100 Things

1. My retirement plans include large stylish hats, tequlina-tinis, and a turtle farm.
2. I will probably never retire.
3. I enjoy working with clay but rarely do it.
4. I am fascinated with dragons.
5. I am a youngest child married to a youngest child.
6. I used to be married to an only child.
7. I only have one child.
8. I write poetry.
9. My son writes better poetry than I do.
10. My post-secondary education included: a small liberal arts college; a large public university; and an ivy league university.
11. I teach at a mid-sized public university.
12. I have ridden the subway by myself since I was 10 years old.
13. I learned to drive at 38.
14. I am flexible in both body and temperament but find myself becoming stiffer with age.
15. I like growing older.
16. When stressed, I clean.
17. I enjoy the beach in the off season.
18. I truly hate the snow.
19. I met my husband online.
20. I love the internet.
21. My natural tendency is to follow rules and please those in charge.
22. I like to make rules. 
23. I like to be in charge.
24. I love dogs but have never lived without a cat.  I wouldn't know how.
25. I love motherhood and miss it daily.
26. I read very fast.
27. I eat even faster.
28. I like to eat and read at the same time.  Unfortunately it never lasts.
29. My first husband cannot tell a joke to save his life.
30. My second husband is very funny.
31. I'll never have a third husband.
32. I was once a girl scout and, very briefly, belonged to a 4-H club.
33. I don't know what the "4 Hs" are.
34. I'm not much of a "joiner."
35. I'm a devout introvert.
36. I don't wear make-up.
37. I hate to shop.
38. I love a good steam.
39. I hate my accent.
40. I loved Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood as a child.
41. Dr. Drew reminds me of a modern-day Mr. Rogers.
42. I watch Celebrity Rehab religiously.
43. I am an atheist.
44. I believe in myself.
45. Taoism is my favorite philosophy.
46. I have a thing for turtles.
47. I really like sea turtles but actually prefer the tortoise.
48. Sometimes Dr. Drew looks a little turtle-like to me.
49. I can't help but smile when I look at my son.
50. I think he is perfect.
51. He does not agree.
52. The only beer I'll drink is Guinness.
53. I've always wanted to be creative.
54. I am, by nature, methodical and organized.
55. My very first job was a cashier in a gourmet grocery store.
56. My bagging technique bordered on obsessive-compulsive.
57. I was soon promoted to the office where I counted money.
58. I always wanted a daughter.
59. I never tried to have a second child.
60. I lived with the assumption my daughter would find me.
61. She finally did when she was 20.
62. I have always loved to read.
63. I started reading when I was 4.
64. I spent my youth with my face inside of a book.
65. Lately the need to write is as strong, if not stronger, than the need to read.
66. I move every 4-6 years.
67. I've been living in my current home for 3.5 years and I'm getting itchy.
68. I am not crafty but wish I were.
69. I am a feminist (but you knew that, didn't you?)
70. I rarely read books written by men.
71. When I was younger this was a bragging point.  Now it is just a fact.
72. The first career I ever wanted was to be a paleontologist.  I was five.
73. Later on I wanted to be Jane Goodall, living outdoors and studying chimps.
74. Instead I live in a small city and study people.
75. I've only been truly single for one year of my adult life.
76. I have never lived alone.
77. I love dark rich strong coffee and am fussy about what cups I use when I drink it.
78. I have three older sisters.
79. I miss being close to them.
80. When I bake I feel close to my grandmother.
81. My grandmother was the most important and stable adult in my childhood.
82. I want to be a grandmother.
83. I fear I have a long wait ahead of me.
84. I'm a kinesthetic learner.
85. I love learning new things.
86. I also love to teach.
87. I truly believe teaching is the best way to learn.
88. Too much teaching exhausts me.
89. My earliest memory is being so mad that I threw the dog's food against the refrigerator.
90. I think I was three.
91. What makes a three year old that mad?
92. It takes a lot to get me angry.
93. My house is not decorated.
94. My house is filled with books and gear and unfinished projects.
95. My living room is a gym, complete with a heavy bag.
96. My house is rarely clean.
97. The one thing that consistently keeps me happy is working out.
98. The one material thing I can't get enough of is books.
99. I will always eat cheese and bread and drink coffee.
100. Migraines have robbed me of caffeine, red wine, strawberries and tequila.