41 Things – aka Happy Birthday to Me

To celebrate my 41^st birthday today I thought I would share a few things, 41 to be exact, about myself with you. 

 

1. I like to type y’all but I don’t ever say it.   At least I don’t think I say it & if I do I probably sound like a goofy Midwesterner saying it. 
2. I have lived in 3 states.   Indiana, Illinois & Kentucky.  I have family in none of these states.  I do have my husband’s family in Kentucky but none of my own family.
3. I love sweets, cookies, chocolate, cakes; you name it although I could live without pies.
4. Speaking of sweets, I used to eat so much junk food at school parties I would end up in the nurse’s office with a belly ache.
5. Somewhere around 27 or 28 I learned self control in the junk food department in the sense I no longer eat them until I get a belly ache.
6. I have never considered myself an athlete…more of a gym rat. 
7. I made the 8^th grade basketball team.  It was a pity pick.  I scored 2 points in my basketball career.  It lasted all of 1 year.
8. I was much more successful at softball but I didn’t play much after 8^th grade.
9. I can relate to Sue Heck.  Why?  See #10-14 below.
10. I lived in Indiana until 1985.
11. I had braces for 4 years in junior & senior high school.
12. I had braces again for 4 months in 2006. 
13. I was on the cross country team in 8^th & 9^th. 
14. I always felt pretty goofy in junior high.
15. I graduated high school after summer school my junior year. 
16. I didn’t go to college right away.
17. In fact, I was 23 before I started the College of Engineering.
18. I have worked for 3 different companies since graduating college. 
19. Two of those companies no longer exist.  Hmmm.
20. I have been laid off once.  That is how I ended up in Kentucky.
21. I met my husband on the first day of my new job. 
22. At the time we worked in the same department. 
23. We no longer work in the same department. 
24. He works on the 3rd floor.  I am on the 4^th floor.
25. We got married in 2007.
26. I was 37, he was 49.
27. He has 3 kids & 9 grandchildren.  I still can’t say what that makes me. 
28. We went to Rome for our honeymoon.
29. We own a big goofy camper. 
30. We still have his & hers homes although we live in mine.  I really hope that changes in 2012.  I want ‘our’ home. 
31. I used the word goofy 3 times above.  Apparently I like the word goofy. 
32. I like to say Sheboygan.  I kinda wish I was from Sheboygan so I could say it more often.
33. I would love to do a race in all 50 states.  I am not picky about distance or type.  I just think it is a cool excuse for vacations. 
34. So far I have done races in 6 states.   Well, 8 if you count my teenage years.  Florida (1/2 Mary), Tennessee (1/2 Mary), Georgia (Tri), North Carolina (5K, Tri), Utah (1/2 Mary), Kentucky (1/2 Mary, 5K, 10K, Tri), Illinois (5K) & Indiana (5K).
35. I have owned 9 cars since I turned 16.  ’67 Cuda, ’80 Z28, ’81 Accord, ’89 Celica, ’86 Prelude, ’98 Civic, ’00 Wrangler, ’01 Eclipse, ’04 Pathfinder.   On average, I get a new or new to me car every 2.78 years.  I have owned the Pathfinder the longest.  My husband bought is in 2004.  In 2006 (or was it 2005? I can’t remember.  Must be that age thing) we traded in the Eclipse for his 1500.  I have been driving the Pathfinder ever since.
36. I love older homes.  Someone told me the house you grow up in is the style of house you will always be drawn to.  Not sure if that is true or not but in my case I think it may be.  My parents bought an old drafty house in Grabill, Indiana when I was 5.  We lived there until I was 14 when we moved to Chicago. 
37. I lived in Chicago proper from 1993 – 2003.   During that time I lived in 6 different neighborhoods.  Uptown, Old Irving, Ravenswood, West Loop Gate, Edgewater & Jefferson Park.  My favorite was 6301 N. Sheridan.  It was the first property I ever owned.  It was a 1 bedroom condo with views of the Lake Michigan.  It was 25 stories & built in the 1960’s.  The owners were a combination of retiree’s & young first time home buyers.  If you walked into the lobby at 3PM you would think it was a retirement home.  I loved it.
38. Speaking of home ownership, I have owned a condo, a townhouse & now a single family home.  They all have their cool factors but single family is the way to go for me.  Although, if I didn’t have Steve I would be hiring out all the yard work!  I am not a fan especially because of #39. 
39. I have lived in my current home for over 8 years.  I think this is tied with the Grabill house for the longest time I have ever lived anywhere.
40. When I was 39 years old I was diagnosed with severe allergies.  Thanks Kentucky…I love you too.  Since March of 2010 I have been getting allergy shots every week.   I am really hoping to graduate in January to every other week. 
41. I love Asheville, NC & think I would love living there.  I wish my Mom would move there so I would have more of a reason to go.

Well there you go - 41 random facts about me.   Congratulations if you made it through the list.  Imagine how I feel blowing out all those candles?

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I should probably say Merry Christmas too since we will traveling tomorrow & spending holidays with family in Florida.    We are driving so we can bring all of our toys & Karma!  Right now I am looking forward to the road trip but I imagine an hour into it I will be whining about 'are we there yet'?

Merry Christmas y'all!!!