The "100 Things About Me" list. I've seen them often on other blogs. And I've marveled both at their authors' thoroughness (1...2...3...wow. There are actually 100 things listed here!) and the interesting aspects of themselves they've chosen to share. I think I could come up with 10 (well maybe 15) worthy of such a list on my own blog. But it's been a post I've been meaning to write for some time, simply because I think it's a good writing exercise, and a way to mine out one's core (or at least those parts of the core one is willing to share with the blogosphere). So...

1. My dream job is to become a travel writer.
2. Unfortunately, I have no experience in this area, other than my own travel journals.
3. I can, however, tell you in minute detail how to troubleshoot a lagging hard drive, and how to protect your PC from viruses and spyware!
4. I am the oldest sibling in my family, and the first grandchild as well. Yes, my family members spoiled me. All of them. My husband would say they still do.
5. My parents divorced when I was two. I lived with my mom, and saw my dad every other weekend.
6. I have a younger sister who is 27, and two much younger sisters from my dad's second marriage. They are 15 and 12.
7. My mother has been married four times.
8. I loathe her current husband with a fiery passion.
9. Luckily, they don't live near me.
10. I like my stepmom very much. This wasn't always the case though.
11. My extended family on my mom's side (grandma, aunts, uncles, cousins) is very close.
12. Of course, this also means that everyone knows everyone else's business...all the time.
13. We usually all get together once a week, with a few exceptions, for Sunday dinner at my great aunt's house.
14. My grandfather called me Dolce. This means "sweet" in Italian.
15. He gave all his grandchildren nicknames. Some of them had actual meanings, like mine. Others were names he created from a combination of Italian and English words.
16. He died 10 years ago. I miss him every day.
17. I went into a coma at age five when the strep throat virus I contracted at school traveled to my brain.
18. I was unconscious for over a week, during which time the doctors told my parents if I awoke, I would likely be severely brain damaged.
19. I did, and I wasn't.
20. Later that same year, I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a chronic illness that affects the large intestine.
21. For five years, I was subjected to countless painful tests and procedures, while I was medicated to the max with prednisone, a steroid that made a skinny little girl blow up like a balloon.
22. My doctor told me I was the worst case of colitis he had ever seen in a child. 23. At age 10, a surgeon performed a series of four surgeries to remove my large intestine. Turns out you don't need that 10 foot organ after all!
24. I was healthy until age 16.
25. Then my doctor found and diagnosed Crohn's disease, chronic inflammation of the small intestine.
26. Most people who have colitis have Crohn's disease too.
27. There's no cure for Crohn's, but I've been in remission for many years now.
28. I have been a staunch supporter of animal rights since high school.
29. I was the editor of my school newspaper, and used my position as a platform to tell others about the horrors of animal testing.
30. I will never buy anything made by Proctor & Gamble, the worst offending company in testing their products on animals.
31. I just entered the 21st century last night when I got broadband internet service, and a wireless router for my laptop.
32. Prior to that point, I was using dial-up. I know.
33. However, I still do not own a cell phone, although my husband just got one.
34. I don't want one either.
35. If given the choice to go out on a Saturday night or stay home with my cats, the bathtub, and a good book, I'll take the latter.
36. I realize that's a little strange, given my age.
37. I've known my best friend for almost 25 years.
38. We met in the first grade, and went all the way through Catholic grammar school, Catholic high school, and our undergraduate years together.
39. We roomed together in college for one year.
40. That didn't work so well (I think it's difficult to live with anyone in what constitutes a 10x10 dorm room), so the next year we each got different roommates and lived in the same suite, and later, the same off-campus house.
41. She recently bought a house in my neighborhood. We're less than a five minute walk away from eachother.
42. I work from home on Fridays.
43. It's my favorite day of the week, because I have the house to myself, and it's quiet.
44. I would love to never again have to enter my office, and to be able to work 100% from home.
45. I have more books than I have bookshelves.
46. I have a stack of books 10 deep beside my bed.
47. According to my mom and my grandma, I started reading at age two and a half.
48. There exists an ancient reel-recording of me reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas" at said age.
49. I love Christmas, but my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.
50. This is due to the colors of the season, the non-commercial nature of the holiday, and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.
51. My mom used to make me and my sister Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls while we watched the parade.
52. Now I make them for husband and myself while we watch the parade.
53. He doesn't really "get" the parade.
54. I could eat an entire loaf of warm, freshly baked bread and butter in one sitting.
55. I'm teaching myself to bake my own on the weekends.
56. I watch too much reality tv.
57. The Amazing Race is my favorite of the bunch.
58. Although I'm very much enjoying the The Apprentice: Martha Stewart.
59. I love Martha.
60. I am a feminist.
61. I kept my maiden name upon marrying.
62. I am a liberal.
63. I took an online political quiz recently, and it turns out I'm actually a "socialist."
64. My loathing for W runs deep.
65. I seriously considered running away to Canada with Alec Baldwin following the 2000 election.
66. My family members are staunch Republicans.
67. However, my grandma saw the light a few years ago, and now loathes W as I do.
68. Political discussions are FUN at my family dinners.
69. I could max out my credit card at H&M, Williams-Sonoma, and Pottery Barn.
70. Although, I really don't enjoy shopping in "brick-and-mortar" stores. I prefer to do it all online.


30 more to go. Stay tuned!