50 things about me

My dad's cousin Luann tagged me to do this. The first few are going to be things she listed that I could also list (marked with a *).

*1. If in my teens and twenties I knew what I know now, I would have relaxed and enjoyed life a lot more. (My dad tried to tell me this when I was in college, and I did listen, but I just didn't quite get it, I guess).
*2. One of my secret pleasures is watching Desperate Housewives. I watch it on DVD from the library, because I hate commercials. I usually eschew TV, but sometimes I cave in to societal pressure, y'know?
*3. I am blessed beyond measure with good friends and a loving family.
*4. I am a recovering control freak with frequent relapses.
*5. Every year that I live, my life gets happier. (At least, that seems to be the overall trend; I heard this week on the news that research shows that, contrary to popular belief, older Americans are happier us young-uns).
6. My parents lived in Taiwan from 1987-1989 (my first 2 years in college), and I spent most of 2 summers there and visited 3 other times.
7. Related to #6, I took Chinese in college and speak a smattering of it now. It's a really neat language, but it is hard to learn.
8. I wish that I didn't have such a temper. I think I get it from my dad (no excuse, just reality). I tend to get irritated too easily and blow up at the people I love the most.
9. I really dislike winter. I get cold easily (especially since I've lost weight), and I'm too cheap to heat my house about 65F.
10. Related to #9, I hate driving in the snow. This is somewhat tempered by my new Rav4; the 4WD makes it bearable to a degree.
11. There is nothing better than getting lost in a really great book.
12. I like non-fiction, but #11 is not likely to happen unless it is fiction.
13. I'm not very good at carving out time to just sit and do nothing of significance. I need to learn to schedule some relaxation time into my overly busy life.
14. Though I am athletic now, for most of my life I was a ridiculed couch potato. I am terrible at ball sports, and since that was the only thing that was valued when I was in school, I thought I was destined to remain physically un-fit.
15. I played the clarinet in my high school marching band, and I was in the 1986 Tournament of Roses Parade.
16. I was born in Louisville, Kentucky, but only lived there for 6 months and so have no memory of it.
17. Related to #16, I have always loved horses and watched the Kentucky Derby. If a filly is running, I want her to win every time!
18. Growing up, I had a huge collection of model horses and dreamed of learning to ride. I still don't know how.
19. I skipped second grade. I am not sure it was beneficial; I think I always felt later that I had to prove I deserved to be where I was, and it fed my perfectionistic tendencies.
20. I was tied with four others for valedictorian out of a high school graduating class of 777.
21. In college, I was one of four to be honored with the Muir Scholar Award at graduation.
22. Despite #19-21, I never went to graduate school, mostly because I realized that I was so achievement-oriented that I would drive myself crazy in life if I didn't learn to relax a little.
23. After graduating from college, I got a job working for the now giant biotechnology company called Invitrogen. At the time, it was a small company; I was employee #77, and I knew everyone that worked there.
24. My former boss at Invitrogen is now CEO of their subsidiary Molecular Probes in Eugene, Oregon; I am a senior lab technician at the University of Utah. I'm glad I'm not in his position, and I love my relatively low-pressure job.
25. Now on to some of the little stuff. I wear sheepskin slippers from Costco to keep my feet warm.
26. I refuse to pay much for furniture, so pretty much all of what we own is hand-me-downs or used.
27. I like to shop for clothes at thrift stores.
28. My favorite season is spring. I love flowers!
29. I volunteered for the 2002 Olympics and had a blast.
30. The week after the Olympics I had the worst flu in recent memory.
31. I don't know about or care too much about pop culture, and like it that way.
32. I have a major weakness for all things peanut-butter-and-chocolate.
33. Family stuff: I have one brother who is 2 years younger than me; he is married but doesn't have any children yet.
34. My parents are still married and are coming up on their 43rd anniversary.
35. Loren and I got married on my parents' 28th anniversary.
36. I have 2 grandparents that are still alive, and don't get to see them as often as I'd like because of distance. I get to see my grandma this summer, though! :)
37. I met Loren in chemistry class our freshman year of college, in September 1987. We started dating that December, and dated 5 1/2 years before we got married.
38. We had problems with infertility, and tried for 3 years to get pregnant with Calvin. When he was 11 months old, we went to the infertility specialist to see about trying for #2, and got pregnant on the first try (with medication), so our kids are 20 1/2 months apart.
39. Though we love the ones we have very much, we don't plan to have any more children. Two is enough.
40. I am a Christian and take my faith very seriously; as a scientist, I do not see any conflict between my faith and science. I see my faith as a rational and logical worldview.
41. I am interested in theology, particularly Calvinism, and have completed a Certificate in Christian Studies from Salt Lake Theological Seminary (2001).
42. I play the piano for the prelude, offertory, and communion most Sundays at the church we attend.
43. I wish I had more time to practice the piano and to play chamber music with friends. This season of life, with little children, has too many conflicts with that, unfortunately.
44. Instead I get to go to Kindermusik each week with my little ones. I trade with the Kindermusik studio owner; I teach her daughter piano in exchange for Kindermusik so that I don't have to pay tuition for it.
45. I have two dogs and a rabbit.
46. Five totally random items to finish: There are lots of magnets on our fridge from national parks we've visited.
47. My living room has blue paint and I'm tired of it. I think I might change it sometime this summer.
48. We used to have a hammock in our back yard and I loved it. It fell apart after a few years outside and I would like another one.
49. My favorite color is pink.
50. I love grapefruit without any sugar on it.

OK, now it's your turn!