100 Truths

Happy 100th blog post! I definitely was not expecting to hit 100 posts so quickly...in wanting to do something special I decided to just post 100 truths about me and my life!

1. I don't go by my real name. My real name is Ellen Mae Dennis, but I go by Emma. This confuses people...which in reality amuses me =)

2. I became a senior in college before I turned 21. I'm also constantly the youngest member of exec boards I've been a part of.

3. I can't tell you what color my hair or eyes are. My hair is a cross between blonde and brown, and my eyes are a cross between blue and green. You can look at me and say "You have brown hair and green eyes, that's easy enough" Just wait a week...they'll change =P

4. I was born in Sandusky, Ohio. I don't remember it at all. I've lived in Indiana since 1993. Be that as it may, I still call myself a Buckeye and LOVE Ohio. If I stay in the midwest I'd love to move there.

5. I actually have no problems whatsoever about suburbia. I love living in a neighborhood where I can have a yard and be centrally located in the town. They tend to have better school systems and more of a community feeling than inner-city.

6. I was a girl scout for seven years. In those seven years, I hated selling cookies. The thought of knocking on strangers' doors to ask if they wanted cookies...in the COLD...never appealed to me. I got most of my sales from my dad taking the forms to work. =P

7. I've always loved school. Every year I claim is better than the last for whatever reason. Even though I have a severe case of senioritus I still enjoy being here and doing what I love to do.

8. When I was in 5th grade I was given the award "Most likely to become a teacher" and in 12th grade I was nominated for the "Most likely to teach in Plainfield" superlative. What's my major?  Education =D

9. When I was younger I had a sensitivity to caffeine. It seems that I have grown out of it, because I can consume it with none of the side effects I'd have when I was younger. However, because of the previous aversion, I still don't drink energy drinks or Coke unless it's diet; I don't like tea or coffee unless it has flavors added to it.

10. With that in mind, I have never *really* liked chocolate. Even when I was younger, I thought it tasted bitter and did not like it at all. To this day I rarely eat it.

11. I got my first kiss when I was in 7th grade. It wasn't all that great, although if you would read my diary entry from it, I'd say it was one of the best moments over. I haven't had contact with the guy in several years and I typically pretend that it never happened =P

12. My little sister is my best friend. She has constantly been in my shadow basically her entire life, and I've always enjoyed us sharing interests. whenever we're home the same weekends it's the best time ever. It's like we've always been on the same wave length and we just get each other.

13. I played soccer for two years and softball for ten years. I miss them both and hope to someday play either of them for recreation when I have time and settle down somewhere.

14. I have a pretty good long term memory. I'll remember people and things from my past all the time. But for the life of me, I swear my mother did not tell me to do that chore two hours ago...

15. When I was in 2nd grade, I had a problem with my right eye. The problem was that it had rolled into the back of my head. I had several MRIs as well as blood drawn and a spinal tap. The doctors don't know exactly what was wrong still. It was just an inflamed cell that, with the help of medication, got better.

16. My family is a pet loving family. In my lifetime, we've had a dachshund named Sam, a hamster named April, a cat named Tiger, several goldfish--the white ones called Bob--and an English Coonhound named Abby.

17. I do have a favorite punctuation mark. It is the dash (--). I like it because I know how to use it correctly, and very few people--that I know of--seem to take advantage of it's side note abilities.

18. Along with favorites, my favorite color is cerulean blue. I like it because of the Crayola crayon color; it just seems to be a fantastic shade of blue.

19. I associate with synesthesia. For those of you who don't know, that's a neurological condition where two senses intertwine with an observation. Such that I taste the color green, or the number 7 is yellow. I don't think I have the condition. Honestly, I blame Sesame Street.

20. I constantly played piano for 12 years, but I have been playing for a total of 15. It's crazy, because I'm not that good. I never took playing seriously and therefore my site reading is terrible. It's weird to think that there once was a day that I thought it would become my career. My mother gave me lessons and taught me everything I know, up to accompanying Rachel's Vocal solo my senior year of high school. There are times where I wish I had taken it more seriously, but it's pretty cool to be able to sit down and play something I learned in middle school completely from memory.

21. I am afraid of losing control. Of all the fears I could have in life, I believe that is the one that affects me the most.

22. My 09-10 New Year's Resolution was to not swear for a year. I've eliminated all curse words from my vocabulary. I'm happy to say that even though I don't restrict those words anymore, they fly much less often than they did when I was in high school.

23. I'm pretty darn convincing when I want to be. I now understand that people will believe what you say, no matter how cock-eyed it is, as long as you seem confident in it.

24. I've always loved drama. Whether it's happening to me or I'm observing it, I know I thrive off of it.

25. I'm trying to be more frank with people. I'm tired of beating around the bush or telling a white lie...it all just seems pointless.

26. I'm a total romantic at heart. I fall head over heels for a good "Happily Ever After".

27. I really enjoy sports. Watching or playing them, it's all fun to me!

28. After talking to my sister, I've come to realize I've only felt true apathy once. I was a freshman in high school and it was May. It was not a fun time.

29. I call myself a Christian and believe that Jesus is the son of God. I pray and I truly believe that he listens. However, I have never been more afraid of dying, just because I don't know what happens after.

30. Last year I applied to become an RA. I did everything I thought I could in order to secure everything. I networked, I participated, I excelled in the required class and I made it through the entire process. I was chosen as an alternate. I resent myself for it.

31. I seem to have always had a passion for leadership. It's possible that it's the control thing again, but if you ever look at my resume...I've done my fair share of work to get where I am.

32. I've spent the past two years working with Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised and Parliamentary Procedure. I had never studied a network of rules that makes an entire body function. It fascinates me so much I wish I could use it in my career somehow.

33. I'm a sprinter. Not just in the running sort but also in life. I'll get really into an activity for a little bit...and then lose almost complete interest. I'll not be able to sit still for 30 seconds...and then have no problems for two hours. It's an interesting lifestyle.

34. I like to cook. I like to make things that I know people will enjoy. I'm no where near professional, nor do I want to be. But I'll definitely survive on my own =)

35. I have a money spending problem. It almost literally burns a hole in my pocket--I can't keep it on me at all. I know it'll bite me on the butt soon enough.

36. I feel like my right side is cursed. Aside from my eye, I also broke a top knuckle on my right index finger in five places so that it now doesn't bend all the way. Also, my right foot only has two toes that can bend. The rest are immobile.

37. I really really really don't think I'll ever get a tattoo. I don't think I know anything that I'd want to have on me for the rest of my life, and I honestly believe that most people who have tattoos now will regret it in later life.

38. I have been known to be a hypocrite, and it is something I want to try and stop. I have a habit of judging people and actions without having experienced them myself. Then when I do experience them, I do what I said I wouldn't. It's not something I'm proud of, and I want to be able to understand the other side better.

39. For someone who loves being in control, I don't know how to take control of myself very well. I'll avoid functions all together just to avoid certain people. Some might argue that I'm taking the ultimate control, but I know I make people mad by doing that.

40. I do believe I'll have my own Happily Ever After.

41. The summer before my senior year of high school, I went to France for seven weeks. I was on a program where I still went to school and signed a contract that I would not speak English for those seven weeks of the trip. Best. Summer. Of. My. Life.

42. I really have been trying not to lie as much. It goes with the being frank stuff. I remember that I would make up stories not to hide anything, but for sheer amusement. I am consciously trying to stop that.

43. My family means the world to me. But they drive me CRAZY! We've been through so much in so many ways, sometimes I wish we could just sit down and talk about it all. I don't think we're a sit down and talk family, though, more like a sit down and lecture family.

44. Besides playing the piano, I've been singing for a while. I took five years of voice lessons and for a while competed in both piano and voice. I was in the top choir at my high school and got into the top choir at my university my freshman year. It makes me feel good.

45. In the school year I overbook myself constantly. There's just something about running myself ragged that's rather thrilling and exhilarating.

46. There are two things that will drive me crazy: Disappointment and Lies. If you either disappoint me or lie to me...chances are we won't have a very good friendship.

47. I'm not a daredevil at all. I'm more the voice of reason, and have been called Conscience on more than one occasion.

48. When I was younger and we would go to Ohio for vacation, I would always look for the billowing puffy clouds on the way there because I could imagine seeing Sam, our dachshund, in the clouds in Heaven.

49. I'm in love with Dr. Seuss. His books were fine when I was younger, but some of his quotes you can pull from either his books or his words, are magnificent. I live by them.

50. I like to think I'll make an impact on society someday.

51. I've never really held much clout in Freudian theory until recently. His theories claim that because of actions that occur during infancy affect you as an adult. I have a huge fixation problem, and technically his theories explain why. There's just not a lot of support backing them up.

52. I have a problem with picking at my split ends. It's annoying, even for me, but once I see one it's hard to just leave it there.

53. I have kissed (like really kissed) 8 guys.

54. I have never been drunk.

55. Just after I graduated, one of my friend's mother was talking about how often student change their major nowadays. Right then and there I was determined never to change my major because of how sure I was that what I wanted was what I would always want. Honestly, I wish I wasn't so stubborn and would have changed my major when I wasn't so trapped a few years ago.

56. If teaching doesn't work out here in the United States then I plan to teach in France.

57. I rely on medicine very often. I despise being in pain and I would rather take medicine than suffer through pain. I put a lot of faith in our heath system.

58. If I can't sleep, I will think of whatever movie, tv series, or book I'm currently obsessing with and write myself into the plot somehow. I typically end up falling asleep before I get too deep into it, so it works out.

59. I'm 100% non-confrontational. I would rather spend a week in self-loathing pity than talk to someone about what's wrong.

60. I don't like thinking that someday my little sister is going to be an actual adult. I know she will, but in my head she's still 12...I don't want to think what my parents are going through.

61. Sometimes I wonder if I'd be happier if I were closer to more people.

62. I absolutely LOVE pizza. It doesn't mater what kind, there hasn't been one yet that I haven't liked.

63. I am afraid to end up alone.

64. I have a path of goals for myself and my career: teacher, principal, superintendent, state superintendent, congresswoman, secretary of education for president of the United States.

65. I love having a dog in the house, but I don't think I have the patience to raise one myself. I'm definitely more of a cat person.

66. I grew up with a Super Nintendo and I loved some of the games on there. I currently have a Wii and have discovered their virtual console so I can download some of those games. The nostalgia is amazing.

67. I am a recovering grammar Nazi. I took a class over linguistics last year and showed me the difference between prescriptive grammar and descriptive grammar. Ever since, I try not to correct grammar because one, it's annoying and two, for all I know they are using their rights to be a descriptivist.

68. If I'm reading a book, sometimes I will get so into it that it will actually affect my mood. It's a pretty awesome experience...until the book gets depressing and then I have to convince myself that it's not real. The price you pay...

69. I love getting my nails done. I get it from my mom; she's had fake nails on for as long as I can remember. I currently have fake nails and I'm trying to think of ways I can keep them without spending all my money.

70. I wish it were possible in this day and age to be a stay at home mom without marrying into money. I feel I would be so content to keep house and raise my children...but most families can't live off of one income...which sucks.

71. I would love to be one a cooking competition show like Chopped or Cupcake Wars. Even though I'm not trained I love watching them and coming up with my own concoctions in my head.

72. I can rarely listen to music when I'm working on homework. The only time I can is when the silence is louder than the music could ever be, and when I do it has to be classical with no lyrics and a tune that I don't recognize. I typically have to go to Pandora or another internet radio because I've listened to everything I have in my personal library.

73. I would definitely say that I'm addicted to chewing ice.

74. I have always had long hair for as long as I can remember. The shortest I've ever cut it is at my shoulders, and I prefer it to be lower on my back. My hair is something I take pride in and try to take care of as much as possible.

75. My favorite Disney movie of all time no matter what is the Lion King. I loved both the sequels and I saw the 3D revival on the first day it was out. It is one of my dreams to see it on Broadway.

76. I truly enjoy learning French. The language and culture has so many fascinating intricacies that I enjoy discovering, but I do not think I'd be happy teaching this to students. That's why I'm glad I'm planning to get two other English certifications, one for ESL and the other for ELA.

77. Sometimes I try and remember all of my high school schedules just for the fun of it.

78. My favorite ice cream is cookie dough. In a close second is mint, but only if it's green. I know that green means it's artificial...but I cannot wrap my head around non-green mint.

79. I was pretty big into anime when I was younger. It was mostly in elementary school, but then my middle school best friend was into it too, so I stayed into it until around freshman year of high school. To this day I'll find a lot of nostalgia with it.

80. My parents think I'm planning to get married as soon as possible. My mother has told me she's afraid I'm going to elope without her. I have no intentions of eloping and I'm not planning to get married for at least another three years, if not more.

81. I used to write a lot. Not just in blogs, but actual works of fiction. And poetry, too. I stopped when my computer crashed and I thought I lost everything; I had taken it as a sign that it wasn't meant to be. I ended up being able to retrieve what I had lost, and although I have thought about starting again, it's not a current high priority for me.

82. I truly believe there is someone looking out for me. Maybe it's extremely foolish because there are a lot of bad things out in the real world, but I feel like I can't be touched. It's almost like I can see the life that's already been painted for me and all I have to do is follow it.

83. I am extremely liberal when it comes to my beliefs.

84. The hardest transition for me to make from school to summer/work is the hours. I am so used to everything being open and available until 4am. Back home things close around 9/10ish and are not a five minute walk away.

85. I am going to Paris, France for a month over the summer. I have full intentions of going to Disneyland Paris while I'm there.

86. I think it would be pretty awesome to get a teaching job near where my parents live so I can have a $30,000 income with a $500/month expenses. I could get my loans paid off super quickly if that worked out.

87. I have never considered myself to be a stellar dancer, but if it's choreographed I can pick up on the steps easily. I have a tendency to make up my own sequences in the privacy of my room when I'm getting ready for classes in the morning.

88. I enjoy typing quickly. I do better when I'm warmed up by playing piano, and my nails aren't too long (or fake), and this is something again I get from my mother. On average my typing is 90 words per minute with 100% accuracy. The best I've done is 122(ish) with 100% accuracy. It is something I am proud of.

89. When I was younger, the thing that I hated the most was being yelled at. I vowed that I would never yell at my kids when I was angry, and I wanted to use the silence treatment to be as effective as yelling. Unfortunately, I feel better when I yell when I'm angry. I've been trying to control it, and I can usually go a while without yelling when arguing, but if I'm pushed too far I will yell. Still working on it.

90. I feel I can make anything edible with Bisquick.

91. One of my jobs all I do is sign in residents into their halls as well as their guests. Basically, I sit for 4 hours online perfecting my signature. Did I mention I make $8.50?

92. My mother calls me the "normal" one in the family.

93. I have an extreme attachment to one of my professors. I'm sure it sounds weird, but I constantly want to ask if she wants a babysitter or just to hang out, even though she's basically twice my age. I can't really explain it, I just enjoy being around her. Whether we're talking about classes or just shooting the breeze, she is someone I want to stay in contact with for...well essentially the rest of my life. It's a Promance? idk lol

94. I once forged my dad's signature because I failed a test and he had to sign it. When I got caught, my father made me write out "I will not forge a signature again" 1000 times in cursive. This was in 4th grade, so doing it in cursive was absolutely brutal. I guess I learned my lesson, though, because it seems like such a smaller deal nowadays; but I haven't done it since.

95. When I was in elementary school, one of the biggest joys was being able to hold open the doors to let people in from recess.

96. Sometimes I wonder how I will look at my college experience 10 years from now. I never really partied or took dangerous risks that make good stories. It's one of my favorite attributes currently, but I wonder if I'll have wanted to be more adventurous.

97. My mother and I make macaroni and cheese exactly the same, recipe and all. I swear hers tastes better than mine.

98. I do not like ranch dressing. I never have. I never will. I am constantly mocked for it. Then I tell them I don't like chocolate either and they just have a heyday with it. It gets amusing often.

99. I rarely believe I actually have something interesting to contribute. Most of what I do or say is purely for myself

100. I would never change anything that's happened to me. Everything has made me who I am today, and I truly love me for who I am. I am Me.