I Enjoy Being A Girl -- NOT!

Now don't judge me by the title of this posting. I am very glad I am a girl/woman.

I just have never been what you would consider a "girly" girl. I don't wear make-up. I did for a bit back in 7th or 8th grade, but found that it took too much time in the morning to get ready. I'd rather use that extra time to sleep, finish reading a chapter of a book, or cook something amazing for breakfast. I do wear lip gloss and the occasional lipstick color. I've been known to enjoy a sample of perfume from Clinique and wear that. I wear dresses and skirts, although I am more comfortable in jeans, pants or shorts. I enjoy getting dressed up and wearing jewelry for a night on the town (or formal night on the cruise ship). But as you know I had never colored my hair until a week and a half ago, I have never had a manicure/pedicure or been to a spa. (I've worked with horses, guitars and computers so long nails don't really fit into that description).
When I first started "online" dating, I would invite guys to meet me at the barn I worked at because I figured if they didn't like me in jeans and smelling like hay, then they weren't going to like me. I like shopping, but I like going somewhere, getting what I want, and getting out. Whereas some women can spend hours in Macy's or Nordstrom, I would rather spend hours in Barnes & Noble or the Apple Store.

I like to consider myself a bit different, or unique from other women. I LOVE sports. I would rather sit home on Sunday and watch football than anything else. Super Bowl Sunday is a holiday in my home. I used to be with guys at a football game in high school and would know more than they would. (This didn't get me many second dates back then.) I can quote baseball stats with the best of them. I watch NASCAR races and know the drivers. I watch and play golf. I play 16" softball (or at least I used to). I have always had better men friends then I have had women friends. I would rather hang out at a sports bar than at the mall. I tell crude jokes, I swear like a sailor, and I can hold my own at the bar. I have a fetish for ties. I know cars and motorcycles and cook amazing things on the grill. I take shorter showers than my boyfriend, and with my new haircut can be ready to leave for work in 15 minutes. I can drive a tractor. I can ride a motorcycle AND change my own oil. I don't sit at stop lights and fix my hair or put on make-up. I don't believe that every baby is "adorable" or "gorgeous." I don't worship Oprah. I watch the View but mostly for Whoopi Goldberg. I enjoy chick flicks, but I'd rather go alone than with a group of "chicks." I know that that's not necessarily unique, but I am definitely in the minority.

Now I want to make it clear that I love men (getting hit on by lesbian women in college was flattering, but sort of creeped me out).

I also want to make it clear that being a girl/woman has its advantages. I enjoy my curves, my legs, painting my big toenails blue for the summer, and wearing pretty bras and panties. I enjoy the fact that I can be typing this blog, watching the news on tv and holding a conversation with my boyfriend all at the same time without even blinking. I don't laugh at every episode of "Family Guy" and don't get why "The Three Stooges" are supposed to be comic geniuses.

But it also has its disadvantages. I used to have a boss that would ask me a question and after I gave him the answer he would turn around and ask a guy the same question. I mean, if he wasn't going to believe me, why did he ask me in the first place? My boobs tend to get in the way of my golf swing. (But I've discovered that wearing a sports bra while playing helps a little). And now, as I am getting older, and have been having my "monthly visitor" for over 26 years, I am developing PMS.

I HATE to admit that. I used to be level headed before that time of the month. Sure, my breasts would get tender and I would crave chocolate and greasy food, but mostly I didn't change my personality. Maybe it's because I'm living with someone now who actually notices it. But I've noticed it too. I was in a really bad mood on Monday, snapping at everyone, being emotional, sullen, and basically not very pleasant to be around. I discovered on Tuesday morning that my period had started. Could I really be suffering from PMS or was it just a bad day?

I can deal with the tender breasts, the cravings, the headaches and the cramps. But I don't want to become another person. Now, I have stopped taking the pill (after taking it for 16 years). Maybe that's the reason? I don't know. All I know is that I don't like it. And if I keep this up as long as my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother did, I can look forward to another 15 years of this! That means 180 more episodes of PMS and that is why I do not enjoy being a girl!