Maryse

i'm a cancer research project manager who would rather be playing with yarn than earning a living.

1. I am 43years old. Going on 23.
2. Turning 30 was difficult. Turning 40 was surreal. To me turning 40 was like becoming a man. Impossible and ridiculously funny.
3. I am immature. Luckily I don’t look my age. Which makes it slightly less embarrassing to friends and family when I act like a teenager.
4. I’m a late bloomer. I got married for the first time 6 months ago, October 25, 2003.
5. I got my driver’s license the Summer of 2001. On the first try.
6. I never thought I would get married. But I’m glad I held out and didn’t settle. I found my soulmate.
7. I didn’t learn how to drive until I was 38 because I was too afraid to and I never needed to.
8. I finally got over my fear of driving when people told me that driving wasn’t nearly as scary as riding a bike in rush-hour Boston traffic…which I used to do.
9. I own a 2004 Chili Red Mini Cooper. I LOVE MY CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Plus it’s about the size of my bike.
10. My husband drives a 2001 4x4 Chevy Silverado with an 8 foot bed.
11. Despite the fact that I think his 10 miles to the gallon truck is WRONG I love him anyway. He torments me by saying that if he ever won the lottery he would buy a HUMMER. He enjoys tormenting me.
12. I’m relatively tall, need to drop about 40 lbs, have blue eyes and brown hair.
13. I would like to cut my hair short again. Although my husband hates short hair, it’s the extra 40 pounds that keeps me from going for the scissors.
14. My husband doesn’t seem to mind the weight. He likes the boobs.
15. I have a BS in Biology and an MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. I’m a data coordinator for a large health policy national cancer study.
16. I work with MDs and PhDs so I usually feel like an underachiever.
17. If I were to do it all over again, I would have studied photography, graphic design.
18. I don’t think I have very much natural artistic talent, however
19. I’m very hard on myself.
20. I’m pretty outgoing and enjoy speaking in public.
21. I also like to be left alone and hate being touched. My husband thinks I could be autistic.
22. I’m a perfectionist but rather than be a type A personality, I procrastinate, or don’t do anything at all, so I don’t have to deal with the disappointment of not being perfect. All of that insight without years of therapy.
23. My favorite colors are red and sky blue.
24. I love bright colors in general like orange, celery green, hot pink, purple. For the first time in my entire life, I’m into chocolate brown.
25. My parents were born and raised in France and immigrated to the United States in the 1950’s.
26. My younger brother and I are both French and U.S citizens.
27. My parents and brother live in France now.
28. I think the French are misunderstood and are not nearly as rude as Americans think they are. Nor are they part of the Axis of Evil.
29. I was born in New York City. And grew up in Texas, Southern California, Northern New Jersey, Paris, France, and Tehran, Iran.
30. I lived in Tehran before the Iranian revolution. I really liked it there and was extremely sad when we had to leave.
31. No, I didn’t have to wear a veil.
32. I know maybe 3 words in Farsi: “Garbage man” and “garbage” being 2 of them.
33. I speak French fluently. It’s been 20 years since I’ve lived there, so I’m a bit rusty.
34. When I’m in the States I miss France a lot, especially the architecture and beauty of the country. But when I’m there, it makes me realize that the US is home.
35. I speak a minimal amount of Spanish.
36. I get into a lot of trouble for blurting things out without thinking. Or for saying out loud what everyone is thinking.
37. I’m opinionated.
38. I love the Olympics. I used to dream about being an Olympic athlete.
39. I’m not athletic.
40. I’m really psyched for the upcoming Euro 2004 Soccer tournament this summer.
41. I think France will win it this year to make up for their abysmal showing in the 2002 World Cup.
42. I took 7 years of piano when I was a kid. I was more of a technician than a musician. When I gave it up, my mother said I would regret it when I was older but I never did.
43. I learned how to knit when I was 7. My mother taught me. I did a little knitting in high school and college but then didn’t pick it up again until about 5 years ago.
44. I enjoy the process, but because of this pesky perfectionism and procrastination problem, I’m not as prolific as I’d like to be.
45. I like alliteration
46. I also crochet but get very frustrated because most patterns available are ugly. I mean, do I need a tissue box cozy? I guess I could design my own stuff – see number 22.
47. I’ve lived in Boston since 1986.
48. I love Boston. It’s European in feel, without being overwhelming like New York.
49. If I had a lot of money, I’d live in New York City.
50. I love San Francisco as well, but it feels really far to me.
51. I’m a Northeastern snob. I’m ok with that
52. For my husband, I’m selling my condo and moving to the suburbs.
53. I hate the suburbs.
54. I feel like Eva Gabor in Green Acres when I’m in the suburbs.
55. I can’t watch G.W. Bush on television. He makes me cringe.
56. I hate Texas as a result of G.W.Bush. I know that’s not rational but I don’t care.
57. I think about moving to a republican state so that my vote in November might actually mean something.
58. I love taking pictures. But I hate having my picture taken. Friends say I’m a good photographer. I’d like to be an excellent photographer.
59. I like to go to movies set in the 50’s and 60’s because of the “look” of them.
60. I love old movie musicals like An American in Paris with Gene Kelly.
61. When I was a kid I wished life were a movie musical, with people spontaneously breaking into song.
62. I use the subjunctive verb tense even in English.
63. It irks me when people say “I could care less.” IT’S “I COULDN’T CARE LESS” PEOPLE.
64. I do not have a Boston accent.
65. I know how to say “chicken” in 8 different languages.
66. My favorite accessories are bags and purses because you don’t have to try them on.
67. I’m a realist. My husband says I’m a pessimist.
68. I get slightly depressed in the winter. I think it’s the lack of light.
69. I’d like to have a child but am afraid of not being able to handle it and of being a bad parent and raising a brat. Or raising a child who hates me.
70. I’m very competitive. I realize that I’d be a much happier person if I weren’t so competitive.
71. I also have a bit of an envy problem sometimes – the grass is always greener syndrome. I’m not proud.
72. My favorite season is the Fall.
73. I’d rather be cold than hot because I can always slip on a sweater or put another blanket on the bed.
74. I love to sleep.
75. I love to eat.
76. My favorite binge food is greasy Chinese.
77. I’m a decent cook. Being French, one could say it’s in the genes.
78. I like to cook but I hate cleaning up afterwards.
79. I’m a lousy housekeeper.
80. I’m not particularly neat or visibly organized. But I’m extremely organized in my head.
81. I hate clutter but find that fighting clutter is like fighting entropy. You have to put too much energy into the system.
82. I’m probably just lazy but hate to admit it.
83. I tend to buy things in multiples. If I find a shirt that I like, and it comes in more than one color, I will buy it in more than one color.
84. I think about going back to school to get certified to teach but I don’t want to take a pay cut.
85. I love beautiful old houses and walking through cities and towns with beautiful old architecture.
86. I’d like to open a yarn shop/café/bookstore someday, just so I can be surrounded by things that I love.
87. I watch way too much television.
88. I started knitting and crochet again so that I didn’t feel guilty for watching television.
89. I hate the concept of reality TV but I was obsessed with The Apprentice.
90. I have size 11 feet, so in many instances, I’m better off just wearing the box the shoes come in.
91. I also have a “freakishly” large head.
92. I drink my coffee black with no sugar. And I drink a lot of it.
93. Dunkin Donuts over Starbucks any day. Starbucks is kind of rough when you drink your coffee black.
94. I have 3 cats and 1 dog. Well the dog belongs to my husband.
95. The dog is afraid of the cats. Ha!
96. I sometimes wonder if I have ADHD. I’m easily distracted.
97. I’m excellent at multi-tasking.
98. I’m a bit of a tightwad and wish I made more money.
99. I’m afraid of becoming destitute.
100. I should have married for money but I married for love.