My Turn

Lately I've been working on my own list of 100 Things, since I'm one of the few who hasn't done it yet. Sassy's recent post inspired me to get it done, then when I mentioned it to SAM she recommended splitting the list into several posts. So here we go with part one.

You might remember that Chip sweetly posted 35 things he knows and loves about me not too long ago. My list starts with my take on those 35 things.

1. I am compulsive about saying "good night" as the last words spoken before I fall asleep.
2. I truly hate tomatoes, especially the texture.
3. Although I prefer pizzas with pesto or olive oil instead of red sauce (see above), I do consider pepperoni pizza with extra cheese to be the greatest food ever, and would choose that as part of my last meal. (If I were ever in a position to request foods for a last meal, that is.)
4. I am absolutely in mourning regarding the “upgrade” we recently made from our old TiVo to a newer HD DVR unit.
5. I never was interested in cooking until about ten years ago, and now it’s one of my favorite things to do.
6. I don’t love baking, though. Too much measuring.
7. I really, really love shopping, either for myself or others. Personal shopper is one of my dream jobs.
8. I am really truly lazy about some things, especially the laundry.
9. This is almost a cliché at this point, but I like to work from a list.
10. I am good at knowing when I’m being irrational. That doesn’t mean I can stop, it just means I know.
11. I often giggle when I get into bed at night, for no other reason than I love going to sleep.
12. I sleep with a full-body pillow that my mom gave me during my first pregnancy. The pillow’s name is Scott, and our relationship is strictly platonic.
13. I was salutatorian of Ridgeway High School’s class of 1991. I was also president of the Honor Society, secretary of the student body, and captain of the cheerleading squad. And I was named “Most School Spirited.” I haven’t really done anything since.
14. The Color Purple is my favorite book of all time.
15. I don’t care at all about the cleanliness of my car.
16. I have a lot to say, and I usually say it quickly and sometime loudly. (That’s not something you didn’t know, but I’m trying to follow Chip’s list!)
17. My brother is one of my best friends. Not everyone can say that about their sibling, so I feel lucky about that.
18. I do love sports. Not just on a casual basis, but in a “watch SportCenter daily and read sports blogs and have more than one fantasy team in any given season” way.
19. I generally don’t get along well with men who are total jock/sports fan/frat guy types.
20. For most of high school I thought I wanted to go to Duke University, but I was too chicken to even apply
21. My favorite CDs of all time include 311, Music; Prince, Sign O' the Times; Ani DiFranco, Not a Pretty Girl (or maybe Out of Range- I go back and forth on that one); Tori Amos, Little Eartquakes; U2, Joshua Tree.
22. I am married to a guy who would list some of those same CDs as his favorites.
23. I cry easily.
24. Have a staggering amount of pop culture knowledge at my command.
25. I love to play games, from board games to poker. I don’t like to wager with real money, though.
26. I have a weakness about subscribing to magazines.
27. I was once a Sandwich Artist at Subway. I worked there from 1989-1991, and back then we weren’t called that, but I still consider what I did to be artistry.
28. I often fall asleep thinking about what I'll do when I win the lottery.
29. I like doing research, especially about people, although some people call that snooping.
30. I truly don’t enjoy writing, so it’s weird that I keep up with this blog.
31. Chip thinks I transcend the cheerleader stereotype, but I honestly don’t know what that stereotype is. Dumb? Bimbo? Catty? I think of cheerleaders as being wildly supportive and a little cheesy, and let’s be honest- I have not transcended that stereotype at all.
32. I am one thesis paper short of a master's in Sociology.
33. I have researched and debated nearly every choice I've made as a parent, but I still think most of them have been wrong.
34. I taught elementary school for 2 years, and sometimes I miss it. I would love to work with kids again, just not as a regular classroom teacher.
35. I considered law school, but once Chip entered law school I decided that seemed like too much work.

36. I just don't get the whole Wilco thing. I wish I did, because the people who like them REALLY like them. But I just don't.
37. I was a contestant on The Knowledge Bowl when I was in high school. I was too scared to ring in, so I only answered one question. My answer was "Pete Rose," and it was correct. We lost anyway.
38. I enjoy reading internet spoilers about my favorite TV shows.
39. I require eight hours of sleep each night.
40. On a completely irrational level, I will do anything possible to avoid getting out of bed in the morning. Within a few minutes of getting out of bed, I come to my senses and start to feel awake for the day, but when I'm still under the covers I am completely insane.
41. I wish I took the time to read books more often. The sad truth is, I just prefer TV.
42. When I do find time to pick up a book of fiction, I have trouble putting it down until I'm done.
43. When I gain weight, I gain it exactly evenly all over my body. So people are always surprised when they hear how much I actually weigh.
44. Not counting pregnancy, my weight has fluctuated within a 50-lb range in the past 15 years.
45. My favorite color is red. This isn't because I'm "fiery" or "passionate" or because I'm "a Leo"- I just like it.
46. I don't put any stock in astrology, but I like to pretend I do on the subject of being a Leo.
47. I've had plenty of joe jobs, nothing I'd call a career. In addition to Subway, I worked at a movie theater concession stand, as a waitress, a receptionist, a teacher, and whatever it is I do now.
48. My dream career is housewife and mother. I would have rocked the 1950s!
49. I'd like to spin you a tale about how The Godfather or Citizen Kane is my favorite movie, but I can't. My favorite movie of all time is Wayne's World, followed by Christmas Vacation and Bull Durham.
50. I do love The Godfather. But I've never seen Citizen Kane. (Gasp!)
51. I have a real weakness for garden-variety romantic comedies. I always cry at the end of the second act, when it looks like Meg and Tom won't end up together, and again at the end of the movie when they do.
52. Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year.
53. Knowing this, Chip proposed to me on Christmas Eve. Then we got married during the following Christmas season.
54. I have been pregnant four times.
55. Two ended in miscarriage, two ended with a c-section.
56. If I could afford plastic surgery, I would have a tummy tuck.
57. My favorite baseball team is the Chicago Cubs, because they were my dad's favorite team.58. I prefer professional sports to college sports. I imagine that would be different if I lived in an SEC city.
59. I wish I watched more hockey.
60. Part of me likes being Southern.
61. Part of me hates living in the South.
62. I wish I didn't have to raise my kids in this part of the country. (I mean, how is it that Connor is already a NASCAR fan?)
63. I'd love to live in San Francisco or Boston.
64. Everyone agrees that Austin is a cool place to live, but I can't get over the fact that it's in Texas.
65. I love to sing and dance, although I'm not good at either.
66. I have no problem making a fool of myself in front of other people.
67. That's why you have probably seen me sing and/or dance. (Or lead cheers.)
68. It drives me crazy when people take themselves too seriously.
69. I will only take a sick day for myself if I have a fever or if I'm vomiting.
70. I will take a vacation day at the drop of a hat.

71. I believe I'm destined to be PTO president someday.
72. I wish I could write songs or draw or write fiction, but I'm just not creative and artsy.
73. I envy people who are.
74. I like getting dressed up.
75. I'm not comfortable in jeans.
76. I am not an animal person.
77. I have a pet cat anyway, and although I love him I will never refer to him as one of my kids.
78. I think white wine is the most perfect beverage in the world. I could drink it instead of water.
79. But I do love Memphis water, and when I leave town I realize how spoiled I am by its quality.
80. I play the same numbers in every Powerball drawing. I have no problem spending $2 a week on this, and I am under no delusions that I might actually win. At this point it's just a superstitious/OCD thing.
81. I knew Chip was "the one", right from the start.
82. I watched the entire run of Sex and the City, despite my intense hatred of Carrie Bradshaw.
83. I always have to have polish on my toenails, and I won't stand for it to be chipped or smudged.
84. If I had the time and money, I would get a weekly pedicure. I've only had three in my whole life.
85. I was born in Ripley, WV.
86. My dad is buried in Huntington, WV.
87. I have lived in Memphis since I was five.
88. I own all 10 seasons of Friends on DVD and I watch them regularly.
89. When the show was originally on, Chandler was my favorite, but repeat viewings have led me to appreciate just how funny Ross is.
90. I made an effort not to talk about specific TV shows on this, because I love so many, but Friends is Friends-what are you gonna do.
91. My early teen crushes included Doug Flutie (He did it!), Christian Laettner (So not gay! OK, maybe), and Jon Bon Jovi.
92. Only Jon remains in my top 5, but this country music thing he's got going has him hanging by a thread.
93. I am not good at spelling.
94. I like math.
95. Growing up my nickname was Nee Nee (or just Neen), although my step-dad sometimes referred to me as Bertha Buttinski.
96. (Bertha went on her first diet at age 10.)
97. As an adult, I have been called Steffa, Steff-Annie (that one is easier to say than write), and Steph.
98. I think nicknames are fine, but I almost always refer to myself as Stephanie (not Steph), even when I sign a note to a close friend.
99. I like the hot weather of the summertime, because I'm used to it and because summer clothes are so comfortable and cute.
100. I like being cold in the winter, because I get to wear boots and because gloves and scarves make cute accessories.
101. I think living someplace like San Diego, where it's 70 degrees all year round, would be perfect. I wouldn't miss the seasons at all.
102. My favorite vacation is to the beach, mainly because you aren't expected to do anything except lounge. And I love the textures, smells and sounds of the sand and sea.
103. I am shocked to realize that I now consider sushi to be comfort food.
104. I didn't find this exercise to be difficult at all- I could easily write another hundred.
105. I like symmetry. (This was originally posted in three lists of 35.)