100 things

I figured, what with it being NaBloPoMo and all, that now was as good a time as any to start the blog I've been assembling for the past month. So to satisfy what I'm sure is your rabid curiosity about my ridiculously normal life, to start us off is the requisite "100 things" meme. Actual posts to follow, I promise.

1. I'm a TV junkie with no shame - I'll watch anything from The Nanny reruns to weepy Lifetime TV movies (and orignial shows). But I also watch the good stuff - How I Met Your Mother, Pushing Daisies, Project Runway, Grey's Anatomy. I love it all!
2. Exercise is the bane of my existence - I'm gonna start tomorrow, okay? Geez.
3. I'm not a natural blonde (gasp!) and haven't been since I was, oh, five? Or something.
4. I've permed (don't ask), then bleached, and then dyed my hair within a very short amount of time. Which is why my hair is now the texture of hay and seems to be revolting more by the minute. All told, I've been altering the natural state of my hair every six weeks since I was 14.
5. I cannot stand a dirty kitchen, which includes rebellious crumbs on the counter, food left on plates in the dishwasher (that machine is not a miracle-worker, people, I don't care WHAT kind of detergent you use), mysterious stains on the floor, and sticky refrigerator shelves. I do, however, somehow manage to keep leftovers for about a century before they get tossed out. I am a mystery wrapped in an enigma.
6. I'm a giant klutz but can walk extremely well in heels. Better, actually, than in flat shoes. Which just make my non-existent arches ache.
7. My best physical feature is my eyelashes (and I pretty much can't be dragged out of the house, unless I'm screaming in vain, without mascara on them).
8. I have a younger brother who is a junior at, thank the baby hay-zeus, the University of Kansas.
9. If you insult KU in front of me, there is a distinct possibility that I'll either rip your eyes out, pout and chug a beer, or never talk to you again. Or all of the aforementioned, in that order.
10. I'm a staunch dog person - I find cats to be fickle, melodramatic, conditional, and subversive. And they make my eyes itch.
11. My dog Bailey (who lives with my parents) will turn 11 this December. She still acts like a puppy, though. An arthritic one.
12. I'm a denim fanatic - I own, um, LOTS of jeans and they're divided into categories (everyday, work, nice, etc.). I should probably also admit that they're all designer.
13. I'm a Pisces born in the Chinese year of the rat. This doesn't mean all that much to me, except that rats are worse than cockroaches and cockroaches, friends, are BAD.
14. I looooooove anything to do with ghosts, Halloween, paranormal activity, and the like. Remember those bad TV shows I mentioned up in number one? Ghost Hunters rocks.
15. I sometimes distract myself at work. Like right now.
16. My current job placement was a stroke of semi-luck.
17. My favorite foods are guacamole, turkey sandwiches, pizza, cheese (all of it except cottage... eeeeeeew), eggs, and the tilapia and fried calamari at Bonefish. Actually, I could go on for much longer than this list... I don't have a sophisticated palate, but I LOVE food.
18. I wasn't a serious beer drinker until my junior year in college. Before that, it was rum and Coke, Smirnoff Ice, and vodka cranberries. Surprising, actually, since I don't really have much of a sweet tooth.
19. I have a salty tooth - pretzels, chips, crackers, the Dead Sea - if it's sodium-laden, you can pretty much bet your life savings that I'll like it.
20. I only have two cousins.
21. My uncle is a pilot - something I'll always admire and brag about.
22. My ethnicity is about 80 percent English, 10 percent Irish, and the rest is a hodge-podge of Welsh and Belgian. Which makes me the only person out of my friends who actually needs to use sunscreen.
23. I've been carrying the same Coach purse to work every day for the last 15 months (it contains my entire life, after all). This has got to be some sort of record.
24. I live in Missouri and have for more than a year, but I still have a Kansas driver's license, Kansas tags, and I'm still registered to vote only in Kansas.
25. My favorite alcoholic drink is a cold Boulevard Wheat, in a glass, with a lemon wedge. I'm starting to learn, in my old age, that beer should be supplemented with water and not mainlined into one's system.
26. I hate tequila, gin, whiskey, and bourbon. And that "three kings" shot? Would probably make me vom all over you.
27. I'm a moderate Democrat but a registered Republican. This will change when I register to vote in Missouri for next year's presidential election.
28. I've had three cars and am about to lease my fourth.
29. I don't want to buy a car, despite the whole "not throwing my money away" thing because I get really itchy for a new one by the time the lease is up. I guess you could say I'm "fickle" but we all know how I feel about cats.
30. I don't get involved in office politics and/or cliques. I'm nice to everyone but I have my own friends, thank you.
31. I graduated college in four years, as did most of my friends.
32. My roommate is a nurse.
33. I didn't have a roommate last year. And I liked it.
34. I have a constantly-changing collage of bruises on my body. No, I'm not anemic. Yes, I do run into a lot of things. Like walls. Pretty much anything with mass and form.
35. I once won a chipping contest in a golf class I was taking with a friend. I was very impressed with myself that I even beat out the boys.
36. My favorite color is cerulean.
37. Last year, I discovered that I have something of a talent for interior decorating. It's just fun, like picking out clothes for your house.
38. I miss college. A lot.
39. I put a high price on my independence but appreciate chivalrous men. Why, yes, I can open that door for myself but feel free to do it for me!
40. I was a journalism major at KU. This gives my MU-grad boyfriend much fodder for teasing that I pretend not to notice.
41. Despite the fact that I keep my bedroom clean, even going so far as to dust fairly often, my laundry piles up in the hamper in my closet and the hand towels in my bathroom don't get washed nearly as frequently as they should.
42. Overall, I'm not a big jewelry person but I do wear earrings every day. I feel naked without them.
43. I eat lunch every weekday at 11:45 a.m. but I usually extend my hour-long lunch break until 1 p.m. Come on, I deserve it.
44. I'm an AVID reader. If I'm ever without a book, I feel lost. In which case, I ready trashy magazines.
45. I've read way too much and love too many to ever choose my favorite book.
46. I can, however, list my favorite authors - Christopher Moore, Agatha Christie, Jon Krakauer, and Carl Hiaasen. And Janet Evanovich - her Stephanie Plum series is seriously addictive.
47. If you can't tell from the last two, I'm kind of a words geek (hence the journalism major, which was a little more practical than English).
48. I can't STAND improper punctuation - an apostrophe 's' never makes a noun plural, you ignorant advertising copywriters!
49. I've named the Geico gecko "Bob." And I've asked for him for Christmas.
50. Speaking of Christmas, my wish list is usually in the first stages, if not complete, by Halloween.
51. I love each season for its own reasons and couldn't live in a place that's warm and sunny year-round.
52. Though I lived in California for a little more than a year when I was young. Any my best childhood memories involve my grandpa's former house in Palm Springs.
53. I'm on a constant quest for the perfect nail polish.
54. I would love to have kids of my own someday but childbirth absolutely horrifies me. This isn't exactly unique, but there you have it.
55. If you have a weak stomach, don't read this one. I contracted an intestinal, uh, thing from my, ahem, dog a few years ago. It lasted three agonizing weeks and my body has never been the same. I mean, I used to have guts of STEEL.
56. I don't like most healthy food, especially fruits and vegetables. The taste, texture, and density are just all wrong. It's all about processing, people. Unfortunately.
57. The exceptions to my healthy food aversion are strawberries, cantaloupe, broccoli (I know!), avocados, grapes, salad, corn on the cob, and some grilled vegetables. Also, I've learned to like fruit smoothies (mainly because I pretend it's not fruit in there).
58. My family does like healthy food. I am a freak.
59. I was blessed with my mom's (and grandpa's) "thin gene." Which is why I can eat crap and not work out while remaining a size 2. Please don't hate me too much.
60. I used to smoke Marlboro Lights, thanks to my weak immunity to peer pressure. Very occasionally, I still crave one but never indulge the craving. And that's thanks to my boyfriend, my roommate, and my med-student friend. Thanks, guys!
61. I'm kind of obsessed with the smell of sunscreen. Actually, to be more specific, coconut. I even have coconut oil that I wear in lieu of perfume in the summer.
62. I'm a mediocre cook but rarely get out the pots and pans. It makes a mess and takes way too long. Which is why my freezer is filled with Pizza Rolls and Lean Pockets.
63. I've eaten a turkey sandwich practically every day for at least the past 10 years. Still not sick of it.
64. I take pride in my appearance not just because it affects how others see me, but also because I physically feel better when I've made an effort.
65. For some reason, I don't wear dresses very well, which is why I own only three. I'm a girly-girl, but in a cute jeans kinda way.
66. I'm a subdued hypochondriac, meaning I spend hours convincing myself I have a brain tumor but don't rush to the doctor for tests. Or even voice my fears during annual visits. I mean, what if the doctor told me something was wrong? Very male of me, I know.
67. No matter where I am, except maybe in the car, I have a glass of water near me.
68. Gatorade, though, cures all my ills. Especially those caused by the lethal mixture of Boulevard and hard liquor.
69. I don't like taking pain medication - unless the situation is dire.
70. I follow football but watch college basketball.
71. British comedy puts me in stitches.
72. I read British chick lit and Harry Potter books with a British accent. No one understands how or why I do this. Actually, neither do I.
73. I'm very patient, except when it comes to traffic and waiting to receive presents.
74. I'm an, ahem, iffy driver. I'm pretty sure there are three speeding tickets and two accidents on my record right now. And that's just the current list. Thanks, Progressive, for having the stones to insure me.
75. Interestingly enough, I aced my driving test. But then, I'm a natural test-taker.
76. I took the ACT twice. I scored one point lower the second time.
77. My initials are KDS and my boyfriend's are SKD.
78. If you're drinking with me, odds are that within the first ten minutes these words will pop out of my mouth: "Who wants to play a drinking game?" Odds also are that there won't be cards around and we'll resort to playing "I Never" for the ten thousandth time.
79. I like everything about traveling, even the crappy stuff.
80. The best place I've ever been is Kauai, Hawaii. New York City is a close second.
81. I am absolutely petrified of bears. I have nightmares about them at least monthly. Did you see the episode of America's Next Top Model a few seasons ago when the girls had to put marshmallows in their mouths and feed them to a bear? I had to leave the room.
82. I plan on having a chocolate lab named Snickers sometime in the future.
83. I look at lights to not sneeze.
84. The pictures in all the frames I own have extremely outdated photos in them. I tell myself that I'm going to sit down and switch them out really soon. But I also tell myself I'm going to start exercising and instead just watch "The Hills."
85. I have a pretty disgusting habit of picking the skin around my thumbs until they bleed. It comes out in full force when I'm nervous and absentmindedly when I'm just bored.
86. When I was about 12, my best friend and I planned a "Sleepout Under the Stars," to which we invited our younger siblings and all the kids we baby-sat. We tormented them with really bad ghost stories and microwaved s'mores. Awesome.
87. I've been told I look like at least a dozen different celebrities, only a few of which offended me. ("But Uma Thurman looks like an ostrich!")
88. In college, I went on a date with a guy who forgot his wallet. About 30 seconds after he realized this, my roommate called me and said she'd found a wallet under the seat she was sitting in to take a final. It was his. She'd never even met the guy, just knew his first name and figured it might be him. We sat there in awe for at least five minutes.
89. I get pretty star-struck, but I try my damndest not to show it.
90. I can cook up some pretty realistic fantasies, meaning they're all reality-based. And I have a really good wardrobe in all of them.
91. I once hiked around what seemed like a giant lake (we later found out the path we took was 12 miles) the day after a violent bout of food poisoning. I'm tough.
92. I work in health care but not as a clinician. I go through periods where I want to be, but then I see blood or smell a patient room and I immediately change my mind. My roommate's stories also quell the urge.
93. In my job, the media is my best friend and worst enemy.
94. I make important decisions very quickly. Otherwise known as, "I know what I want."
95. When I was in NYC with my mom, we took a Sex and the City bus tour and deemed it the highlight of our trip. We agreed we'll take it again when we go back. Hello, Magnolia cupcakes!
96. I'm a clock-watcher. I wish my life didn't revolve around time, but it does.
97. I buy Kleenex boxes to match my bathroom. I probably shouldn't decorate with cardboard facial tissue holders, but ya know. We all need a little more color in our lives, right?
98. I still get excited about the holidays. All of them.
99. Some things that annoy me: ice chewing, gum popping, and loud chip crunching. Oops, I think I do all of those.
100. I'm done writing this list. Woo hoo!