100 Things ‘Bout Me

1. I have two older brothers, one that looks like me, and one that I wish I looked like (because he’s really, really naturally lean.)
2. When I was a kid, I pronounced ?Reggiefrom Archie comics with a “g” sound like in the word “golf”.
3. My brother still bugs me about this. The one that looks like me, that is.
4. And I still laugh at my best friend from junior high school, who pronounced “vagina” with the same “g” sound. Waaaaaay funnier than Reggie?!
5. I don’t have any sisters, but feel incredibly blessed by the “sisters” in my life.
6. I have lived in the same city as my best friend Jacquie for only 2 years out of a 15-year friendship.
7. Her friendship is a huge constant in my life.
8. I am addicted to Diet Coke. I have to try hard to limit intake there.
9. I love Monty Python.
10. In general, I am really, really bad at remembering movies, and have been known to rent the same movie twice. A lot.
11. I moved to a tiny, rural southern Albertan town after graduating from University, just for some experience in my field.
12. It scared me a lot.
13. I got over it, had a great time, and even got married there.
14. I’m not afraid of snakes.
15. I’m really, really afraid of spiders.
16. For most of my life, I’ve struggled with my weight.
17. I’m changing that now.
18. My parents are married.
19. To each other, which is rare.
20. I am raising the exact type of family I grew up in: two boys (close in age, 18 months apart), and one girl (who arrived four years later.)
21. It’s kind of creepy at times, but I’m dealing with it.
22. I have been told that my best features are my eyes and smile.
23. I love that my son Derek and I have the exact same blue eyes.
24. One of my scariest moments of my life was when we lost that very same Derek, 18 months old at the time, at a campground by a river. For 20 minutes. (shudder)
25. The best moment was seeing him found, and safe in my husband’s arms. (he found a tent to hide in…. sigh!)
26. I married the second man who asked me.
27. The first asked me in a photo booth, which still makes me smile.
28. I have been driving a Ford Explorer for 10 years now.
29. Besides being the captain of a mine rescue team, my husband is a maintenance planner at a coal mine.
30. I laugh when I’m nervous.
31. I also laugh during really traditional church services. I think they actually make me nervous.
32. I really became a Christian when I was 26 years old.
33. Some people in my life looked at me funny. They got over it, for the most part, when they realized that I’m not in your face about my faith. It just is.
34. I’ve never smoked marijuana, although I used to wish I had, just for the experience.
35. My first job was as a lifeguard / swimming instructor.
36. My nose burnt badly every single summer that I did that.
37. My hair also turned from blonde to green every single summer back then.
38. I got over it. Mostly. But now I check for changes in my skin pigmentation regularly.
39. I double-pierced my ears in Grade Eight, and instantly regretted it.
40. I thought for a whole day about piercing our daughter, Camryn’s ears when she was an infant, but I didn’t.
41. I soooo don’t regret it.
42. I used to wear indoor shoes in my house.
43. I got to watch the Edmonton Oilers win their first Stanley Cup, with my dad by my side.
44. He cried and I am still amazed by that.
45. It was one of the best moments of my life. It can still make me cry.
46. My sons are not so interested in hockey, and I’m kind of relieved.
47. Hockey has taken over the brains, personalities, and conversations of my extended family.
48. I make an excellent fruit tray.
49. I make really terrible beef stew.
50. My husband pretends to be appreciative of it.
51. My biggest character flaw is very Libra-ish: having to really weigh things, gather information like crazy, before making big decisions.
52. I wonder if I should’ve typed that?
53. I’m now a runner, which is having a life-changing effect on me.
54. I love lists. Insanely so.
55. I also love my calendar, in a worship-y sort of way.
56. I melt at black and white photos, especially of my own children.
57. I have written a children’s novel, and have about 78 more pieces for children on the go.
58. My secret dream is to really have them published.
59. I won the County of Parkland Typing Competition in Grade 11.
60. I skipped Grade Five, as part of some Accelerated program that our county was piloting.
61. I’d recommend that to no one. Yeesh.
62. I spent the first 20 years of my life being very, very conscious of age, and being very self-conscious of being younger than anyone.
63. I am very easy-going music-wise, with the exception of rap.
64. University stole one of my passions for 10 good years after graduation: free reading.
65. Now, I can’t fall asleep at night without reading first.
66. I love having my back tickled.
67. I love tickling my kids’ backs.
68. I can’t help watching Survivor. Or Amazing Race.
69. I detest being around cigarette smoke.
70. Exposure to second-hand smoke, especially when kids are involved, is one of my biggest pet peeves in life.
71. My mother-in-law hates to hear about that.
72. My husband came from my mother-in-law’s womb, which still amazes me.
73. My husband is a rock: he’s the most level-headed person I know.
74. The only thing my husband has trouble with is choosing a restaurant.
75. Me, usually I can choose a restaurant.
76. I could watch the Rocky movies over and over.
77. When I was a kid, I used to do that. A lot. Mostly with my brother. The one that looks like me.
78. I once peed my pants, literally, watching Monty Python and the Holy Grail at a friend’s house.
79. I was so glad I had packed extra pants.
80. I teach a Recreation Therapy Aide program for a college.
81. Lucky that I am also a Recreation Therapist.
82. I will always have time for old people.
83. I never have time to clean my vehicle.
84. I am not a neat person, but I am organized.
85. I have about 30 journals, spanning 30 years of my life, but certainly not one per year.
86. I love pajamas and lingerie, and would buy excessive amounts if I were infinitely rich.
87. I have jumped out of a plane, and it was one of the Top Five Exhilirating Moments of My Life.
88. I had a parachute on.
89. I love Thai food. And really good sushi.
90. Summer is my favorite season.
91. Every winter, I wonder why I live in Alberta.
92. My biggest regret is saying ‘shhhh’ to my dad when he went to say something before he walked me down the aisle of our wedding. I didn’t want to cry, so I ‘shhhhh-ed’ him. I regret that, because I am not the ‘shhhhhing’ type. At all. And now he’s forgotten. Grrrrrrr.
93. I dream of living in Australia, even for a short while.
94. I love a glass of white wine at the end of a day.
95. When I die, I want my ashes scattered at Hanauma Bay.
96. I never get tired of reading, and re-reading to my children.
97. I can’t wait for the day I have a book dedicated to them.
98. I love the smell of new paper. Not just in September, but always.
99. Robert Munsch and I own the same digital camera. I know this, because he told my husband while he was signing a book for me at one of his performances.
100. I always sleep on the right side of the bed.