25 random facts about me

1. Mark designed my engagement/wedding ring all by himself on one of his nerdy engineering programs. I love him.

2. My Mom is one of my best friends and hands-down the best mother in the world (actually, I think she is tied with Kay Hansen).

3. I have been to more countries than states (States: California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, and Illinois. Countries: El Salvador, Costa Rica, Canada, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain, Ireland, England, Estonia, and Finland).

4. I love Britney Spears and will see her in concert come April.

5. I am proud to be an Oregonian. I never want to live anywhere else. Especially not Utah.

6. There are few children who I can tolerate. However, I know I will love motherhood.

7. I read Twilight. And loved it.

8. I have spent time in state prison. During my time there, I walked death row, stood in a lunch room with 800 inmates staring at me and had an inmate pleasure himself right in front of me while in his cell. Not a highlight for me.

9. I have a horrible fear of hospitals. I also pass out every time I have to have my blood taken.

10. My friend and I were sent to In-School-Suspension (ISS) in the seventh grade for prancing around the room with a bell pretending that every time the bell rang we sprouted wings. When it came time for my parent-teacher conference, all my teacher could do was laugh. Evidently he told my mother that if I were 20 years older, he would be friends with me.

11. I hate games.

12. The riskiest thing I have ever done was when I jumped off of a 30-foot cliff next to a waterfall in the heart of the rain forest in El Salvador. The closest town was an hour hike and hour drive away. Not safe.

13. I always cheat on Blackboard quizzes.

14. When I was twenty, I became the youngest person in the history of First Investors Corporation (est. 1930) to pass the Series 6 and Series 63 exams to become a registered representative.

15. I almost lost my position writing for the Daily Universe when I protested Dick Cheney's commencement invitation on campus.

16. I don't know how anyone involved with summer sales or pyramid schemes can sleep with themselves at night.

17. I’m obsessed with trashy television. Anything on MTV or VH1 is bound to be a show I will enjoy.

18. I woke up at 4:00 a.m. to attend a rally in Las Vegas and stood fifteen feet from Barack Obama only three days before he was voted as the 44th president of the United States.

19. I still sleep with my baby blanket. I use it as a pillow.

20. I absolutely loathe it when people spell things incorrectly or use numbers instead of words on purpose, (i.e. The krazy kidz R going 2 skool 2day). I think I just puked a little in my mouth.

21. I hiked Mount Timpanogos at 2:00 a.m. with three boys and no flashlights.

22. I loved high school. I never understand it when people look back on high school negatively. I really soaked it up and still look fondly upon my experiences.

23. I have never seen any of the Star Wars movies - and I don't plan on it.

24. I bumped into van Gogh’s “Vase with Twelve Flowers” at the Neue Pinakothek in Munich while a friend was taking a picture of me. The alarm went off and the guards had to inspect the room for foul play. I never admitted to anyone on my study abroad group that it was me – until now.

25. Mark and I are planning a trip to Africa in 2010.

My Birthday Weekend.

I love my husband. For my birthday he surprised me with tickets to the Utah Symphony at the Abravenel Hall in Salt Lake City. We were lucky enough to attend on a night where they were playing Stravinsky and Mozart - both of whom Mark actually knows (surprising, I know!). I've posted a photo below of the beautiful music hall. We sat in the fifteenth row! This event was monumental because it was literally the first time Mark has planned a surprise that I knew nothing about. Usually I catch on to him, but this time he pulled it off.

On Saturday, friends met up for a birthday dinner at Cafe Rio (where else?). It felt so good to have my closest friends in the room with me. I have some great people in my life. Oh, and I had a pink cake with my name on it. Fabulous. Chris took the photos during the evening, so once I get them from him, I will post. For now, I will post a photo of possibly the best meal on earth - the Cafe Rio Pork Salad. (Insert drooling here).

This morning (my actual birthday), I awoke to my wonderful husband, a beautiful card and red tulips! I'm actually a bit excited about the tulips because they are potted. I'm hoping that I can care for them well enough to keep them alive for a long time. They are sitting by the kitchen sink next to Commie (our bamboo plant). And yes, Mark was the one who named the Bamboo.

My new favorite thing.

I finally got my new car! A Subaru! I've posted the car below, but mine is in a dark gray metallic with black interior. We've already been on a few joy rides since last night and I can't believe how fast this thing goes! I'm super excited, although I will be honest; I teared up a bit when I said goodbye to the Audi. It was so sad to see it go, but it was time. Hurray for new adventures in this car! (It needs a name though...)