25 Things.

1) I live in Bradenton, FL with my boyfriend, my dog, and two cats. In other words, I have 4 pets.

2) I have been dating my boyfriend Adam for 2.5 years. This is longer than I’ve ever dated anyone and I’m not sure how I feel about that.

3) My real boyfriend is a 4 year old Jack Russell mix named Oreo. He could be the most ridiculous, excited dog ever.

4) I have 7 cousins: Samantha, 28; Dave, 26; Barton, 24; Katie, 17; Lindsay, 16; Lauren, 14; and Joey, 13. I have not seen Samantha in 10 years and I have not seen Barton in almost 20 years.

5) Until this past weekend, 2 of my younger cousins did not know that Samantha and Barton are their siblings.

6) I have an irrational fear of dropping important possessions like my ring or my cell phone down drains.

7) After teaching “at risk” children for the last year, I don’t believe I will ever desire to work with “regular” kids again.

8) I really wish Jamiroquai would hurry up and come to the US already.

9) I still have an Ohio license plate even though I’ve lived in Florida since March 20, 2007.

10) I was a total asshole in college and I hope that some of the people I went to school with will still be my friend.

11) I absolutely detest Christmas for a wide variety of reasons with a passion that burns deeply within my soul.

12) I have a Cartman watch engraved with my name. I’ve had it for 7 years and I rarely take it off. I’m on my 3rd watchband. If I were a South Park character, I think I would be a cross between Kyle, Wendy, and Tweek.

13) I just auditioned to sing the national anthem at McKechnie Field for a Pittsburgh Pirates spring training game. I should find out soon if I made it.

14) My dream is to open my own school in Akron and I have the whole concept and building layout completely mapped out in my head already.

15) I really wish my mother would have more self esteem. She really has no idea what a bad ass she is.

16) I am extremely particular about how I arrange items; especially in my closet, in my shopping cart, and in my freezer. If things are not arranged the way I prefer, I feel extremely tense.

17) My best friend is a (somehow single?) witty blond 5th grade teacher of 100% dutch heritage who has 5 dogs.

18) I am a recovering alcoholic. My sobriety date is September 27, 2008.

19) I have loved the Cleveland Cavaliers since January 1988 when I went to my first game at the Richfield Colosseum. My favorite Cavs are Mark Price, Zydrunas Illgauskas, and, of course, LeBron James.

20) I like Snyder of Berlin’s Hard Sourdough Pretzels so much, I am currently pondering having them delivered on auto-ship in bulk from Amazon.com.

21) I absolutely love classical music and rap. My favorite rapper is Nas because he a skilled poet who writes personal and meaningful lyrics in addition to having good diction and catchy, distinctive delivery. I really want to meet him. My favorite composer is Ludwig van Beethoven because he was fucking crazy and then he went deaf and kept writing this ridiculous powerful syncopated music. It is a shame I cannot meet him in this life.

22) The Boston/Rhode Island accent is the most hilariously endearing thing I’ve ever heard…possibly because it’s SO fun to imitate.

23) I am perhaps unhealthily obsessed with the color green and I have been for almost 10 years.

24) I have a pretty severe case of ADHD that was misdiagnosed until I was 24. It has taken me over 3 hours to compile this list because I can’t sit still long enough to type it.

25) The happiest moments of 2009 for me so far have been opening the locket my sister Helen sent me in the mail and reading number 25 on Helen’s list because for some reason I just now realized that she loves me too.