100 Things About Me

100 Things About Me

1. I was born in Sacramento, California, but have lived almost my entire life in the D.C. area.

2. I was the rebellious son of the family, and I really didn’t do anything bad (except becoming a lawyer).

3. I’m not a big fan of driving (despite owning a really fun car). If I had a choice between spending an hour in traffic each day or getting pricked with a needle 5 times, there’d be no question about it – I would already be rolling up my sleeves.

4. My first car was a 1980 Toyota Cressida, which my friends and I called, “The Luxury Edition”.

5. I have perfect pitch.

6. I'm not very good at receiving compliments.

7. I always think I can do better...and usually I can.

8. I have one older brother who is an assistant pastor in Grand Rapids, MI.

9. I’m a night person.

10. People think I’m a traitor for moving from Maryland to Virginia.

11. I’ve never changed a baby’s diaper, and I don’t plan on it any time soon.

12. I’m not a big cat person.

13. If I had a cat, I would name him Walter.

14. I don’t drink alcohol, not because of religious reasons but because I am moderately allergic to it.

15. I found that out the hard way.

16. I still believe I can do anything I put my mind to. Except dunk. I couldn’t dunk to save my life.

17. My dad is a nuclear physicist. He’s really smart.

18. My first memory is of me sitting on my mother’s lap being driven to the hospital because I had the croup.

19. College basketball is my favorite sport, although pro football runs a pretty close second.

20. I played foozball for my college team when I was in England.

21. My parents say that I had a dog, although I can’t remember ever having one.

22. I am a registered republican, but have been known to side with democrats on many issues. I am okay with that.

23. Despite having a girlfriend at the time, I never went to my high school prom.

24. I’d rather be the best at one thing than good at a lot of things.

25. I don’t like eating ice cream with a big spoon. And preferably, not metal.

26. Fall is my favorite season.

27. I am so accident-prone, that my orthopedist once suggested that I take Judo to learn how to fall better.

28. I have broken a foot, two toes, three fingers, a hand, a thumb, a shoulder, a rib and a jaw. Not all at the same time.

29. I have been known to have made such large sandwiches that I’ve actually dislocated my jaw trying to eat one.

30. I am not sure if I am proud of the above statement.

31. Coke, not Pepsi.

32. In twenty years, if all goes well, you will find me either in Nantucket, MA, Monterey, CA or a suburb of Washington, D.C.

33. In elementary school, I was part of an “orffestra” that I had to try out for. I played the metallaphone. I have the pictures to prove it.

34. I also played the saxophone when I was in elementary school, but I kept forgetting practice, so I quit.

35. I believe in finishing the job. I once had surgery and then got up off the table and went back to work for 6 more hours so that I could finish a merger agreement.

36. It wasn’t worth it. It never is.

37. I’ve been fired from a firm, and also referred to by a partner at one of the largest consulting firms as, “the smartest person he has ever seen in 30 years.” I hold stock in neither.

38. I’ve learned that what people think of you doesn’t matter. Unless he or she is in charge of hiring/firing you.

39. I received my first bible in second grade from the church that I still go to, and it sits on my bookcase in my house.

40. It was the King James Version, and I couldn’t understand a word of it.

41. Sometimes, when I read it, I still don’t understand it.

42. Once, during my freshman year in college, I talked with a girl for 16 straight hours. I don’t know why we never dated.

43. I analyze things way too much.

44. I learned how to play the guitar by putting it face-up on my lap and pushing the strings down with my fingers like a piano.

45. I’ve played the piano for over 25 years.

46. One of my secret goals in life is to be able to play good lounge music. Or jazz.

47. I am right-handed, but throw left-handed in lacrosse.

48. Me and my best friend invented a game in elementary school that every kid in our class played. It was ruled “too dangerous” by the recess lady, and it was banned.

49. We played it anyways, and were suspended from recess for over a month.

50. I once read 150 books and wrote 150 book reports just to get a free meal at Roy Rogers. It was worth it.

51. I am still bitter that Roy Rogers was bought by McDonalds.

52. The most attractive feature about a woman is her smile. Then her eyes.

53. I taught myself how to juggle at a supermarket with oranges. I also taught myself how to make that annoying water-drop sound by plucking your cheek, outside of a Baskin-Robbins.

54. I once fell off of a 10-meter diving board onto concrete. After a trip to a hospital, I was okay.

55. I’m a sucker for stupid, sappy romance movies. Unless Jennifer Lopez is in them. Then, I hate them.

56. I had a dream once that I would marry a girl named Laura, before I knew anyone with that name.

57. Eight years later, I almost married a girl named Laura.

58. I don’t like being tickled.

59. According to some people, I can get grumpy at times. I don’t know anything about that…

60. I don’t care much for hanging my diplomas and bar admissions in my office. I find it elitist. And I’ve never felt soothed by seeing a diploma from Harvard Law School. I’d rather hang nice pictures.

61. My best friends and I bought houses across the street from each other. I grew up with them and have known both of them, separately and together, for over 15 years.

62. I backpacked alone in Europe for 5 weeks. I was planning on going counter-clockwise, starting in the Netherlands, but the night before, decided to go in the reverse direction. I think it worked out better.

63. I believe puns are the lowest form of humor.

64. I went to math camp in 9th grade. I was supposed to learn a whole year’s worth of math in 3 weeks. I don’t think that I did. But I did meet a girl named Callie. And that made the whole camp worth it.

65. I am by far, my harshest critic.

66. I didn’t wear jeans until my senior year in college.

67. When I have something that has to get done, I will work tirelessly to finish it. But if I have nothing to do, I will sit like a big shmoo on the couch.

68. I never had braces, but I do wear contacts.

69. I have been the victim of racial discrimination.

70. One of my hobbies is working with sugar and chocolate. I have the burns to prove it.

71. I am always on time.

72. I have always liked the strawberry Starburst more than the cherry one, although the cherry one is starting to get to me.

73. I missed a penalty kick in a shootout to send my college soccer team to the championship. I still think about it sometimes.

74. I make excellent 3-minute impressions. It’s the 3-year ones I’m working on.

75. My average dating relationship between high school and the end of law school was a little over 2 years. The average dating relationship after law school was 3 months. I attribute that to growing older.

76. I was unemployed for almost 2 years. I called it “retirement”, and spent much of it learning new things…like carpentry.

77. I have a soft spot for Good Humor strawberry shortcake ice cream bars, even if they are completely artificial.

78. I have more regrets about things I didn’t do, than things I did do.

79. I hate marshmallow peeps. With a passion.

80. I am not impulsive. I often wish I were.

81. I did, however, buy my house on a whim. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

82. I prefer cold weather to hot.

83. I am not very good at letting people help me.

84. I do not believe in luck. I do, however, believe in providence.

85. My friends refer to my love life as, “As the Blee Turns”. They often ask me if it’s coming back for an encore season. Each year, I tell them no. Every year it does come back, replete with crazy plot twists and cliffhanger endings.

86. I don’t tell people that I love them until I absolutely, unequivocally mean it.

87. I regret not saying, “I love you” enough.

88. Though a Redskins fan, when I was really young, I used to root for the Dallas Cowboys. I don’t tell anyone that.

89. I have trouble forgiving myself.

90. My favorite color is blue (but it used to be green).

91. I always try to set really high goals for myself. If I achieve one, I sometimes think it means I didn’t set it high enough.

92. I used to think that good conversations…really good conversations only happened after midnight.

93. I am like a mecca for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes come from all over the world just to get a chance at biting me when I run to get the mail. They’ve heard stories. Legendary stories of a man with sweet blood like nectar from the gods.

94. I got into so many accidents as a child that I actually believed that the devil was trying to kill me.

95. I once earned a free night’s lodging after singing “American Pie” in a hostel bar in Salzburg, Austria.

96. When I was in 9th grade, I went to a breakfast sponsored by our church, because they served bacon.

97. I passed the bar in Maryland, Virginia and D.C. However, that doesn’t seem to be getting me a job I actually enjoy.

98. If I could do anything, I would play music and write.

99. I have stronger opinions than I think.

100. Contrary to what people might think, I am not afraid of commitment. Just ask my wife.