Finally, the Big 101! - January 21, 2008

Soooo, it’s been a day of sickness here for me at Casa de Monkeys. Thank goodness Knute was off work and able to stand duty as SuperDaddy for me while I slept the morning and the worst of my sinus cold/cough away.

Brace yourselves, mommyfolk et al: this is my 101th post!

*(Note: this was my 101th post before I imported to Blogger. I cut a lot of fluffy meme posts, thus this post now falls somewhere in the 60's? 70's?)

Which means you get the fun treat of reading 101 Amazing Factoids about me, Writer-Mommy (after I spend the next half an hour racking my brain for said fun facts).

Here goes!

1. I am a big fat procrastinator.

2. I am also a life-long insommniac.

3. And overly fond of coffee.

4. Numbers 2 & 3 have oft saved me from ruin at the hands of #1.

5. I’m married to the best man ever. EVER!

6. I knew I was going to marry him the night we met.

7. I was only 18 the night we met.

8. He was 19.

9. And he knew I was The One, too. How cool is that?!!

10. I wanted to be a veterinarian when I grew up.

11. And, when I had a particularly good hair day, a TV News Anchor.

12. And a writer (of course!).

13. I’m not a veternarian, but I’ve had lots of practice caring for sick animals in real life (re: Insane Canine Posse).

14. The closest I’ve ever come to TV News Anchor was recording my speech for SGA President (or some such pseudo-office of high school) for the TV News at my high school.

15. I am a writer. Without a doubt!

16. My first real job was in a pizza carryout/delivery shop.

17. The minimum wage I made in one hour then wouldn’t pay for a school lunch for Princess Pinky today.

18. The best job I ever had was teaching group fitness.

19. Yes, I was an aerobics instructor.

20. And a Spinning instructor.

21. And what made it so great was helping people be healthier and more confident in their abilities to try and succeed at new things they thought they could never do.

22. Plus, I got to play whatever funky music I wanted. Really loudly.

23. And wear really wild shoes.

24. My worst job ever was at a bagel shop.

25. The owner accused me of stealing.

26. I’ve never stolen a red cent or anything else in my life.

27. The look on his face when I mentioned that his wife liked to come by after the morning rush - around 10 am - and stuff wads of cash in her pocket to take to the “bank” was priceless.

28. That was the first and last job I ever quit by just walking out.

29. I have a degree in English (that writer thing again).

30. From a big state school. Fear the turtle!

31. I graduated in 4 years (and am shocked to see many 529 savings plans for kids college costs have both a 4 year graduation savings plan and a 6 year graduation plan. Get to class already!).

32. I started as pre-med. And liked it. I’m a bit of a science geek.

33. Then I met my husband after my first year at school.

34. And decided that a life built around love would be way better than a life built around a career.

35. I’ve never regretted my decision.

36. My favorite color is green.

37. My favorite season is Spring….when things turn green again.

38. I will eat chocolate anytime, anywhere, except during Lent.

39. I lose around 5 lbs during Lent.

40. I’m a cradle Catholic, but only one of my parents is.

41. This made for an interesting upbringing, religiously speaking.

42. I’m a practicing Catholic today, but am not afraid to ask the “BIG” questions.

43. I attribute my open-mindedness to my upbringing. Thanks M&D!

44. I don’t think Jesus has a favorite team; I think Jesus loves us all and wants us with Him, working to spread love and light.

45. I think people can get so caught up in the My Religion vs. Your Religion that they forget that whole “Love Thy Neighbor” thing.

46. Love trumps everything.

47. I have three children, The Royal Monkeys, 6, 4, and just about 2.

48. I’m open to having more.

49. I never sleep anyways.

50. I’m an at-home mom, but there’s been some dark days juggling weefolk that make a job look mighty enticing.

51. But I’ll go to my grave grateful that my kids never spent an hour in day care.

52. I’m not against day care when it’s necessary — and I deeply understand that many times it is.

53. I am against day care when that second income is all about lifestyle, not paying the essential bills.

54. Many of my friends are working moms who have come up with better solutions for child care than standard day care.

55. I admire them to no end.

56. Because there’s no way I could balance all that they do.

57. I gave up on the idea of “Me-Time” two kids ago.

58. My last trip out alone without a kid in tow was to Kroger for milk yesterday.

59. Those 15 minutes were very very peaceful.

60. I love a good deal and I will shamelessly ask you for your coupon inserts from the Sunday paper if I see them languishing in your recycling bin. Unclipped, unloved –oh, the horror!

61. I believe money management should be required curriculum at the high school level.

62. I think a lot of the curriculum in public schools should be rewritten.

63. I went to public school.

64. I got an excellent education in public school.

65. I come from a family that reveres education.

66. I’ve been blogging for about three months.

67. I’ve owned my web domain for three years.

68. See #1.

69. Sharing my life online is a very delicate balancing act.


70. The best part of blogging is the chance to write every day.

71. To write, just because.

72. I have more unfinished novels than I can count on both hands.

73. I intend to finish at least one of them someday; see #1 and #47.

74. I did get my first paid essay in 2007.

75. It will be published this summer.

76. It’s about what a terrible gardener I am.

77. Again, may I refer you to #1?

78. I have yet to submit any work in 2008.

79. I suffer from the delusion that I have a “great” book in me.

80. All writers suffer from this same delusion.

81. It sustains us.

82. It cripples us.

83. I love to cook.

84. I am actually a very good cook.

85. I am a very good cook despite my opinion that recipes are merely “guidelines”.

86. I think it’s a crying shame that family dinners have just about disappeared from the American landscape.

87. I also think that our children are getting fatter at the same rate that McDonalds, Taco Bell, Burger King, and every soda pop company out there are gettting richer.

88. Family dinner is a way of life at Casa de Monkeys.

89. Saying grace is a way of life here, too.

90. I love cooking dinner for my family.

91. I’ve had tears in my eyes at times, watching my children eat. To have happy, healthy children and to have the food with which to nourish their growing bodies is a blessing I don’t take lightly.

92. If I had to choose between being a mommy and being a writer, I’d choose mommy hands down, every time.

93. I’m grateful that in the USA, I don’t have to make that choice.

94. I’ve explained to my daughter that being a woman isn’t easy in many parts of this world.

95. I can understand why a mother would risk everything to cross the borders into this fine nation of ours.

96. But I still think we need to deal honestly with illegal immigration.

97. I’m conservative in my politics.

98. I think the Democratic platform has hoodwinked it’s constituency.

99. I’m also honest enough to tell you I don’t keep up with politics as much as I should.

100. I think the best part of this nation is the folks who keep the country running day in and day out by quietly living good lives — going to work, raising families, and worshipping in the faithway that sustains them.

……and……….finally……

101. I’m thankful that you and all the other mommyfolk et al out there gave me your time in reading this list of factoids. I know how precious those minutes are!

Well! My fingers are exhausted and there’s laundry to fold, breakfast to set up, and more paperwork than I’d ever get organized in two lifetimes! Time for me to sign off for now.

WM