100 Things About Me

Well, Im still working on this list. But here's something to get you going! (updated May 27, 2004)


1. I’m a Libra (for those of you into astrology, Aries Rising)
2. I was born in N. Miami Beach, Florida, grew up in Plantation and Lauderhill. Till just before I was 6. Then Mom and I moved up to Jacksonville.
3. My parents divorced when I was 6. My Dad was so in love with my now-stepmother that my Mom decided to let her have him rather than see him loving someone else day after day.
4. I love my stepmother Naoemi to PIECES! She is the BESTEST STEPMOTHER anyone could ever want. Honest. She is an amazing lady.
5. How lucky could I be? A wonderful, gorgeous and loving Mama and an amazing Stepmother. Both with a killer sense of humor. Both with bad tempers. Heh.
6. I live in Bahrain now. My stepmother lived in Bahrain in the early 70’s for 5 years while my Dad was pining for her! (weird, no?) Bahrain keeps the women he loves away from him it seems.
7. My first cat’s name was Tiger. Sher liked to paw paint with my watercolors. Tiger was also smart enough to hide from Dad after having done so.
8. My second cat’s name was Thomas. But Thomas was a slut, and got pregnant, so we had to change HER name to Thomasina, the hussy!
9. I had an imaginary friend when I was little. It was a tall man with a moustache. Don’t ask me why. He just was.
10. I had my tonsils removed when I was 4. Maybe not a big deal, but I came to during the procedure and saw all these things sticking out of my mouth (clamps, etc..) Not very nice. They lied about the damn ice cream too. Bastards.
11. My first best friend in my life lived next door to me and her name was Christina. She had a Chinchilla Persian cat named Bootsy. I swore that when I was older, I would have a fluffy cat like Bootsy. Now I have 5 of them.
12. From the time I was an infant, I have had this intense love for: Dolphins, Ducks, and Panda Bears. Needless to say, Miami Seaquarium was a frequent stop on the weekends. The duck pond.. Anywhere at ANY time… and I was happy. BTW, I still go insane when I see them. Dolphins, Ducks and Pandas. The quacking of a duck still makes me smile.
13. My Nana (Dad’s Mom) was my LIFE until the day she died 9 years ago. Part of me died with her. I miss her terribly.
14. I lived in Munich Germany for over a year from age 6 to 7. Mom was engaged to a Frenchman that I hated with a passion and called him Bozo cause of his hair. It wasn’t orange, but it WAS wavy like that! Bwahahahaha.
15. Mom gave Dad a second chance when we came back from Germany. I told her it wasn’t working, cause I saw how sad she was. So we moved to Los Angeles.
16. I lived on an Indian Reservation in Oklahoma from the time I was 8 to 10. I HATED IT. In my young wisdom (and no offense to any Okies out there), I once told the nun at my church when she was explaining the creation of all things.”Sister Donna? I think God created Oklahoma either on the first day or on the last!” She asked “why child?” and I said “Well, the way I figure it, the first day HE wasn’t sure what he was doing yet, or the last day cause HE was tired!” Wasn’t I precocious?”
17. I was SO miserable there, I developed a mild ulcer. Get the picture?
18. I continue to stop whatever I am doing to watch a sunset, My Dad once told me to enjoy each sunset, that God took time out of his busy day to paint the sky for us here on Earth, and that each one is different. So to stop and enjoy each one, and I have never forgotten it, and to this day it brings me inner peace just to take that minute and watch the colors in the sky and to thank God for taking the time out of his busy day.
19. Im not necessarily a sports person, but, I CAN play basketball and deadly with a bow and arrow. Both of these qualities courtesy of Oklahoma. Basketball was mandatory, and we played “for real”. Coach George was a hard ass. The only way we weren’t on that court was if something was broken in our body or we were in hospital, or DEAD. And you know what? I still “Got it” too! The archery was an attempt to get close to my stepfather who was a Native American Indian from the Caddo tribe. He hated kids in general, but liked that I was into the archery, which he was.
20. I’ve narrowly missed being sucked up by a tornado twice in my life. Once in Florida when I was a toddler, and again in Oklahoma. IN both instances, the tornado was on ground right up until it reached the house I was in, lifted, went right over our roof, and touched down at the other end of the house and proceeded to destroy EVERYTHING in its path.
21. My first kiss from a boy was when I was 3rd grade and he was in 2nd. His name was Bruce and his Daddy was the big man in town and boy was he cute!. On the bus. IN FRONT OF EVERYONE. (I was mortified). His was the stop two houses before mine. He kissed me right before he got off the bus and left me there… red with embarrassment hearing the howling of kids from 1-12 grade on that bus. On the bright side, where all the kids resented me on the reservation cause I was white… when Bruce kissed me, overnight, I became popular and unhated. Woohooo! The two little platinum blond kids Cyn and Bruce.Awwwwww.
22. The bastard that lived on the stop between Bruce and me was named John Sifford. For no reason, except that he was Indian and I was white, after school sitting on the bus before leaving for school, John decided to punch me in the face. Unfortunately for John, Bruce had just walked onto the bus. One minute my head was spinning from the punch, the next, I hear a roar and Bruce (who was waaaay smaller than John) was on him and punching him repeatedly in the nose. I can still see the puddle of John’s blood on the bus floor. Talk about Whoopass!
23. Don’t you gotta love a 2nd grader with that kind of protection instincts? I do! I hear Bruce still asks after me till this day. Now that is sweet.
24. I have studied Tap, Ballet, since I was a small child and added Spanish dancing later.
25. I was flying unaccompanied on planes cross-country from coast to coast from the time I was 6 years old. With stops and layovers! I loved my adventures.
26. I joined the choir in 2nd grade and have been singing ever since. I even did some singing for radio commercials in LA when I was a teenager. So there!
27. I have acted professionally in the Theater in musicals before the age of 18. Two of which are Oklahoma! (stop laughing) and “Guys and Dolls”.
28. I am a voracious reader. I would rather read a book than watch TV. Although I love TV.
29. As a matter of fact, I was placed in a speed-reading class in 2nd grade since my reading skills were so advanced.
30. I had my IQ certified by age 10. Its 169. My Dad has his PHd in Psychology and a PHd in Mathematics. He has a couple of Master’s degrees too.. He tested all of his children’s IQ’s professionally at universities. Mine is higher than my 3 half-siblings and since I was Daddy’s pet, he LOVED THAT. My sister Shelly’s was the next highest. Dad’s IQ is well over 200.
31. I’m the short one in the family. I’m 5’7. My Mom is 5’9 before she got mild curvature of the spine, my Dad and brothers are 6’3, my sister was 5’11, and my uncles all around 6’ at least. All of my cousins are taller than me also. Only one of my Mom’s brothers was 5’6.
32. I had a German/Lab mix dog-named Snoopy. He was cute and oh so stupid. But I loved him so.
33. I am a professional makeup artist and did that for 10+years. I started by apprenticing to learn theatrical makeup when I was in 8th grade.
34. I love all types of music. But….
35. Since I was 11, I have loved Duran Duran (and still do!). I always swore I would meet them. My Mom said I never would and to get over it. She said this when I was around 13.
36. I met them when I was 16! I’ve always been persistent and determined.
37. When I put my mind to something, I don’t rest until I’ve accomplished it. My determination is a frightening thing sometimes.
38. I am very, very loyal. Once my loyalty is given, it is almost impossible to break. But it CAN be broken.
39. If I give my word, I keep it. My word and honor are my bond, and without that, I have nothing. Hence, I tend to keep my promises. And I don’t promise anything I’m not sure about.
40. I love to study about Medieval, Elizabethan, and Renaissance History. I’m totally obsessed. This includes swords, castles, and the clothing of the time also. Not just the historical facts.
41. I adore Scotland. I’ve been once. I WILL go again. It calls to me. So does Ireland.
42. I’m a good cook. I love to cook. It’s therapeutic when I’m all stressed out.
43. I love to travel and explore new places.
44. I frequently break into song and occasionally dance for no good reason. Just because.
45. I adore old movies. Particularly Musicals.
46. I was a department manager in a big department store when I was 17.
47. I met my husband when I was 18. I was married at 20. I had Arianna two weeks before I turned 23.
48. I love snowball fights.
49. I love to tell dirty jokes full of double entendres.
50. It takes a hell of a lot to shock me. Good luck trying.
51. I speak English (obviously), Persian, studied French, a little Arabic, and understand a good deal of Spanish.
52. I'm mechanically inclined. I can put together almost anything in no time flat, but HTML baffles the hell out of me.
53. I love children. And they love me. No, you don't get it. we are like magnets to each other... it's a rare child that doesn't like me.
54. I love almost all kinds of animals.
55. I hate, loathe, and despise Reptiles, Insects (excecpt Ladybugs) rodents (ok, rats and mice)and sharks. Everything else is fair game for my heart.
56. I have the patience of Job. Maybe more so. Which causes minor conflict with my determination from time to time.
57. Bugs Bunny is my idol. He's a genius.
58. I adore James Bond films.
59. Sean Connery,even at his age now, yanks my chain.
60. I STILL am in possession of my very first and much loved baby doll. Her name is Cindy. (And NO, that doesn’t make me a vain little kid) Cindy has traveled EVERYWHERE. I had Cindy since I was about 1 or so. MY GOD! That means she’s 31! Damn, she looks pretty good for her age, all things considered.
61. I can belly dance. Well. Actually, I’m pretty famous as a guest at the parties here. It’s GREAT EXERCISE too!!!!!!!!!! Heh.
62. My Mom is one of the kindest most loving and thoughtful people I have ever known. She pushes her self to the limit and is determined. (I get that from her) If I have even her pinky fingers worth of traits, then I consider myself blessed. When she walks in a room, even at her age, which is not ALL that advanced… people stare. She’s beautiful inside and out and it shows. Mama’s STILL got “IT”!
63. I almost died 4 times in 1999 alone. Almost hemorrhaged to death during a miscarriage (there was barely any blood left in my body), Severe pneumonia, during the D&C for the miscarriage they almost “lost me” during the procedure while I was “under”, and again a few months later when I had my gall bladder removed. I was touch and go there for a while, then almost gone, again while under anesthesia. 1999 was a pretty bad year.
64. But it wasn’t as bad as 2003. I have mentally blocked 2003 out of my memory forever. It was really too much for one person to deal with and damn, I’m glad its over.
65. It’s true that you never forget your first love. My first love’s name was David and a really amazing guy.
66. I’ve never, ever had a broken bone in my body before. (Of course, I probably will NOW!) Cracked, yes. I’ve had my collarbone cracked in 3 places, and my sternum cracked also. AT. THE. SAME. TIME. Among other injuries that included a severe concussion, really bad whiplash, back injury, facial contusions under and on my chin (from my face slamming down into the dashboard after hitting the windshield), and the nastiest… a shredded diaphragm. (not the birth control silly! The thing you breathe with!)
67. All in all, I’d say I’m a tough cookie, wouldn’t you?
68. I LOVE pumpkin pie.
69. I cooked my first Christmas Turkey dinner when I was 15. We were at Nana’s for Christmas and I was being bartender. My aunt and Nana had a little spat, so Aunt went to her room to pout and sleep, and, well, I got both my Mama and Nana sloshed. I mean, Nana was so blitzed her glasses would fog up on their own. I make a mean Whiskey Sour, eh? Heh. Dinner was up to me! They just sat there laughing like loons and I kept the drinks coming. No one else was capable. And it was GOOD too! You know, it takes a lot to get an Irishwoman drunk, so I’m pretty impressed with myself.
70. I tend to crack jokes endlessly when I’m nervous. This includes when I’m being wheeled into an operating room.
71. In first grade at Catholic School, My teacher was Sister Donna, and she used to harass me and I have no idea why. Math was never my strong point. So she would goad the other kids to make fun of me after she made me stand up in the front of the class. Who woulda thunkit? An evil Nun. I got my vengeance though. One day on the playground there wandered a cute little pussycat. Kitty came up to me. And BOY was I a happy camper! I spent the whole recess playing with MY NEW CAT. When the bell rang. Puss went into class with me and sat on my lap. Sister Donna freaked out. Told me to “get rid of that beast!!!” *chin up* “NO! It’s MY CAT!” back and forth we went. I wouldn’t let go of the cat. And kitty was pretty happy were it was. I got sent to the Mother Superior. I STILL wouldn’t let go of the cat. They all gave up. I took the cat home. It ran away 3 days later. I bet they were singing “How do you solve a problem like Cynthia…..?”(Sound of Music)
72. My dad used to like to take me with him to the garage when there was something wrong with his car, and have me tell the mechanic what I thought was wrong with it. When I was 7-9 years old. They would look all offended…. Then later my Dad would laugh in their faces when it turned out I WAS RIGHT! (told you I am mechanically inclined!)
73. When I look at my daughter, I can’t believe that I helped create such an amazing person, and I get all choked up. Every single time. She is my LIFE.
74. She started having unexplained seizures when she was 15 months old. She had the first one and it was so severe that she turned blue. As I rushed her to the changing table, her limp body in my arms, I heard what sounded like a death rattle in her lungs, and I couldn’t find a pulse. Somehow in the back of my mind, I remembered the CPR I learned in my high school Health & Safety class. I got her breathing again and a pulse back after what seemed like forever. I was calm and focused during the whole thing. Then I thanked God. You should have seen the paramedics faces when I explained everything to them. She was in the hospital for 8 days.
75. I willingly admit that I did the same thing, CPR on my cat. She was 3 days old. Her mother (Isis) had accidentally suffocated her and she was almost completely lifeless. But she was FIGHTING! Trying so hard. So I had to try too! If you read about my pets, Scarlett the Cat is the cat I saved. I didn’t name her. Arianna did. Scarlett follows me everywhere ever since, just like a dog. I’m her mama.
76. My nickname from my parents is………….. Friss. Also, Miss Priss. Cause ever since I was little, I had “the walk”. My walk is…. Special and totally natural. On me, a woman it’s nice. But. My dad has the same walk. It is something to behold on a man 6’3! Heh. Genetics are amazing, aren’t they?
77. I drive a Silver Chrysler 300M.... and I LOVE MY CAR!!!!!! Vroom vroom! Chrome rims and everything. LOVE IT! Sigh.
78. Im 5'7. I've got long wavy red.. bright red.. hair to my waist and clear green eyes. Very pale milky Irish skin. I burn in a millisecond. I wear a size 9 -9 1/2 shoe (love me some shoes!!!)my legs are 38.5 inches long.(look, for my height, that's LONG!). You're on crack if you think I'm gonna tell you my bra size!(but they ain't small!)
79. I adore the smell of Lavender and Freesia.
80. My favorite "cut" flowers are Roses...and NOT red either! Anything but red. I melt when I see fuschia pink or purple, or bright yellow colored roses. I also like those two-colored ones that I've only seen in the USA. They are creamy beige with red tips and the other way around. Second: Irises. The Purple or Blue ones. Flowers in a yard... any really, but I love Hydrangea bushes, Geraniums, and that beautiful reddish-pink Bouganvillia.
81. BARNEY gets on my very last damn nerve. Seriously. He gives me the creeps. I didn't let Arianna watch it as a child, she found Barney on TV one day all by herself and I've been screwed ever since. Now my 2 year old great neice & Nephew drag me to SING WITH BARNEY and GOD help me, I still remember all the damn words! ALL OF THEM. Give me Elmo anyday! Allright, I'll admit it. Im addicted to Elmo. BUT! did you know that I can do ELMOS VOICE???? Heh... Kids LOVE IT!Zoe's a badass too! She's SO ME!
82. When I moved to Bahrain, I worked as a KINDERGARTEN TEACHER for a year. I LOVED IT. (Ok, excecpt for the kid that bit me.) Yes, it shows you what a badass I am that I handled a class of 23 4 year-olds! I still see "my kids" and they run and hug me. I'm Still Mama Cyn. And shame on me, I had my "pets". Well, most of them were my "pets". I'm playful as hell with kids, so we all had a blast. They liked for me to sing to them. Down side... I caught every single germ they brought to school.(refer back to my bout with pnumonia and subsequent miscarriage) Doctor gently suggested I not teach anymore.
83. I don't smoke....anything.
84. From the time I was a very small child, say 3 or 4, I have loved sitting with very old people listening to their stories of when they were young "back in my day" stories.
85. I have been to Iran 3 times and yes, I covered my hair, but it isn't as paranoid as you think there. I will cover just about anything for inexpensive shopping. I brought home a persian carpet each trip for 1/16 what it costs in the US! Hell yes I'll cover for savings like that! Actually, I found the majority of people to be very kind and friendly. The food was amazing. The scenerey gorgeous. and the history..... Oh my, so many places to visit. Museums, historical sites, the old bazaars, palaces. Esfahan is my very favorite. I can't begin to describe it. And I haven't seen any pictures on the internet that can touch the ones I've taken while there.I love to just sit and watch the handicrafts they make. A 2 week vacation there costs...peanuts.
86. Put me in any historical place to roam around in and Im a happy camper!
87. I can't say I have one FAVORITE color, but I do like: emerald green, purple, cream, salmon, turquoise, blues. Vibrant jewel toned colors.
88. I get really, really angry when I see parents with their kids NOT in car seats.
89. I could never be a junkie. I have this strong aversion to needles. It's so bad that sometimes, after getting an injection, I pass out.COLD.
90. I've NEVER dated a guy my age. I also NEVER dated a guy I went to school with. Why? Cause in elementary and jr. high, they used to tease me and harass me generally. When, over a summer, I changed and they all took note... sorry guys,It's MY time for revenge now! So I would be friends, but thats it! HAH!
91. I learned to drive when I was 14. My best friend's mother (Lana) was a driving instructor. I was spending the night at their house, I woke up early one morning to find her crying casue she had to take the family dog to be put to sleep. They had this dog for 15 years. So, I went with her, and she was so screwed up on the way back, she couldn't drive. So she did the gas and brake, and I steered, all the way home. She was actually quite proud of me, and I got to do gas and brake towards the end!Heh.
92. I could NEVER be a vegetarian. I like steak too much. Give me a Fillet mignon or a big fat Top Sirloin and I'm a happy woman.
93. The night I met my husband, he went on and on about the relationship that had just broken up.... almost the WHOLE night.(I sat there thinking "what the hell is it about me that makes men talk to me about their relationships??" That week, 6-countem!-6 of my male friends had come to me doing the very same thing!) His brother and I were in college together and had become friends for 8 months before this group evening out. Of course, three months later he asked me to marry him!
94. I got stood up for my Senior Prom. My stupid date went and got stoned and forgot all about it! Asshat. And it would be a cold day in hell before I go stag!
95. I'll be the best, most loyal friend you ever had in your life. But you don't want to be my enemy (ie: don't lie about me or back stab me). Trust me. Just don't go there.
96. If you can get me the recipie for Norweigan Cruise Lines' "Bahama Mama" drink, I'll be your slave for life.
97. The evening I turned 21, I was sitting on the cruise ship SS. Norway (NCL), plastered off my ass on Bahama Mama's, sailing through the BERMUDA TRIANGLE. (and I have proof) two days later, a tropical storm cropped up right where the ship was sailing, and that was some crazy shit! The then biggest passenger ship in the world (before the QM2) was tossing about like a canoe. But boy was it fun.
98. I love mangoes so much, I can eat 4 big ones in one sitting and not blink.Actually, Im a sucker for just about any melon also.
99. I've had people on THEIR KNEES begging me to make them my special "almost better than sex" cake. Literally. I get requests MONTHS in advance even.
100. I'm a blog addict.