100 Things About Me- Part I

This was harder to put together than expected. I will post Part II tomorrow. At that point my soul really will be naked.

1. I like my eggs sunny-side up and just so. I also require toast for dipping.

2. I have a habit of staying up late.

3. Sleeping in is a guilty pleasure. Also, I’m good at it.

4. My shoe size is 8 1/2.

5. I have a collection of cheap travel snowglobes. Sadly, this collection is currently tucked away in a shoebox in my closet. Also, such snowglobes are getting harder and harder to find. This is the kind I collect.

6. I never win on ebay. I suspect I’m not a very good ebay-er.

7. My favorite tea is Earl Grey. It is also my favorite tea name.

8. I’ve only received one ticket, thus far, in my life and it was for speeding. Do I still speed? Yes. Does this mean I am a rebel? No.

9. I turn up my nose at even the slightest mention of math.

10. I love words and stories. I live for words and stories.

11. I get flustered when people make the statement that there are “math people” and then there are “English people” as if the two are entirely separate categories that cannot cross over. In reality you can be a master of Shakespeare and a master of Calculus. I’m not an example of this but I have a brother who is and he would gladly discuss such matters with you… Actually, he probably wouldn’t have the time for such conversation as he is too busy these days teaching English and Math.

12. I live in Michigan.

13. This doesn’t mean I will live in Michigan forever (even if it sometimes feels like it).

14. My favorite big city in the United States is New York City and Seattle.

15. My favorite little city in the United States is the Town-I-Live-In-Now.

16. In my childhood I would often share the phrase: “Variety adds a spice to life.”

17. In my childhood I was committed to sorting out The Meaning of Life (as in, what is life’s purpose?). I would ask this question quite frequently to others. Input is always helpful on such weighty matters.

18. I was also committed to being a future zoologist or veterinarian.

19. This commitment was replaced when I discovered my true calling: Broadway. My destiny was to be a Broadway actress.

20. In high school my future plans shifted and at that point I decided I would be a writer.

21. I had a high school teacher who told me (in the nicest way possible, I’m sure): “If you want to be a writer you need to practice… You need to learn how to write… You are like a baseball player who needs to learn how to hit the ball with a bat.” After this conversation I cried and cried. It was as if she had hit me with a bat, proving once again the mighty power of words!

22. There is a lesson here, of course: Don’t listen to everything a person tells you. Also, I agree on this matter: if you want to be a writer you need to write. A lot.

23. That same year in high school I won a city-wide award for my writing. I believe the title was Best of Class. From that point on everyone began telling me what a talented writer I am.

24. I was also busy in high school with Forensics and Debate.

25. In case you haven’t already put this together: No, I never managed to make it in the A crowd.

26. In college, like most of my peers, I realized I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life.

27. I continued to take classes in the direction of English anyway because wasn’t that what I was supposed to be good at?

28. I also entertained the idea of being a Photographer. I changed my mind later.

29. I continue to take photos on a hobby level. I believe the term for what I am is Amateur Photographer.

30. I will finish college in April with a degree in English.

31. My minor is in Anthropology.

32. My future career is Unknown.

33. Graduate school is still a question mark in my future, as well.

34. I was published in 2005 in a book that is destined for the English canon. My short story that appears in the book I submitted at the age of 14. I was not contacted until many, many years later and had forgotten about the story’s existence during that time.

35. Looking at something one wrote at 14 can be quite a gruesome experience. Knowing you cannot edit or take back what you wrote at 14 is also painful.

36. There was one copy of My Book at my favorite local bookstore and on occasion I would find the time to go in to kiss it and open up the pages to double check on my story. Then a horrible reader must have purchased the book because it simply disappeared from the shelf one day. It has been one month now and the bookstore has not taken the time to restock it. I’m afraid my literary career, however short and glorious, is over.

37. I try to be funny and love to mix in what I perceive as humor. Sometimes it works quite successfully, but sometimes I fail miserably. (Humor is easier to do in life rather than in a blog, I find.)

38. I have a boyfriend who makes me happy.

39. If I were to turn this into a 100 Things About My Boyfriend I would mention he has red hair. And he’s quirky. And he makes me laugh daily. But this is not a 100 Things About My Boyfriend so let’s move on, shall we?

40. I am a coffee barista.

41. This does not mean I work at Starbucks. It does mean I will be asked about Starbucks frequently.

42. Do I like Starbucks? You know, I think I’m neutral. There are things I like and things I absolutely detest. I will tell you this: my boyfriend will not spend money at Starbucks.

43. My favorite coffee drink is a latte with a splash of flavor.

44. I am trying to get away from drinking coffee drinks. I would love to become a tea drinker instead.

45. “Would you like a spot of tea?” - I can use this phrase more often if I switch over to tea. “Would you like a spot of coffee?” just doesn’t work.

46. I have been to Alaska twice.

47. I love the Pacific Northwest.

48. I know a small portion of French.

49. I listen to NPR while driving.

50. I have bangs and the upkeep required is a bit like taking care of a standard poodle.