100 Things for 100 Posts and a GIVEAWAY!

I cannot believe I'm so wordy as to have accomplished 100 posts this quickly. And apparently the tradition is to do 100 Things About Yourself. OMG, this is going to be a LOOOOOONG post. Thanks to all of my followers, lurkers, etc, for following me on this journey. This blog could very shortly be taking a new direction, depending on the next couple of weeks, so I hope you'll stick with my as my journey evolves....


Without further ado, here we go.

1. I was a Drag King for a while. Named Ben Dover. 'Nuff said.


2. I love smoothies, but can't stand most fruit as a stand-alone food...yeah, it's weird, but so am I.


3. I am the oldest of 4 daughters, the 2 youngest of which have no biological relation. I vaguely look like them, but I am the darkest by far!


4. I am a Leo, but was supposed to be a Cancer. I was born 2 weeks late...in Miami. Boy was mom glad when I finally decided to arrive. My moon is Cancer and my rising sign is Cancer. I have many traits from both Leo and Cancer.


5. I could swim before I could walk.


6. Random things I like: cloud reflections in tinted car windows. Watching the dryer spin.


7. I have had 4 serious, long-term relationships in my life. Teens = a man. 20's were dominated by 2 women. And now that I'm in my 30's, my husband. He is my 2nd marriage. First was to a woman, and she is one of the few exes with whom I am NOT on speaking terms.


8. I have been diagnosed as bipolar, depressed, having General Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and OCD. Most of the symptoms can realistically fall under the Anxiety Disorder, and the manic episodes are explained by the anxiety. Who knows. I do know that I can be hard to handle, and even without hormones, my mood swings are terrible. I hate being on meds, but sometimes I need them, and I don't hide my struggles with that, either.


9. I totalled my car on the mountain a number of years ago, and didn't stall it out. It was still running after I stopped. Rock on manual transmission SKILLZ!


10. I got vertigo severely at the Grand Canyon, but was totally fine in a hot air balloon. What? There is no logic here!


11. I used to cook for a living...at a camp. Where the company theme was "Do Good and Fight The Man"...now I work for a corporation. Sigh. I miss it there.


12. I have 3 lip rings, 1 nose ring, 0 guage earrings, and a few others in the ear region. I even had my nipples pierced. And my belly button. Yup, I'm a freak :)


13. I have lived in 5 states, and been to....36? I want to hit all 50! Born in Miami, Fl, then lived in NJ, then PA for the majority of my youth. Then WI, then CA, and now back in PA.


14. I lived in Namibia for 6 months - I was in the Peace Corps until I had my first nervous breakdown. I loved it there. I will never forget the changes it brought to my life, and I desperately want to go back some day.


15. I have a history of moving so frequently that my family no longer writes down my address. They just call when they need it. I actually avoid applications that require a history of addresses for 10 years because I can't remember them. I am an expert mover, though!


16. I have been to at least 10 National Parks (and if I had the time I could figure it out exactly, but my maps aren't here where I am right now....) I LOVE them, and they are such treasures! Some of my favorite memories are from National Parks, the beauty, the vastness, the purity.


17. My Herero name given to me by my host family during Peace Corps training is....Kakunandunda kai kayora...Kakunaa for short. Now you know where that came from! It loosely translates to, "Where ever you go there will be happiness, or you will be safe." Idioms don't translate well.


18. I can still remember the first line of the speech I had to give when we "graduated" from training. I was doing the best in our language group, so I got nominated to do the whole speech....by memory. I still have it on notecards in my storage unit in WI (7 years and counting....really must get there), but I can do the first sentence by rote.


19. I am half German, half mutt, including French, English, Irish, and Cherokee. The Cherokee really came out in me.


20. Despite being half German, I can still roll my tongue.


21. My toenails defy gravity when they get long, growing vertically. Weird.


22. I graduated in the top 10% of my high school class with a 3.810 GPA, and then totally slacked off in college, ending up .002 of earning Honors.


23. One of my more interesting nicknames is Naked Bubble Girl. NBG for short...for about a year and a half in CA there were people who only knew me as that or Ben Dover. My real name was irrelevant to that crowd.


24. 2nd most interesting nickname: Attila the Hippy. This is what you get for giving the county Sheriff a tongue-lashing about the evils of styrofoam cups and why we did NOT have them available at our camp.


25. Worst nickname ever? BEAVER. Seriously.


26. My youngest sister was born with polydactyly - a total of 12 fingers and 12 toes. Runs in her mom's family. Not really about ME, but related! I had fun showing her off :)


27. I have worn onesie pajamas complete with feet to work. Pajama day ROCKS!


28. I have a unibrow ala Bert. It's bad. I didn't wax/pluck it until I was 27! Not sure when I became such a girl.


29. Speaking of which, my BBS annoy me...and now that the hormones have made them bigger, I am even more annoyed. I like them on others, just not me. Sometimes I think I'm a little bit tran.


30. I was half of the only out lesbian couple on my college campus of 8,000 people. Everyone knew me. EVERYONE.


31. When I joined the Peace Corps, one of the girls in my group knew me -- from college. She was 2 years behind me and had just graduated. I had no idea who she was. Told you everyone knew me.


32. I didn't get to see NKOTB when I was a teenager...I made up for it by taking my sister to see Hanson when she was 13....on a day when it was 100 degrees out and I didn't even have cash to buy water because we spent what I had on scalped tickets. And honestly, the show was really fun.


33. I did, however, go see Nelson TWICE.


34. I used to go to concerts ALL THE TIME until I moved to CA. WI was great for it, and one year I went to 6, not including small coffee shop shows.


35. Somewhere there is photo of me in a brand new outhouse with my head poking up out of the toilet seat. Swear to ... something.


36. Favorite alcoholic beverage: Tequila....I adore margaritas. I like lots of others, but that's kind of a tradition. So maybe not favorite, but it's the first thing I will order if I'm not being smart and drinking beer.


37. Having said that, I shouldn't be allowed to have tequila. You know that song "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off"? Yeah, I don't need much persuasion to begin with.


38. I have never done hard drugs, but I will admit to enjoying some good bud.


39. My first concert was Neil Diamond.


40. I have a ceramic Buddha that was given to me on my 1st birthday. It's my most cherished object, and it's the longest surviving object. I thought the person that gave it to me was Buddhist....then I found out when I was an adult that it was because I was such a fat baby she thought I looked like a Buddha.


41. Buddha seems to follow me. I had that one, and have acquired a number of little figurines, plus our dog, who was named that before he came to us. It seems to be a symbol of my life.


42. I actually remember holding Sister when I was about a year and a half old!


43. My earliest memory is from when my mom was Pg with Sister; I was less than 18 months old. Mom thought there was no way that was possible, but I was able to give her details that convinced her. It's not even a significant moment, but it's a moment that I shouldn't even be able to remember.


44. I have dreams involving me being naked and flying on a regular basis. I LOVE those dreams!


45. My first non-ear piercing was my belly-button done illegally when I was 17 with a piercing gun. Stupid, stupid me. My mom found out and had the woman fired. GUILT!


46. Best day of my life was in Namibia, at Etosha National Park. A whole day spent sitting by the waterhole just watching, mostly in silence, with a group of strangers. The elephants that evening came up to the wall of rock on which we perched and raised their trunks to us, greeting us. It was a dream come true. I have been happy and peaceful and had many wonderful days since then, but none have topped that.


47. Weirdest scar I have is at the base of my spine...yup, in the butt crack. It's from a cyst I had to have lanced (and please please please don't ever come back cyst, because that was HORRID!!!!).


48. I do not handle general anesthesia well, and am very glad that ER is done without tubal anesthesia. Panic attacks in the recovery room suck. I may have to ask for a valium.


49. I admit without shame that America's Next Top Model was a total guilty pleasure for me. It's a good thing I don't have cable anymore. Thank you, ex-wife, for sucking me into your reality tv void.


50. I ADORE hats. I have a LOT of them, many beanie style, but brimmed hats rock my world. I have a large forehead, so hats I think even me out. But not baseball hats. They make me look like a 12 year old boy.


51. The first thing I learned how to make when crocheting was hats! I could go in a circle before I could go in rows.


52. I HAVE to make beds with hospital corners. HAVE to. Ain't OCD grand?


53. I cannot wait to have a house I can paint! I am sooooo sick of white walls. I want fun colors! And stripes! And creativity!


54. I have this feeling that I will end up as the crazy cat lady. I think it's in the stars.


55. I ROCK Cher at Karaoke. And Madonna. I have a deep voice, and they work for me.


56. I cry at cotton commercials. Seriously. One time I cried seeing Frosty melt when I walked through the living room. I wasn't even watching the whole thing. Basically, I'm a sap. Big time.


57. I am really self-conscious. So I wear baggy clothes a lot. Because I feel really weird being complimented or hit on. I mean, it's flattering, but I don't see myself that way. I don't understand where it comes from. I just don't.


58. I come across as confident about myself, but inside....not so much. It's a self-defense mechanism.


59. I was seriously socially awkward growing up. Really awkward. Gum put in my hair awkward. I think that's where the lack of self-confidence comes from.


60. Reading is not just something I like, it's a need. And if I START a book, I have to read it until I finish it. So if I have other things that need to be done, I actually can't read. Because I won't be able to think about anything else.


61. Guinness Floats (Guinness, vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup) are what got me into beer, and in fact, created an immediate beer snob. So yummy.


62. I am incredibly thankful to not be diabetic after going through all of this needle crap. REALLY THANKFUL.


63. When I was 2 I fell out of a window onto my head. It explains a lot. And it proves that I have ALWAYS been accident prone.


64. I have a herniated disc in my neck, c5/6. It sucks, because I will probably never be able to skydive again...or rock climb. Chopping stuff for meals hurts, so hauling myself up a sheer rock face is probably out....


65. It is not out of the ordinary for me to obsessively listen to a series of songs or an entire album for weeks at a time. If it's good it will take over my soul and I will be lost to it for what seems like an eternity to those who have to live with me.


66. I have skinny-dipped in 2 oceans, 1 sea, and numerous lakes and ponds. It is the most fantastic feeling to be floating in the body you were born in....I imagine it's what it felt like in the womb...maybe that's why I love it.


67. Coolest body of water I have ever been in was the Bioluminescent Bay in Vieques. I nearly moved there after my first year in CA to work there...but I met my wife. Still dream of becoming an ex-pat there and living in bliss in a hut on the beach.


68. I enjoy tattoos and piercings. As in I get aroused enjoy it. It's great fun to be my piercer/tattoer. LOL.


69. I host Couch Surfers. Well, we do. We have met some incredibly cool people this way, and because of it, anytime we travel, we will always have people to stay with. I love me some dirty hippy travelers.


70. Thai curry. Nuff said.


71. Shaving is a pet peeve. I hate doing it. But I hate explaining furry legs more. I should live in Europe...furry isn't a turn-off there. Despite that, I love the feeling of being clean-shaven. I didn't say there was logic here, did I?


72. Road trips rock my world. I am more at home travelling than staying in one place. In fact, I have serious wanderlust, and I'm going crazy not having the ability to take a vacation right now...cuz I really need it. Badly.


73. Flip flops are appropriate in all weather. I don't care what you say. That's why they invented toe socks.


74. Speaking of socks....I firmly believe they should NOT match and should be as ridiculous as possible. If I have to wear them, they'd better be off the wall. Sock stores are like music stores and book stores for me. I am not allowed in them.


75. I got a new phone today. Can we afford it? Or the one we got DH? Nope. Do I care? Nope. Fuck it. I love it, and it allows me to blog to my heart's content, minus the links and photos. It's fuck-me red, and can do things that I find insanely excessive. But I never said I wasn't a contradiction.


76. Living without junk, in a car, on the road, able to pick and go whenever is my dream. Reality? I'm a pack rat, so I will always have to have a house to come home to....where all of my books, craft stuff, and photos live. And my pets.


77. I have happily held both scorpions and tarantulas :) I want a colony of pink-toed tarantulas. They are pretty much the only tarantula you can get and have more than 1 in a terrarium. I think that's wicked cool. And those little toes are so cute!


78. My hair is an accessory. It exists to amuse me and to baffle others.


79. Cheese is a food of the gods. Which is one of the reasons I miss WI. The cheese section in a grocery store there is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. And cheese curds? AMAZING!


80. Sleep is a hobby of mine. When I'm not experiencing insomnia. I love to sleep when it's good sleep.


81. I don't care how hot it is, I have to be able to snuggle under covers. I need to be wrapped up, cocooned. DH sometimes has a hard time getting near me because of all the pillows and whatnot.


82. My friendliness often leads to confusion. Because I cuddle with friends. I crave physical contact, and I don't mean to lead anyone on...I just am built that way. I will straight up curl up in someone's lap just to have that physical comfort of being held.


83. I lost count of knee sprains about a year after college. But I've never broken anything. I only strain, sprain, and inflame. Though I did have knee surgery last year. But there was no actual injury. I had the equivalent of appendicitis of the knee. There is a band of tissue called the plica that really serves no purpose, but mine was too tight, and so it had to be trimmed. When that happens it mimics a torn meniscus. So I know what that feels like. My knee is still not totally normal. Probably never will be.


84. The smell of summer rain makes me feel so at peace that I forget everything bad in my life the instant I smell it. Mother Nature creates some pretty awesome things.


85. I would LOVE to go tornado chasing! I've been through tornado warnings, and seen the damage from small ones, but never ever have I seen one in person. Sigh.


86. Which leads me to the fact that I am an adrenaline junky. Hardcore. Natural highs all the way baby! As long as I feel somewhat safe.


87. Motorcycles terrify me. I got up the courage years ago to ride with a friend of mine a couple times. I gave him a list of rules. He thought I did fantastically well, and told me so when we arrived at our destination. Then he turned around and realized I was on the ground shaking and crying in fear. They really terrify me. Which sucks, because a cross-country trip via motorcycle would be so amazing. Ala Zen and the Art of Motorcyle Maintenance. It is not meant to be.


88. Elevators. *Shudder*. The older the worse they are. The elevators at the RE's are old, slow, small, and make noises. I've nearly run over people running out at the end of the journey. Hubby knows how to handle me in them...if I'm alone it's terrible. People have caught me huddled on the floor when the doors open...


89. Elvis Presley. Yup, just creamed my pants.


90. You read my blog, so you know I say ANYTHING. That's not just here. I have no filter between brain and mouth. It translates well here, but not so well IRL. I can't help it! I refuse to be a cow, mooing my way through life as I'm herded into the pens the powers that be deem I need to be in.


91. 2 of my favorite all-time words are "conundrum" and "bugaboo". And yes, that 2nd word is real. A friend in high school and I made it up one day. And then found out it was real. The best part is that the definition kind of fit what we intended. Life is funny sometimes.


92. I don't realize how tiny I am. And then I'll see a picture of me with other people, and I get a shock. I envision myself as this Amazon....and I'm tough and strong for my size, or was until injuries and age started taking their toll. And then I stand next to someone else.


93. While I cannot write poetry, I often wax poetic, finding metaphors in things all around me. I'm sure you've noticed this in my posts about butterflies and music lyrics. And I love the term "wax poetic". It amuses me.


94. I think that lime green and bright purple are 2 of the best colors ever. And that they were meant to be together. In my clothing, in my wedding, in my hair...where ever. How can you not smile when greeted by that sight?


95. I get tickled pink when I learn how to do something new, usually technology related. Because I don't get that stuff. So it always amazes me. Like the portable micro SD card reader adaptor thing my friend has that you can plug right into a computer or laptop. Amazing.


96. Horror films, or any film with gratuitous violence, really upset me. But zombie spoof movies? Bring 'em on. They are awesomeness incarnate. Fido, Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland...etc...HYSTERICAL!


97. Egg salad with pineapple. Sounds disgusting right? I was inspired one day to mix them together, and I have to say....it was delicious. I really like combining different flavors. Like sweet and spicy. Or sweet and savory. In face, after transfer I plan on eating a lot of that combination. I came up with that one when we first started TTC, and people were convinced I was KU. Not so much. I'm just weird.


98. I think women with bald heads are gorgeous. Including myself :)


99. I want to be an astronaut. And a pilot. I really like to fly...


100. I am not like anyone you have ever known, and I never am. Most people think it's cool in the beginning, but sometimes the reality of me is too much for people. But I am what I am, and as the years go by, I apologize less and less for who I am.

If you have made it this far, congratulations! Time for the giveaway! So here's what I'm doing. Well, background first. At Foxy's recommendation I checked out Circle Bloom products. And I downloaded the IUI/IVF meditation series. I got started a bit late in the cycle, but I am LOVING it. Though I have to be careful about doing it at night because I'm tired and they knock me out, but it's fabulous. So, the giveaway....a copy of the series! So I totally want you to participate! And you can have multiple entries, and I will draw randomly in 1 week. Here's how to enter (leave separate comments for each entry):

• 1 entry simply by following me and telling me that you are


• 1 entry for telling me what your favorite post of mine was


• 2 entries if you tell others about my giveaway on your blog (leave 2 comments)


• 1 entry for telling me what your favorite fact on this list is

I can't wait to see my participants! Happy 100 posts to me! Thank you all for reading, for supporting, for being YOU!