100 things about me!

Okay, Okay...........yeah, I'm stealing this idea from some other blogger, but hey at least I confess my stealing ways!! So, I'm going to enlighten you as to my likes, dislikes, pet peeves, thrilling joys, and well just some plan ol' junk about me too! So, enjoy! 1. I've lived in Ashtabula for almost 11 years, and love being in this lakefront community. But, I must say I cannot tolerate the bugs that infest this town every June..........yuck! 2. I love basketball. I really enjoy playing (which I haven't done in about 5 years), and I like to watch college basketball. I do not enjoy professional basketball (many reasons).........why does the professional basketball season have to be so long? I'll tell you why.........so all the players can get jacked up contracts, and jacked up personal lives! Some other things that just make me happy..... 3. Clean sheets on my bed 4. Big fluffy bath towels 5. Staying in a nice hotel 6. A new bar of soap 7. New car smell 8. New house smell (yummy lumber!) 9. A fire in the fireplace (I've been know to have one in late April even!) I once wanted a fire so badly that I burned all of the starter wood for a real fire, because we were out of big logs..........it was a short fire!!! 10. A clean house 11. The smell of Mr. Clean on a saturday morning! Reminds me of when I was a kid. My mom would stay up all night on Friday and clean so she could do it without being bothered, I guess. Then Saturday morning the house smelled like Mr. Clean (the yellow kind, not the new kind....it's gross), and poor mom would sleep late, get up and find us nasty, smelly kids messin' up her house!! I love that!!!! 12. Watching my kids sleep..........aaahhhh so cute! 13. Having my hair washed (by someone else). Has to be a scalp scrubber though, no whimpy hands! 14. Driving..........love it! I actually even wanted to skip work today, and just drive. I almost did. I had about a 3 hour time span to come into work and do some stuff, but didn't have to......so I was about to get on the freeway and just drive until I saw the price of gas on the Sheetz sign next to the freeway.......2.95?????? That's just wrong!!! And I had Ceito's truck so that thing would break me! 15. Painted Toenails. Cute lil' things all painted up! Not so cute not painted! 16. Big cities. Really want to go to NYC...........soon! 17. Small towns. I love the feel of a really small town that has interesting things to look at. You could say our little harbor area in Ashtabula is a small town. I love the little shops and restaurants on bridge street, and the lift bridge is very interesting (unless I'm late for something and the darn thing is being interesting right when I'm supposed to go over it!) 18. Shopping! Don't get to do it as much as I used to (refer back to #14.........gas). I used to buy nice things for me and Ceito, now Winks and The Bug (the kids) get the good stuff, even if it is all off the sale racks! 19. Weddings. Pass the tissues! 20. Receptions......yeah no cooking for me! 21. Rain storms 22. Animals, not bugs, spiders, reptiles......I'm talking about animals, cute fluffy kinds you can pet on the head. 23. The fact that there are no more diapers in my house!!! Yeah! The Bug just got out of them.....now if I can just convince the cat to go in the potty..............hummmmmm 24. New running shoes. A good pair can really turn a dry training spell into pure enjoyment! 25. Sleep! I can really hang with a newborn in the sleep department (minus the up every 2 hours). I did a lot of sleeping in the pre-kids stage of my life, especially when I was single! Love sleep! Don't even talk to me in the morning unless I've had at least 8-9 hours, even then I would tread lightly! 26. My job! I'm so blessed to be surrounded by Christian co-workers (an oddity anymore) and wonderful students (most of the time!) 27. Peanut Butter............wow that stuff is amazing. It can really get me through some tough times!!! 28. Scrapbooking. Love to be creative! 29. Photography. I'm not very good, but really enjoy taking loads of pictures. 30. Hearing my kids giggle! Love it!!!! 31. Seeing my husband happy. That guy is fabulous, and is almost always happy, I love that! 32. Knowing that my faith has brought me through some tough times. Just when I would question my circumstance, there was God tapping on my shoulder! 33. Subway sandwiches! I just finished one.......I'm wiping the sweet onion teriyaki sauce off the keyboard! Some other stuff about me........ 27. I don't use twist ties on bread. Drives Ceito crazy! I just don't have the patience for those little things...........figuring out which way to open the bag, close the bag.............way too much time out of my life. 28. Don't show me a knot! Cannot deal with knots! 29. I've had God in my life since I was 6 years old. I can still feel the scratchy green couch that my brother and I sat on as our parents led our hearts to Christ. I've not been the perfect Christian, definetly had some times when I ran as fast as I could from Him. But, what a gracious God we have who will love us no matter where our bodies take us. 30. I will be honest, not humble when I say that I am a good therapist. I enjoy what I do, I really am able to help some folks feel better after doing awful stretches, and exercises. What I'll also admit is that I wanted to go to medical school, but could not hack the math involved in chemistry!! 30. I've recently acquired an addiction to Sudoku. Ceito thinks its a math game, so it amazes him that I would be addicted to such a thing. I keep letting him think that, so that he thinks I'm working on a weak area in my otherwise perfect existence. 31. I'm learining to manipulate my husband!!!!

32. I like shoes. I used to have over 100 pairs, but have been asked by Ceito to eliminate unneccesary clutter.

33. I don't like to go to bed with dishes in my sink. I do sometimes go against that, but really don't like to. I can credit my Grams for this habit.

34. I don't have a dishwasher in my kitchen. Have never really used one, other than the one that my parents had. Do I want one............ooooohhhh yeah!

35. I enjoy re-arranging furniture in my house. I credit my Grams for this as well! As a young girl I remember making paper layouts of different ways my bedroom could be arranged, then re-arranging every few weeks. It was fun. Now It's a little harder, more furniture and heavy stuff with cords and junk!

36. My wedding band is over 100 years old. I am so proud to wear a ring that has been passed through many decades on the hands of some amazing women. My Grandmother and mother are inspiring Christian women, whom I hope to become as wonderful as, and my finger is wrapped in gold that wrapped their fingers for years! What an amazing thing! It fit all of us........has never been sized!!!

37. When I came to Ashtabula, I lived in an apartment inside a house that Ceito's family built and lived in. We didn't even know each other yet. My bedroom was Ceito's bedroom when he was 5 years old. Got goose bumps yet???

38. My mother-in-law had a dream (before Ceito and I met) that she went to his house one day and there was a baby carriage with a curly haired girl in it. She asked him about the baby and he said, "Her name is Tiffany and I'm going to keep her" Now you better have goose bumps, 'cause that's just wild!!

39. I don't floss as much as I should.

40. Diet Cherry Coke is my current drink favorite. I usually crave it if I haven't had enough water.

41. I have trouble figuring out how to get splits off of my watch during a triathlon.

42. I normally don't read directions, I just try to figure things out (thus the difficulities in #41)

43. I once dated a guy with a mohawk...........what a creep he was........wow, hindsight really is amazing!

44. When I was about 25 I told my Grams that if I wasn't married by the time I was 30 I was going to be artificially inseminated so that I could have a child before I got "too old". You can imagine the shock on her face, and absolute horror she spewed my way. She had a baby while in her 40's..........!!!!!!! Wow, was I stupid to say that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

45. I live (try to) the Weight Watcher life! I've been a consistent WW'er for almost 3 years. Lost 70 pounds and really that's what catapulted me into triathlon.

46. I want to do an Ironman distance race! I don't know when it will happen, but I MUST experience that at least once.

Things that really make me UNhappy........

47. Painted finger nails. Can't stand they way they look (on me).

48. Bossy people

49. Yield signs............really, it's people who don't know how to yield that drive me insane. It's an epidemic in Ashtabula, really it is!

50. Being early! I know, I know it's better to be early than late. I really do try to be early, especially for Ceito, 'cause God just wired that man perfectly, and he hates to be late, but I don't like sitting there waiting for something to start. I was 15 minutes early getting Winks to Safety Town this morning, and I must say it was nice getting there first............but then what????

You're half way through, back out now if you must............but I'm going on...........this is FUN!

51. Wet feet! Yes wet feet. You might be saying how does this girl swim and not like wet feet? I'll tell you. If my whole body is wet, okay if the distal appendages join in............if it's just my feet......no way!

52. Long lines. I really, really don't like to wait. Not that my time is more important than others, but, well...........it is................to me anyway.

53. Wedgies (nothing more needs to be said)

54. Those goofy pants that kids wear (okay that sounded like my mother!!!) They are either hanging down, dragging under their shoes with their underwear showing at the top, or are so tight and low cut that you can see their....um....well....you know.....gluteal cleft every time they bend over............stupidity!!!! This from the girl who "pegged" her pants in high school.....another stupid trend that only made the hips and thighs look wider than we wanted them to look.........again, hindsight is marvelous!

55. Parking Ceito's big ol' truck. I can only turn right to park it..........don't know why, I just know that's the only way it's going to happen!!!

56. Ironing

57. Wrinkled clothes...........funny!!

58. Heat! I am a 70's girl. Below 70, is a bit chilly for me, but I'd rather be there than.....above 79 and I'm pretty crabby!

59. Rude people. Come on just be nice! I'm a pretty nice girl, don't be so mean!

60. Gray hair roots. I blame that on my beautiful mom. She has beautiful silver hair, I'm just not ready for that psychologically. Physically, my strands are gray. Not just a little either, they are begging to take over! Ceito............he's bald............see # 61

61. Paying to get the gray covered! That's expensive. But, Ceito............he's bald...........so I spend his hair allowance too!!!

62. Seeing young girls hate themselves. I went through a tough teen and early adult span of time when I really did not want to be me. I thought I was ugly, fat and down-right no good. It showed in my choices too! I wish I would have known what I know and feel now. I love myself now. It took hard work to get here and is taking hard work to stay here. But, God made me who I am and I'm so greatful for His hand in my life. So, I guess #62 is a thing that makes me un-happy and a thing that make me very happy!!! So, I'll skip to #64!! Feel cheated????

64. Seeing my kids unhappy. I can't protect them forever, but mother duck is really unhappy when Winks and The Bug are unhappy!

Okay, some more good, not so un-happy stuff...........

65. I enjoy a hot bath. I don't have the opportunity for that now in my life. But before kids, a hot bath, a good book, candles and a glass of wine, good music............oh yeah I'm relaxed just thinking about it.

65. I once thought of inventing a bath heating system. They are probably out in homes now with everything else that's possible in a home. But as a kid, I would want the bath to last longer, but the tub cooled the water too quick.

66. I also once thought of inventing a suction chair for my mom. Let me explain...........She works in downtown Columbus. My dad would pick her up at work when we only had one car. So, factor in traffic and delays, and she would wait outside sometimes for a long time. I didn't want her to have to stand, so I thought I could make a chair that would suction to the side of her building, so she could sit while she waited!

67. As a kid, I thought a "russian" what someone who went really fast through the grocery store!! Get it......rush-in???????????????

68. I also thought that mom had to show her driver's license when we got groceries so that they knew we would get the groceries home safely!!!! She was really writing a check..........hindsight!!

69. When Winks was a baby I really struggled with getting a clean sheet on his crib mattress. One day, Ceito changed it for me.......he walked in, took the mattress out of the crib, took off the soiled sheet, put the new one on, put the mattress back in the crib, walked out of the room. I stood there in amazment at what I had just witnessed! It never occured to me to take the mattress out. I thought I was on to something big, and told a soon-to-be mom the "trick" at her baby shower. She looked at me like I was an idiot! How was I to know that everyone else in the world knew how to do that except. me. of. course!!!!!

70. I really am smarter than I make myself sound!

71. I eat really fast. I know I'm not supposed to, but........I run with scissors too!!

72. I don't like Aquafina water. It tastes oily to me. Ceito, again! thinks I'm crazy. It just doesn't taste right.

73. I like purses. I can blame this one on Grams too! I never used to carry one, now I really like them. Little cute ones are my new favorite. I feel like a woman with a cute little one. I feel like a mom with a big bulky one.

74. I only own 3 pairs of jeans, but about 10 pairs of khaki pants.

75. I love to wear a dress! My mom will flip when she reads that!

76. I was a tom-boy growing up. I've really become much more feminine since having The Bug. She really has brought out the girl in me!

77. I think I'm a good mom!

78. I'm stressing over Winks going to kindergarten in 9 more weeks!

79. I like to take walks with Ceito. We haven't done that in a while, and I miss it.

80. I really like the group Casting Crowns.

81. I'm currently re-decorating The Bugs bedroom. It's never been done and getting the brown plaid wallpaper off was very liberating!

82. Carpet expenses have me wondering if we should just put straw down!

83. I really can't cook............but oh do I sizzle!!!!!!

84. I like cookies. I like oreos the best, but chocolate chip is a very close second. I like to make them myself though, because I like them a bit under-baked...........it makes them a bit gooey!

85. I like movies. If I could just stay awake!

86. The last movie I saw in the theater without kids was "the break-up" not worth it for the movie, but definetly worth it for time with Ceito.

87. I like ink pens. I like to write. I used to, okay I still do, write my name over and over again on scrap paper. I play with different looks, slanting a different direction, or making the letters look different. All sad but true...........pathetic!

88. I'm a doodler. I got that from my Aunt Kris. She would sit on the phone talking to someone and make the most amazing doodles. I looked (and still do) up to her as a young girl.

89. I met Ceito, and we hung out as friends for over a year. Then he asked me out, I said no! Then he tried again............first date............swept me off my feet!!!! God was at work with the two of us a very, very long time ago, 'cause I was no where close to dating the kind of guy he is! We were engaged 3 months after that first date. Then, married one year later. My life has never been more amazing, challenging too, but none the less amazing!!

90. I love amusement parks. Cedar Point is only 2 hours away, and oh how I love that summer trip every year. Kings Island is about 40 minutes from my parents house in southern Ohio, and I'm hoping to get there this summer.

91. I would like to jump from an airplane at some point before I die. Wow, that could happen all in one day, so I'll re-phrase that..........Parachuting is something I'd like to experience in my lifetime.

92. I played basketball in college. I learned a lot through that, and I'm thankful that I was able to do make some great friends through that.

93. College, in general, was a really great experience in my life. I'm greatful for being able to go to college (mom and dad!!!), and for the friendships that I made there. I have some great girlfriends, most of whom I met in college!

94. I like my hair! There, I said it! It's going to shock my parents, but I've finally accepted my hair. Minus the gray, curly hair really is easy (for me). As a teen, I would fight it sometimes, and it never worked out............just got frizzy. Enter, the 80's!!!! The big curly hair was my turf! My parents thought it crazy that a curly haired girl would perm her hair, but alas I did! Not very often, but every 6-8 months I'd get the perm. It just made wavy hair more curly and easier to do. Since having kids the hair has really gotten curly. No perms, just me! I will say that the right product in curly hair really makes it look nice. I can even go straight if I want (right product, again). So, there you have it, I've written a bunch of nonsense about my hair (yes, tom-boy is all but gone, unless I'm sweating through a training session, or race!)

95. My first kiss? Well, 7th grade......Todd Spires!!!

96. My most recent kiss? This morning....Ceito on his way to a field trip with summer kids.

97. My last GOOD kiss.......................no way I'm tellin'!!!

98. My brother and I used to eat cake at a party with potato chips. It's his fault mom, he started it..........it's really good. Gross looking, but good.

99. One of my best memories as a kid was a trip with my dad to see Slim Whitman. If you don't know him please don't worry, It was a fleeting moment, that anyone knew him! We went to the concert, got mom a "Get Slim" pin/button to wear (what a terrible gift!), then to Howard Johnson's for ice cream! Just me and dad! Thanks dad!

100. This really was a great thing to do! I really thought about what makes me happy, old memories and explored the not so great side of me too. Hope you enjoyed it!!!! I did