100th Post - The Results

I was going to post this last night but I got a little distracted by some tequila at my pre-birthday celebration.

The general consensus seems to be that my readers are clamoring for 100 things about me. Although as Jeannette pointed out - I've given you 100 posts, what more could you want?

So without further delay, I present to you, in no particular order, 79 facts concerning my favorite subject - me. Yeah, I know, it's not 100 but I couldn't get past 79. However, I had suggestions that I write what I'm thankful for in 100 words, so I did that too.

1. I've been married twice and as of the end of this month will be divorced twice. But I don't look at them as mistakes, more like stepping stones along my current path.

2. I am 40 years old today. Today is also income tax day, the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic and the anniversary of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

3. I have one brother, Travis. He is in the Coast Guard and is stationed in/around/near Iraq right now.

4. My mom died of MS in 1994.

5. My dad is awesome.

6. I hate mayonnaise, tuna fish, and boiled eggs. If I was stranded on an island with those three things, I'd starve.

7. I love chocolate, ham and swiss sandwiches, and Doritos. If I was stranded on an island with those three things, I'd weigh 900 pounds.

8. I love to read.

9. My dream vacation would be a warm sunny beach.

10. I don't mind flying but I'd rather drive.

11. I sing in the car. I've been known to dance a few times, too.

12. I'm not a great driver. I have a problem with things getting in my way when I back up, I follow too closely, and I have no patience with poky people. I did get a 100 on my driver's test when I was 16. Go figure.

13. I have a motorcycle driver's license. Don't worry; I probably won't be zooming around town on one of those anytime soon.

14. I love to cook.

15. My chili has won several chili-cookoff awards.

16. My dream job would be a party planner.

17. I don't balance my checkbook. Thank goodness for online banking.

18. I'm claustrophobic.

19. I'm afraid of snakes. I don't even like to go in the reptile house at the Zoo.

20. My favorite zoo animals are the penguins.

21. I'd rather be hot than cold.

21. I'd rather be tired than hungry.

22. I'm addicted to shoes.

23. I'm lactose intolerant so no fettuccine alfredo or ice cream for me.

24. If you convince/coerce/ply me with alcohol to sing karaoke, I will sing Pat Benatar's Hit Me With Your Best Shot because I know all the words and it's in my vocal range.

25. I've never won any prizes for karaoke.

26. I quit smoking in August 2006.

27. I believe in ghosts. In fact, I think I have one in my house.

28. I can type about 85 WPM.

29. I check my horoscope every day.

30. I make my bed as soon as I get up.

31. I'm so impatient I walk up and down escalators.

32. I am one of the few Southerners who dislike sweet tea. I do like lemon in my iced tea.

33. I stole gum from the store when I was 5 or 6. My mom wouldn't buy it for me. I felt so guilty it made me sick when I chewed it so I threw it away. I never told her, so I guess I didn't feel that bad.

34. I whistle by inhaling, not exhaling.

35. I can roll my tongue, but I can't roll my Rs.

36. I hate when people cheer before the end of the Star Spangled Banner.

37. I like white wine, but given a choice, I'd rather have a beer.

38. My second dream job would be as a personal shopper.

39. I feel naked if I forget to put on my rings and watch.

40. I go to Wal-Mart at least three times a week.

41. I make excellent Veal Marsala from scratch.

42. My favorite dinner is filet, medium rare, with a baked potato and bread. And a beer.

43. I gave birth to Kelli and Madelyn with no painkillers no epidurals, no nothing. I had Demerol with Jessica and it was not helpful.

44. I'm a huge Elvis fan. When I was pregnant with Maddy I thought I was in labor on Elvis' birthday. If I had given birth that day I would have named her Madelyn Lisa Marie.

45. I love the smell of Baby Magic lotion.

46. If I were to ever have plastic surgery, I'd have the fat from my behind donated to those less fortunate.

47. I crashed an attorneys-only party. I'd had a few beers. The following work day was quite tense. I kept expecting a call from HR. I don't work there anymore so I think the statute has run out.

48. I was "requested" to step off the bar at Coyote Ugly - a place where women are encouraged to dance on the bar. I was on the bar with several other women, and because I was in my bikini top and shorts, I was asked to get down. My swimsuit top was not considered a shirt. I pointed out that one woman's shorts were cut so low you could see if she had a Brazilian, and the other one had on a strip of material across her chest, which could be considered a "shirt" in the loosest sense of the word, but I still had to get down, or put on a shirt. I maintained my principles, got off the bar, and took half the patrons with me down the street to the next bar.

49. I like the smell of freshly mown grass.

50. I'm halfway done and I realize this is harder than it sounds. Either that or I'm just really boring.

51. I can water-ski but I haven't done it in years.

52. My dream house will have a gourmet kitchen, at least two fireplaces, a three-car garage, a walk-in shower and a moat to keep out undesirables.

53. I just booked a flight to Dallas for Maddy and me in June. And before you start quoting #10 above to me, I'd rather fly than be in a car with her for 9 hours. I love her but she will talk me to pieces. Plus she's never flown, so it's about time she gets to enjoy the TSA experience.

54. I would like to visit Hawaii someday.

55. Summer is my favorite season.

56. I've been tornado chasing with my dad. I remember one Sunday after church we followed one until my mom was sufficiently freaked out, then we turned around and went home. I didn't think it ever got that close to the car, but I was a kid and thought jumping off the roof was fun. It was pretty cool.

57. Speaking of jumping off the roof, I did that at the Roby, Texas swimming pool. We jumped off the roof of the locker room into the pool. No beer was involved, if you can believe that.

58. I have owned 10 cars in my lifetime, by just counting the ones I primarily drove. If you count the ones my spouse(s) owned but they drove, I've owned 20. Detroit owes me big time.

59. I've had 11 different addresses in my life, and lived in three different states.

60. I've been to every state west of the Mississippi River, except Louisiana and the Dakotas.

61. The only foreign countries I've been to are Canada and Mexico.

62. I'd like to visit Niagara Falls.

63. I have seen the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic . I've seen Lake Michigan and I've flown over Lake Ontario . I drive over the Mississippi almost every day.

64. When I retire I'd like to be on or near water. Preferably somewhere warm.

65. My favorite color is pink.

65. My favorite flowers are yellow roses.

66. I enjoy watching professional sports except for basketball.

67. I haven't been to church since my daughters' funerals. I'm a little put out with God right now.

68. I still have trouble believing that they are gone.

69. I visit their graves every week, just to say hi and check their flowers.

70. I'm not looking forward to celebrating my birthday without them.

71. I'm not looking forward to doing anything without them.

72. I'd give anything to have them back.

73. I'm setting up a scholarship at SIUE in Jessica's name.

74. I'm also setting up a fund in Kelli's name for cheerleading.

75. I'm trying to focus on the positives.

76. It's not easy.

77. My dad planted trees for them at his house.

78. If not for my family and friends, I wouldn't get through this.

79. I am thankful for all the support and prayers.

Now, what I'm thankful for in 100 words (technically 106).

I'm thankful for my family, friends, and fellow bloggers for their prayers and words of comfort. It's been very hard to try to focus on anything positive from this, but it's getting a little easier. I felt like I was in a fog since November, and it's just now starting to lift.

I'm thankful that I have Maddy. She makes me laugh, she keeps me busy and sometimes she's the reason I get up in the morning.

I'm thankful for my faith. I'm not happy with God right now but I trust that there's a reason for all of this. Someday I'll know what it is.