on the down low

Revealed

At long last, the truths and lies revealed:

1. I have had a tattoo removed.
FALSE...I've never gotten a tattoo, let alone had one removed!  My low tolerance for pain pretty much guarantees that I will never get one.

2. In college, I earned extra money by posing nude for the Art Department's drawing class (don't judge).
FALSE...You'd have to pay me A LOT of money to pose nude, and I don't think the University Art Department would have had enough money to offer...

3. My ex-husband is actually my cousin (but not blood-related, that would be wrong).
FALSE...I suppose it could happen, but it would be crazy and weird, and it makes my head hurt thinking how it would be possible.

4. I have a profile on match.com.
TRUE!  While it's true that I have a profile on match.com, I have not yet had any success with it.  Where are you, lover?

5. I have an electronic solitaire game that I play whenever I sit on the toilet (what?  I get bored).
Sadly this is TRUE.  I've since been informed that this is gross.  I don't see what's wrong with it, really?

6. I read more than 20 books last year.
FALSE...I read two books last year.  I'm trying to increase that number this year by being one of Britt's Sexy Exies.

7. I am always 15 minutes early to work.  Every. Single. Day.
FALSE...let's just say it's more like the opposite.  I'm working on it though!  Baby steps...

8. I totaled my boyfriend's truck in college (after he had generously let me borrow it to drive in the snow...oops).
FALSE.  My boyfriend totaled his own truck, and then I backed his new truck into a pole...which really sucked.  He didn't let me drive it much after that.

Thanks to all of you who played along with my Six Lies, Two Truths Game.  Even though there was no winner...maybe next time!

Six lies and two truths

Because all the cool kids are doing it.

1. I have had a tattoo removed.
2. In college, I earned extra money by posing nude for the Art Department's drawing class (don't judge).
3. My ex-husband is actually my cousin (but not blood-related, that would be wrong).
4. I have a profile on match.com.
5. I have an electronic solitaire game that I play whenever I sit on the toilet (what?  I get bored).
6. I read more than 20 books last year.
7. I am always 15 minutes early to work.  Every. Single. Day.
8. I totaled my boyfriend's truck in college (after he had generously let me borrow it to drive in the snow...oops).

Do you think you know what's true (there are two) and what's not (there are six)?  Email me at downlowblog [at] gmail [dot] com with your guesses.  If you are right, I will send you a super cool awesome prize!*  Are you excited?

*Real life friends are disqualified from prize winning, but are free to play along anyway.  For those of you with blogs - I want to see you do one of these too.  And those of you without blogs - you know who you are - where is your blog?  It's February already!

Things you were dying to know but never asked

So this weekend, I decided to finally add some measly content to my about page.  And in doing so, decided it was time to create my "100 things" list.    Whoever started this tradition needs to be shot.  OK not really, but come on.  100 things?!  That's a lot, people.  Turns out, finding 100 things to say about yourself is actually really hard.  Which explains why it took me all weekend to compile my list (I did other things too!  Really!).

I also had the lame brain idea to separate this list into two or more posts.  Mostly so that you wouldn't get so bored that you'd never come visit me again.  But I couldn't find a good place to break it up.  So here it is in its entirety.  If you are the least bit interested, read on.  I think it all adds up to 100.  But I make no promises.

• I can't sleep with socks on.
• I'm what you call "petite."
• OK fine.  I'm short.
• My eyes are hazel.
• I am currently single.
• I got married when I was 21.
• I got divorced when I was 27.
• I never thought I'd be a statistic.
• We were high school sweethearts.
• We have a son together.
• He is so awesome.
• I want to get married again some day.
• Once I find the right person, of course.
• And maybe even have another child.
• But this thought is a little scary.
• Nobody ever showed me how to wear makeup.
• Or how to "do" my hair.
• Or how to put together an outfit.
• I am still learning.
• I'm a dog person.
• I lost my two black labs to my ex in my divorce.
• Porter is a boy doggie.
• Allie is a girl doggie.
• I am an only child.
• I don't really like to share.
• I am an engineer.
• But not the kind that drives a train.
• I have a degree in dorky.
• I am a Libra.
• The symbol for Libra is the scale.
• They say Libras tend to be indecisive.
• This is an understatement.
• The opposite sign of Libra is Aries.
• My ex-husband is an Aries.
• Coincidence?
• I think not.
• Not long ago I dropped my cell phone in the bathtub.
• It was dead.  Done.  A goner.
• It miraculously came back to life a few days later.
• Now I am trying to see how long I can keep it alive.
• I try to go to the gym a couple days a week on my lunch break.
• But working out sucks.
• I can't seem to get into the habit.
• I will cry when watching anything from Oprah to the Oscars.
• Or Hallmark commercials.
• The first concert I went to was New Kids on The Block.
• The last concert I went to was John Mayer.
• It was at the Gorge in George, WA.
• Get it?  George Washington!
• Isn't that cute?
• I'm pretty good at talking my way out of a traffic ticket.
• I drink my coffee black.
• I was a cheerleader in high school.
• I am not really a peppy person.
• I don't like ketchup.
• I dip my fries in mustard or ranch instead.
• I don't like olives either.
• I always close the lid of the toilet seat.
• I prefer to have the toilet paper roll off the top.
• If I'm at someone's house where it's facing the opposite direction, it takes everything in me not to flip it around.
• I usually flip it.
• I eat the same thing for breakfast every single day.
• Toasted english muffin with peanut butter.
• I'm good at starting projects.
• I suck at finishing them.
• I want to be able to dance really well.
• I love fresh Mexican food.
• I could eat it every day.
• I learned how to play the violin when I was young.
• Someday I hope to be able to pick up a violin again and play it well.
• I find excessive use of exclamation points annoying!!!!!!
• I hated English Lit class.
• In high school, I got caught writing a book report that looked awfully similar to the "cliff notes" version of the book.
• I have a problem where I will read a book until I'm almost to the very end, and then never finish it.
• It just sits there on my nightstand staring at me.
• I will watch a movie from beginning to end, but as soon as it's over, I won't be able to tell you anything about it.
• I like to watch football.
• My current vehicle is the only one I've owned that I haven't hit anything in or been hit by anyone.
• Please excuse me while I go knock on wood.
• I fear large groups of people where I know no one.
• I'm not so good at "working the room."
• I think I sometimes come off as standoffish.
• The truth is I'm just shy.
• My biggest fear as a mother is not cherishing the moments before they're gone forever.
• My biggest fear as an individual is growing old alone.
• I don't think my current career is my "calling."
• If I didn't have to worry about paying the bills, I would love to dabble in photography.
• I have, at one point in my life, proclaimed my favorite TV shows to be Perfect Strangers, Growing Pains, and Full House.
• I think the word "moist" is funny.
• I tend to let out a snort if I'm laughing really hard.
• I took ice skating lessons as a kid.
• I thought I could be in the Olympics.
• I never wear polish on my fingernails.
• But always on my toes.
• I love the sound of falling rain.
• I love to buy new office supplies.
• I love to watch cooking shows.
• I will usually only make a recipe if it has less than 8 (ish) ingredients.
• And fewer than 5 (ish) steps.
• Rarely will I make an exception.

No one can resist the golden lasso

The year was 1983.  I was six years old.  And this was my Halloween costume:

A search of google images this morning led me to the real Wonder Woman.

Props to my mom who outfitted me with a true to character costume (except that the real WW had those awesome boots, and apparently I was stuck with my patent leather mary janes...which ironically are back in style).  But check out the awesome headband and wrist cuffs, and even the golden lasso!  My mom sure had an eye for detail.  And she even had me pose (reluctantly, it appears) just like Lynda Carter.  I have to wonder, though, if the Wonder Woman costume was really my choice? 

Now, I did a little research and discovered that Wonder Woman only ran for three seasons from 1975-1979.  I was just a wee little two-year old when the series ended.  Which begs the question...did I even know who Wonder Woman was?  Did the show air as re-runs and did I become a big fan?  Did I want to be just like her when I grew up?  I have no idea, but I think it was a pretty awesome costume anyway.  Maybe one of these days when I have a Halloween party to go to, I can re-create it. 

Hope you all have a spooky Halloween!  BOO!