Proving Ground

My sister recently compiled a list of 100 things about her. I decided, why not try it myself? It could be an interesting proving ground.


1. I enjoy proving myself. Proving grounds are healthy for my ego.

2. I rarely enjoy complimenting myself,

3. but I love privately feeding my aforementioned ego.

4. I am horrible at compiling lists.

5. And at writing about myself.

6. Writing, though, I like to think I'm good at.

7. I have only ever finished the rough draft for one of my novels.

8. I am the king of procrastination. I'm at my best on that tight, last-minute rush of the deadline approaching.

9. I can't whistle. I really wish I could. I only pull it off on accidental occasions.

10. I laugh every time I see a cop with a doughnut. Which is pretty often, since I live near a Dunkin Donuts.

11. I have been told I'm wierd becuase my musical taste ranges from the likes of Billy Joel to Linkin Park.

12. I'm thoroughly suprised that I've made it this far into my list without much effort.

13. I remember the names of all my elementary school teachers.

14. (Yes, I'm sentimental, I know).

15. I also remember how I used to hold the "artist of the month" title for months in a row, and my third-grade teacher still wants me to draw a picture of her.

16. I always managed to talk myself out of drawing that picture.

17. I suck at drawing faces.

18. And people in general.

19. Unless something particularly gripping has my enthusiasm and interest, I have a random habit of recalling the mistakes and embarrassments of my past and getting irritated at myself over them.

20. I have a very bad relationship with myself because of this.

21. I am beginning to realize that, since I'm only one-fifth into this list, I may reveal some information about myself that will lead to further embarrassments to grow irritated at myself over. Brace yourselves.

22. I am a caffeine addict.

23. I have selective insomnia. When I have something that I want to work on, I can go days in a row working on it, with little or no sleep.

24. Don't worry, I catch up on sleep later.

25. I become alternatively obsessed with (1)writing, (2)learning songs on bass/electric guitar, and (3)studying/playing chess.

26. I am in a chessic slump right now.

27. I have recently become known for scattering chess pieces in frustration when playing games against myself, my slump has gotten so bad.

28. I'm getting irritated with the idiots in my band class who refuse to grow up.

29. The title of "favorite artist" fluctuates often for me. It's held by Jack Johnson at the moment for his song "Angel", but at other times it has been held by John Mayer (for "No Such Thing" and "Stitched Up"), Billy Joel (for "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me"), The Good Life (for their album "Album of the Year"), and The Kings of Convenience (for "Cayman Islands" and "Homesick").

30. I am a self-proclaimed pyro. I like playing with lighters and making big fires. (Any colleges reading this, don't worry; I don't like lighting property ablaze--only firewood, and dead lighters for the big bang they make.)

31. Midwinter and early spring are my favorite times of the year.

32. In the case of the former, not for the cold--for the snow.

33. In the case of the latter...well, it's spring. C'mon.

34. I, like my sister, am a fan of minimalism; but alas, I, too, am a sentimental pack rat.

35. I, like my sister, am indecisive. But when there's something I'm certain about, I don't budge.

36. I wish I could travel more.

37. I plan to someday ( maybe around my mid-thirties) tour Europe with my dad and film a documentary of our adventures as a memento. Just for the heck of it, I'll name my camcorder Charlie so I could title the documentary "Travels With Charlie".

38. Holy crap. In less than two weeks, I'll be 17.

39. I wish I knew some sort of Spanish dance. That, and the language, are two elements of my heritage that I really want to get into.

40. I have split personalities. At times, I see my future in a cramped apartment overlooking Central Park; at others, I see it in a house in the country with acres of land to enjoy myself in; and at still other times I see my future in a mansion on the Spanish cliffs.

41. I feel like that last dream of mine is a bit overambitious, but hey, we all have something overambitious in us (if you think you don't, look deeper).

42. Whenever I am watching TV, I am either watching The Office, the Discovery channel, or the Science channel.

43. Yes, I am a science junkie.

44. I idolize Jim Halpert from The Office. In case you haven't noticed, he is the man.

45. Although I already have an overwhelming amount of interests and hobbies (just a few examples: chess, poetry writing, poetry reading, novel writing, novel reading [I'm not such a fan of nonfiction], playing guitar, playing bass, drawing, painting, working out and singing/songwriting), I am always keen on getting something else in my repertoire.

46. Some of the things I hope to get involved in are soccer and a rowing team.

47. I need to get into sports. What good is being in shape if you can't put yourself to some sort of test?

48. I like testing myself. Which is why, like I said before, I enjoy having a proving ground.

49. I have stage fright. Seriously.

50. One time, playing bass IN FRONT OF MY FAMILY, my hands were shaking so bad I barely managed a few songs.

51. I am the outsider at most parties. Partially because I'm busy on the sidelines trying to catch it all on camera.

52. Unlike my sister, I love to fly.

53. I also love to be out on the water. In a canoe. It just seems so picturesque.

54. Yes, I like to be picturesque. Not in a conceited or cocky way; it's just nice when it happens.

55. I have spent several hundred dollars on chess. No kidding.

56. I own over ten chess books and a set that cost $100.

57. I have type 2 bipolar disorder. Yes, this means I:

58. Have regular mood swings,

59. Think everything is my fault,

60. Am subject to occasional blinding rages, and

61. AM A GENIUS!

62. (That last one was a joke. I don't really think I'm a genius. Though usually bipolars are exceptionally gifted.)

63. I have been told by many that I am no exception to the "exceptionally gifted" stereotype.

64. My brother saved my life when I was two, from a falling elephant.

65. Yes, from a falling elephant. He took the lump on the head for me when I was tugging on a vine hanging from an elephant-shaped vase in our Chicago home.

66. My memory is selectively horrible.

67. For example: right now I am running back down this list to see what I've typed and what I haven't.

68. Possibly some of the best food I have ever consumed was at Victor's Cafe in the city. Their sangria is delicious, too.

69. I hate taxi drivers. They make traveling in the city such a pain for the other drivers. And they don't know how to use turn signals, I swear.

70. I hate getting new clothes. At the same time, though, I realize the necessity of it, and thus have an "Oh, well, let's get it over with" attitude.

71. Even with such an attitude about shopping, I always have a horrible time picking things out to buy.

72. My favorite color is indigo, because black is a shade. Otherwise it would be black.

73. I hope to one day have a home filled with books. As in, buckets and buckets of books scattered everywhere, in bookshelves and not.

74. I have a growing collection of DVDs as well. I love DVDs. I have about 50, from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to The Matrix.

75. I know Monty Python and the Holy Grail almost word-for-word.

76. The revelation that I'm three-quarters through this list just spurred me to heights of euphoria best left unmentioned.

77. Yes, I reach unmentionable heights of euphoria from facing challenges with my writing.

78. I prefer the train to the bus. The train just has "CITY" written all over it (not in graffiti).

79. I love being in the city. It's a writer's dream.

80. My favorite element of fiction writing is characterization.

81. In real life I pay so much attention to anyone's character that it amazes me sometimes. I'll be looking them in the eye and nodding to whatever they're saying, or responding to whatever stimulus they're putting forward, and I'll be thinking in my head, Now, if only I could find a book idea to toss this person into. They could be an amazing character for the role of...

82. I absolutely love sushi. I cannot understand how anyone (and that means Liz) would not want to try it.

83. Wasabi is by far my favorite spice, since it fades with relative ease.

84. I am afraid of heights.

85. At the Grand Canyon, I had to lie down when I got within 20 feet of the edge, because I was afraid I would fall. Stupid me.

86. I can spend five pages laying out the image of a sunset, and never tire of it.

87. I am selectively deaf. Call me all you want, I'm not stopping my writing.

88. I wish I could go into the city more often. Maybe next time I can go with my cousin Vincent.

89. I am never really sure if I am a city boy or a country lover at heart.

90. Judging by my taste in music, though, I'm a definite city boy.

91. I hate cleaning my room, but love seeing it clean. Predicament.

92. I hate it when people play loud music, unless it's good. Which means, "unless it's music I like".

93. Even then, though, I listen to some music that really isn't meant to be blasted.

94. Yes, I can be classy sometimes.

95. I enjoy being classy. It makes me feel smooth and invincible.

96. (That never lasts long. I always trip on the sidewalk a few seconds into it.)

97. I have compiled this entire list over the course of several days, on a computer in my band classroom, in my spare time after playing the required music. It's been tough.

98. I have a bad case of what they call "champagne taste, beer money".

99. Which explains why I burn my whole wallet whenever I'm in the city.

100. THERE WE GO! I'M DONE! WHO'S THE MAN?!