Dyed in the Wool Handmade

In an unprecedented act of thoughtfulness, Jeremy completely surprised me today with a Simpsons-themed card that insinuates he wants to see me naked, and a Nintendogs game for my DS!

My contribution to Valentine’s Day will be risotto with mushrooms and parmasan. I’m adding mushrooms to Mary Ellen’s fabulous risotto recipe. I used this recipe the first (and only) time I made risotto and it was amazing. One day I’m going to have to try adding the black truffle oil, but next time I’m going to make it with bacon and smoked gouda.

Things you may or may not know about me.

1. I don’t love pizza.
2. I smoked for 19 years. I’ve been an ex-smoker so far for 2.
3. I married my first husband at 18; the marriage lasted for 2 years.
4. My first concert was Poison.
5. I have never had a tattoo.
6. I used to have my navel and my tongue pierced.
7. In my early 20s my friend and I went on clubbing marathons.
8. The closest friends I have now I met on the internet, 8 or 9 years ago.
9. I write for a tv website, Too Much Free Time. I recap Lost and Survivor.
10. I have a lot of trouble sleeping normal hours. I keep trying to shift my schedule but after a couple of weeks I end up staying up all night again.
11. I used to figure skate.
12. When I was a kid it was my dream to become a secretary. I had a thing for typewriters.
13. I like to re-read books and re-watch movies.
14. I can’t bowl because I’m scared my thumb will get stuck inside the thumbhole when I throw the ball. Also, I have a problem with the shoes.
15. I don’t have a lot of patience.
16. I’m not good with plants. I don’t kill them exactly, but they enter some kind of stasis once they pass the threshold of my house.
17. I can palm a basketball.
18. I can’t swim. I can kind of paddle around and float on my back, but no one has ever accused me of swimming.
19. I’m married to the former Canadian national champion diver on the 3-metre springboard…in the 11-12 age group.
20. I can read the Cyrillic alphabet.
21. My mother’s side of the family live in Australia and Sweden.
22. I’m named after my grandmother on my dad’s side (Margaret) and my great-grandmother on my mom’s side (Fania). My sister was named after Natalie Wood, and her middle name, Ann, came from a doll I used to have. This bugs her.
23. I’m trying really hard not to over-parent and smother my kid.
24. My cat, Jonah, is a lemon, the poor dear. But we love him anyway.
25. I’m 2 degrees from Liz Lemon! I’m also 2 degrees from Kevin Bacon.

Jeremy and I quit smoking two years ago today. According to those online calculators, I personally have not smoked something like 14,632 cigarettes since then. THAT’S CRAZY!