31 Random Facts About Me

I thought it would be fun to throw together a list of trivial little tidbits about me. It was harder than I thought, in this age of “identity theft”. I ended up deleting several of the items because they contained the answers to “My Secret Questions” on various web sites.

Oops. No point in broadcasting that stuff all over the internet, is there?

Without further ado, here are 31 random things about me:

1. I was born in Iowa.
2. I’m the oldest of four children — two boys and two girls. My sister is the youngest.
3. I skipped kindergarten.
4. I moved once in third grade, once in fourth grade, and again during my sophomore year of high school.
5. I finished high school in Texas.
6. I worked at the Big Texas Steak Ranch when I was 18.
7. I’ve lived in 5 different states during my life, but I’ve lived in my current city for 30 years.
8. I started college when I was 17 and finished 75% of a chemistry/pre-med degree.
9. I started college again when I was 36, and finished 100% of a Computer Science degree.
10. I graduated with my B.S. two months after my 40th birthday.
11. I’ve had the same cell phone number since 1993. (It’s the only number I’ve had.)
12. I list my height as 5’1″. It’s a lie.
13. I weigh the same now as I did in junior high and high school.
14. I skydived from 15,000 feet.
15. I scuba-dived in the Caribbean.
16. I eat steel-cut oats every day for breakfast.
17. I’m married to someone 12 years younger than I am.
18. I’ve traveled to 35 states so far. Maybe 36 (I’m not sure about Michigan.)
19. I plan to make it to at least 49 states before I die.
20. I enjoy running for fun, fitness, and friendship.
21. I like running fast, but I don’t like to race.
22. I ran my first full marathon in 1982. I was 25 years old and pregnant. (I finished in 3:48)
23. I gained 50 pounds during my first pregnancy.
24. In the summer of 2000, I took an 11-day, 4000-mile camping trip through 13 states — alone.
25. I’ve been white-water rafting twice — on the Snake River in Idaho/Wyoming and on the Urubamba River in Peru.
26. I went to Machu Picchu in 2004. While I was there, I climbed to the peak of Huyana Picchu to watch the sunrise.
27. I ate a guinea pig. Once. (It’s considered a delicacy in Peru.)
28. I’ve been to Canada, England, Mexico, Peru, the Bahamas, and several of the Virgin Islands — but not in that order.
29. I had my first taste of Starbucks at 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica. Caramel Macchiato.
30. I don’t like sweet pickles or beets. I choose to abstain from lot of other foods, but those are the only two things I don’t like and refuse to eat.
31. I would live on chocolate if I could get away with it. Darker the better…. except my most favorite candy is See’s Toffee-ettes. I also like peanut M&Ms. I guess any chocolate will do…. 😉