I’m not going to pretend that I’m not a sucker for internet trends.  Everyone on facebook is doing the “25 Random Things About Me” post, and I’ve been tagged to do it, so I’m going to.  Here it is:

1. I really love listening to Peter and the Wolf.  Part of it is nostalgia from listening to it as a kid.  Part of it is that I just really enjoy the orchestral piece.  It’s beautiful, and it tells a story in a really unique way.  I like that there’s characters that interact and tell their story without words.  And the narration is really fun too.  For some reason Peter’s theme is the thing that most often gets stuck in my head — ever.  I find myself whistling it all the time.  It’s not that I listen to it on a regular basis, but I did just download and have started listening to it again.

2. I’m more comfortable in smaller groups.  It’s easier to have a more meaningful conversation and I like the general dynamic better.  2-4 people is definitely my favorite way of interacting.

3. Similarly, I’ve always been the type to have a few really close friends rather than a lot of friends that are not as close.  It’s nothing personal to the other people, it’s just what seems to work best for me.

4. Unintentionally, I seem to have put myself to the impossible quest of seeing every worthwhile movie ever made, read every worthwhile comic book ever made, and watching as much good television as I can.  It’s an unfortunate decision due to it’s sheer impossibility and the amount of time in my life it seems to take up.  My Blockbuster.com queue always hovers in the range of 160-170 items and never gets any smaller.

5. I get really nervous when I get my hair cut.  It doesn’t make much sense because I trust the people who I let do it, and even if they did mess up my hair grows absurdly fast.

6. I love to write but can never get myself to sit down and do it.  I have a horrible lack of focus.

7. I may be clinically addicted to the internet.  I should get that checked out.

8. While I truly love music, lately I’ve been finding podcasts are taking up more of my listening time.  I think it’s leftover from my last internship when I had a nasty commute to deal with.  Now I’m hooked on a few too many shows and need to figure out a way to narrow it down.

9. I have a really hard time leaving jobs.  I get attached.  Even mediocre ones.  And ones that don’t pay me.

10. I think the two most pivotal moments in my life so far were moving to Thousand Oaks from Sherman Oaks and my parent’s divorce.  I think they’re the only things that really changed me in significant ways.

11. One of my favorite things is watching old movies in the morning on a rainy day, with a blanket and maybe some hot chocolate.

12. I miss the days when I was fit enough so that running was relaxing.  Right now it’s really hard any time I do it.  It used to be my primary form of stress relief.

13. I find I’m much more efficient and productive when I have a busier schedule and I have a job.  I use my spare time better even though I have less of it.

14. My favorite feature in a movie or piece of literature is when it brings something new and fresh to the table.  Whether that’s a fresh way of telling an old story, a character I’ve never seen an analogue of, or an event that really seems new, it doesn’t matter.  What matters is that there’s some sort of novelty.  This is part of the reason Jonathan Safron Foer is my favorite author and Charlie Kaufman is my favorite screenwriter.

15. I’ve learned played three instruments over the years: piano, violin, and guitar.  Violin was the one I committed to the most, I was in a youth symphony and everything.  I still play guitar from time to time, but haven’t had much time for it lately.

16. I’ve always worn Asics for running shoes.

17. If I don’t get some time alone now and then, I start to go a little crazy.

18. I sleep best when it’s cooler and there is absolute silence.  Not even white noise.

19. I think about names for kids now and then and I have a few favorites.  That’s probably more than a little girly, but whatever.

20. I’ve been living with Jonathan long enough that I can understand what he’s trying to tell me before he’s able to get it out.

21. “Well played, sir” might be my favorite phrase of the moment.

22. I’m an avid audio/videophile.  I’m on a quest for the perfect entertainment system and I can sense imperfection a mile away.

23. Talking during movies/tv shows is probably my greatest pet peeve.  There are situations when it’s okay, particularly when it’s related to the show or it’s something I’ve seen once or twice before.  But in depth conversations that don’t relate to what we’re watching are pretty much unacceptable.  My mind is too susceptable to stimulus, and will be pulled away by pretty much anything.

24. I really admire  many Nike commercials.  They’re very often a work of art in themselves.

25. I have a love/hate relationship with movie trailers.  99% of them give away too much of the movie, even if it’s not a spoiler, it still makes it feel like so that moments in the movie aren’t fresh.  As soon as I’m decided that I’m going to see the movie, I’d rather all temptation of seeing anything more be removed.  On the other hand, I love the way that a trailer can tell a story in the short amount of time it has.  The editing can be really awesome, and so can the music and the combination thereof.  It’s an art in itself.