Play in the City : Lucky #100

Greetings,

I'm sorry I've been MIA this weekend. It was Thanksgiving. Dave's grandma passed away and yesterday was the wake and funeral. My internet was down for awhile.

Plus, I've been stressing a bit about what to put in this post. Why, you ask? Well, because this post is special.

It just happens to be my 100th post.

In the blogosphere, a 100th post is a big deal, and it usually entails a list of some sort to mark the occasion. Many bloggers do a "100 Things About Me" post, and while I stressed all weekend about whether or not I should do one on a blog that isn't meant to focus solely on me, I've decided to go ahead and do my own list. It's my blog after all. And I think it's terribly fun to get a glimpse into another person's life, whether you know them or not.

(Speaking of which, the book I just read, Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, is fantastic, and it does just that – it gives you a look into the author's life, and it's hilarious and comforting and surprising and – did I mention hilarious? – all at once. I highly recommend it.)

Before I get to the list, I must do a little reflecting. After all, 100 posts is a milestone.

This blog is all kinds of fun to keep. As I've said numerous times before, whenever I look back over the site, I'm amazed at some of the things I've been lucky enough to do. And I'm only halfway through my year!

I've become more involved in the blogosphere and I'm always surprised at how many kind, unique people there are out there, sharing their lives with strangers. It's an awesome way to be connected with the world, and I really don't see blogs going anywhere anytime soon.

On this day, November 27, 2005, the stats for Play in the City look like this:

27,185 hits
140 average per day
441 comments posted
3 trackbacks
5 pages of results for Erin Leffelman on Google

Anyway … without further ado, I give you my list, in honor of my 100th blog post.

100 Random Things About Me

1. I was born in Burlington, WI at 6:03 a.m. on January 15, 1982.

2. I have two parents, Paul and Mimi, and two younger brothers, Dan who is 21 and Alex who is 18.

3. I went to Catholic grade school and public high school.

4. I was pretty athletic as a child, and I played softball and basketball for years.

5. I loved being a kid. I had an awesome childhood. I had a huge imagination. I still do.

6. I used to cry when Mr. Rogers was over. (or so my mom tells me)

7. I got my ears pierced when I was 3.

8. My first memory is of being at the doctor because I'd hit my head on the coffee table after I'd let go of the handkerchief my mom and I were playing tug of war with.

9. I lived my whole childhood out in the country, and I'd always rather play outside in the trees and dirt than inside with Barbie dolls.

10. I once fell off my bike and got hurt pretty badly because I was trying to ride with no hands AND with my feet up on the handle bars.

11. I loved to roller skate as a child. Dan and I would skate for hours in the basement and we honestly thought we could go pro one day.

12. I used to tell a 2- or 3-year-old Alex that I was riding my bike to China, just so he'd cry at the end of the driveway as I rode away.

13. I once asked my mom if I could be a hooker for Halloween, and I didn't understand why she was shocked. She let me be a gypsy that year instead, since all I really wanted to do was wear a lot of makeup on my face.

14. My grandma died on Christmas Eve in 1992. I've also lost two grandpas and an uncle.

15. My dad has nine brothers and sisters, so I have a lot of cousins.

16. Both of my brothers have been to Europe. I have yet to leave this continent. I am jealous about this.

17. However, we went on a family vacation almost every year, so I've been on trips to Disney World (twice), Colorado (3 times), South Dakota, Texas, North Carolina, New York (twice), Canada (twice), and Washington D.C.

18. I've also been on two big trips with my best friend, Christi: Las Vegas for her 21st birthday and Acapulco for our spring break two years ago.

19. In Vegas, we got to jump a three-hour line at RAIN at the Palms, we got brought up on stage at Cirque de Soleil, and I came home from that trip $1,600 richer because of some big wins at Craps (which I completely don't understand), Roulette, and Blackjack.

20. I love to gamble. Blackjack is my favorite.

21. I won $120 my first time at the dog track – at age 16.

22. New Kids on the Block was my first favorite band. I had a huge New Kids button and a New Kids nightshirt I wore to bed every single night.

23. My first real concert was the Backstreet Boys my junior year of high school.

24. I've also seen Paul McCartney, John Mellencamp, John Mayer (twice), Elton John and Billy Joel, Counting Crows, Maroon Five, Dave Matthews Band, Coldplay, and Death Cab for Cutie (twice). I'm not sure if I’m forgetting any.

25. I went skiing for the first time on my 11th birthday. It was the best day of my life up to that point.

26. My school days were filled with getting in trouble for talking.

27. I babysat a lot from age 12 til age 16. I once dropped a girl I was babysitting for on her head and never told her parents.

28. I showed goats at the fair for several years when I was young.

29. Up until this past summer, I went to Great America every year since I was 3. I love it there.

30. I was a Girl Scout for probably five years.

31. The first time I spent a long time away from home was in fourth grade when I went to summer Girl Scout camp for a week. I loved it.

32. I got hit by a tobaggan full of teenagers on a sledding hill when I was little and I think it's the worst pain I've ever felt.

33. I was completely boy-crazy from about age 9 until age 18 or so.

34. Now I'm only crazy for one boy.

35. My first kiss was at a wedding when I was 12. The boy was 17.

36. I was a cheerleader in grade school.

37. I was on the pom-pon squad all four years of high school.

38. I got dumped by my boyfriend on Homecoming night freshman year.

39. He crashed his new truck backing out of my driveway that night. It served him right.

40. My heart was completely broken for like a year after that.

41. I dated my first love for almost three years in high school and the beginning of college.

42. I wore braces for 11 months my junior year of high school.

43. I worked at Pick N Save in Burlington from age 14 until age 20, as a cashier, in the catering department, at the customer service desk and in the photo lab.

44. I once had a stalker there who ended up being banned from the store.

45. My sophomore year of high school, a man exposed himself to my friend and me at the movies. We got free movie passes.

46. I only went to school half-days my senior year.

47. I was a complete dork in high school.

48. I am quite a loud and obnoxious person.

49. In seventh and eighth grade, I was so in love with Brett Favre that two of my bedroom walls were covered in posters and pictures of him.

50. I cried the first time I walked into Lambeau Field.

51. I passed my driver's test by only 3 points.

52. I've gotten three speeding tickets in my life.

53. I've been pulled over probably 20 times. I'm not exactly proud of this. But I do find it amusing.

54. I think the Beatles are the greatest band that ever lived.

55. I (obsessively) followed an Illinois-based Beatles tribute band for two years in college.

56. I spent my first two years of college as a Business major at UW-Whitewater.

57. During my junior year, I took a semester off, changed my major to Journalism, and transferred to UW-Milwaukee.

58. On September 11, 2001, my mom is the one who called me to tell me to turn on the TV.

59. I actually went to class that morning, and my stupid teacher didn't even mention what was going on.

60. I came back to my dorm and watched the footage by myself and cried.

61. I got into a car accident and totaled my car on January 9, 2004 because I was driving way too fast for conditions.

62. I probably should have been killed.

63. I'm very glad I wasn't.

64. I am a huge worrier.

65. I am a homebody.

66. Sunday is my favorite day. This is new, since when I worked at the Bistro, it was my least favorite day because I had to work a double every single Sunday, and working brunch was awful.

67. I waitressed for five years at three different restaurants - Nikki D's in Lyons, Popeye's in Lake Geneva, and the Lake Park Bistro in Milwaukee.

68. Many customers were wonderful, and many were complete jerks.

69. I am a very opinionated person.

70. I'm also quite outspoken. I usually will tell the truth, even if it hurts someone's feelings.

71. I wrote an editorial column for the UWM Post for two years and I loved it.

72. My column inspired an Erin Leffelman Hate Club on the Facebook.

73. I don't like people who are fake.

74. Magazines are a vice of mine.

75. I got caught shoplifting once and I never did it again.

76. Father of the Bride is my favorite movie.

77. I watch It's A Wonderful Life every single year at Christmastime.

78. I own every season of Sex in the City on DVD.

79. Dave and I broke up for nine months and I hated him for a time.

80. I want to be a young mom and I want to have three kids.

81. I'm going to write a book one day. Maybe a lot of books.

82. My parents got divorced last year.

83. I got a 3.5 in high school and a 3.3 in college.

84. I think I could have done better, but I often do just what it takes to get by.

85. I really enjoy shopping.

86. I am poorer right now than I've ever been before. I stress about money a lot.

87. Bookstores are heaven to me.

88. I am an optimist, and I constantly remind myself of all I have to be thankful for.

89. I love to reminisce.

90. I hope that I live a very, very long life.

91. My dad started taking home movies when I was 3 years old. I could watch them for hours and hours.

92. I love water and coffee and red wine.

93. My favorite foods are pizza, cheese and sausage and crackers, chocolate, and anything Mexican.

94. I got a tattoo on my 20th birthday.

95. I am afraid of the dark. I think I always will be.

96. The movie characters that scare me most are Pennywise from IT and the girl from The Ring.

97. I like to listen to Soundscapes or the Jazz Channel on digital cable when I'm reading or cleaning.

98. Colorado is my favorite place I've ever been. I hope to live there when I'm old.

99. I take a shower every morning and a bubble bath every night.

100. I kind of think that everyone feels like a little kid in their minds. I still do a lot of the time, and on many days, I have to do a double-take when I realize that this is my life - that I am an adult, with a real job, about to get married. It's insane.

***Doing a list like this is completely self-indulgent. But I gotta admit, pretty fun. I think I'll have to do another for my 200th post. Or maybe 150 ....

Comments

Great list! Thanks for sharing. I am very sorry to hear about the loss of Dave's Grandma.

Posted by: Derek | November 27, 2005 at 07:16 PM

Yeah, condolences to Dave.

And here's to 9 years (K-8) of catholic school. Nothing has turned me off of religion more.

Posted by: Andre | November 28, 2005 at 11:00 AM

The worst place in America that I have ever been was Julesburg, Colorado. We made a stop there on a road trip. It was creepy. The western side of the state was BEAUTIFUL though...I agree. Love your list. I'll be doing that for my 100th post too I think :-) I have a ways to go though.

Posted by: kelly | November 28, 2005 at 03:15 PM

That was an awful trick to play on me. Remember that song that always made me cry too? You were a pretty huge jerk to me, but I loved you all the same I guess. Nice list, sis, though I could've made more than one appearance. :-)

Posted by: Alex | November 29, 2005 at 12:46 PM