100 Things

In an attempt to please my readers (all three of them who are left by now, I suppose), I have decided to finally post on my blog again. And although it is rather a trite thing to blog about - I mean, who isn't posting "100 Things" about themselves? - I have decided to divulge a few of my deepest darkest secrets. Or at least that's what I want you to think...

1. I am a Halloween baby. (Hint hint: My birthday is coming up soon, so you better start shopping.)
2. My husband and I wear the same size shoe. This, of course, means one of two things: that I am a hefty woman or that he is a petite man. Take your pick.
3. Sunflowers absolutely always make me happy.
4. I LOVE to cook. A lot.
5. Sometimes when I'm nervous, I bite my nails. This is why on the rare occasion that my nail reaches the end of my fingertip it is cause for celebration.
6. My handwriting looks like a font.
7. I have not had a haircut in almost a year (this not including bang trims). Hopefully in a few more months I will have enough to donate to Locks of Love again.
8. I have been a regular member at Curves for Women for almost four years now. There's just something about exercising with old ladies!
9. When I read a book, I'm usually reading three other ones at the same time. Currently on the list are: For One More Day by Mitch Albom, Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas, and Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes.
10. I'm gonna have to stop writing so much or I'm not going to make it to 100.
11. I got my first bloody nose last year while playing catcher in a CPA softball tournament. This experience has further convinced me that accountants should stick to the numbers, not sports.
12. For twelve years of my life, I was involved in Girl Scouts. I even received the Gold Award (for those of you not familiar with this great organization, the Gold Award is the equivalent of an Eagle Scout).
13. My favorite color is red - no, green. Maybe yellow? Or purple. Okay, so I like a lot of different colors.
14. I'm an Oklaridexan.
15. I absolutely LOATHE cats. In fact, I accidentally punched through a window when trying to knock on it and scare the yeowling cats on the other side.
16. If I could live anywhere in the world, I would probably live in Italy. Granted, there are still lots of places I've never been to, but Italy is bellissimo!
17. My favorite book is The God of Small Things by Arundati Roy.
18. I will almost never turn down a bowl ice cream, especially if it's homemade vanilla bean.
19. I have recently developed an affinity for black licorice, specifically Oatfield licorice toffee. Yum!
20. For some odd reason, I never learned to snap or whistle. Pathetic, isn't it?
21. The TV show I enjoy the most is probably Gilmore Girls. Nothing like a bit of wit, eh?
22. The smell of peonies is absolutely heavenly to me.
23. I want to be like Martha Stewart - uh, I mean, Jesus.
24. My husband and I are involved in a ministry to residents of a low-income apartment complex, and we absolutely love it!
25. I can bowl a better game with the Nintendo Wii than I can in real life.
26. My husband thinks I should write the next Great American Novel so that we can retire early. "Keep dreaming," I tell him.
27. I think NPR is great, especially "Cartalk" or "Wait, Wait; Don't Tell Me."
28. The worst job I ever had was at Braum's when I was in high school. The reason it was so bad was because I always had to work when all my other non-working and extremely spoiled friends would come in for ice cream. Also, the uniforms were atrocious.
29. If you challenge me to a game of Boggle, I will always take you up on it.
30. Under the Tuscan Sun is my favorite movie ever. (White Christmas comes a close second.)
31. You will never EVER hear me listening to country music.
32. I have never been skydiving, but someday I hope to.
33. I am a PADI certified scuba diver.
34. Yo hablo un pequito espanol.
35. I don't care how much you paid me, I would not watch a scary movie.
36. When I was in high school, I went on a mission trip to Africa with my dad and a group of people from Abilene, Texas. It was probably one of the best experiences of my life, and I think about it often.
37. For the longest time, I was convinced that I would be the first woman President of the United States. Looks like Hilary's going to beat me to it.
38. I think DVD players in the backs of cars are ridiculous.
39. I was a nominee for ACU Homecoming Queen. I got to ride in Jack Griggs' Z3 in the homecoming parade and wave at people. It was fun.
40. I think that my dad gives the best hugs.
41. Someday I want to own a Golden Retriever and name him Louie.
42. My first experience with Defensive Driving has convinced me that I should never get another ticket because I do NOT want to suffer through that again.
43. I made the Oklahoma All-State Choir my senior year in high school. During our performance (which my parents have preserved on VHS for all posterity), a girl in the middle of the risers locked her knees and passed out, but we just kept right on singing!
44. I always cry at baptisms.
45. Unless it is an absolute emergency, I refuse to shop at Wal-Mart. If you would like my thesis on why no one should patronize this awful corporate giant, I will be more than happy to share.
46. My grandmother is really good at crossword puzzles, and I hope to reach her skill level one day.
47. Clay, my dear husband, was my first boyfriend and my first kiss.
48. I think it would be really fun to take a belly dancing class.
49. Chai tea lattes are probably my absolute favorite drink on a brisk autumn day.
50. I have never ridden in a limousine.
51. Our backyard neighbors have four or five roosters, and I think it's sort of nice to wake up to their cock-a-doodling in the morning. It's like I live on a farm or something.
52. I do not own a sewing machine.
53. Additionally, I do not own a dishwasher. (My husband is a really great substitute.)
54. I am an organizing fanatic.
55. Basketball is probably my favorite sport to watch -- because I actually understand what's going on.
56. Pottery Barn is my furniture store of choice.
57. There's this little Italian place down the street from our house called Mamma Mia's, and it has the BEST pizza I've ever eaten - except for that in Napoli.
58. I have seen six musicals in my life: Les Miserables, The Lion King, Wicked, Hairspray, Mamma Mia, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. I really hope to see more!
59. On a trip to the Vatican, I took a picture of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Two days later I lost my camera in Florence. Don't you think this to be a strange coincidence?
60. My family's nickname for me is "JB" - which stands for Jessica Brooke. Sometimes when they're silly, they'll call me "JB Baby." Don't ask me why.
61. I have not read the Harry Potter books - but it's not because I don't want to, I just haven't had the time.
62. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition always makes me cry.
63. I think it would be SO fun to ride in a hot air balloon.
64. I still have the scar on my chin from the time I decided to jump off the side of the pool backwards when I was five years old. Let's just say I learned pretty quickly that's not such a great idea.
65. My other grandmother is really spunky. I hope I'm that spunky when I'm 89, too.
66. We do not have a mantle in our cute little house...so where to hang the stockings at Christmas?
67. I want to adopt children.
68. I have never broken a bone in my body.
69. From the time I was in junior high until I graduated high school, my family used to take dove hunting trips over Labor Day weekend. I was a pretty good shot, I must say.
70. I do not own anything glittery or sequined. Too much sparkle - ech.
71. I think it's pretty stupid when grown-ups talk to babies in that goofy little baby talk voice. I plan to speak to my children intelligently.
72. I record the gas mileage for my car on an Excel spreadsheet.
73. If my memory serves me correctly, I lost every single student government election I ran for throughout middle and high school. (The grand total comes to about 14 different offices no one wanted me to hold.)
74. My typical order at Starbucks: iced grande nonfat latte.
75. Real Simple magazine is just the bee's knees.
76. Put on a little Ella Fitzgerald and all is right with the world.
77. I will never EVER, as long as I live, eat at McDonald's. It's just overprocessed and gross.
78. I will, however, eat a half order of Nachos Locos from Mi Cocina. So yummy!
79. Swedish fish are probably one of my favorite candies.
80. I used to send pages of the JCrew catalogs to my friends with little messages written as if from the model on the page. It was sort of funny. I don't know why I ever stopped...
81. My husband and I toasted with Fufu Berry Jones Soda at our wedding.
82. All the nail polish I own is pale pink, with the exception of one fiery red bottle.
83. I want my "mom car" to be a Mazda CX-9.
84. I have climbed two 14'ers in my life: Handies Peak and Mt. Sherman, both in Colorado.
85. My bottom two wisdom teeth do not exist. Lucky me.
86. I have a dental implant on the back bottom left (sorry I don't know the tooth code). Too bad it doesn't pick up radio signals.
87. My husband and I have decided to run in the Cowtown 5K next February. Wish me luck!
88. My Chacos are my favoritest shoes - ever.
89. I really like modern art museums.
90. I wore braces for five years - two years in elementary school and three years in junior high. Seems like my orthodontist would have consolidated my brace face time.
91. I sleep better during rainstorms.
92. Someday I hope to have a vegetable garden. And an herb garden. And maybe some flowers too.
93. It would be my dream to study linguistics. Doesn't that sound like fun?
94. My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. Because we all need a little more thankfulness in our lives!
95. I have never - and probably will never - go bungee jumping.
96. When I drive, my hands are at ten and two almost always. Unless I'm car dancing.
97. I have a cute little blue Sears & Roebuck bicycle with a wicker basket on the front and a cheery little bell. And two flat tires that need to be fixed soon.
98. I love snuggling with my husband.
99. Insalata caprese is, in my opinion, a food to the gods.
100! I can't believe I finished this!

Lose the Snooze

My husband and I have a recently-developed debate about the snooze button: he is in support of its liberal use while I think the function should be completely obliterated from alarm clocks everywhere. It is strange that this debate has only surfaced within the past few days as I have always fostered such loathing for the snooze button.

But then again, I am "one of those" who suffers in silence, who harbors those feelings of angst and frustration only to let them fly free after considerable buildup. I'm sure that if you asked one of my roommates in college if they knew this fact, they would probably shake their head in confusion. They, of course, were not excessive snoozers so I never had enough frustration to merit a discussion of the matter. My husband, however, is just such a snoozer.

Now don't get me wrong: I'm all for a few minutes of extra sleep. But I'm the kind of person who is realistic when setting her alarm. I consider exactly what I want to accomplish before I leave the house and set my clock accordingly. The fact that I have a pretty consistent schedule also adds to the ease with which I rise, thus eliminating the need for nine plus minutes of half-sleep. This is why it baffles me so that someone would choose to get an extra 18 minutes of sleep which does not really contribute much to their restedness and which actually makes them more tired when they finally do stumble out of bed. Why not go to bed 18 minutes earlier the night before? My huband insists that he can return to a deeper state of sleep immediately after flailing in the direction of the alarm clock, but I, for one, only lay in bed anticipating the sound of the snooze and do not get any more sleep. It's about quality, not quantity of sleep. And if I'm going to make the effort to hit the snooze button, I might as well turn off the alarm and get on with my life.

This problem, I believe, has only come about because my husband has been on vacation the past two weeks in order to work on our bathroom renovation. The first week of his vacation, I would wake up for work, quietly get dressed, then kiss him on the cheek before heading out the door. Two hours later, my husband would roll out of bed and proceed with his daily to-dos. This past week, he has tried to get back to more of a "schedule" before he returns to the working world on Monday. By this I mean setting the alarm for 7:30 when I get up and snoozing until 8 or 8:15. It's one thing when you're trying to sleep in the bed next to a snoozer -- I can usually sleep through that. But when you're trying to be quiet so they can keep sleeping, only to have the silence pierced by "BEEEP-beep-BEEEP-beeep," it is slightly aggravating. I never know if I should be loud after the snooze because he really wants to get up and will do so momentarily, or if I should keep quiet because he wants to sleep for another nine minutes. I just can't live my life like this.

To further complicate things is the fact that we share an alarm clock, and it resides on the (only) bedside table on his side of the bed. If I were to set my own alarm on my own clock on my own table on my own side of the bed, then perhaps we could have averted this crisis.

Or perhaps I'll just wait until he returns to his old routine next week -- without the snooze button.

Who's Your Idol?

I must admit I never really knew what all that American Idol hubub was about. Sure, I heard in roundabout ways who was bound for stardom, but I never followed the show with any dedication. After all, I had better things to do with my time. Every time I heard Carrie Underwood's 'Jesus Take The Wheel' on the radio, I would cringe and reach for the scan button, although no station was safe. So why exactly would I want to watch an entire show of whiney vocalists singing about people with wierd theological issues? I asked myself. In fact, I had never even seen the show until almost a month ago when its sixth season began. And until that chilly Tuesday evening when my husband coerced me onto the sofa, I had no clue what I'd been missing.

I never knew that I'd been missing all of Simon's snide remarks, the really awful singers who (bless their hearts) stood in the hopeful line for hours only to be humiliated on national television, those who thought it wise to dust off that old banana costume or showcase their juggling talents, the kids with potential who you really hoped would make it, and those who actually did but were wiped clean of any personality in order to make a more sellable product to the American public, and the very questionable remarks made by Ryan Seacrest to Simon about his snugly fitting gray v-neck sweaters. And of course, the very strange intro to the show with graphics reminiscent of video games and an absolutely horrendous theme song. It was because of these things that I told myself I would not fall prey to the clutches of this monster, I would not participate in this silly game. That is, until last night.

I'm still not sure if it was boredom setting in, or if my soul has actually been devoured by the American Idol beast, but I actually decided to call in and vote. I was not stirred to tears, nor was I filled with an overwhelming sense of awe at the performances that unfolded before me. There was no passion, no emotion, as I reached for my cell phone and dialed the Idol number. For a moment, I felt as though the Idol gods were controlling my body, temporarily possessing it and using it for their own sinister purposes. What is happening to me? I wondered.

And as if that weren't enough, I called in tonite to cast my vote. Again.

Before I know it, I'll have the Idol number on speed dial and will be rearranging my schedule so I can make it home in time for the show. Then I'll actually go out and purchase the CD (or CDs) of the Idol winner (and runner-up), and learn all the lyrics by heart. And, heaven forbid, I might actually subject myself to the opinions of Simon, Paula, and Randy and audition for this ridiculous show.

Does anyone know if they're holding auditions in the Metroplex next season?

There's a First Time For Everything

As a new year begins and I reflect on the milestones that marked 2006, I have decided to compile a top ten list of firsts in 2006. These are events which I have never experienced before, and many which I hope never to experience again...

10. First urinary tract infection. I'll spare you the painful, disgusting details.
9. First assumption that my nine-year old cousin was my daughter. Never mind that I'm only 23 and would have had to birth her at the age of 14. (Of course, the nice gentleman who asked me if she was my daughter didn't know how old I was, so perhaps I carry myself with maturity of someone seven years my senior. Either that or I need to buy my first jar of wrinkle cream.)
8. First piece of jewelry that I wear on a daily basis. Prior to August 24, 2006, I was a plain and simple kind of gal - the occasional set of studs or simple sports watch might adorn my person, but never any of those trendy Wilma Flinstone necklaces or cocktail rings so many girls can pull off these days. But ever since I received this beautiful piece of craftsmanship from a very special man as he dropped to one knee, I am unable to leave the house without my sparkling Tiffany solitaire and the wedding band which soon followed.
7. First open water scuba dive, where I got to see sharks up close and sea turtles being cleaned by tiny little fish off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii. We swam through tunnels in a reef and crossed a swift current by pulling ourselves along the bottom of the ocean. I was nowhere near as graceful a swimmer as my husband (and my descent needs a little work), but I've been practicing in the bathtub for next Christmas when we'll dive in Maui with the in-laws.
6. First business suit, which was not purchased so that I could work for a business (as in briefcase toting, coffee drinking, conference room chatting, fil-o-faxing business), but rather so I could work at Victoria's Secret. In retrospect, it was a poor wardrobe choice because I only worked there for three months, but at least I've got something to wear should I decide to launch into the corporate world.
5. First addiction to a TV show. It all began when my roommates started watching Sex and The City. Next my then-fiance got me hooked on Desperate Housewives. Then the couples from our small group at church started talking about Grey's Anatomy. And my husband began taping The Office. I would love to say that my social life does not revolve around a TV set (a very snazzy flatscreen with high def, might I add), but alas, how I've regressed.
4. First time to share a bed with a boy (who is my husband - don't worry!). It is certainly an adjustment after four years of sleeping on college-issue excuses for a twin mattress, but I think I've adapted very well to our queen-sized pillow top. Now if only I can get Clay to stop snoring...
3. First fender-bender, which I still maintain was not my fault. A distracted young lady driving a little black coupe did not turn right on a green light but I did...and her bumper sort of got in my way. I am now very wary of the right turn signal at Davis and Keller Parkway - and little black Hondas.
2. First promotion on the job. I went from part-time stockroom help at Williams-Sonoma to coordinator in less than three months, an advance I thought was just so fabulous at the time. But now that I've completed my first holiday season in retail and am making preparations for the upcoming inventory, I'm really questioning my decision. That hefty discount does soften the blow, I suppose.
1. First fixer-upper, which has undergone massive cosmetic reconstruction since we moved in almost six months ago. Several coats of paint (five, to be exact, in our red-walled kitchen), refinished wood floors, and new base boards have taken our little jewel to Martha Stewart Living cover status. Granted, we still have a long way to go on our adorable little two-bed/one-bath, but the new range and new fridge and new rugs and soon new sofa just make it so cozy. (If you can't tell, my nesting instinct is working overtime.)

(And, of course, this, my first blog, was begun in 2006, a blog to which I have neglected to post for several months. Thank you to all who have encouraged me to continue posting - ahem, Clay! It means so much that you think my ramblings are worth your time!)

Here's to 2007 and all the firsts that it will bring...hopefully none of them involving children.