100 Things

Ever seen those lists some people make of 100 things about themselves? Well, I like reading them for some strange (voyeuristic?) reason. So... at the risk of self-indulgence and narcissism, I made my own. Here it is:

100 Things
1. My father started calling me “Angel” soon after I was born
2. My real first name is Angelien
3. People constantly misspell "Angelien"
4. My favorite misspelling is "Angelzen", which I use as a screen name sometimes
5. I was born and raised in Minnesota
6. I spent my freshman year of college at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, majoring in Astrophysics
7. This year (my sophomore year), I transferred to Bemidji State University in Bemidji, Minnesota
8. I also switched my major (first to English, then to Creative and Professional Writing)
9. I'm also going for a minor in Philosophy
10. My favorite novelists are Jack Kerouac and Kurt Vonnegut
11. I have too many favorite poets to list, but currently the top three are: A. E. Housman, Emily Dickinson, and Allen Ginsburg
12. I don't know exactly how many books I own, only that I don't have enough shelves to fit them all.
13. I learned to read before I turned 2
14. I read faster than most people I know
15. I can't read anything without checking it for spelling/grammar/punctuation errors
16. I also tend to correct people's grammar when they're speaking.
17. I wanted to write even before I learned about punctuation (I remember asking my mom how to end a sentence. For a while I just made up my own punctuation and used dashes for most things.)
18. I have an exceedingly good memory for events, music, poetry, lines in a play, etc.
19. The only things I have a hard time remembering are names and dates.
20. I got a 4 (out of 5) on the AP Calculus AB test
21. But I failed Calculus II twice in college
22. I was the last person in my 3rd Grade class to learn the multiplication tables
23. Mostly because, up until high school, I refused to study for anything that didn’t interest me
24. I always felt like an outcast at school
25. A lot of people only liked me because I was smart and could help them with their schoolwork
26. Before I came to Bemidji, I had maybe one or two real friends
27. I’m a much happier, more well-adjusted person since coming to Bemidji State than I ever was in elementary/middle/high school or in New Mexico
28. But I still have low self-esteem problems
29. And I’m still not very good at social interaction
30. But I like having people around to talk with anyway
31. I’d rather listen to people than speak
32. I think that if you want to know someone, look in their eyes and look at their hands
33. My eyes are dark blue and my hair is dark blonde, and I’m happy with that
34. My hands are so big that I rarely find women’s gloves that fit me
35. I’m happy with that because I play piano and it gives me a pretty big reach
36. There are still a couple places in “Piano Man” where I have to make some adjustments because I can’t reach the notes
37. I took piano lessons for about 5 years, off and on
38. I know Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” by heart
39. I’ve played the piano/keyboard for no less than 4 family weddings
40. I was raised as a Roman Catholic
41. I still consider myself a Christian, but my personal beliefs are split among several different religions
42. 42 is a good answer for any question
43. I’m very interested in Buddhism
44. M.A.S.H. has recently become my favorite TV show
45. My second favorite show is Good Eats, from the Food Network
46. In spite of this, I don’t cook much
47. I refuse to join any political party
48. But I’m most likely going to vote with the Democrats in the next presidential election
49. I have never held or fired a firearm of any sort, and I never plan to
50. I frequently toy with the idea of becoming a vegetarian, but I don’t have that kind of willpower
51. I am deathly afraid of deep water
52. I procrastinate far too much
53. I would rather have a cat than a dog
54. But I still love my dog Sylver more than just about anything (tho I also have five cats at home)
55. I hate getting up in the morning; I’m a total night owl
56. I worry when my inner monologue turns into an inner dialogue
57. I’m not a fan of any particular genre of music, but I’m very particular about what I listen to
58. My parents hated “hippie” music, even though that was their generation; I love most of it
59. I have lucid dreams about once every month or so
60. I don’t necessarily believe in psychic phenomena, but I have had premonitions before
61. I’ve also had prophetic dreams
62. I’ve seen a UFO before
63. I took two years of French in high school, but I’ve forgotten most of it
64. I want to learn Latin
65. I’m a Taurus with Gemini ascendant (born May 9, 1984)
66. I have one sister (Katie) and no brothers
67. My first (and so far only) job was working at the library in my hometown
68. I frequently fear that I have offended someone without realizing it
69. I drive my dad’s old Dodge Dakota pick-up truck
70. I love the smell of leather
71. I’m scared of heights, except when driving in the mountains (otherwise I get terrible vertigo)
72. I love caffeine but can’t stand coffee unless it’s heavily sweetened and full of milk and flavorings
73. I do like tea, however
74. Especially Earl Grey, peppermint, or green tea
75. Most of my friends are guys
76. My favorite color is green
77. The majority of the clothes I own are black or some other dark color
78. Living in a girls’ dorm drives me crazy sometimes
79. I detest most rap and pop music
80. I have never had a boyfriend
81. But I am constantly falling in love anyway
82. I hope to travel to Europe sometime before I graduate from college
83. My ancestry is about ¾ German, ¼ Scotch-Irish, and a tiny bit each of French, English, and Native American
84. I have a notch in my right ear, which grew that way because I held my fist up to it all the time in the womb
85. During my senior year of high school, I had to have surgery to straighten my septum
86. Before the surgery, I used to get sinus infections almost constantly, especially in winter
87. I love rain, thunderstorms, and fog
88. But I couldn’t stand it if it rained all the time; I need variety
89. The first movie I ever saw in a theater was The Little Mermaid
90. I love Chinese food, especially homemade
91. I love stargazing
92. Someday I want to see a solar eclipse
93. I make a conscious effort to write in all capital letters when I take notes in class because it’s easier to read than my usual handwriting
94. I refuse to wear contacts; I love my glasses
95. It took me three tries to pass my driver’s test
96. I’ve never gotten a ticket, though
97. I don’t like to talk on the telephone
98. I’ve been to The Rocky Horror Picture Show three times, in two different states
99. I only like kids if they’re very well-behaved
100. I refuse to hate anyone; I try to have compassion for everyone

< ? 100 Things # >