100 Things
2008 Edition
1. My name is Courtney Denielle Birst.
2. When I married I hyphenated my name.
3. Now that I am separated I have gone back to using only my maiden name.
4. I will never hyphenate or change my name again.
5. I am funny about names and do not like nicknames. I love the name I was given.
6. I once dated a guy whose name had 26 letters in it.
7. Had I married him and added his name to mine, my name would have contained 37 letters.
8. I am 100% German.
9. I often get asked if I am part Asian.
10. I am often asked this question by my Asian friends.
11. I have been to Asia once, to Japan for an 11-day vacation.
12. My favorite thing on that trip was seeing the Great Buddha in Kamakura.
13. I have been to Europe 3 times.
14. I want to live in Europe soon.
15. I am hoping to begin French lessons this year in an attempt to improve my chances of living in Europe.
16. While in Paris in fall 2007 I ate French crepes and spent $500 on French lingerie.
17. I have a great appreciation for expensive underwear.
18. Even the undies I wore for the marathon were not cheap. They were however, tagless and seamless.
19. I ran my first marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon, in October 2007.
20. I finished with a time of 4 hours, 38 minutes, and 25 seconds.
21. It is one of the most amazing things I have done.
22. I got to cross it off my “To Do in This Lifetime” list.
23. Next on the list is doing a Polar Bear Plunge.
24. That item might qualify me for the looney bin.
25. I once worked with adults with mental illnesses.
26. When telling a client to come get her meds she replied, “I’ll be out as soon as I’m done talking to Satan.”
27. I no longer work with adults with mental illnesses. I work with Marines. I’m not always sure there is a difference.
28. I write reports that get submitted to Congress.
29. This is not what I want to do forever.
30. I am meant to be a writer and hopefully will one day make money from this blog and my poetry.
31. That has not yet happened.
32. I buy lots of post cards and send them to my friends.
33. I collect post cards and like my friends to send them to me.
34. I love mail. I send some nearly every day.
35. I walk my dog 4 miles every day. Rain or snow or 95 degree heat with 99% humidity. 4 miles every day. At a minimum.
36. I do not like the rain enough to consider moving to Seattle.
37. I have not visited Seattle since I was a kid.
38. I would like to visit the West Coast again in the near future.
39. I carry a notebook almost everywhere I go so I can write if/when the mood or inspiration strikes.
40. I am notorious for writing while driving. This is not safe.
41. I also sometimes send text messages while driving. This is even less safe.
42. I do not, however, drunk drive.
43. I prefer to drink at home. Where it is safe.
44. I love red wine.
45. I am drinking a glass right now.
46. I drink about a bottle a week.
47. They say it’s good for the heart. That is enough reason for me. And I like the taste.
48. I am a vegetarian.
49. I’ve been one for 12 years.
50. I once got drunk on tequila and made my then-boyfriend cook me bacon.
51. I promptly threw up.
52. That was the last time I ate bacon.
53. That was 9 years ago.
54. The last “new meat” I tried was kangaroo.
55. It was when I was in Holland 3.5 years ago. It was not good.
56. I have scoliosis. 32 degree curvature of my lower lumbar spine.
57. Yoga has helped my back tremendously.
58. Running has too.
59. I run at least 3 days a week, 3-7 miles per run.
60. Running has given me the abs I always wanted and never thought I’d have.
61. I am in the best shape of my life.
62. I am finding more gray hairs.
63. I don’t pull them out.
64. I love to swear. Often and repeatedly. Fuck, shit, bitch, slut, asshole!
65. Fuck is my favorite swear word.
66. I wrote a poem titled “This is a Fuck You”.
67. It’ s about an ex-lover, Kelly.
68. I hope he googles my name one day and finds it (it’s published online). I want him to read it.
69. My little beagle Daisy is the best dog in the world.
70. I know every dog owner says that about their dog, but Daisy is really quite amazing. She appears to be wearing eye liner. She’s a seductress.
71. I am 29 years old.
72. I do not think this is old.
73. I am 5′4″ tall. If it weren’t for the scoliosis, I would likely be at least an inch taller.
74. Instead I wear 4″ heels.
75. I think heels are sexy.
76. I love chocolate and think it should be eaten as part of a balanced daily diet.
77. I eat the same thing for breakfast every day at work: soy “sausages”
78. I am not superstitious.
79. And yet I have a 4-leaf clover tattooed to my belly.
80. It is my least favorite tattoo.
81. I have two others in addition to the 4-leaf clover.
82. I do not plan on getting any more tattoos.
83. My mother, no doubt, is happy about this.
84. My sister, a former tattoo artist, is not.
85. I am #3 of 4 children.
86. I was definitely the wild child in the family.
87. I paved the way for my younger sister.
88. She totally owes me for this.
89. I got my BS and my MBA from the same college. That school took a lot of my money.
90. I knit.
91. I get together monthly with a group of my girlfriends to knit, gossip, eat, and drink. We call it our Stitch & Bitch.
92. It is one of my favorite events.
93. After 9/11 they banned knitting needles in your carry-on. Thankfully that ban has been lifted.
94. I am sure all my readers are happy to learn that. Because you’re all such avid knitters.
95. If I had to pick just one super hero power I think it would be the ability to be invisible.
96. Or maybe to fly.
97. Or maybe to read minds.
98. Oh hell, I can’t pick just one.
99. I love to make lists. Grocery lists and shopping lists and lists of places to visit. Lists of things to do this week and this lifetime. I love lists.
100. I love this list of 100 things about me.
