23 June, 2012

One Hundred! 100! ...or "The other Big C"

(ha. Get it? "C" like as in Roman Numerals? 100? I'm such a dork.)
Some people would have us believe that on your 100th blog post you are supposed to list 100 things about yourself. What is that supposed to do? A. That's a very long list. B. Yes, I suppose I could list 100 things...but it would be incredibly dull. What 100 things?

What 100 things would I want to list for readers who don't know me? I'm not sure if there's a rule that the list of 100 should be things not divulged elsewhere in my blog. However, I know some people just recently started popping in here, and not everyone feels drawn to read every archived post by every blogger they follow. 

To make this Herculean labor easier for myself, and to make better sense for you, I'm breaking the 100 into 10 sets of 10.

Let's give it a whirl...
(upon re-reading, I think the boring stuff is first. Keep reading.)

I'm the little one with the crazy grin.
A. GENERAL, GROWING UP
  1. I'm the 4th of 5 kids.
  2. I was born in Iowa.
  3. I started piano lessons at age 5. (For the story about my 5th birthday, see this post.)
  4. I know all the words to a lot of old songs because of giant piano books we'd play from as kids: Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head, Blue Moon, Beer Barrel Polka, Heart and Soul, Downtown...the list goes on.
  5. I grew up in Asia.
  6. I don't know where I'd live if I had my choice, but I'd like to get back to the Indian subcontinent someday.
  7. I'm obsessed with Stonehenge.
  8. Yes, I've been there.
  9. I'm obsessed with the Taj Mahal.
  10. No, I've never been there. (Ironic, huh?)
B. THOUGHTS ABOUT SCI-FI
  1. I don't really read sci-fi.
  2. I do not speak Klingon.
  3. I do enjoy Star Trek.
  4. In college, we played the Star Trek drinking game while watching The Next Generation. I no longer have the rules.
  5. I do not speak Wookiee.
  6. I know more about Star Wars than anyone I know (unless you count the videogames).
  7. Yoda does NOT always speak with reverse sentence structure: the script-writers of the prequel trilogy were lazy.
  8. My secret weight loss goal is to be able to successfully wear the Princess Leia slave-girl costume from Return of the Jedi.
  9. I've watched Dr. Who, but not enough to be caught up with current plot-lines and casting.
  10. I prefer Red Dwarf, when it comes to Brit-Sci-Fi.
C. A FEW THOUGHTS ABOUT BOOKS

  1. I was reading and writing in sentences at age 3.
  2. My favorite book is Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker Guide trilogy. (yes, the 5 book trilogy)
  3. I own everything he's written.
  4. My most consistent author to read on a whim is Agatha Christie.
  5. I do not own everything she's written... I only have 40-some of hers.
  6. I started reading her mysteries at age 11.
  7. My favorite living author is Christopher Moore.
  8. His book "Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal" is HILARIOUS ... if you can separate fiction from your faith.
  9. Another whacky-fiction author? Jasper Fforde. Grandly twisted. Check him out.
  10. In the past, I have organized my books alphabetically, by color, or by Dewey.
D. ABOUT WORK
  1. I don't really know what I want to be when I grow up.
  2. My ideal job would ultimately be overseas.
  3. My former boss used to say I only ate popcorn, peanuts and pizza. He was pretty close. Add peanut butter.
  4. My last job was at a marina. I could smell the ocean from my office when the windows were open.
  5. I've worked in housekeeping.
  6. I was on a paint crew for a summer job once.
  7. I worked in a TV studio during college.
  8. From there I worked captioning videos.
  9. Captioning was probably the most fascinating job I've had... too bad my boss was insane!
  10. I am about to go insane if I don't get a job soon!
E. RESPONSIBILITY AND IRRESPONSIBILITY
  1. No kids: don't have any, don't want any.
  2. Eight nieces and nephews.
  3. Once when I was babysitting my niece and nephew for a weekend, there was a thunderstorm. My niece was 5, and terrified. I had no idea how to calm her: fear of thunder & lightning was absolutely foreign to me. She survived.
  4. Four godchildren. (In the church sense, not in the sense that I am responsible for them if their parents die.)
  5. I taught middle-school Sunday School at my church in Delaware. (grades 5-7)
  6. They were unbelievably fun.
  7. One of the 10yo's admonished me before I moved here to Indiana "Don't tell your new friends out there that you live with your parents!" She was embarrassed for me. Cute.
  8. No pets, mostly because I hate being a burden on someone else if I go out of town and they need to be cared for.
  9. I had a Dragon Amigus named Spartacus.
  10. Plants die in my care. I am fortunate to still have two that have lived for more than 2 years: a spider plant and a jade.
F. DEATH
  1. My grandmother died 2 1/2 years ago, at age 101.
  2. Her funeral was all planned out...by her.
  3. At her 100th birthday, I asked her what the secret was to long life. She said, "love everybody."
  4. DUDE! That's really hard! 
  5. I don't want a funeral when I die. I want a "celebration of life".
  6. My family knows I prefer to be cremated.
  7. I want my sister to read Psalm 19 at my Celebration of Life, if she's still alive.
  8. She hasn't said definitively yes.
  9. There should be an open bar at the Celebration of Life.
  10. You're all invited.
G. ABOUT THE PANTHEON OF MY LIFE

  1. I do not use real names of anyone I write about from my personal life: I've swapped their names for a pantheon which can be found in this post.
  2. I use (usually) the names of Greek gods and goddesses for pseudonyms in this blog.
  3. That is because in our family, we are steeped in that knowledge, due to Dad's college education. Yeah. Weird.
  4. ...Seriously. It was dinner table conversation. At age 4, I was hooked!
  5. When we lived overseas, my sister Diana and I, and the two daughters of the other missionary, would take Poseidon into the ladies' cloakroom, put his hair in pigtails, and exit into the public calling him Persephone.
  6. His hair wasn't really that long.
  7. I took "Greek and Roman Mythology" as an elective in college. It was awesome.
  8. Because of the whole boarding school situation, I really only got to know my oldest siblings when I was in college.
  9. I think I broke my mom's heart when I told her that. (and I don't know why)
  10. Not yet in the pantheon officially, my eldest niece will be Calliope for her artistic talent, and my youngest nephew will be Icarus for consistently going too far.
H. COLLEGE DAYS

  1. I went to the same college with my older brother.
  2. Unfortunately, this meant that I dated very little. His temper was well-known. I was gold.
  3. I had tried to start going by my full name instead of the age-old shortened version, but having a sibling there ruined that.
  4. I got my first apartment during my Junior year of college.
  5. I kept a double minor all through college because I couldn't decied what my "practical" minor should be. I graduated with one minor and a TON of elective credits!
  6. Like Old Testament Theology, from when my 2nd minor was theology.
  7. Or Adolescent Psychology, from when my 2nd minor was psychology.
  8. Or Music Theory, from when my 2nd minor was music.
  9. The minor I graduated with was Geography/Earth Science.
  10. This should have been my major.
I. A MOVIE WHORE IS BORN
...a.k.a. 10 movies I watch regularly if there's nothing on TV.
(Please note, these are not my Top 10 faves, just easy to have on and ignore because I know them well.)
  1. The Star Wars trilogies (obviously)
  2. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (obviously)
  3. Star Trek - 2010 version (obviously ...and because I don't own any others. If anyone feels like supplying me with Wrath of Kahn, I will be eternally grateful.)
  4. Casablanca (obviously)
  5. Clue
  6. Ghostbusters
  7. Young Frankenstein
  8. Kelly's Heroes (possibly the stupidest WWII movie, ever. But so funny.)
  9. Bridget Jones' Diary
  10. Muppets From Space (Best. Soundtrack. EVER.)
 J. The one you've all been waiting for:
The Red & Brett Story in 10 Key Posts.
(you're welcome)
p.s. There are others, but these are key.
Remember these? If not, read 5 & 6, below.

  1. Your Bloody Valentines Day We'd been reading each other's blogs and commenting, but this is The Key Post. (If you don't read any others, read this and the comments.)
  2. Evidence That I Am Harmless (posted at The Transformed Non-Conformist)
  3. Of Axe Murderers and Other Creepy Folks This is my response to no. 2.
  4. The Secret's Out and the Plot Thickens Because I'm an anonymous blogger, all of this was only in the blogosphere of my world until now.
  5. Chaos Butterfly Powers (posted at The Transformed Non-Conformist)Red & Brett's Secret Squirrel Squad 
  6. Red Arrived in the "Brett Zone" and Was Never Heard From Again Documenting our first meeting. There's a corresonding post at The Transformed Non-Conformist.
  7. Allow Me to Explain (or What Really Happened at The Avengers) This one is kind of left-field, unless you'd been following some of the Twitter convos out there.
  8. The Kids of Indianapolis Have a New Hero
  9. Brett's Plans Fall Apart Again (posted at The Transformed Non-Conformist)

That wasn't too painful, was it? 100 things you never cared to know about me, in 10 quick sessions. ...and all the pictures came from elsewhere in this blog.

Whew.
Time for a beer.

32 comments:

  1. Yay! You loved the Hitchhikers Guide to the galaxy too. I really liked the movie but everyone else I know doesn't. But Scott and I quote it to each other way too much. "Remember buttons aren't toys!"

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    1. There were a few key lines from the books that I was watching for in the movie. They were all in there. It's just a fun movie.
      ...And "Buttons aren't toys" is always what I think of when I see Nellie Vaughn's blog "Buttons aren't currency".

      Delete
  2. I also worked on a paint crew for a summer while in college.

    I also kill plants. People give me plants to add the "needed woman's touch" to my house and they always die.

    I have never seen Bridget Jones' Diary.

    You are well aware that I am no where near the Star Wars fan that you are, but I will be totally supportive in Sci-Fi Thought #8. Tell me how I can help. I am here for you.

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    1. Well, Sweety Darlin' makes costumes, so I've always got that thought in my mind! Otherwise the costumes are about $40-$50 that I've seen online, but none have the right boots! Leia never wore spiked strappy sandals. Good grief.

      Bridget Jones' Diary is the epitome of a chick flick, but I love it. Also - best director's commentary ever.

      Delete
  3. Fun :) I like how you broke it up into topics! I read some of the Hitchhiker's Guide books years ago - like when I was 13 or so. It was fun then but I don't remember much of it now. In general I'm not so into Sci-Fi.

    Congratulations on reaching 100 posts! I need to check where I am with that.

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    1. I never used to think of myself as being "into" sci-fi. I'm just a fan of a few sci-fi films. But compared to a lot of people, apparently I am.

      Delete
  4. There's a sixth book in the Hitch Hiker series now. I don't think it was written by Adams himself, which I guess makes it an unofficial sequal, but the tagline for the book is "part six of three".

    Eight nieces and nephews, but no desire for kids of your own? Never heard that before...

    I also don't want my funeral to be sad. As they're lowering my coffin into the grave I want someone to be playing Highway to Hell on a radio nearby. This attitude seems to be taking hold.

    I've read most of those Red & Brett posts, but not the first one. I'll have to check it out.

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    1. Are you talking about Salmon of Doubt? I have that - his unfinished book that wasn't determined to be HHGG or Dirk Gently. There's also Starship Titanic, which was written by... Terry Jones I think, one of the Monty Python gang at least. I have that, too.

      When you read the first R&B (ha!) post, be sure to read the comments.

      Delete
    2. No I just looked it up. It's called 'And Another Thing...' and it's written by Eoin Colfer.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitchhiker%27s_guide_to_the_galaxy#And_Another_Thing...

      Delete
    3. Oh and I just realised I have read that first post! (and the comments)

      Delete
    4. I've heard of that book. I'll have to look it up.

      (and I've referred to that post before.)

      Delete
  5. Section B #8,

    BWAHAHAHAHA!! That is awesome.

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    1. Well thank you! I could have done it last Halloween, had I an occasion for it. Now I have to tone up a bit first.

      Delete
  6. Great list! I love the organization! My favorite was the family picture. You, with your crazy grin and your sister with her pout. You were either teasing her or trying to cheer her up :)

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    1. If you read the post I linked to in G (about the Pantheon), it explains. That sister and I were rarely both smiling in the same picture. We still have our issues.

      Glad you appreciated the organization!

      Delete
  7. I love the you love Star Wars. Did you watch the Plinkett reviews? My brother begged me to, I gave in, and that led to my interest in Star Wars. I wanted to know why everyone hated George Lucas all of a sudden.
    Oh, and you like Douglas Adams? Can you get any better? Brett is such a lucky guy.
    I am going to go read the posts you've provided links to. I wasn't there from the start, and I feel I am missing out.

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    1. Star Wars was the first movie I saw in a theater. I remember leaving feeling like I'd just been on a rollercoaster (thank you, Battle of Yavin). I've never heard of the Plinkett Reviews. I'll have to look them up.

      Sappy as it sounds, Brett and I keep debating over who's the lucky one in all of this.

      Delete
  8. I love Dirk Gently, such a brilliant character

    I preferred the BBC series from the 70/80 (?) of Hitch Hikers

    I am trying to convince my girlfriend about section B #8. Alas, not a success.

    The authors from section B #8 and #9 are now on my reading list

    A mate of mine wants his funeral to be fancy dress. I've been earmarked to go as Death.

    Congrats on the 100; humongous effort, humongous post.

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    1. Thank you!

      I have, on occasion, relied upon Dirk Gently's mode of navigation. I love the chaos of it.

      Radio or TV series? I have the book of the radio scripts, but have only seen some of the TV series.

      I think - from my deep knowledge of your likes and dislikes - that you will enjoy both Christopher Moore and Jasper Fforde. They aren't for everyone.

      Delete
  9. What a delightful and well laid-out "fact sheet" all about you! I can tell you put a lot of work into this, and a good bit of humor too and it was a fun read! Congrats on attaining 100 posts, it takes some doing to hang in there with blogging! One can only ponder what deep dark facts you might have to dredge up to celebrate the next one hundred posts... better start working on that list now! :-))

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    1. Thank you! I started it about 10 posts ago.

      hmm...200? Wow. That will have to be something awesome. I hadn't thought of that.

      Delete
  10. I love Christopher Moore! I've only read one other book of his, but I can't remember which one... it wasn't as memorable as "Lamb," I guess. Congrats on the 100th post!!!!!! Your blog is growing up so fast! *tear*

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    1. I'm waiting for his new one "Sacre Bleu" to come out in paperback. It's about Van Gogh...or Van Gogh's death or something. I've read the first chapter at his website. He can sure turn a unique phrase!

      ...No matter how old this blog gets, it's never going to leave the nest!

      Delete
  11. Firstly, congratulations on your 100th post! I just did my 20th... makes me feel rather small..

    Your grandma sounds like she was amazing. "love everyone," - yeah right! Only a saint could do that!

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    1. 20th? But your blog is so big! That surprises me.

      Grandmas was awesome. Apparently she was known for knowing what she wanted and getting things done her way. Of course, as a grandchild I only knew that I got sugared breakfast cereal at her house, and root-beer floats!

      Delete
  12. Hurray for hitting 100!

    I thought Moore's Lamb was hilarious, too. Have you read any of his vampire ones? I bought one but haven't started it yet.

    The only book that I think is funnier than Lamb is the book by the Bloggess.

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    1. I have read his vampire books. Actually, I went to a book signing for the last vampire one. I like his take on vampires with humor. (he made some comments about the silliness of "sparkly" vampires, but then we're talking vampires.)

      I don't think I have laughed as much, for as long, as when reading "Let's Pretend This Never Happened".

      Delete
  13. Oh boy, where to start. This was chock full!

    First, congrats on 100. Quite the milestone. And good job on the list.

    I have never been a big sci-fi person. Nor am I into the star trek/wars. I saw the original 3 wars and the first of the prequel, I think. The one where Anakin is a kid? Yeah, I lost interest after that. And I've seen a couple Star Trek movies, notably Wrath of Khan, and watched Next Gen for a bit in college. Other than that, meh. Although I do like a few sci-fi-ish books. Dean Koontz & Stephen King (I know they are mainstream periphery authors). But I recently discovered Jasper Fforde and I LOVE HIM!! Probably because of the whole playing with classic literature and detective elements of it, but he is fab. I've only read the first of his Tuesday Next series, but I will be reading more. I might need to try this Christopher Moore as well . . .

    When you talk about the Princess Leia outfit, I can't help but think of Friends when Ross imagines his mother in the outfit. Shudder.

    Oh, and I am realizing now that you look very much like one other person in that picture. I'm not saying who, but obviously you know. Is there still that strong resemblance now that you are adults?

    I think I had more, but holy book, batman!! I will leave it at that. :)

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    1. I love the Thursday Next series, but he started a new series with a book (I believe) called Shades of Grey - or something like that. It was out a few years ago, and I'm desperately awaiting the sequel. (It's a world where you are classified by the segment of the color spectrum that you can see.)

      If you mean I look like the sibling I'm grinning at, yes, we've been mistaken for twins. Actually, I've been mistaken for both my sisters, and told that I look like my brothers, too. There's no denying our relationship!

      Delete
  14. I had posted a comment here some time back but i guess blogger ate it. I get that sometimes. Just wanted to say congratulations on 100 posts. It impresses me that you guys can come up with these 100 things lists. Very well done! Also wanted to tell you that i passed along a bloggy award to you over at my last post. I know you guys are busy but stop by when you have time to check it out. :)

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  15. I'm so behind on my blog reading. Congrats on 100 and congrats on the list, very nicely done.

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  16. I love your take on F and G. Actually, she went by the name Calliope on some pet game we played for a while when we first joined facebook (great minds and all that, I was Persephone)

    Yeah for 100! and I truly am ready to start helping you put things into book form.
    Hestia

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I enjoy a good debate. Feel free to shake things up. Tell me I'm wrong. Ask me why I have such a weird opinion. ...or, just laugh and tell how this relates to you and your life.