Joanna Made Me Do It!

Okay, Joanna didn't really make me do it, but she inspired me.  I was reading her blog, The Fifty Factor, this morning and she posted a list of 84 things about herself and encouraged others to do the same.  I love a challenge, so I'm going to give it a try.  Are there 84 things about me that you would find interesting or don't already know (or that I would admit to)?  We'll see......

1. I still remember the exact second I fell in love with my husband.
2. Purple is my favorite color, but I don't own any purple clothing.  Nothing in my house is purple, either.
3. My grandmother and I were never very close, but the things I inherited from her are some of my favorite possessions.
4. I love the way new socks feel when you put them on, but I think new shoes are almost always uncomfortable the first few times you wear them.
5. My dog died 6 years ago and I still expect to find her sleeping in her favorite place, sometimes.
6. When I get nervous, I hyperventilate.
7. I almost always remember what people were wearing when I first met them.
8. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.  Most of the time.
9. Life is too short to hold grudges, but sometimes I do it anyway.
10. To recite the planets in order, I have to sing a song I learned from Blue's Clues when my son was in kindergarten.
11. No matter what astronomers say, I still think of Pluto as a planet.
12. I didn't get cold feet before our wedding.  I never doubted that my husband and I were soul mates.
13. I got sick on a corn dog when I was about 7 years old.  I haven't had one since.
14. Sunny days are great, but I love dark, rainy days once in a while.
15. Laughter is important, it can change your mood instantly. 
16. If there is a House marathon on, I'll probably watch it.
17. The five second rule doesn't exist in my house.  The idea of eating food that fell on anything but your plate makes me queasy.
18. Disingenuous is one of my favorite words because it's a very dignified way to say "Liar, liar, pants on fire".
19. I'm a trained interior decorator.
20. At this very moment, you could seat 20 people on my back porch and in my yard.  That's only if you're counting chairs and bar stools.  If you included the porch steps, the number would be around 25.
21. My husband makes me laugh.  Daily.
22. My kids make me laugh.  Daily.
23. We currently have three hot tubs, but we need to get rid of two of them.  Want one?
24. I used to love scented candles, but lately they give me a headache.
25. Fall is great for about a week.  Once the trees lose all their leaves, the world looks dead to me.
26. Christmas used to be my favorite holiday, but now I prefer 4th of July.  Better weather, no last minute shopping to do.
27. Sunglasses are a must for me.  I can't drive on a sunny day without them.
28. None of the ceilings in my house are painted white.
29. The glass is usually half full, in my opinion.
30. I'm a terrible liar.
31. I prefer liquid fabric softener to dryer sheets.
32. New cleaning products make me happy.
33. If I don't recognize your number, I'll let my phone go to voice mail.
34. Freesia are the best smelling flowers.  Roses are a very close second.
35. I would chose chocolate over any other flavor 99% of the time.  Ice cream is the exception.  I rarely chose chocolate ice cream.
36. I think there must be life on some other planet in some other solar system.  It just makes sense to me.
37. Door to door salespeople make me crazy.  If I wanted to buy something, I would go out and get it.
38. The smell of salt air is intoxicating.
39. In high school biology, we learned to type our own blood. 
40. My blood type is O positive.
41. I tried a no carb diet, once.  I looked and felt terrible. 
42. The movie "Rosemary's Baby" scared the crap out of me when I was a kid.
43. I used to be a cheerleader.
44. You could describe my sense of humor as sarcastic.
45. Of all the people I'd like to meet, Stephen King is number one on my list.
46. I try to live my life without regret.  Still, there are things I wish I could change.
47. Most of the time, I've got an annoying song stuck in my head.  
48. I paid $2.50 for my purse.  It was on a clearance rack and had been marked down 10 times.
49. Revolving doors make me a little nervous.
50. I wonder why they stopped making colored toilet paper.  Remember that?  It came in colors like peach, seafoam green, and powder blue to match your bathroom decor.
51. My son always tells me I have too much time on my hands when I admit to wondering about things like why they stopped making colored toilet paper.
52. I used to drive a car with manual brakes.  When I bought a newer car with power brakes, I nearly put myself and my passengers through the windshield every time I stopped.  It took me a month or better to get used to them.
53. Squirrels are my nemesis.  They empty my bird feeders and dig in my garden.
54. I've gone out to scrape the snow off my car wearing shorts, a coat and snow boots.
55. Going to the movies doesn't interest me very much.  I'd rather watch a movie at home.
56. Procrastination is one of my less appealing qualities.  I'll tell you about it.  Later.
57. I always manage to break the mechanism that allows a vacuum cleaner to stand upright.  I have two vacuum cleaners, neither one will stand up unless you lean them against something.
58. Money can't buy you happiness.  True, but it sure can make your life easier.
59. I miss having a fireplace.
60. My daughter taught herself some Japanese.  She learned it online when she was 8.  That boggles my mind. 
61. I have a habit of reading headlines, but not the stories that follow them.  I can tell you what's happening, I just can't give you any details.
62. When I was about 5 years old, I had a clock that looked like a barn in my bedroom.  It had a cow sticking it's head out of the barn door and his eyes would move back and forth.  I was scared to death of that thing.  I didn't bother to tell my mom about it until just a few years ago.
63. Unsolicited advice usually irks me.
64. I love games and puzzles.
65. People who are "story toppers" irritate me. 
66. Loud noises bother me, but I like loud music.
67. Firecrackers are pointless.  See above.
68. Popcorn always smells better than it tastes.
69. I wish my grandma had written down the recipes for all the wonderful things she made.  I'm still trying to figure out how to make her icebox cake.
70. Suckers are spherical and lollipops are flat.  Am I right?
71. I think it must have been an evil genius who decided to pipe the smell of rotisserie chicken through the supermarket.
72. I'm the only girl in my family.  When I was a kid, I used to think it was unfair that my brothers had a sister, but that I only had brothers.
73. The last time I went to a roller skating rink, I put my skates on and immediately fell on my butt.
74. I wish I could age as well as Raquel Welch.  Have you seen her lately?  I swear that woman doesn't get any older.
75. My son and I have really deep conversations about the afterlife.
76. Zucchini is one of my favorite vegetables.
77. The songs that Aaron Lewis (of Staind) writes speak to me.
78. I never drive over the speed limit in residential areas, but I've been known to have a lead foot on the expressway.
79. Bonfires make me happy.
80. I'm very particular about the scent of soap, shampoo, conditioner and deodorant.  I won't buy something without smelling it, first.
81. I've never won the lottery.  Not the big jackpot, anyway.
82. It's nearly the end of summer and I haven't been to the beach.
83. I'm a big fan of hugging people that I care about, but getting hugs from people I've just met makes me a little uneasy.
84. Any day above ground is a good day.

Whew!  That was tough!  Are you up for the challenge?


Willoughby