25 Things About Me (Kim Rowley)

Posted by kim on October 28, 2010

I was cleaning out folders on my PC today when I came across this list of 25 things I wrote about myself two years ago.  Not sure why I wrote it, but I found everything to be true yet today.

1. I ran away from home when I was 14. I became an emancipated minor so I could start college when I was 17.

2. I have a fear of dogs. I seriously have a panic attack if a dog so much as tries to touch and/or lick me.  My daughters inherited my dogaphobia (Cynophobia is the correct term) as well.

3. I love shoes and am the self-appointed President of Shoeaholics Anonymous -   I can do that when I own the website.

4. I admit I’m a terrible driver.  And I don’t drive at night (I have night blindness). Saves on gas money (just have to shell out more beer money).

5. I don’t like/drink beer. My favorite mixed drink is Rootbeer Schnapps with Diet Coke (tastes like Rootbeer soda pop). Unfortunately when I travel, most non-hicktowns don’t carry such, so then I just request “something fruity”. My favorite blended drink is a Strawberry Daiquiri with whipped cream on top.

6. Pizza is my favorite food. Old Chicago is my favorite pizza place. Tombstone stuffed crust is my favorite frozen variety.

7. I hate pork. I do not eat ham, pork chops, bacon, etc.

8. I could fill up all 25 spots with foods I do not like (ie ketchup, yellow cheese), but let’s just sum it by saying I’m a picky eater.

9. I took guitar lessons when I was little and still have my acoustic guitar.  The only song I remember how to play is “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love…”

10. I played the flute in our high school band, but I couldn’t march and play at the same time.  I think that’s why the band director let me be the drum majorette. And I looked cute in a short skirt (I was obviously skinnier then).

11. I have never had a broken bone. The only minor accidents as a child I had were stitches on my scalp and stitches in my chin – both happened while playing with my uncle (who is actually younger than me, as my mom and grandma were pregnant at the same time).

12. I got pregnant (and thus married) when I was 17. Divorced when I was 31. Still single. After hearing a lot of married friends bitch about their husbands, I think I may be better off!

13. My twins were over 13 weeks premature weighing 2 lbs. each with several complications. I thank the Lord they are relatively healthy now and “normal” per se  – you can read their NICU story over at PreemieTwins.com.

14. I am lucky that I have naturally straight teeth, as my parents would not have been able to afford braces for me.  My children were not so lucky – three down in braces, one to go (my youngest just got her braces on).

15. I proved to skeptics that a single mom can build a dream home without the help of a man.  And now that I’ve done it and realized all the things I’d do differently, I want to build another new house (stay tuned as I’m working on it).

16. Why would I ever want to get remarried? To get married in a church, to change my last name, and to use the registry gun at Target to shoot all the trivial stuff I’d like but would never buy for myself.  Group health insurance would be a plus, too.

17. I used to be a die-hard Pepsi fan.  When I decided I was going to switch to diet pop, I lost 11 pounds in 5 days.  I now drink Diet Dew (and I gained those 11 lbs back, ugh).

18. Some days I think plastic surgery would increase my self-esteem and have considered getting a “Mommy Makeover”.  Other days I just want people to notice my brains over my beauty.

19. On my bucket list, I want to visit every state, every continent and every country in Europe.

20. I also want to do missionary work while in Africa.

21. I have a fear of fires.  I rarely light candles and double-check to make sure things are unplugged.

22. I absolutely loathe liars. “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.” ~ Mark Twain

23. I have never taken any foreign languages.  Me gustaría saber cómo hablar español. (gotta love Google translate)

24. I ran sprints in high school.  I was the only senior girl to go out for track. But I never qualified for state.  Top two spots in districts advance on.  I got third in three events.

25. I love marketing, as seen by the shameless self-plugs within my notes above. I truly believe one finds success by doing something one loves and has a passion for. I just wish I was a tad smarter to be able to develop all of the brainstorms that fly through my head.

Am I turning into my mother?

Posted by kim on August 1, 2009

If you’re a long time reader, you’ll know that my favorite color is pink. And when I painted the girls’ bedrooms three year ago, I painted them exactly how I would have loved to have a room when I was a kid.

Well, my youngest daughter is complaining that she wants “a new room”. It isn’t good enough that she got a brand new bed (she still crawls in bed with me all the time, even though she’s eleven now).  She claims she hates pink {gasp}! I ask what color she wants to paint her room.  Her favorite color is orange.  Orange?!  I hate orange!

So I’m wondering why I hate the color orange so much.  Oh. My. Gawd. Could it be because my room growing up – that my mother decorated – was orange!? Am I turning into my mother?!

I’ve already decided that the next house I build, I promise to let the kids pick out their own colors for their rooms. Now, let’s just hope I get that house built before they are all grown and moved out!

Of course, on my goal list, ideally I would like to be married first before building again. Because let’s face it, no one takes a woman as serious as a man when it comes to picking out bricks and shingles.