Today is my birthday - my 43rd birthday - and I'm planning on celebrating with a big day off o' work, volunteering in the library at my son's school, and begging, no make that pleading with my husband to take me out to eat a good ol' fashioned fried chicken dinner with real mashed potatoes and gravy for my birthday dinner. And I'm not talking from a bucket or from a sailor.

Forget that I am trying to count WW points, and completed boot camp last night and that my hubby would rather I just enjoy a glass of wine and a grilled piece of meat with him tonight. But to me, you see, nothing says happy birthday like a ladel filled with good ol' artery clogging, country gravy... spread all over those good ole mashed taters. I mean, come on... once a year can't hurt a birthday girl, I'm just sayin'.

I posted 10 Things About Me when I had only written 10 posts. (They are the first 10 on this list.) The people who read me pretty much know me. But now I think I may expound on those 10 with 33 more for my birthday post... 43 Things About Me... just in case anybody else does actually read this bloggy thing of mine.
(Note: I don't know why they are showing up as bullets - I see 43 numbers on my preview.)

1. I am 42 years old and honestly can't believe it. (Well, now I'm 43 and still can't believe it.)
2. I met my husband at church when I was 29 years old.
3. I thought before I married that I did not want to have children.
4. We were engaged 10 months after we started dating.
5. We have an almost 8 year old little boy who is the highlight of our life. I love him more than anything else in the world.
6. I suffered post-partum depression for about a year after Perry was born.
7. I generally wish that we would have had more than one child.
8. I have worked at an advertising agency for 17+ years for the same boss who hired me 17 years ago.
9. I have lived in this KC metro area my entire life.
10. I start each morning with a cup of coffee from Starbucks, either at the cafe or in my home. I'm a coffee snob.
11. Phil and I married when we were 30.
12. We waited until the NFL schedule came out to plan the date of our wedding.
13. My dad worked with him at the time and wasn't too sure about me dating him. He has since changed his mind - always a good thing.
14. Phil brought into the marriage a cat that I really don't care for... and she feels the same way about me.
15. The cat is now 14 years old and I keep wondering how much longer she really is going to hang around.
16. He also brought to the marriage a "former" family. I love them as much as my own family and must post about them someday.
17. I am 5 days younger than Phil... and always reminding him that he is older than me.
18. I started working only 3 days a week after Perry was born, and I still only work those 3 days. It saves my sanity.
19. I'm a loyalist... see #8. One of my very first jobs was for a nut and candy store when I was in high school. I continued to work there during college and part-time after college while holding down a full-time job.
20. My parents live exactly 2.1 miles from our home.
21. My fondest memories are of spending almost every weekend at my grandparent's home.
22. I'm hoping my son is developing those same fond memories of spending time with his grandparents.
23. I have 2 brothers - one is 21 months younger than me and the other is 13 years younger.
24. We are good kids with great spouses and my parents thank the good Lord every day for that.
25. I love to read and am participating in my friend Katrina's - Spring Reading Thing. My list of books to read this spring are on my sidebar. My goal is just to have them crossed off by the end of the challenge. I was a little too ambitious for the Fall Reading Challenge, so my goal this time around is just to complete the books that I have on my list.
26. I am in a book club and have been very inconsistent in the reading of the book club books. Note my reading inconsistency!
27. It could be because I skipped a grade in elementary school - I truly don't know why I never went to second grade... or why the other 20 some kids in my 3rd grade class never did either.
28. I was not in the National Honor Society in high school, but was in the Who's Who Among American High School Students book. (I truly don't know why about that either.)
29. I have a lot of very good girlfriends, but not one deep orange.
30. I still get together for lunch periodically with my 3 favorite girlfriends from high school and church youth group. We were quite a "foursome" back in the day and still to this day remain the best of friends.
31. I love to scrapbook - not just for the memory-keeping value, but for the socialization of it all.
32. Friday night scrapbooking once a month, or mega-crop Saturdays every quarter with my very good friends makes me very very happy. It is my therapy.
33. I would love to learn how to knit.
34. I love Broadway shows and if we were rich able, I would travel to New York City on a regular basis to experience the magical nights on Broadway.
35. I met 10 moms on-line when Perry was 3 months old. We started an on-line group called the 11Moms and those moms literally saved my life.
36. We have all met each other in person (some of us several times) and will always be connected.
37. I like to treat myself to a hot cup of green tea and a 100-calorie pack each night after Perry is in bed. These are my new personal favorites...
38. I think I may be pre-menopausal as I have been experiencing terrible headaches and night sweats in the past few months.
39. I am a terrible sleeper and have been very consistent in taking this... in which I'm now trying to wean myself off of and stay asleep on my own.
40. I hate to exercise - hate it with a passion - but fit it into my schedule at least 3 - 4 days a week and am always happier when it is completed. (I totally get the seratonin thing.)
41. I love TiVO and am addicted to a few television programs... see my sidebar.
42. I used to be addicted to two soap operas. I don't watch them now, but read about them online. I once skipped out of class in high school so that I could run home to watch Beth and Phillip get married on The Guiding Light. I wasn't caught...
43. I treat myself to a pedicure on a regular basis. Today would be a good day for just that type of treat.

If you made it through these 43 things about me - you should be commended! It was just too much about me. And to think that I have to add more things when I reach 100 Posts!

Off to do birthday things... like find a good fried chicken dinner in these parts...

Thanks for stopping by!

Labels: birthday, spring reading