100 Things- The first section

I actually wrote them all at once, but I'll publish in 3 installments so as not to overwhelm anyone. Here are, in no particular order, 100 Things about Me:

1. My initials spell my name. I'm sure most of you know this by now, but it's still cool. I don't think it'll ever be not cool.

2. I have an unquenchable love of potato chips. They are my snack food of choice. I like almost any variety (no ketchup chips, please!) but I think my favorites are kettle cooked jalapeno. Amazing.

3. Some other foods I never seem to get tired of: peanut butter, chicken, cheese, and tukey sandwiches (those foods are NOT all eaten together, by the way).

4. Still speaking of food, I'm not a big chocolate person. If I'm in the mood, it's great, but that doesn't happen often. Usually I'd rather have a bag of chips or some fruity candy (like Skittles).

5. My sister Renee' is my best friend. She's about a year and a half older than me. We shared a room our whole lives (till college anyway) and we've never had a fight. Seriously.

6. I love the sound of skate blades on ice. I wish I had a cd with just the sounds of skating. That would be amazing. And relaxing.

7. A lot of people don't know this about me, but I didn't grow up on hockey. It was never even on the radar until 1993. That's when my sister liked a boy who liked hockey, so she started watching. So I started watching and I got hooked on Pavel Bure and the Vancouver Canucks. After they lost a heartbreaking 7th game to the evil Rangers (I'm not over it yet), I felt lost without my newfound love. So I went to the bookstore across the street and bought every hockey magazine and card they had
in the joint. I memorized names, team histories, stats, etc. And the rest is history.

8. At one time (like 11th grade for sure) I could name the starting AND backup goalie for each NHL team. I used to write them in the margins of my chemistry notebook when the lectures got too boring.

9. I have a knack for remembering (and sharing) random facts at random times. I can't remember anything useful but things like the glue on bandaid wrappers sparks purple in the dark, and Missouri has a set of "Supplemental State Routes" which are lettered rather than numbered. Those factoids just stay with me.

10. I do not own an iPod. I do, however, own approximately 140 cds. I love them all.

11. I love Mt. Dew. I don't drink coffee, tea, or most other kinds of pop (yes, it's pop, not soda!) but I like to Do the Dew.

12. The original Star Wars films are among my favorites of all time. My family quotes them incessantly. We used to act out the movies while watching them. I was Han, Vader, Jabba the Hutt, Emperor Palpatine, and various other characters. We had the movies taped off of tv, and watched them so much we memorized not only the movie but the commercials as well. Also, our copy of The Empire Strikes Back cut off right after Boba Fett's ship took off from Cloud City, so we didn't see the end of that movie for a long time. Finally we were able to tape all 3 movies consecutively onto one cassette, which was the video of choice for the 16 hour drives to Louisiana we took for holidays with the fam. good times.

13. I don't know what I want to be when I grow up. I always envied people who had a plan because I didn't and I still don't!

14. I can wiggle my ears. The left one is better, but I can usually get them both to move. I have a hard time doing it on demand though, because i get nervous and start to laugh. I don't think it's possible to wiggle your ears and laugh at the same time, they need the same muscles.

15. I can also raise my left eyebrow by itself. Not the right one though, it doesn't move on its own.

16. I am fascinated by military aricraft. I attribute this in part to growing up
outside of
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base with its contingent of C-141s and their many-times-daily flyovers. We also had visits from many a fighter jet, randomly and even saw a couple of flyovers from the B2 Stealth bomber- AKA creepiest plane EVAR! Whatever the reason, I think planes are amazing and I wish I didn't get so airsick because I'd love to fly in one!

17. Similarly I am fascinated by ships. I love tall ships with their sails and rigging and I would love to do a "study abroad" on a ship. Except for one small (or not so small) issue. I also get seasick. It's ugly. So I won't be sailing anytime soon. I think that naval ships are amazing too. A coupleof summers ago, my sisters and I went to Norfolk and did a tour of the naval shipyards, it was awesome! But I'll stick to pictures and tours, no sailing for me.

18. I love hockey and road trips. I've seen ECHL games in Dayton, Toledo,Cincinnati, Wheeling, Lexington, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas and Peoria, AHL games in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Rochester and Syracuse, and NHL games in Detroit, Columbus and Buffalo. At many of those games I was cheering for the road team. What fun!

19. I like to drive. I usually listen to music, especially if I'm by myself. I think my favorite driving cd is Eve 6's Horrorscope. It's good music to sing along to and keeps me awake. Also, if I feel like I'm falling asleep, I'll throw in the Backstreet Boys'- Millenium and it's 1999 all over again. Haha I break it down and then I'm not sleepy anymore.

20. I have had my car for almost 6 years. It has 122,500 miles on it. It had 17 when I bought it. Yeah, I drive a LOT.

21. I find 4-leaf clovers all the time. I have a compulsion to look for them though. I think the reason most people don't find them is because they don't look. I do. I can't seem to stand in a field with clovers and NOT look. As a result, I have a very large collection. I save most of the clovers I find. Sometimes I'll flatten them and dry them in books, or I'll just cover them with clear packing tape. They are in my desk drawers, in my wallet, my car, everywhere. I give them to other people too.

22. I never played organized sports. I never really wanted to. (except hockey, but that was late in life and we didn't have the money or the place to play) I did play intramural softball my sophmore year of college with some kids I did a Bible study with. I didn't want to play (cuz I can't throw a softball worth a damn) but they begged me to so we'd have enough girls. One day I really didn't want to be there but I was playing anyway. They made me be at 3rd base and I got drilled by a line drive. The bruise was enormous but I kept playing. It hurt like crazy for days and was the nastiest bruise I've ever seen before or since. But I got some sympathy and admiration from "HottAss Eric", the umpire. I'd see him around campus after that and he'd ask how I was and show off my bruise and hardcoreness to his hot friends. Heh. So I guess it was worth it in that sense. I haven't played anything since then.

23. I was what you might call the "backup" mascot for the Dayton Bombers ECHL team in 2002-03. That meant that I got to do a heap of outside appearances- schools, parades and the like, when the main guy was unavailable or didn't want to do it. It was gross. But it was money and that was good.

24. I like to eat stale tootsie rolls. Sometimes I like them better than fresh ones.

25. When I was in high school, my best friend Monica and I would tell people that were twins. They would believe us. I guess they had no reason to think we were making things up.

26. I love to read. In 5th grade, I received a gift certificate to the bookstore for being the ONLY kid in my grade to go a week without watching tv.

27. I don't watch much tv. I'm pretty faithful about hockey though (namely the Sabres, and occasionally VS if it's the Wings, Devils or Blue Jackets, or I just need some hockey). I will occasionally catch an episode of CSI or Law and Order but I don't follow any of them. I do like the Robin Hood on BBC America but I don't make a point to watch that either. I'd rather be reading or online.

28. I really enjoy listening to hockey games on the radio. I spent 2 years listening to away games on the radio for the Bombers and then a year in SLC listening to the Grizzlies on the radio. It just has a different feel to it and I like the way a good announcer can make the game come alive. (Rick Jeanneret, please don't ever retire!)

29. I have seen almost all of my favorite bands in concert-many of them more than once. Our Lady Peace (x10), Smashing Pumpkins (x2) The Goo Goo Dolls (x3),Collective Soul (x3) Matchbox 20, Lifehouse (x2), Greenwheel (x3), Ingram Hill (x2), Blue Karma (x?), Train, Relient K (x2) The one band that I really love but haven't seen is Better than Ezra. They never seem to want to tour in the north, those bums!

30. I also have seen Our Lady Peace and Greenwheel ON MY BIRTHDAY and Collective Soul, Live and the Counting Crows the day before my bday. Sweet action.