25 from 84

I’ve culled the following information from the list of “25 Random Things” people on my friends list posted on their Facebook pages a while back. As with anything that comes from a professional reporter, feel free to enjoy the story, but take all numbers with a grain of salt:

Number of participants: 84

Percentage of my Facebook friends that represents: 30.44

Number of pages their lists of 25 Things filled, at 10-point Times New Roman print: 99

People who said they didn’t want to write the list, but were convinced/coerced: 10

Women who said they really, really love their husbands: 9

Women who love their husbands so much they had to mention it more than once: 2

Men who said they really, really love their wives: 2

People who said their children were their entire world: 3

People who claimed they are very competitive: 5

People who said they love cooking: 14

People who said they hate/dislike cooking: 6

People who love wine: 6

People who are addicted to Diet Coke: 3

People who consume vast quantities of milk: 2

People who hate snow/cold weather: 5

People who wrote about their tattoos: 10

People who hope to finish writing their novels: 4

People who have finished writing a book: 1

People who have quit smoking: 3

People who said they are vegetarian: 3

People who have shoplifted: 2

People who love knitting: 3

The following 25 “random things” are some (but by no means all) of my favorites from these lists. They are presented here in no particular order. Each was created by someone I’ve tagged with this note. If you want to try to match the quote with its creator… more power to you!

1. I’m generally discontented, but I’m good with it.

2. My earliest memory is the smell of gasoline.

3. I experience feelings of intense guilt and ennui on any day that I don’t get any writing done.

4. I think that my indifference is often mistaken for indecision.

5. i keep my fishing rod in my trunk all year, and there’s a 96% chance of detour if i see a public dock, landing, or pond entrance at any time, anywhere, on my way from point a to point b.

6. When I was in 4th grade a friend had a giant pink semi-transparent rock in her back yard. We were certain this was a sign that buried pirate treasure could be found in her yard. We told our teacher we would get him a 10-speed bike with the loot.

7. I love the smell of newborn babies, new cars, and old books.

8. My mother once said that I was born in the wrong era, and should have been a 1940s socialite. I’m not entirely sure how to take that.

9. All four of my beautiful kids have never seen the Yankees win the World Series!

10. I collect cast iron pans. I cook with them daily. And I think they qualify as keeping weapons in the house.

11. I would love to get a hug from David Ortiz.

12. I am often frustrated at how much the world blames on the media, usually without proof to back up our culpability, and without much appreciation for the good we try to do every single day.

13. I love indie music and anything from the ’80s that wasn’t Paula Abdul. I have never liked hip-hop, even when it was called rap.

14. I eat the blue M&Ms first because I don’t think they belong there.

15. I like the sound of English boys’ choir music, and Duran Duran.

16. I memorized P.B. Shelley’s poem “Love’s Philosophy,” and once recited it on a date. It didn’t work.

17. I sing old Christmas songs when I shower.

18. Although there are a million things I’d like to do, my only “real” goal, the one thing I burn for is to not owe any money. This is what pulls me out of bed every day.

19. It’s kind of hard to get me to try new things, but I will do it to impress ladies.

20. I often cut up leftovers and toss them into fried rice. I’ve had sushi fried rice, kielbasa fried rice, even steak frites fried rice. It gets very fusion-y around here sometimes.

21. I love Boston and Massachusetts somewhat fanatically and know that it’s probably just ’cause I grew up there. I will politely listen to why other people don’t love it, but am still secretly offended and confused.

22. I like it when I dream of music.

23. I strongly believe that everything has its place in my household, and when people put things away where they don’t belong, I can’t not put it back where it belongs. We have three spoon/utensil holders in our kitchen, and they are not interchangeable.

24. People who take life too seriously are hard to take seriously.

25. I can be a flirt but I’m harmless.