100 things

Other bloggers have been doing this list, so I wanted in on the fun. Well... I started the list over a week ago. I've been coming up with about 10 items a day. The general conclusion is that I must not be a very interesting person if this list is so hard to come up with! So for what it's worth, here are 100 random facts about me.

The photo is one of my least popular flickr photo, which I think is undeserving. I actually kind of like this one. It has nothing to do with the list, really. I just thought a bitter cold day is a good time to gaze (blurrily) at a hyacinth and dream of the warmer, brighter days that lie ahead.

Now, the list:

1. I have oatmeal with walnuts and cranberries every weekday morning for breakfast. (From my work's cafeteria.)
2. I have some sort of lip balm stashed in almost every room, purse, and coat pocket.
3. I've carried a purse since kindergarten and never lost one.
4. My sneezes are REALLY loud.
5. I cry over books, tv, and movies.
6. My favorite tv shows are Lost and Grey's Anatomy.
7. My extensive and eclectic music collection ranges from classical (Appalachian Spring by Copland) to hard rock (Disturbed's Down With the Sickness) and everything in between.
8. Most folks eat Ramen noodles or Kraft macaroni and cheese. Me, I'm a Pasta Roni girl. Mmm,mm... garlic and olive oil pasta.
9. I'm opposed to organized dancing. You know, like the chicken dance, the electric slide, and YMCA that they always play at weddings.
10. I quit gymnastics at 5 years old. Quit softball at 9. Quit basketball at 12. Gave up being a cheerleader at 14. Quit softball again at 15. Now I stay in shape with a workout class called HEAT (High Energy Athletic Training). What?!
11. Peanut butter & jelly sandwiches are a secret favorite of mine. I usually put butter on the PB side so it doesn't stick to the roof of my mouth... like my mom always did.
12. I'm always learning to eat new things. Some accomplishments: wine, olives, sushi, and coffee.
13. I don't like horror movies, they cause me nightmares.
14. Growing up I had a pen pal in Hong Kong and one in Connecticut who I met on vacation one year. I've since lost touch with both of them.
15. The number of new email messages in my personal inbox this morning. Only one was personal, the rest were mostly marketing stuff. (I subscribe to a lot of shopping-related junk!)
16. I went to college at Ohio University. I minored in European studies. Fat lot of good that did me.
17. My first car was a blue Buick Skylark.
18. In high school and college I scoured flea markets, yard sales, and antique stores with my mom, aunts, and grandma looking for treasures. People at work are baffled that I can wear a different elaborate and ornate costume jewelry pin every day for a month.
19. I use old Christmas cards to make gift tags. I ran out this this year... it was a near crisis.
20. Summer is my favorite season.
21. I have NO INTEREST in skydiving or bungee jumping.
22. I LOVE whitewater rafting and have sucked my husband into the sport as well.
23. I read food labels.
24. As a kid, I used to roller skate in the basement.
25. I've had the same bottle of perfume for about 7 years. I guess I don't wear it often.
26. The worst recipe I ever made was a shrimp, artichoke, and sun-dried tomatoes pasta.
27. My husband is my soul mate.
28. There is nothing like a roaring fire... especially if there are marshmallows to roast.
29. This spring I will be awaiting the arrival of many new bulbs in my flower beds: hyacinth, tulips, irises, and more.
30. I rarely watch movies a second time... even though I usually forget most of the story after watching only once.
31. My biggest regret is passing up a chance to learn to fly. It was in Scotsdale, AZ. I was supposed to take a professional exam that was offered at a small airport (no idea why, but this was the testing center). But the company had not uploaded my exam when they were supposed to. So the guy running the testing center said, "Well, while you're here, do you want to learn to fly?" And I said no. I said no. I still don't know what the hell was wrong with me.
32. I took an art class a few years ago that focused on color and composition. I took it as a way to improve my photography and scrapbooking. I LOVED that class even though most of what I produced was terrible and I was so intimidated by the artistic people in the class.
33. In school I hated gym class.
34. I love playing tennis. I played tennis in high school but never tried very hard at it. Now I've had a few lessons and John and I play for fun. (I always lose.)
35. I like to iron. It's peaceful and relaxing. I love a 100% cotton vintage embroidered pillow case that's been ironed. And starched if I'm really feeling crazy.
36. I eat at the same time every day. If I don't get my meals on time, I get cranky.
37. I love to travel. Some of my favorites are Seattle, Costa Rica, San Francisco, France, Yosemite, Ireland, Grand Canyon, New York City.
38. I get acupuncture on a regular basis to keep my chi flowing freely.
39. My favorite color is green. But lately I have an affinity for orange.
40. My favorite scent is orange and cloves.
41. Chipotle is one of my favorite places to eat.
42. I almost got braces a few years ago. If I had the extra money for it, it's the one thing I'd like to change about myself.
43. I've never had a cavity.
44. I've never been to a circus.
45. I've only been in love once... still going strong.
46. I have a collection of scarves (vintage and more recent) that numbers about 30 to 40.
47. Economics and political science were my most hated classes in college.
48. As a kid I collected stamps. It was a hobby I discovered from my Grandpa.
49. I was 29 when I got married... just barely not a 30 year old bride.
50. I got my driver's license at 17. Only slightly bitter about losing a year of driving when we lived in the country.
51. As a kid, my favorite vacation was camping at Huntington Beach State Park in South Carolina. We always turned down Disney World.
52. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a cheerleader, an artist, a scientist, a lawyer, and a fashion merchandiser. In that order from 5 to 17. Pretty much none of them stuck
53. I hate cleaning out the fridge.
54. I know a little French and that's it for foreign languages.
55. The age at which I realistically think I will be able to retire. And then I'll find something else to do.
56. I like listening to audio books.
57. I drink water without ice. It's better for my chi that way.
58. I practice yoga.
59. I feed the birds in my back yard. The finches are my favorite. I keep them close to a window.
60. I love house plants. I have a philodendron, a Christmas cactus, and an African violet. (I had grown the African violet into a huge mass of leaves and just recently got it to flower - yahoo!)
61. I love the ocean. It's mesmerizing.
62. If I had to choose a new career and get retrained, I'd be a graphics designer. I'd also take more creative writing and journalism classes.
63. I don't dislike birthdays. Sure, I hate seeing another year pass, but overall I usually like myself better than the person I was the year before.
64. Time flies when I'm gardening. Pulling weeds, pruning, watering, transplanting... takes a while before I notice that I'm covered in grime and my back hurts.
65. I color my hair. Usually shades of dark brown, like it used to be. My true color is mostly grey... I am NOT kidding.
66. I'm not a big fan of music concerts. I love a small-venue acoustic show. I loved Chris Isaak at the Ohio Theatre. Not much else appeals to me.
67. I love outdoor festivals. The whole atmosphere appeals to me. If there is art and food involved... even better!
68. Last winter I learned to embroider. I wish I'd make more time for it. It's a beautiful craft.
69. That's how many spam messages I had last Monday morning.
70. I love Anthropologie for clothing and decor inspiration. Hate the prices and the anorexic models in the catalog.
71. I dislike talking on the phone.
72. Cap'n Crunch is my favorite sugary cereal. Anything nutty and honey on the healthy side is good.
73. I prefer silver over gold. But really, anything shiny and pretty is good to me!
74. I love thunderstorms and snowy days.
75. I quit wearing a watch a few years ago. My watch broke and I decided keeping time on my person was unnecessary.
76. I have the same birthday as my Mammaw.
77. My mom listened to 70s rock when I was growing up. I had a lot of 80s music to catch up on when I found out the 70s were over.
78. We got one channel on our 13 inch black and white tv. I also missed out on a lot of television growing up. (Well, I wouldn't say I "missed it" exactly.)
79. I'm really good at Seaquest and Centipede on Atari.
80. I've hiked Mt. Ranier. Ok, so not entirely... but I did a small day-hike around the base of it. Beautiful terrain... I recommend it.
81. I have two magazine subscriptions: Real Simple and Wondertime.
82. The last restaurant I ate at was Outback Steakhouse. They are the only people who prepare broccoli better than I do.
83. I photograph food. One reason to do it... have you ever looked back at recipe books from the 50s, 60s, or 70s?? People's ideas on food change rapidly. We should chronicle what we are eating here in 2007.
84. The last book I read was The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant.
85. The last vacation I took was in October when we went to Dunedin, Florida for a wedding.
89. I have seen two Cirque du Soleil shows - love them! I'm seeing another in May.
90. I dislike riding bikes.
91. I made the roman shades in our living room. They are very nice. Sometimes I look at them and think, "I really don't think I know that chic who made those a year ago."
92. I'm a pack rat. I've decided it's ok though. As long as I can be a neat and organized pack rat like my Grandma, I can continue. (I'm not there yet- eeek!)
93. The last new recipe I tried was a shrimp and spinach risotto. It was delicious!
94. I started going to church regularly almost a year ago.
95. I'm a Mac person.
96. I write in a journal almost every day.
97. My favorite ice cream is chocolate chip.
98. I would like to learn to cross country ski.
99. I took a pottery class once. I wasn't very good at it. We made cookie-cutter ornaments in the shape of stars that I still hang on my Christmas tree every year.
100. I listen to my iPod non-stop. All day long with headphones and over the speakers at home.


Oh my, you read all 100?! Now... take the challenge to write your own list of 100 things. To share or not... it's a fun exercise to try. Have fun. :-)