21 Random things about me

I got tagged by Kathy at Just Keep Running to do a random things list, so here it is!  We'll see if I'm interesting enough for 21 entire things....I'll try to go chronologically, just to keep my non-caffeinated self less confused.

1.  I was born in California, but we moved soon after because I had asthma there.  When we visited family in TN, my asthma was gone.  So TN it was.  I appreciate that my mother moved her entire life for me.

2.  I was the least athletic person ever as a child.  I was always picked last for teams and I feared with my life the prospect of getting hit by a ball or knocked down by another human.  I was scrawny and weak.

3.  I'm a band nerd.  I was a band nerd through middle school, high school, and college.  I played oboe and marched with tenor sax.  I even went to college for music and played in an Air Force National Guard band.

4.  Yes, the Air Force.  I was a guard member for 11 years, when I left the band only because we moved internationally.  I'd love to go back, but my oboe playing skills are sadly nonexistent now.

5.  I went to basic training three days after I graduated high school.  I gained 15 pounds there.  Most people dropped weight, but since I was so scrawny I just gained muscle.  I came home looking good and feeling much more outgoing.   The high school boys were sad they missed it.

6.  I was in my college marching band--The Pride of the Southland at University of TN.  I was there when Peyton Manning was still in school, and I went to our one National Championship win.  I have a hard time following college football now, as I think I only ever cared when we were good. 

7.  I never finished college.  I went for music ed, but decided that it was totally wrong for me.  Then my grades went bad and I didn't know what to do.  After hubby graduated, I went with him to Kentucky for his grad work and I got a job.  He was on a great track and working had settled me down, so we just went with it. 

8.  I've been a vegetarian off and on for years, mostly while in college.  I hate the meat industry, it just makes me sick.  I was too poor to buy good meat, so I'd just go without.  Then I'd only eat carbs and cheese and I'd blow up.  Ultimately, I'd love to do small amounts of farm-raised meat (or ideally meat that hubby has hunted) and mostly veggies/fruit.  The paleo diet is great, once our kids are old enough not to fight us terribly with it.

9.  I worked in a gym as a fitness instructor for a few months, and it was the best job I've ever had.  It was a small all-women's gym, and I helped all types of women learn how to do a basic circuit and use cardio machines.  It was so rewarding to see the strength and confidence the women gained from their own hard work.  I want to do it again someday soon.

10.  I went from working girl of eastern Kentucky to stay-at-home wife of Germany in a matter of days.  We moved to Germany so my husband could get his phd, and I wasn't allowed to get a job as a visa stipulation. 

11.  The first few months of Germany were some of the saddest of our lives.  No immediate family, no friends, our German was horrible, and I was growing more pregnant by the day.  Now I appreciate all that we went through, as it made us so much stronger today.

12.  I birthed both kids in Germany.  Unfortunately, they aren't citizens.  One parent has to be German in order for the child to be a citizen, which makes us sad because we'd love for them to have so many educational options growing up.

13.  My first daughter was born via c-section in a pretty crazy series of events.  I blame my ignorance and pitocin on her flipping over and going into a completely ridiculous position.  After hours of trying to move her and then her getting lodged dangerously in the birth canal, I did the last thing I wanted and got cut.  While we were alone in a foreign country.  Then I got educated on natural childbirth and am now a bit of a junkie.

14.  My son was born VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) in a hospital.  I felt like superwoman for a month after the beautiful experience.  I had my husband with me again, and also my best German friend.  And friends in the lobby, and friends watching our daughter.  No family this time either, but I don't think I've ever felt more supported and loved.

15.  I hate spiders.  With a serious passion.  This actually should be much higher on my list as I've always hated them.  But I'm going through soda withdrawal and not thinking so clearly.

16.  We did a bit of travel in Europe, but we were a poor student family, so it wasn't like you see in movies.  It was much better.  We stayed in crappy old hotels, ate street food, and took subways everywhere on our vacations.  We learned more about other cultures in twenty minutes of grocery shopping and bus schedules than most people did in two weeks of tourist traps.

17.  We lived in a very small one-bedroom apartment and had no car or tv until we moved to the States.  We felt rich when we bought a vehicle and a tv.  Now we're about to rent a house and get vehicle number two, and we'll then be fully assimilated back into the American way.  Whenever I start to want too much "stuff", I try to remind myself of how simple and happy our lives were before.  Then I want to sell everything and live in a small cabin.

18.  I'm a minimalist, almost to a fault at times.  I just got snapped at because I cut my son's hair for the first time and didn't save a lock of it.  To me, it seems like more stuff that I'll never do anything with. 

19.  I love to sew, and I'm pretty decent at it.  For a while, I had an Etsy store and sold baby carriers and baby/mama gear.  I had a blast, but then kiddo #2 came along and I lost the time for it.  Now my sewing haven is in the loft and the kids won't let me get up there, so I have to use down time to decide between the treadmill or the Singer.  Hopefully my machine will be more accessible after the move.

20.  I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.  Some days, I want to be a labor and delivery nurse and advocate for natural childbirth.  Some days, I just don't feel I have the emotional strength and would prefer to settle on being a fitness instructor forever.  I have a lot to figure out over the next few years!  All I know is that I love being a mom.  Best job ever.

21.  I still hate spiders.  Like, seriously.  *shiver*

There you go.  Nothing spectacular, just my life in a series of little cheesy facts.  I'm pretty happy with it.  Now time to share!  I don't know a ton of fitness mom bloggers yet, and most have already been tagged.  So I'll tag a couple and hope that you haven't done this yet.  If you have, just gimme a link to it and don't get mad.

Desiree at Lose Weight, Gain Strength
Marcia at The Studly Runner
Jill at Run for the Hills

Now, let's all get back to that New Year motivation and have a Happy Monday!