1. I am a nerd.
2.The majority of my time at home is spent either in my bed or in front of my computer.
3.Things I like to do when I am bored include blogging, AIMing, blogstalking, AIMstalking, and watching random movies on HBO.
4. I have been blogging since high school (back in 1996-97), but I've never updated more than when I was deployed to Afghanistan with the Army.
5. Before I was able to go overseas, I had to have my will written. So my family got together and we had a will-writing party when we picked out who would get all of our stuff.

6. I have about a half a million dollars in life insurance and about 50K in retirement/investment accounts. Almost all of that goes to my little sister. The rest is pretty much split up between my siblings.
7. I get addicted to things very easily and swing from hobby to hobby with each season.
8. Because I get addicted so easily, I like to boycott things to test my self-control. Current boycotts include: chocolate, ice cream, winter coats, carbonated beverages, potato chips.
9. The last time I had ice cream was in the summer of 2002. I was with a friend, Brian Pinson, during one of our excursions during my officer basic course. I had a blizzard at the Dairy Queen off of a random exit in Columbus. It was excellent.
10. I love food, and it is hard for me to say no to people. When I first came home from Afghanistan, there was a guy who showed up at my house selling steaks from the back of his pick-up truck. I gave him about $200 to fill my freezer with steak. I still have over half of them left.

11. I try not to answer my house phone because I can't say no to telemarketers.
12. I'm not very good at saying no to salespeople either. So I try not to talk to them when I go shopping.
13. Buying things is one of my weaknesses because I like stuff. I will go weeks at a time without spending any money and then I'll blow a few hundred dollars in a weekend.
14. My favorite things to buy are CDs and DVDs.
15. Sometimes, I forget which CDs and DVDs I already have and end up buying them twice.

16. I like buying groceries in pairs...two boxes of cereal, two bags of chips, two bottles of salsa, etc.
17. During my less than healthier periods, dinner was a bowl of cereal or chips and salsa.
18. My favorite salsa is this lime and habenero type they sell at Trader Joe's.
19. I've also been eating these soy and flaxseed chips from Trader Joe's too. It's great now that there's a store just a few blocks from my house.
20. I've really been increasing my protein intake these days. Breakfast for every school day has been a yogurt honey peanut balance bar for the last three months.

21. I've actually been eating healthier too. One of my other resolutions is to eat out less.
22. After watching Super Size Me, I've decided to boycott McDonald's too.
23. Taco Bell is really the only fast food restaurant I visit regularly.
24. I know the food there isn't really all that healthy, but I lie to myself and tell myself that it is.
25. The other really unhealthy food that I love are the cheese fries at Glory Days.

26. Nachos are good too. I like to try them wherever I go.
27. Patriot's Cafe has average nachos, but I love going there for karaoke.
28. My favorite song to karaoke is Kick Some @ss by Stroke 9.
29. I like Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond too. That was the song I sang when I was in Paris on leave. I sang it in English.
30. I took three years of French in high school, and that was the only reason why I chose to go to Paris.

31. Back in high school, I used to eat lunch with my friends outside of gym 2.
32. I stopped making lunch at one point and just brought cheese on wheat crackers to trade.
33. Now, as a teacher, I eat school lunch from the cafeteria almost every day.
34. On a good day, it takes just under twenty minutes for me to drive to school. I took four different routes until I found the most efficient one.
35. I've tried five different routes home before I found the most efficient one. It's different from the route I take to school but takes about the same amount of time.

36. Home is a townhouse in Centreville.
37. I bought it in 2002 after living at home with my parents for my first two years of teaching.
38. My sister helped me through the whole process. I don't think I would have bought it without her help.
39. I have the best big sister ever.
40. I didn't have to wash my own clothes throughout most of college because my sister did it for me.

41. I was a nerd in college.
42. I used to spend my whole life in front of my computer and I met my first girlfriend online. This was in 1998 when online dating was much less popular.
43. I went to exactly two parties throughout college.
44. I finished my undergrad in three years.
45. On my request, I had friends boo me at my graduation ceremony. There were only 12 graduates in my department.

46. I went into teaching the year I graduated from college at age 20.
47. I wanted to go into teaching ever since my job as a teaching assistant in high school for summer school.
48. I signed up for the military at 18.
49. I joined during the summer after my freshman year of high school because I felt useless and unemployed and wanted to make a difference.
50. I'm a pacifist at heart, but there are few times when I feel more at home than when I'm in a military setting.

51. I miss Afghanistan.
52. When I was there, I spent over a month on a polyphasic sleep schedule when I slept in half-hour increments, once every four hours.
53. I love sleep, but I never get enough.
54. I used to be borderline narcoleptic.
55. One time, I was talking to a students after school about his grades. When I brought up his grades on my computer, I fell asleep in mid-conversation and woke up about 10 seconds later. He thought I'd had a heart-attack or something.

56. I like sleeping on my sofa more than I like sleeping in my bed.
57. I often lie down on my couch when I watch movies, fully knowing that I am going to fall asleep. I do it anyway. It's some of the best sleep I ever get.
58. I spent almost $500 on Christmas day to finish up my home movie theater.
59. I have a 10 foot screen to watch movies on and I love to show it off.
60. I wish I had more friends to show it off to, but I don't.

61. I like inviting people over because it encourages me to clean up around the house.
62. I do enjoy cleaning once I get started. The hard part is getting started.
63. I am the same way with running.
64. I will run a marathon one day, but that day is not today...or tomorrow.
65. I would love to do a triathlon, but I am horrible at swimming.

66. A few years ago, I had to take a combat swim test for the Army. You only have to go 10 meters, but you're carrying a rifle and wearing a full uniform with boots. It was the first time I went swimming in almost ten years, and I failed the test. It was embarrassing.
67. It took me a few dozen extra sessions in the pool before I was back in swimming shape. I passed the test when I took it again.
68. I love taking tests. They make me feel good about myself.
69. Army tests are my favorite because I can usually get close to 100% without trying too hard.
70. I try too hard when it comes to sports...and maybe women.

71. I am very good about not cursing, but I will let off some steam when I play sports or when I'm driving by myself.
72. One time, on my way home from school, I sang John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt about 120 times in a row in order to stay awake.
73. I like to rock out when I'm driving in my car alone.
74. When I'm driving in my car, I start off my iPod with the same song every time, In This Diary by the Ataris.
75. I didn't have to buy my iPod. My family and friends bought it for me before I went overseas.

76. I am so spoiled. Other things I didn't have to buy for myself: my laptop, my windows for my house, my car, my tv, my living room set, my bed.
77. When I first moved into my house, I slept on an inflatable mattress for two years.
78. On the weekends, I prefer sleeping on my sofa.
79. I say that it's because I don't have to look at my alarm clock, but I think it has more to do with being closer to my computer when I'm on the couch.
80. When I'm at home, I spend at least 50% of my time in front of the computer...probably higher.

81. Most of it is spent on AIM. I have way too many people on my buddy list.
82. Right now, my screen name is "thenewsonny," in light to my increasing maturity and constant efforts towards self-improvement.
83. I didn't used to shave much during college, so I used the screen name "evilsonny," in reference to the old Mirror, Mirror episode of Star Trek.
84. Now, I shave every day, even though I have nearly no facial hair. After two days, I'll go crazy.
85. Since joining the Army, I have to cut my hair once a week or else I go crazy.

86. Growing up, my mother used to cut my hair all the time. I had a very distinct haircut throughout high school. I liked it, but a lot of my friends made fun of me for it after the fact.
87. Sometime during college, though, I learned how to cut it myself.
88. I learned how to do a lot of things during college. Typing was one of them because I had to chat with many different people at the same time. I can type around 70 WPM these days.
89. I've always been good at games, but I was exceptionally good at College Jeopardy Online back in my day. It was a competition between nerds from all of the various college campuses across the country. They would add up points from all of the students participating from each school and then rank the schools. Virginia Tech was #2. I accounted for between 70-90% of Virginia Tech's points. I played non-stop from my computer as well as my roommates. I also memorized all of the answers.
90. I am good at memorizing things if I need to.

91. At one point back in high school, I had memorized pi out to 210 digits.
92. Things I shouldn't memorize include my credit card number. That's like removing the safety from a loaded weapon.
93. I know two phone numbers, my cell and my parents home number. Everything else is speed dial. I don't know what I'd do if I lost my cell phone. (I'd probably cry)
94. I love cell phones. I went without one for the year I was overseas; but aside from that, I tend to buy a new one every year.