) I can't sleep in moving vehicles. Except for large cruise ships.

54) I've always been oblivious about boys/men being interested in me.

55) Being single is not the worst thing in the world. I'd rather be single than be in a bad relationship.

56) Laundry is my favorite chore. I love the smell and feel of clean clothes. But I whine about going to the laundromat. Once I get there I'm fine, because I can do multiple loads at the same time.

57) Hugs and cuddling makes me happy. I give good hugs. Everyone says so.

58) Playing cards is one of my favorite things to do with friends and family. My nieces have learned to play Spite & Malice and we have marathon sessions.

59) Never got the hang of Monopoly. But I loved Payday. And Mystery Date. And the Barbie Game (which is similar to Mystery Date). And Balderdash. And Apples to Apples.

60) Wouldn't it be fun if life was like musical theater--and people really did break into song!

61) The main reason I'm on FaceBo*k is so that I can chat with my nieces that live in Virginia. I love keeping in touch with them. And a daily chat lets them blow off steam about their parents. Which they need to do sometimes.

62) There really isn't much drama in my life.

63) Years of therapy let me live drama-free.

64) Therapy is the best thing I've ever done for myself.

65) My mum died when I was 6.

66) The relationship I have with my dad has been described as a Mother/Daughter relationship. I just say I'm a Daddy's Girl. Dad and my stepmother, Barb, are two of my favorite people on earth.

67) Most of my friends have been part of my life for ten or more years. My best friend and I have been friends since high school.

68) The Jaguar is my dream car. But I also am terribly fond of the VW Beetle.

69) I didn't get my license until I was 30. For a variety of reasons.

70) I don't mind wearing glasses. I try to get really fun, funky frames.

71) I actually think Twitter is fun. As is Plurk. And Tumblr. And Plinky. And Pintrest.

72) Sometimes I can go for a whole week without getting any phone calls.

73) I use a lot of toilet paper. And I'm not ashamed to say it. Because I can.

74) Hoarding boxes is a big issue for me.

75) My students aren't allowed to clap for each other when giving presentations in front of the class. I often find it overly enthusiastic/sarcastic and it bugs me.

76) It's sad that hipsters have taken over the snaps. I'd let my students snap at each other.

77) It still surprises me when people think I'm cool.

78) I have never had fried chicken. Like down home cookin' fried chicken.

79) There are times I swear like a sailor but I have to marshal myself so I don't slip at school.

80) Organizing and updating my DVR makes me happy.

81) I wish I was as organized at home as I am at school.

82) Counting confuses me because I sometimes count as part of my OCD--and I repeat numbers in my head so I lose track of what I'm actually counting.

84) No one cared or cares that I scored high on my SAT.

85) Golf carts are fun to drive.

86) Since I've had my Nook, Myles, I have a hard time reading actual books.

87) 2011 was a record reading year for me.

88) I have no desire to travel to Japan, China, Indonesia, India... anyplace in the Far East.

89) Blogging started as a therapy assignment when I was stuck trying to journal. I don't pour out my guts but sometimes it helps me process.

90) I bite and peel my lips. Especially during winter. It's a bad habit.

91) Owning my own dog is on my bucket list. And it will probably never happen because the apartment is pet-free. But it's fun to come up with cool doggy names.

92) When I was in college, I worked at the college radio station. I even had fans of my radio show. It was fun.

93) Riding in a limo is actually quite fun. I would do it again.

94) Because I'm so pale complected, I freckle and bruise easily. And blush easily.

95) I am a George Clooney fan. I like his politics and his world vision.

96) I can't stand the thought of getting rid of my cassettes. So many mixes have too many memories. And I don't have everything on CD, so I can't just remix them onto CD.

97) I don't like myself with long hair. I prefer shoulder-length. And curly. I've kept a perm so consistently that my nieces and nephews have never seen me with straight hair. And my eldest sister has forgotten that my hair is naturally stick straight.

98) I do own a lot of shoes. And sandals.

99) Instead of buying trinkets, I buy myself a scarf or inexpensive piece of jewelry when I travel. For me it's become more meaningful than a tchotchkes.

100) Creating a list of 100 things was easier than I anticipated. Now I'm motivated to do more lists.