At age 99, Seelig is still going strong. Of course, she has to be to boogie the way she wants to at her 100th-birthday bash on March 30. "I'm going to dance and get drunk," says the soon-to-be 100-year-old, otherwise known as "the boss" among some of the nurses at the convalescent home. "I'm going to party."

This may be a bit ironic, considering that Seelig never thought of herself as a wild child.

"I've only gotten drunk once, and that was when Sam, my doctor, brought a bottle of rum home from Puerto Rico. After having a couple drinks, he asked me how many bandleaders I saw on the stage. I said two. My husband said it was time to go home. That was it," Seelig laughs.

She may not have been the serious partygoer, but she was definitely unconventional in her time, growing up in New Orleans in the early to mid-1900s, when women were portrayed as subordinate to their male counterparts. While most women stayed home during the day, Seelig spent many hours volunteering her time and energy to those who needed it. She ran a sewing group at a church, worked at a gift shop in a hospital, helped mentally and physically challenged boys and coordinated recreational activities such as dances and parties for servicemen during WWII. She also participated in several school events and charities.

"My mother was and still is an independent thinker," says Doris Davis, one of Seelig's two children. "My father was very supportive of that, whereas most men in those times would not have been."

As if being an active community member weren't enough for Seelig, she later juggled her time raising her children, helping out with her husband's lamp business and single-handedly managing her father's apartment complex.

"She was a businesswoman before her time," Davis says.

She is also a fighter. At age 50, she was diagnosed with intestinal cancer, and doctors saved her life by removing six inches of her intestines. The recovery period set her back a bit, but Seelig, as restless as she was, continued to remain active.

"I always kept myself busy," she says. "I always tried to work things out. I did the best I could and I did a pretty good job."

Throughout her lifetime, Seelig has not only accomplished many things, she's lived through some significant historical events, such as the introduction of the first automobile and the concept of indoor plumbing. But the most amazing invention, in Seelig's eyes, was electricity.

"Electricity made such a tremendous difference," Seelig says. "All of a sudden we had an electric stove, a refrigerator, heat and light. It made life so much easier. Before this, we accepted the inconveniences of not having electricity. The only heat we got was from the fireplace and the only source of light was a candle."

In reflection, Seelig says life has been fulfilling thus far. Although she no longer volunteers, she keeps her mind stimulated through reading and playing card games.

Some of her favorite literary genres include current events, mystery and just about anything by Danielle Steele.

So, what's her secret to longevity?

"I have no idea," she says. "Maybe it's because I'm mean and nasty."