100 Things

As the tradition on the blogosphere goes, to mark my 100th post, here are 100 things about me that you may or may not know.

1. My first car was a Mazda 626 named Tim.
2. I have read The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit at least six times.
3. I am right-handed.
4. My favorite author is James Joyce.
5. My least favorite chore is taking out the trash.
6. I have lived for a total of at least three weeks on four continents.
7. My favorite color is blue.
8. My favorite college team is Notre Dame, infinitesimally closely followed by Ohio State.
9. I have very little respect for golfers.
10. I am one-half Italian.
11. My favorite martini is an appletini.
12. I can quote from almost any Seinfeld episode.
13. I used to listen to country on a daily basis.
14. I hate country.
15. I have been on a horse exactly one time.
16. If I had to claim a favorite movie, it would be The Royal Tenenbaums.
17. I eat too much sometimes.
18. My best friend is an orchestra director.
19. I have never truly been content, at least for a significant amount of time.
20. My favorite sport is either football or baseball, depending on the season.
21. My favorite city is Rome.
22. I live five hours away from where I grew up.
23. I am a writer.
24. My favorite composer is Beethoven.
25. I like to stay up until 2 or 3am, but during the school year, I typically go to sleep around 9pm.
26. I have no problem whatsoever with homosexuality.
27. I have two cats, named Holden and Atticus.
28. I once fell 35 feet in a freak band camp incident.
29. I have very little hair, comparatively.
30. I am simultaneously scared of and in awe of big cities.
31. I once lived for 48 hours as a homeless person.
32. My favorite poem is "Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
33. I wear contacts.
34. I am constantly afraid of losing the present--or forgetting past--so I catalogue everything and never throw anything away.
35. I miss college.
36. I believe in transcendentalism.
37. I have no strong feelings about my own death.
38. I hate very few things more than reality television.
39. There isn't much more beautiful than a baby.
40. I am an Eagle Scout.
41. I relate very much to JD from Scrubs in that I constantly am metathinking about my life.
42. I always drink whisky--preferably Jameson--while I watch 24.
43. I have truly been in love once.
44. I believe that pages 116-117 of The Great Gatsby are the most important in the entire novel (in the Scribner 2004 edition).
45. I relate to Holden Caulfield more than any other character in any book or film.
46. I miss not having any responsibility, but that's only because I take it so seriously.
47. If I could live two lives at once, I'd try to be a director in Hollywood.
48. I don't exercise enough.
49. Few people see the real me, even though I'm a fairly open person.
50. I enjoy gardening, but I don't currently have a garden.
51. I have a genetic predisposition to addiction.
52. I have been to two Jimmy Buffett concerts.
53. My last three pairs of shoes have been Sperry Topsiders.
54. I was obsessed with The Beatles in middle school.
55. I'm subconsciously afraid of not being good enough.
56. I deeply respect with work of Joseph Campbell.
57. The thought of donuts, nacho cheese, and hot dogs makes me sick.
58. If I could have any superpower, it would be the ability to fly.
59. Gelato is the best thing I have ever eaten, no question.
60. My first favorite book was Beverly Cleary's The Mouse and the Motorcycle. I still read it sometimes.
61. I was born legally blind in my right eye, but it's all good now.
62. I enjoy a good cup of coffee.
63. I have brown eyes.
64. Sometimes I have trouble getting to sleep.
65. I never learned how to blow a bubble with bubble gum.
66. I check the news from three websites multiple times per day.
67. I am one of the founding members of the Pie Championship Series.
68. The sound of the dryer running calms me.
69. I am fascinated by shiny and/or glass things.
70. Sometimes I just want to play with Legos.
71. I have never been to Seattle.
72. I hate grading papers. And I'm a teacher.
73. I never saw the third Matrix movie, and I'm not too worried about it.
74. I firmly believe that more people should visit this site.
75. I occasionally wonder how people can be extreme conservatives and still have a conscience. Honestly.
76. I am one of the few people who can claim that they have a personal mascot.
77. I grew up a Cincinnati Reds fan, but I'm currently considering being a full-fledged Cubs fan.
78. I'm a relativist.
79. I enjoy cooking.
80. Fantasy baseball gets me so excited sometimes I can't stand it.
81. I hate the number 3 with a passion.
82. I was in an a capella group in college.
83. I love rain.
84. I like to swim.
85. If I had a totem animal, it would be the kangaroo.
86. Woody Allen makes me laugh very hard. Sometimes I can't stop.
87. I'm unnaturally bad at making small talk with people I don't know.
88. I can memorize names and numbers very well.
89. I like to wear sport coats.
90. Clowns scare me a little.
91. The worst movie I have ever seen is Dead Man on Campus.
92. I can drive a stick-shift.
93. I plan a lot.
94. Flying in a plane doesn't bother me at all.
95. I don't like to be around a lot of people for a long time.
96. I love naps in the afternoon.
97. Capri is the most beautiful place I have ever been.
98. I know how to play handball--but don't.
99. Being around dogs makes me uncomfortable.
100. I have tried--and enjoyed--peanut butter and tomato sandwiches.