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Today's my birthday. Huzzah! I love, love, love my birthday. Tonight the family, a few friends, and I are celebrating at Sohos, an lovely Italian restaurant located in our city's Farmer's Market. The city rehabbed an old train station to create the inside shops of Farmer's Market, and it's really quite lovely. I am so excited!


Here are 36 things about me:

1. My birthday is my favorite day of the year.

2. B & I knew each other 11 months before we eloped; I knew I would marry him on our first date.

3. B is my best friend - He lets me be the boss.

4. I am a doctoral student, and I am extremely competitive about grades.

5. I am a pretty good singer, and I sing very loudly in my car. My car is my stage.

6. I am a child of the 1980s and love 80s music.

7. I am hoping to change my career.

8. We are adopting from China - duh.

9. I have met wonderful people through the Internet, and I love my Tiara Girls posse: Shanny, Shannon and Susan; they are the best bloggy buds.

10. Television is my crack.

11. I think the best book ever written is To Kill a Mockingbird even though thinking that makes me cliched and pretentious.

12. I have had surgery every three years or so since 1996. In 2003, I had a breast reduction and because of complications, I almost lost my right breast. I have terrible scarring where the sutures busted open because my breast abscessed. Twice.

13. I will not drink milk. I think it tastes like blood.

14. I do not like chocolate. I know this makes me weird.

15. I have an unnatural obsession with celebrity gossip, especially reading about them in magazines and on the Internet. I often talk about them like they are personal friends.

16. Coffee is my favorite drink. Hot with non-dairy creamer. No sugar.

17. I could eat chips and salsa from our local Mexican restaurant at least 5 times a week and never get tired of it.

18. I am crazy in love with my nieces and nephews. They are the best kids in the world.

19. My hands often look like they've been mauled by a dog. I never use lotion because I hate the way it feels, and I bite my cuticles too much. I do not bite my nails, but I keep them cut very short because I type for hours every day.

20. Sometimes I feel like I was never meant to be a parent.

21. I finished the latest Harry Potter and was happy to see the series end. It was time.

22. I think about my or someone in my family's death every day. This does not mean I am suicidal or wish them dead. I just think about what it will be like. It stresses me out.

23. I am a worrier (if you haven't figured it out by now).

24. While on vacation about 15 years ago with a friend, I met and was smitten by a sailor from Australia. He was an incredible amount of fun, and occasionally I wonder how he's doing over on the other side of the world.

25. All of my ex-boyfriends moved out of state after we broke up. Only one moved back. I wonder what that says about me?

26. We are taking our first family vacation in 4 years (that's longer than a weekend) later this month. I think about it every day.

27. I listen to audio books in the car and when I am cleaning house.

28. I am a total procrastinator and put all things off until the last minute. I plan, write, scheme, etc... a million times in my head before anything ever comes to fruition.

29. I am flatulaphobic. Please don't ever fart in my presence. I will leave immediately.

30. I want a bigger diamond. I am not sentimental about my engagement ring, and would like to see it grow as my marriage grows. I am ready to trade up.

31. B and I planned on taking an Alaskan cruise in 2009 for our 10th anniversary and to celebrate my completion of my doctorate. I think we'll be in China.

32. I am addicted to salt, even though it makes my entire body fill up like a sponge.

33. I am not loving my new car. I wish I did, it's much nicer than my old one.

34. I only shave my legs 1x a week. I have little to no body hair, but I have very thick hair on my head. Weird.

35. I can't stand the smell of vanilla it triggers migraines.

36. I have to work on my birthday, so I am off...