100 things you never knew you wanted to know

1. Since I haven’t been blogging much lately, I thought I would treat you all to a long-ass list chock full of all things Becky.
2. So for today, you get a break from the normal drivel I write.
3. I almost used the word “poppycock” in place of “drivel.”

4. I think my parents are the best parents in the world, and I’m very proud of the way they raised my brother and me.
5. They worked hard to send me to the private college I fell in love with.
6. I think that no matter what happens in the rest of my life, that’s the thing I’ll be most grateful for.
7. Did I ever tell you guys that I’m sort of in a band?
8. Yeah. I’ve been singing with my dad’s band for a little over a year now.
9. He plays the drums, and he’s really excellent.
10. I started singing with them because he said he wanted us to do something together.
11. Somewhere along the line, it stopped being something I did for him and became something I do for myself.
12. I love to sing.
13. My favorite song to sing is probably “Ave Maria.” Latin is cool.
14. My dad’s band plays mostly covers.
15. I am one hell of a cowbell player, I'll tell you that much.
16. Before I joined, there were three guitar players, one singer, and a drummer.
17. Today, there are four guitar players, three singers, a drummer, a bass player, and a keyboard player.
18. My brother once said that we’re getting to be like Doug’s band.
19. I hope someone remembers the show “Doug” and his band.

20. I also love to write.
21. Someday, I hope to write a book.
22. I have a pretty good idea for one – at least I think it’s pretty good – and I have about four chapters written.
23. I like to write poetry sometimes, too.
24. Every so often, I submit a few poems to poetry contests or publication journals.
25. I’ve never had any accepted.
26. I try to remind myself that that doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m a bad writer.
27. I like to think of myself as a creative person.
28. I am my most creative when I’m driving or taking a shower.
29. I keep a notebook in my car and one underneath my bed.
30. I wish there was a way to keep one in the shower.
31. I lose a lot of good ideas by not having one in there.

32. Even more than writing, I love to read.
33. I’ll read pretty much anything I can get my hands on.
34. I especially like juvenile literature. I think it’s more touching than a lot of adult literature.
35. A Wrinkle in Time, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Ella Enchanted are some of my favorites.
36. For a long time, Horton Hears a Who was my favorite book.
37. Melissa Bank is probably my favorite author.
38. I used to be ashamed of the fact that I prefer contemporary literature to the classics.
39. Now I don’t really care. I like what I like, and that's the name of that tune.
40. In the name of no longer being ashamed, I also read a lot of Stephen King, Jennifer Weiner, Jane Green, and... V.C. Andrews.
41. One of the best books I’ve ever read was Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.
42. One of the most disappointing was Picture Perfect by Jodi Piccoult.
43. The worst book I’ve read since college was I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe.
44. Incidentally, he’s not the namesake of my blog url.
45. It’s Tobias Wolfe.
46. This Boy’s Life is one of my favorite books of all time.
47. I first read it my freshman year at Saint Joe, and I’ve reread it about six times since.
48. I love to reread books over and over again.
49. My favorite book of all time is The Girl’s Guide to Hunting and Fishing.
50. I’ve read it twelve times.
51. Billy Collins is my favorite poet.
52. Here and here are two of my favorite poems written by him.
53. I use the word “favorite” a little more than I should. I'll admit it.

54. I’m a huge believer in the idea of everything and everyone being put on this earth for a reason and purpose… except when it comes to fruit flies.
55. There’s absolutely no reason or purpose for the existence, other than to bother the shit out of me.
56. Some other things that bother the shit out of me are when people pull out in front of me and drive five miles under the speed limit, capitalize every word in a sentence, use the phrase “All’s I know is…,” and place periods and commas after quotation marks.
57. I also don’t like it when people talk to me about work while I'm eating lunch at my desk.
58. But it’s much easier to think of things that I do that annoy me...
59. ...such as biting my nails, squeezing the toothpaste from the middle of the tube, and not folding my clothes as soon as they come out of the dryer.
60. I also have a bad habit of interrupting people during conversation.
61. (What does the interrupting cow say?)

62. I’d really like to travel around the world someday.
63. The fact that I’m afraid of heights and suffer from motion sickness might put an end to that idea.
64. But I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.
65. I’d love to start with a road trip across the United States, following as much of historical Route 66 as I possibly can.
66. Since I can’t feasibly do that right now, I've been thinking about planning a few day or weekend trips to local places that I’ve never seen before.
67.I’ve always wanted to go to Louisville, Memphis, and Springfield.
68. Even though I’ve already been to St. Louis and Nashville, but I’d love to go again.
69. I know it’s cheesy, but I’d also love to take one of those 20-European-cities-in-10-days tours.
70. The places I want to see the most are Ireland, Italy(especially Rome), Paris, and Germany.

71. I hope that I get married someday.
72. I’d like to marry someone who will make me laugh everyday and who understands that I need quiet time in the morning.
73. Also, someone who respects my TIVO habits. (Read: Someone who won’t delete 90210 reruns.)
74. Being a Catholic, I’d want someone who wouldn’t mind a long ceremony and lots of drunk people.
75. I guess I'd also like someone who will allow me to have “Smile” by Pearl Jam as our first dance.
76. I’m pretty sure that the Pearl Jam is a non-negotiable for me.
77. So if any of you know of a single dude who might enjoy the irony of grooving to “State of Love and Trust” at his wedding, send him yonder.
78. Sometimes I think I might like to have kids one day, too.
79. I know I’d like to adopt a child… but the idea of having my own little baby is becoming more and more appealing to me.
80. Eleanor and Cecelia are my favorite girls’ names; Benjamin and James (Jamie) are my favorite boys’ names.

81. My favorite thing in the world is hugging.
82. I’m also a sucker for sappy greeting cards.
83. I have a box underneath my bed filled with cards I’ve gotten over the years.
84. I cry at the drop of a hat.
85. I have always been a spontaneous crier.
86. My family has teased me about it for years.

87. I have curly hair.
88. When I was younger, I used to cry because my mom wouldn’t let me get a perm like 1980s fashion demanded.
89. I should probably thank her for not having allowed me to ruin my life like that.
90. Now, I have a love/hate relationship with my curls… but we’re making progress.

91. I love to make people laugh.
92. I used to use it as a defense mechanism for nerves.
93. Now I just like the feeling of bringing a smile to someone’s face.
94. I really envy people with great laughs.
95. My brother has the best laugh of anyone I know.
96. I think that my own laugh is very garish.

97. I’ve been blogging for almost four years, and I’ve been meaning to do a list like this for nearly as long.
98. Sometimes I get bored reading lists on other people’s blogs.
99. Now that I’ve done my own, I feel bad about that.
100. This was sort of hard, so I hope someone made it to the end!

meme on me

Kiki tagged me for a Meme on Me, and I think it's a pretty cool idea, so I'm going to fulfill my obligation. By the way, Kiki, every time I see your name in the comment field of my blog, I always think of The OC (which I loved and will defend to my grave). Kiki was my favorite character on that show (next to Seth, of course.)

On to the meme!

Here are the rules:

Go back through your archives and post the links to your five favorite blog posts that you’ve written.

Link one must be about family: "What you remember is not what they think you will remember. It is often not."
Link two must be about friends:In order to protect the innocent...
Link three must be about yourself: "When I grow up, I want to be a principal or caterpillar."
Link four must be about something you love: "Old dogs, like old shoes, are comfortable. They might be a bit out of shape and a little worn around the edges, but they fit well."
Link five can be about anything you choose: Boogie with Stu

Post your five links and then tag five (or more) other people. At least two of the people you tag must be newer acquaintances so that you get to know each other better.

I tag:
Phil!
KC!
Aunt Becky!
MissHum22!
Lone Chatelaine!

Except for Phil, all these people I don't know in real life but would love to get to know better through their awesome blogs. I just threw Phil in there for good measure - so no one would think I was sexist in my tagging - and so that I wouldn't have to listen to him whine again about how I didn't tag him.

Thank, Kiki!

time for a quick meme!

I was tagged - my first official tag since I started blogging in '04 - for this book meme by the very cool KC. I don't even remember how I found her blog, but it's one of my favorites to read. And not just because she's in Chicago :)

Directions: Pick up the closest book. Open the book, turn to page 123, count down to the fifth sentence on that page, and then post the next three sentences.

I think I'm going to cheat a little bit. The actual closet book at this moment in time is The Associated Press Stylebook... but since there aren't full sentences - just phrases - on page 123, I'm going to use the book directly underneath it on my desk:

Saint Joseph's College: A Chronology, by Rev. Charles J. Robbins, C.PP.S.

"What could not be expressed in words was the realization that the building, which had at one time practically been the College, and the temporary home for thousands of alumni, was gone. Apart from any sentiment or loss of contents was the fact that the institution had lost 68,000 square feet of space containing faculty and administrative offices, eleven classrooms, and meeting and storage rooms. Fortunately, Xavier Hall was not in use at the time, since the seminarians had vacated it to allow for repairs, they themselves having moved into Schwietermann Hall; the administration at once moved into Xavier."

Reading this book cover to cover was one of the first things I did when I got this job. It's really interesting; it chronicals the history of my alma mater (and place of employment) from its beginnings in 1867 through the year 1989. It was written by an alumnus and a priest who used to teach here.

Fully understanding that most likely none of them will complete this meme, I'm going to tagggggggg.......... Scott Booker, Alli, and Melanie.

check it out check it out check it out check it out check it out check it out...

A 'Saved by the Bell' Quiz



Score: 100% (15 out of 15)

This quiz has been taken 4537 times with an average score of 67%



YEAH!!!

I know I should be slightly more embarrassed about this than I actually am... but whatever!

I'm so excited! I'm so excited! I'm so.... SCARED!

The blogging equivalent of purging and binging.

Two weeks of nothing, and then two posts in one day.

I just couldn't pass this up; I think it's hilarious. I read about it first on Earl, Interrupted!, and then as I was doing my own, I found a number of other sites featuring the same game.

Here's how you play: Google your name and the word "needs," all in quotation marks (ie: "Becky needs"), then share the ten funniest hits.

1. Becky needs a bullet in her head.
2. Becky needs a psychiatrist.
3. Becky needs to be given proper credit.
4. Becky needs more friends because she's so lonely.
5. Becky needs individualized attention and specialized help.
6. Becky needs to blackmail a friend to get information about her blind date.
7. Becky needs a new wardrobe.
8. Becky needs sex.
9. Becky needs to contact you, please.
10. Becky needs a nap.

It's like a little self-contained story.

Becky is depressed and sometimes believes that a bullet to the brain is the answer. Because of this belief, she is trying to get help. She and her psychiatrist ultimately determine that she's depressed because she is never given proper credit for her hard work. The solution: make more friends and continue seeing the shrink for additional help along the way. In an effort to begin her emotionally-healthy lifestyle, she makes some new friends... and promptly sets out to blackmail one who was kind enough to set her up on a date. Blackmail or not, she is excited about her date and realizes that she simply must have something new to wear because it's been a while and she is horny. Like most women, after she and her date consummate their lust, she gets clingy and demands a phone number from her man. The events come full circle when she arrives again at depression after seven unreturned phone calls and one hastily-written e-mail in which her man declares he'll be living in Yemen for an undisclosed amount of time; she can do nothing but sleep and eat Ben & Jerry's.

And the little curly-haired girl lives happily ever after.

Thanks, Google!

I also love swearing, drinking beer, and general irresponsibility.

Your Personality Is

Idealist (NF) You are a passionate, caring, and unique person. You are good at expressing yourself and sharing your ideas. You are the most compassionate of all types and connect with others easily. Your heart tends to rule you. You can't make decisions without considering feelings. You seek out other empathetic people to befriend. Truth and authenticity matter in your friendships. In love, you give everything you have to relationships. You fall in love easily. At work, you crave personal expression and meaning in your career. With others, you communicate well. You can spend all night talking with someone. As far as your looks go, you've likely taken the time to develop your own personal style. On weekends, you like to be with others. Charity work is also a favorite pastime of yours.

The Three Question Personality Test

LOL

Brainy Kid

In high school, you were acing AP classes or hanging out in the computer lab. You may have been a bit of a geek back then, but now you're a total success!

Who Were You In High School?

Childhood Survey

1. Are you a child of the 70s, 80s, or 90s?
80s

2. Where were you born?
Dolton, IL

3. If you were born in another country, how old were you when you came here?
n/a

4. What city did you grow up in?
St. John, IN

5. Did you enjoy your childhood?
Absolutely.

6. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Well... there's a funny story my mom likes telling about how I wanted to be a dog walker... but mostly I remember wanting to write, thinking that no one could do that as a job, and settling with a psychiatrist. I also wanted to be a singer, but thought that I couldn't do it.

7. What was your favorite toy when you were little?
Barbies, definitely. I also had this cool Sesame Street read-a-long thingie... it read books to you, but you could also record onto blank tapes with it. I laid down some pretty ill tracks back then.

9. What was your first best friend’s name?
Hah! Kristy.

10. Is he/she still your best friend?
Absolutely not... we haven't spoken in years.

11. If not, who are your bestfriend/s now?
Lindsay, Charles, Phil, Brandy, ... can't pick.

12. How did you meet them?
Lindsay - junior high
Charles - work together at St. Joe's
Brandy - students at St. Joe's, didn't really become friends until after we both graduated, though
Phil - I was a student at St. Joe's and he was an employee

13. Can you name all the schools you ever attended?
Little Red Schoolhouse Preschool, Jane Ball Elementary, Hanover Central High School, Saint Joseph's College, DePaul University

14. Who was your first crush?
David Csuk :)

15. Were you a shy quiet kid or a very wild and roudy kid?
very shy and quiet

16. When you were little, what did you do for fun?
played made-up games with the neighborhood kids, read, write stories and act them out (I was the only actor, though, and I portrayed different characters by dropping or raising my voice), fight with my brother, walk around the neighborhood, hang out on our swingset (which was mighty badass, if I do say), tell ghost stories, ride bikes... etc

17. Were you closer to your mom or dad as a kid?
Mom, I guess, although I wasn't very close with either of them until I went away to college.

18. Do you have any embarrassing school stories to share?
Who doesn't? I'm saving them for another time, another post.

19. What was the first record, tape, or CD you remember buying?
The first CDs I had were Aerosmith "Big Ones" and Bon Jovi "Crossroads"... the first one I bought myself was Ace of Base "I Saw the Sign." The first tapes I ever bought were Madonna "Like a Prayer" and the Rick Springfield one with "Jessie's Girl" on it.

20. How old did you want to be when you got married?
I currently am not married... so I should rephrase the question to read in present-tense... but I won't. I never wanted to get married when I was younger. If I ever were to get married, I think 27 is a good age.

21. How old to have kids?
I never wanted kids when I was younger. If I ever were to have kids, I think 29 or 30 is a good age.

22. Were you scared of anything?
I was (and continue to be) afraid of the dark and heights. And dying alone.

23. What was your favorite class in school?
English, reading, and earth science.

24. Did you buy school lunch or bring your own?
I usually brought my own... in high school, I started buying lunch.

25. Broke any bones or had any freaky accidents as a kid?
Not really when I was a kid... in high school I tore ligaments in my ankle, but that's it. I did accidently pull my brother's arm out of the socket once, though. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it!)

26. Were you a meanie head or miss priss?
Neither... I wasn't mean (believe it or not), but I wasn't prissy, either. I was quiet and kept to myself, mostly.

27. Favorite board game of all time?
Jeez..... maybe Trouble? How could you not love the Pop-o-matic Bubble?

28. Did you play house or pretend to be a super hero?
Played House all the time. In fact, I was playing House with my brother when I pulled his arm out of the socket... I was the unnecessarily abusive mommy and he was the son.

29. Random memory from when you were a kid.
Putting seashells that we found at the lake in the park (so I guess they were lakeshells) in the baskets of our tricycles and riding from mailbox to mailbox on our street.... and putting the shells inside each box. I know. I know.

30. Seriously…..are you still just a kid at heart?
On some days.... mostly, though, I don't think I'm a kid at heart. I think I work too much for that.

What's in a name?

Certainly not the truth.... not in my name, anyway.

Becky -- [noun]: A master blogger 'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Huh...

You are an Amethyst. You are quiet and tend to be
shy. You don't like attention to be pointed
towards you, yet your beauty and uniqueness
draw people to you.


What Jewel Are You?
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