37 Things About Me....

37 Things About Me

I just finished reading a friends blog runningstrongforhope and so this idea
comes from Barb, but I'll try to come up with 37....since I will turn 37 in a
little over a month, and since I think I can finish this by 3-7. I'll also say that
Barb's idea came from (Tall Mom on the Run).

#1. I am sooooooooooo happy right now and have an amazing life, filled
with genuine friends and family, and I'm married to Brad, the most caring,
compassionate, hard working, and honest husband!!!!

#2 I can remember riding my bike to raise money for cancer research each
year when I was in elementary & middle school. I have no idea what
organization it was, but I remember 25 miles was a LONG way and it took
ALL day!! We now ride 40-180 miles for charity year round. The rides are
longer, we raise a little more money, but the underlying reasons, to give back
and help when you can, remain the same.

#3 I have been to 47 US states and 11 countries. What are the 3 US states
I have left to visit? Oregon, North Dakota, Rhode Island.

#4 I have run a marathon, in Anchorage, Alaska, while also raising money
 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. I do not have much desire to do
it again b/c it is hard on the body, but I won't say never again, b/c you never know.

#5 I played soccer roughly from age 3 to 33. I love it and would continue to
play, had my knees not started to fight me :(

#6 I've ridden a bike since I was 5 yrs old, and always loved the freedom of
a bike, and HOW FAR you can go on a bike and what you can see!

#7 I once traveled for 9 days with a friend from Maine to Wyoming (and up
into Quebec, Canada, and up to Glacier Nat'l Forest), with a pickup truck,
2 mountain bikes, a tent and about $100 dollars. Amazing trip!

#8 I love puzzles and math.

#9 My love of puzzles and math came from my great-grandfather "Pa"
and my grandpa on my mom's side.

#10 I do not love English....that would have come from my grandma on
my mom's side, but I somehow did not inherit those genes.

#11 I love the outdoors and grew up camping and hiking, learning from
 park rangers and my parents, how to behave in nature and treat and respect nature.

#12 I have always saved my money and been a frugal spender. (also a
result of #9 and both my parents)

#13 I have bungee jumped...in Australia, head first into water....they were
supposed to only get my hair wet, but I was dunked all the way to my waist!
Still an awesome experience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#14 I am a middle child, with an older brother and younger sister, and the
only one who has always rather been running around outside, on a bike,
or in a pool, than just about anything else.

#15 I love scrabble.

#16 I once race-walked a 5k in college in about 31min. I won my age
group, but my shins hurt for days.

#17 I used to know how to play piano, clarinet, and bass clarinet, but
I was told I couldn't learn to play the flute b/c I couldn't whistle.

#18 I'm extremely competitive, but I'm not that great of an athlete.

#19 There are days I don't really want to work out,
but I always feel better after I do.

#20 I do not like bread, especially white bread. see #21 for the why...

#21 I once ate a large glass bulb -Christmas tree decoration -
when I was about 9 months old and so I had to eat a loaf of white
bread to absorb the glass.

#22 I've always loved fruit and vegetables!! Especially raw veggies and salad!

#23 I once ate about 1/2 a flat of strawberries in 2 days....my stomach
did not appreciate it as much as the taste buds :(

#24 I've lived in four states. NM, CO, TX and LA.

#25 I never knew I was short until I went to college and people were making
short jokes, and then I realized they were aimed at me.

#26 I am short, but I am taller than my mom, sister, brother, grandma, aunt
and great-grandparents, and I'm as tall as some of my aunts and uncles.

#27 I started 'babysitting' at age 9. Yes, I was responsible for 2 young boys
that lived behind us, during the daytime.

#28 I wanted to be a mammalogist growing up, and Jane Goodall is one
of my heroes.

#29 I've broken my thumb and ankle, both in soccer.

#30 I've had a complete ACL reconstruction on my right knee resulting
from a skiing accident and soccer injury.

#31 I used to compete in cycling, mountain biking, adventure racing, and
triathlon, but now I just ride and run for fun. The training is painful and
extremely time consuming if you want to be competitive. Right now we
steady train, but I don't train 2x a day as often anymore.

#32 I've completed an Aqua-bike half-ironman - 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike,
 in Arkansas, in 105 deg temps.

#33 I also completed an Olympic distance triathlon (1 mile swim, 30mile bike,
6.2mile run), except the course was wrong so we swam 1.7 miles! That race
gave me the confidence to do the Aqua bike race. That race also gave me
the confidence to complete almost any race, or hopefully anything in life.
I learned how STRONG the psychological aspect of NOT QUITTING or
giving up is, even if you think it is TOO HARD and you are not prepared for it.
Since that sums up most of life, it's something I hope never to forget,
b/c I didn't quit, I kept pushing, and I won my age group, even if there were
only a few left that didn't quit in the end.

#34 I've had pet hamsters and rabbits, but never a dog. Now all we have
are 'pet' squirrels and birds.

#35 I love snorkeling, but I'm afraid of scuba diving....since I could explode ;)

#36 I've always wanted a farm. I love riding horses, and I wanted
pigs and chickens to eat, and rabbits to play with. Since I grew up in
suburbia I wouldn't know the first thing about being a farmer, but I always
asked for a farm for Christmas and Birthdays.

#37  I said I would never be a teacher, but I've been a professor for 9 years
and I really do enjoy teaching and learning.

If I've forgotten any interesting facts...let me know....be nice :)

Bottom line is I've always been out trying different things. Some things I enjoyed
and stuck with and others I learned from and moved on, but I'm always
willing to get out and try!