37

Today I turn 37 years old.

I'm old. I know.

Since I am among friends, I thought I would share a few things with you. (After all, I've already told you how old I am, and I've told you how much I weighed!)

So here goes ...

100 Things

1. My real name is Laura.
2. All of my friends call me “Lera” (rhymes with “hurrah,” not “Vera”)
3. More people call me Lera than Laura.
4. “Lera” was an inside joke, circa 1985.
5. It was actually “Lera Fera,” and I shortened it.
6. Both names have dual meanings.
7. “Lera” was code for “Do I have a boogie in my nose?” or “You have a boogie in your nose.”
8. “Fera” was code for “Am I singing off-key?” or “You are singing off-key.”
9. My older sister and I made those up.
10. Until now, they have never been revealed.
11. You are thinking I am really weird right now.
12. I think I agree.
13. I graduated from college in 3 ½ years.
14. I wasn’t smart.
15. I was broke.
16. I was a DJ for the college radio station.
17. I played alternative music.
18. I hate spiders.
19. I check between my sheets for spiders every night.
20. That’s because Joe got out of bed one night to investigate a mysterious sound. When he left, a spider crawled out from between the sheets. I was in bed. In the dark. And I still saw the spider!
21. I have a high metabolism.
22. I eat a lot.
23. I don’t like sports.
24. Last week, someone told me I looked 24.
25. When Joe and I first married, we thought we would have 3 children.
26. We have doubled that number.
27. I am very fertile.
28. I got pregnant within 2 months of getting married.
29. Joe was away (Army training) for 6 weeks of those two months.
30. That pregnancy ended in miscarriage, at 12 ½ weeks.
31. I was afraid I would never get pregnant again.
32. I was wrong.
33. I have 3 relatives that struggle with infertility.
34. I feel guilty about that.
35. I have known Joe since the 7th grade.
36. We never dated until after college.
37. I played the clarinet from 4th-12th grade.
38. I used to speak German.
39. Vomit makes me want to throw up.
40. I hate the word “vomit.”
41. And “up-chuck.”
42. Both words make me queasy.
43. I can’t watch shows that involve throw up.
44. I can’t listen to shows that involve throw up.
45. I have to change the channel.
46. Or turn my head and sing in a “Fera” way.
47. I am the second oldest of 8 children.
48. The older sister is 38.
49. The youngest brother is 20.
50. I have four sisters and three brothers.
51. I love the smell of baby’s breath.
52. Not the flower.
53. The actual smell of my baby’s breath.
54. I nursed all of my babies.
55. They never tasted formula.
56. I have been pregnant and/or nursing since March 1996 (not including my miscarriage).
57. I never had any complications until my past pregnancy with Sawyer.
58. I threw up with every pregnancy, except Sawyer.
59. I do not like sci-fi movies and shows.
60. I fall asleep during movies.
61. Just ask Joe.
62. I could live without Comedy Central.
63. I don’t like watching shows with bad language.
64. I do not use the Lord’s name in vain.
65. I do not drink coffee, tea, or caffeinated sodas.
66. I do not drink alcohol.
67. I eat salad every day.
68. At least one. Sometimes more.
69. I like salad.
70. I drink water more than anything else.
71. Sometimes I add lemon juice.
72. I like to use straws when I drink.
73. I don’t enjoy baking.
74. I hate wafting flour.
75. It makes too much of a mess.
76. I don’t like messes.
77. Or clutter.
78. I’m partially claustrophobic.
79. I don’t like to breathe warm air.
80. Mine or anybody else’s.
81. I was punk rock in high school and college.
82. I wore all black for more than a year straight.
83. Then I wore a little red, orange, and white mixed in with black.
84. I swore I would never, ever wear pink.
85. I wear pink now.
86. I almost never wear black.
87. I do not have a favorite color.
88. I love hot, spicy, and salty foods.
89. I like chocolate, but I can live without it for days/weeks at a time.
90. I like my hair short.
91. Joe likes my hair long.
92. Right now it’s longer than I like.
93. I lighten my hair, even though I have blond hair.
94. I rarely shave my legs.
95. The hair on my legs is blond and fine, and only visible when light sparkles off of it.
96. I must wear mascara, or my eyelashes are invisible.
97. I rarely go without makeup.
98. I haven’t read a book for pleasure in more than a year.
99. I’m now in my “upper thirties.”
100. That’s scary.



So I will spend my day running Mason to preschool. Running errands. Snuggling with babies. Smelling baby breath. Running Taylor to soccer. Running Taylor, Carter, and Jack to karate. And probably laundry.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Bithday to Lera!
Happy Bithday to you!

(Sung in a Fera kind of way.)
And if you're old, I'm older. One of my favorite sayings is, "Age is a thing of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."

Cheers, my dear!
beki said…
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Lera!!! I hope you have a wonderful day today.

Thanks for sharing your list. I can relate to a lot of those, epecially 37,39,59,88 and 89. I feel like I know you a little better ;-)
christy said…
well you have one friend that actually calls you laura. happy birthday! and remember numbers don't matter at this point. it's how you look and feel. you're doing good.
laura capello said…
How is it possible that you use to spin alternative music but I had to introduce you to Hard-Fi?! :-)

Happy birthday Lera! I hope you have a fantabulous birthday!
African Kelli said…
What an excellent post! I love it Lera (which I have mispronounced in my head a thousand times.) Happy birthday to you my friend.
Anonymous said…
I'm the second one that calls you Laura. Is that wrong? lol
I learned a lot about you thanks for sharing.
I hope that your day is going well! Happy Birthday!!
Anonymous said…
Happy Birthday Lera! Great list. All that throw-up talk has me feeling a bit ill though. uh hum.
I'm glad to know the correct pronunciation of your name now....vedy interesting stuff here.
I hope your day is great. ;-)
christy said…
ok i'm stupid. i totally thought you were 5 years older than me but it's 6 and i would have known if i had paid attention to the beginning of this post.
Anonymous said…
Happy birthday! Hurrah for Lera - I am so pro breast milk and I'm so glad for all your kids and you that you could nurse them all so long!
Anonymous said…
i also call you Laura...well when i am not calling you Conaway!!
Hope you had a great day!! i am glad that i am your friend cuz you make me laugh everytime i talk to you!!
HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Cha Cha Cha
Jen said…
I am a day late, but I still want to wish you Happy Birthday!

Hope you had a fun day!
Anonymous said…
Eeek, I, too, am a day late. But wishing you the best on your birthday! Hope you had a great one yesterday.

Oh yes. Wish I'd known about your dislike of spiders *before* I sent you the spider earrings. Hah, oh well, now I know!
Anonymous said…
I completely missed it. I hope you had a great birthday.

OK, now I'm off to add you to my bloglines so I don't miss anything else...

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