My List of 100 Things

Since "Lists of 100" seem to be all the rage these days, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and do one of my own. Here, in the immortal words of George Costanza, are all of my darkest fears and everything I'm capable of:

1. I love music in all forms - listening, playing, writing - but for some reason I would never admit that until very recently
2. I think I play guitar and bass both decently well, but I would like to be a lot better
   
3. I am currently trying to learn some piano just by getting some online tabs of songs I like
4. So far, I can play that opening piano riff from "California" by Phantom Planet (the O.C. theme song), but I was wrong to think I could tackle any Coldplay this soon
   
5. Using nothing but online tabs is the same method I used to learn how to play the guitar
6. I think it be would so cool to be awesome at the harmonica, but I've never even touched one
7. I think REM's "Nightswimming" is probably the most beautiful song I've ever heard, but Coldplay's "The Scientist" is a close second (this is also the one that's been frustrating the hell out of me on the piano)
8. When I was 11 years old, I got U2's Achtung Baby and Nirvana's Nevermind for Christmas, and both have been in my regular CD rotation ever since then
9. I think rock music is almost out of the rut it has been in for the last 10 years or so
10. When people ask me what kind of music I like, I always say something like "a little bit of everything....but mostly rock and a little rap"
    
11. I have no idea why sometimes I'm embarrassed to admit that I like Country, Electronic, Jazz, Blues, and Classical just as much
12. I would say that I probably like Star Wars "a little too much," although I've never been to a convention or anything like that
13. But I do enjoy the novels and video games just as much as the movies, and I am beyond excited for the TV show that's in development
14. I watched all six Stars Wars movies back-to-back last weekend, and I was going to spend the whole week on this blog writing reviews, thoughts, ideas, etc, related to those movies, but the cancellation of one of my favorite shows and the discovery of free online music made me forget all about that
15. Aside from Star Wars, I really don't like sci-fi as a genre
16. Comedies are my favorite kinds of movie, with horror not far behind
17. The Ferrell/Stiller/Vaughn/Wilson crew has not mis-fired yet
18. Steve Carell was funnier in Anchorman than Will Ferrell was
    
19. I generally wait for movies to come out on DVD before I see them
20. This is a direct result of living in Miami, where the theaters are overpriced and you are guaranteed to have at least one jackass in there with you (such someone who answers their cell phone and starts talking in a normal conversational volume in the middle of the movie)
21. The thing I hated most about Miami was getting around - I found both the utter lack of quality public transportation and the sheer volume of traffic infuriating
22. I miss Miami more than I ever thought I would, but I'm about 95% sure that's a result of missing my friends, and not the city itself
23. Playing Grand Theft Auto: Vice City only magnifies this nostalgia, both because I first played that game in Miami, and the digital idiots in that game act just like the real idiots there
24. I never thought I would still be enjoying video game at age 25, but I very much do
25. I remember when Nintendo 64 came out and I was in high school, my mom saying "aren't you getting a little old for video games?"
    
26. When people ask me "aren't you so glad to finally be done with school?" I always answer "no," and that's being completely honest
27. I'd put the probability of me going back to school at some point right up there with "death and taxes"
28. I will have no regrets whatsoever if I end up not practicing law
29. I know deep down that I went to law school for all of the wrong reasons, but if I'm in an interview, I went "to get a better understanding of the legal system, because that's something you have to deal with no matter what field you're in."
30. I don't regret going law school, but 90% of what I enjoyed about it revolved strictly around the social aspects
31. I hated the way I didn't get to talk to my friends from college quite as much after we graduated, and I already see the same thing starting to happen with my law school friends
32. I didn't feel that way after high school
33. I was All Conference in cross country 3 times in high school, but never really did that well in track because I was always burned out from running by the time track season started
34. I played one year of football, but didn't come back after my freshman season because I didn't think I got enough playing time
35. I was on the swim team my senior year, and found that to be substantially harder than cross country, track, or football
36. Except for playing sports, I despised high school
37. I feel like that's a direct result of my small Catholic elementary and middle schools grossly under-preparing me for what lied ahead
38. There was a period in my life, between the ages of about 14 and 17, where I was completely uncomfortable with myself and generally miserable everyday
39. To this day, I have no idea why that started, why it ended, or why I've never told anyone about it until right now
40. During my senior year - fresh off of cross country and swimming - I quit track to focus more time on cycling so I could compete in triathlons
41. The track coach actually pulled me out of class, told me to reconsider, and said if I quit the team, I would be "throwing my life away"
42. I won several age-group awards at various triathlons that spring and summer before going off to college
    
43. I wish I still had the time necessary to devote to being a competitive triathlete
44. If I'm not going to be competitive, I really see no point in even racing
45. There are an infinite number of girls I wish I could have a chance to date, but exactly 10 that I regret not asking out when I had the chance
46. Two were from high school, 4 from college, 3 from law school, and 1 I met when I lived in Chapel Hill this past summer
47. All of them will remain safely anonymous here, because I would be totally embarrassed if they ever found out
48. I know that it's stupid that something like that would embarrass me
49. I'm almost certain that I've said "let's try to still be friends" to every girl I've ever broken up with after dating for a while
    
50. I am not currently friends with any of them
51. Unless I'm completely forgetting somebody, I am exactly 50/50 on being the dump-or versus being the dump-ee when my relationships end
    
52. I'm not sure if I've ever truly been in love, but twice I've thought I was
53. Because of my own experiences, I consider dating someone for more than a year to be "a long time," and it blows my mind when I meet couples who have been dating for like 3 or 4 years
54. I don't understand the way the female mind works, and I'm pretty sure I never will
55. I already have two good friends who have announced wedding plans for next summer, and I'm just waiting to see how many others join them in doing the same
56. When I was younger, I thought for sure I would be married by age 25
57. Now, I will be genuinely surprised if I tie the knot before 30
58. My mom and dad were 18 and 22, respectively, when they made it official
59. I don't think I'm mature enough to handle marriage now, much less at 18 or even 22
60. I definitely want to have kids some day, but no time soon
61. I also don't want to wait too long, and end up being an "old dad"...you know what I'm talking about; there's one in every group
62. Even though she's not what I consider traditionally hot, I am wildly attracted to Amy Poehler from SNL
63. Same goes for Jenna Fischer from The Office
64. Same goes for Lois Griffin from The Family Guy, even though she's a cartoon
65. I would consider going out with Alex Borstein - who I don't find attractive at all - if she would agree to only talk in the Lois voice when we're together
66. I would list Saturday Night Live, The Office, and The Family Guy as three of my favorite shows, even though I really haven't thought SNL has been that good in at least 3 or 4 years
67. To round out that list, I would add The Simpsons, Prison Break, 24, Supernatural, Ghost Hunters, South Park, The O.C., and The Daily Show
68. I also watch Reunion, which I don't particularly like, but I'm just curious enough to see how it will end to keep tuning in
69. I'm still mad that Arrested Development got cancelled
    
70. I realize that The O.C. is a show for teenage girls, but that doesn't reduce my enjoyability of it....it only reduces the chances that I'll openly admit I watch it
71. Sometimes I can't decide if I'm more into Marisa, Summer, or Mrs. Cohen
72. I've seen every Seinfeld episode so many times that there are only a few now that I would actually make a point to sit down and watch if they were on
73. It's still the funniest show ever to me, but I've just played it out, and I need a little break from time to time
74. I think there are several scripted shows on television that are more real any "reality show"
75. I think reality shows are a manifestation of the dumbing down of our society
    
76. I can't wait for the entire reality genre to die out, and when it does, I hope to be there to dance and piss on its grave
77. I think if a camera crew followed me around, as I danced and pissed on various random graves, it would make one great reality show
78. I consider myself Catholic, but have no trouble (and often end up) attending services at Churches of other denominations
    
79. I believe in evolution, but I don't think that compromises my religious beliefs whatsoever
    
80. I have very little interest in politics
81. If your set of political beliefs falls within the spectrum of what I consider "rational," then it doesn't matter to me what you think, even if I don't agree with you
82. I think the right wing in this country is approaching that boundary of rationality at a rapid pace, but hasn't crossed the line yet
83. I am a registered republican, mostly because when I first registered to vote, it was at the height of the Clinton-era scandals, so it just seemed right
    
84. I wish Bush's biggest mistake had been getting a BJ from a White House intern
85. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the French for standing up to the US on the Iraq war issue....I'm not saying I agree with what they did, but it did take balls
86. Having visited France several times, I was not surprised at all to hear about the Muslim riots there
87. I have never been treated rudely by a French person, even though that's what I always expect to happen when I'm there
88. Outside of the US, I have visited 11 different countries, Vatican City, and the Principality of Monaco (By the way, are England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland all different countries, or just regions, or territories, or what? I just counted the entire UK as one here, but I'm not sure that's completely right)
    
89. I have never been to Canada, Mexico, or any Caribbean nation
    
90. I would like to visit as many different countries as possible before I die, and in fact, that's one of my foremost goals in life
91. I could see myself living full time in London, Munich, Brussels, or Bern
92. In terms of sheer beauty, you can't beat Gimmelwald, Switzerland or Riomaggiore, Italy
93. Most casual tourists have probably never heard of either of those, and I hope it stays that way
94. If any casual tourist-types are reading this, please be advised #92 is a lie
95. I would trade in both my car and my driver's license tomorrow if it meant we could have a European-style rail network here in the US
96. Even though it would've been a blast to have my closest friends come with me to Europe last time I was there, the experience of doing it solo was priceless
97. There is no doubt I will be going back sometime in the future, and I'm going to invite everyone I know, even if that means an obnoxiously-large group to travel with
98. I understand why Europeans don't like us, and when traveling, I frequently find myself embarrassed by the way other Americans behave
99. Just because I get embarrassed doesn't mean I'm not proud to be an American
100. I could easily extend this list to 200 if I wanted to