Happy Birthday to Me

Because I know you were up all night, counting down the hours until my birthday, I thought I'd reward you by sharing a list of 41 things about me that maybe you don't know yet. If this is your first time here, it's your lucky day! If you're Jenilee, well, then, sorry. Most of this is old news for you.

1. The first movie I saw more than once in the theater was "Grease." I remember begging my brother to drive me down to Peaches Records to buy the double-album soundtrack. Then I would play it over and over and sing along. I also would try to recreate the dance moves to "Summer Nights." I didn't realize it was a "bad" movie until I was much older.
2. I sucked my thumb as a child.
3. I did not need braces - I have pretty straight teeth for being a former thumb-sucker.
4. I was patrol captain in the 6th grade. It was a big deal.
5. I accidentally took the wrong punch at a wedding once but realized it on the very first sip and spit it out. Otherwise, I've never tasted alcohol.
6. I loved Archie comic books when I was younger.
7. I'm one of 10 children - three older half brothers, three older half sisters and three younger sisters.
8. I won tickets to a Kool and the Gang concert the summer after I graduated from high school. I can't remember who I went with but while I was there, I registered to vote for the first time there in the lobby of the Paramount Theatre.
9. I didn't wear makeup until I was 19. Every time I would go to school with it on, someone would say "oh look, Jeanelle's wearing makeup" and I would hate the attention and not wear it again.
10. I didn't use any sort of hair product or style my hair until I was 19.
11. I get really excited when I see wildlife like bald eagles, deer, anything. I'm always on the lookout for heron or hawks when I'm driving.
12. I remember seeing "The Sound of Music" for the first time when I was around 4 or 5. We saw it in a theater that had a balcony.
13. We had a ski boat when I was little and to this day, I absolutely love the smell of boat fuel.
14. I bit my nails until I was in my early 20s. Then I got acrylic nails put on and kept those for several years. Finally got rid of them (I do not miss them) and I no longer bite my nails.
15. My first ever concert was Lionel Richie. Tina Turner was the opening act. I think I was 16 or 17. I would so appreciate Tina more now than I did then. I just remember she was screechy and I was wishing Lionel would hurry up and come out.
16. I used to collect cows. Then I got smart and got rid of all of them. Never collect anything and if you do, don't tell anyone you collect anything because then that's all you get for every birthday and Christmas. Just a little unsolicited advice. I'm a giver that way.
17. I'm allergic to cats and therefore, not a big fan. Plus I don't like the ones that walk all over the countertops. If they do that in your house, please don't tell me.
18. We took a trip to Idaho when I was about 10 and it was there I got to try grape Bubble Yum for the first time and we saw "Star Wars." Big summer.
19. My roommates and I bought No-Doz when we were at Ricks College and I remember laying down and thinking my eyes were still open but they were actually closed. We flushed the rest of them down the toilet because we hated the way we felt.
20. I'm adopted. My parents had recently married and each had children from a previous marriage. They wanted a little girl so they called an attorney and set it up. They brought me home when I was three days old. The nurses called me "Kay" while I was in the hospital.
21. I dislike a lot of foods but two of my least favorite are bananas or green peppers. Their individual flavors overtake the flavor of anything else they happen to be mixed with. And bananas are mushy. Ick.
22. My brother once paid me a dime to eat a cherry. I couldn't do it. It was a texture thing. I'm still not great about eating fruit.
23. The first book I remember reading and crying each and every time I read it was Charlotte's Web.
24. I got my tonsils out when I was three. I remember being in the hospital bed and my mom there reading to me while I recovered.
25. My favorite flowers are lilies - love their fragrance.
26. I have worn Happy perfume by Clinique for probably 8 years or longer. Before that, I wore Obsession by Calvin Klein.
27. The first cassette tape I bought was AC-DC's "Back in Black." I couldn't decide between that one or Air Supply and went with AC-DC. I know, I know. They're so close in style, you can't understand why it was such a difficult decision, right?
28. I've never been to a professional football game.
29. We had an 8 passenger brown and white Dodge van growing up. It had an 8 track tape player in it. The best tape we had was Linda Ronstadt (you're no good, you're no good, you're no good. Baby you're no good! Sing it with me, Sheryl.) After a few years, my dad took the seats out of it and built a bed in the back. That was a fun place to have sleepovers. But seriously! A bed in the back of a van? I think he put in curtains too. But those were the days when my mom would drive and nurse my little sister at the same time. AT THE SAME TIME!
30. I am sort of weird about smells. I can't go to any of those grill places or Dennys without coming home and smelling just like the restaurants (i.e. a vat of grease.) If I had the power to do so, I'd outlaw the serving of fajitas everywhere. I want to run and hide when a sizzling plate of them comes near me because I know I'm going to have to go home and change every stitch of clothing and maybe even wash my hair because I will undoubtedly smell like fajitas the rest of the evening. Gross.
31. The first (and only) opera I ever saw was Madame Butterfly. I loved it.
32. My favorite season is spring. I get really happy whenever I see lilacs or magnolia trees blooming. If I had a home with a yard, I would fill it with flowers and flowering trees.
33. I have given a talk in sacrament meeting every year since at least 2002, but not yet this year. (And maybe earlier but I've only got computer files back to '02.) Five months down...seven to go...here's hoping I make it through the year!
34. I love Eclipse Winterfresh gum. There is no better gum in the world. Everything else is too big or else it loses its flavor too soon. I chew gum a lot but I'm not obnoxious about it.
35. I've never been to Disneyland, Disneyworld or Euro Disney, for that matter.
36. I'm more of a Democrat than a Republican (Sorry Kim)
37. I fell asleep during my first pedicure at a fancy (i.e. not cheap, not in a strip mall) salon. The lady had to actually wake me up.
38. I'm sort of anal about misspelled words, especially people's names. I think it's because my first name is spelled differently than you'd expect. Which leads me to #39...
39. I'm an excellent proofreader.
40. I'm a blue in the color code but I have a lot of red and a little white in me too.
41. I listened to only country music up until about two years ago. Now I listen to more pop/hip-hop/alternative/top 40 type music. I love music and have over 3200 songs in my iTunes (not including Christmas music - of which there is a TON!)

And there you have it - me in a nutshell (ha!) Thanks for making it to the end of this list, for being my friends, for all that you do to make me smile when I don't feel like it and for just being a blessing in my life.

xoxo
Jeanelle