MMm...I just finished a big, juicy, utterly delicious Indian River Red grapefruit. Sweet and bitter and wonderfully fragrant--I was in heaven. I've had some big citrus cravings lately and it has manifested itself in a grapefruit mania. I must eat one whole grapefruit sans sugar every night. Actually, I'd eat 2 if I didn't think it would upset my stomach. As it is, these are so huge that one is pretty satisfying.

Delyn's neurological exam went well today and he said that she is good to go, labor-and-delivery-wise. I paid Joey $3 to "babysit" Julia today while Delyn was at her appointment. I want her to have some experience in entertaining a baby/toddler for future reference. She needs to learn it now and over the next 4 years so it will feel natural and not awkward when she starts babysitting. She did a really great job. I had to laugh, though, when she told me that watching a little kid is a lot of work and she was exhausted. Yeah, just you wait, honey.

I was thinking about what Alice said today. I can't tell you how many times I thought of interesting and thought-provoking ideas for a diary entry while driving to or from school only to have the ideas fly right out of my brain when I sat down to write. So instead of these great philosophical or provocative or illuminating entries, you get a litany of LB's day and cooking. If only I could catch those fleeting thoughts and process them later. Maybe Alice is on to something with the mini tape recorder. I have one of those--I'm going to start carrying it around.

Then there's the ever popular 101 Things About Lobotomybabe. I would always whip one of those out when things get dull. Hey--things are dull now so perhaps I should give it a go.

1. I love to chew gum. I am almost never without a pack of Extra Sugar-free Peppermint gum. Everyone at church knows this and hits me up for gum when they have bad breath.

2. I have TMJ problems. Very likely a result of #1.

3. I skipped 2nd grade. I loved starting college at 17 but the junior high/puberty years were hell. And not getting my driver's license until the middle of my junior year of high school really sucked.

4. I was a virgin on my wedding night. (So was my husband.)

5. We're still making up for lost time. ;-)

6. We haven't used birth control since 1988.

7. I had my first "official" boyfriend in 8th grade. He was in 6th grade. He was also older than me.

8. After 2 weeks, I had to break up with him. The peer pressure against "going with" an underclassman was too much.

9. I sleep with a giant body pillow.

10. I can do calligraphy. I taught myself when I was 12 and have been working on it ever since.

11. I listen to embarrassing music when no one is around--Partridge Family, Best of 1974, Neil Diamond, Monster Hits of the 80s, John Denver, etc. Shhh...don't tell.

12. I was a vegetarian for 10 years.

13. I slept in until 1pm twice in January.

14. I have a lead foot.

15. I have 1 unpaid parking ticket and it is really bothering me. It's been 2 years--think I can still pay it without getting in trouble?

16. I love love love to burn candles.

17. My favorite store is Target.

18. I have kicked my eBay addiction.

19. I have a small portion of my mother's ashes in a hinged stone box in my bookcase.

20. I have a first edition of the Secret Garden. It's my most prized literary possession.

21. I love turtlenecks.

22. My very favorite colors are orange and lime green.

23. My favorite aroma is warm Douglas Fir needles.

24. I always type my diary entries in the Add-an-Entry box. I live on the edge, baby.

25. I loved my 3 chemistry classes. I thought I was going to hate them but I really dug them instead.

26. I like to color in coloring books with sharp, new Crayola crayons.

27. I designed my own wedding dress and had it made for me.

28. I always wanted to be an actor and a singer.

29. I love to scrapbook but I never seem to find the time to do it as much as I want. (Perhaps I should work on #13.

30. I was born October 13, 1964.

31. I love to play trivia games.

32. I can shoot a bull's eye in archery.

33. I wanted to learn to play the violin but the school didn't have an orchestra so I played clarinet instead.

34. I want to buy a lime green or orange New Beetle.

35. I have run out of gas 13 times in my life.

36. I plan to never run out of gas again.

37. I love to cook. (Like that's news.)

38. I love to travel. I'd rather travel than almost anything.

39. I like to wear ball caps. I wear them several times a week, especially in summer.

40. My skins burns so easily that only 20 minutes in the sun without sunscreen will turn me pink.

41. I love surprise parties.

42. I get carsick very easily.

43. My favorite therapy for depression is shopping. Antidepressants would be less expensive and more effective but then I wouldn't have all these great clothes.

44. I like fried Spam sandwiches.

45. I have never taken drugs. (I mean the non-medicinal kind.)

46. When I was a kid, I always wanted braces. Then I got them.

47. Having braces was not fun.

48. I like to write fiction in longhand.

49. This is harder than it looks.

50. I like to watch the Powerpuff Girls.

51. If I were a Powerpuff Girl, I would be Blossom. Or maybe sometimes Buttercup. Never Bubbles.

52. I was not a studious undergraduate.

53. Since going back to college, I have earned 18 As and 1 B for a 3.94 GPA. There's at least one good thing to growing older.

54. I have a terrible fear of dying at 56 like my mother did.

55. I love chocolate. A lot. But not milk chocolate.

56. I can burp really loudly.

57. I have extremely flat feet.

58. I like to sleep alone.

59. Aw hell--I just like to sleep.

60. In high school and college, I used to get up at 6am (in winter, no less!) to play racquetball or go jogging.

61. Anyone who knows me now categorically does not believe #60.

62. The first time I played craps, I started with $30 and ended with $317. I haven't won since.

63. When I was in kindergarten, I used to pretend my name was Elaine Flowerpot and that I was married to Roger Flowerpot.

64. Popcorn is one of my very most favorite foods.

65. When I was in 7th grade, my very persuasive neighbor talked me into vandalizing an outbuilding at the middle school near our houses with her by spray painting on it. I went along and have felt terrible about it for 25 years.

66. I am addicted to caffeine. My caffeine delivery system of choice is Dr Pepper, though I'm trying to switch to Diet Dr Pepper.

67. I love soft, squishy white bread tuna sandwiches with sweet pickles. Mmmm.

68. I like to take pictures.

69. Ok, I love to take pictures.

70. Alright, enough already. I admit it. I'm obsessed with taking pictures. Happy now?

71. I don't believe in global warming.

72. I didn't vote in the last election.

73. I have terrible allergies to pollen.

74. When I was 4 years old, I was afraid that the Quentin from Dark Shadows lived between my headboard and the wall and would get me when I fell asleep.

75. I used to sleep with my sister a lot.

76. I'm finding it difficult to come up with 101 things.

77. I used to keep a list of all the boys I dated before I got married in the back of my journal.

78. I like hamburgers. I really like hamburgers.

79. I've never been to New York City.

80. When I was in fifth grade, I tested at HS graduate level for reading but third grade for math.

81. Did I mention that I got an A in my 3 algebra classes last year? ;-)

82. I cannot solve a Rubik's cube.

83. In 8th grade, I was set upon by a pack of boys from my middle school who tried to rip off my clothes. One nice boy who was nearby grabbed a tree branch and beat the other guys off me. Mike will always be my hero.

84. One of my favorite Christmas gifts was the upright freezer I got 2 years ago.

85. I really want to cut my hair short short short, like in a pixie cut, but I'm afraid I'll look awful that way.

86. I like power tools.

87. For woodworking, you naughty people.

88. I'm not afraid of spiders or snakes.

89. When I grow up, I want to be a famous author and photographer.

90. I hate flying. But I do it anyway.

91. I wish I knew how to sew. But I'm not really interested in learning at this point in my life. I just wish I already had the knowledge.

92. I want to learn how to paint with watercolors but I'm afraid I'll just acquire another expensive hobby and frankly, I can't afford another one after photography and scrapbooking and shopping.

93. I want to take piano lessons again.

94. I love Starbuck's hot chocolate with caramel on top.

95. I'm much more likely to cry when I'm really mad than when I'm really sad.

96. I need to lose weight. Lots of it.

97. I can't keep a secret. Unless you call telling Ed, Stacey, Jaimie, my sister and Dianna keeping a secret.

98. Ok, if it really really really mattered, I could probably keep a secret.

99. I didn't start wearing lipstick until I was 30 years old.

100. I only put makeup on about once a week.

101. I love performing.

And now I'm at the end of my 101 things. Thank goodness! That's probably about 100 more things than you wanted to know about me.

--L