Allow Me to (Re) introduce Myself

I am super sore today! I barely got through my 4 mile run this morning because my thighs were aching from lunges and squats with weights yesterday. I can't complain about being sore though; I'm happy to know my muscles are really working!Anyway, today I wanted to revisit something I have done for the past three years or so in my various blogs. Each year I wrote a post with random facts about me, but I haven't done it at all in 2011. So much about me has changed, so I think it's due time. I've also noticed I'm getting a wider variety of hits from a wider variety of places, so hopefully some of my new readers will get to know me a little better (and maybe my old readers will learn something new - since I don't exactly know who's who).

1. Green is my favorite color. So many awesome things in life are green: the Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz, nature, green eggs and ham, you get the picture.
2. Speaking of colors, I only write in brightly colored pens. It's kind of annoying when I'm in class and I have to do some type of in class assignment (I don't think it's acceptable to turn in an assignment written in lavender), but I hate taking notes in plain blue or black pen. Pencil is even worse.
3. As a child I was super anxious about everything! I had an arsenal of irrational fears. I wish this list was made up but I was seriously afraid of aliens invading my home when I slept, the house burning down, carbon monoxide poisoning, and a tornado tearing the house apart. I was such a neurotic child really.
4. I was also a huge tomboy. I loved my Barbies and what not, but I also loved playing video games - especially Mario Kart, Street Fighter, and Donkey Kong. I was also all about anything involving dinosaurs. I still watch Jurassic Park every time it comes on television.
5. I paint my nails once a week, usually with bright colors. Right now my nails are a seafoam green and earlier today they were royal blue. I pretty much dread the day I have to limit my nail colors to taupes and light pinks.
6. I have two tattoos. The first one is a rib piece that reads "No one can hurt me without my permission." The second is a swan feather on my left shoulder blade. I'm undecided on a third tattoo; part of me wants a small one on my hip bone and part of me is content with my two.
7. I love wearing dresses because they make it so easy to look cute! Sometimes I think I come off as high maintenance because I usually wear dresses everywhere, but dresses are so simple and easy.
8. I am really reserved in school, but really outgoing at my job. I talk to people at school, sure, but for the most part I'm very quiet. I don't know if it's because I get paid at my job or if it's because I feel more comfortable with my co-workers, but I think it's the latter. When you spend 30 or so hours a week somewhere, eventually you open up, which is what I think happened for me.
9. I'm kind of a cheap date. I'd love to go out to a nice dinner once in awhile, but for the most part I'm pretty laid back about things like dates. I'm a light weight, so I don't require much alcohol and I feel awkward ordering expensive things when someone else is paying for me! Half the time I'd prefer watching sports or going to a movie.
10. Food Network is one of my favorite TV channels! I could watch Chopped and Iron Chef all day, but I feel like I've seen every Food Network show at least once. The only downside to my obsession with this channel is how hungry I get after watching it for about an hour.
11. In honor of the number 11, I have to mention how much I hate odd numbers. I wake up at 6:14 every day (except for my days off from work and class, when I wake up at 7:22) and I always set the microwave for an even time. I have no idea where this came from, except I can guess that it's somehow connected to my other weird habits (like the brightly colored pens and nail polish).
12. A year ago if you had asked me my opinion on children I would have told you I have no maternal instincts. In fact, exactly a year ago I remember going to my Kristen's niece's birthday and the children just drove me up the wall. Two days ago I went to the mall with Raven, Michel and Michel's baby and I spent more time playing with the baby than paying attention to the clothes. This single moment helped me to put into perspective how much I've really changed in the past year. I guess I'll be a mother one day after all!
13. Of my three best friends, I've known Kristen and Ijeoma since I was six years old and Heidi only since December of 2010. In fact, almost all of my other close friends I met through my current job. I've obviously met other good people along the way, but I definitely went through my share of personal and friendship issues that compromised a few friendships. I miss some of the people I used to be close with, but I'm not the type of person to take the initiative with anyone I haven't talked to in a long time.
14. Hearing people chew drives me crazy. Some people chew more obnoxiously than others and that I just cannot take. I'm also highly sensitive to smells, so certain foods really gross me out.
15. My ideal job will consist of me having a flexible schedule and not having to work weekends. Of course there's more to it than that, but I want to be able to watch my sports!
16. For a final weird idiosyncracy, I need to have something at my wrist at all times (except when sleeping and taking a shower). I prefer my Fossil watch, although I'm aware that if it bangs up against too many things, the crystals could fall out. So I'll have to start wearing bracelets to work instead because I can't have my wrists be bare.