70 Things About Me

Friday, June 4, 2010.....

Before I went on my bloggy vacation, I read a post by Jules at Mean Girl Garage where she posted 100 things about herself so people could know her better. I loved the idea and said I was going to do it. However, I didn't do 100 things, but 70 because I got bored or it hurt my head to think too much or __________ (you fill in the blank). Seriously.... It is because I'm a rather closed person from New England and unless I know people, I am not a huge sharer (is that even a word) of personal stuff.

Anyway, here are 70 little factoids about me - hope I don't bore you:

1. I’m in the Guiness Book of World Records for being part of the largest group of kayakers. I participated in a fundraising event and kayaked from Connecticut to Long Island NY (13.2 miles).

2. It took me as long to kayak 13.2 miles as it did to walk a marathon 26.2 miles.

3. My mother has Alzheimer’s and she really doesn’t recognize me. She’s in a nursing home and immediately aged 20 years after 2 weeks of being in the home. I think it had a lot to do with the fact she decided she didn’t want to walk again.

4. My father is a very active 88 year old. However, I’ve noticed what the aging process has done to him in the past year.

5. I never purchased a camera. My friend gave me hers because I was going to the Grand Canyon without one.

6. I don’t like to be in pictures.

7. I had Bells’ Palsey in 1997 and am one of the lucky 2% who don’t fully recover. After 12 years, I still miss my smile.

8. I did summer theatre for 5 years growing up.

9. My mother sent me to sewing school for 2 summers as a teenager. She told me every good wife should know how to sew. I hated sewing and my marriage ended. I wonder if she was on to something.

10. I’m crazy about my husband. He can make me giggle. I find this to be an invaluable attribute.

11. Although I whine or complain about annoying people, I seldom discuss major issues in my life that scare me.

12. I’ve struggled and am still struggling with my weight for the past 20 years. Basically, I ate my way through an unhappy marriage and now I’m learning how to undo years of damage.

13. One of the funniest nights in my life was staying overnight in NYC with 6 girlfriends. We had a fabulous night on the town after the most AMAZING dinner at Le Bernadin.

14. Favorite ice cream has not changed since childhood – Chocolate Chip Mint.

15. I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason and if you’re not paying attention you’ll miss something.

16. I love my air conditioner.

17. I love Brussel Sprouts like most women like Chocolate.

18. I don’t love Chocolate. I can eat only so much before I get a headache.

19. I live in a small fixer-upper Cape Cod house.

20. I have more than 200 cookbooks and I’m too afraid to count how many I do have. I do use them and write a review of every recipe tried in the books.

21. One of my closest friends lives in another state and we don’t get to see one another too often.

22. I hate cleaning, but am incredibly anal when I do organize stuff.

23. I used to work with flowers.

24. I believe in composting.

25. I don’t have children. I wasn’t able to because of PCOS and then the partial hysterectomy I had in 2004.

26. I’m a cancer survivor – endometrial cancer. I had a partial hysterectomy (uterus removed) in 2004. During that same operation I had my gallbladder removed, but due to complications, my gallbladder was removed via my pelvis.

27. I ended up with 5 massive infections and almost died. I had a 2nd surgery 2 weeks after my first one and ended up on 5 different medications, one being IV, and used a wound vak to speed the recovery of my open wound.

28. I was with my ex husband for a total of 15 years. The day after I asked for the divorce, I signed up to walk a marathon in Ireland for the Lymphony & Leukemia. This has to be one of the amazing experiences of my life.

29. After I separated from my ex and prior to unemployment, I was a concert whore. I can’t tell you how many concerts I’ve been to, but ones that put on amazing show include U2, Prince, Tom Jones (very kitchy), Bacon Brothers, Harry Connick Jr., Michael Buble, Jamie Cullum and Sheryl Crow.

30. For my 40th birthday I celebrated BIG! One of the things I did was that I spent a week hiking the Grand Canyon with a group of strangers. I always wanted to do this and no one I knew wanted to so I went with a singles tour group (it was a group for individuals traveling alone, not hoping to start a romantic relationship). It was another experience I’d never forget.

31. I am the youngest of 5. My oldest sister is 17 years older than me. I’m closest to YogaGirl who is 4 years older than me.

32. I’ve kept journals since I was 13 years old. I would like to go back and read them, but feel I may want to smack me if I was too whiny or depressed. I need to will these to someone who will burn them without reading them.

33. I played the cello as a kid and took it up again when I got separated. I bought my cello on eBay and my instructor was actually impressed with the quality of the instrument.

34. When I practiced the cello, my cat would come in the room and scream at me to shut up. I only played the cello for 2 years when I took it up as an adult and may take it up again.

35. I worked for a company that required me to commute 94 miles one way to work. Before you say so what, try it for a year. It’s draining.

36. Other than my first job, I’ve been referred into each job and have changed careers 3 times. I’m 44 and am still searching for what I’d like to do.

37. It really bothers me I don’t know what I want for me.

38. I’m a big believer in supporting the local farmer. But I LOATHE the term locavore.

39. I’m the type of person people approach and tell me their most personal stories. Initially, I found this really disturbing, but have learned that sometimes it is easier for people to share something important to them with a stranger because they won’t be judged.

40. I’m pretty shy which most people are surprised about. Probably because I’m very guarded with my feelings.

41. I hate the Parmalat tv ads that used they used to air. The thought of opening a carton of milk that wasn’t refrigerated grosses me out.

42. I suffer from Catholic guilt. I’m just finally learning how to stop succumbing to this feeling.

43. My first movie I saw as a child was Monty Python and The Holy Grail. My oldest sister took me to see it when I was visiting her. I believe I may have been only 7 years old.

44. There have been many people who have drifted in and out of my life, but only one I miss.

45. I hate downhill skiing, but like cross country skiing and snow shoeing.

46. In an interview when asked what I hate doing, I answered “downhill skiing”, but went further and said “if God wanted us to downhill ski, our feet would be shaped that way”. I got the job.

47. I’ve been to 33 states.

48. My fantasy trip would be to spend 3 months cooking and drinking my way through Italy.

49. Sarah McLachlan is my favorite female vocalist.

50. I hate lima beans.

51. I met my husband online.

52. I never met my grandparents.

53. My dad was in WWII and stationed in London during the bombings.

54. I have an ecletic taste in books. I love chick-lit, but also enjoy the classics from D.H. Lawrence and Dostoyevsky.

55. I still remember my favorite childhood book “The Little Lame Prince” and still have a copy of it.

56. I’m the type of person when I get really mad, I cry instead of scream.

57. I think a 2” heel on shoes is high.

58. I have TMJ and have cracked some teeth from clenching and grinding teeth while sleeping.

59. I spent many summers sailing on the huge pond across the street.

60. My father taught me how to ice skate when I was 4.

61. One of my coolest memories is going ice sailing (sailing on ice).

62. I played one semester of intramural ice hockey in college and SUCKED. This is when I discovered I write with my right hand, but play sports with my left hand.

63. I detest most yoga (particularly downward dog), but love to meditate.

64. I didn’t get why everyone and their brother loved the book The DaVinci Code. It was too predictable.

65. I actually liked philosophy class in high school and college.

66. I don’t talk about politics or religion with people. I respect everyone has their own opinion and enjoy listening to all sides of a story.

67. I loved watching my dad coach ice hockey and going to his games when I was a kid.

68. I learned to drive on a stick shift automobile and have never owned an automatic.

69. I have never driven in NYC, but feel very comfortable driving the streets of Boston.

70. For 2 baseball seasons, I had season tickets (7 rows behind home plate) at Fenway.