Another 100 Things About Me

27 CommentsMonday • February 26, 2007 • by michelle

Woohoo! It’s my 100th post!

And to celebrate, here are another 100 things about me (get your cup of coffee or whatever now, because you could be here a while):

1. I’m a sucker for animals, but not so much birds UNTIL my owl Filippo came along. I would have a zoo if it were physically and economically possible and ethically sound.
2. People in my southern Italian village think I’m strange because I touch (in a loving way) just about any animal that crosses my path. I’m quite certain that’s not the only reason they think I’m strange. Living away from my family is another biggie.
3. I’ve learned that Americans and Italians do just about everything differently. Some things I’ve changed (I now peel all fruit), but most I’ve kept the same. Assimilation is just a 12 letter word, and yes I had to count that out on my fingers. Twice to be sure.
4. I cook at least one meal from scratch a day, oftentimes two. It’s the truth, yo.
5. I like cheeseburgers with ketchup, mayonnaise, onion, lettuce, and tomato, but I like hot dogs with mustard and onions. I don’t believe mustard should ever touch vegetables.
6. One of my favorite meals is sauerkraut, pork, mashed potatoes, and applesauce, and each bite must contain some of each one of those or else something’s off. This is my family’s traditional New Year’s Day dish, by the way; drinking too much on New Year’s Eve is beyond discouraged. Coincidence?
7. Speaking of German stuff, my mother is Pennsylvania Dutch, which does not mean Amish or Dutch, but it does mean “Pennsylvania German” more or less.
8. I put the toilet paper roll so that the paper comes from underneath. I find it’s easier to snap off with one hand, and, thus, more convenient. I also find that children can’t spin the hell out of it and leave it in a ball on the floor. Please don’t bombard me with comments on why I’m wrong. La la la…I’m not listening….and by the way, do not think you’re doing me a favor by switching it when you come to my house.
9. I like things organized, but I’m not really a clean freak. For instance, I hate mopping floors, so for the most part, I don’t. This, I reason, is because I don’t need to eat off my floors. I think it’s good reasoning.
10. I have an uncanny ability to remember birth dates, theme songs, and commercial jingles, but people’s names often escape me. The frequency of this phenomenon has increased with age.
11. I first saw the movie Jerry Maguire in a special screening at my university, and I’ve seen it another, oh, 81 (or so) times since. I believe most occurrences in life can be answered with a quote from that movie that’s not “Show me the money!” I know many of you doubt this, but if you explore this possibility, I think you’ll find it to be true.
12. I used to like Tom Cruise a real lot, but, well, you know the rest.
13. I have no tattoos or interesting piercings and no desire to obtain them.
14. I have sung on stage in public, although not many people know I can carry a tune.
15. I can play the flute (or at least I could 15 years ago) and would love to learn to play the guitar, and after that, the piano. And then every other instrument.
16. I’m a United States/Italian dual citizen, which is completely possible and legal. If anyone would like information on the jure sanguinis process, please feel free to email me.
17. I got Italian citizenship through my grandmother’s bloodline, but it would’ve been much quicker and easier to just get hitched. 20/20 as they say.
18. I have my Italian-born great-grandmother’s and great-great-grandfather’s original American citizenship certificates framed here in my house in Italy.
19. I live minutes from the beach, but I’m really, really not a beach person.
20. Because of my pasty white skin, I am asked approximately a million times every summer why I don’t like the beach. I did not inherit my grandmother’s olive complexion, but at least the blood got me something.
21. I didn’t touch my hair color until I was in my mid 20s, but I haven’t highlighted in about 4 years now. All my natural color is back and has regained its natural highlights, which is kinda cool. I’m also gaining some white stragglers, though, which is not so cool and means I will likely start adding some artificial color soon.
22. I’ve begun using anti-wrinkle cream around my eyes, and I am not ashamed.
23. I used to have a lot of sinus problems in America, but I haven’t really had any since I moved to Italy.
24. On the other hand, I’m now allergic to cigarette smoke, although I wasn’t when I was in America (although I’ve always hated it).
25. I’ve also developed a disturbing allergy to most lip glosses. If anyone has ideas on this, do tell.
26. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had an inexplicable fascination with the Kennedy family.
27. I was on the phone with a friend talking about “The Kennedy Curse” for three hours on the evening that JFK, Jr.’s plane went down. I was completely freaked out by the news the next morning, and still feel so every now and again when I think about this odd coincidence.
28. I’ve always been a Democrat, one might even say a “yellow dog Democrat.” For those who don’t know, that means I’d sooner vote for a yellow dog than a Republican. Thank you Dean Wilson for teaching me this.
29. I really, truly believe Al Gore won the presidential election in 2000.
30. And I still really, really believe in Al Gore. I don’t care if people think he’s boring. I don’t need my president to make me laugh.
31. For that, I have Conan O’Brien. One might say I have a lil’ crush on him.
32. I’ve met him and seen his show in person several times, although I’ve neither lived in nor love New York City.
33. However I do like Boston—for me to poop on!
34. No, seriously, I love Boston; most of my friends from college are from the greater Boston area. I went to college in North Carolina. You figure it out.
35. On the Beantown tip, I was also a New Kids on the Block freak. Joey Mac all the way, baby. You know, if I were still 13 years old.
36. I met him once as well. In New York City. Again, I’ve never lived there.
37. I’m not very good at hiding my emotions. If you’re paying attention, you know where you stand with me.
38. My first job was as a waitress at a drive-in—diner, not movie theater. And no, I didn’t grow up in the 50s or have to wear roller skates, but I can make those really cool swirls in a soft serve ice cream cone with the best of ’em.
39. I also worked at an amusement park, operating rides. Cleaning up vomit was the least fun part of that job; letting chunky kids use my thigh as a step stool to get into the “Italian Trapeze” (swings) is a close second. The coolest part? Using into the microphone to tell people to keep their arms and legs inside the car, stay behind the yellow line, etc. Oh the power!
40. I worked in a lawyer’s office for a summer before I went to law school, hated it, and then went to law school anyway. I know, I know. I’m a slow learner.
41. Speaking of which, I went to Head Start, which for most of my life I thought meant I was a slow learner. Only much later did I find out it just meant we were poor.
42. I started kindergarten when I was four years old, which means I graduated when I was 17 years old.
43. I already knew how to read when I showed up that first day, mostly thanks to my older brother.
44. I’ve always been a great speller, going so far as the written test before qualifying for the National Spelling Bee when I was 10 years old.
45. I was frequently bored throughout elementary school and probably did twice the amount of work of most students just to keep busy. Does anyone else remember SRA? Those stories and reading comprehension quizzes? I remember a report card saying I was a real “eager beaver” with those, and I’m convinced that’s why I hated those questions so much on future standardized tests.
46. During college, I worked in The University Store and got a 20% discount. My family and I wore way more collegiate paraphernalia than was truly necessary.
47. Also during college, I was a member of a national service fraternity—yes, you read that right. It was a brotherhood even though there were plenty of gals involved. There were very few social events as the entire group revolved around volunteering.
48. I did over 100 hours worth of service and worked with domestic violence survivors, children with cancer, the elderly, AIDS patients, underprivileged children, and many others. My favorite activities were playing with the children at the hospital and serving as a Girl Scout leader.
49. During law school, I was a professor’s research assistant and also wrote legal articles for the oldest law journal in the United States, Philadelphia’s Legal Intelligencer.
50. In high school, I was a statistician for both the boys’ basketball and baseball teams. It was really fun except for when one of the parents got on my ass about not crediting his son the number of assists he was sure he had dished. High school records and possible retiring of jerseys were at stake!
51. If you think that’s extreme, you should see how people react to high school football where I live. Think “Friday Night Lights” (at least the book; I haven’t seen the TV show or the movie) and you’re on the right track. My high school has the most wins in the state of Pennsylvania, by the way. Go Big Red!
52. Despite coming for a football-loving place, I also really love, love, love going to baseball games. I dropped a lot of disposable income on Phillies games when I lived in Philly.
53. I often read magazines and newspapers from back to front. Yet another trait I get from my mother.
54. I studied Latin for four years in high school, which seemed pointless at the time but actually helped a lot with the verbal section of the SAT and also with learning Italian.
55. I studied German for a year in college but stopped because I realized I wasn’t going to be able to fulfill any more requirements with German classes. I did well, but now I forget just about everything.
56. I didn’t take Italian because the time conflicted with one of the courses in my English major.
57. If I had known then what I know now, I would’ve stuck with German *and* switched my history major to Italian and tried to study as many languages as possible. I still would’ve kept the English major though.
58. I’ve still never taken a proper Italian class, but I’m currently studying Italian grammar on my own. I feel like although I can communicate, I can’t express myself in exactly the way I want all the time. Particularly for a writer, this is extremely frustrating.
59. I can draw and paint OK, but I would love to learn more about both crafts.
60. I *love* home remodeling shows and magazines.
61. I was raised Catholic, but grew apart from the religion for essentially two reasons: (1) the Church’s treatment of women and (2) its disturbing emphasis on money.
62. I have a soft spot in my heart for the saints, though, as I still believe in miracles and respect those that are called by a higher power to sacrifice their lives for others.
63. I believe everyone should have complete control over their own body, and I don’t believe this should be a controversial statement.
64. I believe in neither capital nor corporal punishment.
65. I used to think that a man lived in the cubby hole (attached to my bedroom), but not like the Bogeyman—more like a homeless man who came and went when no one was paying attention. I was in my teens.
66. Then one day my goddaughter (three years old at the time) opened the cubby door toward her and it flew back shut for no apparent reason. She froze with her mouth gaping open before I scooped her up and took her downstairs. After that, I never had the feeling that someone was in there anymore.
67. I’ve never seen any Star Wars movies or Star Trek episodes or movies, and I probably never will.
68. But I love astronomy and anything that has to do with space.
69. I also love anatomy but don’t like blood. Once something’s pickled, apparently, I have no problems exploring.
70. My mom is a nurse, and I vividly remember someone asking me if I wanted to be a nurse like my mom when I was about four years old, to which I replied, “NOOOO!”
71. I stopped growing in 7th grade, which means I hit my maximum height (5’2”/157.5 cm although my Itailan ID says 160) at 11 years old.
72. My grandfather (from where I get my last name) was Lithuanian. And no, that’s not the same as Polish, but there’s a lot of overlap, particularly in the amazing food.
73. I’ve always wanted to learn sign language, but now I’ve realized that Italian Sign Language and American Sign Language aren’t the same, so I’m torn. I’d like to be able to teach this to my baby (if I ever have one) because I’ve read that it’s a good way for babies to communicate and feel understood. But I have to pick a language first.
74. I really like scented candles, but I have to extinguish them outside because the smell of extinguished candles makes P sick to his stomach. Then I end up forgetting them outside in the rain, and they get filled with water; it can take weeks for them to be usable again.
75. Even in extreme heat, I can’t sleep without some sort of cover—at least a sheet draped over my middle section or I’ll be tossin’ and turnin’ all night.
76. Luna is the goodest girl, and many Italians here think I am nuts to keep a dog inside the house.
77. I had the chicken pox when I was six months old, and then I got a staph infection from my mom (nurses bring home nasty stuff/staph (hah!) sometimes) on top of it. Apparently I screamed a lot, but I don’t have any memories or physical scars, so I’m glad it all went down when it did.
78. I didn’t have any scars until I was in a car accident as a passenger when I was 12 years old. My mom was driving and the car skidded on ice, head-on into another car. Both cars were totaled, and my mom was pretty badly injured, mostly because she was reaching across to car to hold me back. But I had my seatbelt on and was sleeping—didn’t wake up until everything was over, which they say was a good thing because then I didn’t try to resist the natural flow of movement. I only had a small cut on my knee where it went into the glove compartment.
79. But I was closer to death when P and I first got together—our third date or so. Always eager to make a lasting impression, I got some meat lodged in my throat (and I mean *no* air was getting in) and he literally had to do the Heimlich to dislodge it. You know that saying about your life passing before your eyes? Totally true.
80. I wish I had all of the books I had to read in college here with me now so I could actually appreciate them without highlighting anything.
81. I really don’t like to shave my legs, but oh how I love the feeling of them in pants when they’re freshly dehaired.
82. I’ve had glasses for near-sightedness since I was 8 or 9 years old; I am now extremely, extremely near-sighted. My brother is near-sighted as well, but neither of our parents are.
83. If I’m outdoors and it’s not raining, I’m probably wearing sunglasses. Even when it’s overcast, it can still be darn bright you know.
84. I was very late in getting a cell phone (it was 2002, I believe), and I’m not interested in any kind of special features at the moment. I like being accessible when I want, not being expected to respond to emails immediately, and having a digital camera for photos.
85. I don’t have an iPod, but I would like to have music more accessible.
86. I hate getting up early, but I love the feeling of being up early.
87. On that note, I don’t like people who act superior because they are awake at the crack of dawn. It just means you probably go to bed before most children, so step off your pedestal please.
88. I can be shy around strangers, but can be hard to shut up around people I know well.
89. I like to make up stupid songs about just about anything happening at the moment, often incorporating Luna.
90. I have kept a journal for as long as I can remember.
91. I’ve never wanted blonde hair or blue eyes, which is probably evident in the fact that I’ve never dyed my hair blonde or gotten colored contacts. I wouldn’t mind black hair though.
92. I have a really, really strong sweet tooth. I like the things that most people find sickening like marshmallow peeps (made not too far from my hometown) and circus peanuts.
93. On the other hand, I don’t care for salt (I scrape it off pretzels).
94. I alphabetize just about everything.
95. I’ve never tried sushi, and I’m going to be honest with you, I don’t see it happening in the near future since it’s not super common in southern Italy.
96. I’ve never had a pedicure or manicure.
97. I dislike insects and insect-like things, but they only freak me out if they move quickly. Then all bets are off, and I’m standing on a chair.
98. I’ve never bitten my nails or cracked my knuckles, but I did go through a pen chewing phase. Now I find all of these things disgusting.
99. The first perfume I remember wearing is Love’s Baby Soft, if you can consider that a perfume.
100. I could probably do another 20 of these lists and still not run out of things to say. Does that make me self-centered?