I was a bit bored today so here's the latest version of this old thing:

1. My name is Pat. But when I was born, my mother named me after Patti Page, so my name was Patti – with an ‘i’ – until I got a new job where no one knew me and I changed it to Pat. Pretty radical, huh?
2. I was born in 1960, which makes it easy for me to figure out how old I am. However, since I turned 35 or so, I’ve just been up-ing my age at the beginning of each new year and not waiting for my birthday, which is in August. So, right now, even though it’s only May, I’m 43. I'm 44 I'm 46.
3. I am a Leo of the worst kind. I have all of the major ego traits but I am painfully introverted and insecure. This makes for an interesting life, I can assure you.
4. I have one brother and one sister. That’s really all I have to say about that.
5. I gave birth to two of the smartest people that I know.
6. Both of my husbands’ names are/were Dave, much to my second husband’s chagrin.
7. I live in Montgomery County but much of me wishes I still lived in Bucks County. However, I am now 6 minutes from work instead of 60 minutes. I’m OK with the move.
8. I love cats. I can’t express how much I love cats. If I had my way, truthfully, I would have around 10 cats. I will most likely end up a crazy old cat lady with 60 cats.
9. I am a TV nature show fan. Of course, now that I have found Jeff Corwin, I need no other nature show and, really, I just compare them to his show anyway so why even bother watching those wannabes?
10. I work for a financial institution, of sorts. I am employed at a wholly owned subsidiary of a financial services corporation, which means that it makes it more complicated when I try to explain where I work. I have been there for 16 17 years and I am very good at my job I have a new year-old job which I'm pretty sure I don't like.
11. I have recently acquired some very good friends. I spent my life avoiding friendships because I just knew that no one really wanted to spend time with me, except for my family and I thought that they just did it because they had to. Over the last several years, I have really gotten to know some people and, doggone it, this is much better! Update: I lost one of those that I thought was a true friend. I've come to grips with it but I really would have preferred to keep that relationship. Oh, well, huh? Strike that last thing - we're still very good friends.
12. Almost all of my clothes are black.
13. I am overweight. I think about that a lot but I have an odd mental issue. When I think of myself, I think I look pretty good, chunky but good. The mirrors are OK with it and the only thing that tells me different is the camera. Who needs cameras anyway? And yet, I love to have my picture taken.
14. I dislike spending a lot of time outdoors. I always have. But – and this is a big but – I love fresh air. Most of my soul cleansing is done by breathing fresh air. Winters are very hard!
15. I love flowers. I could have fresh flowers around me every single day. If you can’t think of something to get me, get me flowers! I will love them, guaranteed!
16. I have an abundant collection of shoes. At last count, I had 45 47 pairs. I wear three four pairs of them.
17. I can play the piano. I don’t do it much any more but I was once pretty good.
18. I won the spelling bee championship for my school when I was 10 years old. I advanced to the regional round, where I failed miserably because it was a written test and I had to know what all of the words meant. I only knew how to spell them.
19. My favorite writers are Stephen King, John Irving and Tom Robbins. I very often re-read Tom Robbins books again and again, simply because he doesn’t put out enough of them and I get the urge.
20. I have music in my head at all times. I tend not to like mainstream artists, but I’m not against them. I listen to a non-commercial radio station, when I get the chance, I am a member of the station (which just means that I send them money once a year), and they tend to stay away from the mainstream artists, as well. This makes it difficult to carry on conversations with friends and associates because they don’t know who Happy Rhodes, Dar Williams, and Richard Shindell are.
21. I can’t see individuals in crowded places. Therefore, if I have to get up and go to the restroom, I’m terrified that I won’t be able to find my seat again and I’ll look like a fool trying to find my way back. This causes a lot of bladder issues.
22. I can, however, find just about anything in my house. I seem to be the only one who can, though. But I’m the mom and it’s part of my job.
23. I don’t really like to cook. I am a very good cook when I do cook – I just don’t really like to do it. Every once in a while, I get the urge but not too often. I’d rather just eat.
24. I don’t know where my edges are. I bump into things when I’m walking – walls, doors, cabinets, etc. – and now, since I don’t drive very often, I find that I’m bumping into things with the car, too. So far, it’s all just been damage to the car (and once twice to the garage) and nothing to anyone else’s property.
25. I love rodents. I would love to have a hamster or a couple of rats but I don’t want to clean the cage.
26. When I go fishing, I only want to be there to change the lures. I don’t actually want to catch anything and I’m quite perturbed if I do. My lures should not have hooks in them. I probably should just buy the lures and put them in the tackle box.
27. I am afraid of water. I had a couple of bad experiences in my childhood and I’d just rather stay in the shallow end, thanks. I love swimming pools but I don’t own a bathing suit (see item #13) and would not subject anyone to seeing me in one. I believe you should be aware of how you look in skimpy clothes and react accordingly.
28. I am afraid of the dark. I keep the TV on all night so that when I wake up I can see what’s about to shoot/stab/eat me. Update: I sleep better without the TV on. We got a calm blue night light that still lets me see what's about to shoot/stab/eat me. Nice!
29. I take care of the household finances. Sometimes I do well, sometimes I don’t but we always pay all of the bills and we have a nice big house.
30. My family makes me proud. My three kids all make me proud. They don’t make me worry about them at all. My husband makes me proud. I love to be associated with him. Everyone loves him and so they love me, too!
31. I am short.
32. I still like to color in coloring books but it’s been years since I’ve done that.
33. I’m not fond of anyone else’s kids. So don’t ask me to babysit.
34. I love to play solitaire. In fact, I love games of all kinds. I prefer the kind you sit around a table and play but no one at my house really cares for the same games that I like so I play on the computer.
35. I love to drink. It is one of my favorite pastimes, sadly.
36. I love my new weblog. I swore I would never do this because I’d have absolutely nothing to say – ever. Now I’m obsessed.
37. My favorite wild animal is a tiger. In fact, soon I will be getting a tiger tattoo. Update: Old news! I got the tattoo over a year ago! Now I'm trying to figure out what/when I will get my next one! Further update: Since then I've gotten two more tattoos: a lizard on my right leg and a tiny black cat on my left foot.
38. I love jewelry. If you want to get me something more expensive than flowers, get me jewelry! I don’t have much and it’s mostly silver (it’s cheaper).
39. I am lazy. I don’t like to do housework or laundry or yardwork (see item #14) or any of that kind of thing. I do the laundry and the bills and whatever else I can’t hire someone to do but I don’t like it.
40. I got kicked out of high school one month before graduation. I got caught drinking at Great Adventure on a trip that was not associated with the private school that I attended and I wouldn’t make a public apology to the student body for drinking. They told me I could finish off my finals at home. I went to the graduation ceremony barefoot and in jeans and approached my “friend” who turned me in. She wouldn’t even look at me.
41. I went to school for computer programming – a 9-month course. Halfway through, about ½ the class decided we didn’t like computer programming. They let us concentrate on computer operations for the remainder of the term. I have been working with computers ever since. I am not a programmer.
42. In about four five years, I will go buy a 1st generation Camaro. It has to be a Z/28 and I would prefer a ’68 but I know there aren’t many of them out there. I will settle for a ’69. Update: I'll probably never get the Camaro. But I might just get one of the new Challengers that are coming out!
43. I am a certified medical transcriptionist. I trained so that I could stay home with my kids and still have a job. No one wanted to pay me to stay at home and work for them when I had no experience.
44. I am a certified gunsmith.
45. I am a certified wildlife conservationist.
46. My job title is Sr. Production Project Coordinator Project Manager. It has nothing to do with medical transcription or gunsmithing or wildlife conservation.
47. I began a course in accounting. I finished the course except for the final exam. I hated it. Doesn’t that just figure?
48. I love the way my house is being decorated. I wanted to hire someone but I didn’t have the money so we’re doing it. It’s turning out better than I could ever have imagined.
49. I am an insomniac. Not severe all the time but sometimes. I wake up almost every single night for some length of time.
50. My husband and I eloped. We had a big reception 2 months later.
51. I am a terrible tennis player. I am also a terrible pool player, a terrible volleyball player, a terrible softball player, a terrible ping-pong player and a terrible dart player. You do not want me on your team. Update: My pool game has improved. You still do not want me on your team, but I'm getting better!
52. I love making miscellaneous music discs. One of the best parts of making them is making the covers and labels, for I am a mean desktop publisher!
53. I’d rather hang with the boys. I’m not really fond of girly things and “girls night out” scares the pants off me. I’d rather go to a bar with the guys.
54. I don’t exercise in any way. Update: Well, we got some exercise equipment. When that was assembled and available, I did exercise. We need to get that back into commission! Further update: We now have an official exercise room and it gets used once in a while. Right now, it's being used fairly regularly.
55. I don’t dance.
56. I love ice hockey, football and NASCAR racing. My favorite hockey team is the Philadelphia Flyers, my favorite football team is the Dallas Cowboys, and my three favorite NASCAR drivers are Dale Jarrett, Matt Kenseth and Jamie McMurray, not necessarily in that order. Update: Jamie McMurray is out. He'll probably be replaced by Carl Edwards, but I have to keep my eye on him for a while before I commit.
57. I’m not very good at instant messaging. Update: Don't ever ask me to IM. I don't want to do it again - EVER. Bad experiences. I don't want to go back!!
58. At work, I will always send an e-mail if I can to avoid face-to-face or phone calls. I do that because that’s what I want people to do for me. It lets me respond at a convenient time and also lets me collect my thoughts before I speak. I understand that that’s an introvert characteristic.
59. I am afraid of dogs. I don’t trust them. I think they are always this close to biting.
60. I don’t have a particular side of the bed. Neither does my husband, which works out well. Sometimes we just switch. Ain’t no thing.
61. I grew up in a very strict religious household. I wasn’t allowed to drink, smoke, play cards, dance, listen to secular music, go to movies, go to plays, kiss boys, shave my legs, wear makeup, wear pants, etc., etc., etc. When you subject your kids to that, it almost always backfires. It did. But I love my parents dearly.
62. I don’t really watch TV any more. I do like to watch Jeff Corwin but even that has dropped off dramatically. Update: We really only watch movies and sports now. I haven't watched a TV series since "Friends" went off.
63. I know all of the dialogue in the movies “Grease” and “Jaws”.
64. I have two four cats right now – Phranc Courtney, Maddie, Valley and Phoebe. They are both all girls. Update: We lost Phranc in October '05. The three new girls are all rescues.
65. Every year, I make a calendar for my family. On each month, it has pictures of everyone who has a birthday or anniversary that month. I’ve been doing this for about 9 10 12 years.
66. I cross-stitch but it’s more of a mathematical thing for me than a craft-y thing.
67. I love logic problems.
68. I am not afraid of bugs but they skeeve me. I do not like to kill them but I will if they get uppity with me. I usually make Dave take care of the ones in the house.
69. I can handle minor electrical tasks.
70. I used to be good at wiring stereos and video equipment. Now I don’t really have the patience for it but I am still determined to be the one who’s responsible for the wiring!!
71. I love to sing. Oh, my God, do I love to sing!
72. I don’t like to eat fish but I love most shellfish.
73. I can only drink one cup of coffee per day. Otherwise, it makes my stomach upset.
74. I can’t eat or drink anything before concerts in small venues. I get sick. I don’t know why.
75. My old boss told me that I was thin-skinned. I am but he’s still an ass.
76. I love old barns. I would really like to take a tour around the country taking pictures of old barns and then publish a book of those pictures. It’s already been done, I know, but not by me!
77. Andrew Wyeth is my favorite painter.
78. I have a shadowbox hanging on the wall in the foyer which is in need of some more tiny little items to put into it. Still need more tiny items!
79. I prefer black pens to any other color and I prefer a mechanical pencil to a regular one, but I always break the point.
80. I like to listen to my music way too loud. Someday I will go deaf because of this.
81. I have had surgery on my right knee. I should also have surgery on my left knee and have the doctor take another look at my right knee but I’m going to ignore all of this now. Update: Actually, nothing to update. I still haven't gone back. Further update: I did go back but just did physical therapy for my right knee. I'm learning to live with it!
82. I had laser surgery on my eyes about 6 or 7 9 years ago. It was a scary thing (I was the one in 300 that gets complications – I could have told them I would be if they had given me that statistic before the surgery!) but it’s all good now.
83. No one in my family has ever died of cancer. These days, I think that’s a pretty amazing statistic.
84. I am not creative. I appreciate others’ creativity.
85. I feel that it’s not worth buying inferior merchandise that you will have to replace. Get the best at the beginning and it will last forever. You can’t always get everything you want right away but it’s worth it in the end.
86. I prefer not to think of things political.
87. I wish more people would comment on my weblog. I am a comment ho, to be sure.
88. I am extremely loyal.
89. I am VERY interested in medicine. I have many medical books and I can diagnose with a good degree of accuracy many minor medical problems. My best one to date was the diagnosis of an infected sebaceous cyst.
90. I like my hair long and I like it grey. I stopped coloring my hair about 7 years ago. I have not regretted it since. (Oh, and here’s a secret – I use a hair straightener!) Update: Yea, about that hair straightener? Not so much any more! Once in a while, but very rarely!!
91. I have brown eyes. I wish I had green eyes.
92. I wear a lot of makeup.
93. Perfume does not last on me but I wear it anyway!
94. I am one of the two clumsiest people I know. I am forever hurting myself and it’s not just because I don’t know where my edges are (see item #24).
95. I have five holes for earrings in my ears. I have no other piercings and do not wish to acquire any more.
96. My favorite food is macaroni and cheese but I have sworn off carbs (for the most part) so I don’t ever get to eat that any more. I make the best macaroni and cheese of anyone I know.
97. I will not put up with any crap from any man. I got this from my mom.
98. I am sarcastic and sassy and naughty and nasty.
99. Champagne takes away my migraines. I never read this anywhere, I figured it out during a work happy hour that I was obligated to attend. Someone should publish that in a medical journal.
100. Over the years, I have learned to say “I’m sorry” and mean it. It was a long, difficult journey getting here.