25 Things You Maybe Didn't Know About Me...

I decided what better way to start off this blog than some random info about my life so here it goes...

1. I'm a huge Keri Russell fan. I think "Felecity" was my all time favorite TV show and now I flock to see anything she's in.

2. I hate coffee, but I'm seriously addicted to Dr. Pepper. I get withdrawal headaches if I wait too late in the day to pop open a can.

3. There's nothing sweeter than afternoon naps with my family. I've been known to take Hayley for a warm drive in the late afternoon knowing she will likely fall asleep and we can snuggle up back at home.

4. I have visited more foreign countries than states. 12 Countries (China, Taiwan, Japan, England, France, Italy, Denmark, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Holland & Canada) vs. 9 States (CA, OR, WA, FL, HI, VA, NY, WY, ID). Before I met Yoshi I think I had only seen 3 West Coast states which makes me laugh with great satisfaction at a teacher who discouraged me from getting married before taking time to travel first.

5. I must organize my closet by the colors of the rainbow, putting green shirts with green shirts, blue with blue, etc.

6. With my dislike for cooking, Yoshi and I negotiated a cooking arrangement where I make dinner on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, he cooks on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays and we eat out religiously on Friday nights (hand's down our family's favorite night of the week). If there's another special occasion to eat out I try my best to schedule it on my night to cook. LOL. :)

7. I'm very particular about the way my laundry is folded and will redo it if someone is nice enough to help and does it another way.

8. I still eat like a kid. The only green food I will happily eat is a Chicken Caesar Salad from Costco. On Yoshi's dinner nights he "sneaks" finely chopped veggies into all the food he cooks (he's even tried to hide it my hamburger Pattie- Let's just say he didn't hide it well enough). :)

9. I have memorized the postal rates by ounce and the prefixes for all 50 states.

10. While in NYC, Sandi and I won tickets to see Live with Regis and Kelly and met Chris Rock outside the Late Show with David Letterman (and saw Bill Clinton and Lance Armstrong walk by).

11. I'm a lousy morning person so I have trained Sydney on how to get herself ready for school in the morning. If Hayley wakes me up too early, I stumble to the kitchen to make her a Eggo Waffle and go back to sleep while she watches the Disney Channel next to me. Man! I'm starting to sound like a terribly lazy Mom, aren't I?!

12. I've only had one glass of alcohol my entire life. It was a pina colada drink on my 21st birthday and I preferred the virgin version. I've never tried smoking either, but I've dreamt about having a terrible craving for a cigarette. How weird is that? Maybe a good sign I never gave it a try or I might be addicted today.

13. I think I love Disney Theme Parks more than my kids which is saying a lot because of course they love them too.

14. I love to watch every last bonus feature on DVD's and am greatly annoyed when a movie doesn't have any. I enjoy listening to the director commentaries and hearing the behind-the-scene scoop. Sometimes I feel like I missed my calling working on movie sets.

15. Given the choice, I would much rather tour a large city and take in the great architecture, artwork and culture than sit sunbathing on a beach or climbing a mountain. Of course I sunburn like crazy so sunbathing is out of the question anyway. The one exception to this statement is I like snorkeling and our family did a mild hike along the Grand Tetons which I halfway enjoyed. ;)

16. I'm a Gymboree "snob" My love for their kids clothes started when Sydney was three and received a dress from there as a gift. I fell in love with their quality and attention to detail and at first I would just buy items here and there on deep discounts. In a short time though I became so hooked that I just sorta stop shopping anywhere else and now it's the only brand I buy.

17. I'm a very strange combination of being both blunt and a people pleaser which sometimes conflict with each other.

18. I've been known to plan fun outings all in the name of scrapbooking and for photographic opportunities, but it's a win win situation, right?!

19. I love when Yoshi kisses me goodbye in the morning all freshly shaven and decked out in his suit and tie (I must remember to thank his boss for the formal dress code).

20. I'm no good at keeping stuff bottled up inside. When I'm upset, I rant, I feel better and it's forgotten.

21. I love collecting my favorite TV shows on DVD. I own the complete series for Felecity (of course), Veronica Mars, I love Lucy, Friends, Gilmore Girls, The Flintstones, The original Scooby Doo's, The Disney collector Cartoon shorts, and Looney Tunes (gotta introduce my girls to all the good old cartoons of my day).

22. Yoshi's laid back nature is the perfect compliment to my intense personality. I like to think in turn I spice up his otherwise mundane life. LOL. :)

23. Somehow I've never managed to hold onto a best friend for longer than three years without them moving away (this has happened 4 times). Now with my friend Sandi's case our friendship started online when we were both on the same design team so we were never in the same town to begin with, but it's starting to feel like some strange curse.

24. My favorite midnight snack is Cookie Dough Pop-tarts and a glass of milk. Yum!

25. The most romantic gesture Yoshi ever did for me was on the first day of my Senior Year of college. I was just having a really lousy day, feeling down in the dumps watching my roommate and her boyfriend being all lovey dovey (no offense Rebekah). Yoshi had just moved to Bend for a new job and it was my first time at school without him and I was really feeling his absence. Anyway, I started to kinda vent about it on the phone with him late that night and without any comforting remarks he said he needed to go and hung up. After a few minutes I started to get kinda ticked and called him back, but there was no answer. Three hours later he knocked on my door. He had driven all the way from Bend to Corvallis just to give me a hug. I knew he was the one for me after that. He was only able to stay for about 3 or 4 hours before having to make the drive back to go to work the next day.

Well, there ya have it. Sorry I'm so long winded. Apparently I don't have it in me to give short answers. Just call me Paula. LOL. :)