100 Random Things About Me

So, you've been reading what I've had to say for almost 3 years now. But really, I could be any masked crusader with a set of measuring cups and a toaster oven, couldn't I?

As my birthday present to you, here's a little more about me. 

1. I have four siblings, three of whom are married. I have four nieces and nephews (two of each).
2. I have a distaste for a select few "kid foods," including corn dogs, tater tots, and orange cheese-flavored crackers. Gross.
3. I travel a fair amount for my job (at least 4 times a year), almost always to different destinations. It gives me a chance to see new things, meet new people, and try lots of interesting gluten free food. [I've talked about Arizona, Sweden, Germany, Italy, and Washington DC of my travels here.]

4. My first team sport was basketball, followed by swim team and soccer.
5. I had a scholarship to play in my college's marching band.
6. I played the trombone, and loved nearly every minute of it.
7. I'm a pretty passionate reader, but I would take a non-fiction over a fiction book any day.
8. The scariest part about swimming in a lake is the potential opportunity for fish to bite your feet.
9. My mom wasn't the fanciest cook when I was growing up, but I didn't know there was such thing as a cake mix until I was in high school and heard about it from friends.
10. It's hard for me to pick my favorite color. I go in phases: right now, it's probably lime green.
11. My one vice is that I like to drive fast.
12. Oh, and what I call "toys from the grocery store."
13. This includes but is not limited to magic towels, window decals, rubber duckies, art sets, and anything else that pops up on the aisles.
14. When I was little, I wanted to be some sort of Olympian-firefighter-superhero when I grew up.
15. My first job was working a paper route with my older brother. I was 14 years old, and we had to be up at 4am to deliver newspapers.
16. My favorite job was working at a 50s diner in Boise, Idaho. I started out as an ice cream girl, or soda jerk, and later worked as a server and assistant manager.
17. My parents are my heroes.
18. I have a large collection (15+) of flannel pajama bottoms in crazy patterns. My mom encourages my habit.
19. Every night is baking night at my house.
20. One of my greatest technological achievements was learning to copy and paste. I was a sophomore in college.
21. I have a thing for barren landscapes. Wyoming, the Salt Flats, the Spiral Jetty, deserts.
22. I have grown up to be my mother.
23. I sunburn very easily. Two things that have helped: not using expired sunscreen, and applying more than once a day.
24. Freckles cover my arms and knees.
25. The boy and I both had our appendixes out on the same weekend in 2007 at the same hospital. I was first, then him 2 days later. We had the same ER nurse.
26. In the Myers-Briggs Personality Test, I am somewhere between an ENFP and an INFP.
27. My first camera came out of a Cornflakes box. It was a camera with an open back that took 110 film.
28. One of my most cherished memories of my siblings were winters when we would rent a cabin for a long weekend in Estes Park, Colorado. We would push the bunk beds together so they would be close, but have a space between the two beds. Then, we would dive head first between the two beds and slide down to the lower bunk. This entertained us for hours.

At Legal Sea Food in Washington DC.

 29. My favorite pet (as an adult) was named Fishman - he was a fancy goldfish. He would come when you called his name, blow kisses at you, and lived for more than 3 years.
30. All of my socks have patterns or pictures on them.
31. I don't like to wear earrings at all.
32. I was Dracula for Halloween (my own choice) for at least 7 years in a row as a child.
33. The best childhood Christmas gift we ever received was a trampoline.
34. I was in a beauty pageant in college. For reals.
35. My favorite flower is the alstromeria.
36. The first car I ever owned was a 1988 Isuzu Impulse. The color was a buttery yellow. The sun roof would collect rain water and dump it on the passenger when you turned the first corner.
37. I love that my Grandma would butter the toast all the way to the edges.
38. Humid weather is my nemesis. I am truly a desert girl.
39. My hair was straight as a board when I was young. I got a really intense perm when I was 12, and now my hair is naturally wavy.
40. I did not like sharing a room with my sister when I was young.
41. I wish I could raise my (future) children in the 1980s, when kids could come back from playing when the streetlights came on and bike helmets weren't mandatory.
42. Best crab cake I've ever eaten? Richmond, Virginia.
43. As hard as I try, pork chops never taste as good as they look.
44. My favorite movie is Encino Man.
45. I love the feel of physical pages of a book; I'm unlikely to get an e-reader anytime soon.
46. My hardest college class was a general course about early American history.
47. Actually, in college I failed German 201, then went right on to German 202 and pulled an A-.
48. I've always wanted to buy the Power Ballads CD collection on the infomercials.
49. Best dried fruit: apricots!
50. I wear size 7 shoes.
51. One of my bottom front teeth is chipped from gymnastics class when I was about 8. I was helping another girl do a handstand and she kicked me in the teeth. The dentist put a fake piece of tooth in there, and it's held up all these years.
52. I don't have any wisdom teeth. Or haven't yet, fingers crossed.
53. I have a solid reputation as a night owl.
54. My first date with the boy was to a corn maze.
55. I don't wear a watch.
56. I am considered by outsiders to be level-headed and consistent. On the inside, I'm a little crazy.
57. Watching body language of others is a cherished hobby of mine.
58. I used to ride my bike with no hands, and would even do my paper route without putting my hands on the handlebars.

On the Camp horse ride with my campers above Redfish Lake.

 59. I am an unusually deep sleeper. This used to make me the subject of many jokes. It annoys the heck out of my dad, who used to wake me up for school. There was a period of time when a coworker called me every morning to make sure I would get to work on time. Amazingly, I've discovered that the treatment for my Celiac disease has improved my ability to wake up to an alarm.
60.  As a defense for this, I am very adept at getting ready to be somewhere with very little prep time (work, church, errands). I mean, like 3 minutes.
61. I'm not much of a gardener, but I sure wish I was.
62. Salad dressing is totally not my gig, even if it's gluten free.
63. Bacon, on the other hand, is a food group.
64. I've never been to Canada or Mexico.
65. I didn't have any cavities in my teeth until shortly before I was diagnosed with Celiac disease, about 2006.
66. My favorite month of the year is probably September, and February is definitely my least favorite.
67. I have ancestors who made charcoal for a living, which involves tending a carefully controlled low-and-slow fire.
68. My mother "taught" me to drive a manual transmission car by driving me to the store one day. On our way home, she parked the car in our neighborhood and got out. She waved and started walking home. She yelled over her shoulder "I'll see you there!" I didn't have much of a choice!
69. My favorite swimming stroke is the butterfly, but I rarely swim like that anymore.
70. Building anticipation and mystery is the best way to get people to like your Halloween costume.
71. I generally dream in the 3rd person, meaning I am watching a situation rather than participating in it. I bet this means I have some sort of psychosis.
72. Barefoot is my preferred footwear.
73. Especially during the summer, the highlight of my day is running outside to get the mail when the postman comes.
74. How did bananas become one of the U.S.'s three major fruits (along with apples and oranges)?
75. If I could have picked my own first name, it would have been Summer.
76. My ring finger is a size 7.
77. Favorite style of pizza? New York, definitely.
78. The world should be covered in little white twinkle lights.
79. I'd like to own a motorcycle, but it seems a little complicated.
80. Recycling gives me the warm fuzzies. I spent the last 6 years "ninja recycling," meaning I would sneak my recyclables into other bins.
81. I now am the proud renter of a city recycling bin.
82. I'm pretty disorganized, but I keep a very precise calendar.
83. Being on time to something is optional.
84. My favorite furniture style is either Midcentury or Mission. Or both. One in the kitchen and one in the living room.
85. When I was a teenager, my younger brother and I would secretly light a small fire in the backyard and roast apples. My mom didn't find out.
86. I prefer my clothes air dryed. No exceptions.
87. I can't really stand to listen to music while I'm doing something else, like walking, reading, sleeping, working, or studying. Don't use my MP3 player much.
88. People watching is a quality hobby.
89. I don't see many movies. I don't think I like sitting still for that long.
90. I've never lived in a coastal state.
91. Almost there!
92. My feet are very square. My toes are almost straight across.
93. You should come over for dinner one of these nights. We'll feed you coconut cake.
94. It took me five years instead of four to finish my bachelor's degree. I feel like I learned more in the fifth year than in the others, because I had finally learned how to learn.
95. I have a secret fascinating with very small vehicles. At my work, there are grounds crew trucks that are so small they drive on the sidewalk. I want to drive one.
96. However, it bugs me that they drive on the sidewalk. I don't feel like they are careful enough around pedestrians.
97. Cooking and baking is very soothing to me. It can be fast paced, adventurous, monotonous, challenging, or new, all at the same time.
98. I really love connecting with others who have food allergies. I feel like we all have something to offer each other, even if it's only understanding.
99. I don't mind public speaking at all.
100. Happy birthday to me!