Happy Birthday to Me… 35 Things for Age 35

Before I start this post, I just want to ask for prayers today.  We are supposed to be getting some really bad weather - straight line winds, possible softball size hail, and tornadoes.  They have shut down the entire city in anticipation of this storm that is supposed to last all day, so if you have a minute, will you send up a prayer for us?

On to happier things!  Today is my birthday!  Last year for my birthday I did a 34 Things for 34 Years post so I thought this year I would continue the tradition and do 35 Things for Age 35.  I’ve seen some new faces around these parts lately so it might be good for y’all to get to know me a little better.  For those of you who already know me, I’m sorry.  Haha.  

Since my last post was more of an introduction and getting to know my past type of post, I thought that I would just share some totally random and off the wall things today.

1/ I never taste test my food as I cook.  For some reason it grosses me out.  Therefore, when we sit down to eat, I have no idea what the food is going to taste like.

2/ I have this weird need to quantify everything in my life.  I keep running lists of tons of different life events – all concerts I’ve been to, famous people I’ve met, cities I’ve been to, landmarks I’ve visited, gifts I’ve received, etc.  I also keep files of all awards I’ve received, all newspapers/magazines I’ve been featured in, etc., and I have a whole book of ticket stubs from concerts, games, movies, and shows I’ve been to.  It’s really weird, I know.  I feel like when I get older I want to be able to look back and see everything that I’ve accomplished in list form.  Haha.

3/ This brings me to the fact that I wish I could Google things from my life.  For example, “restaurant we ate at on Wednesday night from our trip to Vegas back in 2005.”  I have actually had situations come up where I needed to know something like that and then it’s always a big letdown when I realize that I can’t just Google it.  I wish I had started blogging sooner.  The blog makes it so much easier to keep up with stuff like that.

4/ Speaking of blogging, I think I’m going to start a running bucket list on here as well to help me keep up with everything.  #WeirdoMuch

5/ I don’t like hand dryers because I feel like they never get my hands totally dry.  After washing my hands, I like every single drop of water gone and I can’t stand that clammy feeling if you don’t dry your hands all the way.

6/ I keep notepads everywhere because I constantly have ideas and to dos popping in my head.  Most of the time I put them in a running list in my phone to eventually transfer to their final list home, but in the event that my phone is in another room, I like to have notepads handy.  I keep one on my nightstand, one on my desk in my office, one on my desk at work, one in my purse, and one in the kitchen.

7/ While we’re talking about lists, I should go ahead and admit that I have a problem.  I’m extremely OCD so I keep a ton of different lists for my to dos – I have the daily ones that I put in my planner, I have separate ones for different projects, and I have a Long Term To Do List that I keep separately.  It’s divided into categories and it is about a mile long.  I’m confident that I will never have the satisfaction of crossing off the last thing on that list.

8/ I used to be a warm/hot weather girl, but the older I get, the more I hate the heat.  It makes me terribly cranky these days.  Gone are the days of laying out in the sun when it’s 97 degrees and humid. 

9/ I used to be perfectly happy staying at economical hotels (read: cheap), but B turned me into a hotel snob.  My taste is now pickier than his.  Two things that are never acceptable?  Room doors opening up to the outside of the building (doors must be in a hallway inside the hotel) and rooms on the ground floor (the higher the better in my opinion).

10/ B has also turned me into a steak snob.  I used to be fine with an $8 sirloin, but now?  I want the filet.  Give me all the filets!! 

11/ One thing I’m still not snobby about (and probably should be) is wine.  If it’s a cabernet or merlot, chances are I’ll drink it and I’ll like it.  I’ve never met a glass of red wine that I didn’t like. 

12/ I am a published writer.  To see why, click here.

13/ I was also in a movie.  You can see the details here.

14/ My cousin is married to Matthew Perry’s sister. That is my favorite claim to fame as I have been obsessed with Friends since I was a teenager.  I’ve mentioned it once before, but I just thought it was worth mentioning again because it’s SO. COOL. 

15/ I just found out that I am part Native American.  My great great great great (honestly not sure how many “greats”) grandmother was Native American.  My dad has been researching our family history and he discovered this a few weeks ago.  We don’t know for sure which tribe, but he is thinking Cherokee.

16/ I’m also part English, part Irish, part Scottish, and part German… as well as a few other things.

17/ My favorite flowers were sunflowers when I was a kid, then it was stargazer lilies in my teenage years, and now it is calla lilies and tulips.  So weird how our preferences change throughout the years.

18/ I have officially been on Facebook for twelve years.  Do you know how old it makes you feel when something shows up in your Time Hop from twelve years ago?!  Sheesh.

19/ I eat a handful of dark chocolate M&Ms every single day after lunch at work.  Those were included in my Lenten sacrifice this year and it has been soooo hard not having them.

20/ I still love listening to rap, even at 35.  And when I’m alone in the car I still blast it like I did when I was in high school… and I do not want the clean versions.  I love it all!

21/ I am a creature of habit.  I thrive on routines and if something unexpected happens I get cranky.  Just call me a little old man.

22/ Speaking of being set in my ways, I eat the same thing for breakfast every single morning at work – one egg scrambled in the microwave, topped with a pinch (OK, a handful) of shredded sharp cheddar cheese with a side of fresh fruit (strawberries, grapes, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries).

23/ I don’t adapt well to change.  But you probably already figured that out based on my comments in number 21.

24/ I have two younger brothers so I’ve always been very bossy.  My mom said that I used to “mother hen” my eldest brother like nobody’s business… and I was only four years old when it started.  I definitely see where Olivia gets it.

25/ I prefer to wear dresses than shorts/pants.

26/ I love coffee but I don’t own a coffee maker.  If I want coffee, I go to Starbucks.  Since it’s so expensive, I only have it a few times a year.  And I don’t drink it at all during the summer because it’s just too flipping hot here in the south.

27/ That said, I can’t stand iced coffee, hence the reason why I don’t ever have it during the summer.

28/ I am terrified of severe weather.  Terrified.  I used to think it was exhilarating when I was younger, but ever since I had kids I hate it.  We are supposed to have AWFUL weather today and the threat of tornadoes is very high, so I’m probably huddled down somewhere having an anxiety attack as you’re reading this.  #HappyBirthdayToMe

29/ I don’t like lots of muscles on guys.  I prefer tall and slender guys who have nice lean muscles.  Beefcakes are a huge turnoff.

30/ I have been working at my same job for twelve years now, almost thirteen if you count the few months that I answered phones as a temp.  I started in college and worked full time for a whole year while finishing up my college classes at night.  It was a ton of work and you couldn’t pay me to go back to those days again.  I’m exhausted thinking about it.

31/ I never thought I was the SAHM type, but the older my kids get, the more I hate working.  There’s just never enough time to get anything done.  Work has to be a priority since I do work, and family is a priority because, #duh, they will always be my #1.  This means that housework and home stuff suffers.  Majorly.

32/ I listen to music all the time.  I listen to it in the car, I have it on for the entire eight hours that I’m at work, and then when I get home I’ll turn it on while I’m cooking.  My taste is extremely eclectic, so a typical play list may contain Dave Matthews Band, Frank Sinatra, Britney Spears, The Lumineers, Blake Shelton, and Lil’ Jon.  #WellRounded

33/ Speaking of music, I have seen Dave Matthews Band in concert 20 times since 2002.  And I’m about to see them again in May.  #CantStopWontStop

34/ I am right-handed for writing, but I do everything else like a left-handed person – deal cards, count money, hold babies, etc.

35/ I can add/subtract numbers on a number keyboard in lightning speed without looking.  And without making errors.  I can thank my old bank teller job for that useless skill.

Well, I suppose that’s it!  And it was easier than I thought!  I remember struggling last year to complete my 34 Things for 34 Years post, but for some reason it just flowed right outta me this time!  If you want to see more random/weird facts about me, click here for last year’s birthday post and click here for another random facts post that I did in early 2016.

Happy birthday to me! 

And please don't come anywhere near here, tornadoes!  

P.S. For those of you looking for the What I Wore post that I typically do on the first Wednesday of every month, check back soon... I'll have it up in the next few days!

*Linking up with Jessi's Design and Going the Distance for What's Hap-"Pinning" Wednesday.