25 for 25

Today I turn the big 2-5.  

I'm a quarter of a century, and it feels kind of old.  But since there's not a whole lot I can do about it, I might as well enjoy it. :)

                                                                                                        Source: cilantropist.blogspot.com via Kari on Pinterest

I'm a little bummed because my new computer didn't arrive when it was supposed to on Saturday.  It's okay though.  I still had a great time going out to eat in Honolulu last night, and I got some sweet gifts from my family in the mail.  Even from thousands of miles away, my family knows how to make me feel special on my birthday.  When my new computer decides to show up, I'll share some birthday pictures with you guys.  Until then, here are 25 random facts in honor of my 25 years of life.

1.  I'm left handed... but sort of not.  I write left handed, cut right handed, play golf left handed, bat as a switch hitter, and throw right handed.  I'm a little mixed up, but it works for me.

2.  Old TV shows are my favorites, in particular I Love Lucy.  Since I was really little, I've loved Lucy, but I also adore any of the old classics-- Leave It To Beaver, Andy Griffith, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, The Munsters, Happy Days, Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Addams Family, etc.

3.  I'm kind of weird when it comes to eating M&M's.  I eat them in color order, starting with what I consider the ugliest... so it's brown, then orange, then red, then yellow, then blue, and then I end with green, which is my favorite.  Strange, I know...

4.  My favorite movie ever is The Notebook.  I know it's cliche for girls to say that, but I can't help it.  I love the love story, and the Alzheimer's story hits home because my PawPaw had it for 12 years.

5.  I really like Big Band music when I'm working on artwork.  I turn Pandora on to an Artie Shaw or Benny Goodman station, and I can paint away.

6.  I was lucky to grow up surrounded by tons of animals.  We didn't have them all at the same time, but at different points of my life we had fish, hamsters, mice, guinea pigs, parakeets, chickens, rabbits, cats, dogs, goats, cows, a donkey, and horses.  I learned a lot about the circle of life, and I wouldn't trade any of those life lessons for anything in the world.

7.  When I was little I wanted to be a country music singer, and I constantly gave "concerts" on the fireplace hearth, the deck, or any platform I could find.  It's funny because I used to love being the center of attention, but now I'm super shy.

8.  When I was in the 4th grade, I wanted to be a professional golfer.  I even invented the "all-in one golf hat," which had a place for tees, markers, balls, and just about anything else you might use while playing.  I wonder why that never caught on?

9.  I've only broken one bone.  It was my middle finger, and I broke it in the 8th grade doing back handsprings on a basketball court.  It twisted so that every time I bent my finger, it would bend towards my ring finger and pinky.  I had to have surgery to fix it.

10.  My favorite color is green.  It just makes me happy.

11.  The only food I really don't like but wish I did is black olives.  I keep trying them over and over hoping that my taste buds have changed, but so far I've had no such luck.

12.  My first "car" was a red Power Wheels Jeep when I was about 3 years old.  When I turned 16, I got a red Jeep Cherokee to drive.  It's still the only car I've ever had, and it even made the trip to Hawaii with me.

13.  My middle name is Renee. (I guess it's not legally my middle name anymore, but in my mind it always will be.)

14.  Only once in my life (knock on wood) have I had to have stitches.  When I was really little I fell on a floor vent and sliced my knee open.  I don't remember much, but I remember having to sit still for a little while.

15.  Pretty Woman and Dirty Dancing are tied for my second favorite movies ever.

16.  I'm a nerd at heart, and I'd rather play Scrabble than just about any other game. (This also makes me a BIG fan of Words With Friends on my iPhone!)

17.  If I could choose any magical power, it would be the ability to teleport.  Boy oh boy, would that ever come in handy right about now?  I'd love to be able to literally "pop in" to see my family whenever I like.

18.  I have a major sweet tooth.  Chocolate is probably the absolute best thing ever, and cheesecake is pretty amazing too.

19.  I have a real, honest-to-goodness phobia of needles.  Even now, the thought of getting a shot makes my muscles weak.  I tear up every time I go in for anything involving needles.  I always tell the nurses they can laugh if they want, but I'm going to tear up even though I know there's really nothing to it.  It's just one of those totally irrational fears.

20.  I'm kind of OCD about some things.  I can't stand clutter!  If I see too many things out of place I start getting claustrophobic.  It drives Kent crazy, and he knows when he better get his things picked up because I turn into a great big agitated ball of grumpiness when clutter takes over.

21.  I haven't had fast food-- aside from Chick-fil-A when visiting home-- since moving to Hawaii nearly two and a half years ago.

22.  My lucky number is 17.

23.  I secretly wish I was outgoing enough to sing karaoke.  I'm entirely too shy to ever do it, but I envy people who are brave enough to go through with it.

24.  I love country music from the 80s and 90s.  I grew up listening to it, and it's my favorite.  Don't get me wrong, I like pretty much all kinds of music (except screaming stuff), but country is my roots.

25.  My great great aunt is literally the oldest living person in the world.  Her name is Besse Cooper, and she is 114 years old.  Check her out here.  She's not able to get around like she used to, but her mind is still really sharp.  I think it's pretty amazing.

Hope you guys enjoyed my 25 really random facts. :)  Do we have anything strange in common?