Friday, September 08, 2006

100 Things

An exercise in narcissism. More than you ever wanted or needed to know about me.

  1. If the world operated according to my preferred hours, we'd all stay up until at least 2 or 3 a.m. and then sleep until about noon.
  2. I am an INFJ on the Meyers-Briggs indicator--all are slight/moderate tendencies except the J, which is extreme.
  3. I can be anal-retentive about fonts.
  4. I'm also obsessed with (and picky about) Hallmark cards and stationery in general.
  5. I don't like sending/receiving cards without a handwritten message. Don't you have any personal sentiments that a complete stranger couldn't express?
  6. I have a terrible habit of biting my cuticles that I can't seem to break--even though I sometimes give myself painful hangnails.
  7. Grammar mistakes, especially misused apostrophes, drive me crazy.
  8. My second grade teacher nicknamed me the "Human Dictionary" because I was always spotting her spelling mistakes. She'd ask me how to spell words when she was writing on the board.
  9. I fear that I was obnoxious as a child.
  10. I fear having a child who is obnoxious like I'm afraid I was.
  11. I was the self-appointed captain of a cheerleading squad at recess in elementary school, and I made all my friends participate.
  12. I was also determined to be the first woman president.
  13. Is it any wonder that when we did slam books at slumber parties, my friends labeled me "bossy"?
  14. Ironically, my early feminist tendencies have swung completely in the opposite direction--I would now definitely call myself a complementarian when it comes to gender roles.
  15. I hated nearly all vegetables when I was a kid.
  16. My parents made me eat as many green beans as I was years old. Drama queen that I was, I would plug my nose, shovel a bean into my mouth, and immediately take a big swallow of milk, wrinkling my face in disgust.
  17. I like them now (green beans, that is--well, and my parents, too :)
  18. I hated planning my wedding, but I'll admit that the amount of complaining I did about such a joyful event was shameful.
  19. I absolutely loved my wedding.
  20. I would change a lot of things about my reception, though.
  21. I had my first boyfriend in kindergarten.
  22. We were "together" until third grade, when he dumped me for my best friend.
  23. I was so crushed that I ripped up every picture of the two of them that I could find.
  24. He later dumped her for another girl, and my best friend and I got together and told him off. We made him cry at recess.
  25. I cut corners when walking around furniture, resulting in large bruises on my legs.
  26. My spatial intelligence is low compared to other types of intelligence.
  27. I'm a pretty good navigator in the car, yet I struggle to orient myself on "you are here" diagrams when walking.
  28. I like my handwriting a lot.
  29. I once had hair down to my waist.
  30. Strangely, it didn't seem long to me at all then.
  31. I cut 12 inches off in college and gave it to Locks of Love.
  32. I am fascinated by astronomy, anatomy, and photography.
  33. I dream of becoming a great amateur photographer.
  34. I would love to buy a nice camera (a Nikon D70 is the recommendation I hear everywhere) but I don't think I'll be able to spend that much money on a camera anytime soon.
  35. My birthday is March 18, if you're feeling generous :)
  36. I had a friend growing up who was also born March 18, and whose middle name was the same as mine (Nicole). Because of that and other similarities, we called each other "twin."
  37. We both had brown hair/eyes and were tall & thin, but otherwise looked NOTHING alike. She has always been absolutely beautiful. When we were young I wondered if she ever felt ashamed to be my "twin"--to be associated with looking like me.
  38. I volunteer at the local pregnancy care center.
  39. I have always been a bookworm, but I generally dislike many of the so-called "classics."
  40. I once hated cooking, but now I actually enjoy trying new recipes and preparing meals.
  41. My first memory of my husband (from second grade) is of him making fun of one of my friends and me tattling on him.
  42. I love thunderstorms and rollercoasters (though both scared me when I was younger).
  43. If I complete a task that wasn't on my to-do list, but should have been, I add it so I can have the satisfaction of crossing it off.
  44. I'm very detail-oriented--I can't tell a short version/explanation of anything.
  45. One of my earliest memories in life is a dream about a bubble-gum monster.
  46. I long to really know my neighbors, but I have no idea how to build relationships with strangers.
  47. I have memorized the lyrics to entire Broadway musical scores.
  48. I have an uncanny ability to remember facts, especially numbers (birthdays, phone numbers, addresses, credit cards).
  49. Case in point: when I was a sophomore in high school, I memorized Pi to the 30th or so decimal place for extra credit.
  50. I didn't need the extra credit. I was just a nerd like that.
  51. I also looked through encyclopedias for fun when I was little--I liked to read about foreign countries.
  52. It annoys me that when only one flavor of jelly is offered, it's always grape. Strawberry is surely much more universally enjoyed.
  53. My current favorite passage of Scripture is Romans 8.
  54. I used to sleep during class in high school on occasion.
  55. If I could go back in time, I'd treat my high school teachers with more respect.
  56. I'd also be more compassionate to the unpopular kids. I was trying too hard not to be one of them.
  57. I have participated in volleyball, basketball, softball, and track & field, but I only continued through high school in volleyball.
  58. I can hold up to seven volleyballs in my arms at once. (This useful skill was honed during my younger years as a manager.)
  59. I don't mind cleaning toilets, but I detest cleaning showers.
  60. I went through a phase in high school that my best friend affectionately refers to as the "Dating Nazi" years.
  61. This was after I read and loved I Kissed Dating Goodbye.
  62. I really hadn't done much dating to be able to kiss it goodbye, but that's another story.
  63. I still get passionately frustrated when young girls are boy-crazy because I want them to understand what I didn't: Your self worth as a middle/high schooler does not depend on which boys like you and whether you're "dating" anyone!
  64. I love those hard candies that you put on birthday cakes as decoration. (They're best once they have been on the cake for more than 24 hours and have gotten a little soft from the frosting.)
  65. I could live on pizza.
  66. I often get an anxious, restless feeling deep in my gut.
  67. If I'm going to drink a lot of water, or drink it fast, I don't like it to be cold.
  68. Since we keep filtered water in the fridge, I have been known to microwave a glass of water for 15 seconds to take the chill off before drinking it.
  69. I struggle with pride, laziness, and too little fear of God/too much fear of man.
  70. I had a mullet when I was in elementary school.
  71. I taught myself to like coffee by drinking grande single-shot caramel mocha lattés.
  72. My elbows are double-jointed.
  73. I spent two summers traveling in a van to youth camps across the country.
  74. I have around 70 old journals in various boxes in my house and at my parents' house.
  75. I have a severe phobia of mice. I don't even like to write, hear, or say the word.
  76. I once learned to play guitar and was a prodigy for the first three weeks, until I quit practicing.
  77. Big decisions paralyze me.
  78. My Bloglines feeds include both Dooce and Al Mohler. I think there's something sort of bizarre about that.
  79. I have been known to smack girlfriends' butts as a sign of affection.
  80. I am a classic firstborn.
  81. I hate how the stores that sell the modest, classy clothes I like are the most expensive ones.
  82. I am a daddy's girl through and through.
  83. I find myself using my mother's expressions, with the exact same tone, pitch and inflection--and at the same time as her if we're together. It's scary.
  84. I feel compelled to leave my mark on whatever I read, underlining phrases and scribbling in the margins of books or circling notes and jotting down phrases in sheet music.
  85. Sometimes (in Christian circles, not political ones) I feel too conservative for the liberals and too liberal for the conservatives.
  86. At college, I was deeply indoctrinated with Arminian viewpoints, but I have since embraced Reformed theology.
  87. I dream of someday being a part of a Sovereign Grace church.
  88. I take frequent deep breaths because I can’t fill my lungs enough.
  89. My skin itches miserably during certain forms of exercise (running/walking quickly).
  90. I envy child stars and girls who can belt showtunes in full voice.
  91. I speed when I can remotely justify it, but take a self-righteous anti-speeding attitude otherwise.
  92. I talk too much and too fast, and interrupt people often.
  93. I often berate myself for the things I say, sure that others are annoyed.
  94. I hated the oldies when my parents made me listen to them in the car. They got the last laugh when I started making oldies mix CDs for myself.
  95. I meet with friends only when it’s scheduled and intentional, never spontaneous hanging out.
  96. I steal funny verbal expressions.
  97. My second major in college was writing, but other than blogging, I rarely write anymore.
  98. I'm not sure if that's because of laziness, fear of failure, or something else altogether.
  99. I endlessly revise everything.
  100. It took me months to complete this list because I wanted to come up with just the right things.

13 comments:

Malia said...

We have a lot in common!

I started one of these lists sometime ago but never finished it. Maybe I'll get around to doing that again.

(I got here via NIT. I hope you have a fun time blogging this weekend. I did it back in May and it was a blast!)

Anonymous said...

I was reading this laughing at how much i knew...and than sad that i couldn't remember who your kindergarden boyfriend was! Of course i have someone in mind. Then I was laughing at you being "bossy". I mean, you standing with your back against your bedroom door telling me i wasn't aloud to go home isn't bossy is it? I love you girl, and love all of our memories...even the ones of Steven that didn't start out nearly as positive as they ended :) I miss you two so much!!!

Anonymous said...

That's a great list! I did one of those a while ago and it took me forever as well. I tend to over-revise and then I basically end up starting from scratch a million times.

The Chinlund Family said...

I laughed out loud when I read 16-- my parents made me do the same exact thing with peas-- and I always waited to eat them last as if they'd somehow remove themselves from my plate during the course of dinner. By then they were cold and I'd literally gag them down with milk. Unlike you and your beans, I still hate peas.

Kayla said...

Some of these things I would have never guessed. but I must honestly tell you that the one that shocked me the most is warming up water in the microwave. EEWW!! If it isn't icecold, I spit it out. : )

Amy said...

well, to clarify, I don't like WARM water. sipping ice-cold water is fine--but I just don't like it ice-cold if I have to drink an entire glass. I only microwave for a few seconds so it's cool-to-room-temp :)

Kat Coble said...

Get out of my head.

Your #5 is one of my major peeves. ;-p

Why bother going to the effort of buying and sending a card and NOT saying something truly personal?

Jackie said...

Haha who knew that I knew so much about you! I think I'd take a step further on the whole grammar issue, and say that you might be anal-retentive about fonts, but you are also anal-retentive about grammar! You complained about planning your wedding? nah not you! haha except I do recall all of us cheery PR people praying for you as you cried! hahaha I also add things to my list if they weren't already on there just so I can have the satisfaction of crossing it off ... a sense of accomplishment! :-)haha as I continue down this insanely long list, I see that PR will forever live inside you whether you like it or not! You had a mullet?! hahahahahahahahaha and last but not least, I also only meet with friends only when it’s scheduled and intentional, never spontaneous hanging out ... which is the exact opposite of what my friends do!

Haha okay this is a random .. somewhat pointless comment .. and I sure hope I spelled everything correctly! haha I check over EVERYTHING before I send it to you! lol

Hope to see you in October!

love & miss you!
Jackie

Anonymous said...

If you want to get to know your neighbors, make it a point to make eye contact when you see them and smile and nod or say "hello" or "hi" or "hey"...Do this a few times and see if they begin to respond...Eventually, ask the wife/female if she'd like to join you for a cup of coffee/tea when you see her outside in her yard...hopefully she'll say yes....keep it simple...coffee, tea, perhaps a cookie or two (keep some on hand so that you can seize the moment--it's good to keep some break and bake or slice and bake cookies on hand...you can pop them in the oven while you prepare the beverage...or a Sara Lee coffeecake is good to have in the freezer...you can slice it frozen and nuke it...). This spur of the moment thing is less intimidating then an ivitation for the future, and much less work on you, since there is no expectation of anything from your guest and you don't have to go to a lot of trouble as you would inviting someone over for a meal...

Try this...hopefully it will go well and a friendship will develop between the two of you.

If she is not a Christian you will be given the opportunity to witness on a casual basis as a friendhip develops...

Cheers!

Amanda Pittman said...

I have no idea how I found your blog.. I skip around blogs like crazy while my girls sleep.:) I love the name of your blog, and I just HAD to comment on this list, as so much of it reminds me of myself! I've thought of doing one of these lists myself, but the thought overwhelms me. Maybe I should start and just add to it as I can:) Maybe its our eldest child tendencies (I think that you mentioned this about yourself in that list...)? Thanks for sharing! Its nice to find other moms in similar age and interests to see what their lives are like.

I see IWU listed on the side... not to be nosey, but is that in reference to Indiana Wesleyan? We're not far from there, so I was curious:)

litabug said...

Amy, thanks for the comment! I admit I'm also thrilled to find out an acquaintance has a blog. We become a friends more quickly that way. :)

Your numbers 3, 4, and 5 hit close to home! I worked at Paper Source when we lived in Boston and it completely spoiled me in the stationery and font categories. We used the names of ugly fonts to insult each other. "Forget it, Comic Sans!" "Whatever, Papyrus!"

Ali said...

Dying to see pictures of that mullet! I loved this list. Wonderfully put together. I may have to try this!

Salty Beaches Write said...

This post was thoroughly entertaining and hilarious and made me go, "Oh Amy, I love her", out loud. #79- LOL!!!!!