100 Things About Me

I can't believe it, but this is my 100th post. (UPDATE: It really isn't my 100th post. It's actually my 114th post. It took longer than I thought it would to come up with this list.) So, in honor of this occasion, here are 100 Things About Me.

1. I'm the oldest of three kids.
2. All the kids in my family have first names starting with the letter M.
3. People have misspelled my name for my entire life. My parents tried to spell my name as simply as possible, but because I grew up in Utah, people tried to add letters to my name and to spell it as creatively as possible.
4. For years, I was convinced that the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade was held in my honor. (I still call it "my" parade.)
4. According to family folklore, I could read when I was 2 years old. (There's a charming story about me reading the ZCMI sign as we drove past the University Mall one night. I called it "Zoomie." No one knew why I called it that, but everyone obviously thought it was precious and my uncle, who worked there, named their softball team "The Zoomies." It wasn't until I was an adult and my dad drove past the store that he noticed the C looked like an O with the shadows from the lights. So, apparently, I really could read.)
5. I wrote a handbook of guidelines to follow when running for the Miss Utah Pageant when I was 9 years old. It was self-published. Everyone backstage at the Pageant wanted a copy. (I was "working" as a hostess with my grandma. I was pretty fascinated with the whole pageant process. Still am.)
6. I can type really quickly.
7. Typing is important in my family. Everyone had to take typing classes.
8. Everyone had to take typing classes because the ability to type saved my Grandpa Sundberg's live in World War II. He got shipped to Alaska to type instead of being sent to the front to fight. Thus, my family exists because of the ability to type.
9. I lived in a mortuary until I was 17 years old.
10. One time, our doorbell rang and my friend Kasey was at the door with his date. She mentioned that I lived in a mortuary and he didn't believe her, so they actually came to my house as part of their date.
11. I like to sing.
12. I started singing when I was very small and participated in singing groups starting at the age of three. I remember we sang "Daybreak" by Barry Manilow. This was the beginning of many years of love for Barry's music.
13. I played lots of tennis when I was growing up.
14. I had an opportunity to play tennis on scholarship at Utah State, but decided to go to BYU and sing instead.
15. I was a Music Dance Theater major at BYU.
16. I had some cool performing opportunities there. I got to play the lead in one of the mainstage musicals and was a member of Young Ambassadors.
17. I can sing "I Am a Child of God" in Russian because we went to Russia and the Baltic States on our Young Ambassadors tour.
18. I was Miss Orem 1992.
19. All of the businesses I cut ribbons for when I was Miss Orem went out of business within ten years.
20. I gave up my crown as Miss Orem to become a BYU Young Ambassador.
21. I have questioned this decision several times - though I don't regret the time as a Young Ambassador. Just wish I could have done both things.
22. I think I can dance.
23. I recently discovered that I am sleep deprived. This is because G-Man is currently in the habit of waking up every 2 hours.
24. I have judged local pageants for the Miss America system.
25. I have been to the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City on two separate occasions - one of those times to see a girl I judged at the local level who went on to win Miss Utah.
26. I ended up leaving BYU halfway through school and ironically, ended up at Utah State.
27. Aggie Ice Cream is my favorite ice cream.
28. Both my mom and my dad attended Utah State. My dad played football for them. Even with my genetic heritage and my time at Utah State, I am not a True Aggie.
29. I ended up majoring in music therapy for one semester and then, thankfully, switched to music education.
30. I was in the Chamber Singers at Utah State for two years. This was literally the best thing that happened to me when I lived in Logan.
31. I made some amazing friends when I was in Chamber Singers. I'm still friends with all of them. I love seeing them and feel like we pick up right where we left off when I do get the chance to see them again.
32. While attending school full time, I also held down three jobs.
33. I managed an apartment complex. (Job #1) This included collecting rent and upkeep of the grounds. Including shoveling snow. The apartment complex was at the top of a gigantic hill.
34. I was a secretary for the local cable company's advertising department. (Job #2) They let me work flexible hours and a big part of my job was scheduling the insertion of local ads on the computers.
35. We had free cable because I worked for the cable company. Free pay-per-view, free premium channels. It was cool.
36. I was in charge of the tennis program for the Parks and Rec Department. (Job #3) I taught classes, coached teams, and ran all the tournaments. It was a very fun job.
37. I have taught tennis and coached tennis teams off and on since I was 15 years old. My last coaching gig was at American Fork Jr. High.
38. I played on a team a couple years ago and had a pretty good time. They made me play singles. I think I would like doubles more.
39. After I lived in Logan, I moved to Orem for 6 months to finish my student teaching at Pleasant Grove Jr. High.
40. While I was student teaching, I was a head waiter and bartender at Outback Steakhouse.
41. Apparently, I'm a pretty good bartender. I never tasted my wares, but I follow a recipe pretty well.
42. While I was student teaching, I was so sleep deprived, I used to drink a 64 oz. Diet Mt. Dew every morning. I still fell asleep when I was watching my cooperating teacher teach his music appreciation class. I don't know if it was his teaching or my lack of sleep, but I fell asleep every morning. (Never mind. I do know. It was him.)
43. Once when I was working as a waitress, I got a $50 tip. It was from someone I knew well, so I guess it isn't as much a reflection of my fabulous waitressing skills as that they felt sorry for me. But I felt cool saying I got such a big tip.
44. I lived in Bloomington, Indiana for two years.
45. I was the secretary for the Director of Benefits for Indiana University.
46. One of the reasons I got this job was because I can type quickly. (Thanks, Grandpa!)
47. I started running during the first summer I lived in Bloomington. I was part of a group called the Penguin Brigade. I ran a 5K at the end of the summer. It was very freeing and fun. I plan to start again after losing a bit more weight.
48. I also ran a half-marathon before I left Indiana. It was in downtown Indianpolis and part of the race was on the Indy Speedway track. And the race was on my birthday. It was very cool.
49. I made some wonderful friends through my work and church when I was in Indiana. I'm still friends with all of them.
50. I walked almost everywhere in Bloomington. I explored the town on my lunch break - I had never experienced an hour long lunch before - and fell in love with the town. I still miss it sometimes.
51. My nights were a little boring in Bloomington. So, I started working at a department store in the mall. I worked in the china and linens department. This is the most boring place to work in a department store. Except on Saturdays when everyone is buying their wedding presents on the way to the reception. Then you have people getting mad at you because they don't want to buy what is left on the registry and they don't like anything else you have and its their fault because they procrastinated, but it's much easier to blame it on the person working at the store.
52. I was lucky enough to get a job at Eddie Bauer and quickly quit my department store job.
53. After I lived in Bloomington, I moved to Columbus, Ohio. (Well, actually I lived in Dublin, Ohio. But Dublin is a suburb of Columbus.)
54. One of the first things we did after moving - before even unpacking, I think - was to attend The Memorial golf tournament in Dublin. Tiger Woods was there that year. (It may have been his first year as a pro. I'm not sure - but he was there.) I thought that going to a golf tournament would be boring, but it is actually a lot of fun.
55. I have seen "West Side Story" more than 50 times. I have been obsessed with the show for many years. In the 9th grade, I would read the script every day and dream that someday I would be cast as Maria. My dreams of starring as Maria never came true.
56. I would like to learn to golf, but my first experience learning was so horrific, I've never tried again. Diggity and I need to take some lessons. If only Kenny was closer...
57. I was lucky to transfer to an Eddie Bauer at a mall within walking distance of our apartment. It was a two floor Eddie Bauer with a regular store on the bottom floor, and the home store and the business casual store upstairs. It was a sweet store.
58. I was offered a job on the management track for Eddie Bauer at the end of the summer. I honestly thought about it. Then I realized I would have to work nights, weekends, holidays and during the summer. I decided retail was not the life for me. (I did work there for a couple more summers when I was off school I got a great discount on school clothes when fall rolled around.)
59. I started my teaching career in Columbus, Ohio at Crestview Middle School in the fall of 1998. I taught general music and choir.
60. The band teacher I worked with at Crestview is the best mentor I've ever had and continues to be a mentor and friend today. He and his wife came to the wedding when Diggity and I got married and he came to G-Man's blessing last spring. He's the best teacher I know, and I'm a much better teacher because I got to work with him.
61. The math teacher I got to know at Crestview was also an amazing mentor to me, but she's also been a surrogate mom to me. She let me live with her after I got divorced and has continued to take care of me from afar ever since. She was also at our wedding and G-Man's blessing. She and her husband are some of the most wonderful people I've ever met.
62. I got my Master's Degree at The Ohio State University in 2001. I started it thanks to my band teacher mentor. I finished it because of the help of my math teacher friend. I always refer to my Alma Mater as THE Ohio State University because I think it is funny to have an unnecessary article in front of the name of a university. And it also bothers Diggity. Especially when I call his Alma Mater THE BYU.
63. I was lucky enough to teach at Crestview for three years. I worked with some of the most amazing kids and grew the choir program from a 15 minute every other day rehearsal, to two full classes during the school day. Including a show choir. They did a really great Broadway review my last Spring there.
64. I was able to perform in a professional production of "Pippin" while I lived in Columbus. I hadn't performed for several years. It was a life changing experience for me.
65. My mom died when I was 25. It was really sudden. It probably had a bigger impact on me than any thing else that has happened to me.
66. I got divorced when I was 26. The actual divorce was also very sudden. It also had a huge impact and changed the direction of my life more suddenly than I thought was possible.
67. I learned a lot of valuable lessons in a very short period of time.
68. I'm happy to say that regardless of the adventures I've lived through, I have no regrets.
69. I will always be grateful and amazed by the support that comes from unexpected places when challenges come your way.
70. Though it was not my first choice, or my second choice, or even my third choice - I moved back to Utah in the summer of 2001. Gotta do what the Lord wants you to, right? :)
71. My dad drove my moving van across the country with me. We had fun.
72. My dad also helped me remodel the room he was nice enough to let me stay in when we got back to Utah. I paid utilities and got to spend time with my dad. It was a win-win.
73. My sister and I bought 5th row tickets for the *NSYNC concert in Las Vegas and then went on to Disneyland for a few days before we both started teaching school that fall. Best. Road Trip. Ever.
74. I started teaching at American Fork Jr. High in the fall of 2001 and was able to teach there for 4 years. Such a great job.
75. One of the best things that happened to me at American Fork Jr. High happened as a result of a pretty horrible thing - 9/11. The kids and I were able to put together a benefit concert for the American Red Cross within 10 days of 9/11 and the kids raised over $4,000. The benefit concert is still an annual tradition in the choir department, even though I'm no longer there. The kids have raised money for Primary Childrens' Hospital, Make A Wish Foundation, and local students with health care needs in the community. Great community. Great kids.
76. My dad started dating my stepmom right after I moved home. It's pretty surreal to watch your parent date. They got engaged a couple months after I moved home. It was weird at first, but then my sister and I were excited.
77. I really have an amazing stepmom. I'm glad I got to continue living at their house after they got married. (Hey! I paid the utilities!) I couldn't have had a better example of how to be a happy, productive single person in the Church. I was also grateful to have her example as a stepmom to adult stepkids.
78. I performed in Savior of the World at the LDS Conference Center for two seasons. It was the best performing experience of my life.
79. I was able to perform at the SCERA theater and the Hale Center Theater while I was in Utah as well. I'm pretty lucky.
80. In two years, I went from being the only married person in my family to being the only single person in my family. That was a crappy realization. :)
81. After a year of being single and not dating, I decided to start again. I dated a guy I met in a show for a little while. He liked me, but didn't like that I had been married previously. Since I couldn't do anything about that, we broke up.
82. I tried to date in my singles ward, but kept running up against the same problem. So, thanks to my friend Kitsi, I joined ldssingles.com and ldsmingle.com.
83. I went on a lot of crazy dates. If you want to go to lunch sometime, I'll regale you with tales.
84. I met my husband on the internets. On ldsmingle. His screen name was "Captain Fun." Those of you who know him know that this is an excellent screen name for him. His profile picture and profile were awesome.
85. Our first date was at Village Inn. We had pie. He took the time to make me a CD of music he thought I would like because we spent a lot of time talking on the phone about music. Our first date was at Village Inn because I was in tech rehearsals for a musical and it was literally the only time I could meet him. And I really wanted to meet him.
86. My sister-in-law always gave nicknames to the guys I dated. Diggity's first nickname was "Ticket Boy" because he bought a ticket to my musical so he could come see me perform after our first date. My sister-in-law also gave Diggity his current nickname - Diggity.
87. Here's one of the typical things my husband would do when we were dating (and still does kind things for me all the time). My show was in previews and I was teaching all day, going to teach voice lessons and then going straight to the theater. He went to what he knew was one of my favorite restaurants and bought 3 or 4 things because he wasn't sure what I would like and arranged to meet me at a park right next to my theater with dinner for me so I could have a healthy meal. He set up the picnic table with a tablecloth and everything. I say this is typical, because he is one of the most attentive and thoughtful people I have ever met. He will try to do any little thing that he thinks might make my life easier.
88. After we dated for a few months, Diggity surprised me over Martin Luther King Day by flying me to San Francisco. I thought we were going on a date. Turns out we were going to the Oakland Temple so he could propose on the roof of the temple at sunset. It was a pretty great date.
89. I like donuts. I consider myself a connoisseur.
90. While we were engaged, Diggity and I ate lunch together almost every day because he was subbing as a drama teacher for my friend Ace while she was on maternity leave.
91. Diggity got his current job here in Massachusetts 3 weeks before we got married at the end of May. In that 3 weeks, I flew to Massachusetts to help Diggity find an apartment, went to a huge convention in Los Angeles with Diggity, found someone to take my teaching job, rehearsed for my final concert with my students, packed up my belongings and Diggity's belongings, packed up my classroom, and prepared for the wedding. Oh, and I was teaching voice lessons and still teaching school every day. We moved 3 days after our wedding and went on our honeymoon at the end of that week. It was a crazy time.
92. I have lived in Massachusetts for almost 3 years.
93. Diggity and I have been married for almost 3 years.
94. I taught choir and general music at a middle school in Sudbury and now I teach one day a week at a Montessori school in Framingham. This is my 10th year teaching.
95. I have a very thoughtful, handsome, giving stepson. I have a beautiful, outgoing, talented stepdaughter. And I have a charming, curious and happy 11-month old son.
96. I've always dreamed of being a mom. Even though most days I have this urge to think I should be accomplishing more from a career standpoint, I have always dreamed of doing exactly what I'm doing right now. I'm very blessed.
97. I start projects and have a difficult time finishing them unless I have a deadline. Self-imposed deadlines don't work. I'm trying to do better with this. 98. I love reading blogs. I spend a little too much time each day reading them. I love seeing what people create and think about and it is such a great way to keep in touch with my friends - which is something that is very important to me.
99. I secretly enjoy watching Little Einsteins and Wonder Pets. G-Man is just a convenient excuse. :)
100. I love the way a room looks when you have just finished painting it and putting it back together.

This one has taken a while to write and edit. But I'm surprised at how much fun it was to put together and that I was able to think of enough things to fill the list. Hope you enjoyed it - if you are in fact still reading. If you are, thanks for reading! Any surprises on the list?

I hope you had a very happy Easter Sunday!