20 Things You Probably Wish You Didn't Know About

My infertility buddy Jen over at "Maybe If You Just Relax" tagged me with this a few days back.

4 Things I did 10 years ago (1998):
1. Graduated from college. I was so ready to be out of there - loved the partying, hated my final few classes. By the time I graduated I really disliked my choice of major...and had started on the road to my "people are stupid" theory.
2. Started my first "real" job. My boss looked like something out of a bad 70's porno, and had the dated opinions about women to match. I found out later that the first person they offered the job to turned them down. Good times!
3. Bought a townhouse shortly after starting the job in #2 just to get out of my parents house. Wouldn't you if you had the money, and your mother had embarrassed you in front of a date by insisting that you be home 2 hours earlier than you had told her you would? The transition from the freedom of living in a college dorm to living at home again did not go well.
4. Dated a few mistakes - all named Mike. What was I thinking?!

4 Things I did 5 years ago (2003):
1. Moved 2x; designed and started construction on a custom home; at the same time started renovations on a townhouse. Insanity should be my middle name.
2. Was "let go" for the first time from a job(college temp work and retail included). I and another co-worker were let go at the same time. Fall out from some higher level inter-office politics. Just because I didn't really love the job didn't mean I was ready to leave it on any terms but my own.
3. Spent most of my remaining time talking to the animals and shopping. And not doing anything to make friends locally.
4. Slid into an undiagnosed depression. See items 1 and 2 and 3 for an explanation why. Of course, this only became clear after I had pulled out of it.

4 Things I did yesterday:
1. Gave my RE's office my updated insurance info so they could refile the claim from the HSG. I had the new card at the hospital but since I didn't go to their office, they didn't get the update. Oops.
2. Heard from DH that his new toy is ready to be picked up. And then consoled him when he realized that due to our schedules he won't be able to pick it up until Thursday.
3. Read a romance novel instead of making dinner. I'm addicted to the predictable story lines and endings (girl meets boy, girl lusts after boy, some event or person separates them, they overcome and end up together destined to live happily ever after). Heated up leftovers from Sunday instead of making something new.
4. Went over to our neighbors house to get the care taking instructions for their cat (me) and fish (DH) and mail/paper pickup. We depend on their assistance with this on a regular basis, so it's only fair to do it when they ask, which isn't frequent.

4 TV shows I love to watch:
This is hard. We had actually started to watch several network shows on a regular basis, and then the writers strike hit and we've never gotten back into the habit. I don't really have any can't miss shows - but I'm happy to watch these if they are on.
1. Dirty Jobs. It's amazing to me what some people do for a living, and how many jobs have at least some portion that's "dirty." I also have to admit, I have a crush on Mike Rowe.
2. NCIS. When TNT runs the marathon Saturdays, I get sucked in. It's not a show I can have on in the background while doing something else. If I want to get anything done, I have to turn it off.
3. Iron Chef. It's amazing what they can do in an hour without any prior prep work. And they make it look easy! This show makes me wish that things like they make would magically appear in my kitchen.
4. Mythbusters. You never know what they are going to be blowing up next. I really don't know where they come up with some of the "myths."

(Notice something similar in all these shows? They are all hosted by (or star) men with a sense of humor. Coincidence? I think not! And this list totally blows my claim that I never watch reality shows, because 3 of the 4 do fall into that broad category.)

4 Things I love to do:
1. Read a book from start to finish without any external distractions.
2. Make DH laugh.
3. Be right. I'll admit it, it feels much better to be right than wrong. But I try not to be obnoxious about it.
4. Spend time with friends and family, enjoying their company along with an adult beverage and a good meal.

I tag:
-Leslie at Photographic Memory
-Alynda at Alyndabear.com
-Anyone else who wants to play along..just let me know in the comments.

101! (and Happy Valentines Day, too!)

Ok, so I completely spaced that the Goal! post was #100.

And I had great plans of doing a 101 things about me for this post. Oh well. You know how hard those things are to complete. One of these days when I'm sitting around with time on my hands.

You'll just have to settle for this meme Jen over at Maybe If you Just Relax was ever so kind to tag me with.

Here are the rules:

1) Link to the person who tagged you.

2) Post the rules.

3) Share six non-important things / habits / quirks about yourself.

4) Tag at least three people.

5) Make sure the people you tagged KNOW you tagged them by commenting what you did.

So here goes:

1. Appropriate for today, my maiden name is Valentine. Surprisingly I got very little teasing about it growing up. Also, in a strange coincidence, when I was born, the only other baby (What can I say? I was born in a slow year!) in the nursery had the last name Christmas.
   
2. I love the smell of yellow cake baking, but will rarely eat more than one or two small pieces. It smells better baking than it tastes to me. Luckily, DH loves yellow cake with brown (milk chocolate) icing, so it never goes to waste. (or my waist!)
3. I feel naked without my toenails polished. If I notice they are starting to get chipped, I'll take time in the morning to take care of it, even if it means less time to read the paper/eat breakfast/etc. In a related note, polishing my fingernails makes my fingers feel smothered.
   
4. I can watch medical TV shows like Trauma: Life in the ER and Paramedics during dinner and not get squeamish. But if I injure myself, or I have to help DH with a bandage, I start to get woozy very fast.
5. I have natural highlights in my hair. The only time I've paid a hair dresser to give me highlights was in college, and only because I had bleached my hair too light and wanted the grow out to look less 2-tone. Strangely enough, that appt. was on Valentines Day.
6. My two favorite candies are Peanut M & M's and W*l-M*rt brand gummy bears. I will eat only one for a while (months, even), then switch to the other. Rinse and repeat. And never at the same time!

And to do my part in spreading the love:
Lindsey at The Good Kind of Dorky
Alyndabear at Alyndabear.com
Katie at Le Petit Chic

I'm looking forward to what you all have to say!

In other weird news...

A small, self-made meme:

1. I think my dog smells like sausage after she's been sleeping in her kennel. It makes me hungry.

2. I like Pop-Tarts toasted, DH does not. I say he's the weird one on this!

3. If I don't get ready for bed in the "right" order I always forget to do something like brush my teeth, and don't remember until I've gotten into bed.

4. I hate to vacuum and clean the floors more than any other household chore. Bring on the toilets!

Thoughts?