100 More Things

I decided it was time for another link-filled 100 things post. This one was a lot harder than the first for some reason. But I did it!

In General

1. I generally update my blog every day. I find myself with a list of writing projects, but blogging tends to remain a high priority.
2. I also tend to walk my dog every day.
   
3. I take pictures of what's outside.
4. I can be rather irritable.
5. I think that's OK.
   
6. I have The Plan. It updates each month on the 12th. That probably interests nobody but me. I'm OK with that.
7. My family lives in Illinois.
8. There's Mom.
9. And Dad.
10. Then there's Brother, Brother's wife and Little One, age 2.5 and an absolute darling.
11. They're expecting another baby in September.
    
12. In my current location, I have Cousin, her husband and her daughter, Little Cousin.
    
13. I love and enjoy them a great deal.
14. Also in my current location, I have Friend. I've considered naming her, but as with many important people on the blog, I simply call her what she is.
    
15. I lost a friend - one of the women in my research niche I call Winnie on the blog - this summer.
    
16. I still miss her very much and think of her every day when I look at her violet.
    
17. It took me a long time to get it to bloom, but I finally did.
18. I've had my dog - Chienne - for about 4 years.
19. My cat, Sprout, has lived here since September. After a few awful events, he's now an inside cat.
20. The dog and cat get along fairly well.
21. The cat has his own room (formerly the guest room).
    
22. I get depressed.
23. The worst episode happened around these posts.
24. I've been on Celexa since.
25. I remember it started to work because I spent that day at the zoo.
26. I see a therapist at work - Dr. Counselor - every other week.
27. I have named some spots in his office according to a theory he uses. I sometimes refer to those colors.
    
28. He tried to set me up with one of his clients once. Said client never called.
    
29. My main problem? I badly want to get married.
30. A lesser problem? I'm often bored.
31. My birthday is in January.
32. I'm now 28.
    

Oddly Enough

1. I can build a fort. Not a great fort, but a fort nonetheless.
2. I love aligning little, fuzzy creatures. I'm also quite skilled at such a thing.
3. Lilacs are my favorite flowers.
4. Sandpipers are my favorite birds.
5. Tenderheart is my favorite CareBear.
   
6. I come up with lists of weird facts if asked to do so.
7. I'm undergoing laser hair removal - it's actually working reasonably well.
8. Art appreciation is hardly a developed skill of mine.
9. Unless it's obviously wonderful art.
10. I enjoy watching hockey.
11. If there are two boys, I'll almost always have a favorite.
12. Don't know who Peter is? That's OK - it's over. But if you're curious, the whole unpleasant story is here.
13. Oh, and I'm writing a novel about it. (Picture me ducking my head in embarrassment, please.)
14. But I do hate the very idea of transitional relationships.
15. Within the last year, I've visited three Disney parks in a single day.
16. I still like the Magic Kingdom.
    
17. I'm fairly easily confused.
18. I have trouble letting go.
19. I can't swallow most pills. I chew them up. (Sick and wrong, I know.)
20. I talk to myself. I also answer.
21. Please note the arrows in my Archive sidebar. I worked hard to get those little guys.
22. I update my header and sidebar pictures relatively often.
    
23. I can be oddly focused.
24. I get migraines (and make graphs about them.)
25. I'm not the best hiking partner.
26. I get massages at least once a month.
27. I love Snippets posts.
28. I am resourceful - even when doing work.
29. I'm bad at small talk.
30. I love weeding.
31. I wear mint lip gloss - I have tubes everywhere.
32. My dog hides in the guest bathtub when it storms.
33. My cat and dog wrestle, despite a great disparity in body size.
34. I love any medicine that ends in PM.
35. I don't like dentists, but I still went for my check-up.
36. I don't like Thanksgiving very much.
37. I haven't read very much lately. I used to spend about $100/month on books and I haven't come anywhere close lately. I wonder why that is...

Must we speak of work? Fine.

1. I have a wonderful mentor.
2. I also have an exceptionally wonderful secretary.
3. Others at work - according to me - are less than ideal.
4. Then again, sometimes professional relationships improve.
5. I submitted a grant (K99/R00 to the NCI) about a year ago, unsuccessfully. I'm halfheartedly revising it.
6. I was invited to write my first book chapter. I'm thrilled, but my excitement is probably excessive for an event such as this.
7. I struggled to publish my last graduate paper.
8. That particular paper was amazingly worth it in the end.
9. Other times, publishing is not so exciting.
10. I get painfully nervous before speaking in front of people. But I generally do well.
11. I tend to work from home too much.
12. It's because I often want to avoid notice.
    
13. When I speak of people at work, they're often given animal names.
14. The Penguin, for example, is a collaborator.
15. I'm trying to become stronger, but I mostly want people to like me.
16. I find myself fascinated by certain academic characters. They're peculiar and funny and delightful.
17. I continue to make progress.
18. But leaving academic research sometimes appeals.
19. If you're interested in my research, I crafted an elaborate (but figure-out-able) analogy.
20. I really try to keep up with the literature.
21. Since my own work has been slow to start, I collaborate extensively.

Faith, Religion, etc.

1. Prayer works for me.
2. I love, love, love my Pastor.
3. I started attending a new church.
   
4. I really like my new church.
5. The Great Divorce (CS Lewis) was a great book for me to read.
6. I also liked The Screwtape Letters very much.
7. Friend has been attending church with me recently.
   
8. There are chairs rather than pews.
9. And the stained glass doesn't go together.
   
10. But I really like the congregation.