And the sun came out today...

What started as a dark, drenched Wednesday has become a beautiful afternoon.

{ image via icanread }

Happy Hump!

Is that all there is?

Just because it's Friday, and it's my favorite episode...

"When it comes to relationships, maybe we're all in glass houses and shouldn't throw stones. Some people are settling down, some people are settling and some people refuse to settle for anything less than BUTTERFLIES..."

Five Senses Friday

(This will be a weekly repeat. Join me?)

hearing:
"Darling, we're everything..."


tasting:
Chilli's. I had a craving. We indulged it.

seeing:
progress in the moving effort!

feeling:
itchy eyes. I think I've developed allergies.

smelling:
Christmas trees! The lots are popping up, and we will go get ours this coming week!

He is real.

Kiddie City bags. Left by the basement door. Found on Christmas morning.
This is how I discovered the truth. You know, the Big One. The Big Truth about the Big Guy.

I can't say I was shocked. I had been poking holes in the Santa theory on my own, silently, as I wanted to keep up the facade for Jenna. But I always wanted to believe. Even though, deep down I knew that it couldn't be possible - somewhere deeper down...I felt the magic.

The magic of going to bed on Christmas Eve and feeling like something really special was about to happen. The magic of waking up with butterflies. The magic of creeping down the stairs and seeing that, somehow, all of exactly what you wished for is right under the tree.

At 28, I almost still want to believe in Santa. Waking up on Christmas morning is vastly different these last few years. I usually sleep on the couch in my Mom's apartment. We sleepily open gifts and then decide who is showering first so that we can make it to breakfast on time. (We never do.) I predict that this coming Christmas morning will be even more different, as I will be waking up at my new home, with H.

Seeing this post brought back some of that magic though. Just a different kind.

Be the Santa in you.

And this is why...

He watches Sex and the City with me, without complaint, whenever it's on. In an attempt to show his interest, he referred to Mr. Big as "Mr. Large". We both really laughed.

He makes me feel safe, taken care of.

We met at a John Mayer concert. Need I say more?

He is the most selfless person I know.

The way his face softens when he talks about his Mom.

He's seen Les Misérables 26 times. He introduced me to Rent and stopped it every 30 seconds to explain something, narrate or point out some quirky, unknown fact. And now I cannot stop listening to the Rent station on Pandora.

He will drop everything to help out anyone in need, at any given time.

He is insanely hard-working.

He still has the same smile that he did when he was little (I've seen pictures).

He knows things...random stuff, important stuff, stuff about money and cars, and credit, and bills. Stuff that I don't know.

I can't think about him without smiling.

Any problem or quandry I am faced with is automatically his issue. And he doesn't stop until it's resolved...from my totaled car to work stuff to finding the perfect Christmas gift for my Mom, he takes it on, figures it out and all while maintaining complete and utter calm.

His love for his family and friends.

We have fun no matter what we do.

When he laughs really hard, he slams his palm down on the surface in front of him. It's childlike and carefree.

He adds to this list every day and doesn't even know it.

{us at Tony's}

I love him. And this is why.

Thanks so much.

"One single grateful thought raised to heaven is the most perfect prayer. " ~ G. E. Lessing

My contribution to project :: thankful by Marta....

So many things to be thankful for this year (and every year)...

my health, waking up every day and feeling good, even when I am exhausted, still feeling physically well

having people around me who love me and support me and stand behind me in my decisions

reruns of Grey's on Lifetime

H, his selflessness, sincerity, and huge huge heart

the quiet car on the train

being able to check in with people I don't get to see too often on Facebook

new adventures and experiences

my college roommates and their little girls

Christmas traditions, new and old

my family, complete with dysfunction

a warm bed (with a heated matress!)

my friends, every single one of them

clarity

Happy Thanksgiving!

Five Senses Friday

(This will be a weekly repeat. Join me?)

hearing:

Well, I can tell you what I'm not hearing these days...my alarm!

tasting:

crab legs, for the first time!

seeing:

John Mayer, live at the Beacon Theatre in NYC!

feeling:

loved. a lot.

smelling:

a new car smell, compliments of my new Jeep Liberty. Her name is Lucky.

{hello, Lucky...I love you}

Five Senses Friday

Sometimes I steal ideas from other blogs...

(This will be a weekly repeat. Join me?)

hearing:

homemade burned CDs, including:
Lost Songs and Walk the Line - David Gray
19 - Adele
Turnstiles - Billy Joel
Trouble - Ray Lamontagne

tasting:
Penne a la Vodka and an after midnight Guinness

seeing:
Fa La La La Lifetime promos. If that isn't a sign of Christmas coming, I don't know what is.

feeling:
unusually warm evening air when getting off the train

smelling:
my new three-wick candle from Pier One

One Last Look...

"I dunno, she's got gaps, I got gaps, together we fill gaps."

This morning, I said goodbye to an old friend. A friend who has seen me through four years, two accidents, many many laughs, a hike up to Boston, about 40,000 miles, a few shore trips and a tire blowout on the 42 freeway (read about it here, if you fancy).

Justina named her Adrian last year, after she was rear-ended by a drunk driver and pushed into a Ford Focus, causing her to look like an accordion rendering her undriveable for oh, about seven months due to an unfortunate (lack of) insurance situation. She sat at a body shop in Darby just waiting for me to get enough money to go pick her up. And, when I finally had the money, she wasn't ready. Oh, the bad decisions I've made. I definitely do not have the best luck with cars.

Back to my silver/grey girl. Last Tuesday morning, I decided to stay home from work as I wasn't feeling too hot. I ran out at about 10 am to get some Tylenol Cold and Sinus (aka the wonder drug) and McDonald's breakfast. While heading down Burmont back to my little nest, Adrian and I were hit by a white panel van who was trying to cross over Burmont. While the driver did stop, he essentially didn't obey the Stop Sign Rules as he proceeded through the intersection without checking to make sure it was clear.

My first thought - "thank God I have insurance." What a difference a year makes.

I called 911 (that is a lie. I called my boyfriend, H, first as he is a 911 dispatcher and then he instructed me to call 911. He wasn't working at the time. I guess it was just a reflex. I knew that he would tell me what to do. And calm me down.) and the police came. The driver of the van was very apologetic and nice. We exchanged information and insurance policies. H showed up and called a tow truck to come get the car. We went down to the body shop and got me into a rental car in no time. A week later, she was declared a total loss by the insurance company.

A total loss - this sounds so negative and sad. It is actually the opposite. I am getting reimbursed for the value of Adrian, which is way over what I owe on my loan.

A fortunate misfortune. Props, Jack.

What November means to me...

Remembering the first full break from college...

Crispy brown leaves...

Chilly air...(and refusing to stop wearing flip flops)...

The smell of a chimney...

Early signs of Christmas (and I love it)...

Perhaps the most November-y thing of all is Thanksgiving of course...and nothing is more Thanksgiving-y to me than the Woody Allen flick Hannah and Her Sisters. Caught it last week on cable....divine.

"nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands..."

A taste of the theme song...

Where I'm From

Inspiration via Finn.

I am from paper plates and newspapers, from Turkey Hill Ice Cream and cans of Pepsi.
I am from the white, bright, always smells like a cigarette and perfume.
I am from the eucalyptus, the sun creeping through watery windows, the wreath on the door, all seasons.
I am from Christmas morning hotel breakfasts and wet eyes from Mom and Babe, and the Gormley's and the Bichetti's.
I am from loud, loud laughter and I am from addiction.
From catching a cold with a wet head of hair and catching a cold from wearing coats indoors.
I am from crucifixes over the doorways and Mass on all holidays and some Sundays.
I am from suburban Philadelphia and the 50/50 split between Italy and Ireland, from roasted garlic-y peppers and pizzelles and baked potatoes with A1 sauce and Chicken Divan.
From wiping crumbs from the kitchen table onto the floor and calling it clean.
From locking all the doors, and he slept on the deck.
I am from decorative boxes covered in pretty green ivy that matches the walls in the breakfast room and four thin, discolored albums and one big, white one with gold trim. I am from the frames lined up on the shelves on the porch. I am from the surviving items not destroyed by the flood. I am from everything not destroyed.

I am not crazy.

I am not.

I am not one of those wedding crazed girls. I have not been, a la Monica Geller, planning my wedding since my tween years. Or before.

See below - terrible quality, though.



Still, I cannot help but be addicted to sites like this and this and this. And don't even get me started on the adorable wedding of Joanna Goddard of A Cup Of Jo. She is posting wedding pics all week and I am following religiously.

Maybe it's because I am in love (!). More on this when I can perfectly capture everything I am feeling (good luck with that).

But I am not crazy.

(I hope he doesn't read this.)

"These are the days it never rains but it pours..."

**This is a post I wrote for a work blog. Call it recycling. It's Monday.**

Leave it to Queen to so perfectly pinpoint what a typical day might sometimes feel like, here on the 28th floor of 1818 Market.

And who doesn't love Queen?

It is more than safe to say that we operate under high, and sometimes extremely high, pressure circumstances here at Richardson. Collectively, we thrive on it and it is what keeps us on our toes. At lightening speeds, we move through the day, multi-tasking and following-up. And although sometimes we may leave in the evening feeling like we've just run though quicksand - exerting tons of energy but not really moving anywhere - great progress is made here. Every single day.

Pressure is not only a familiar feeling for us, but one that we should be aware of, as a company. Personally, I have been realizing lately that a lot of the pressure I feel is self-imposed. Deadlines, projects and clients are nothing compared to what is going on in my head most days. I wonder if I am alone in this category and, knowing most of the team for the better part of three years, I have a feeling I am in (good) company.

Imagine someone hands you an exceedingly heavy suitcase and asks you to carry it for them. It is huge, awkward and more than you alone can handle. Would you grab another one and pile that on top as well?

You'd set it down and make a dash for the nearest pal to help you out. You'd look eagerly for one of those handy airport carts and throw the suitcase in there. You'd find some creative way to balance out the weight.

I think of this analogy (shared with me by phone coach, Patti Clark) every single day and the e-mails appear in my inbox and the suitcases pile on. Instead of applying extra pressure on myself, I try to look for little tactics to better support myself and balance out the weight, both in the office and at home. Undoubtedly, these tactics will look different for each and every one of us.

For me, it's getting out in the Center City air for at least 15 minutes a day, at least eight hours of sleep a night and a light-hearted e-mail exchange with my college roomates.

And, of course, some Queen...

Exactly.

Beauty in the breakdown

Always, always laughing...

When I was younger, everytime I (or anyone) would ask my Mom how old she was, she'd say 29. She was 29 for all of my young life. Apparently, she thinks it's a good age.

Frankly, it scares me a little bit. But this isn't about me.

Yesterday, one of my bestest best girlfriends turned 29. Miss Kerry Dwyer. My favorite little Bostonian. A person who can make me laugh with, literally, just one word. Any word. Or even a letter, as she speaks in code and abbreviations quite often. Even just one of her little sounds will send me into stomach burning, tears streaming down my face hysterics. For a good fifteen minutes.

We talked briefly last night and tried to run through the usual life updates (family, boyfriends, work, girly stuff, etc.) and catch up on each other, all while hearing about her weekend and her birthday plans. We've gotten pretty good at cramming all of the goof stuff into a 15 or 20 minute phone call. Plus, we always have Facebook to keep tabs.

Apparently, 29 was a good year for my Mom, as she kept going back to it. After talking to Ker last night and hearing her smile through the phone, I am pretty sure 29 is going to be great for her too.

Happy birthday Kerry Elizabeth Dwyer! I cannot remember a time we were together when we weren't cracking up! (Case in point, the above picture. We may or may not have indulged in some mood enhancing...materials. Hey, it was college!)

Oh, Bob...

"You may not be her first, her last, or her only. She loved before she may love again. But if she loves you now, what else matters? She's not perfect - you aren't either, and the two of you may never be perfect together but if she can make you laugh, cause you to think twice, and admit to being human and making mistakes, hold onto her and give her the most you can. She may not be thinking about you every second of the day, but she will give you a part of her that she knows you can break - her heart. So don't hurt her, don't change her, don't analyze and don't expect more than she can give. Smile when she makes you happy, let her know when she makes you mad, and miss her when she's not there."

Bob Marley

Hey Blue, there is a song for you...

On Monday, as I left work early for the Reading Phillies game, I swear - I never saw the sky this blue.

Refreshing and beautiful.

Happy Weekend!

Check boxes.

New look - check.

Hoping to inspire - check.

Hoping for a shake up - check.

Oh, and I love this - check.

We're all mad here.

This week, I've officially fallen down the Rabbit-Hole. And it is only Tuesday.

I can't remember the last time, or if ever, I've had an anxiety attack, an official anxiety attack. What a disconcerting experience. To lose complete control, of your body and your mind. To not be able to see your way out. To feel like it is never going to end. To cry uncontrollably. To be unable to sit still or think about anything besides what is going on. And why.

It's the 'why' that gets me. I left work last Friday and - come on, it was FRIDAY. Is there anyone leaving work, leaving the city, on a Friday around 5ish who isn't in a great mood? On the train I get, and I'm riding riding riding...approaching my station and I start to shake. The shaking started on the inside and worked its way out. By the time I got to my car, I had to sit on my hands to stop them from spastically flying around. I couldn't even change the radio stations.

Logically, I couldn't find any explanation. At first, I didn't even know what was going on. After talking to Jackie, she confirmed it - anxiety. "It feels like my entire body is having restless leg syndrome." Yeah - anxiety.

But why? WhyWhyWhy. I will keep going back to why. I have all of your normal, late 20something worries. There is nothing standout that is going wrong or sour or downhill.

It's, quite literally, driving me crazy. The anxiety is feeding off of itself and festering in my head. It is causing me to make mountains out of teeny, tiny molehills. Then, the sequence repeats itself in an unending, emotional crash-and-burn that usually ends in some sort of fast food. Last night, it was Wendy's.

Instinctually, I want to fix things within myself. I want to get to the root of the issue, make it better and move on. It is proving difficult, thus far. Maybe I am not supposed to. Perhaps this is a lesson to me that everything has a cut-and-dry answer.

I cannot figure out Wonderland. I've decided to stop trying and keep falling.

So Purdy...

Surgery, by Joe Purdy

I can’t wait for the weekend
Like I can’t wait for you
I can’t wait for the weekend
‘Cuz I can’t wait for you

Goin’ down
No, I won’t be long
Goin’ down
In a minute I’ll be strong
For you, yeah

Well I’ve been thinking all day
Thinking things should change
Honey, I don’t want you different
But you know I can’t stay the same
Goin’ down
No, I won’t be long
Goin’ down In a minute I’ll be strong
For you, yeahStrong
For you, yeah

Well I can’t stop these feelings
From running around my brain
But I won’t mind tonight
When you’re in my arms again
No, I won’t mind tonight
When you’re in my arms again

Goin’ down
No, I won’t be long
Goin’ down, down, down, down
In a minute I’ll be
Strong, strong, strong, strong, strong
For you, yeah
Strong, strong, strong, strong, strong
For you, yeah
For you, yeah
For you, yeah

“I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.” ― Maya Angelou

One year ago, I headed west for the best trip of my life thus far - California. I still find myself looking through the pictures. The wedding was one of the best I've been to, and I've been to more than my share! My desktop image is from the beach in Laguna. I met the late, great Harry the K in San Diego. In Hermosa, I spent a lot of time by myself and just wandering around. It is a time I will continue to relive.


This summer, I've been traveling a lot for work, which is vastly different for obvious reasons. In the last few months, I've been to San Jose, San Francisco, New York and Boston. I was slated for another San Fran trip - but I am not sure that is going to happen now. Planes and trains, day trips to NYC, huge hotel rooms just for me, expenses, long term parking and getting changed out of my suit in bathrooms at the airport...it's all new to me, and so so exciting.


Taking off and landing. Checking in and checking out. Coming and going.


Always coming back to one place - home.

Home is not where I push my key in the door and throw down my stuff. Home is not my apartment. Home is not my Mom's apartment. Home is not where I sleep. I'm fairly certain that I haven't truly felt at home - in the typical sense - since we moved out of Darby a few years back. It used to make me sad, but that is quickly changing.


"You'll see one day when you move out it just sort of happens one day and it's gone. You feel like you can never get it back. It's like you feel homesick for a place that doesn't even exist. Maybe it's like this rite of passage, you know. You won't ever have this feeling again until you create a new idea of home for yourself, you know, for your kids, for the family you start, it's like a cycle or something. I don't know, but I miss the idea of it, you know. Maybe that's all family really is. A group of people that miss the same imaginary place."

-Garden State

I am finding home in small spaces and minutes in my day.

I am finding home in a song, or a line of a song, or a note.

I am finding home in the people I love, and am learning to love.

I am finding home in myself.

Happy 4th!

Hope you see fireworks. I am :)

Life is good.

Posting. writing and creating has eluded me lately. This isn't great news, as writing fulfils me and - when I click on that 'publish post' button down there - I feel alive.

Luckily, other things have been contributing to my aliveness (yes, it's a word...it's my word) and I am embracing those.

A sample? Sure, why not...

-work. It's busy, stressful, scary, changing - but all exciting and I'm rolling with it.

-my shrinking waistline. I'm down about 16 pounds and loving how I feel.

-trying new recipes and foods.

-sleeping with the windows open.

-reading other people's blogs! Found so many good ones lately!

-Facebook. Obvi.

-Sam's.

-a new friend :)

-getting some sun, but not too much.

-red wine.

-making plans for the summer.

-Shannah's wedding video

-long, long, long e-mails with Just.

-Real Housewives of New Jersey.

-Barenaked Ladies...listening to them a lot in my car. On my iPod, I am obsessed with these three songs and they are on repeat. Don't ask me why..."Another Kind of Green" (Mayer), "Mandolin Wind" (new fave Rod song, beautiful) and "Summer, Highland Falls" (a rare Billy Joel track).

Life is very, very good.

Happy Mother's Day Mom.

Probably my most favorite picture. Reminds me of a simpler time.

Happy-ness

Happiness is...
...getting my Self magazine each month.
...buying a birthday present for Jack and realizing it's his favorite new toy.
...looking up between the buildings in Center City and seeing a cloudless blue morning sky.
...clarity. In any way, shape or form.
...Thursday night TV.

There's more - there's so much more that makes me happy - but I am running around this week and trying to keep my life together...I'll be back soon, though.

Promise.

Red Ross

I loved the way the trunk popped open so gently. And quietly. And the way the buttons on the radio had never been touched before me. No one else owned it. It was all mine. Oh and the smell. The smell, the smell, the smell. The pristine carpets. There wasn't anywhere I didn't want to go while I was in it. It could make me instantly happy.

It was the first car I ever bought myself. A 200something Toyota Corolla - fire engine red. Like many decisions I make, I rushed into buying it. I did a minimal amount of research, got myself down to Center City Toyota and bought it. Driving home on Walnut (or whichever 'nut' street leads out of the city..), I was in love. Trish named her, after a F*R*I*E*N*D*S episode, naturally.

It was 2004 and I had been out of college for just about a year. Working at V-SPAN in King of Prussia and drinking most of my pay on most weekends. And Thursday nights. And sometimes all day Sunday. I know. I too cringe at the thought of the money, time and brain power - all gone as a result. But we live and learn, right?

And learn, I sure did. I lost control, plain and simple. I was trying to make it into work each day at six am, but I (some nights) wasn't home until after three. Things were changing at work, I was offered a new job that sounded oh-so-perfect and (again, hastily) accepted it. I couldn't keep up with myself and, before I knew it, I - quite literally - crashed.

In one terrible decision on a December night, I managed to total my brand new car, self-inflict massive amounts of guilt and shame, and place myself in a category I'd never envisioned I'd be in.

I miss the car and what it represented for me. But would I go back and change things?

Some mistakes are made in indelible ink. Those are undoubtedly the most important.

Everything you didn't want to know, and more...

1.) I still tie my shoes using the bunny ear method.

2.) I wish I had brothers. Or even just one.

3.) Music is many things to me. It is an addiction, sometimes slightly compulsive. It is my sanity and my motivation, especially at work. It is my friend; it makes me cry, think and reflect.

4.) My first best friend and I were due to be born on the same day, St. Patty’s. She was late (Mar 23rd) and I was later (April 4th).

5.) Almost every day, I think of a new hobby I’d like to take up, meal I’d like to cook (and eat), place I’d like to travel or skill I’d like to acquire. I have a very long life to-do list.

6.) I will always prefer the driver seat to the passenger seat.

7.) Movies that most people would consider “good” often bore me. I fell asleep during “The
Passion of Christ”. Meanwhile, I’ll watch “Mrs. Doubtfire” whenever it’s on. Go figure.

8.) My middle name is Denise, after my Dad. My first name was supposed to be April, after the month I was born in. April Gormley? Good call, Mom.

9.) I have really high expectations, of myself and others. I’m working on managing them.

10.) I need noise when I sleep – I sleep with a huge box fan on every night. Sound machines just don’t cut it.

11.) Exercising isn’t something that I would say I love to do. But I try to do it anyway. ‘Try’ being the operative word there.

12.) In 2004, I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. It hasn’t been fun, but I’ve learned a lot about myself and my body, and it’s made me stronger.

13.) It took me about three weeks to write this entire list.

14.) I love to waitress. I secretly want to be in the hospitality industry, but I don’t think I would like the hours. I’ve worked at the same restaurant - Sam's - for 12 years and I don’t think I will ever leave.

15.) In my old journals, I have tons and tons of accounts of various trips, nights out, dances, etc. Anything I wanted to remember, I just started writing about it. I secretly think its part of the reason I remember so much, about everything.

16.) I feel very different from the person I was in college, but those four years were some of the best in my life.

17.) In one year, I saw all three of my top favorite artists (at the time) in concert – Rod Stewart, Kenny Chesney, and John Mayer. They are all still very high on my list, but I have tons of others too.

18.) Regrets are not something I have many of, but the ones I do have are deep and they all have to do with my Dad.

19.) I love Center City. I love coming into it every day, on the train and seeing all of the different people – rushing around and experiencing their days. I also love leaving it everyday and retiring to the suburbs.

20.) My Mom named Jenna and I after characters in Dynasty (or was it Dallas?).

21.) Any interest in or affection for any sport is from my Dad. Football and baseball, specifically.

22.) I don’t like to talk about religion or politics at work. There is always a fear of offending people and that’s no fun.

23.) My ultimate comfort food, again, is from my Dad. Two eggs made over easy. Pour ketchup all over them, I mean lots of ketchup. Then break the yolks and mix them with the ketchup. You are probably disgusted in reading this right now, but I swear to you – it is one of my favorite meals. Add some white toast and milk – perfection on a plate.

24.) Boston is one of my favorite places to travel. I almost moved there in 2005 and I still think about actually doing it.

25.) I have frequent, and sometimes very strong, cravings for the following things: bacon cheese fries, Puff, a long conversation with a good friend, wine, the movie The Wizard of Oz, my Mom's bed, a cold Stella from the Trophy, a trip to TJMaxx and Billy Joel. I usually indulge them.

26.) The beach is my happy place. I live for the sand in my toes and salty, sun-burned skin.

27.) My hands wrinkle at the slightest sign of moisture. In the shower, sure - everyone's hands get all wrinkly. Mine are extreme - if I am drinking a cold drink and the glass is sweating, forget it!

28.) I wouldn't say I am into fashion, but - over the past year or so - I've been paying more attention to the pieces I buy and have become more interested in different colors, styles, etc. All thanks to Justina :)

29.) I believe that everyone should live alone for one year of their life.

30.) I'm really into food.

31.) I start listening to Christmas music right around the beginning of November. Yes, I am one of those people.

32.) I love the name James - for a boy or a girl.

33.) I will often times find myself getting super emotional about how much I love my friends. It overwhelms me.

34.) It is annoying me that most of my 'things' are starting with "I". How self-centered am I?

35.) Vocabulary is super exciting to me.

36.) If my Dad were still around, I would have wanted to dance with him at my wedding to "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney and Wings.

37.) I have two dream jobs: a food critic for a magazine or the person who chooses the music for the MTV reality shows like The Real World.

38.) My nose bleeds when I am stressed out. Gross.

39.) I think it is pretty incredible to me that, at the end of the night at Sam's and we're all saying goodbye to each other, everyone hugs, kisses and there are lots of "I love you's" exchanged. And I really do love a lot of them.

40.) My Grandmom gives me all of her old jewelry and I love that.

41.) I'd love to drive cross country someday.

42.) My Mom dressed me up as Madonna for Halloween one year. I was like 7. That same year, Jenna was a Playboy bunny.

43.) I can still do cartwheels.

44.) My favorite number is 44.

45.) I love doing the crossword puzzle in People Magazine.

46.) I love Frank Sinatra, Steve Tyrell, Dean Martin, Bobby Darrin, and all of the other old stuff they play at Sam's.

47.) Mint chocolate chip ice cream has the power to instantly cheer me up.

48.) I am convinced that Jenna and I are fundamentally the same and fundamentally different. I am not even sure I know what I mean.

49.) The first concert I ever attended was Michael Jackson, when I was like three, with my Dad. I fell asleep on his shoulder.

50.) You will never find a fake tree in my apartment, house, condo, town home - wherever I live. Christmas isn't Christmas without the smell of the tree.

51.) I wish I never got tattoos. I want to start over.

52.) My major in college was basically watching movies and writing about them.

53.) My mornings are better because of the Preston and Steve show.

54.) Amazing Grace makes me cry. Every. Single. Time.

55.) My first job was answering the phones and the door at the BVM Rectory. I also helped the cook named Bernie to make and serve dinner for the priests.

56.) I scrutinize my e-mails, even the ones I write to my friends.

57.) I don't fantasize about the details of my wedding nearly as much as I fantasize about who I will marry. In fact, I think the only thing I ever decided on was number 36.

58.) Kids were always fun, I did the babysitting/nanny thing, and - sure, babies are cute. But when Jack was born, I fell in love. Charlie came along - more love. And now I can't wait to get to know Cole.

59.) My favorite magazine is Self.

60.) I cannot sleep with socks on. On the rare occasion that they are on when I fall asleep, they're off by the morning.

61.) I love to send and receive handwritten cards and letters.

62.) I should buy more fresh flowers.

63.) I miss living with five other girls.

64.) Tuna is my favorite sandwich.

65.) I hate wearing jeans.

66.) If I am not in bed (and asleep) by 10 pm, I get annoyed. Mostly at myself.

67.) My Mom, Jenna and I all wear the same shoe size.

68.) Not many things make me anxious, but two things that do are ordering lunch at the ChickFilA in Liberty Place and New York City.

69.) I really laugh at almost every episode of The Office. I mean, really laugh. I am watching right now and cracking up.

70.) I'd rather text than talk on the phone, most of the time. And I am a really fast texter.

71.) I don't drink coffee, but I kinda wish I did.

72.) I love my Acura, but I really want to own a pick up truck.

73.) Aries is my sign, and I read my horoscope pretty frequently. But I don't think I am true Aries.

74.) A trip to CVS will usually cost me at least 30 bucks.

75.) One of my favorite things to do is make a CD for someone. I love giving them as gifts.

76.) My lifetime goal is to write a book, but I get in my own way.

77.) I keep notes in my cell phone at all times, using the notepad function. In fact, many of these little facts were stored in there before they ended up on this blog.

78.) I've never broken a bone.

79.) I can't drive without my seatbelt on. It just doesn't feel right.

80.) In college, three of my roommates and I were held up at gunpoint outside of our house. It was one of the scariest things that's ever happened to me, but it made me more aware of my surroundings.

81.) I love America's Next Top Model, but I hate Tyra Banks.

82.) I love a good wedding.

83.) Writing my Dad's eulogy was both the easiest and hardest thing I've ever done.

84.) I've never met a rollercoaster I wouldn't go on.

85.) I hate the fact that I have some pretty bad road rage.

86.) Happiness=driving into Sea Isle City.

87.) I could spend an entire Saturday in thrift stores and consignment shops.

88.) I don't like onions unless they're cooked.

89.) I prefer being called "Kris".

90.) Shoveling snow is something I miss. It reminds me of living in Darby.

91.) Completely inappropriate humor is sometimes the best kind.

92.) I live for Saturday mornings.

93.) One of my indulgences is a manicure twice a month. I mostly do it because I cannot file my own nails.

94.) I am huge American Idol nerd. I often cry when watching it.

95.) I am 100% inspired by Racheal Ray.

96.) Peanut butter is only good in a PB&J sandwich on the beach. Otherwise, I'll pass.

97.) I check PostSecret.com every Sunday and fantasize about sending a secret in.

98.) Knowing any of the answers on Jeopardy! excites me.

99.) Visiting California last year was one of the best experiences of my life. So far.

100.) I always try to do my best.