100 Things: An Update

This may be considered cheating, but for tonight's NaBloPoMo post, I am bringing out my 100 Things post from a couple of years ago.  I am making a few updates and will provide a little commentary, thus qualifying this as a new post and not just a republish.

Without further adieu, Mary-LUE's 100 Things about me list.  (In case you are newish to the blogosphere, these lists were quite popular a couple of years ago.)  Changes from the old list will be marked in bold print.

1. I am terrified of earthquakes, tornadoes, any other natural disaster or any man-made disaster.
2. I am afraid to fly but will do it. (The last couple of trips, Xanax has been my flying companion.)
3. I am left-handed. Go southpaws!
4. I am a child of divorce.
5. I grew up watching soap operas with my grandma: Ryan's Hope, All My Children, As the World Turns, The Guiding Light.
6. I grew up reading Harlequin Romances. Sometimes they were the only thing around to read. My mom, grandma and aunts used to show up for family gatherings with grocery bags full of them to swap.
7. I love sci-fi but would probably be considered a lightweight by real sci-fi fans.
8. I love to read.
9. I am 43 (blech!) years old.  Soon to be 44 (gulp!).  I find that this journey into my mid-40s is not all that exciting.  
10. I was born on Thanksgiving Day 1964.
11. I was born in Oklahoma but raised in California.
12. I have two kids.
13. I have one husband, that is, I'm still on my first!
14. I received a BA in Literary Studies in 1990.  (Lord willing, I'll receive my M.S. in 2009.)
15. I am a complete and utter slob. Really. Fortunately, my friends love me anyway.
16. I am a moderate extravert.
17. I am intuitive.
18. I am more of a feeler than a thinker, but just barely.
19. I am very, very unstructured.
20. If I had to pick a pretend celebrity boyfriend, it would have to be either Daniel Day Lewis or Gabriel Byrne. Hugh Laurie (House era) would do in a pinch.  (I've reached a stage in my life where I don't think I want to "date" one celebrity.  I think I'd like to keep my options open.)
21. I was once dubbed "the Sage" by a man who later refused to listen to any wisdom I had to share with him.
22. I am a very good friend.
23. I am a former idealist.
24. I am a reluctant pragmatist.
25. I loved drawing when I was younger.
26. My career as an actress was killed before it began by a high school drama teacher who described me as mousy.
27. I use more words in a day than the average person.
28. I am a backwards perfectionist. If I'm not sure I can do something, I'd rather not try it at all than try and fail. How sad is that?
29. I have the best friends a person could have.
30. I am too much of a generalist for this list-making to come easily.
31. I felt homely as a child.
32. I felt invisible as a teenager.
33. I got along better with guys than girls until I was a "grup."
34. I know where the word grup comes from. Do you?
35. I knew Rock Hudson was gay years and years before it came out in the news. My source? My mom and grandma. Don't ask me how they knew.
36. I think Martin Short's impersonation of Montgomery Clift in the movie Cross My Heart is one of the funniest moments ever.
37. I love old movies.
38. I tend to think in metaphors.
39. I never lived with my father.
40. I have a half-brother I've never met just met this year.
41. I had one brother who died of ALS.
42. I have one sister.
43. I love dogs.
44. I am making do with two guinea pigs living without... for now.
45. I am married to a guitar guy.
46. As a child, I used to have nightmares about the sun going out.
47. As a child, I was allowed to watch too many episodes of The Outer Limits, The Night Gallery and The Sixth Sense.
48. I am related to two 30's era criminals on my mother's side.
49. I am related to famous Civil War era outlaws on my father's side.
50. I can't believe I'm only up to 50 on this list.
51. I watch too much TV.
52. I am now on the computer too much. Thank you blogosphere.
53. I love giving presents.
54. I think I am a hard person to buy for.
55. When inspiration strikes, I give the best presents.
56. When I am not inspired: gift cards or candles.
57. I have come a long way, baby, but am still too insecure.
58. I yell at my kids too much--but not as much as I used to.
59. My kids yell at me too much--but not as much as they used to.
60. I do not like being the center of attention.
61. I used to cry whenever poignant dad moments were shown on TV or in a movie.
62. My grandpa died in 1990; my brother died in 1995; my grandma died in 1996; my aunt died in 1999; my uncle died in 2004.
63. I think death sucks.
64. I am more like the grasshopper than the ant.
65. I like it to be between 65 and 78 degrees. Any cooler or hotter and I am cranky!
66. I am beginning to go gray.
67. I had way too many sunburns as a child, blisters and all, to not think about the possibility of skin cancer.  (Since writing this two years ago, my dermatologist has made his opinion clear: check ups every three months and cover myself head to toe when I go out.)
68. My son (a rabid teenager) when asked to contribute to this list said that I am a control freak, communist, Nazi, social-life killer who is trying to starve him to death. (I love you, too, honey.)  (I'm too smart to ask him this question again!)
69. I think being a mom is the hardest thing I have ever done or ever will do.
70. I didn't marry a "father type." Thank God.
71. I'm not good with money.
72. My husband would be good with money if he weren't married to me.
73. I used to have excellent grammar skills. Ah, the good old days.
74. I love stories.
75. I know have forgotten what persiflage means.  I'll have to go look it up on one of my favorite websites:  Dictionary.com.
76. I have jokingly considered getting a tatto but probably never will.
77. I love Fred Astaire's version of "The Way You Look Tonight."
78. I can't understand when people read only non-fiction. How is that possible?
79. I have a problem with my pride.
80. Vulnerability is not my strong suit.
81. It took getting married for me to be able to deal with a lot of the emotional baggage in my life. Poor Paul!
82. I like having painted toenails.
83. I hate having painted fingernails.
84. I almost never have all my bases covered, cosmetically speaking. I never make it out the door with lipstick, earrings, etc. I am just not good at doing the "girl" thing.
85. Oh wait. I had a good one but I forgot it. I guess I'm more absent-minded than I used to be.
86. I am currently wondering how people do these lists.
87. I hate conflict and will avoid it whenver possible.
88. I'm not good at finishing things I've started. . . but I will finish this list.
89. I have a deep rebellious streak.
90. I have zero athletic ability.
91. I tell the same stories over and over again.
92. I am a Christian. (Should I have mentioned that sooner?)
93. My favorite worship songs were written by my husband and my friend, Tamila.
94. I cannot stand John Lennon's song Imagine. I think it has the stupidest lyrics EVER.
95. If I go to a sad movie with people, I might shed a few tears. If I go alone, I will really cry. Exception: Winona Ryder version of Little Women. I went with a bunch of women to go see that and when Beth died, I sobbed.
96. I like the idea of gardening but not the real work of it.
97. I don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
98. Chocolate is a necessity, not an option.
99. There can never be enough ice in my soda.
100. I am newly addicted a veteran addict of the sci-fi show Firefly.

As I did the first time I published this list.  I make this offer:  if you have any questions or want me to elaborate on any item on this list, let me know.  (It will give me more posts for NaBloPoMo!)

7 down, 23 to go