Before you know it, you're the crazy cat lady in the scary house

Another 100 Things

May 08, 2004 ... 3:53 p.m.

Bootsie: �So, your theory is ...?�
Eibisch: �He has the right to dig his own grave. I have the right to hand him the shovel.�

I did another one a couple of years ago.

1. Nothing makes me happier than a new book. Nothing. Isn�t that sad? I love getting books for Christmas, my birthday, Thursdays ... they just make me happy.

2. When I read a book, I read the first chapter and then I read the last chapter. Not because I dislike surprises or suspense, but because I was traumatized by an episode of M*A*S*H that I first saw as a small child. They got a �who-done-it� book in a care package that was missing the last chapter, where you learned the culprit�s identity. They ended up radioing back to the US for the answer.

3. I work out for somewhere between 1 and 2 hours a day, depending on whether I�m into it that particular morning. Not that it accomplishes what I want. Hello, I have no Janet Jackson fabulicious abs o� impossibility.

4. I am very embarrassed that I still attend (1 or 2 classes a term, usually) community college. Exigent circumstances aside.

5. In keeping with my scholastic embarrassments, I scored a 26 on my ACT. In my defense, we had buried my aunt the day before and our family reunion was that afternoon. I had a lot on my mind.

6. I took the SATs when I was in 7th grade, but I never got my scores because it was an E.L.P./Gifted & Talented thing.

7. I actually say �dude� a lot. I�m a dork.

8. Three television shows to which I am addicted--Survivor , Cold Case and The Dukes of Hazzard. Seriously.

9. Also, anytime �Homicide: Life On The Street� (R.I.P.) is on, I shut things down! I�ve got homework? Not for another hour, I don�t.

10. My favorite cookies are oatmeal chocolate chip.

11. I suffer from �electronics rage.� When an electronic device doesn�t work properly, I get irrationally frustrated. Like, right now, my brand new computer speakers won�t work and I want to shoot them. But I don�t own a gun. Which makes me angrier, because I never seem to have anything when I need it.

12. I cut over two feet of hair off a few months ago and donated it to Locks of Love. I�m glad I did it, my hair is currently in that awful �growing out� stage, but I�m still glad I did it.

13. I hate popcorn.

14. I love jigsaw puzzles. The bigger and more difficult, the better.

15. I have several little scars on my forearms from my cat attacking me. He doesn�t have any claws, either. They�re all from him biting. He�s like a fluffy little man-eating shark.

16. I used to drink Mt. Dew like it was water, but I can barely stand it since my hospital stay in November. I drink Coke now. Like it is water. Maybe I should just try water.

17. I do not keep a paper journal.

18. Instead of a paper journal, I sometimes write poems. They almost always end up dark and twisted. I don�t know what that means.

19. I abhor peas.

20. I hate when guys talk down to me because I�m a woman. Whether about sports, cars or life in general--I hate it.

21. I said the Pledge of Allegiance when I was 21 months old. To an umbrella. No lie--Mom taped it.

22. I don�t lie. I don�t always elaborate when I answer a question and--if I don�t really want to answer the question they meant--I will answer their literal question, but I won�t lie.

23. I try to do nice things for people--bake, quilt, etc--just to attempt to make their day a little better. Send a card for no reason.

24. I still don�t know who Ryan is and I still don�t know who called me. A couple of life�s little mysteries, I guess.

25. I get irritable when I go more than a few hours without hearing music. I prefer my music, but any radio station will do in a pinch. Another of my little quirks, I guess.

26. My telephone has an Elvis Presley figure on it and, instead of ringing when someone calls me, it �dances� to Elvis singing �Hound Dog�. Which makes me quite popular when someone calls at 3 am.

27. I don�t like anyone to touch my ears. Sometimes, I don�t even like changing my own earrings.

28. I have my ears pierced six times. 4 on the right, 2 on the left.

29. I love road/car trips. I don�t care where I�m going, either.

30. I was in Wilmington, NC when Hurricane Bertha landed. It was scary, but no more so than a good sized tornado.

31. My favorite Disney movie is �Beauty & The Beast�, but I adore �Sleeping Beauty�--especially the song �Once Upon A Dream�.

32. I only remember ever having three bad dreams/nightmares. One was about a killer octopus invasion (shut up, I was 8), one was about my mom dying and the other was about my sister dying.

33. I do not sing well, but I was in high school choir and we sang back up for Kenny Rogers once. One song. I was all �Ruby, Don�t Take Your Love To Town--YEAH!� But no. It was a Christmas song. Nuts.

34. I have contacts, but I prefer to wear glasses.

35. When I was a junior in high school, our marching band went to Florida to march in the Orange Bowl parade. Woo. We went to Busch Gardens and, by the line for a coaster, they had a snake tent set up. You could go in and see all different kinds of snakes. I was the only girl who would go in (I rock!) and I was the only person who would pet a snake (I TOLD you I rock!). The snake was a huge boa constrictor. I had never touched a snake before and I expected it to feel cold and slimy. It felt like warm satin.

36. I find humor in everything. Everything.

37. I used to want to teach elementary school but, after spending an entire summer doing that with one child, I realized I do not have the emotional fortitude.

37. The first movie I ever saw in a theatre was �Bambi� and my grandma took me.

38. I don�t believe in love at first sight. I would like to, it�s a beautiful and romantic idea, but I don�t.

39. I am not a touchy/feely/cuddly person. I like to cuddle/hug/whatever on my terms. My sister is an EXTREMELY physically affectionate person and it drives me batty.

40. I watch the Super Bowl for the game. And if those *#$&^% Patriots win again, I�m switching to curling!

41. I love kiwi-strawberry flavored Gatorade.

42. My �You�ve Got Mail� sign-on is voiced by the deliriously sexy Chris Isaak.

43. I fall asleep on my left side, but end up sleeping on my stomach.

44. I have never outgrown my childhood fascination with dinosaurs.

45. I �overthink� things. When I go to bed and a thought creeps into my head, I fuss it to death for hours.

46. I don�t get very angry often, but worry when I give the �silent treatment�--because I am a talker and if I am not talking I am mad.

47. I�m not afraid of flying in an airplane, but I HATE taking off and climbing/losing altitude. It�s the ear-popping thing.

48. In keeping with the airplane theme, every night before I fly, I watch Final Destination. Apparently, I�m a bit masochistic.

49. Someday, I�d like to rent an RV and just drive around the country for a few weeks.

50. I intensely dislike snow. And/or being cold. I have been known to wear sweats in July.

51. I look A LOT younger than I am. I got carded going to see �Dawn of the Dead�. Seriously. I haven�t been 17 for a decade. I�m told this will be a compliment someday.

52. I am usually [outwardly] very laid-back. My motto is: �It will all work out. Eventually.�

53. I love watching basketball, but I hate watching the NBA. I think the majority of players are overpaid, undertalented and probably wouldn�t last long in today�s NCAA.

54. I�ve tried eating vegetarian and vegan. I missed pepperoni pizza too much.

55. I�m still not sure what I want to be when I grow up.

56. I don�t care for air conditioning. I would much rather have open doors and windows.

57. I have been stung by a bee. Even though it was hardly painful, I am still terrified of bees and wasps. Even bumblebees freak me out.

58. I was once bitten by a Rhea (a cousin of the ostrich). See photos section for a startled little me.

59. I had surgery on my foot and my Achilles' tendon was severed. I was in a cast from my hip to my toes for 7 weeks. Again, see photo section.

60. The smell of celery makes me physically ill.

61. In Jamaica, I got sunburned so badly that my eyes swelled shut for two days.

62. I grow heirloom roses.

63. My favorite thing to drink is cranberry juice.

64. I have a stuffed panda bear that I�ve had since the day after I was born.

65. I am not a good sleeper. I can fall asleep anywhere--floor, bleachers, car--but I can�t stay asleep.

66. My best friend, Robin, and I have been friends for almost 15 years. We�ve been in each other�s life for longer than not.

67. I have had chicken pox twice.

68. Although I like one or two artists, I really dislike the musical genre of jazz. One of my band teachers was a jazz fanatic and crammed it down our throats at every opportunity.

69. I have been called an �indiscriminant music whore.� I am inclined to agree as, with the exception of #68, I enjoy almost any genre of music.

70. I hate geometry proofs.

71. Now that I�m an adult, I like pb & j sandwiches. Couldn�t stand them when I was kid.

72. When my sister and I fight -- we FIGHT. No girly hair-pulling or little slaps. No. I�m talking chokeholds, roundhouses, uppercuts, etc. I am not kidding.

73. My favorite place in the world is Hawaii. Specifically, Waikiki. Honolulu. Oahu.

74. I love hearing my grandpa�s WWII stories.

75. Until a few years ago, I thought I was my grandpa�s favorite (I don�t mean to sound conceited, I honestly thought I was). I heard him tell Cousin#5 that he liked her best (I want to believe he didn�t know I was nearby). I was crushed.

76. I love Mai-Tais. Even "virgin" ones.

77. I pray every night.

78. My dvd collection can be divided into two distinct categories -- kid�s movies/cartoons and war movies. With the exception of the Jurassic Park trilogy, that�s it. Either/or.

79. I sleep with a water bottle under my pillows.

80. I yawn when I am nervous. Which works so well for job interviews and dates.

81. I cock my right eyebrow, my mom cocks her left and my sister can�t do it at all.

82. I know I can never go to Vegas unchaperoned. Because I would totally pull a Britney Spears. I would!

83. For whatever reason, I cannot make chocolate chip cookies. They always come out horrible.

84. I love oceans/beaches. And palm trees. I can stare at photos of palm trees for hours. They represent everything good and happy and warm and sunny for me.

85. I lovepalm trees.

86. I like when someone else brushes my hair.

87. I have never told a male, outside my family, that I loved him. If I had, I would be lying.

88. I love hot air balloons. I watch the skies for them all summer. I have never been in one, but I would like to someday.

89. There are only two things I�ve kept that my father gave me--one is a wall hanging of a hot air balloon, one is my stuffed panda.

90. I would also like to go underwater in a cage and �swim� with Great White sharks.

91. I believe my sister is much prettier than me.

92. My favorite snack is frozen grapes. Seriously. Stick a bunch in the freezer and eat a few whenever the mood hits. They taste like tiny little slushies.

93. I am not a beer drinker, but I LOVE the smell of beer (nobody ever believes that). Yeah, I�m weird.

94. I have a good sized scar on my back from a surgery, all along my spine. It�s mostly a thin little white line, but I am majorly embarrassed by it. I also get really annoyed when people brush my embarrassment off with a laugh and a �Oh, it�s not that bad.� Yeah. It�s not that bad because it�s not on YOU.

95. I love TVLand and Nick at Night, I love all the old �Honey, I�m home� shows. I really would like to run away to Mayberry someday.

96. Don�t tell me how to do something--I will figure it out. Don�t constantly warn me about something, either. Chances are, I�ve already figured it out and if you keep warning me not to do something--well, then, now I have to do it just to piss you off.

�Don�t touch, that it�s hot.�
�Okay.�
�Because it�s hot, so don�t touch it.�
�...�
�Do not touch this, it will burn you.�
�Ow!�
�Why did you touch it? I TOLD you it was hot!�

97. I like cheese on my fries.

98. I LOVE Disney World and Epcot and all those theme parks. I�d go every year, if I could.

99. My favorite cd is ELVIS: As Recorded at Madison Square Garden.

100. I am the only one on my mom�s side of the family with brown eyes.

Currently Reading: The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
Thank you, MeeshaPeesha.

Listening To: Riddlin� Kids
...Here I go again, throwing caution to the wind...

Have a happy day!

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