Everybody is doin' it:

1. When I get really thirsty I feel like I am suffocating.
2. I am really bad about taking pills and have a hard time remembering to take them on time or every day, for that matter.
3. Getting my teeth cleaned at the dentist, when they scape your teeth with the metal tools, makes my stomach flip. Yay for my Sonicare, as there is not much scraping going on the past several dentist visits!
4. I like cold weather over hot weather. Period. Sweating is gross and I do sweat.
5. I've never read a romance novel and cannot stand Jane Austen books.
6. I like to have everything clean and tidy. I cannot stand clutter on countertops. Everything has to be put back in its place.
7. I have a tube of C.O. Bigelow Metha Lip Tint with me at all times.
8. I love my bed and pillows.
9. I cannot stand when things don't work properly and are inefficient.
10. I want a dog, but I realize I can't have one at this point in my life.
11. If I have children, I will not send them to daycare.
12. I am very close to my family and talk to my bro, sister, mom or dad everyday.
13. When I work from home for too long I feel disconnected and alienated from people.
14. I love having my own bathroom in my apartment.
15. I hate leaving things for tomorrow that I can do today.
16. I love having my nails done, not another person actually doing them, but the way manicures make a person look put together. Same with eyebrows.
17. I graduated cum laude from undergrad. and think that I should have done better.
18. I tend not to trust vegatarians and hate when they are pushy about their food-beliefs.
19. I like dressing up for work as much as I like not dressing up for work when working from home - lots!
20. I like mob and shoot 'em-up movies, but hate guns.
21. I am excited to see how my life and my siblings lives ends up.
22. I do not like the words "frick" or "gal". A few other more lewd ones that I will not type, to boot.
23. I love Wheat Thins and have to restrain myself not to eat a whole box in 1 sitting. I think it is the crunch!
24. I don't regret anything that I have done thusfar in my life and believe that everything happens for a reason.
25. I have been told that I say "then" a lot when speaking or explaining things. I have been working on that.

"10 Things I Love More Than I Should"

1. Chucks

2. Perfume (particularly: Hypnotic Poison by Christian Dior, B spot by Benefit, anything Jo Malone, and Lovely by SJP)

3. Shoes in general

4. Pierogis

5. Sleeping in my bed

6. Brussels sprouts

7. Diet Dr Pepper (!!)

8. My vacuum cleaner

9. Clean laundry

10. Getting home from work and finding my apartment empty (sans roommates)

Following suit - 5 Things

5 Things on Today’s “To Do” List:
1. Find a new role :(
2. Figure out when I am going to Blo-No for Christmas
3. Admire my new furniture
4. Get groceries
5. Solicit GOs for an upcoming Telephone Launch.

5 Things that I would do if I were a millionaire had more money than I could ever spend:
1. Travel
2. Pay off my ma's house and give her money for retirement.
3. Go to grad school and earn multiple degrees in things that I know wouldn't get me a job or money
4. Buy a condo and furnish it.
5. Give to several charities, endow a chair at ISU, and fund a scholarship.

5 Places I have lived:
1. Chicago, IL
2. Springfield, IL
3. Normal, IL and Bloomington, for that matter
4. Des Plaines, IL
5. Alcala de Henares (Madrid), Spain

5 Jobs I've had:
1. Server
2. Communications Specialist for the Girl Scouts
3. Collection Agent
4. Volunteer Coordinator for a IL Congressional Campaign
5. "Consultant for one of the ‘big 3’ management consulting firms" (As Adam put it)

Na Zdrowie!

In looking for where I can find Oplatki for Christmas, I found the following. OMG! Totally my life! I pulled out ones that were particularly applicable for me and my family!

You know you’re Polish if…

Your knowledge of the Polish language is lim ited to ‘naughty’ words (e.g., dupa, gowno, gatki, etc), names for food (e.g, pierogi, kapusta, etc), and drinking toasts (e.g., na zdrowie, sto lat, etc).

You occasionally add the suffix “-ski” to English words for no apparent reason (e.G., “I’m gonna go put the car-ski in the garage-ski”). [If you also happen to know a few basic conversational phrases in Polish, you are considered “old school” by friends and relatives.]

You call your grandma “babcia” or “busia” and your grandpa “dziadzia.” You know how to dance the polka, but you only do it at weddings after kicking back a few generous shots of vodka.

You like to drink. Especially beer. Especially cheap beer.

When frustrated, you slap your forehead, shake your head, and say “O Jezu Marija!”

You have one grandma that wears a babushka and galoshes every single day of the year and another grandma that wears a lot of jewelry and too much make-up.

You have a grandma who uses every single part of animal carcasses to make sausages , soups, dumplings, etc.

Your relatives show constant devotion to saints, the Blessed Virgin, the Pope, the Democratic Party, the U.S. Steelworkers, etc.

Your grandma has a shrine complete with votive candles and a picture of the “Our Lady of Czestochowa” or “Infant of Prague.”

Your parents have at least one crucifix or religious picture mounted on a wall in their house with palms tucked behind it.

Your grandparents and other relatives habitually kiss everyone they meet.

You get your food blessed at Easter and your house blessed at Christmas time.

Your family has a wigilia meal on Christmas Eve at which you share oplatki.

You like to put sour cream, horseradish, and/or beer on everything you eat.

You always prefer rye bread to white or wheat.

Your dad has forced you to eat horseradish, claiming that it will “put hair on your chest” (even If you’re a female!).

People in your family have their wedding receptions at places called “Polish Legion Hall,” “Sacred Heart Center,” etc.

You know the words to “Sto Lat” and sing it at all birthday parties.

You can out drink all of your friends.

You have waited in line at a church or bakery to buy pierogi or paczki.

You frequently add “dere” (there) and/or “ya know” to the end of sentences. Words like kiszka, kielbasa, and kolaczki actually mean something to you.

You actually know who Kosciuszko and Pulaski are, and why they’re important.

You’re either completely overdressed or completely underdressed for every occasion.

If you’re a woman, you wear make-up at all times - even if it’s 90 degrees outside and you’re 88 years old.

Your idea of “healthy” is boiled pierogi, light beer, and filtered cigarettes.

You’ve never been to Poland, but you have mysterious relatives there to whom you send gifts and money every Christmas.

You collect “prayer cards” from funerals.

You’re haven’t been a practicing Catholic for years but everyone in your family insists that it’s “just a phase.”

You often visit cemeteries, light votive candles for dead relatives, and generally spend an unhealthy amount of time obsessing about death.

You like to gossip and generally talk too much.

People often have trouble pronouncing your last name.

You drink your coffee black and take your liquor straight up.

From: http://joejurczyk.com/2008/02/16/only-polish-people-will-understand-this/

Following suit - 40 Firsts.

1. First screen name was Yeth5no4. Don't even know what it means.
   
   
2. First computer was an IBM. All computers were IBMs until I got my work laptop.
   
   
3. First major purchase of my life was when I was 16, it was my first car. I paid for it all by myself!
   
   
4. First car was a 1992 Mazda 626 LX. Red with tan interior and a sun-roof!
   
   
5. First kiss was freshman year of high school.
   
   
6. First boyfriend was Dan Ciskey, part 1 lasted freshman to sophomore year of high school. Part 2 was summer before sophomore year until December of 2006.
   
   
7. First time I snuck out of the house was during Spring Break sophomore year of high school.
   
   
8. First time I stayed out past curfew was that same Spring Break. First time I got caught was that next summer.
   
   
9. First best friend was Erica Rudolph. She is married and is a french teacher in Effingham, IL. Yay, Facebook.
   
   
10. First date was to go see Entrapment, freshman year of high school.
    
    
11. First time I started a car was when I was 10. It was my now step-mom's BMW.
    
    
12. First time I drove with my learner's permit was with my uncle who is a pilot. After flying a plane, first time drivers don't scare him.
    
    
13. First new car I bought was a 2008 Honda Fit Sport. Storm silver. Beautiful.
    
    
14. First time I took out a loan was for that new Honda Fit.
    
    
15. First time I paid off a loan was 6 months after I got the Honda after I sold it. This also started the first time in my life since I was 16 that I did not have a car.
    
    
16. First time I have not had cable television started this August.
    
    
17. First car accident was senior year of high school, taking my then boyfriend, Nick, to work during the first snow of the year. Slid, spun, and hit 2 other cars.
    
    
18. First ticket was when I was 21. Speeding. Second ticket came 8 days later. Failure to stop at a stop-sign. Got out of that one.
    
    
19. First job was when I was 15. ISU Dining Services. Baller! $5.50 an hour!
    
    
20. First time I lived away from my family was when I lived in Spain in 2005.
    
    
21. First cell phone was when I was a junior in high school. It was a little Nokia bar phone. The one without the external antenna.
    
    
22. First apartment was in Edgewater in Chicago, summer of 2006.
    
    
23. First major league baseball game was Chicago White Sox. That was when Frank Thomas was playing!
    
    
24. First time outside of the country was to Huatulco, Mexico when I was 12.
    
    
25. First dog was Buster Brown (Springer Spaniel). He only lasted about a year and then we gave him back to the breeder. First cats were Faulkner and Crystal (Siamese).
    
    
26. First time in the Gulf of Mexico was when I was 11, St. Petersburg, Florida.
    
    
27. First time I got a D in a class was junior year of college. Spanish Linguistics.
    
    
28. First time I travelled for work was to St. Louis, MO. in December 2006.
    
    
29. First time that I moved was when I was 3, from Bloomington to Des Plaines.
    
    
30. First funeral that I went to was my maternal grandmother when I was 5. I don't remember much.
    
    
31. First funeral that I remember well is my paternal grandmother, when I was 18. It's also the first time that I participated in a funeral as a reader.
    
    
32. First CD owned was Hootie and the Blowfish - Cracked Rear-view.
    
    
33. First tape I owned was Ace of Base - The Sign.
    
    
34. First concert I went to was sophomore year of high school, 99X Fest in Peoria, IL. Coal Chamber and Sevendust. First concert that I wanted to go to, but was not allowed, was Korn on the Follow the Leader tour.
    
    
35. First time I was on stage was a ballet recital when I was 4. First time I acted/sang on stage was when I was in 5th grade - "A Pioneers Story". First time I worked behind the scenes was sophomore year of high school.
    
    
36. First bar that I went to was Rosie's in Bloomington, IL, the midnight that I turned 21. I think I had a white russian.
    
    
37. First wedding that I was my Aunt Maryann's. I was a flower girl. I had to wear a blue dress and was jealous of my cousin, Angel, getting to wear pink.
    
    
38. First wedding that I was in as an adult was my friend Laura's, summer of 2007, maid of honor.
    
    
39. First time I got stitches (13 of them) was when I was 2, almost 3. Splitting my knee open on a heat register.
    
    
40. First time I quit a job was when I was 21. ISU Dining was seasonal, so it doesn't really count. I worked at Steak 'n' Shake from the age of 16 to 21.
    

100 Facts about Me

Some of my friends did this, and now I am:
1) I am from a town called Normal, Illinois.
2) I am Catholic. Not in practice, but in tradition (as dissonant as that may be, it works for me and I feel strong a connection with the integration of religion with family tradition).
3) I love Pope John Paul. I deeply associate him with memories of my Grandma.
4) I love leaving the windows open and having fresh air in my apartment.
5) I find Barack Obama truly inspirational and hope that when he gets elected that he doesn't disappoint me.
6) I hope I never become a selfish person in my political leanings.
7) I love speaking Spanish and Latino culture even though I am not a native Spanish speaker nor am I Latina.
8) I have taken salsa dance lessons.
9) I want to have 2 children and raise them in the city.
10) I would not like to move to the suburbs. My husband would have to really want to very badly, and even then it would take a lot of convincing. Hopefully it never comes to that.
11) I love Ron Santo and the Chicago Cubs. Santo is the most tender-hearted man and I love his unabashed commentary. I believe! "This is the year!"
12) My paternal grandpa is my favorite relative.
13) I really appreciate my little sister and brother.
14) My dad and step-mom's relationship is my model for how a healthy marriage should be.
15) Traveling and learning new things makes me feel alive.
16) The shortest trip I ever took out of the US was 1 week to Nice, France for training.
17) I lived in Alcala de Henares, Spain for 5.5 months. Other than that, I have never lived outside of the state of Illinois. Other than that, I have spent a month in Lima, Peru and a month in Paris, France.
18) I don’t think that you can get a feel for a place in less than a month.
19) I ideally like to take long vacations.
20) I really want someone to share things with.
21) I can't wait to furnish an apartment/condo of my own.
22) I like text messaging; however I do not abbreviate words or phrases except for "WTF".
23) I have an internal battle about Apple products; however I am debating buying a MacBook in October.
24) I get very anxious and my chest gets tight when watching/listening to the Cubs play.
25) I would rather listen to a Cubs game on the radio than watch it on TV.
26) I really don’t like when people say/write "frick" and "np". Ahem, *cough* Adam.
27) If I have children I would like to raise them as bilingual in English and Spanish at a minimum.
28) I obsessively check my bank accounts and credit cards online.
29) I pay my credit cards in full every month.
30) I love going to concerts and live music.
31) I like to listen to music louder than I should.
32) I played the flute for 5 years
33) Currently, I have no desire to play an instrument.
34) I love the Queen song "Somebody to Love".
35) My musical tastes have changed since I was younger and I have a hard time reconciling that when I actually think about it. (Think Sevendust, Sepultura, Coal Chamber to Rilo Kiley and Wilco)
36) I identify as a Chicagoan, even though I wasn't born there. My family is from there and I spent much of my youth there.
37) I don't appreciate people who are from the suburbs that have a problem with #25, as they are no more "Chicago" than I am.
38) I would move away from Chicago if I met someone, however I don't think I would ever move anywhere else in the U.S. otherwise by my own doing.
39) I do not own a car and I love it.
40) I am very brand loyal and believe that the consumer is powerful. I don't want people telling me how I should spend my money. I like being a responsible consumer and not spending my money with companies who have practices with which I don't agree.
41) I love Walgreens.
42) I do not shop at Wal-Mart because I object to their business practices.
43) I have been a member of an AIDS Taskforce, the ACLU, International Thespian Society, Girl Scouts of America, McLean County Democrats, and Amnesty International, to name a few.
44) The first thing that I notice about people is their teeth.
45) I never thought that I would be doing what I am doing for a career.
46) I worked at Steak N' Shake for 4 years during high school and college in Normal, IL, where the restaurant originated.
47) Kashi Go-Lean Crunch cereal with yogurt are my favorite.
48) My friend David once saved my life.
49) People say that I gesture a lot when I talk.
50) Some people also say I have an accent. I don't believe them. ;) Non-regional diction is what the Midwest does!
51) I worked for a collection agency for 1 year during college and my alias was Mia Wallace.
52) I want a dog but realize how infeasible that is with my work schedule.
53) My 2 favorite candies are Ginger People ginger chews and C Howard’s Lavender Mints.
54) I love Diet Dr. Pepper and appreciate when it is available at restaurants, at times making food decisions based on if they have it.
55) I love the way the fields smell outside of Normal, IL at night time.
56) Jo Malone fragrances are my favorite to wear (Especially French Lime-Basil).
57) I would rather be cold than hot.
58) I like to browse Wikipedia and randomly look up things that come to mind, which leads other things to come to mind, and thus more things to look up.
59) I remember song lyrics pretty well.
60) I check my hometown newspaper Milestones section every Monday to see who is getting married. Most weeks I know at least one person in the Weddings/Engagements/Anniversaries section.
61) The stupidest girly thing that I think about what song I would like to dance to at my wedding, even though that is far off. (Some ideas: "Moondance" by Van Morrison, "Tu Amor Me Hace Bien" by Marc Anthony, "Crazy Love" by Van Morrison, and "Love of my Life" by Santana and Dave Matthews)
62) On several separate occasions, different people have told me that I have a ridiculous memory for people that I have known, keeping up on their situations, and facts about them.
63) I like calling Bloomington/Normal as "Blo-No" and "the BN".
64) I would take a lot to get me to move back to my hometown.
65) I would like to be a tour guide.
66) I like riding the passenger seat rather than driving, except with my mother and my sister, then I prefer to drive.
67) I have been in 2 weddings, once as a flower girl and once as maid-of-honor.
68) I like boys with strong convictions.
69) I shut off the lights when I leave the room.
70) I do not like water from the tap and have a Brita Filter.
71) I refuse to use a regular toothbrush since purchasing my Sonicare.
72) I think that soft drinks should be referred to as pop.
73) I love Whole Fruit bars, especially lime and coconut.
74) I do not buy the Nature Valley Sweet and Salty peanut bars, as I will eat the whole box, without fail. No joke, it has happened.
75) The thing that I appreciate most about interacting with others is courtesy and politeness.
76) I almost always wear heels to work and feel un-put-together if I don't.
77) When I look back on my college experience I think that I should have tried to get away with more.
78) The most course hours I ever took on college were 24 in 1 semester.
79) My favorite book is "The Stranger" by Camus.
80) I have had 4 speeding tickets in my life, but no other issues with the law.
81) I like cooking, however do not do it that often.
82) My good friends call me "Caro".
83) I will not change my last name when I get married. I hope I find someone that is okay with that.
84) I do not have cable TV and I like it that way.
85) Manicurists always compliment my nails and nail beds.
86) I prefer Essie nail polishes over any other brand.
87) I love Audrey Tautou movies, especially "Amelie" and "The Very Long Engagement".
88) I have never been skiing or snowboarding and would like to try it.
89) I have been skydiving once. Amazing!
90) I do not let laundry build up for more than 5 days on average, and when it comes out of the dryer it has to be folded and put away promptly.
91) I own too many shoes, but am always looking for more.
92) I like being asked for my opinion, but am offended when people do not take my advice.
93) I have learned to be a calmer, more laid-back person over the years.
94) While I was growing up people/teachers always said that I was too serious.
95) My parents separated when I was 8 and were divorced when I was 9.
96) My father remarried when I was 12.
97) I had a bib when I was little that said "Jr. Executive".
98) I never thought that I would end up working in the business world, but I really like my job.
99) My dream job is working for NPR or PRI as a foreign political correspondent for Spanish-speaking countries.
100) I enjoy reading other people's blogs, however am hesitant to have one myself, as I always think 'who am I to think that someone wants to read what I have to say?'. 'Go figure,' I think, as I am typing this.