Pragmatic Compendium

This list is a work in progress, so watch the number in the title and check out the additions when it increases!

1. Why Julie Stiles Mills? Seriously. Do you have any idea how many “Julie Mills” there are out there?
(and one of them is . . . how shall I say . . . an adult film star. And no. It’s not me.)

2. I really do sort my m&m’s by color before I eat them. Every time.

3. I didn’t have coffee until I was 30 years old. I thought it was gross.

4. I have one husband, one son, one daughter, two cats, 5 fish, one minivan, hundreds of books and (what is that, like 7 things?)

5. I can’t cook without a recipe. (unfortunately ownership of many cookbooks does not translate to home cooked meals every night.)

6. Whenever I begin saying “A job worth doing is worth doing well.” My children roll their eyes and finish saying it with me. Even in their sleep.

7. I’m having my first mammogram tomorrow (January 16, 2008). Moved off my butt to get it done by my friend/my daughter’s teacher, who was just diagnosed with breast cancer. Are you at “that age” (and female) and haven’t had a mammogram yet? STOP reading this blog, pick up the phone and make the appointment. ya big baby.

8. I’m a vocalist. I sing at church, retreats, weddings, even funerals. Been singing since I can remember. When I was a young teenager, I could imitate Karen Carpenter. Sounded just like her. (It takes a LOT of practice.) I can’t do it anymore. I just sound like me now. Am I any good? Well, I don’t embarrass myself. Maybe I’ll post some clips someday.

9. It took me 9 years to get my undergraduate degree. Besides the fact that I worked full time and went to school two nights a week (for YEARS), I changed my major 5 times: vocal performance, music education, journalism, radio television and finally - organizational communication. Then I got my MBA in 22 months (it was a lockstep program).

10. I don’t own ANY pink or purple articles of clothing. No lime green either. Or bright yellow. Or Aqua. Or Teal.

11. When I make a sandwich, the lunch meat is always touching the slice of bread covered with mustard. The cheese is always touching the slice of bread with the mayonnaise on it. Any other ingredients go in between the lunch meat and the cheese. I don’t know why, but this is very important.

12. My favorite rose is called Whiskey Mac. It’s a peachy rose color and smells WONDERFUL. Whenever I find a Whiskey Mac rose bush, I buy it. I plant it. It produces beautiful roses for one season. Then, it dies.

13. I can’t finish the book Atlas Shrugged. I’ve tried. Can’t do it.

14. I believe . . . (yes, I like the blue collar guys). I believe that when a stay at home mom is asked what she “does all day” she should smile sweetly and say: “bubble baths. lots of bubble baths.” while trying desperately NOT to roll her eyes.

15. My favorite time on a digital clock is 11:11 - a.m. or p.m.

16. I have four big, beautiful, green plants on my back porch. They are all silk. The real plants turned into brown paper. every. time. It turns out, you have to water real plants.

17. One of the first things I do when I come home from ANYWHERE is remove ALL my jewelry. Whenever I forget to put my wedding rings, I say I “forgot to get married.”

18. I refuse to read a fiction book series until the author has finished writing every book in the series.

19. I once caught a shark. I was saltwater fishing with FirstHusband (LastFiance at the time). It’s been a long time, but if I remember, shark actually tastes pretty good.

20. FirstHusband and I used to own a boat (pre-kids) which we named, “The Briar Patch.” It was only about 19 feet, but it was enough for us.

21. I can’t complete a thought, much less this list of thin . . .