Let's call this a reintroduction of sorts.
I realized I don't share much about who I am on this blog and through here I am a watered-down version of myself because I am not a strong writer and lose so much of my voice. So I figured I would deviate from my usual cooking post for this one.
Here's some randomness about me:
1) I'm 28 years old but my friends range from early twenties to mid-forties and they are funny ass people and we are all like minded. You attract your kind of people and age is in your mind. I've hit the bottle harder with the mid-forty crowd than I have with my college friends. They've had more life experiences, give the best advice, and understand how important friendships are. No bullshit drama.
2) I have a high pain threshold. I was in a motorcycle accident about four years ago that blew open my right knee, took a small chunk out of my left leg, left foot hit a curb ripping it open and had road rash from my chest down. My Shoei helmet saved my life! After coming to a complete stop from laying the Ducati down I sprang to my feet only to collapse to the floor but somehow carried my bloody self home after calling a tow truck and drove myself to the hospital. They got me bandaged up and I was out of work for two weeks and on crutches for two months. I was almost pain-free without the aid of the Vicodin they prescribed. So it's funny to me when I stubbed my toe the other day I thought I was going to puke.
3) A sense of humor is the most attractive quality in a person to me. I love that laugh so hard my right eye squints, I start to cry, and it feels like I just had the best ab workout. My sense of humor is like that of a 12 year old boy's. I often say, "I don't have a dirty mind but a sense of humor with adult content."
4) I enjoy the occasional "let's relive our glory days" kinda night out. True story, on New Years Eve I was the cause of a bar fight when a man wouldn't take a hint and my buddy picked up on it immediately and knocked him the fuck out. Can't lie, it felt good to see that guy get what he deserved. No man should ever put his hands on a woman in an aggressive manner and demand she have to leave with him. After getting kicked out of the bar we slapped high fives and replayed every second by second of what just happened looking to find our next spot. Being mature adults it was back home to sober up. Good times. Great times. I also spend all of January completely sober.
5) Music makes everything better. I dislike the winter months when it's too cold to have the windows down because I love to listen to it loud in the car. When getting ready in the morning I turn on my
Altec Lansing BoomJacket and dance my way through my hair and makeup routine. Any household chore is made better with music as well. My taste in music is vast and lately my love has been reggae, I'm assuming it's because I'm craving the beach and fine ass surfer boys. Board shorts on boys!!! Best sight ever. Oops, trailed off there for a moment, back to music... I cannot sing and I never played an instrument outside of an attempt to learn piano, guitar, and forced lessons in school to play the recorder. How fucking dumb. I also took choir as an easy A in high school and lip-sung my way through it. I also find it uncomfortable when a man writes a song and sings it to me. This has happened twice and both times I felt like an asshole because I thought it sounded terrible! I'm also not attracted to musicians.
6) I've lived in Utah, Las Vegas, California, Oregon, Washington, and Texas. Born is Utah but moved before my first birthday. I went back to Beaver every Summer until my Grandfather's passing. Being raised in Vegas made me street smart. My group of friends ran the streets of The Strip since our parents all worked in the hotel industry and we were constantly getting kicked comps on shows and food. I would not want to raise my child here but this is where some of my best memories were made. You will not believe me but we moved 16 times during my 12 years there and switched schools almost yearly and sometimes twice in one year. I'm not so sure I can count California, however, I'm going to because one of my mother's exes took us on a road trip and abandoned us in the middle of the night at a campground with an empty tank of gas in her van and no money. We lived out of the vehicle for two weeks before my mom was able to get us out of there. I do remember a very nice elderly man who spoiled us with the most memorable fish tacos I have ever had. Thanks to him I'm ruined for fish tacos and don't even have the name of where that spot was at. For all I know, I was just really hungry and they could be nothing special. From Las Vegas my mom and her husband at that time announced that we were moving from there to Boring, Oregon. The name didn't do it justice. I made some of the best friends I ever experienced in 8th grade-sophomore year and had an amazing cheerleading career. I thought Oregon was absolutely beautiful and our family until was tighter than ever. We always had houseguests and our house was fucking amazing. We were on five acres with a garden, 3 story house, and the cutest neighbor boy who would bring my homework whenever i was out sick on his dirt bike but I fell for the swimmer boy who gave me his pet rabbit (Peepers) when he moved away for college. It was a kick in the face when they announced we were moving again to Woodland/Ariel, Washington. When they showed us our new house it was 15 minutes out of Woodland in Ariel and no shit, we were greeted by a herd of elk in our front yard and a cougar running down the hillside. The fuck?!! I was miserable here because the kids were racist and drama was high. I got caught up with a shitty group of friends including one who went to prison, they partied every weekend, and vandalized shit. I did not take part in the vandalizing part, just the underage drinking. After graduation I moved to Longview, Washington working dead end jobs. When I met my son's father I was working 80+ hours a week. Worked at a gas station from 6-8am, credit union from 9-5, and then Best Western from 6-11pm. I maybe got an hour or two of sleep a night because I still had a social life meeting some of my best friends out for late night dinners. I made great movie and lived in the ghetto. My rent was only $300 a month and my place got broken into once but I had absolutely nothing of interest. I didn't own a television and my only furniture was a floral couch that was given to me and my bed. While on shift at the hotel one night a lady came to the front desk with breakfast for me after she saw that I covered someone else's shift and was there the next morning as well. She got to know me well being an extended stay guest and introduced me to her son who I fell madly in love with. We ended up pregnant three months later and I ended up getting out of that dead end town. He lived in Houston, Texas so that's where we moved after I lived with him and our son in the hotel for another year. I've made Houston home but it's not my favorite place I've ever lived. Just from the two amazing vacations I've been on to Florida I would love to one day call it home even if it's temporary. I've lived in numerous places in each of these places. This is why I have a hard time settling down in one place, I don't accumulate a lot of crap, and I adapt easy loving a change of scenery.
7) My favorite movie is Jurassic Park but my favorite genres are comedies and documentaries. I'm also a chick who loves boy movies. Bring on action and naked ladies.
8) I have a Napoleon Complex. I'm 4' 11" and a half. I spend more time on my tippy toes, can't reach shit, and often get lost in a crowd. So I make up for it by having a loud personality and my assets are very in your face. I have large boobs and a bubble butt. Working on the thin waist part. I hope it comes across as confident but I know some find me obnoxious. I refuse to be a watered-down version of myself. I also have no filter.
9) I despise black licorice.
10) I can juggle. Both of my parents were clowns and my mom actually graduated from some clown school in Florida. She's also a belly dancer.
11) I owned my own company when I was 19-23. Made good money and had to give it up when my sons father and I split. It was a pilot car service for heavy haul trucking. I miss being at home managing employees but I'm okay working for someone else for the time being and really enjoy my career of choice at the moment, Credit Analyst.
12) I love to travel even though I'm afraid to fly.
13) A part of me wishes that I could have gone through traditional college and had the sorority experience and meet a future husband there. However, regret is a useless emotion.
14) When I was 10 my father took me to an audition at a modeling agency and I landed a contract but my mother shot that down immediately when it required that I go to New York for two weeks. I'm still pissed about that missed opportunity. Since I never got taller that dream was shot down for good and any weight gain on my small frame is painfully obvious.
15) Most of those in my life do not understand my fear of commitment. Like I'm running away from something. It all makes perfect sense to me. In the love department, I would have said yes to my son's father but he didn't feel the same and I have since felt a deeper love for someone else but that too isn't a reality for me. So I refuse to settle for anything less than that feeling. In the living department, I can't commit to a house, yet. Hell, it was hard enough for me to commit to a five year car loan. So a person seems like a really really big commitment. That's another life and not one I want to take responsibility for. What I have committed to is my son. He's my world and he has my word that I'll never give up on him.
16) My high school sweetheart was killed in a motorcycle accident. Surprising I would be stupid enough to get on one. Refer back to #2. It's not a question of "if" but "when".
17) In my adult life I have never read fiction and it now takes me a year or two to finish a book maybe finding an hour or so every couple of months to read. I am a painfully slow reader and I get distracted easily. I'll forget the line I just read and have to reread it and sometimes again.
18) I'm not religious.
19) I am unapologetically conservative politically but there a few issues with two sides.
20) Both of my parents were beat with the bad genetics stick with ailments including a brain aneurysm, high cholesterol, hypothyroidism, fibromyalgia, vitiligo... all this shit scares me. Knock on wood, I have remained healthy with perfect vision. This all motivates me to try to be my healthiest self.
21) I secretly wish I could find a job that pays me to travel the world... but after Little Man is out of the house and making a living of his own.
22) I'm good at most things which pisses people off and I was born lucky.
23) Camping means in a tent and it's one of my favorite things to do. Nothing beats the midday nap, camp fires, and food. I love the way my hair smells after a weekend camping trip. My mood is always lifted after camping too.
24) I'm a Gemini and don't know which twin I'm waking up to. Sometimes I cannot explain why I'm in a bad mood but in those moments I do not want to be bothered by anyone until I give the "all clear" signal.
25) I was name after Toni Tennille. My mother met her and loved her smile.
26) I love superheroes and the thought of a prince. Secretly wish I could be the damsel in distress and have a love triangle between Batman and Captain America.
27) When I fall in love I see no one else and I'm incredibly thoughtful. I live to do anything to see that person smile and feel appreciated.
28) I've never done an illegal drug. I was scared straight when I was younger after watching some show that had a drug user with no teeth or life ahead of them. It was such a turn off and I watched the damaging effects from a couple of relatives. I also can see an attractive female and the instant she lights up a cigarette I no longer think the beauty is there.
29) I love a good fight when it's something I'm passionate about. My latest trigger is my work ethic or any improvements to processes in the workplace. I'm highly motivated and don't mind taking a leadership role even if the title hasn't been given. Nothing pisses me off more than seeing others get by doing less. It rubs me wrong when accolades are also given where it is not deserved. Fair is not always equal and the leader should be the one setting the pace. Rant over.
30) Cooking has become a passion and I don't enjoy making the same recipe more than once, unless it's your birthday and it's your special request. Variety is the spice of life and there is too much goodness. I want to try it all.
31) When I was in third grade my father picked me up from school with his wife and a baby in a laundry basket. No joke. They took me with them to what I now know was a courthouse where they gave my half brother up for adoption. His name is Andrew and he grew up in Hurricane, Utah. He now does missionary work and I was asked not to reach out again after informing the family through Facebook about my father's brain aneurysm since it's hereditary. Now that twenty years have passed it doesn't seem right to ever meet. Part of me dislikes being an out of sight out of mind kinda person because I lose emotional ties to people fairly quickly. It's a defense mechanism I've created to not let people get close. Who knows? Maybe one day it'll feel right for both parties. I'm not even sure he knows I exist anyway.
32) I am not a cat person. My grandparents had two cats and this little bastard Siamese, Simon, would jump from the cabinet and attack in the middle of the night when we went to the bathroom. Then in the day it would circle in-between our legs under the table while we ate. Sneaky little fuck who couldn't be trusted. My father and his ex-wife also had a shit ton of cats and their house stunk of kitty litter. One night, Rio (looked like the famous cartoon cat, Garfield), pissed on me while I was sleeping. We also have a stray cat that likes to sleep on the hood of my car after I've rode it hard and the engine is still warm. I can't stand seeing those paw prints on the hood. Grr!! Err, bark!!!
33) But speaking of dogs I have not had good experiences with ownership. I had a dalmatian named Rockwell who broke skin on my ass cheek when I was 6 running through the sprinklers, a rottweiler named Sophia who chewed the tires flat on our car when it was locked in the garage as punishment after it ate up our leather couch, a toy poodle named Tootsie and actually, there is nothing bad to say about her. She never barked and was the cutest little thing. Then had a jack russell named Samson who I loved until Little Man turned two and had to be punished with a timeout in the corner. As I was carrying the crying toddler to the corner the dog broke skin on the back of my knee. It wasn't until he broke skin on Little Man's tummy once (reason unknown) that he couldn't be trusted in the house anymore. Before all this happened we acquired a second jack russell Maximus as a companion for Samson but he was a sick pup and ended up passing away on my lap after a seizure and shitting all over me. My heart can't handle the loss of a dog or having to give them up. Little Man begs for a dog all the time and part of me wants to be able to give that to him but I also enjoy the freedom of packing up and leaving home without worrying about arrangements for them. If I did get one I think I want a bulldog. I mean, c'mon!!! So stinkin' cute!!!
34) I love hiking, like trails, not mountains because I do have a fear of heights.
35) Water chestnuts make me gag.
36) I enjoy window shopping and Farmer's Markets, especially when there are samples and food trucks/vendors.
37) Trashy reality TV shows are a guilty pleasure that I only enjoy for an hour or two a week and don't really watch much TV outside of that.
38) Holidays do not mean much to me because I do not have a strong family unit. Because of that it takes a lot of work for me to make them special for Little Man. I do wish it to be different for him because it should mean a lot to everyone.
39) When I was four years old my dad dated a horse trainer who gave me free riding lessons... until they broke up. I miss it.
40) I do not have good fashion sense unless I copy someone else's outfit head to toe. I am a jeans and t-shirt kinda girl never having really grown out of that part of my tomboy phase. Surprisingly, I receive a lot of compliments on individual pieces of clothing.
41) I have a wicked case of baby fever but for other people's kids and in small concentrations. Kids love me!
42) I've killed every plant I've ever tried to grow.
43) I like to gamble and if there is a chance to win money it makes it even better to throw down.
44) Cannot say no to chips and salsa.
45) I've only owned Mustangs. A 1994 white Foxbody, 2007 Torch Red Mustang V-6 (couldn't afford the GT), and the 2015 GT Premium in Magnetic because I'm a big kid and refused to settle for less. Dream car. Happy girl.
46) I've never been envious of blondes. I think brunettes are the most gorgeous girls.
47) I use to get picked first for sports teams or designated team captain but would always pick the ones I knew would get picked last first.
48) Do not tickle me. I will kick you in your fucking face.
49) Love, love, love football.
50) The sound of Styrofoam squeaking and wet socks makes my skin crawl.
