I didn't do a 100th post because a couple of them were correction and addendum posts(before I used Live Writer), which I figure really shouldn't count. Because I always like to be on the up and up, I figured the unwritten rule book, which I've gleaned from other peoples blogs, meant 100 real posts. For me, that meant day 100. Which should be April 2, if my math is right. I cannot even believe I've only been doing this since Christmas Day 2007. And I have actual readers. I imagine that there are many people toiling away on their blogs after day 100 with a handful of friends and family reading them. But friends, I got lucky. Lucky in a big way.
I happened to be reading Derfwad Manor virtually as Mrs. G put out the word on the first Slow Cook Thursday. Never one to miss an opportunity, I composed and sent my Slow Cook Thursday post within the hour. I got the call-back before she'd even written the interview questions. I won the blog lotto--I was Mrs. G's first Slow Cook Thursday. The rest as they say, is history.
I also have to thank the lovely and intellectual Mary Alice from From The Frontlines who not only offered me early encouragement, she was my first commenter. Plus, she's a fellow "non-traditional" student with 3 teenagers at home, so she's my soul sister.
Okay, enough about the amazing, wonderful, blogger-to-whom-I-shall-be-eternally-grateful, Mrs. G.; on to me. In the grand tradition of the blogosphere, I give you 100 things about me on day 100 of Juggling Life. As an aside, if I thought I was juggling life before I started this blog, I was seriously deluded.
1. I was a natural blonde as a child; I'm still a blonde, it's just not natural.
2. I am an oldest child. Well, except for my dad's various love children, but I don't really know them so it doesn't count.
3. I was so painfully shy as a child that today I would probably be diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder today.
4. I had an epiphany at 14 that everyone else was just as terrified as me and that if I could be the one to make the first move they would be so happy they'd be my friend. I was right.
5. I got married at 23.
6. My husband and I started saving for retirement the day we got married.
7. I believe in having the best and most insurance you can afford.
8. I am a very strict parent.
9. But not as strict as I used to be.
10. I don't think I've ever been bored with my life.
11. I've never traveled out of North America, but I will someday.
12. The 80's were the party decade. I was in my late teens and 20's in the 80's. You do the math.
13. I was the biggest procrastinator in the world as a child.
14. I never procrastinate as an adult.
15. I never did my homework as a child.
16. I always do my homework now.
17. I'm terrified that my son will repeat my 18 year old mistake of thinking I was too smart to need to study in college just because I never had to do it in high school.
18. I have food issues.
19. I am a very good cook.
20. I am 44 and have lost half my birth family to cancer. That scares me.
21. I exercise 5 days a week. It hasn't made me thinner, but it does make me feel better.
22. The only time I've ever been depressed was when I had an adverse reaction to a common antibiotic. The depression lasted 5 days before the doctor figured out what the problem was. For the first time in my life I could relate to people who had thoughts of suicide. This incident left me with great empathy and respect for people who have to fight that fight.
23. My husband thinks I'm funny.
24. My kids are not convinced.
25. I am a loyal and true friend.
26. I am a problem-solver extraordinaire.
27. I am a good speller. I have a chalkboard in my brain on which I can write words. I didn't realize not everyone did not have that until Big Red (not a good speller) was in 3rd grade, and the teacher informed me he did not possess the brain chalkboard.
28. My favorite artist is Gustav Klimt.
29. I love quilts and quilting shows. Someday I will learn to quilt.
30. I like music but I'm not one of those people who cannot live without music.
31. I'm a huge fan of National Public Radio.
32. A.M. talk radio makes we want to drive my car into a brick wall.
33. I am fastidious about my oral health and have my teeth cleaned every 3 months.
34. I'm a neat freak, but not a germophobe. I totally think a little of the right kind of bacteria boosts your immune system.
35. I like to camp. Backpacking, not so much.
36. I count my blessings every night before I go to sleep.
37. When I was a little girl in Santa Monica, I was constantly mistaken for Tatum O'Neal. I ended up just giving autographs.
38. I love my blog--and probably your blog too!
39. I didn't used to be a big animal person, but Danger Boy changed me. Now I will always have a beagle.
40. I'm not much of an artist myself, but I am a good art teacher for children.
41. I can be crafty.
42. I'm pretty vain.
43. I would rather my hair be stylish than pretty.
44. If I wasn't going to be a teacher, I think I'd be a pretty good lawyer.
45. I'm personally conservative and socially liberal.
46. When my kids were younger, I took them swimming every single day from April through October.
47. I've never been able to be part of any organization and not end up with a leadership position of some sort.
48. I will never be the treasurer of any organization.
49. I have number dyslexia. Don't laugh, it's real. I once owed the IRS a whopping fine because I wrote them a check for $18.00 instead of $81.00.
50. I hate to sell things.
51. I played Field Hockey in high school.
52. My parents used to take books away from me as punishment.
53. I used to ride my bike by O.J. Simpson's Brentwood house on the way to Baskin-Robbins.
54. I hate string cheese. I love all other cheeses.
55. My favorite flower is Bearded Iris.
56. I clean whenever I talk on the phone.
57. I am not a morning person. I used to be a late-night person, but now I'm really more of a middle-of-the-day person.
58. When I cook I almost always cook extra and freeze the leftovers.
59. I tried to cut my boys' hair once. It was a disaster. Thank goodness they were too young to remember it.
60. If I come from a trip (to the mall or the East Coast) to a dirty house, my head will explode. It has happened.
61. I didn't do laundry for almost 5 years after I got married. I was in a car accident about 3 weeks after our wedding; my husband had to do the laundry and it just became a habit.
62. My husband and I are raising our kids to know the value of a dollar and to have a strong work-ethic.
63. I love to take photographs of children and sports.
64. I've worked outside the home for 5 to 10 hours a week for 17 years. I think it's been great to have that, and not just for the money.
65. I love jewelry. My husband loves to buy jewelry. It works.
66. I lived in Mazatlan for 6 months when I was five.
67. I have my mother's features and my father's coloring.
68. Even though I did not grow up knowing my biological father very much, I am shocked by the ways in which we are similar.
69. In the last year I lost a sister, but regained a relationship with a stepsister. That relationship means the world to me.
70. I am strong.
71. My drink is a Vodka Collins.
72. I read James Michener's Centennial in one weekend when I was sixteen. (The only other thing I did that weekend was go the bathroom a couple of times).
73. I drink a lot of water, I always have. Probably 80 oz. a day.
74. If I get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, I brush my teeth.
75. I've never tried to be a perfect parent. I'm content to be a good enough parent--I think it's better for me and for my kids.
76. I told my mom I was going all-night roller skating at Aquarius Rollerena every Saturday night of my senior year in high school. I've never been all night roller skating.
77. I check up on my teenagers. See above.
78. I've never had any surgery; well, except for oral surgery.
79. I love going to the movies. When my husband and I were first married, we sometimes went to 3 movies a week. We'll do it again once the nest is empty.
80. My favorite place to vacation with my family is Mammoth Lakes, in the summer.
81. I ride a mountain bike down from the top of the mountain once every summer. That's enough. The rest of the time I like to go around a lake. Little ups and little downs are more my speed,.
82. I am a laundry savant. I can get the stains out of anything. My family and friends call me the "Queen of Laundry." It's not ideal, but at least I'm the queen of something.
83. The song "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks still makes me cry. Yes, I know it's a pretty lame song.
84. I was the shortest person in my family as a kid and I'm the shortest person in my family today. They frequently mock me.
85. It is not unheard of for me to lose my temper.
86. I still feel badly about a very funny, but very mean, thing I said in the 8th grade. Yes, I've apologized for it.
87. I think life's too short to hold a grudge. That philosophy is why I have a relationship with my biological father.
88. My step dad walked me down the aisle. He and my mother were divorced by then.
89. I am frugal, but not cheap.
90. I've kept the same houseplant alive for over 20 years. My husband and I bought it for our first apartment.
91. My friends think I should give assertiveness-training classes.
92. I don't get sad when my kids are leaving a stage behind; I get excited about what's ahead for them.
93. I have always been happy, but I'm really happy now.
94. I am super competitive, but I can laugh at myself about it.
95. My favorite color is cobalt blue.
96. I love organizing things.
97. Thanksgiving and Fourth of July are my favorite holidays.
98. I am an extrovert.
99. My nose is crooked from where it was broken when a scooter fell on it when I was eight. I had the chance to have it fixed when I was a teenager, but I wouldn't have been able to swim for most of the summer, so I passed. I'm glad I did.
100. I used to be a Diet Coke addict. Now I'm 95% soda and caffeine-free.
Wow, that was harder than I thought it would be. If you made it to the bottom, I appreciate your interest!
Congratulations! So fun to learn more about you.
Posted by: Heather | April 02, 2008 at 10:15 AM
Wow! Congratulations on your 100th post! I am always glad to read what you write.
And now I know that we share the same favorite color!
Posted by: kcinnova | April 02, 2008 at 10:31 AM
Great list ..wow! I'm impressed.
#32 - Me too
#38 - I love your reading your blog also.
Thanks for this. I bet it was fun and enlightening
David
Posted by: David | April 02, 2008 at 10:55 AM
You are too cool! I loved your list and it was fun to read. I'm right there with you on NPR and AM radio, by the way...
Posted by: Green Girl | April 02, 2008 at 11:25 AM
Jenn, you're even awesomer (yup, it's a word) than before.
#20 so, so sorry to hear this
#23 me too
#43 it's *very* stylish
#65 how'd you pull off that magic?
#75 still appreciating this talk
Posted by: Jamie | April 02, 2008 at 11:40 AM
Wow 100 posts already! That seems fast! I think i"m up to 75... I'll have to catch up to ya one of these days.
Hope you are having a good spring break.
Posted by: Mary | April 02, 2008 at 11:50 AM
Congratulations!! And a great post!
Posted by: Casdok | April 02, 2008 at 11:55 AM
Congratulations on your 100 - I am willing a large vodka collins and a bouquet of irises wrapped in cobalt blue paper to waft their way through the internet to you!
Posted by: Domestically Challenged | April 02, 2008 at 01:14 PM
You are astounding. 100 posts since Christmas? I've been blogging for over two years, and you have a WAY bigger readership than I do. Whatever you're doing (besides just being a good blogger, I mean) keep doing it!
-- Laurie
Posted by: foolery | April 02, 2008 at 01:33 PM
Hi, Jenna. I followed you from Manic's blog today, and got snagged into staying and reading since we started blogging about the same time.
I'll be back to read your blog some more.
Ragdoll Billie on the Road to Remission
http://andlifegoesononedayonestepatatime.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Billie Wages | April 02, 2008 at 02:06 PM
LOL Sorry, I followed Mary from Manic's, then followed you from Mary's blog! Something for you to laugh about today.
Ragdoll Billie on the Road to Remission
http://andlifegoesononedayonestepatatime.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Billie Wages | April 02, 2008 at 02:15 PM
Great list. This was a fun read...some of the 100 posts are long, but yours was concise and interesting. I have a chalkboard, too, but my children do not. It baffles me.
Heidi
Posted by: Heidi | April 02, 2008 at 03:59 PM
Wow! (I confess, I skimmed. I'll go back and read them all carefully later.)
#28, what a coincidence. There is a Gustav Klimt calendar on my wall, and I just watched a movie about him.
Posted by: Smalltown Mom | April 02, 2008 at 04:06 PM
Seasons in the Sun?! Great. Now I can't get that silly tune out of my head...
Posted by: suburbancorrespondent | April 02, 2008 at 04:09 PM
What a great list. You and I have a lot in common.
Posted by: Mary Alice | April 02, 2008 at 04:33 PM
I love your comment about being happy. I keep thinking when I get a little more space to myself, it will be easier to be happy. I mean, I'm mostly happy now, just tugged by more hands more hours of the day. Does that make sense? I mean, I know 4 teenage boys will keep me busy, but a couple of quiet hours a day will do me a world of good!
But not too soon, long enough away to REALLY appreciate them!
Posted by: Marie | April 02, 2008 at 04:52 PM
"I don't get sad when my kids are leaving a stage behind; I get excited about what's ahead for them"
That's a great one. I always think each stage is better than the last. They get more interesting!
Congrats on post 100!
Posted by: Life As I Know It | April 02, 2008 at 05:48 PM
Congratulations on your 100th! This was a great list, and for some reason #90 (the plant) got me. I love that you've kept it alive all these years. And the plant, too.
Posted by: Jennifer H | April 02, 2008 at 05:54 PM
That was so fun to read and learn a little more about you!
Posted by: susan | April 02, 2008 at 07:08 PM
Most excellent list.
I also did not study as a freshman because high school was so easy. Bad bad bad news (tell your son I said so, too).
I had "Seasons in the Sun" on 45. I'm sure I'd cry if I heard it right now; it was delightfully lame.
Posted by: stephanie (bad mom) | April 02, 2008 at 07:42 PM
The tv show Sunday Morning did a piece on Gustav Klimt awhile ago...it was interesting!
#90 made me shed a tear...maybe two...
Posted by: Janet | April 02, 2008 at 08:13 PM
Congrats! And that is FAST, by the way - good for you!
Posted by: madmad | April 02, 2008 at 08:15 PM
So, what WERE you doing when you were supposedly at the all night roller skating rink?
Posted by: IrishGoddess | April 02, 2008 at 09:11 PM
Hi Jenn! Stones from the River is a hard book - but so fabulous. Why are book groups hard on it?
We have a lot in common: I was also painfully shy, had a fabulous time during the 80's (Sunset Strip!), had food issues, hate to sell things -- do you prefer to just give them away? -- that's what I do, love to organize and I'm probably 98% soda/caff free. And Seasons in the Sun is my #1 skating rink memory song along with Tin Soldier. What we don't have in common: I like string cheese, I'm a morning person and I'm a total introvert.
You're in the feeds now. I'll be back.
Posted by: Pamela | April 02, 2008 at 09:47 PM
I am most impressed that you kept a houseplant alive for over 20 years. (Have you named it?) I'm also impressed by all that exercise! May I have some of your energy, please?
Posted by: Melissa | April 02, 2008 at 11:55 PM
Super cool! I'm a NPR lover too.
Laughing because: you brush your teeth in the middle of the night
Hope you'll teach me: how to raise my kids to have a good work ethic and know the value of a dollar
Never want to: be 95% caffeine free!
Posted by: CC | April 03, 2008 at 12:11 AM
WOW! That is a fabulous list! You are an amazing person, that's for sure. And yes, we too have a lot in common.
#49 made me laugh out loud. I do the same thing with numbers, and it's a real mess when I'm working a cash register at work.
#3 - me too! I got over it in college, and then with acting classes.
#48- amen.
Posted by: Jozet at Halushki | April 03, 2008 at 01:00 AM
WOW! That is a fabulous list! You are an amazing person, that's for sure. And yes, we too have a lot in common.
#49 made me laugh out loud. I do the same thing with numbers, and it's a real mess when I'm working a cash register at work.
#3 - me too! I got over it in college, and then with acting classes.
#48- amen.
Posted by: Jozet at Halushki | April 03, 2008 at 01:00 AM
Jenn, this was really amazing. First off, congrats on such a successful and great read of a blog. I love it! You always keep a great range of posts going on all kinds of things.
The list was a beautiful description of you and your life. Thanks for letting us in to see you a little bit more.
The house plant thing. UnFRIGGINbelievable to me with BLACK THUMBITIS.
My husband and I loved to go to the movies a lot pre-kids, too. 3 a week sounds about right.
And I commented above on your feelings about parenting your teenage son and the drinking that is around all the teenagers today. You are FABULOUS!
Posted by: JCK | April 03, 2008 at 06:50 PM
Yo, you are very interesting. I cannot believe how many of the items on your list we share. I was a little girl in Santa Monica too. And I'm happy. And I love my blog and yours. I went back to school, college and law, after having kids. If I don't grow up to be a writer, I would want to be a teacher. Or both. And and and.
Congratulations on Day 100.
Posted by: Cheri | April 03, 2008 at 09:27 PM
#3 cracked me up...i hope that's ok. just love the wtf attitude.
and the love to organize things? we could be a great team, b/c i'm totally disorganized.
Posted by: kate | April 04, 2008 at 12:41 AM
#21 - check
#32 - YEH
#53 - Been there to stalk it out
#65 - I can hook you up!
Posted by: Denise | April 07, 2008 at 07:33 PM
If you ever want to talk to other dyscalculics, go to http://dyscalculiaforum.com :)
Posted by: Mette | October 11, 2008 at 08:04 PM