Jump, Jump, Jump– Jump Around!

I’m aware it’s been approximately 200 years since I last updated my blog. Like many, the holiday season comes with a laundry list of things to do and I would say that I haven’t had time, but that’s a lie. I chose to drink red wine and watch movies or read a book in my leisure time instead of writing. Part of this was because I over-extended my writing muscle in the month of November by taking part in NaNoWriMo, which is an international…um…encouragement organization, for lack of better words. It cheers you on as you aim to complete a 50,000 word novel in 30 days.

 

Like most challenges I take on in my life, the initial commitment always brings out maniacal excitement from the depths of my soul. Then, usually about two weeks after said commitment, I start getting irritated with being “bothered” by such a chore. That’s what happened this time around. That, and the fact that my brain stopped thinking creatively and instead starting thinking about all the food I was going to eat on Thanksgiving. I ate a lot. It was glorious and I was completely satisfied with all the preemptive daydreaming I did about it. I got to about 36,000 words by the 16 day mark (and probably 36,000 calories on Thanksgiving). I think I will pick it up again in January, whenst everything has simmered down. I mean the writing - not the binge eating.

 

 

Yup.  Totally did.

 

Hmm…what to talk about, what to talk about… I apologize in advance for the rambling topic changes you’re about to endure. I’m a little scattered these days. No, I will not share with you the inner workings of my novel. It’s a secret and you can read it when it hits the New York Times Best Seller list and I am on Barbara Walter’s Most Fascinating People list, thank you very much.

 

TOPIC CHANGE:

Greg and I will be traveling to Michigan for the holidays to visit friends and family –or in Greg’s case, friends who are family, because he has the biggest family in the universe. Not saying that’s a bad thing, because (fortunately for all parties involved) they all happen to be fun, hilarious, and easy-going and we enjoy seeing them. Thank goodness. We will go to Greg’s side of the state first and will spend a few days there. Then, in the spirit of joint-custody, we will go to my side. It will be tiring but a lot of fun.

 

Here are some cousins in Greg's generation. Greg is third from the right in the top row. This photo represents approximately 1/16th of the entire family.  Imagine the memorizing I had to do!  It took years and a posterboard diagram.

 

TOPIC CHANGE:

I recently pulled out my high school yearbook from the dusty old bookshelf and looking through it brought back many good memories. I’d like to say that I was having a moment of nostalgia that innocently drew me to the yearbook, but alas, no. I saw that two people from my graduating class had died, and I didn’t know who they were and wanted to look them up to see if I recognized them. Morose, I know.

 

I soon digressed to the pages with different signatures and notes that my friends had left me and it felt bittersweet. Some talked about staying friends forever, some included inside jokes that I couldn’t remember to save my life, and some were just short and casual. One can’t help but think of what came of each person. I really hope that we have a ten year reunion in 2014, though I’m not sure all the people in our year’s student government, or whatever the heck it was called, are organized enough to pull it together. I hope so! Overall, high school was a good experience for me, though it’s safe to say that I was clinically insane like most girls of that age. I’m sure some of my high school friends can attest to that. Can I get a WHAT – WHAT! (Instant mood swing) Whatever! It’s not like any of you weren’t crazy at that age too! Don’t you judge me…

 

To be honest, I think I speak for most people when I say that I don’t really speak to most high school friends anymore, not intentionally but because we drifted. That’s why I love Facebook. I love to see what people are doing and who they’ve become. Overall, there’s probably only 4 or 5 people with whom I regret not staying in better touch. Why do we do that to ourselves? Why do we look back and say, “I wonder how he’s doing” or “I miss her.” I say reach out and attempt to spark up the friendship again. If it works out, great! If it doesn’t, then you gave it the ol’ high school try. It’s so easy to stay in touch these days, if you want to.

 

 

This photo ended up in my senior yearbook.  Yes, that's me in the middle.  I'm either taking off my jacket or having a heart attack.  The question marks that make me look vaguely like the Riddler were put there by a friend who signed my yearbook.

 

TOPIC CHANGE: (Warning! Cynical and possibly offensive text lie below)

I’m already incredibly aware at how elitist this sounds, so… you know, sorry.Okay, so you know when people get mad at you for not recognizing them in some way? For example, you didn’t send someone a Christmas card and now they are all snippy with you, or you didn’t wish them a happy birthday so they think you hate them.Allow me to break down for you my philosophy on this: I believe that it is my right as a human being to choose whether or not to send you any kind of well-wishes, gifts, condolences or anything of the sort. The moment you chastise me for not wishing you a “happy birthday”or not getting you a Christmas present defeats the intention altogether. Um… you are not seven so if I don’t Facebook you “Happy Birthday,” it’s usually because I wasn’t going on Facebook that day to be sure I personally handled the birthday list.  I don’t care if you choose not to wish me a happy birthday or forget to get me a gift because it’s just another day. I don’t interpret it as a stab to my existence or anything.  Anyway, that’s what really grinds my gears.I promise to try to remember your important day/thing, but half the time I forget what day it is myself, so you may accept me for this fault or you may hold a grudge for the rest of your life.I will carry on as usual.  Thank you for listening.

 

TOPIC CHANGE: (and palette cleanser…sort of)

Oh, how delightfully nonspecific I am in my posting today! It’s like a tin of multi-flavored Christmas cookies! There’s something in it for everyone! So, December 21^st is the end of the Mayan calendar, and many think the end of the world. May I interject my humble opinion?

1. The Mayan calendar goes in a circle, which means it had to come back around at some point.
2. The Mayans believed in gods that required sacrifice, both human and animal.
3. The Mayans believed in drilling into one’s skull as a cure. If the patient didn’t die instantly, success!
4. The Mayan civilization died out. The Greeks were around way longer and they seemed to figure out survival. Ask George Stephanopoulos. He seems to know a lot.

 

 

If George isn't freaking out, there's nothing to worry about.

 

Wishin’ and Hopin’ and Thinkin’ and Prayin’

Humans, by nature, want.  Allow me to break it down as I understand it.  We have primal wants, cultural wants, and individual wants that constantly overlap each other.

 Primal wants:

        Food & Water
        Shelter
        Procreation or the act thereof
        Feeling of self-importance

 Cultural wants for our Western culture/society:

        Good job/career (coincides with feeling of self-importance)
        Home (coincides with shelter)
        Partner-in-Crime (and baby-makin’…coincides with procreation and maybe a little feeling of
        self-importance too, why not?)
        Taboo people to remain located outside of our perceptive comfort bubbles (society wants the
        irritating and creepy away! Away!)

Individual wants vary from person to person.  Some RANDOM examples may include:

        Learn to play the electric guitar (coincides with feeling of self-importance)
        Babies or a puppy or something equally cute (coincides with feeling of self-importance
        and/or procreation)
        Get that promotion (self-importance)
        Set someone’s house on fire (I’m not saying individual wants are all rational or morally right,
        duh. But that would probably go under the feeling of self-importance, if I had to guess)

Whatever the wants may be, everyone has them at every age, as it shapes our behavior and decisions.  My earliest individual want, to my recollection, was a kangaroo stuffed animal.  Because I had a loving and perceptive mother, she combed store after store to find one for me…and she GOT me one.  I believe some of my go-getter attitude today is in part because I got that kangaroo.  Just kidding, I was like four when I wanted it and I probably wanted blue spaghettio’s and Yosemite Sam to come visit me too.  Anyway, it was still very good mothering on my mom’s part.  Thanks, Mom!

Individual wants consistently change throughout our lives, as to be expected.  In high school, I desperately wanted to be in wind symphony class, which each student had to audition for.  It was the band class above the rest and many of my friends were either already in it or auditioning to be in it.  All drama aside, I took private lessons and practiced day and night on my alto saxophone until my bottom lip had a hole in it (yes, I played the alto sax.  I was too “saxy” for the band! Yuk, Yuk!).  After my audition, the band director and staff said they really saw the improvement and they were very happy with my performance.  I was elated!  I remember after I was told I’d made the cut, I went home to watch Harry Potter (these memories are illuminating what a nerd I was) and I remember thinking, “Wow.  If I can make it into wind symphony, then I can do anything I want.”  No, I didn’t want to go to Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  The movie was playing purely by coincidence as I was having this epiphany and therefore the whole situation has remained vivid in my memory. Okay, maybe I wanted to go a little… but so did all of you! Don’t lie.

OH yes.  This is badassery happenin' right here.  Look at us! We're too cool for school, except band class ... not too cool for band class.  See below for a close-up.

"Look at how rebellious I am. **Chucks saxophone**
Now it's a FLOOR saxophone!  Take that, society!"

 My wants in college mostly came out in the form of my major. I first wanted to be a psychologist; to “listen to people’s problems and walk them through.”  Then I realized that psychology, as a practice, is science-and-research based and not the let’s-hug-and-talk-about-it profession that I assumed it was.  After that came elementary education, then musical theatre, then finally public relations.  Oh, young 17-year-old me and my curiosity!

 

I couldn’t decide on a major in college but so help me, I knew my
Halloween costumes well in advance!

After landing in public relations, I thrived! Every class was interesting and I found myself reading up on PR in my spare time, which is absurd for someone in college full-time with little free time.  Anyway, the next biggest “want” I faced was to join Public Relations Organization (PRO), a student group at our university.  Easy want to fulfill: show up to meetings, pay dues.  Next I wanted to be on the board for PRO, CHECK.  Next want: be president of PRO.  A year later, all on the board were graduating except me (they didn’t really think that through in the selection process, obviously) so I helped to select an entirely new board with my new (and not really earned) position of president.  **Serious face** That board improved the organization so much and I’m so proud to have been a part of it. I didn’t realize it at the time but that experience taught me about teamwork and how to lead effectively with others who are every bit as intelligent and competent as myself, with all ranges of talents and interests. I’m sure I was very rough around the edges to deal with sometimes but, hey, we were all learning.  Yay for working together and accomplishing stuff!

The rockin' PRO Board 2008

   As a functioning adult and being the organized individual that I am, I have lists of things I wish
   to accomplish/have/do. Some are big things and some are small but either way, it provides me with
   the reminders I need to move forward toward my “wants.”

Now, everyone has had those moments when your “want” doesn’t come through.  Approximately a minute and a half out of college, I applied to work at Barnes & Noble. I went up the food chain with four interviews in six months; first the peer interview, then the site manager interview, then the regional manager interview, and then the God interview, I don't know (I don't really remember after the first three).  I thought the job was in the bag (because surely they wouldn’t waste this much time continuing to interview me otherwise, right?) and I’d hyped myself up to want this job because it was a community relations position at a store near D.C.  A few weeks after the last interview, they called to tell me it had come down to me and one other person, and that the other person was just marginally more qualified.  Dang.  I went into a hidey-hole of immaturity and depression for about a month with the words “never count your chickens” ringing over and over in my head.  Sidenote:  I’ve gotten the “silver medal” three times in my career.  Of course it’s never fun to hear “you’re the best candidate we’re not taking” but at the same time, it’s so helpful to know that I’m even on the right track! They could’ve said nothing so in that case, I’d definitely prefer to be told it came down to a duel of resumes between one other person and me, as opposed to a mob of other people who are more qualified than me. Also, it’s only fair to mention that two of the three instances led to other job opportunities that I took, so it all happens for a reason.

 After a particular want doesn’t come through, for whatever reason, it’s not uncommon to feel resentful and become apprehensive with regard to future opportunities that could get you to your want; the whole “once bitten, twice shy” principle.  This comes in many shades: relationships, career, literally burning yourself on the stove and then being afraid of using the stove, whatever.  It’s much harder as an adult to endure an obstacle like that because let’s face it, as a kid, if you didn’t get what you wanted, you forgot about it the next day.  Also, kids’ wants are usually small, short-lived and/or ridiculous anyway.  As an adult (and especially an adult who over-analyzes), it can seem detrimental to hit a brick wall.  What could I have done better?  Could I have prepared more? Is now really the right time? Do I really even want this?

 My husband and my mother both have the best attitudes about this and they have influenced me to become a follower as well: if you want something and did not get it, there is a reason.  We are here to learn from our experiences and while you may think this is something that you need, it obviously is not.  Be as prepared as possible for when opportunity knocks but there are ALWAYS external and uncontrollable factors that are unseen by the “wanter.” 

 For example, say you want a significant other and can’t seem to find one that even remotely peaks your interest.  Does that mean you are unlovable and should become a hermit?  Ridiculous, though someone could feel that way in the self-reflection chapter of the brick-wall book.  Perhaps you need to reassess your standards to see where the problem lies but remember, there are unseen external factors at play here as well.  Perhaps you are in a small town with slim pickin’s and perhaps your intellect and interests can’t be matched there.  Do you know every single person in that town?  No, but your odds would be better in a city (or on the internet), says mathematics.  Disclaimer: there is always a chance you’re being an elitist and need to check on that once in a while, I guess. However, using myself as an example again because it’s the best one I know, I LOVE everything about Greg, even the things that annoy me about him! (He nests his dirty laundry in random places and I’m still trying to teach him, after only eight years together.  We WILL get there. My spirit won’t be broken.)  **Here comes the soapbox** As taken out of context from the movie Star Trek, the odds of a person finding someone with whom they are highly compatible are like “hitting a bullet with an even smaller bullet, while blindfolded, while riding a horse.”  Scotty may have been talking about warp speed but I’m talking about wanting someone who can make you happy and setting a standard among those around to you meet or beat. Now, taking a u-turn back to my main point, maybe you didn’t get what you really wanted recently.  Remember, maybe you’re not ready for it yet or maybe you’re not meant to have it at all.  Let go of the control a little and see what happens because I’ll bet, in the long run, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

 If you have gotten what you wanted recently, truly, good for you!  Everyone needs a little encouragement once in a while!  If we never got what we wanted, it would no longer be a balance of risk and reward to try for something, it would be simple stupidity.

Motivation and Procrastina...tion

Fitness.  Though reluctant to admit it, I sometimes say this word out loud while in the middle of a workout to help get me through the pain.  However, fitness is a fairly new concept for me and I feel like it’s safe to say that my maturity level on this topic could be defined as “adolescent.”

Growing up, I never really put a value on fitness.  As a kid, I didn’t need it and as a teenager, I needed between 12 and 300 hours of sleep per night simply to function.  By high school, many of us had already found our sport of choice and I was in no position to pick and choose.  I mean, what sport would’ve taken a chubby, pre-pubescent 9^th grader with braces and no experience?  Maybe softball …

Pigtails, overalls, AND red lipstick to boot!  You are a handsome young lady, Little C!

So high school came and went without any real fitness.

“Well wait just a minute!  You were in marching band!  Doesn’t that count for anything?” some may say, to which I would respond, “No, that is not nearly the level of fitness to which I am referring … so … you’re dumb.”

Fast forward to college.  I decided to stop wasting my youth and get movin.’  I slowly (and very reluctantly) got into a routine: Monday, Wednesday, Friday = Gym at 6 a.m. before work at 8 a.m.  I must say, in retrospect, I am pretty proud of myself, especially during our Michigan winters when my car was one of ten in the parking lot, most of which belonged to the ROTC kids who HAD to be there.

It also didn’t hurt that I began dating an athlete who, you know, exercised for fun.  ‘Twas a foreign concept I had yet to realize.

Exercise (n.) Activity requiring physical effort, carried out esp. to sustain or improve health and fitness.

 Masochism (n.) The enjoyment of what appears to be painful or tiresome.

My new boyfriend was into competitive sports and enjoyed exercise.  Running, football, softball, volleyball, basketball.  Sigh. 

Con: All the fitness that I'd have to be a part of if we expected to have a lasting relationship.
Pro: He's wearing an Ireland T-shirt.

Over time, a lot of time, I became slightly interested in the concept of sports and exercise.  Years of sitting on the sideline like a good girlfriend were starting to have an effect on me, I guess.  Greg tried to expose me to the fun side of exercise and soon, he found that my sloth had its first weak spot: hiking.  After college, we moved to the D.C. area where there are many excellent hiking trails.  I had found a new love. 

A hiking Caitlin is a happy Caitlin.

In California, the hiking trails are also fantastic, but it was not enough for me.  Hiking is fun and a great work out, but it must be done in daylight and most trails are a good distance away from where we live.  We both needed something to do during the week.   Leave it to Greg to find our next physically strenuous adventure.  He signed us both up to participate in a City kickball league.  A photo taken of me even ended up in the City’s next activity newsletter. 

Yeah, I’m sort of famous. No big deal.

After some serious shin and ankle bruising (small price to pay for excellence), I still struggled to find my “thing.”  The one activity I could be passionate about and stick to long-term was still missing from my life.  Of course my default setting was to go back to a life sans exercise but I came to the conclusion that, much like my Border Collie Seamus, if I don’t exert a certain level of energy each day, both mentally and physically, I get irritable and anxious.  Begrudgingly, I knew what I had to do …

“Greg, I want to be a runner and eventually run a marathon.”  Greg about died, more from shock than amusement, though I think both emotions were present, if we’re being honest.

Despite his reaction of skepticism, he instantly became the definition of supportive.  He would explain the pains I was feeling and why they were there, he would run with me at my sad, pathetic pace as I gasped for air like a walrus, and he would push me when I was feeling like giving up.  He even bought me a treadmill, (insert hearts here).

As I became stronger as a runner, we felt a need to set a goal.  We wanted to sign up for a 5K race, which is 3.1 miles.  Living in Southern California, there is no shortage of races.  However, I was afraid of diving into this whole new world of runners, most of which were fitter and thinner than me.  Weeks turned into months, all without signing up for a 5K.  We briefly toyed with the idea of running at Disneyland, but neither of us felt particularly pulled to that for our first race. 

Then … like the stars had aligned … I went to get my hair done and I was chatting with my stylist, Marcus, about running and that I’d heard of a place in Maryland – or somewhere – that hosted a zombie infested obstacle course 5K.  He then said there was one coming here to Southern California in October!  Be still my heart.  A chance to act like an eight-year-old, running in the mud and over obstacles to avoid getting eaten by zombies?  Um, needless to say I rushed home and immediately turned on the computer to show Greg.  As expected, Greg was sold on the idea after approximately 4 seconds.

So, our first 5K is officially going to be “Run For Your Lives,” a zombie infested obstacle course race where the zombies try to take your flags, which is your “health.”  I have never been so motivated to prepare for something so stupid … and I can’t wait!  It takes place on Sunday, October 21st, 2012.

Zombie apocalypse?  Sign us up!

Whether it’s running, swimming, biking, hiking – in a house or with a mouse - I feel the shifting of priorities in my life; a fork where I’m taking the road not expected.  I believe I will stick to this and continue to run because it’s healthy, it’s calming, and it’s slowly becoming a part of me.  I'm not where I want to be yet but, for the first time, I'm enjoying the "getting there" as much as the results.

40 Facts About Caitlin

So it's been a while since I last updated my blog, I know.  It's not because I have forgotten about it or haven't had time.  It's because I keep struggling with what to write about.  So, eventually, I metaphorically gave myself a kick in the pants and said, "just decide on something already!!!" So, I decided that, for this post, I would write about some facts about myself so you can get to know me better. 

Every person has many layers and most people only show certain predetermined sides of themselves to certain people.  For instance, I try to be ambitious and driven at work, funny and approachable with my friends, and mature and focused with my family.  Every one does this because different situations call for different versions of ourselves.  The purpose of this blog post is to hopefully fit all of these versions of myself into one clear picture.  Here are 40 facts about myself, if you care to read them.
 

1.       I married my husband Greg almost two years ago, in May.  We are good for each other and I like to think that we will still love each other this deeply when we are old, crotchety, and complaining about the other to our grandchildren.  :)

2.       I have two dogs; they are not pets, they are children.

3.       Though we are from Michigan, we have lived in Virginia near DC and now own a house in California.  Don’t be fooled, the closest beach is an hour away. We live in the desert.

4.       I am falling in love with Pinterest.  It gives me inspiration.

5.       Greg works for Lockheed Martin, and he can’t tell you more than that. ;)

6.       My favorite color changes daily.  I think it’s because I really like color combinations more than colors themselves.  i.e. cobalt blue and royal purple…mmm.

7.       I have a Bachelor’s degree in public relations with minors in business and history.  I didn’t plan for the history minor.  It turned out that I took so many history classes just for fun/interest that I could claim it as a minor, so why not?

8.       The women in my family, namely the O’Connor women (Jeanne, Margie, Kathy) are each brilliant women for very different reasons and I very much look up to each of them.  I’m lucky to have women like that to look up to, let alone call them my family.

9.       I LOVE wine.  I’ve loved it since I had first communion at age 7.  Yup, I’m one of those. However, I waited to make it a regular thing until my twenties…honest.

10.   I work at a three-person public relations agency.  Most people assume they know what PR is, though few actually understand it.

11.   I was one of the last people my age to figure out what a hashtag is.  I’m sure some people reading this still don’t know what it is … and I don’t blame you.

12.   I am mainly Republican but have definite Democratic ideals as well.  I’m a Republocrat (or a liberal Republican).

13.   I have recently started running. I do it at least five days a week, sometimes more than once a day.  I like the idea of being a runner so I went for it.  I’m not good yet but I think I will be as I keep with it.

14.   I’m afraid of most sea creatures.  The fact that something can get that big (whales, sharks), can get that smart (dolphins), or can take some random evolutionary turn (electric eel, jellyfish, that fish with a light bulb on its head), says to me that it’s another world in which I would lose if it came down to a fight.  No thank you.

15.   Ironically, I wanted to be Ariel from “The Little Mermaid” for like the first twelve years of my life.  Didn’t think that through, I guess.

16.   I think I’m going to have twins when we have kids.  I don’t necessarily WANT twins, I just think that’s what I’m going to get. We’ll see, I guess.

17.   I will not stop wearing high heels, consequences be damned.  Simple as that.

18.   I like the feeling you get when you deposit money in the bank.  It releases endorphins or something.

19.   I don’t “hate” anyone, though I really wish ill will on Nicholas Cage.  I can’t give you a good reason why.  I just think he’s probably an awful person in real life, and it’ll take A LOT for me to watch a movie in which he stars.

20.   Qdoba. is. the. best. If I could eat only that for the rest of my life, I’d be a happy girl.

21.   I really enjoy music.  I know, it’s like saying “I like good movies.”  That said, I REALLY like almost all kinds of music and I sometimes blast my iTunes in our living room just because.  Music is imperative to living, in my opinion.

22.   My favorite painter is John William Waterhouse and I don’t always get why modern art is so special.  I appreciate more the art that I can’t replicate.

23.   Between my niece and me, we could probably rewrite Greek mythology from memory, like Denzel Washington in “The Book of Eli.”  Let me know, World, if you ever need to tag us in on that post-apocalyptic problem, as we’d be happy to help.

24.   I don’t like coffee but I will drink it strictly for the caffeine.  Plus, we bought a Keurig so I need to use it.

25.   I would rather clean an entire bathroom than do dishes.  Dishes gross me out.

26.   If you really want to make me laugh, I like off-color and edgy humor the best.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about, look up anything from the show Tosh.0 and you’ll pick it up right quick.

27.   I hate sneezing.  I hate it when I sneeze and I hate it when others sneeze.  I know this is unreasonable but I can’t help it.

28.   I prefer savory to sweet.  For example, mac ‘N cheese over cheesecake any day; bread over ice cream; you get the picture.

29.   My favorite food is burritos. See number 20.

30.   I love hiking but I don’t like getting up early to get there.

31.   For me, walking into a bookstore immediately puts me in a good mood.  The smell of the books is wonderful and there is so much to choose from! I could get lost in a book store for months.

32.   I have tried over a dozen times to start a personal journal but I keep thinking my day-to-day life is not exciting enough to write down so I stop.

33.   I am very close with my mother.  We talk at least twice a week and we’ve probably logged weeks throughout our lives talking.

34.   I always associate colors with numbers ever since I worked in a hospital file room.  0-purple, 1-black, 2-gray, 3-green, 4-dark pink, 5-yellow, 6-blue, 7-light pink, 8-brown, 9-orange.  It helps me remember phone numbers and such. Greg occasionally tests me to see if I can still keep it straight by spouting out random numbers and, to no surprise, I succeed. J

35.   Wikipedia explains me (also known as Type A Personality) as “ambitious, rigidly organized, highly status conscious, can be sensitive, care for other people, are truthful, impatient, always try to help others, take on more than they can handle, want other people to get to the point, proactive, and obsessed with time management. People with Type A personalities are often high-achieving "workaholics" who multi-task, push themselves with deadlines, and hate both delays and ambivalence.”  Many people do not understand this personality type and expect us to relax.  Telling a Type A to “relax” or “just go with the flow” is like asking a ninety-year-old to run a marathon: it’s possible but not bloody likely.

36.   I would like to live in a European country for about 2 years or so…someday.

37.   I plan to write at least one novel.  My goal is only to get it published.  I honestly don’t care how popular it gets (or not).

38.   My favorite Broadway song is “I Dreamed A Dream” from Les Miserables … and it was my favorite BEFORE Susan Boyle touched it.  Go ahead and don’t believe me, a fact is still a fact.

39.   I have a few TV shows that I consider to be embarrassing indulgences:  Long Island Medium, Face Off (because it’s a reality show), and My Strange Addiction.  There, I said it.

40.   My plan was to do 100 facts but I only got to 40, and even that took me two weeks.

If you happened to make it through all 40 facts, thank you.  And I promise I will blog more often but I cannot promise it'll be good every time!