Happy Birthday to Me!

It's my birthday once again, so I'm adding another hundred list to the 2 other ones I've written. Most of this stuff is probably obvious from reading my blog, but here it is all in one place.


201. I hate the word hubby and have NEVER used it ever (except to express annoyance about others’ use of it).

202. I always bend over in a toe-touching stretch while I blow dry my hair.

203. I have a hard time staying on top of my eyebrows even though I pluck daily.

204. I love good mail labels and think envelopes are naked without them.

205. I hate reading instructions of any kind, but especially long instructions. I think this why I don’t love cooking…recipes are instructions.

206. My mess-attracting garage is my nemesis.

207. I’m addicted to taking self-portraits.

208. I love paninis.

209. I have never worn fake nails.

210. I love having the windows open in the spring and fall.

211. I use blogging as a way to cope with frustrations in my life.

212. I can’t stand being hot unless I’m at a pool.

213. Midol is my friend.

214. I spend way too much time shaving and still never feel totally smooth.

215. I love how smooth my skin is after I have my eyebrows waxed.

216. I love getting tv shows from Netflix, it’s great to be able to watch 4 episodes in a row.

217. I have a crush on Kyle Chandler from Friday Night Lights.

218. I love writing.

219. I’m always on the quest for the perfect photo.

220. I feel connected to people when there’s a give and take between us, absence does NOT make my heart grow fonder.

221. I dream about being able give money away anonymously and have since I was about 8 years old.

222. I love Ben & Jerry’s Vanilla Heath Crunch ice cream.

223. My body is evidence of this.

224. I recently switched to vanilla soy milk in an attempt to stop my chronic cough, it’s working.

225. I am amazed every time I see a rainbow.

226. I love living near the mountains.

227. I really don’t actively follow politics.

228. I have a tendency to ruin clothes with bleach.

229. I sing loudly in primary though I don’t sing well at all.

230. I love kid artwork.

231. I want to go to Hawaii, Italy, England and Spain.

232. I sometimes wish I didn’t have to sleep at all.

233. I sometimes wish I didn’t have to wake up at all.

234. I go out of my way not to step on bugs unless they’re in my house.

235. I always pick the wrong line at a busy store.

236. I would like everyone to get over their cell phones.

237. I automatically mouth-breathe in public bathrooms, when walking past the meat department in the grocery store, and when watching medical procedures on tv.

238. I don’t care about fashion AT ALL.

239. I feel sick after flipping through InStyle magazine, it’s all too much.

240. Operation Cheer was the nicest thing ever!

241. I use a lot of tissues and fear phantom boogers.

242. I’m afraid of being a flake.

243. I’d choose a book store over a clothing store every time.

244. I often wish everything had a drive thru window (i.e., post office and Costco).

245. I’m crazy about pebble ice from Sonic.

246. I never wear high heels…ever.

247. I like to eat outside in the summer.

248. I would like to go to a party with little, outdoor lights some time.

249. I consider babysitting an act of service I’m good at providing.

250. The thought of going back to school at this age makes me nervous (not that I’m doing so, just the thought of it.)

251. I really hope my kids don’t hate me when they grow up.

252. I often feel like men and women aren’t compatible at all.

253. I have a hard time getting comfortable when I sleep at night, but never have trouble getting comfortable when I nap during the day.

254. I love the sound of Aspen leaves wiggling in the wind.

255. I get sun burnt easily.

256. I am not afraid of bees or mice or most bugs, just spiders.

257. I think café curtains are homey.

258. I love black furniture.

259. I wish I had more self-discipline.

260. I only buy 2-ply Charmin toilet paper, that’s no place to scrimp!

261. I enjoy clever word play in tv and movies.

262. I think Brian Regan is hilarious (we’re seeing him perform August 13^th!).

263. I think applying sunscreen is a necessary nuisance.

264. I’m fond of people who comment on my blog.

265. I fantasize of having a cozy chair and ottoman to sit and read in.

266. I wouldn’t mind having a nice reading nook for that chair either.

267. I find the frosting on a cupcake to be the tastiest part of the whole thing.

268. I rarely read Chick-Lit books.

269. I like to make birthdays a big deal.

270. I get heartburn way too often (I’m not that old right?!).

271. I like trail mix except for the raisins (and there always seem to be a lot of raisins).

272. I tend to turn my spoon upside when I eat ice cream.

273. I really love ice cream.

274. I wish So You Think You Can Dance was on all the time.

275. I am not a fast reader.

276. I always want real relationships, I’m not interested in socializing just to be social.

277. I think everything Jason Bateman says is funny.

278. I’ve never had a drink of alcohol.

279. I often feel like I’m failing as a mother.

280. I’m not good at styling my hair.

281. I have no plants in my house.

282. Ice water is my beverage of choice.

283. I love watermelon.

284. I hate feeling overly full from eating (this usually happens after having Café Rio).

285. I love going barefoot, year round pretty much.

286. I always read before falling asleep.

287. I have A LOT of pairs of scissors (I buy cheap pairs all the time).

288. I can’t stand cilantro or arugula!

289. Primary songs make me cry.

290. I have insanely dry scalp—it’s a nuisance.

291. I think I’m equal parts softie and toughie as a parent.

292. I enjoy spray can whipped cream.

293. I only wear silver jewelry.

294. I love feeling organized.

295. I try to soak up the cool breezes that come my way.

296. My heels are in constant need of a pedicure.

297. I love it when the kids from primary hug me and call me "teacher."

298. I'm finding it harder and harder to change as I get older.

299. I would like to live without fear.

300. It never occurred to me that I'd be turning 37!! (I didn't think much past 25.)

P.S. I have no idea why this post is formatted so wonkily. I can't fix it and am totally bugged!

**Any surprises here?

Do we share any similarities?**

Alrighty then...

A few weeks ago I was up late one night blogging (a common thing for me to do) when I was admiring Michelle's cute profile picture. I realized I had never changed mine in the 2 years that I've been blogging, so I thought I'd give it a whirl.


This is the photo I came up with. I know I don't usually smile with my mouth closed, but I thought I looked happy and this is a face I make all the time, so it seemed like it was still very me. Little did I know what a stir it would cause.

Later that week I posted this picture of me and Collette. It's just a grainy self-portrait we took in my car after our afternoon run to Costco. It was raining outside so we just snapped this one quickly. I thought it was cute, but no big whoop.


Fast forward a day or so later...I got an email from Claudia telling me I should make this my profile picture. She even cropped Collette out of it for me! I wasn't in love with the other profile picture, so I thought I'd try this one out. Then everyone started commenting about how much better they liked this one, so much so that I started to feel stupid for having the other one on my blog for a week. What had I done?


I thought the matter was settled until I received this "good mail" from Claudia yesterday. I waited until the end of my busy day to open it, and it's a good thing I did because she wrote

"Also, the photo of your blog I just loved it, it looked so you!
I'm glad everyone concurs, how about you? Do you like it?
I think I love it...the interim one was too...uptight,
constipated looking & kind of Chinese. I didn't want to
tell you, but those 3 things came to mind!
Truly not a big deal, but not Jolly as you really are."

Well, how about that? Uptight, constipated (my favorite) and Chinese. I'm so happy that was on there for a week and I had no idea I looked that way. Good grief!


I guess it's good I didn't choose any of these photos.

This is foxy right?

Now that's constipated.

Not my best angle.

Singing, laughing or giving birth?

Well now that I've been properly humbled and publicly humiliated it's your turn!

**Did you hate that profile picture too?
Is the new one okay?
When was the last time you changed
your profile picture?**

What Has Become of Me?

In years past I had a very strong affection for diet Coke. I referred to it as my sweet nectar, sweet lady C, headache prevention and breakfast. But then I read a book about headaches which led me to believe that the very nectar I was imbibing for pleasure and to avoid headaches was actually causing them! I was so desperate for relief from these headaches that I stopped my 15 year relationship cold turkey! It wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be, it was more the relationship and habit that I missed. It will be 2 years in just a couple of weeks that I haven't even touched a drop!


Long story short, this is what I was reduced to drinking yesterday. I usually drink ice water all day and night, but every now and again I get a hankering (yes a hankering) for a soda of some kind. I consider this nubby, kid soda but thought it sounded good. After half a glass though I was done and ended up rinsing the ice and eating that instead. This is a sad state of affairs.

**What's your poison??**

Tagged

I can't sleep!! Aargh! I was tagged by Amanda & Sandi so this filled an hour for me. Good grief.

Jobs that I've had:

1. Sales clerk/cashier at the clothing store my dad owned while I was in high school. I worked there from ages 14-18. I still refold shirts when I go into clothing stores now because of my years of doing it there.

2. Waitress at Bob's Big Boy: My best friend Betsy and I thought we'd make a ton of money by being waitresses at this fine establishment, so we dawned our foxy polyester dresses and put on our sexy toasty roasty brown nylons and gave it a whirl. We only last 2 weeks (which seemed like an eternity) before we called-in and quit one night. It was an awful job and I never got better at it. I kept telling people it was my first day, and one of my tables said "Yeah, you already told us that."


3. Donut sales girl at Winchell's: This was the most humiliating and tempting job I ever had. I was desperate for a job while I was a freshman at BYU and just could not get hired anywhere (I still have no idea why) so ended up getting a job working from 5am-noon selling donuts. I had to walk in the dark and the cold from Deseret Towers down to Winchells, wearing my yellow and white striped shirt, where I sold donuts and coffee to many people and tried not to eat any donuts myself (though I could have whatever I wanted). I usually lasted until 10:00am and then I was starving and surrounded by donutty goodness and couldn't take it anymore. This was really the beginning of the end for me as far as being fat goes.

4. Data Entry Queen: I had a super intense typing teacher in 7th grade who scared me so much that I never dared looked down at my hands when I typed. This ended up making me a fast typer with good habits and also gave me an employable skill that has served me well for years. I have had numerous jobs doing data entry over the years and now type daily in my job as a blog specialist--ha.

Films I can watch over and over again:

1. When Harry Met Sally: This movie came out when I was a senior in high school and I just loved it. It was also the first movie I ever owned on video (it was a gift) so I have watched it a gazillion times. I pretty much have it memorized and can listen to it anytime just to be amused. "I said I would and I didn't, I went the other way."

2. The Princess Bride: I don't know how I missed this movie in theaters during high school, but I did, so when I got to BYU and everyone was quoting it I had no idea what they were talking about. It wasn't until I watched it on VHS that I finally got let into the joy of it. I've now seen it so many times that's it just part of me. "Inconceivable!"

3. A Room With A View: I saw Last of the Mohicans in the theater 7 times and became desperately infatuated with Daniel Day Lewis because of it, so I ended up renting all of his movies. My roommate and I rented A Room With A View and spent the entire time being delighted and confused because we could not figure out what character he played. He did such an amazing job as Cecil that we didn't even recognize him! I've since watched that movie hundreds of times and know it by heart. Lori and I often quote bits of it to each other (it's rather applicable in daily life) and just adore it. "Here is where the bird sings, here is where the sky is blue."

4. Tootsie: I saw this movie in the theater back in 1982 (which seems highly inappropriate to me now) and thought it was hilarious (though I can't imagine that I understood much of it then). I've seen this movie hundreds of times since then and still think it's funny. "I was more of a man with you as a woman, then I was myself as a man."

Places I have lived:

1. Fullerton, California

2. Grand Rapids, Michigan

3. Hudson, Ohio

4. Freakin Eagle Mountain, Utah

Favorite TV shows

1. Friday Night Lights: I think this is one of the best shows on tv. It is so well done that it feels like a good movie each week rather than just an episode. I'm so glad it didn't get cancelled!

2. 30 Rock: I think this is the funniest show on tv. I basically bought the entire season (one episode at a time) on itunes and have watched them over and over again while I'm doing stuff on the computer. "Live every week like it's shark week!"

3. Survivor: I know, it's reality tv, but I can't get enough of it. It's fascinating to me to see how people "play" the game. I love it how they try to keep their integrity, meanwhile they're exhausted and starving which changes things completely. Plus, I find it amusing that I'm always trying to figure out what I would do if I were playing, but really know I wouldn't last through the first afternoon!

4. LOST: Randy and I joined the party late on this show and ended up watching the first two seasons on DVD (which was a great pleasure). We love this show!

Favorite foods:

1. Pot Roast with mashed potatoes and gravy.

2. Good Pizza

3. Cafe Rio Pork Salad

4. Lays potato chips with Ranch dip

Websites I visit daily:

1. Many, many blogs

2. Amazon.com

3. Netflix.com

4. Hotmail

Places I'd rather be:

1. Sleeping soundly and dreaming of Brad Pitt (it's 5:30am @#$%!).

2. Eating chocolate mousse in Paris.

3. Lying on the beach in Hawaii.

4. Walking in the rain in Oregon.

People I'm tagging:

1. Claudia

2. Jen

3. Natasha

4. Barb

My Birthday Hundred

101. I’m right handed.
102. I enjoy General Conference.
103. I want to learn how to play the guitar.
104. I wish I was fluent in Spanish.
105. I fantasize about giving people money and gifts.
106. I hate coming up with meal ideas.


107. I love the smell of lilacs.
108. I wish I could paint well.
109. I love the smell of play-doh.
110. I shred lots of the mail that comes our way and recycle the rest.
111. I think I have some hearing loss in my right ear.
112. I hate my profile.
113. I love a nice breeze.
114. I have never read in a hammock before.
115. I’d like to stay at a beach house for a family vacation.
116. I love freshly sharpened pencils.
117. I love the anticipation I feel when getting pictures developed.
118. I can’t stand it when people wait to find out the sex of their baby.
119. I love the color red.


120. I want a black armoire for our family room.
121. I completely spun out on Bangerter Highway during a hailstorm one time and ended up facing the wrong way, so scary.
122. I’m often thankful that I’m anonymous while in public (not a celebrity).
123. I go to Target several times a week.
124. I often get the hiccups (my kids think it's hilarious).
125. I love milk shakes, specifically caramel praline, vanilla with whipped cream, butterfinger or strawberry cheesecake.
126. I ALWAYS say “bless you” when someone sneezes (whether I know the person or not).
127. I pee when I cough or sneeze (it’s a nuisance).
128. I really want a fridge that has the freezer on the bottom with a pull-out drawer so I can actually see what’s in there. I also want an ice maker on the door.


129. I think it’s interesting and somewhat disturbing that me and my siblings don’t view our family relationships the same way at all.
130. I’m not much of a hugger, but seem to be evolving into one as I get older.
131. My favorite hymn is #219 “Because I Have Been Given Much”.
132. I love school supplies and get a little giddy when the stores are full of them at the end of the summer.
133. I hate fashion magazines and NEVER look at them.
134. My favorite colors always coincide with the seasons.
135. I use an eyelash curler everyday.
136. I wish I didn’t have to shave my legs every day.
137. I’m energized by being busy, but really love not having to do anything.
138. I always walk around when I brush my teeth at night, usually getting my bed ready or putting things away.
139. My right shoulder is often tense.
140. I think freckles are very cute.
141. I drink Carnation Instant Breakfast every morning.
142. I love dusk and sunset.
143. Apparently I’m 75% addicted to blogging.


144. I’ve been to Paris!
145. I now want to travel all the time.
146. My brother Adam makes me laugh harder than anyone else.
147. I’m very fond of air conditioning.
148. I hate feeling jealous, but tend to quite often.
149. I like hosting gatherings, but rarely do it.
150. I don’t enjoy going to Pack Meeting each month.
151. I never leave the house without wearing sunglasses.
152. I always take a book with me when I go out.
153. I wish I was more articulate with my thoughts and feelings.
154. I enjoy really good cake, but rarely have any.


155. I love having weekly game nights, even on the weeks I don’t feel like it.
156. I feel shy in groups of people.
157. I like driving and am always planning out the best way to go.
158. I hate overhead lighting and often get headaches from it while at other people’s houses.
159. I tend to mentally rearrange (and clean) other people’s houses while visiting.
160. I feel overwhelmed when being social sometimes.
161. I love having freshly washed sheets.
162. Most of the time I wish I was reading on my bed.


163. I am still upset that I don’t have many wedding pictures, and am motivated by this when I take photos at weddings and receptions.
164. I have a tendency to get irritated easily, but then work to talk myself out of it.
165. I’d like to have a big, jetted tub one day.
166. I’m afraid of teenagers.
167. I wished I'd known I loved photography back when I was in college.
168. I love homes that have lots of bookshelves full of books.
169. I love quotes.
170. I dream of having a beautiful flower garden.
171. I love watching “A Gardener’s Diary” on HGTV.
172. I am grateful every day to live in this house, though I dream of owning it and remodeling it so we can stay here forever.



173. I love the café curtains in my house (sewn by my mom and Michelle).
174. I hate feeling defensive about things, but often do.
175. I very rarely miss church and can tell a difference in me when I do.


176. I still get a thrill from having my own washer and dryer at home.
177. I love the calendar and weather widgets on my computer desktop.
178. I change my desktop photo every couple of days, always with a photo I’ve taken myself.
179. I tend to think I could rationally discuss things out with n’er do wells.
180. I always thought I’d have 5 kids, but that’s not going to happen.
181. My philosophy on pets is “Nothing that poops!”
182. I have a tendency to experience a lot of “highs” and “lows” emotionally.
183. I think everyone needs therapy.
184. Beautifully wrapped presents make me happy.
185. I am often paralyzed by lack of a good idea when giving a gift.
186. I feel guilty not acknowledging someone’s birthday if I know about it (no matter who that person is).
187. I can’t watch scary movies, previews, or commercials.
188. I love Romantic Comedies.
189. I often have a moment of panic when I go out because I’m afraid I’m not fully dressed (though this has never happened).
190. I love red grapes.
191. I plan to read The Book of Mormon once a year for the rest of my life.

192. I can’t believe I joined a gym and enjoy going (though it’s still hard to make myself go sometimes).

193. I wish I was a chronically early riser.
194. I think having friends fills in the gaps in myself.
195. I hardly ever cry.
196. I think the first car in the left-hand turn lane should take that responsibility seriously.
197. My favorite novel is Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner (I’ve read it 3 times).
198. I think blogging is historically significant.
199. I love mailing supplies (padded envelopes, postage, etc.).
200. I tend to vacillate between excitement and disappointment on my birthday, I'd really like to just be normal about it.