#100 Already?!?!

So, here I am. My 100th post.

I almost can't believe that it's been so many already.

I started this blog last year as a substitute for the scrap booking I no longer really had the time- or the energy- for with a baby girl. By the time she would be tucked in at night (I mean, let's be realistic- who can scrapbook with a baby grabbing all those eensy pieces?!?) I was just so exhausted, I never wanted to lug out my bag filled with findings, glues and papers and start piecing my life together.

Blogging has become so much more for me than just a substitute.

I enjoy doing this much more than scrapbooking in a lot of ways. It's quick, which is good for my impatient side. I enjoy the instant gratification of clicking *post* and seeing my words, my photos, my WORLD, right up there on the page looking all spiffy. I love that blogging has gotten me more interested in- and better at- photography, which is something I have always admired, but never quite known how to go about improving. I love that this is a somewhat permanent record of our lives as Ilyana grows... I hope that someday she'll look back and be able to see what we were doing, know what I was thinking (even if sometimes it's wacky!) and find the exact dates of many of her milestones.

And then there are my friends. You guys.

I always feel so silly calling you friends, because we have never met in real life. But what else do you call someone who is always there to listen to you bitch, to cheer you up if you need it, to look at that 2,876,756th picture of your kid, to pass along crazy memes and give you awards and just all around make you feel special? I don't think there's another word for it. I am so grateful to have found a group of bloggers who I fit in with... You make me laugh, you make me cry, you let me know I'm not alone. Your posts make me feel like I am peeking into your world... but not in a creepy-peeping-tom kind of way, more like a crazy sister with permission kind of way.

In a time when old friends have mostly scattered across the country- in some cases, even further- and it's near impossible to find friends IRL that you can be as close with, I am glad to have found a new way to have friends. Thank you all!

So here is my 100th post. I am going to go ahead and answer a few questions, which were posed to me by Aubrey, first:

(1) Why did you start blogging?

Well, I sort of already answered that one above. Mostly as a substitute for scrap booking, and a way of keeping a journal for my daughter.

(2) And the name, Bendy Ruggles, where does that come from?

LOL. Well, to understand this, you have to know that my mom loves to make up words- and by proxy, we all do. We are always coming up with new, sillier, ways of saying something. When Illy was a baby, she had all kinds of names- Lulu the Ladybug, Suzy Roncine, Rosie McGee, Silly Illy (that one is still around), and, yes, Bendy Ruggles. Bendy is the only one not related to her real name that stuck- it came up because one day, my Mom was trying to hold her and she kept bending this way and that, trying to wiggle away. We were already starting to call her the Ruggle (who knows why) and that's the day she became the Bendy Ruggle(s). :)

(3) What are your blogging pet peeves?

I don't know if you mean when I am blogging, or when I visit people. For myself, I would say it's just the pressure I put on myself to post. It's a little strange, but even when I was younger and would keep a journal I would set these goals for myself, liek number of pages I had to write in that week, or how many entries, and I would totally beat myself up if I didn't reach them. I guess that's why I feel that way now...

For others? I don't like it when I feel I am being preached to, or they are trying to convert me. I also get annoyed if someone starts acting like their way is the only way in life... I think everyone has their own path. Essentially, if I feel like the blogger is judging the readers (including me) too much, I won't go back.

(4) What keeps you going back to someone's blog?

I think it's different with each blog I frequent. A lot of you I feel like I just clicked with, and I loved hearing about your families and just felt like if I knew you in real life, we'd be friends. If I feel an initial connection with someone like that, I usually add them to my blog roll. This includes you, Aubrey, as well as Issa, Nikki, and Karyn.

Some people I visit because I love what they do, and am fascinated by it, interested in getting more into it, or both. I frequent a lot of photography based blogs, one on jewelry, and one on decorating... They include Tabitha, Jewel Street Designs, Thrifty Decor Chick, The Daily Focal Point, and Dr. Cason.

And others are just amazing writers, people who make me laugh a lot, or those with great stories to tell. These include Kyla, Woman In a Window, Michele, and Project Mommyhood.

And, of course, there are the blogs of people I know in real life and just want to keep up with, including my cousin Vickie and my Dad and Stepmom.

Now, I had a suggestion from Issa that I think I am also going to do... Don't worry, you can come back later (or not!) if you get bored. tee hee.

Issa: You could always do the 10x10 thing I did. Ten things about ten random things. It was easier than listing 100 things.

True enough! Here goes...

About me and my hubby- LIST 1

(1) We have been together for 8.5 years, since I was 16 years old. I get asked a lot if I feel like I missed out on my teen/ college *fun* because of it... But my answer is always- what did I miss? Dating a bunch of asshats trying to find the *right* guy? Drinking too much beer at frat parties and barfing all over myself? Being used? Nah, didn't miss it. :P
(2) He proposed to me at the Olive Garden.
(3) We have been through more in our eight years together than a lot of people have in their lives. If you knew us IRL, you'd know why I say that. I promise it's not cuz I'm conceited and think we are better in some way than other people.
(4) We are married, but we still haven't had a wedding for financial reasons. We're hoping to throw some kind of a bash/ celebration for it on or around our tenth anniversary, 6/4/2010.
(5) We have had seven apartments together.
(6) He moved into my Mom's house when I was 16. Thanks again for trusting me, Mom! I knew we'd last...
(7) We want to have another baby as soon as it is realistic for us financially and health-wise.
(8) We couldn't live without our internet!
(9) We are both Momma's girls/ boys. :P We've always been close with our Moms and are always making fun of each other for just how much we talk to them on the phone.
(10) But neither one of us really likes talking on the phone much, other than to our Moms. heh.

Stores I love- LIST 2
(1) Old Navy
(2) Origins
(3) Target
(4) The Christmas Tree Shops
(5) Body Shop
(6) Big Lots
(7) Dollar Tree
(8) Marshalls
(9) TJ Maxx
(10) Avon for cosmetics/ nail stuff

Ten Things I Would Get Myself Right Now if I Could- LIST 3
(1) Pedicure/ Manicure
(2) Fix our Jeep
(3) Massage
(4) Some more time off!
(5) New bedding
(6) A house... this should really be #1, but I wasn't thinking in this direction at first...
(7) Vacation to Disney for the fam
(8) A teleporter so I wouldn't have to drive places anymore!
(9) Shopping Spree at the above stores...
(10) Super Mario Kart for Wii :)

Ten Vacations I Would Love to Take Before I Die- LIST 4
(1) Hawaii- we have a friend who is living there, and I would LOVE to go!
(2) Amsterdam, or more precisely, the Cannabis Cup. It would be a once in a lifetime thing... So much fun!
(3) Disney, disney, disney (again)! I've already been twice, but I can't get enough!
(4) A cruise of some sort... Preferably to the bahamas.
(5) Ride the mono rail thing around Europe- to Italy, to France, Germany, and Spain.
(6) Mexico
(7) African safari! I love animals, I'd love to be thisclose to some real, wild, saharan desert type ones...
(8) Japan
(9) Australia
(10) England... but only if my friend Merry was still there. If not, I'd sub it out for Alaska. Just cuz.

Ten Of My Favorite Games- LIST 5
(1) Scrabble. I seriously rule though. You wouldn't want to play against me ;)
(2) Capture the flag
(3) Word Whomp
(4) Life
(5) Shanghai
(6) Rummy
(7) Bones/ Dice
(8) Cranium
(9) Good old fashioned TAG!
(10) Clue

Ten Of My Pet Peeves- LIST 6
(1) Slow/ idiotic drivers (I am a yeller when it comes to driving...)
(2) Being judged
(3) Being preached to or attempting to convert me
(4) Strangers at the door
(5) Dealing with customer service reps on the phone
(6) Muu-muus
(7) When my hair gets frizzy and just won't quit
(8) Having to drive to visit people all the time... I like the visiting part, but HATE the driving.
(9) Defrosting meat. I just have a thing about it. I'm way less likely to make a good meal for dinner if the meat isn't already thawed.
(10) Bad pics of me! EW!

About my Doggie- LIST 7
(1) Name: Deuce
(2) No, we didn't name him after a crap. *ahem* I gave my hubby the Greek Mythology book and told him to pick a name he liked... It was Deucalion. So we kept it and shortened it, and didn't think about how much our friends would laugh when we told them...
(3) Breed: Shiba Inu
(4) Birth date: 4/17/2005
(5) Coloring: Red and white
(6) Best friend: Duh, Ilyana!
(7) Naughty habit: Getting in the trash! GAH!
(8) He got away this weekend! But we got him back... quickly, thank god.
(9) Sleeps: In our closet. So we put his bed in there, so it can at least be a little bit comfy. He also sleeps on the floor next to Illy's bed a lot.
(10) Favorite activities: Playing catch (though he doesn't give the ball back very well... lol) and going for walks.

Ten Munchables That I LOVE- LIST 8
(1) Tea
(2) Ice cream
(3) Eggs of all sorts. We've been eating a ton of eggs lately.
(4) Cheese
(5) Chicken
(6) Quesadillas
(7) Falafel
(8) Greek salad
(9) Hollandaise
(10) Fruit- especially berries

Random Things About Me- LIST 9
(1) I still bite the skin around my nails. I never broke that bad habit.
(2) I love to cook, especially bake.
(3) I love to burn tarts around my house- they make it smell so yummy!
(4) My favorite seasons are autumn and spring.
(5) My nail polish is chipped right now.
(6) I actually enjoy doing my budget each month. It makes me feel less stressed knowing what we have, what we need to pay, and when...
(7) My family means more to me than anything else in the world.
(8) Christmas is my favorite holiday.
(9) I want four kids. Someday.
(10) I can't wait to be a homeowner and be able to do crafty projects around the house!

Ten Random Things About My Work- LIST 10
(1) I work in a hospital.
(2) But for a college.
(3) An Ivy League one, to be exact.
(4) I really like my boss, she's great.
(5) Not so much the person above her, though.
(6) I am an Administrative Assistant. A lot of people would scoff at that, considering I have a BA in Sociology, but I am grateful for my job and enjoy it.
(7) We work with researchers, so I sometimes get to hear about up-and-coming medical technologies. It's really amazing, some of the work they are doing...
(8) I am the first point of contact for visitors, and I answer the phone.
(9) I hope to stay with the College for a long time... But I'm hoping to move up in my position soon.
(10) My work is about to lay off at least 60 people, and it has been stressing everyone out around here!

PHEW! I did it! Are you still with me?? No?? Okay, I'm going to take a nap now. :P