25 Things About Me

So, I've been "tagged" by the Facebook phenom that's going around. Here are 25 things you may (or may not) know about me:

1. I can't stand raw tomatoes. Cooked ones are fine, and the only condiment I put on burgers is ketchup. I absolutely detest mustard.

2. I love to bake. I'm not very good at making cookies, but I'm pretty good at muffins. I'm always on the lookout for new fruity muffin recipes that I can serve the boys for breakfast (they're fast, healthy and preservative-free!)

3. Besides my parents and brother I have no family (on my side) that live in North America. They're all in the UK and New Zealand.

4. I have issues with cotton balls. I can't stand the feeling (or the sound) they make when you rub them between your fingers. It's worse than fingernails on a chalkboard.

5. I bought a stick-shift before I knew how to drive one. Scott drove my little red Civic off the lot for me and spent days teaching me how to drive it.

6. I'm addicted to grocerygame.com. It's a challenge to save more money than the week before. I cut my coupons on Sunday, print my list and make my menu for the week. It means I only hit the grocery store once a week and that alone saves us $$

7. I have a fascination with mascots. My favorite is Chubby Checker from the Charlotte Checkers, followed by Homer from the Charlotte Knights. I have NO desire to see the guy underneath. But, it WAS pretty cool the night I met the guy who is Lugnut for Lowes Motor Speedway. We were at a party at his neighbors and he invited some of us back to his house to see all the different shoes he has as part of his costume (some for driving cars, others for talking with the fans, etc).

8. I'm a strict mommy when it comes to the boys watching TV. We turn it off by 8am each morning and it doesn't come back on again until 6pm.

9. I have an ice cream obsession. I eat a bowl almost every night after the boys are in bed (if I have it while they're still awake that would mean I'd have to share, right?) The object of my desires is Mayfield's Extreme Moose Tracks.

10. I LOVE to sleep. But, I go to the gym at 5:30am three days a week. I would have never in a million years guessed that I'd be a morning gym girl but it's really the only time to fit it in. I've been doing it for 6+ years and I'm here to tell you it NEVER gets any easier to get out of a warm bed that early.

11. The one reality show I'd love to be on is the Amazing Race. But Scott and I couldn't be partners...we'd kill each other.

12. I have 3 passports...Canadian, American and the EU. So I guess that means I could work almost anywhere in the world.

13. When I'm really tired (see #10 above) I "cackle" when I yawn. I can't help it, but it drives Scott crazy.

14. When I play cards, I hold them upside down. I have no idea why but I've been doing it for so long now that I know what looks like a six is really a nine.

15. I just signed up for my first triathlon. I'm so excited. It's a women's only one and it's a sprint triathlon which means it's a good one to start with. I'm not worried about the biking or running part, just the swimming. It's not until September, so I've got time.

16. My hair is my biggest insecurity. In high school I was the skinny kid with big pouffy hair. Thank goodness for the flat iron. Now if only I could do something about these bird legs...maybe I'd be able to find boots that stay up!

17. It's not a coincidence that our boys both have 4 letter names. I'm anal and when we found out Will was a boy I was determined he needed a strong, 4-letter name.

18. I love lemons and pepper but can't stand lemon pepper seasoning. There's something really fake tasting about it.

19. I can't sleep with the bathroom door open. I can't really explain why, but I think it has something to do with feeling like someone's watching me.

20. In high school, my friends called me "little earring Nic" because I never wore big dangley earrings. Even now as an adult, I've tried to branch out but it feels funny. I'll occasionally wear some to feel wild and crazy but I feel most comfortable with my diamond studs.

21. My dream vacation would be to go on an African safari. Driving around in a big Land Rover watching animals in their natural habitat. Scott's not crazy about the idea, so my Plan B is to visit Hong Kong.

22. I wear socks to bed about 9 months out of the year. My feet are always cold.

23. I don't like to fly. It's a control thing, I know. Scott bought me "The Flying Book" which explains every single thing that happens from takeoff to landing so now I know what all the sounds are and it helps. It's something I have to deal with because I know there's so many cool places to visit and explore that I'd hate to miss out on the experiences because of my silly phobia.

24. I did grade 13 in high school. No, I didn't have a "victory lap". Way back when if you lived in Ontario and wanted to go to university (rather than community college) you had to do OAC's (Ontario Academic Credits) and that was considered grade 13. Hey, it wasn't all bad. That just meant that by the time I got to university I was already 19 and all my Nova Scotian roomies were still 18. With the drinking age of 19 that meant I was the cool kid who bought all the drinks.

25. Call me Nic, but never Nicky. There was a mean girl in sixth grade named Nicky. She used to pull chairs out from under kids just as they were about to sit down. She spent lots of time in detention. I decided right then and there that I never wanted to be called Nicky.