100 things

Seems like everybody's posting a list of 100 things about themselves on their blogs. And I think it's a completely hackneyed, sophmoric idea. Yet I get a guilty pleasure out of reading them for some reason, and I find myself reading them. all the way through. Go figure.

So here's mine. Apologies in advance. Feel free to close the window whenever you realize you've got better things to do. (like scrub the tub or shave the cat...)

1. The first “100 things” list I read was posted by a friend who died in October
2. The rest I’ve seen are from people who are still alive
3. I am a dog person.
4. I had to go through four cats before I figured this out
5. I’d like to have a virtual kid so that I could name her after my dad (and kill two birds with one stone. :-))
6. I have fulfilled my quota for real children
7. Even after 12+ years I still think my husband is the best thing since sliced bread!
8. I am my own paradox: I can read books on Buddhism and listen to gangsta rap within the same 24 hour period
9. Some days I think this is a sign of open-mindedness
10. Some days I’m convinced this is a sign of a mental disorder
11. I am fanatic about nutrition—haven’t bought anything in 10 years without reading the label
12. I eat peanut butter at least twice a day
13. There’s nothing sweeter in life than a sleepy kid who smells like lavender
14. I have read (and enjoyed) most of the books on the Brooker prize list
15. I was raised in Florida and have made 4 major moves since graduating college
16. Might have to make another one in the next couple of months
17. I definitely do not miss living in Florida
18. The Royal Tenenbaums is my favorite movie
19. I am grateful to whoever decided that dark chocolate and red wine are healthy and should be enjoyed often
20. I love warm, sunny days
21. I love camping—especially in our camper
22. I love to go running
23. I am the slowest runner on earth
24. I hate worthless shows like MTV’s Trailer Fabulous
25. I can’t help but watch worthless shows like Trailer Fabulous
26. That said, I probably watch less than 10 hours of TV a week
27. But I spend waaaaaay too much time on the internet
28. I’m trying to be better about buying organic food
29. I get suckered into spending too much money in health food stores
30. I want to be doing yoga at 93 like my great Aunt Irene
31. I wish I was a better photographer
32. I wish I could finally (magically) become proficient in French!
33. I am a bleeding heart liberal Democrat
34. My brother is a hard-core Republican
35. He’s still one of my favorite people on the planet
36. I can’t stand uncomfortable shoes—I change my shoes every day before I leave work to walk to the train station
37. I have a hard time dealing with conflict, even other people’s
38. I am left-handed
39. I can type almost as fast as I can think
40. Which is amazing since I cheated my way through typing in 10^th grade
41. I met my best friend in 10^th grade—caught her eye by tripping and falling over in front of her.
42. Have I mentioned yet that I’m not exactly light on my feet? Probably should have started this list with that one…
43. I don’t understand how Matthew McConaghy won “sexiest man alive” this year! (Can someone please explain this to me!?)
44. I subscribe to Newsweek and Nutrition Action Newsletter
45. Halloween is my favorite holiday
46. One of my grandmas came from Transylvania… (and I am Count Dracula!)
47. I love the smell of freshly mown grass
48. I am not a city person— I need to see a whole lotta green every day
49. Bread: as dark as possible
50. Coffee: as light as possible
51. Milk: as much as possible
52. Cheese: as stinky / sharp as possible
53. I have three bare lightbulbs hanging from my ceilings because I’m indecisive and overwhelmed in lamp stores
54. Daily goal #1: I try my best to be a good person
55. Daily goal #2: I am trying to learn to be more patient
56. I stopped drinking soda when I graduated college
57. I am now 15 – 20 pounds lighter than when I was in college
58. I try to alternate between books in English and in Dutch
59. Pig Latin was my first “foreign” language ;-)
60. I am not a gadget person
61. The one exception is my iPod mini which I looooove
62. I do not have a green thumb but wish I did
63. My next house will definitely not be one with “character”
64. My cousin is married to my brother-in-law
65. I use my kids as an excuse to read Dr. Seuss books over and over again
66. I am addicted to blogs and blogging
67. Favorite artist lately: Abigail Washburn—she plays the banjo and sings in Chinese!
68. According to Meyers Briggs I am an introverted extrovert
69. I am an NPR addict and consider streaming media to be a gift from the gods
70. I left the US in December 1992
71. And went back temporarily to live in Michigan from 2001 - 2004
72. I really enjoy living overseas and do not plan to move back to the States
73. I actually feel more American when I’m over here than I do when I’m back in the States
74. I have trouble staying awake past 10pm
75. I’ve recently finished an online web design degree with Baker College
76. I often had to stay awake past 10 to do it! :-)
77. I am a cautious optimist
78. My star sign is Gemini
79. I think astrology is ridiculous
80. Have I mentioned that I love to read? (real books. eBooks will never replace real ones because you can’t smell them!)
81. The two places that top my wish list to visit are Thailand and Australia
82. My ideal job would be as a part-time webmaster for a heart foundation or other health-related organization
83. My cat just threw up on the carpet while I was typing this
84. At UF I wrote a 50 page thesis on “A Socio-political Definition of Women’s Status in Russian Society and Its Reflection in Literature”
85. Based on the title I probably would put it back on the shelf and ignore it if I ran across it in the library
86. I love the library—have great memories of doing activities there as a kid
87. I am utterly amazed that you’ve made it this far!
88. I love clementines. I could eat a half kilo of them at one sitting
89. I don’t like marzipan but I try it again every year because they can make it look so pretty!
90. I love to go hiking out in the woods or the fields near our house
91. I have had 5 (paying) jobs since college
92. Dixieland jazz makes me evil
93. I actually enjoy working with HTML
94. I got my certification for Microsoft Office User Specialist for Word and Excel
95. This is completely nerdy, but I needed a backup in case I couldn’t find a job when we moved back here
96. I’m glad I found a job, because I think I would hate having to teach Word or Excel to people
97. Like I said, I should probably work on patience.
98. I am trying to morph into a soccer mom but am having a hard time with it
99. I love my PT Cruiser (little bit of product placement / marketing for Chrysler in there)
100. I am so glad to be finished with this!