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!