WIPEOUT!

I seriously have not fallen down the steps in years but as soon as I start this blog it's like a curse.

Slipped on our exterior steps today because of the ice. The wooden deck was fully thawed, which lulled me into false information on our steps, which are made from the Trex-type material and is slippery in ice and rain. I think even if we put treads on this bear, they would have been so encased in ice it would not have mattered.

Further misinformation was synthesized by the fact that I ran UP the steps to start my car and experienced NO problems. It was on coming down that my foot went up in the air like it had landed on that proverbial cartoon banana peel and I slid down the next 3 steps, grazing my foot as it bent underneath me, my left forearm and my poor tuchus (not to mention my pride).

I hobbled my sobbing sore self into the house and calmed down from the shock for a bit. Apparently I didn't cry loud enough because DH (dear husband) continued to doze peacefully upstairs.

Oh well. Took my big Advil and am awaiting stiffness and pain.

Trim and Stuff

So, as you can see, our living room actually did get worse! Those are all the Acme and Lowe's bags that ended up on our floor on Saturday. I did order our groceries online, which went pretty well and Kevin and I ran to Lowe's on Saturday morning while Dad got started on his next task - trim.







When we got back from our shopping, Kevin had to tighten up the dishwasher again. We were having some problems with it at the end of 2006 because a piece of our crock pot got stuck in the part that grinds down food for the drain. It was leaking when Dad and Mike, his co-worker, reinstalled it, but it needed some more tweaking.

We bought a pendant light and a fan at Lowe's and Home Depot respectively, which Dad and Kevin installed. I spent most of the day trying to clean up our front room.

On Sunday, Dad stopped by for a bit and finished some more trim. I also got all the shelves in the cabinets and mapped out the organization for where things will go. We filled up most of the top cabinets and are just waiting on our countertops to do the bottoms.







Everything looks great and the trim and lighting really help to make it look finished. Countertops may be next Saturday, hopefully followed by plumbing shortly thereafter and then we will really be in business.

Kevin cooked dinner tonight in our oven and it was such a great feeling to not eat fast food yet again. We were kind of overwhelmed by the tile selection (or lack thereof) and the mess that the area was in, in addition to our lack of knowledge. There is a tile manufacturer and showroom in Conshohocken so I am going to try and get there tomorrow (it's my Monday off!), weather permitting, to pick something out so that when the countertops are in we can get moving on the backsplash!

Record posting

I came home from work and something didn't look right...oh yes, our appliances were not all lined up on the wall like the usual suspects. They were - GASP! - installed in their assigned places! You know what happened...

ZEE KEETCHEN ELVES!!!

All the switches are in (a dimmer on the light and the fan, which is great for ambiance :-), the ice machine in our new fridge is MAKING ICE, and our stove WORKS! When I hit the bake button, it went on and I screamed!! It's amazing how exciting your kitchen can be when you've been without one for a while!

As you can see, our house looks even more like a cyclone ripped through here leaving few survivors. Enjoy - it can only get better from here!

You've mistaken me for someone who cares

Just for fun, I took this quiz:

You Have Your Sarcastic Moments

While you're not sarcastic at all times, you definitely have a cynical edge. In your opinion, not all people are annoying. Some are dead! And although you do have your genuine moments, you can't help getting your zingers in. Some people might be a little hurt by your sarcasm, but it's more likely they think you're hilarious.

How Sarcastic Are You?

I think that one is pretty accurate re: my personality. As for an update to my post yesterday - things got much better! We had our merit discussions yesterday and I was happy with the results of that. Additionally, in class our professor handed out of a page of my paper as an example of good writing, which was very flattering. I also didn't have that many changes or suggestions to my paper and she said she looks forward to reading more. This is a giant relief because we've all heard that this class is typically a bloodbath on paper. The only possibly bad thing that happened yesterday afternoon was that my company merged with a bunch of others to form a new one. This seems to happen pretty frequently at LM (in the almost 5 years I've been here, it's been 3 different names now) but I don't know how this is going to affect me or our team - we are growing from supporting a 16K person operation to possibly supporting a 55K person operation. We'll see! You can read more here, but this is pretty much all I know too at this point.

The electrician was supposed to come today to finish up some switches and sockets, so Dad hopes to do trim tomorrow along with possibly hanging the light fixtures (if I buy them tonight!). I am looking forward to a weekend full of homework as my 7-week class ends on Wednesday night and we have a number of projects due.

Enjoy yours!

Bah.

If whining bothers you, skip this post.

I'm in a little bit of a mood today. I will have had class three nights this week, (even though I knew that would happen, a lot of classes have been cancelled, moved online, given as time for work on projects, etc.) which leaves little time for much else. Our house looks like a bomb hit, literally, and we have no food in the fridge, which is aggravating because it means even more eating out! I am getting ready to shop online at Acme and have it delivered because neither of us has time to get to the store! I feel like this is the craziest semester ever, probably because work and home life are also busy, and on top of that I have that senioritis I mentioned earlier. I feel like I haven't seen friends or talked to them and I feel awful because I have no idea what is going on in other people's lives and that's not very nice of me. Kevin has been sick since he got back from NC this weekend and that stinks too.

This morning when I got up (which has been getting harder and harder lately!) I swung my legs out of bed to head to the shower and I thought, "I am just so tired of this routine. So tired of getting up, showering, dressing, blowing my hair dry....blah blah blah." Pretty soon I'm going to show up at work in a baseball cap and sweats.

To resolve this, Kevin has approached AAA about devising some sort of vacation for us. The bad thing is it won't come until June, but at least I'd have something to look forward to. The other good thing is that my M-W class ends next Wednesday, but I have a lot of work to do this weekend to turn in at the end, including an online project with my partner on Sunday night.

Anyway, that's enough bellyaching.

Zee keetchen elves, zay have come!

I don't know why I keep typing in that French accent. I think that it's a funny accent, and it's funny to type so people have to read it that way. Hmm - I guess that's why I keep doing it.

Zut alors! The little worker bees, or keetchen elves perhaps, were again at our house while I was at school! The microwave hood is up! Kevin is already turned in for the evening (we haven't seen each other awake since Wednesday night - oh how I love our lives) so I don't know who the particular elf or elves were, but I will be sure to find out!

The kitchen is in sight

This is going to be quick because I am in major overload from editing and still have reading to do for tomorrow...so I will let the pictures speak for themselves! Cabinets are in, once again, thanks to my talented dad and Uncle Steve. I LOVE THEM and am really pleased with the overall effect. Countertops will be on their way next!

Dad sighting!

When I ran out at lunch today to get a salad from Duffy's, because I am veggie-deprived right now and could not sustain one more day with food from our store in the building here, two exciting things happened:

1. My windshield wipers finally corrected themselves and moved back into the resting position. I've been stupidly driving with them in the up position because they got stuck there on Wednesday and I haven't been able to fix it. I was just going to take it to the repair shop tomorrow for a diagnosis, which is annoying b/c I'd have to wait there as Kevin is in NC with Temple Baseball for the long weekend. But voila, zay are feexed.

2. The vastly more exciting thing is that I saw my Dad at an intersection! He has a new truck in the past year or so and it's so not his typical style that I never know him when I pass him. I called him up (the miracle of cell phones!) and said I saw him and asked where he was going. More amazing news - he was headed to my house to install the cabinets and wait for delivery of the top cabinets this afternoon! I felt very guilty having to go back to work and not be there to help him, but let's be honest folks - I probably get more in the way than I help.

This evening, I have a skincare class for MK, which I haven't done in a while due to workload, and that should be fun with a bunch of girls from work. The rest of the weekend should be dedicated to kitchen stuff as well as the first 3-5 pages of my freakin thesis work. Bah. What I would really like to do is go to the movies and see a million things that look infinitely more interesting, but oh well. If I am a good girl tomorrow maybe I will treat myself to a chick flick.

Happy Valentine's Day!

In addition to snow, we started off today with some pink pancakes, courtesy of me. They were supposed to be heart-shaped as well, but that didn't work out as well as the coloring. I will have to work that bug out before we have kids as I plan on delivering shaped, colored pancakes for holiday breakfasts. You should see the Pampered Chef Christmas tree that I could do for Christmas!

Anyway, in the spirit of a snowy V-day, check this out:

Your Candy Heart Says "Hug Me"

A total sweetheart, you always have a lot of love to give out. Your heart is open to where ever love takes you! Your ideal Valentine's Day date: a surprise romantic evening that you've planned out Your flirting style: lots of listening and talking What turns you off: fighting and conflict Why you're hot: you're fearless about falling in love

What Does Your Candy Heart Say?

SURPRISE!!

I just got home from a long day at school (8 hours!) to discover that the base cabinets have been delivered! What a great surprise!
These look like they are in the right places, save the one in the middle. You must be wondering why that cabinet has a different finish. It is for our living room, right behind the table. This will have a countertop as well as a top cabinet, which will be great for bar items and extra space around the table. The finish matches the rest of the furniture in our living/dining area.

What a wonderful end to a long, stressful day!

Doors and floors

As the weekend draws to a close, you know that it is time for a kitchen update! Earlier this week I finished up the clear coat on the walls. Kevin and Dad were hard at work on Saturday installing doors and windows while I was at Etown for an Alumni Association meeting (I have to learn to say "no.") For such a small space, there are three different doors and one window, which is a lot of hinges, handles and cranks!

The basement door which Kevin took down last weekend is replaced with a new paneled door. A new door went in to the doorway between the living room and kitchen where there previously was none. Besides looking cool, this will help to keep the air conditioned air in the living room during the summer months (which is light years better than the sheet we had tacked up this past summer!) as well as keep the loud appliances like our washer/dryer and dishwasher from affecting what is going on in the front of the house, such as reading, entertaining and TV watching. I like it already and once it's stained, it will be a handsome addition to the home.

We also finally have a broom closet!!! Until now, we've been shoving brooms and mops in any old corner, the most likely one in the stairwell to the kitchen. Now we have a little closet built just for them as well as other cleaning supplies. Brilliant!!

We also now have a new casement window in place of our old double hung that was above the sink. Not only was the old window hard to open with a Kevin-made screen (better than no screen, like when we bought the house!) it was just durn ugly. We couldn't fix up the whole kitchen and leave that thing in.

In the interest of more light, the new window is bigger and the crank out windows will make getting fresh air a literal breeze. Of course, like all winter days in our alley, it was probably 20 degrees colder there than anywhere else in on our property, so kudos to Dad and Kevin for getting it done when there were warmer jobs to be had that day!

Today was flooring. We decided to go with a similar style floor to what is already in our laundry room, for consistency's sake; however, we learned that the particular color had been discontinued. After looking at samples, we went with one that was a close match and I actually like it more in the end. Dad grumbled when I chose this floor again because it is an interlocking laminate floating floor. Putting it down around cabinets is particularly hard because of the locking motion, so he decided to put the floor down first and then the cabinets on top. I think this will be nice for anyone who wants to replace the cabinets but may like the floor in the future. When they rip out the cabinets, they will discover a full floor underneath! I know, why am I thinking about future homeowners possibly undoing all our hard work? Who knows. See floor pics below.

Everything looks amazing and it's easy to feel that things are really progressing now when you see the changes. Still, it is becoming hard to deal with a living room that is overflowing with kitchen wares and gadgets and we are growing extremely tired of eating out, though we are rarely home in the evenings so this was the best time for this project.

On the homefront, we also had a heater repair this weekend on Friday night. After work Kev turned the heat up and when we returned from our evening meal, it had in fact dropped down to a cool 57. Upon inspection, our pilot light was out and we could not light it. A quick call to Dad and his friend Mike resulted in a super-speedy housecall where our thermal coupler was replaced (our 2nd in a year). Kev is hot under the collar on this issue and demands to know why the average life of the product isn't longer than 6 mos. I explained capitalism to him, but to no avail.

The theme of this post, therefore, in addition to doors and floors, is that my dad is amazing. I know all kids think that of their dads at some point, but I am continually awed by his ability to work all week and still come here to manage our projects as well. His attention to this job when he has so many other things going on is so appreciated and we obviously would be doing none of this without him. THANKS, DAD!!

Waiting on the world to change

One of the really cool thing about iTunes that we are enjoying is downloading entire albums at a price that is better than purchasing the album at the store. It is convenient and puts the music in a few different places (iPod, computer and CD if you burn). One of our recent purchases was the "Continuum" album, John Mayer's latest effort.

As in the past, I completely enjoy the entire thing. Mayer is developing as an artist and I applaud that and feel he is still staying true to his own style while growing and changing as an artist should, and these stretches are appropriately reflective of his growth as a person. You know the catchy single that's been on the radio - "Waiting on the World to Change" - and though I also find it to be one of my favorite songs on the CD due to the catchy rhythm and memorable lyrics, I recently told Kevin that I wasn't thrilled with the tale he was telling.

However, I kept listening to it and the more I did, the more I realized he wasn't being sincere, he was being ironic. After hitting up the Internet for commentary on the song, I was glad to find this:

Mayer's album "Continuum," nominated for album of the year, is one-part tribute to old-school blues and one-part torment over lost love. But like he name suggests, it is all Mayer — a young voice in transition. The single, "Waiting on the World to Change," nominated for best male pop vocal performance, points starkly to the apathy of Mayer's own generation.

"I think there's a lot of kids watching TV going 'That sucks, oh that totally sucks', but then there's this other voice that goes, 'What are you gonna do about it?' and then you say back to it: 'Nothin'. What's on E!?'" he said. "There's more of a conversation coming out of 'Waiting on the World to Change' than a song called 'We Got to Change the World'…The world needs someone to stand between Bono and Paris Hilton. and I want to be somewhere right in the middle."

An "ah-ha" moment as we call it in constructivism. I knew he couldn't just be complaining and literally waiting for things to just get better. All those years of literary analysis paid off. Eventually. My skillz are getting rusty. Listening to this song makes me feel like John Mayer is our John Denver, John Lennon, (do I see a "John" pattern here? Biblical reference, perhaps?), Bono (is his real name John?), INSERT PREFERRED ARTIST WITH SOCIAL CONSCIENCE AND ABILITY TO SPEAK FOR DEMOGRAPHIC HERE.

I hope that more people of our generation continue to speak up, stand up for what they believe in and create a world that is more respectable, communicative, family-oriented, productive and appreciative of life than our world is heading.

It's just like Venice

Some updates from our kitchen project!


To the left you can see our cabinet, floor and countertop choice. The cabinets are called "paprika" and have a very plain look to them, but I like them a lot. The color is almost a cherry, but not quite as red. The flooring is the same pattern that we used in the laundry room, but that color has been discontinued, so we are going with one that has less pink in it and more of a sand color. I think this will be a good contrast for the cabinets and the walls. The countertops are a dark blue, which dad reminds me is a smart decision when you're thinking about resale; I was also trying to match the counters in the laundry room, for consistency's sake.

On Friday night we started out "painting weekend" (dad got the weekend off which is just as well because he has been feeling under the weather) by taking down the old trim on the doorframe to the living room and the door to the basement, which though it was a really cool old wooden panel door, just had to go to really do the room right. We primed all the walls on Friday and put up the first coat on flat white on the ceiling.

Here you can see Kevin's brother, Brian, on Saturday morning prepping the Venetian plaster. I picked this color off a Behr paint card, not Brian's famous "Fancies" sweatpants, though he did don them for the occasion. He asked if we had asked for his help on this project because of his art minor and we assured him that his was the expert eye that we really needed for this venture. The plaster was really thick and took a long time to mix at Home Depot. I didn't get the feeling that the guy working the desk that night has ever had an order for this before.

Below you can see the boys applying the plaster to the walls and soffit with trowels. This was labor intensive, but I really think the overall look is so cool and I'm really happy with the final product. You can see the finished room below (though some spots are still dark because they aren't dry yet). We had to add extra coats to the walls that were original (plaster) as they didn't take as kindly to the finish as the drywall did. In hindsight, we should have put a thin layer of spackle on that plaster wall to at least smooth it over. That probably would have helped a lot.



Brian reminded me of one of the Super Mario Bros. in that hat - he has to be Luigi because he's not carrying enough weight right now to be Mario.

As you can see, we kept the beadboard that made up the lower half of the kitchen wall. It needs some TLC, but we liked the look of it and decided to keep it. It will remain white, as will the rest of the trim be.

After this final coat cures, probably tomorrow night, I will add a final clear top coat that they advise for high moisture and high traffic areas. Dad told me that our floor should be in on Friday, so as we wait for that next step, he may be able to come by and replace the window and check out the door/trim situation.

Stay tuned for more updates and enjoy the Superbowl! Off to do some more reading for school...

100 things about me

I have seen lists such as this on other people's blogs and think they are great - I wonder if I can think of 100 things?!? Anyway, I've been really inspired and interested in others lists, so I am going to attempt to compile my own. Also, I started working on this this weekend and the blog froze and I lost it all. So that was frustrating.

But here we go - take 2 -

1. I like to use the Next Blog button on blogger to discover random blogs such as mine. Sometimes I hit on amazing writers out there.
2. I have two scars from chicken pox on my face - one on either side of my nose in exactly the same place.
3. When dining, I have to have my beverage on the right hand side above my plate. If it's not there, I have to move it before I can commence eating.
4. I know it's bad, but I love McDonald's.
5. Over the past year or so, I've become much more dedicated to work than I ever was before. I guess I finally grew out of post-college mode. I suspect that will change again when we have kids.
6. I would rather stay up late than get up early.
7. My scapula is hypermobile (which I learned during my shoulder PT).
8. I never gave all my friends (read: 2) who are OTs enough credit in college - they always looked like they were having too much fun. Now I know how amazing they are and what cool things they do and know. Good work guys!
9. If we ever got divorced, it would be because I'm nutso over the state of our bed linens. They must be tucked in properly, with equal amounts on both sides of the bed. I like the pillows plumped up and often plump Kevin's as well. He doesn't understand this obsession.
10. Although I am ok with silence, I generally like to have music or the TV on when I'm home, especially if I am alone.
11. I love to use bright colors in decorating.
12. I am not afraid of engaging in confrontation, but generally find myself as a peacemaker, "let's talk about it" type person. I have no idea where this comes from.
13. In college I had a creative writing class that required us to write in a journal every day. This has ruined me for regular journal writing forever, but it produced some of the most intelligent writing I've ever done.
14. I like being in the water, though the opportunities to do so are few and far between. When I'm washing my face, I often spend more time than is necessary splashing water.
15. Though I complain about it a lot, I really like my job and the team that I work with.
16. Though I complain about it a lot, I really like school and am glad to be learning new things and putting them to use.
17. It takes a lot of effort for me, if I don't have plans, to get moving and do something, especially outside the house. I'd rather just hang out there all day.
18. I like to cook and would enjoy taking some classes.
19. I worry that I won't be as good a parent as my mom and dad are.
20. I wish I had a closer relationship with my brother.
21. Sometimes I wish I weren't such a weenie, but I've at least come to terms with that fact.
22. I have a loose scar on my left knee from falling up the steps outside in high school. It turns purple when it's cold outside.
23. I regret not studying abroad in college.
24. I wish I had been nicer to guys who liked me in high school. I still would have ended up with Kevin anyway, but I feel bad for not being more open to dating opportunities.
25. When I was little I played "Communion" with Necco wafers. My dad told me that was blasphemous, which I didn't understand at the time, but I think it was the precursor to my being a Eucharistic minister now.
26. Chocolate Necco wafers are my favorite of the wafers.
27. I like to buy the perfect gift for people and get really frustrated when I can't think of something completely appropriate to give.
28. I hate the red-tape involved in my work, but see #15.
29. I wish I lived closer to my close girlfriends.
30. I am not a very good driver.
31. I am afraid that as we grow older and establish families of our own, my cousins and I will continue to grow apart. I miss hanging out with them and the laughs we used to have.
32. I think music is created to be listened to loudly.
33. Kevin says I run the show.
34. I love TV, movies and books and am often compulsively obsessed with them. When I get a new set of DVDs or the latest Harry Potter, I must, must, must watch or read it/them IMMEDIATELY.
35. Unfortunately, I tend to be grumpy when things are hectic or trying and I often take that out on people close to me who truly don't deserve it.
36. I believe that all people are inherently good; maybe that's because I want to believe it or maybe it's because I am just surrounded by so many good people.
37. I love to research things on the Internet - at the office they call me Jeeves.
38. I learned to type quickly through Instant Messenger, not keyboarding class. An assist should also be credited to an author who once had my mom and I retype an entire book so he could have an electronic copy of the file - it was about agriculture throughout history or something. I forget how much we got paid a page.
39. I worked at a supermarket for about four years, from before I could drive through my sophomore year in college. Those formative years really molded my entire supermarket attitude and experience now as a shopper.
40. I am glad to be a Catholic even though our religion has taken some PR hits in the past few years. Every religious and lay minister I ever interacted with in my life was the epitome of kind, decent, caring and Christian.
41. I tend to overreact and can also be incited to do so by others.
42. I don't push myself hard enough.
43. I have lived in Pennsylvania my whole life!
44. I never refill the ice trays in our house, but I am the only one who lives here who consistently uses ice. It is completely counter to my other OCD tendencies.
45. I can't help from reading about celebrity news at sites like People.com, although I doubt they are doing the same for me.
46. I like to peoplewatch and make up stories about what is happening in each scenario. I think I learned both of these skills from my mom and my dad, respectively.
47. I wish I had a more creative nickname than Jack.
48. I worry way too much, but I'm actually better than I used to be. I credit that to Kevin.
49. Much of how I think and act is powered by guilt. This may sound like a bad thing, but it gets me to do a lot of things that I really don't feel like doing because I know I should do them. I've never regretted later something I did because of a guilty feeling. Sounds like the old "let your conscience be your guide" thing.
50. I think Audrey Hepburn was the Hepburn who didn't get enough recognition. I love all her movies, but I think Charade or maybe Funny Face are my favorite.
51. I took ballet when I was very young but stopped because we moved and I told my mom it made me "too sweaty."
52. I have an uncanny recollection of the occurrences of my youth.
53. Though I don't really believe in such things, I am the posterchild for the Virgo sign. Every description I've ever read of it really fits me to a T. So though I don't believe in it, I guess I find it kind of interesting.
54. I can't believe how much energy and attention I brought to organizing our wedding. It was the first personal project that I've completed so thoroughly.
55. Though I'd love for a woman to be president, I can't help but feeling like it would be a giant PR/feminist move that would totally negate the purpose of the office.
56. I have a giant poster of Rosie the Riveter hanging over my desk at work. My Aunt Mary Agnes gave it to me. It just occurred to me for the first time in the 10 years that I've had it what that may say to people who visit my cube.
57. I am not a risk taker; however, I have learned the value of risk that comes after the fact. I now often make decisions that in my tendencies do not agree with, but I know I will appreciate later.
58. I recently discovered the joy of Wawa hot chocolate with a little bit of French Vanilla creamer added.
59. I often hit my stride working on a project around 3 p.m., which is unfortunately almost the end of my workday.
60. When I was probably 16 or so, I was involved in a mock mass-casualty exercise. My aunt, an ambulance chief, planned the exercise to test local fire/police/ambulance in the event of a mass casualty. In our case the scenario was a car bomb in a parking garage and I had a lacerated throat (full makeup!). I remember my uncle, a fireman, coming to "save" me and hearing him say, "oh brother!" as he lifted me up and dropped me onto a litter used to carry victims.
61. I think scrapbooking is really cool, but I tend to just put photos together with lots of captioning to create a picture story.
62. I could not be happier that I am married for the rest of my life to my best friend.
63. I think back to our years at Etown with nothing but fondness for the campus, the faculty, staff and classmates.
64. To the surprise of my family, I enjoy flipping through Sports Illustrated and usually read Life of Reilly. I don't always fully understand it, but I am proud of my use of context clues.
65. I have absolutely no problem picking up a movie in the middle.
66. I tend to not want to associate with shmoozy people - I can't be bothered.
67. It really grates on my nerves when people don't get my name right - I've heard Jen, Kathy, Bonnie...it makes me feel forgettable.
68. Math is not my friend.
69. I could eat an entire pot of Kevin's family's recipe for gravy and pasta.
70. I often (but not always - read: wine tours!) enjoy creative non-alcoholic drinks like Shirley Temples and cranberry juice mixed with ginger ale more than an alcoholic drink.
71. I often offer commentary while watching the news or TV, much to the chagrin of my husband.
72. Although I don't like a lot of attention on me, recognition for a job well done goes further for me than the reward of doing the job itself.
73. I like to buy jewelry with a story behind it, or while on a trip.
74. I often catch myself acting too big for my britches at work and have to pop my ego.
75. Although I wouldn't go back to them, I miss the inspiration to write that I drew from my dramatic and angst-filled teenage years.
76. I get distracted easily.
77. What is this list about again?
78. I often devise passwords to give myself a chuckle. It brings a little levity to the workday.
79. My. face. shows. everything.
80. I often do not appear gracious for gifts and compliments, when the truth is that they are hard for me to accept. I have had to force myself to be more visibly and audibly gracious.
81. I very much care what other people think of me.
82. I get a charge out of helping someone and though knowing how to answer a lot of questions often brings the reward of MORE QUESTIONS, I like it.
83. When I am with my Etown girlfriends, we could spend about 3 days talking straight through and I love every minute of it.
84. I am a stickler for AP Style, but I wish I knew plain ol' English grammar better than I do.
85. I enjoyed diagramming and still use it to dissect grammar.
86. I threw up every morning before school in third grade because I was afraid of Sister Doris.
87. My first car was actually a light blue Honda Civic, but it didn't last long after my parents bought it. I didn't even have it when I got my license, only during my permit.
88. In high school, my assigned parking space (which I bought for $20/year) was right on the speedbump, which relieved me greatly as I was stressed worrying about parking in the right spot when the labels were not clear.
89. I was the editor of our high school newspaper senior year and the assistant editor of our college newspaper senior year.
90. I have gotten much better at taking criticism on my writing; however, it is often offered by people who I like and respect. Criticism from those I do not respect still gets a grumble and a "who do they think they are?"
91. When I make to-do lists, I often put more on them then I can accomplish in the time allotted. I get this from my dad.
92. Even though I knew they were out of fashion, I just got rid of a pair of overalls last year.
93. I am quick to tell off a telemarketer or customer service representative who is not providing good service.
94. Although I am happy, I often worry about the ways and state of the world today and where we are going as a human race. Although I am not old, I yearn for "olden days," even of my youth, where times seemed to be better, fairer and more innocent. Maybe that was just me.
95. I'm a binge eater when I get home from work and often ruin my dinner.
96. I love to imitate people and have been told I am quite good at it.
97. I work well under pressure and though I'm trying not to as I mature, I often let things go until they must be done.
98. I'm an awful housekeeper.
99. I am extremely critical - when rating things on a 1-10 scale, I almost never grant 10s.
100. I stock greeting cards in a box divided by occasion and ready for last minute thoughts.
101. My expectations are too high.
102. Sometimes, I am an overachiever.

That was MUCH harder than I thought it would be. I feel very uninteresting and also like there are lots of things I wish I was or did that I am not. Hmm...oh well, an interesting exercise at least!