30 Things About Yours Truly

How could I not resist playing along with Kerrie in honor of her 30th birthday. She is holding a contest as she posts 30 things about herself. Everyone, doing the same and sending a link back to her is eligible to win HipKnits yarn.

And away we go...
1. I am the oldest child with one younger sister who is 3 years my junior.
2. I grew up in Yonkers, NY and was born in a Catholic hospital during Passover (very challenging for my parents...not a whole heck of a lot of food to choose from).
3. I have two Ivy League degress...BA in Art from Brown University and a DDS from Columbia.
4. However, I do not practice dentistry...in fact pediatric dentistry because of rheumatoid arthritis in my hands. It's okay if I drop knitting needles but not dental instruments.
5. I moved to Florida from New York 15 1/2 years ago (and still secretly root for the New York professional teams, especially the Yankees).
6. I met my husband days after moving down here at a Karaoke bar (thankfully I never sang because otherwise we might not be married).
7. I have two older step-kids, daughter who is 26 and a son who is almost 23, and we have a very active 10 1/2 year old son together.
8. After moving done to Florida, I worked for a medical marketing newspaper, started my own freelance writing and copyediting business, was managing editor for 2 websites (both out of business due to loss in venture capital).
9. Fell into public relations...enjoyed writing press releases and getting media attention for one of the aforementioned websites.
10. Fifteen years ago, I was obsessed with counted cross stitch and entered many contests... and of course, now it is knitting...much more portable (had lapframe with magnifying glass for the cross stitch) and easier on the eyes and I can wear the items I make (or give them away).
11. I was originally taught how to knit by my grandmother who lived to 99 (and my great aunt to 102).
12. Love to cruise! My first cruise was for our honeymoon 14 years ago on the Crown Princess...yes, we actually went on the Love Boat!
13. I am addicted to Reality TV!
14. But I also like the serials like 24, Lost, Sopranos and Big Love.
15. I couldn't live without my DVR player or Netflix.
16. I have been working in public relations for 5 years...and media relations is my specialty. In fact, one of the segments that I worked on will air this Sunday on Animal Planet's new show "After the Attack" at 8pm (EST and Pacific). My ER director was interviewed about a gator attack.
17. For the past 2 years, my friend Stephanie and I challenged each other to read 60 books. She made it last year and I only got in 59.
18. We currently have a dog and cat. Siberian Husky named Latka and a Himalayan cat named Yaffa. Plus we are summer sitting the class gerbil named Squirmy. He cracks me up...we did so last year (though we were told he was very old and to prepare E that he might not make it thru the summer. But he did and looks good so far, knock wood).
19. I used to run every morning. However in training for the Disney Half-Marathon I fell into a pothole running in the street in the wee hours of the morning and broke my foot...the break wasn't discovered until 3 weeks later.
20. I started going to La Leche meetings when I was 4 months pregnant and breastfed my son until he was 2 1/2...he weaned himself cold turkey.
21. I love Sushi (hubby too) and apparently we passed along this preference to our son. Every person on their birthday gets to choose where they would like to have their birthday dinner. Each one of us always chooses a sushi restaurant! Despite the fact that I loved being pregnant and breast feeding, the one problem was that I couldn't eat sushi. I came to develop this love late in life...when I was 26!
22. However, no such age problem with CHOCOLATE. Always loved chocolate even as a toddler. I think that my "allergy" to chocolate was a parental ploy to not eat as much while I was growing up.
23. After the first time I try a new recipe that I like I don't measure the ingredients the next time.
24. Trust me I learned the hard way that I can't do this when I use my bread machine...which I can't do without.
25. I used to wear contact lenses and at night (once the contacts came out) coke bottle glasses until I had Lasik almost 6 years ago. Vision is still 20/20 with no need for reading glasses or any revision surgery. I thought that I had died and went to heaven the morning after the surgery when I was able to read the clock clear across the bedroom.
26. Confession: I only wear thong underwear. Two girlfriends at my former job told me that if you can suffer through the first two weeks of being uncomfortable you have it made and won't go back. Oh how true...and I bet there are more closet thong wearers who also knit out there.
27. I'm a morning person and can't sleep past 7:30 even on the weekend. Also means that I prefer to exercise in the morning. Speaking of which...
28. I haven't done in a long time...well at least a couple of weeks. Fell out of the habit and need to start again as clothes are starting to not fit as well as they used to despite the fact that I eat very healthy (even with the occasional chocolate attack...made healthy by partaking of chocolate covered soy nuts).
29. I used to prefer chardonnay...Kendall Jackson primarily but now love reds. But my friend Stephanie turned me on to Prosecco...sparkling white not quite to the level of champagne but a great light wine to serve during the summer months.
30. Lots of I'd like to learn how in knitting: I taught myself how to knit socks with double-pointed top down so next step would be magic loop and toe up; want to learn how to dye yarn and spin and knit with beads.