100 random things

My friend posted a list of 100 random things her daughter wrote about herself out of boredom and I thought I’d give it a shot and create my own list. So, if you’re not already bored, this should help…

100 Random Things about Just Frances

1. I am the preantepenultimate Cook Girl.
2. I enjoy showing off my vocabulary skills.
3. I cringe when I see incorrect grammar, spelling, and punctuation. But I only correct errors when I’m being paid to do so. [To clarify: I generally correct the errors in my mind, but only tell people of the errors when I’m paid or otherwise requested to do so.]
4. I think that demonstrating the ability to change a vehicle’s tires and oil should be a compulsory part of passing a drivers’ license test.
5. I wear glasses and will never get eye surgery because I like that the glasses obscure the fact that I don’t wear makeup.
6. I’m a distance runner. (Well, I dabble in the sport at least.)
7. I am Catholic.
8. I joined the school cross country team because the coach asked me after church in front of my dad and the priest. How could I say no?
9. I have never felt at home in my hometown.
10. I am proud of my small town red neck roots.
11. I found my true place of belonging in Scotland nearly 10 years ago.
12. I am returning to Scotland later this year!!
13. I am rubbish at math[s] and I don’t care.
14. I am correct handed (also known as left handed).
15. I believe that there is a conspiracy in the works by right-handers who are jealous of us amazing lefties. Even pens are made with righties in mind! (But not all of them!)
16. I have hazel eyes that are more on the green end of the spectrum, but wish that I had truly green eyes.
17. I pretend to be happy even when I’m sad.
18. I can’t fake tears; I’ve tried.
19. I am dyslexic. (Yet I edit things for a living. Ironic!)
20. I had speech therapy as a child.
21. I am the co-inventor of the term SUBS Syndrome and hope that one day the term is widely used to describe the condition of sudden, uncontrollable bursts of sarcasm.
22. I honestly believe that the media is helping to perpetuate ignorance in our society. The biggest culprit being the “news” media.
23. My master’s degree will be in media and culture, so I’ll get to do a lot of research on this very issue!
24. I once sang on stage with Pat Benatar who was opening at the Gorge Amphitheatre for the Steve Miller Band. Really. True story.
25. I’m a little bit country and a little bit rock-n-roll all at once.
26. I like candy, but I could live without chocolate.
27. I love to fly!
28. I prefer the aisle seat on airplanes.
29. I say a prayer asking God to guide the hands of the crew and to keep us safe in our journey; and I ask that if His plans don’t include our survival that He comfort our loved ones. I do this for every take off and landing because something compels me to.
30. I try to order low-sodium meals on the plane and drink lots of water so that I’m refreshed and non-puffy when I arrive. I even wash my face 2-3 times on long flights to/from the UK. I think it helps the jetlag. But that might not be true.
31. I can’t decide which movies I like better: The Godfather series or the Monty Python movies.
32. I have polycystic kidney disease. It’s a genetic condition with no cure. But some smart people are working to find a cure!
33. I have a blood disease called idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura. Even the haematologists who study it don’t know much about it. Which sucks for me.
34. Despite my medical maladies, I think I’m mostly healthy.
35. I dream that my doctor will one day say “To live a long and healthy life you must eat lots of good steak and salty, deep-fried foods, drink lots of wine, and smoke.” Of course, if I hear those words I know it’s time to find a new doctor.
36. I cry myself to sleep at least once a week.
37. I recently ended a friendship that I didn’t want to end. I’m sure it will be one of the reasons I cry myself to sleep over the next few weeks.
38. I haven’t slept through the night since Paul died.
39. I sometimes wonder if I’ll ever sleep well again.
40. I thought that I was ugly growing up because one of my sisters told me over and over again that I was. (Funny, we all look alike!)
41. I thought that I was stupid growing up because a couple of my teachers said I was.
42. As an adult, I’ve learned to love myself and know that I’m good looking and intelligent.
43. One of my Paul’s friends told me that I’m a great person and I’ll find someone new when I’m ready – but that I’d have better luck if I’d dumb it down a bit. (Said person has likely never been married for a reason.)
44. Several of Paul’s friends have become my friends and I don’t think I could have survived the world without him without them.
45. I didn’t go on my first date until I was 20 years old.
46. I married my first true love.
47. We were a month shy of our 4^th anniversary when he died.
48. I try to be happy and enjoy life because I know it’s what Paul wants for me.
49. I sometimes think that I’ll meet someone new and fall in love and get married again and I know that Paul would be OK with that. But I can’t be bothered to date because no one is good enough for me.
50. Thinking that no one was good enough for me is what gave me a reputation for being an overly-picky dater in my 20s.
51. Being an overly-picky dater meant that when I did land a man, I got the best one on the market!
52. A stupid woman once told me that the reason I can’t have kids is that God thinks I’d be a bad mom.
53. I have been a foster mom for a little over six months now – so at least the State of Washington thinks I’d be a good mom!
54. Paul and I planned to adopt two adorable children before he died.
55. Sometimes I’m heartbroken that I may never get to be someone’s mom.
56. I have 17 nieces and nephews and 2 great nephews.
57. It irritates some of my sisters that their children want to be so much like me.
58. I’ve had green hair. And pink, purple, blue, yellow, orange, jet-black, and bleach-blonde. Sometimes multiple colours all at once!
59. My favourite colour is green.
60. My first car was a 1978 Ford Granada.
61. My friends and I sanded it down, primed it black, and then painted a big yellow smiley face on the hood and flowers and peace signs all over the body. It was awesome.
62. I passed my driving test on the first try.
63. I taught Paul how to drive.
64. I’ve taught some of my nieces and nephews how to shift gears. (But please don’t tell their moms!)
65. I have a fascination with butterflies and have since I was a young child.
66. I have a butterfly tattoo.
67. I played clarinet in the school band.
68. I am training for the Loch Ness Marathon.
69. I am a Pisces.
70. I was born in the Year of the Tiger.
71. I don’t believe in astrology stuff.
72. I will be 37 years old on Monday.
73. I don’t really like to make a fuss about my birthday.
74. I have read dictionaries and encyclopaedias for entertainment since I was in junior high.
75. I don’t like romance novels because they make me uncomfortable.
76. My friends think I am a prude.
77. I try never to use profanity because I think it’s vulgar and shows a lack of respect. (But sometimes it slips out in a heated moment of upset.)
78. I taught myself how to knit and crochet but can only make basic things like scarves and afghans.
79. I like root beer.
80. I don’t really care for Coke or Pepsi.
81. When I was in my late-teens and early-20s, I’d hang out at the local 24-hour diner with my friends drinking coffee and eating cheesy fries with ranch dressing. It was awesome!
82. I am considered a computer and gadget geek by my family and friends.
83. I love Doctor Who, but I hate SciFi.
84. I define SciFi as anything I don’t like.
85. I always like to have the best gadgets in the room. Sadly, some of my new friends are gadget geeks with better incomes so this is hard to do now.
86. I love my family.
87. I am going to miss my cat, Schrodie, so much when I move to Scotland.
88. I am going to miss my family so much when I move to Scotland.
89. I used to have Mork & Mindy suspenders (braces) when I was a kid and I wish I still had them now.
90. I loved Weebles as a child. They were awesome they way they weebled and wobbled but didn’t fall down!
91. I always wanted tassels on my handlebars when I was a kid. But not so much that I got them as an adult.
92. My favourite toys growing up were a telescope, a microscope, a rocket kit, and an electric circuit board kit.
93. I don’t like gold-coloured jewellery.
94. I like dirty martinis with extra olives.
95. I drink my coffee strong and black with no sugar.
96. I am excited about starting grad school in September.
97. I am afraid that I am ruining myself financially by going to grad school.
98. I am convinced that going to grad school will fix me emotionally and mentally.
99. I am excited about my future for the first time since Paul died.
100. I feel guilty for being happy about this new life, even though I know Paul would be happy for me.

Wow! That was hard! Are you still reading? You deserve an award for that!!

Edited to add: Since folks have been asking where/what their award is, I feel it’s fair (OK, not fair but cheap) for me to say the award is knowing me that little bit better. Sorry it’s so lame! (But thanks for reading!)