1. My middle name is Jean after my aunt, Carol Jean.

2. I will not eat hominy or skittles–I consider both to be the work of the devil. Hominy is, after all, bloated corn. And skittles taste like sugary boogers…not that I know what boogers taste like. But if I did…SKITTLES!

3. On the contrary, my favorite food is Pad Thai.

4. I have been diagnosed as clinically depressed, but refuse to take meds.

5. I was a vegetarian for 12 years…even through my pregnancy.

6. The first time I kissed Jesse, I knew I would marry him.

7. Organized religion scares the pants off of me, but I have always loved attending church…figure that one out!

8. My grandpa was a Pentecostal preacher and my uncle is a preacher as well…which may explain #7.

9. My first therapy session took place on my 16th birthday. A few sessions later, the therapist “fired” me for being uncooperative.

10. I have 1 brother, 3 step-brothers and one step-sister.

11. I adore all things Marilyn Monroe and Tori Amos.

12. I am positive that a mistake was made…I should have been born in the 40′s.

13. Growing up, I wanted to be a child psychologist, a lawyer, an advertising executive, a wedding dress designer, a cake baker, an academy award-winning actress and an author.

14. I still write and plan on publishing a best-selling novel in the future!

15. I openly admit to loving the movie Bring it On.

16. Because I whole-heartedly believe competitive cheerleading is a sport.

17. I assume people will dislike me because of my weight.

18. I don’t believe I am a very good mom, even though I do my best.

19. I like to shop when I am upset.

20. I feel lonely often.

21. Human-animal things freak me out…like Mr. Peepers from SNL or those portraits of dogs dressed in clothes with human hands.

22. When I was 4 years-old, my parents went to see The Shining at the drive-in. I was supposed to be asleep in the backseat but I was secretly watching. To this day, I have to cover my eyes when those creepy twins appear. That movie scares me to death!

23. I like the smell of skunks.

24. Sometimes I eat packages of dry oatmeal straight from the packet. And I think it is delicious.

25. I cry every day.

26. I used to eat LOTS of lead paint. It was chewy.

27. My New Kid on the Block of choice was Donnie.

28. English bulldogs are adorable and I will own one someday!

29. I am still afraid of monsters under the bed.

30. I worry that Jesse’s parents don’t approve of me…especially now that I have gained weight.

31. I do not know who I am.

32. Alcoholism runs in my family.

33. I take criticism very personally.

34. My favorite season is Autumn…I wait all year for the leaves to change.

35. My mother chose my name while she was in the 7th grade. She had me when she was 23.

36. I have worn contacts since the 5th grade.

37. I have not been swimming in 7 years….with the exception of a few water aerobics classes with my mom.

38. The water calms me. I used to sit by the lake for hours at a time, just for relaxation.

39. I believe in ghosts.

40. I cry every time I go to the theatre.

41. I love Dwight Schrute.

42. I hate wanting material things, but I want them anyway, which makes me feel shallow.

43. I bite my fingernails off and shove them up into my gums because I enjoy mouth pain.

44. I have travelled to England, Germany, Ireland, France, Austria, and Switzerland. Ireland felt like home.

45. I believe in gay marriage.

46. Not a big fan of beer, but love a Guinness from time to time.

47. I have never read Harry Potter.

48. I secretly love to watch My Super Sweet Sixteen.

49. One of my goals is to learn to play the violin by age 40.

50. For the first 3 minutes after her birth, I thought the doctors had handed me the wrong baby. I was not expecting a blonde at all!

51. Giraffes are my favorite animal.

52. I worry about passing my poor body image on to Cer.

53. I am claustrophobic.

54. In Kindergarten, I saved my family from an overnight house fire.

55. I have picked up hitchhikers…more than once!

56. I have never smoked pot.

57. I think glasses are sexy.

58. I was suspended in the 11th grade for possession of drugs on school grounds–diet pills!

59. I was signed to a reputable modeling agency in Cleveland at the age of 19 but never worked because I was too afraid to move up there alone.

60. But I did do lots of “artistic” modeling for a couple of photographer friends. I am pretty proud of those shots.

61. I am a good cook/baker.

62. I cannot sing a lick.

63. I used to work as a photographer, a wedding photography assistant, a gymnastics teacher, preschool teacher, paste-up artist, and a manager at Fredericks of Hollywood…among other things.

64. I have too many cousins to count.

65. My favorite smell/taste is lemon.

66. The smell of Pine-Sol makes me incredibly sick!

67. In the 8th grade, I had to be tested for an ulcer from the stress of being bullied at school.

68. I got trapped in an elevator at the Smithsonian in Washington DC for 20 minutes…no fun!

69. I hate the thought of chewing on cotton balls or tin foil.

70. I talk too much and too freely about personal things.

71. I trust easily.

72. One time I bought a box of Tagalongs from some girlscouts and ate the entire thing in the car.

73. I get annoyed when people interrupt me.

74. I lied to my 4th grade class about taking part in Hands Across America.

75. I love love love to read.

76. My favorite flowers are hydrangeas and lilacs.

77. I am all about surprises.

78. I think about my weight at least 30 times a day.

79. My nicknames are Mer and Merki…I hate the latter.

80. I refuse to see old friends because of my size.

81. Black jellybeans are the best!

82. I honestly believe Jesse knows me better than anyone.

83. I was almost named Rebekah, which I think works nicely.

84. I am not a fan of George Bush.

85. I hate confrontation, but when provoked, I can be downright evil.

86. I was involved in two rolled car accidents within 2 months when I was 18.

87. For years, I believed I would die young.

88. I blame myself for the failure of my first marriage and I worry that I will not be able to hack my second one either.

89. My favorite color is blue-green.

90. My eyes are green, but they look darker because of my large pupils.

91. Finishing my education means a lot to me.

92. I went skinny-dipping in the Oxford reservoir once.

93. I blame myself for many of the problems my family deals with.

94. I am terrified of burning to death and being buried alive.

95. I love rollercoasters.

96. but hate ferris wheels.

97. I can’t drive a stick shift.

98. My most embarrassing moment involves my period, my friend’s white sofa, and her brother who was there to witness it all.

99. I don’t like myself anymore. I used to, but not anymore.

100. I know that Jess is my true love without a shadow of a doubt and that is a good feeling.

101. I am ready–really ready–to lose this weight this time.