30 for 30

So, I’m 30 today.  GoodNESS.  And in light my birthday, I figured I would be completely self-indulgent and provide you with 30 little known facts about yours truly.

1. I went to a month-long total immersion “German camp” while in high school… and loved it… until I contracted salmonella at said “German camp” and was hospitalized for days.  Ironically, I also went to a dissection camp (yep.) in middle school and managed to emerge from the experience of slicing and dicing dead animals disease-free.  Ich weiss nicht.

2. I have never seen Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, or any of those other “boy movies”.  In fact, I’m not a huge fan of movies in general.  I have, however, watched Troop Beverly Hills approximately 312 times in my 30 year existence.

3. I have issues with loud eaters.  This is a major point of tension in our marriage… just ask Matt.  Or don’t.

4. I used to run back in the day, and in college my runs would always route me through Colonial Williamsburg.  Not everyone can say they dodged colonial reenactors and horse manure during their daily work outs.

5.I also had the unique opportunity of streaking the Sunken Garden in college.  This offers my explanation of “why”.  In short, everyone else was doing it.  And, uh… it was fun…?!

6. My first car was an old white Volvo.  When I turned 16 and had that new license in my hot little hands, my parents sent me off with many rules… one of which was no music.  Naivety at its best.  Sure enough, the moment I left our driveway, I cranked up Nelly as loud as he would go.  Yes, in my Volvo.  If you wanna go and take a ride wit me…  (Common now, is anyone tracking with me?  Am I the only lover of 90’s rap?)

7. My first kiss (no shame, people, no shame) was in the back of a church van on the way home from a youth group ski trip.  The timing of this was a bit poor to say the least, as Mr. Romeo swooped in for the kiss at the same moment the van’s back door was lifted open.  (I guess he was afraid he was missing his chance.)  The experience of having one’s first kiss witnessed by their student pastor and various parents of friends (who were just waiting to grab their kid’s luggage outta the back for pete’s sake!!) is one for the books.  I have yet to live this down.

8. Before you get the wrong idea about me, I have only dated three guys in my life.  All lived in the same neighborhood (not mine), attended the same high school (not mine), and went to the same college (not mine).  Perhaps I’m a bit of a stalker.

9. On that note, I attended Matt’s senior prom and high school graduation years before I ever met him.  He can’t say the same for me.

10. I kinda live in sweatpants.  Often, I wonder if Matt will comment on the frequency at which he sees me in sweats, but alas he claims to like me in ’em.  I knew I married a winner.

11. I lived in my sorority house for two years in college.  Yep, a sorority girl through and through (ha).  I have the secret password and handshake to prove it. Ohhh Kappa Kappa Kappa Gamma, I’m so happy that I am a…

12. I love doing laundry.  We never lack clean clothes around these parts.  However, I despise ironing.  A few wrinkles are okay, right?

13. I haven’t set an alarm in years.  I always have been an early riser, and I am typically up no later than 5:30.

14. I am really super afraid of fires and am kinda terrified even of sparklers at weddings.  I blame this on the fact that my infant self watched in my high chair as my dad burned our kitchen down cooking french fries.  I think I need therapy.

15. Once, while in grad school, I drank so much water that it made me sick.  My ridiculously insatiable thirst earned me appointments with numerous specialists, but the ultimate verdict was that I was healthy aside from my drinking problem.  Water drinking problem, y’all.  Moral of the story: though compulsive water drinking may keep one awake in class and while studying, it’s not so great for your kidneys.

16. I don’t like hearts (the shape, not the life-sustaining organ) or things with hearts.  I’m not sure what this says about me.

17. I haven’t eaten red meat since high school.  Except for my stint in Kenya when I ate all sorts of ca-ra-zy things out of my desire to be culturally relevant.

18. Some days I pretty much live on candy.  And coffee.  And Diet Pepsi.  (Because I’m one of the proud few who believes that Pepsi products are far superior to Cokes).  No wonder why my dental bills are so high.

19. I used to assume that I was extroverted… until a couple years ago, I realized that I definitely lean toward introversion.  And I married an extreme extrovert.  Oh we make quite the little duo.

20. As a kid, I was once published in Family Fun magazine, quoting that the thing that annoyed me the most in the world was when my sister left her retainer on the counter.  And that was it.  Thanks for my moment of fame, Libby.

21. Home decor is so not my forte, and I completely rely on my mother’s expertise to decorate our little home.

22. As a kid, I really wanted glasses.  And I got glasses.  I also was dying for braces.  And got ’em.  Then, I thought it would be pretty sweet to have a broken bone (so that I could have a cast. and get lots of signatures on it.  duh.)… and then there was that gymnastics injury that resulted in a broken wrist.  Now, I really would like a pig (not even kidding) and a miniature donkey (still not kidding) and a trip to Tahiti (it would be nice, but I’d rather have the pig)… can I have those too?

23. I have been told by every English teacher I’ve ever had that I’m too wordy when I write…. hence the kinesiology major.  Why do you still read this blog again?

24. I have an irrational fear of being run over by a car.  And Matt gets irrationally annoyed every time I tap on the back windshield (you know… to remind him not to back up and squash me like a pancake) as I walk around to my side of the car.

25. I also have an irrational fear of people falling into the oven, and  I block people out anytime I open the oven door.  There really is no good explanation for this one… other than the fact that I’m a small bit neurotic.

26. I helped start a Babysitter’s Club (a la that magical book series of the 90’s) when I was in  4th or 5th grade.  And actually BABYSAT PEOPLE’S OFFSPRING!  And now I only allow college students and graduates to babysit my own children?  Is something wrong with that picture?

27. On my 18th birthday, I threw myself quite the soiree in my parent’s house. Since I was a mature adult and all (ha!), I took it upon myself to serve adult beverages (ahem) with my poor unsuspecting parents right upstairs.  Call it boldness, stupidity, or teenage angst… whatever it was, I was caught (duh) and paid for it big time.  We can laugh about this now that I’m 30, right mom and dad?

28. Matt proposed to me on a surprise 24 hour trip to Honduras.  It is seriously the most romantic proposal story ever.  I married up.

29. I fall asleep during nearly every movie I attempt to watch.  Even most TV shows.  Years ago, Matt and I took a trip up to NYC to see Les Mis on Broadway, and his one request of me was that I stayed awake.  I did… I think.

30. I’m a late adopter on just about everything.  I am just now learning to use a Mac, I don’t own skinny jeans, and I still use a “dumb phone.”  Shoot… maybe that just makes me  a loser.