100 Things About Me

Been simmering this one for awhile...enjoy!!

1. I love summer.
2. When I was 11 months old, I fell off the porch steps, cut my chin open, and had to get 7 stitches.
3. It is my first memory.
4. I majored in Geology in college because it was the only major that gave me credits for going hiking.
5. My first geology class was the first time I realized I was as much of a science/math person as I was an English/languages person.
6. I started taking piano lessons when I was 4 after my mom caught me sitting on the pedals and reaching above me to play the keys.
7. I stopped taking piano lessons when I was 6 because I hated practicing.
8. I still hate practicing.
9. I played the violin instead.
10. I also never practiced that but somehow managed to get away with it.
11. I no longer play either piano or violin…but I can strum a few guitar chords.
12. I love the Indigo Girls, especially Amy Ray.
13. I came out to myself as a lesbian when I was 22.
14. I honestly had no idea until I was about 21. All my friends knew before I did.
15. I have one brother who is younger than I am by 2 years and 9 months.
16. I have 13 first cousins on my mom’s side and 3 on my dad’s.
17. My first dog was named Coco. I got her when I was 5 and she died when I was in college. She slept under my bed every night and loved to run with us while we rode bikes.
18. I grew up outside of Boston on the South Shore.
19. I spent every summer starting after 5th grade at camp in Fairlee, Vermont.
20. In 2005-2006, I lived in Fairlee, Vermont right around the corner from camp.
21. There is a fantastic triathlon called The Fairlee Great Triathlon in Fairlee every summer. Racers parked right across the street from my house.
22. This summer will be my third summer racing in it - last year I crashed my bike and got my first DNF.
23. This year, I am going to finish strong.
24. When I was in 3rd grade, three of my cousins and my aunt lived with us for the year.
25. They brought their pets and combined them with our pets.
26. We had 2 golden retrievers, 1 shitzu, 3 cats, 2 bunnies, 15 guinea pigs, 24 mice (we learned a lot about reproduction that year), a fishtank, a parakeet that said, “birdie” and two teddy bear hamsters that kept getting out.
27. I don’t know how my mom survived.
28. I’m still not sure how I survived but we sure have fun now when we talk about how things were then.
29. I love to garden.
30. My favorite plants are perennials, especially delphinium, helenium and lilacs.
31. I’m a Broadway Show junkie. I especially love Rent and The Music Man.
32. I remember just about any song lyric I’ve ever heard.
33. I wish I could reclaim that brain RAM because knowing song lyrics hasn’t been all that profitable for me.
34. When I was 8 until I was 11, I wanted to play Annie on Broadway. And if I couldn’t be Annie, I’d settle for Pepper, Annie’s mean orphan friend.
35. When I was little, I made everyone call me Wendy for about a year when I was infatuated with Peter Pan.
36. I have a 108 pound Bernese Mountain Dog named Scout. I think I love her more than life itself.
37. At camp I’m a Vagabond in Campcraft, an Ensign in Canoeing, and a First Mate in Sailing.
38. I used to number my calendar backwards when I got home from camp to count down the days until the next summer when I could go back.
39. I’ve only been out of the country twice, both times to Canada.
40. I’ll always choose chocolate over vanilla, cookies over candy and ice cream over sorbet.
41. I love dessert.
42. I love the feeling you get after spending the day at the beach - the faint smell of sunscreen and salty sand - and that tired, happy, sun-drenched feel.
43. I can roll a whitewater kayak…but not in whitewater. Not such a useful skill.
44. I’m a super fabulous grilled cheese chef. The secret is patience.
45. Open water swimming doesn’t scare me unless I think about what might be lurking on the bottom.
46. When I started training for triathlon, I weighed 199 lbs.
47. Weight has been and will always be a struggle for me.
48. I started training in August of 2001 for my first Sprint triathlon in June of 2002.
49. I did nothing but nautilus, swimming, and walking for the first 6 months.
50. My goals were to not finish last, to run the whole run and to pass at least one person on the bike.
51. I achieved all my goals that day but I was almost last.
52. Today I am much more fit but still weigh 185. It’s discouraging.
53. I will race in my first half ironman in August of 2007.
54. I’ve become more of a middle of the packer and that makes me happy.
55. Swimming is my favorite part of triathlon.
56. Biking used to be but isn’t any more.
57. I sucked my thumb until I was 9. Sometimes I still get the urge if I’m really tired…
58. I’m trying to become a morning person.
59. Right now I’m not a morning person or a night owl. I’m in transition.
60. I was in a committed relationship for almost 12 years. Trying out being single for awhile.
61. I’m usually the dish girl. I don’t usually cook except for chocolate chip cookies (and see #44.) but I'm practicing becoming a better cook.
62. My dad named his first and second fishing boats after me.
63. Spence is my middle name. It was my dad’s mom’s maiden name, is my dad’s middle name and is the middle name of my only female cousin on my dad’s side. She gave her son Spence as his middle name too. I love it.
64. No one calls me Spence except people in blogland and an old co-worker named Peg.
65. I grew up across the street from a fully staffed fire station.
66. I can sleep thru anything that sounds remotely like a fire station horn or siren.
67. I can quote The Princess Bride from start to finish.
68. I love playing Hearts but I’m not very good.
69. On the rare occasion that I win at Hearts, I like to boast that I’ve “served up some whoop-ass.”
70. This makes my card playing friends snicker, which is really the whole point.
71. I can be very OCD about certain things but not others.
72. It bugs me if the bed isn’t made correctly but I could care less if the dishes are done or not.
73. I have to be able to poke one foot out of the covers while I sleep or else I overheat.
74. I can sleep on 5 inches of bed while being squeezed out the side like toothpaste by a 108 lb. dog.
75. This skill took several years to perfect.
76. My favorite swim stroke is the butterfly.
77. I can’t swim butterfly very well but I’m working hard to get better.
78. I’ve walked back and forth across the full span of the Golden Gate Bridge.
79. I’m not a city person but if I had to choose a city, I’d pick San Francisco.
80. I love cheesy 70’s and 80’s music.
81. In college, I had a cheesy 80’s music radio show with two of my friends. It was once a week from 2-4 am and was called “Silly Putty in Your Hair.” I think we had 2 listeners.
82. I was a center halfback on the field hockey team in high school and a goalkeeper in college.
83. I also rowed for two years on the crew in college but it was only a club sport.
84. At 5’3”, I was likely the shortest rower to ever row a #7 starboard stroke seat.
85. I taught preschool for 3 very fun, very exhausting years.
86. I ride a Cervelo One entry-level triathlon bike. Her name is Amelia, after Amelia Earhart because she flies and she accomplishes feats previously believed to be impossible.
87. I have pretty severe seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.) as do my dad and my brother.
88. After medication, triathlon training is the most effective way I have found to keep my depression away. It keeps my life healthy, manageable and sane.
89. My Fairlee house didn't have high speed internet or cable TV yet. Apparently Fairlee has yet to enter the 21st century.
90. I need to be near mountains or water. I would not do well living in the mid-west.
91. I used to think I’d NEVER do an ironman. Now I’m not so sure.
92. I don’t tri with a wetsuit. I refuse to buy one until I reach my goal weight.
93. One of the best bumper stickers I’ve ever seen said, “Where are we going and what are we doing in this handbasket?”
94. I love the ocean, especially the Atlantic. It’s very powerful yet very beautiful.
95. Cape Cod is one of my favorite places in the world.
96. I’m obsessed with shoes and jackets. I have enough of each to outfit several small villages.
97. My favorite Christmas present is new, warm cozy socks.
98. I love cats but only ones that will love me back. Otherwise, what’s the point?
99. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned a lot about being grateful for the things I have and realizing that most of the things I don’t have are within my reach if I want to work for them.
100. I love the tri blog alliance because ya’ll keep me going when I feel like stopping, you keep me laughing when times get tough, and you inspire me every day. Thanks for being there!!