One and One Hundred

Know what today is? Other than Tuesday and Halloween, that is. No idea? Here's a hint: go take a look at the archives. Figured it out yet?

Yes, that's right, today this blog turns one year old. Happy blogiversary to me!

In honor of this event, I've decided to finally do one of those memes that have been floating around the blogosphere for at least the past year. Without any further ado, I give you:

ONE HUNDRED THINGS you probably didn't want to know ABOUT ME:

1) Since this is primarily a knitting blog, I'll start with the obvious: I've been knitting since my aunt taught me how when I was 7 or 8 years old.
2) The first thing I knit was a very misshapen garter stitch rectangle, made out of orange acrylic (ack!).
3) I knit nothing but garter stitch, stockinette, or ribbed scarves for years, until I discovered a yarn store around the corner from my apartment building in Philly when I was in grad school.
4) I've been obsessed since about this time last year.
5) I started this blog after J (then boyfriend, now fiance) found Jen's blog and showed it to me.
6) Since I've gotten serious about knitting, I've become a yarn snob. Although I used to use exclusively acrylic (poor me didn't know any better), I've been reformed and now only use it for baby items.
7) J and I have been engaged since this past June and are busy planning our wedding next September.
8) We met online.
9) We had enough mutual friends that we were able to "screen" each other first.
10) It took me several months to realize I had feelings for him, but after that I fell hard and fast.
11) I've lived in Western PA my whole life, with the exception of the five years I was in Philadelphia for college and grad school.
12) I have a bachelor's degree in psychology.
13) I have a master's degree in elementary education.
14) I'm not using either degree in my current job.
15) I taught third grade as a long-term substitute for a year after grad school. Then I couldn't find another teaching job.
16) I work as a proofreader/editor.
17) I don't really miss teaching, although sometimes I miss the kids.
18) I was once a voracious reader and have a personal library of several hundred books.
19) I don't read much for pleasure anymore, now that I read for a living. (I knit instead!)
20) One day I'd like to knit for a living.
21) I am a registered Democrat.
22) I've voted in ever election since I've been eligible.
23) I've yet to elect a president (see #21).
24) My greatest ambition is to be a mother (although not for at least a couple more years).
25) I've had two journal articles published.
26) Another top ambition is to one day publish a book.
27) I'm still not over the death of my childhood dog, Sugar, who died in 2003.
28) I think a mini daschund would really help me get over it.
29) I've auditioned for Jeopardy!
30) They still haven't called me to come on. At least I got a cool pen.
31) In college, I minored in art history and classics.
32) I've studied four foreign languages in my life -- French, Italian, Hebrew, and ancient Greek. (I don't include the tiny bit of Spanish I had in first grade.)
33) When I was in Kindergarten, I told my parents I wanted to be an artist when I grew up.
34) Sometimes I still want to be one, and occasionally I pretend to be one.
35) Last year I painted J's portrait for his birthday.
36) I was in a sorority in college.
37) I never participated in any pillow fights in my underwear.
38) I have the same name as a British jewelry designer, a former editor at Philadelphia magazine, and an Australian, er, adult film actress. Angelina Jolie and Scarlett Johansson have also played characters with my name in movies.
39) I've been mistaken for someone else in two cities.
40) I always wanted a sister. Instead I got a brother, and next year I'll gain a brother-in-law.
41) I went to an all-girls school for 13 years -- actually, I went to two all-girls schools for a total of 13 years.
42) I wouldn't even consider a women's college.
43) I'm still really close with my roommate from freshman year.
44) In fact, she's going to be my maid of honor at my wedding.
45) In college, I planned to go on to grad school to get a degree in counseling psychology.
46) Then I had to take statistics for my major and promptly changed my mind.
47) I'm still not really sure what I want to be when I grow up.
48) I think I might like being a book editor for a publishing company.
49) I really love children's literature, and I still enjoy rereading favorites from when I was little.
50) I could never pick just one favorite book.
51) The two books I've probably read the most times are Pride & Prejudice and Jane Eyre.
52) Jane Austen is my favorite author.
53) I am petrified of flying.
54) I will still fly if I have to, and I do better when I'm flying with someone else. Or when medicated.
55) I've been out of the country several times, including to Europe twice and to Israel once.
56) I used to write regularly in a journal.
57) I haven't opened a journal in a while, at least since I started blogging.
58) I once got a shoulder rub from John Stamos (it's a long story, maybe another time if anyone is interested).
59) I cry easily, and just about anything can set me off -- movie, commercial, radio report, you name it.
60) I am also afraid of snakes.
61) I absolutely did not see Snakes on a Plane. I couldn't even watch the ad on TV.
62) My favorite color is blue.
63) For years I refused to wear anything pink.
64) I finally got over it when I got to college.
65) I have a great uncle named George Foreman. No, he doesn't have a grilling machine.
66) My mother has been one of my greatest female role models.
67) I'm a sucker for cheesy romantic movies. Yes, I cry.
68) I absolutely detest scary movies.
69) I've had a Netflix subscription since I had my wisdom teeth out last summer.
70) My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.
71) I'm not such a fan of the turkey.
72) I celebrate Christmas every year, even though...
73) I'm Jewish. (Another long story...)
74) Whenever J is out of town (and sometimes when he's not) I sleep with a stuffed elephant that I made out of old long underwear when I was a teenager.
75) I still have (but rarely sleep with) the teddy bear I got the day I was born.
76) I have read all the Harry Potter books.
77) I hate driving.
78) I don't mind taking long road trips, as long as I'm not in the driver's seat.
79) When I was a really little girl, I was afraid of "mans."
80) I'm still a little shy.
81) I'd rather stay home on a Friday or Saturday night than go out to a bar.
82) I love to cook.
83) One day I'd love to go to culinary school.
84) I have a subscription to Gourmet, although I almost never read it (see #19).
85) I've been known to get addicted to Food Network.
86) I listen to NPR every day in the car.
87) I have an uncanny ability to remember which actors were in movies I've seen, but I've forgotten the names of people I went to school with.
88) I am allergic to lilies.
89) There will be no lilies at my wedding.
90) I am extremely proud of my baby brother, who is know a freshman at the college he dreamed of attending for years.
91) I love to spoil my sweetie.
92) Largely because of my job, I catch grammar, spelling, punctuation, usage, etc. errors all the time.
93) Sometimes it bothers me to read blogs I like because I can't get away from these kind of errors. I do my best to ignore them.
94) As long as I am knitting, I think I'll always be knitting socks.
95) I have more sock yarn in my stash than anything else.
96) I wish I had more friends who lived near me.
97) I especially wish I had more friends who knit.
98) One day in the next year I'll be changing the name of this blog. I already know what its next incarnation will be.
99) I've resigned myself to the fact that I'll never be rich or famous, but I'll do all I can to make sure that I'm happy.
100) I had no idea how long this list would take until I sat down and did it!