Barbara's Random Thoughts

Paul Buchanan told us the Milk Story in my Creative Writing Class at Biola. I don't remember if it was originally a Tim Caron story or a Walt the Stalker story. (Kristy--do you remember?) But anyway, it was about a guy who was paranoid about drinking milk once the date on the carton had arrived. One night, he inadvertently drank some milk on the sell-by date and, very worried about what might happen to him, he left a note on the fridge that read "It was the milk," so that all would be clear should he die in the night from food poisoning.

But really, the question is: How long does milk stay good after the sell-by date passes? Because if the store must sell it by that date, it follows that there is a grace period, so to speak, following that date, during which the milk is still good. At least, that's the logic I have always used. Until now.

Last night at about 9pm I got hungry and decided to have some cereal. In the process, I finished off the milk, and threw the carton in the trash. That was when I noticed the sell-by date: April 22. For some reason, I thought yesterday was the 25th. So I figured the milk was still good--it didn't smell bad, it didn't look weird, so everything is fine, right? Maybe not. As I went to bed later, I glanced at the calendar on my desk, which read April 27. Urgh. 5 days past the sell-by date, not so good. Suddenly the cereal seemed like not such a great idea. Indeed, something didn't agree with me last night. I didn't leave a note on the fridge, but I'm pretty darn sure it was the milk.

I found this on a blog and modified it for my own purposes. The original instructions were to choose a band and answer only with titles of songs by that band, but, well....it's all about the books with me.

Answer only with titles of books:

Are you male or female? Little Women
How old are you? Now We Are [Twenty-]Six
Describe yourself: Lost in a Good Book
How do some people feel about you? The Long Secret
How do you feel about yourself? A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (I just couldn't resist)
Describe your ex girlfriend/boyfriend: Invisible Man
Describe your views on significant others and crushes: Things Fall Apart
Describe what you want: About a Boy (and sometimes, How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found)
Describe how you live: How to Be Good, Hey World, Here I Am!
Describe how you love: One Hundred Years of Solitude, Where Angels Fear to Tread (or on a good day, Great Expectations)
Share a few words of wisdom: Stand in the Wind

Got this from my mom last night:

Last night Hannah was sick--fever, threw up, the whole bit. This morning while Nancy was nursing Little John, Hannah said she didn't feel so good, got up and went to the kitchen, got a bowl, threw up in it, then brought it to Nancy. I think that was very responsible!

When I was three, I wouldn't have had the presence of mind to go get a bowl to throw up in. Go Hannah! And, as of yesterday afternoon, Hannah's feeling better; saying she's "all fine." Yeah. I miss the kids.

So I know I'm behind on this one. Yeah, I'm behind on a lot of stuff. I debated for a while about whether I was going to see The Passion or not, mainly because I didn't know if I could deal with the violence. And then, the Christian bandwagon effect kicked in, which further discouraged me from seeing it. "Every Christian should see this!" is never a motivation for me to see a movie. I'm contrary like that.

But I talked with Kristy about it, on Easter actually. We talked about how it's often hard to see Jesus as a real person; when you've heard the stories over and over, they lose their meaning sometimes. And our conversation made me think that the movie would be something that might help me to see who Jesus is more clearly, just for myself emotionally. It also clarified some of the violence issues for me, and with that, I decided to go ahead and see the movie.

First off, the violence wasn't as bad as I was anticipating. Yes, it was extremely violent, and there were plenty of times when I winced and had to look away, but for the most part it didn't bother me the way I thought it would.

It was an amazing, and I would even say beautiful film.

There were so many small touches that were just artistically beautiful. I loved the depiction of the the grave clothes at the end, the pieta that was created when they take Jesus down from the cross, and the flashbacks throughout, showing scenes from Jesus' life.

The depiction of Satan and the demonic elements was intriguing. I felt that some of it was over the top (like the freaky demon children, for example...), but especially good was the scene with Jesus praying in the garden and Satan throwing doubts and questions at him.

I loved the portrayal of Jesus' relationship with Mary. It was one of the aspects of the movie that really made me think about Jesus in some new ways. So much was demonstrated through just a few scenes: his love and care for his mother, and how much she really understood what he would have to go through. The scenes showing Jesus' relationship with his mother and his disciples were so wonderful at giving glimpses of who Jesus really was: fully God, and yet fully human. And I think what affected me the most was the pairing of those scenes from Jesus' life with the events of the Passion.

I do wish, though, there had been more of that--that the film had taken more time to show who Jesus was before arresting him and beating him up. I heard the movie being criticized for only portraying the crucifixion, and not depicting the whole life of Jesus. And I was frustrated with that criticism, because after all, the movie is called "The Passion of the Christ." It didn't set out to be a life of Christ, but a depiction of the events of the Passion. If the movie had showed more of the life of Jesus, it would have been a different movie. And as a portrayal of the Passion, it was incredible.

But the thing is, there's more to Jesus than the Passion. There's more to my faith than the Passion. The meaning of the Passion is rooted in the life that preceded it, as well as in the Resurrection. Yes, the crucifixion is central to my faith, and yes, that is why Jesus came--to give his life--but there is so much more to who Jesus is. And I wish that had been more a part of this movie.

There are many who will see the film who do not know the surrounding context of Jesus' life, and who won't grasp the depth of Christ's sacrifice or the reasons behind it. Don't get me wrong, I know the movie has and will continue to offer opportunities to start conversations and answer some of those questions. But there really was no space given to character development, and I think that's one of the reasons the movie didn't have the emotional impact for me it might otherwise have had.

All of that said, this movie was a wonderful reaffirmation of what I believe, a reminder of the magnitude of Christ's sacrifice and our Savior's love for us, and it was an amazing experience I'm glad to have had.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient to death--even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
--Phil. 2:8-10

Crown Him the Lord of life,
Who triumphed o'er the grave,
And rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save;
His glories now we sing,
Who died, and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring,
And lives that death may die.

I loved this movie. I really can't say that enough. It was an amazing movie in so many ways. But as I started to write about it, I realized that right now I'm more interested in my reaction to the movie and the way it made me think.

I left the movie with such a strong sense that love is worth it no matter what. That no matter how difficult the experience, it is never worth forgetting. That even if relationships hurt and even if they don't work out, they should still be pursued, because the journey is worth it.

I've heard and read quite a few interpretations of the ending of the movie. And I think it was ambiguous and definitely open to interpretation. You can take it to mean that we are doomed to repeat our mistakes. You can take it to mean that fate controls everything, no matter how hard we fight against it. Or you can walk away from the movie as I did: convinced that love is worth it, no matter how much it hurts. And that the experience is worth remembering, even if it rips your heart out.

I was talking to Yoori about the movie a few weeks ago, and she challenged me to put some action behind these words and go after something I'm scared of pursuing. And it's funny, because she's right. I believe strongly that love is worth the risk, and yet I have an extremely hard time acting on that. I'm such a defeatist.

So I'll see. Perhaps life will offer me the opportunity to act on these thoughts, and then again, maybe not. There's the pessimist in me emerging yet again. I can be such a paradox...

The following is courtesy of an email I received from the Tattered Cover Bookstore, a wonderful place to visit should you ever find yourself in Denver.

Every year on April 23rd, Barcelona erupts in a celebration of chivalry and romance. It all began in the Middle Ages with an annual Festival of Roses to honor St. George, Patron Saint of Catalonia. A brave Roman soldier, he allegedly slew a dragon about to devour a beautiful young princess. According to legend, a rosebush then sprouted from the blood of the slain dragon and the soldier plucked its most perfect blossoms to give to the princess as a remembrance.

In 1923, the traditional Rose Festival merged with International Book Day, established to celebrate the lives of Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare, both of whom died on April 23rd in 1616. Now, bookstalls and flower stands sprout up along the Rambla, a two-mile stretch connecting the city with the Mediterranean Sea. Thousands of Barcelonans crowd the streets to enjoy a festive atmosphere of readings, music, literature, and dance. And rare is the woman without a rose--or the man without a book tucked under his arm.

I must say, I'd rather have the book than the rose. =)

Today is also Barbara's blog update day, since I did a bunch of writing last night. Here it comes...

Something to add to the page while I'm in the process of generating my own words.

My very British name is Margaret Gladstone.
Take The Very British Name Generator today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Name Generator Generator.

I also tried this with just my first and last name, instead of my full name. The result was "Margaret Thatcher," which kind of scared me. So I'm keeping the Gladstone. Either way I remain in the British Prime Minister genre of names. Gladstone was a PM, right? Gonna have to look that one up.

Here is another name game:

What Name Should You Have? by Lauren

I'm not too enthralled by the name Alyssa, so I went back and changed a bunch of my answers. I got the same thing. Hmmm.

There are bits and pieces of things kicking around in my head that I want to blog about, but I haven't actually taken the time to write lately. I'm hoping I'll have time to do that this week, so stay tuned for some of the following:

I wrote up something last week about Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, only to find that it was more about me than about the movie. Then I decided what I wrote was far more personal than I wanted to post on my blog, so maybe an abbreviated version will show up here when I have a chance to abbreviate it.

On Saturday, I finally saw The Passion. I am really glad I went to see it, and it was an amazing film...but I'll post more thoughts on it later.

I was supposed to get my couch yesterday, but didn't. Not for lack of trying. Pier 1 just wasn't cooperative. Grrr. Hopefully it will be delivered (for FREE!) this week.

Jude and I have been going back and forth lately about "three months." And, I am excited to announce that exactly three months from today, I will be arriving in Porthcawl, Wales. Woohoo! I'm really looking forward to a great time of ministry this summer as I get to be part of a team helping lead a Holiday Bible Club with Gilgal Baptist Church. I know there'll be many challenges during the trip, in both ministry and relationships, but I am looking forward to seeing the ways I know God will work during my time there. It's exciting and also bittersweet, because this will probably be my last year to be part of the team from Green Hills. I've moved, I have a new church, and I know it's time for me to get involved in ministry here. But this summer, it will be SO good to again minister alongside friends from my home church, as well as friends from Wales!

Common Errors in English.

I love the occasional snarky comments:

SOUP DU JOUR OF THE DAY
Soupe du jour (note the E on the end of soupe) means "soup of the day." If you're going to use French to be pretentious on a menu, it's important to learn the meaning of the words you're using. Often what is offered is potage, anyway. Keep it simple, keep it in English, and you can't go wrong.

And while I'm at it, I'll just point out an error that's one of my pet peeves:

YEA/YEAH/YAY
"Yea" is a very old-fashioned formal way of saying "yes," used mainly in voting. It's the opposite of--and rhymes with--"nay." When you want to write the common casual version of "yes," the correct spelling is "yeah" (sounds like "yeh"). When the third grade teacher announced a class trip to the zoo, we all yelled "yay!" (the opposite of "boo"!). That was back when I was only yay big.

Each entry has a donkey next to the error and an owl next to the correct usage. Wise owl, dumb ass. Hee hee.

Yesterday my computer at work automatically downloaded Windows updates. That's all fine and dandy. Except that now, EVERY SINGLE TIME an error message pops up, my computer emits this loud beep that makes me jump. And I can't figure out how to turn it off! It's coming from the freakin' hard drive itself, so even muting ALL the sound on my computer doesn't do anything. GRRR.

You are a GRAMMAR GOD!


If your mission in life is not already to
preserve the English tongue, it should be.
Congratulations and thank you!


How grammatically sound are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Found at andshesaid.com, and edited just because I didn't have interesting or witty answers to all of the questions. Not that all of these answers are witty or interesting, but there you go.

It was the first question that drew me in...anyone else care to share their own page 18, line 4?

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, find line 4. What does it say?
I'm at work. I have three whole shelves of philosophy and religion textbooks to my right. It's really a toss-up as to which one is closest...but how about A Journey through the Hebrew Scriptures by Frank Frick. Because I like the author's name. Hee.
"…Tyndale in 1526, all English translations were based on the Vulgate."
2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What do you touch first?
In which direction? To the left, nothing. Straight ahead, my computer monitor. Up, nothing but odd looks from other EAs who see my fingers wiggling in the air above their cubicle walls. Behind me, nothing.
3. WITHOUT LOOKING, can you guess what the time is?
Right around 3pm, because they just came to pick up the mail.
4. Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?
3:03pm. Woohoo!
5. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
Trina's salsa music playing quietly. Trina humming along to her salsa music. Annie talking to Holly. Other people typing.
6. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
At lunch. I walked over to the café to get food.
7. What are you wearing?
A big comfy grey sweater, jeans, grey snowman socks, and my black t-strap docs.
8. When did you last laugh?
About 10 minutes ago when Cheryl sent a weird news story link and I gave a witty comeback.
9. What is on the walls of the room you are in?
Is a cubicle really a room? I think not. But anyway...pictures of friends and family, Shakespeare calendar, pictures drawn by Emily, and my JDE database cheat sheet.
10. Seen anything weird lately?
See #8. News story on eyeball jewelry.
11. What do you think of this quiz?
Better than some.
12. What is the last film you saw?
On DVD: The Truth About Cats & Dogs. In the theaters: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Which was excellent, I might add.
13. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy first?
A plane ticket to Florence. And the necessary travel expenses for traveling all around Italy and Greece and eventually the rest of Europe and beyond.
14. Can you tell something about you that no one knows?
Yes, I can. But I won't.
15. Do you like to dance?
Not really; I'm too self-conscious.
16. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
I've always liked the name Amanda.
17. Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?
I like the name Caleb.
18. Would you ever consider living abroad?
Where do I sign up and when can I leave?

Regent College Bookstore, one of the largest Christian bookstores in Canada, has decided to not carry Glorious Appearing, the latest installment in the Left Behind series.

From today's Publisher's Lunch: "Manager Ian Panth says the books, 'Mix a dangerous theology with politics--and we don't want to sell it.... The book is very American-centric. It suggests the United States is successful because it has supported the state of Israel. It portrays the Antichrist as a Romanian who has risen up to take over the United Nations. It also paints the European Union as entirely demonic.' He says the faculty supports him, 'appalled by the bad writing and bad theology in the apocalyptic series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins.'"

Call me a literary snob, but right there is just another long list of reasons why I won't read these books.

Check out the Beliefnet article here.

This morning I got onto my blog to change my "Currently Reading" info. And I happened to glance at the google ads at the top of the page. Now, I have noticed that these ads are usually vaguely related to whatever is posted on my blog.

But this morning, what I found was this:
Relationships And Love
Find your Soul Mate - 8 million Singles, Pictures and Profiles!

And this:
Affair Help
Professional online counseling for extramarital affairs

And the "related searches" below:
Romance novels
Harlequin romance

Apparently that's what I get for ranting about Christian dating books. Although, I really don't get where the "affair help" came from. I do realize that I'm perpetuating the cycle by even posting this. Who knows what adultery-related ads will result in the next few days. Apologies in advance.

I bought a couch last night. Or, more accurately, a loveseat. Soon I shall have more than one place to sit in my living room. Right now, there is a choice of the papa san chair or the floor. Anyway, I just hope that I will actually be pleased with where I think the couch will fit. My lovely friend Laryssa has volunteered the use of her Explorer to transport the thing, as well as the assistance of her husband to get it up the stairs. Although Anne kindly offered to carry it the two blocks from Pier 1 to my apartment--a leisurely walk down El Camino-- an offer definitely worthy of mention.

My parents gave me two Christian dating books for my birthday. I ran across them this afternoon while rearranging some bookshelves in my apartment, and for some odd reason--perhaps it was guilt over having not even cracked the covers open--I decided to take a closer look.

The first is called When God Writes Your Love Story: The Ultimate Approach to Guy/Girl Relationships. I get pretty skeptical when anything claims to be the "ultimate approach" to anything. But, I thought I'd try to set aside my skepticism, and I took a look at the back cover. "Bestselling authors Eric and Leslie Ludy invite you to discover how beautiful your love story can be when the Author of romance scripts every detail." Ugh. Somehow, talking about God as the "Author of romance" just doesn't appeal to me. There's a bad association with romance novels hidden somewhere in that phrase.

Well, let's check out option #2, titled What's a Girl to Do? and subtitled "While Waiting for Mr. Right." O-K. Because, you know, I've always found that to be a great mystery. /sarcasm alert/ Oh my word, I don't have a husband! My life has no purpose! Whatever shall I do with myself?! /end sarcasm alert/ I've never been the type to sit at home wondering what to do with myself until I find myself a husband, so I'm getting just the slightest (ok maybe not so slight) inkling that this book is probably not for me. But the back cover didn't sound quite as sticky-sweet as most of this stuff, so, again quelling my skepticism, I opened the thing up and took a look at the first few pages.

At first, things seemed promising. In her introduction, the author somewhat sarcastically referred to the numerous Christian dating books out there, and said, "As you may have guessed, I'm not into books like that." Well, good. Neither am I. I flipped a little further along in the book, and found sentences like, "The good news is, you don't have to sit around waiting." And: "While we're waiting for God to send along Mr. Right, we need to get in the game of life." Yeah, genius there. Because, you see, I thought I was just supposed to sit at home and wait for a guy to come along and marry me! You mean, single Christian girls should actually have a life, and not just focus on finding a man? What a newsflash! Grrr.

I don't mean to mock these books or their authors. I'm sure there are people who find these books helpful. And it's not like I've never delved into the Christian relationship guide genre. My sister gave me Elisabeth Eliot's Passion and Purity when I graduated high school, and I read Knight in Shining Armor in college, when a bunch of my friends were reading it. (And when my cynicism about such books was at a much lower level.) Both books made some good points, though I would say "grain of salt" to both of them. But now, I guess I kind of pride myself on not being the kind of girl who reads these kinds of books. And it frustrated me that someone would think I was the kind of girl who needed that sort of thing.

In So Many Books, Sara Nelson talks about the impact that giving or lending a book can have on a relationship. What do you do when someone you love gives you a book you hate? "I should let it go, or reconsider my feelings about the book in question. But I end up reconsidering the friendship instead" (67). Now, don't get me wrong, I know to make allowances for difference of taste in books. And yet, there is a lot of truth to the idea that the kind of book someone offers you says something about what they think of you. And a book recommendation can affect your relationship with the person who recommended it. I love my parents, but it kinda bugs me that they think I'm the sort for Christian dating books. It annoys me to think that they see me as the kind of person who needs to hear: "The good news is, you don't have to sit around waiting."

The thing is that for me, I really don't see the point to these books. What God wants me to do while I'm "waiting for Mr. Right" has never been an issue for me. My concern should simply be what God wants me to do. Why even tack on that second part? Why make that distinction? I don't feel like my life is purposeless or unrewarding simply because I don't have a man. There are books to read! Places to go! There are ministries to be involved in, things to experience, to think about, to explore--and I don't need a boyfriend to do these things. I never have. Yes, I would love to be in a relationship now, but that's not my first priority. Finding a boyfriend has never been something I've pursued. Maybe I need a book that talks more about how I should stop avoiding relationships, instead of one that tells me to stop pining away after them.

So, for now anyway, What’s a Girl to Do? and When God Writes Your Love Story are going back on the shelf. Between Passion & Purity and Knight in Shining Armor. I have other things to read.

Right after I finished So Many Books, I got sucked into reading Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner. Don't laugh. I read it, I liked it, say what you will. Yes, it's chick lit. But it was...enjoyable. (That was for you, Heather!)

Following is the disclaimer I feel compelled to provide because I always compulsively explain myself: For those who've not heard of the book, don't go jumping to conclusions!! The ex-boyfriend of the book's narrator writes a monthly column called "Good in Bed" for a women's magazine. Thus, the title. Get your mind out of the gutter, people! It's not THAT kind of book.

Things have been kind of quiet on the book front lately. I finished So Many Books, So Little Time a few weeks ago, and never really wrote up my thoughts on it. Guess it's time for me to catch up.

The premise of the book is that it's the chronicle of a year in the life of a passionate reader. Sara Nelson set out at the beginning of 2002 to read a book a week and chronicle her thoughts on each one. And, pretty much, she does accomplish this. Her stated goal is to do more than just this, though; her desire was to observe the reading process and the ways books intersect with our lives. And those observations are exactly what I liked about this book. I really liked So Many Books, even though I realized that Nelson's and my own taste in books probably don't intersect too much. Nelson says, "If a particular book I mention makes you want to head off to the nearest bookstore, great; if not, maybe what I say about it will spark a memory or suggest a topic that seems honest or interesting or true" (7). And, it did. That's what I love about books and talking about books--the springboard effect. Books can bring up common experiences and ideas, and provide ways for us to connect with each other personally, as well as through discussion of the book itself. And you don't always have to have read a book to be able to have a conversation about it. (Or to write a paper about it. Heh heh.)

I enjoyed the way Nelson mentions various reading quirks that I often see in myself--like "double-booking," and the aversion to re-reading (when there is the guilt of so many unread books looming overhead). Also, the way we have "public books," you know...the ones that you're proud of reading, so you're more apt to let yourself be seen reading them. Unlike guilty pleasures like Good in Bed and Bridget Jones' Diary, both of which I read at home on the weekend.

So this leads me to a habit I noticed about myself while reading this book: I have to use a bookmark that matches the book I'm reading. Not only does the bookmark have to be the appropriate size and thickness (leather bookmarks just don't belong in paperbacks), but there cannot be a thematic disconnect between the book and bookmark. While reading So Many Books, I used a bookmark with a picture from the Old Library at Trinity College Dublin. When I read Good In Bed, I had to find a completely different bookmark. The stacks of books in the Old Library at Trinity just didn't fit between the covers of contemporary chick-lit. Current bookmarks: in The Princess Bride--one with hearts and "Be Mine" on it, a gift from a friend at Valentine's Day years and years ago. And in A.S. Byatt's The Biographer's Tale--one from Shakespeare's Globe in London, with a quote from Love's Labour's Lost.

Does anyone else match bookmarks with books, or am I just an anal freak? Maybe I shouldn't have asked that.

My nephew finally has a name! Or, in my sister's words:

"Houston, we have a name. . . .
at least it has stuck all day : )

John Michael James

I know, how could it take that long to come up with something so original?!"

Apparently, my niece Emily still intends to call him Jesse. Hee hee.

So my sister hasn't yet named the new baby. They're pondering both John Michael Puckett and Jesse Michael Puckett. John Michael carries with it a family tradition; both John and his dad are called John Michael. Jesse was my grandpa's name (my mom's dad).

This morning, John was leaning towards John Michael, and the girls were swayed by the idea that their dad would be "Big John" and the baby would be "Little John." (Shades of Robin Hood...) But Emily's with me in preferring Jesse Michael.

So, let's take a poll here...what do you think: Jesse Michael or John Michael? The actual name is to be decided sometime today. No word on whether this poll will have any bearing on that or not. =) Not that this blog is now or ever has been a hotbed of comments, but hey.

In continuation of the "All About Me" theme of the day...here are lots of things about myself!

I ripped this off from tequila mockingbird. (Side note: I love this blog. For a long time, Kristy and I have joked about starting up a restaurant just so we could have a drink on the menu called the Tequila Mockingbird. This site is cool enough that somehow I don’t even feel miffed about somebody else coming up with the name, too.) I was playing in the archives one day, and came across this post. I did a little googling and found this. Anyway, I thought I’d give it a shot myself. It reminded me of the game two truths & a lie. Especially since I always have a hard time coming up with the lie. It really is hard to come up with 100 things, though. Enjoy….

100 things about me:
1. I believe in God.
2. I believe the Bible.
3. I believe in prayer.
4. I don’t believe in evolution.
5. I believe words don’t have any inherent meaning.
6. I believe words can have tremendous power.
7. I'm a book person.
8. I devour books at a sometimes alarming rate.
9. I've read War and Peace.
10. I've read Don Quixote.
11. I’ve never read Les Miserables.
12. I’m not a phone person.
13. I am an email person.
14. I’ve lived in England.
15. I used to have an English accent.
16. I used to have blond hair.
17. I’ve studied in Italy.
18. I love to travel.
19. I wish I could travel more.
20. I've met the Queen of England.
21. I wear glasses to drive.
22. I love Kinder Eggs.
23. I don’t own enough bookshelves.
24. I don’t own a couch.
25. Over the course of 7 years, I had 19 roommates/housemates.
26. I lived with seven of those roommates/housemates for a year or more.
27. Right now I live alone.
28. I live in the Bay area.
29. I love the beach.
30. I am a youngest child.
31. But I don’t act like one.
32. I have three nieces.
33. And one nephew.
34. Who shares my birthday!
35. I can say “Not if you were the last man on earth” in Italian.
36. I rarely exercise.
37. I don't weigh enough to give blood.
38. That's fine with me, because I have a phobia about needles anyway.
39. I like Trivial Pursuit.
40. I like board games/card games/games in general.
41. But I don't like relationship games.
42. Sometimes I think too much.
43. I have a hard time letting people get close to me.
44. I'm not good at being friends with guys.
45. I don't believe in soulmates.
46. I make boring sexy.
47. And, shockingly after that last revelation, I’ve never had a boyfriend.
48. I like to tell people that the reason I've never had a boyfriend is because my obesity scares the men away.
49. I’m never sarcastic.
50. I think it's funny to take things completely literally.
51. I'm extremely hard on myself.
52. I hate confrontation. Avoidance, avoidance, avoidance.
53. I play the violin.
54. I sing.
55. But not in the shower.
56. I do sing along in the car, though.
57. But usually only if I'm alone.
58. I drive faster when I’m happy.
59. I don’t like cola.
60. I love cranberry juice.
61. I don’t like mint.
62. I like salty more than sweet.
63. I've never learned to ride a bike.
64. I love Alias. Even with Evil Lauren.
65. I watched every episode of Joe Millionaire.
66. And I am not ashamed of that!
67. I've become a TV junkie lately.
68. I'm attempting to change that.
69. I'm not fond of facial hair on men.
70. Or on women, either, for that matter.
71. Indecisiveness bothers me.
72. Especially in myself.
73. I was home schooled.
74. I graduated from high school two years early.
75. I took 5 years to finish college.
76. I have a Master’s degree in English.
77. I’m compulsively responsible.
78. I alphabetize my CDs.
79. And my movies.
80. I categorize my books and alphabetize within those categories.
81. I’m hopeless.
82. My name is written on a beam in the ceiling of Ely Cathedral.
83. The story that goes with #82 is probably not as interesting as the one you’re imagining.
84. I hate the phrase “Bye for now!”
85. The phrase “Back in the saddle” makes me laugh. Mockingly.
86. I often have a compulsion to mock people.
87. Not always in a good way.
88. I have a weakness for art galleries.
89. And bookstores.
90. I don't like roller coasters.
91. I've climbed Mount Sinai.
92. I've gone swimming in the Dead Sea.
93. I've eaten Belgian waffles in Belgium. Mmmmm.
94. I'm scared of being the one who loves more.
95. I prize being self-sufficient.
96. Sometimes to an unhealthy degree.
97. I wish I didn't care so much about what other people think of me.
98. Today is my birthday.
99. I've been working on these 100 things for several days now.
100. And now I am done!