25 Random Things About Me

A blogging friend of mine tagged me for this - so in no particular order here it is...

1. Random thoughts - I'm all about them.

2. Instead of writing this about myself, I asked my friends and family to fess up and offer their insight. My brother said I was lazy, hence the reason why I asked others to write it.

3. I was featured in a news story in the Orlando Sentinel when I was 2 years old.

4. After being teased that I had a boys name (Jamie), I changed the spelling of my name to be just like the Bionic Woman - Jaime Sommers. I was 8 years old.

5. I've have driven across the US four times (not including road trips up and down the east coast) and have lived in over 10 states, including Alaska.

6. I can sing the names of all 50 states in alphabetical order.

7. I od'd on orange flavored baby aspirin when I was 2 years old. No child proof caps back then.

8. I talk way too much and I can never limit my writing to just a few lines.

9. I have an amazing memory for the most obscure details of other people lives.

10. I know the local cop who pulls cars over for speeding. He's cute, and yes, I've been pulled over a few too many times.

11. I'm so terrible about adding endings to my words, one of my nicknames is ED.

12. I've cut dairy and wheat from my diet - most of the time.

13. After one year of making a serious effort to lose weight, I can finally fit into my favorite dress that I haven't been able to wear in over 12 years. I'm so proud of my accomplishment!

14. I love the old standards and melt whenever I listen to them, especially to a live orchestra.

15. After 40 years of curly hair, I'm finally appreciating it. Amazing what a great hair cut, excellent hair products and the Instyler can do to make a difference.

16. I'm really quite shy and HATE being the center of attention.

17. I have really great Parking Karma.

18. My secret fantasy is to sing and dance on Broadway, or be a Radio City Rockette.

19. I'm very attached to music. It evokes deep emotion and memories.

20. My other secret fantasy is wishing that my husband could dance like Fred Astaire and would take me out for ballroom dancing to a live orchestra every chance we could we find.

21. I'm a very passionate person who wants to save the world. I have a million ideas for the many non-profits I want to create and wish I could do each and every one of them.

22. I am not a big ice cream fan however I love Ben & Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk, but really, only for the smoosh-ins. Mmmm!

23. I'm a leather snob - I will only buy purses, belts and shoes with real leather.

24. I love to explore off the beaten path

25. I will be 42 in a few months and I'm loving life.

Mommy, What's Cocaine?

This was a question posed to me a few weeks back from Noah. Naturally I was stunned to say the very least, but he has been coming up with some unusual questions and statements recently and as we all know, no matter how much we shelter our kids, their ears and eyes are wide open, absorbing everything around them.

Back to cocaine, I thought perhaps David was listening to Clapton and Noah, who loves music, heard the word through the song, Cocaine. This has made me a little more conscious with what type of music (or shall I say lyrics) that is being played within earshot of the kids. What inspired this post is my car ride this morning - three songs in a row - Stroke Me, Cocaine, and Big Balls all played. This got me thinking about a list of other songs that have lyrics that I may not be ready to give out explanations for - for example, my last post - Bitch, by Meredith Brooks, or even Alanis Morisette's ... You Oughta Know. (Thankfully, my kids DO NOT read my blog or my facebook wall.)

With the comeback of the 80's - I heard recently Push It by Salt'n Pepper and Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Of course, there are plenty of songs on radio from other genres that I will never allow my kids to listen to (and to my dismay, know plenty of parents who do allow their kids) but I am not talking about those specific genres - I am referring to classic rock and pop. Guess that is why I feel safer with the kids listening to Country, though Noah did make a clever observation and commented that Country music always sings about lost love and their dog getting run over. I totally cracked up at that. See, again, proves that kids are not only listening but are very observant.

A few years ago, My Humps was the rage and I was watching in on Youtube. Talia came into the room and saw it and instantly loved it. Then she told me our neighbor's girls (teenagers) also were listening to the song. She was humming it all the time, to the point, I was really worried that she would be singing it at school. Well, for public school, this may not be so unusual or unacceptable, but Talia attends a Jewish orthodox school and I didn't think the Rabbi would quite appreciate hearing her singing out loud, "My Hump, my hump, my lovely ladie lumps".

Below is a parody of that song from Alanis Morissette. Actually, it's the same lyrics but a spoof on the video. It's quite clever - I love it (but don't let your kids watch it!!!)

Pissed Off But With Dignity

Talent and Time Equals this ...

This is really cool and btw, I love the AC/DC t-shirt. Got to find one for David.

Yea - I'm Almost Reaching My Goal

Today I weighed in at 128. When I started this blog, a few years ago, I was longing to be back to my weight of my previous years (pre-marriage) and was shooting for 120 lbs. I've always been thin and for some reason, about 9 months after I got married, my weight jumped from 115 to almost 140 lbs. I wish I could say it was because I had gotten pregnant, but I can't. I really don't know what happen, other than I was no longer stressed out from the wedding planning and I no longer lived in a City, where before, I was always walking. But that doesn't really fully explain it since, I had been living in the suburbs for 4 years already.

After having my daughter, I was successful in getting my weight down to 128. I only gained 23 lbs with my daughter (and the last three pounds came on almost at the end, when she was past her due date.) When I was pregnant with my son, I began at 127, dropped down to 124 during my first trimester, and then gain about 25 lbs that time. But it was what I did afterwards - I gave in to my sweet tooth (thus the name) and though I was able to lose about half the weight, trying to get under 130 seemed impossible. My weight wanted to hover around 135lbs.

I didn't like it - its' hard to suddenly not be thinner than your friends and family, to not be in better shape than your friends, and worse yet, to be as heavy as some of your friends. I know that sounds shallow and my noshing on cookies, brownies, chocolate, etc., definitely didn't help me. Yes, I am almost 5'7 and can carry off the extra weight, but I just hated the way I looked in my clothes and the sudden appearance of cellulite in the oddest places.

The last two - three years I have seen my weight really go up, to my highest this past February of a 160 lbs. For the past several years, I have had so many people ask me when I was "due", I just started to make up a date to hush them up. I am one of those unfortunate souls who gain weight in my stomach and boobs, and really do carry it off as if I am pregnant. So to be back into clothing that I haven't been able to wear since before I was pregnant with my son is just awesome for me, even if I have just gone down a cup size.

I've cut out wheat and dairy and it's really working, and I have began to do some exercising - walking and biking. In fact, I will be entering into my first 5 mile marathon - Thanksgiving Day. I won't be running in it, but walking a good pace.

Ahh, life seems to be good at 41. I don't think it's my reality to be 120 lbs. I would like to lose a few more lbs and stay at around 125 but if return to 130lbs that I have been these past few months, and to be able to stay between a size 6 and 8, I will be very happy!!!

And then I think I will have to rename my blog ....