You Asked For It--Or Maybe You Didn't

I was intrigued by Lauren's list of things unknown about her. So I decided to try it myself. Since I'm not sure that I can come up with 100 things, I'm calling my list "Some Things You May Not Know About Me". You'll have to check back regularly to see if there are any updates.

1. I was born in Cleveland, Ohio, but came to Tennessee when I was 2, so I consider myself a Southerner.
2. I got married during Spring Break of my senior year of high school.
3. When I was in 8th grade, I deliberately kicked my science teacher in the shin so that I could get paddled and put my name on his cool paddle.
4. I was bitten by a lab rat during 10th grade Biology class.
5. I was raised by my aunt and uncle.
6. I have a half-brother and half-sister I've never met.
7. My parents' union was a second marriage for both of them. Thus I have 4 half-sisters and 5 half-brothers.
8. We were married for 17 years before Darrell met my birth mother.
9. I am not afraid of heights, but am afraid of falling. Sounds weird, but there is a difference.
10. I have very vivid, strange dreams and I almost always remember them.
11. My first pet was a dog I got in 3rd grade. We had to put him to sleep when I was about 17.
12. I despise cats.
13. The only creepy, crawly things I like are babies.
14. I took 3 years of Spanish in high school, but about the only thing I can do is ask if Susannah is in the house.
15. I love to read and will read just about anything--except fantasy and science fiction.
16. I have yet to see a Star Wars movie.
17. Darrell proposed to me the same way his father proposed to his mother.
18. I love to garden--flowers, not vegetables--and have a green thumb. I'm not so lucky with indoor plants.
19. I almost drowned twice before I was 7.
20. I took classes called steno in high school and learned shorthand. At one time, I could write about 80 words a minute.
21. I have never (knock on wood) had a ticket or at-fault accident.
22. I cannot drive a stick shift.
23. I was married before I ever spent an entire night alone.
24. I once swallowed a fly while riding my bike and talking to the person behind me. And, no, I didn't follow it up with a spider.
25. I have no depth perception.
26. But I do have excellent peripheral vision.
27. For Christmas when I was 14, I got my own phone--with my own line and everything.
28. I cry easily over little things, but not so easily over the big stuff.
29. I have been baptized in the Methodist, Baptist, and LDS churches.
30. Lauren roped me into teaching her 3rd grade class a song in sign language for the school talent show.
31. The father of my 6th grade teacher helped design the St. Louis Arch.
32. I hate peanuts.
33. My favorite candy bar is the Milky Way. But I won't turn down 3 Musketeers, M&Ms, Skittles, Heath Bars, 100 Grand, etc, etc.
34. Regardless of what my husband thinks, I do like riding on the back of his motorcycle. Even though it messes up my hair.
35. Speaking of my hair, it has been pretty much every color. Started out brown, has been colored black, red, and now blonde. Without the help from a bottle, it would be ugly gray. Not that pretty silver or white.
36. I had 4 children by the time I was 24.
37. I spent the first 3 years of my marriage in Italy. We got to visit Venice, Switzerland, Germany, France, and Austria.
38. I have been to (but not up in) the Leaning Tower of Pisa. See #9.
39. I have only been on one ferris wheel--my eyes were closed the whole time. Again, see #9.
40. I want to learn marksmanship with a pistol.
41. I know, but am rusty at, American Sign Language.
42. My favorite car is a Nissan Altima or maybe a Cadillac CTS.
43. I love the color red and have way too much of it in my wardrobe.
44. I used to be able to walk almost 5 mph.
45. I only weighed 96 lbs when I got married.
46. My husband thinks a woman cannot have enough shoes. Therefore, I have well over fifty pairs. I stopped counting just in case he changes his mind.
47. I hate to cook. There are too many other things I want to do with the limited time I have on earth.
48. I love my name and always have, though I went through a period of tweaking the spelling.
49. On that note, I DO NOT like to be called Bev. There are only a handful of people who have gotten away with it and you are not one of them.
50. I am sitting here amazed that I got to #50!!
51. We didn't have a car (at least one I could drive) for the first couple of years we were in Italy, and so rode bikes everywhere we went.
52. When we were in Italy, I would order my pizza without cheese. The guys cooking would always come out to get a look at someone who didn't want cheese.
53. My favorite church callings have been Young Women's President and Gospel Doctrine teacher.
54. I have never read the entire Bible.
55. I tried smoking when I was 17, but gave up after 3 weeks when I couldn't learn to inhale.
56. We named Shana after a character in a book I read in the 9th grade, Lauren after Darrell's favorite actress Lauren Hutton, Clayton after Darrell's father, and Holly was named because her birthday falls in December. At least we didn't go with Noel for a middle name like we started to.
57. When I was younger, my family called me 'Legs'. Not because I had good ones, but because I had long, skinny ones.
58. I much prefer old movies--like from the 30s and 40s. My favorite actors are Myrna Loy, Greer Garson, William Powell, Clark Gable, Maureen O'Hara, I could go on and on.
59. I am addicted to MASH and Jeopardy.
60. I started watching the soap opera All My Children when it debuted in 1970 and just recently stopped cold turkey.
61. Lauren and I performed in a lip sync contest as Sonny and Cher. We sang "I Got You Babe" and won first prize.
62. I hate Harry Potter, not because I think wizardry is evil, but because I think the books are boring.
63. My beverage of choice is Diet Mt Dew.
64. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people misspell words or use them incorrectly. I wouldn't mind a job editing.
65. Another pet peeve is looking for things. I like to have a place for everything and everything in its place.
66. I have a mole on my right side that I hated when I was younger and didn't know what sexy was. Now I like it.
67. I participated in the second "Fairest of the Fair' contest.
68. I stink at math and science.
69. I prefer the middle of a pan of brownies. Darrell likes the edges. Must be why we've gotten along so well all these years.
70. I am much more competitive than I realized. I found this out after we bought a Wii.
71. I would have plastic surgery. Don't ask what I'd get done though.
72. I would also get permanent makeup.
73. I like to indulge myself--getting my nails done, tanning, massages, the works.
74. My favorite ice cream is Breyers Strawberry.
75. I like crispy bacon, not chewy.
76. My favorite restaurant is O'Charleys. Especially on Thursdays and Saturdays.
77. My tenth wedding anniversary gift was a dishwasher--I was thrilled!!! No really--remember I had 4 kids by then!
78. I can't roller skate.
79. Sitting in our hot tub is one of my favorite pastimes.
80. I once kept saying 'bisexual' to a teacher when I meant 'unisex'. This was as an adult.
81. When pregnant with Lauren, I would pick enough blackberries from our back yard to make a pie-sized cobbler. Then eat the whole thing and clean up the dishes so Darrell wouldn't know.
82. My smallest baby was Shana at 8 lbs.
83. My largest baby was Holly at 9 lbs, 1 oz.
84. I have two granddaughters. They were born in the same room in the same hospital. They are not twins and don't have the same mother.
85. My first temple recommend had "not before June 5th" written on it, because we were driving to the temple early and the mission president didn't want me going in before I had been a church member for a year.
86. I tend to procrastinate.
87. I prefer to buy something rather than make it myself. This goes for food, jewelry, clothing, etc.
88. I was 18 before I had a one-piece swimsuit. It was neon green & I loved it.
89. I had two aunts who didn't have indoor plumbing. Spending the nights with my cousins was quite an adventure.
90. I love family history and have performed temple work for many members of my family.
91. What's an iron?
92. In 7th grade, I had a pair of snakeskin knee-high boots and matching purse.
93. I once held a metal tent pole during a lightning storm so Darrell could get the kids out of the tent and into our van.
94. I got into a burning vehicle because Darrell told me to. He needed to push the van out of our rent house so the house wouldn't catch fire.
95. I'm certain that my husband loves me very much. But I think I'll check the life insurance policies just in case.
96. I love to go to yard sales and flea markets.
97. I collect Depression glass, especially creamers. I also collect salts, butter pats, and Santas.
98. I once participated in a "bump" dance contest. Google it.
99. I made a whopping $1.10 an hour at my first job. It was at a little hamburger place and I could eat anything I wanted, so that made up for the pay.
100. I would recycle if they made it easier to do.

Yay!!! I made it. Thanks to my sweet husband who helped me think and remember. And thanks to Lauren for forcing my hand.