Okay, I'm going to start my 100 things now. We'll see how far this gets.
1. I am a Washington attorney. A high-powered Washington attorney. If by high-powered, you mean I have a large electric bill.
2. My favorite food is ice cream.
3. I am originally from Longmeadow, Massachusetts. When I was little I felt that Longmeadow should displace Washington as the nation's capitol.
3. My favorite fiction book is Advise and Consent by Allen Drury. It won the Pulitzer for fiction in 1954, I think.
4. My favorite non-fiction book is What It Takes by Richard Ben Cramer.
5. I am a 1996 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and a 1999 graduate of George Washington University Law School.
6. When I was a Penn, I was a columnist for the Daily Pennsylvanian. I won a distiguished writing award for a column I wrote comparing Penn's president Judith Rodin to Norma Desmond, the crazed anti-hero of Sunset Boulevard. Law school and lawyer has largely destroyed my ability to write -- as this blog often proves.
7. I love dogs, but I haven't had a dog since I was a baby.
8. I love zoos. The National Zoo is terrible, except for the pandas. There are no other animals. For a long time I assumed that Lucy Spellman kept for job running the Zoo, despite all the animals that died, because she was sleeping with someone powerful. Then I saw a picture of her and abandoned that theory.
9. I love everything hotel -- hotels, hotel points, hotel showers, hotel beds. I've got more than 200,000 Starpoints accumulated.
10. When I was little, I wanted to run (and in my own mind did in fact run) the Fanciest Place Ever Greatest Living Hotel. You'll have to get to know me if you want to hear more about that.
11. For seven years I spent my summer at Kamp Kohut in Oxford, Maine. I still dream about in almost every week.
12. Vail, Colorado, is one of my favorite places. I ski. I do not snowboard.
13. Besides camp, the defining experience in my life was my time in the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization in the Connecticut Valley Region. For those who don't know, this is a high school age Jewish youth group composed of AZA (a fraternity) and BBG (a sororety). Now that I'm an adult (supposedly), I serve on the local D.C. Council adult board.
14. I like managing money. I like paying bills online. I like owning stock.
15. My favorite TV show at the moment is "Alias." My favorite TV show of all time is "Dallas."
16. If I were being executed, my last meal would be cheeseburgers and hot dogs from White Hut in West Springfield, Massachusetts.
17. Musically, I am trapped in the 80s. I believe that 1987 was the best year in the history of music.
18. If it were possible, I would have a pet sea lion.
19. There are only five zip codes in which I spent (in aggregate) a year or more of my life. They are 01106, 04270, 19104, 20850, and 22209.
20. My most famous relatives are the Lobel brothers, New York's leading meat purveyors, who catered the Kennedy-Onassis wedding. My second most famous relative is Barry Kriger, the local news anchor in Springfield, Massachusetts. He was quite a hit at my Bar Mitzvah.
21. I know all 100 U.S. Senators off the top of my head. Most of the governors too.
22. When I was little I used to dictate stories I would make up into a tape recorder, and then I would send the tape to my grandfather in Florida who would type up the stories on an old-fashioned type-writer.
23. I've been to Hawaii twice. I want to go back. Badly. See #9.
24. In 2002 I switched from regular Coke to Diet Coke. It took two weeks to make the adjustment, and I've never looked back.
25. I think the Lord of the Rings films are the best movies ever made.
26. I've never been a true sports fan. However, I used to be a fan of WWF wrestling.
27. At my Bar Mitzvah, my cousin Gerry recited the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling. Today I have it memorized.
28. I am an only child.
29. I love to sing.
30. I'm pretty much tone-deaf.
31. I wear a size 11 shoe.
32. I weigh the same now as when I was 18.
33. I have never been on a cruise.
34. I like to gamble in Atlantic City, but only when I'm winning.
35. I've appeared on Good Morning America, Hardball, Scarborough Country, and NBC Nightly News. Also Japanese television.
36. When I was six I was on local news blowing the shofar on Yom Kippur.
37. In college I sold Cutco knives. I am responsible for the sale of nearly $90,000 of cutlery. Best knives in the world.
38. I subscribe to Commentary and The New Republic.
39. I'm a fan of Star Trek and Star Wars -- but not to the point of weirdness.
40. I do not have a favorite season. I like them all.
41. After the Gulf War in 1991, I twice went to Westover Air Force Base at 3:00 AM to welcome home the troops.
42. For work, I have traveled to Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Miami, Chicago, L.A., Kansas City, and Beaumont, Texas.
43. In 1998, I tried foie gras. Since then, I've been regretting that I spent the first 25 years of my life not eating it.
44. In 1999, the same thing happened with raw oysters. In 2001, it was Indian food. I think I now eat almost everything. Except brains. That's gross.
45. I love the music of Billy Joel. My favorite album is "Songs in the Attic," and my favorite song is "I've Loved These Days." I have never seen him in concert but hope to do so before he drives his car into his house for the third time or otherwise gets himself killed.
46. I took piano lessons for many years. Now I can only play one hand at a time, and the only thing I know how to play by heart is the melody of "Somewhere Out There" from An American Tail.
47. From 1986 to 2002, I slept naked. Now I sleep in flannel pajamas from LL Bean.
48. I love red Swedish Fish -- unless I eat too many.
49. I know every word to "Les Miz."
50. I make the best scrambled eggs ever.
51. I cannot sew a button.
52. Usually, I brush with Crest. Sometimes I vary the routine.
53. Apparently I am not that great a speller. But I know how to sell orthography.
54. I have been in Big Bird's nest.
55. I like to go to county fairs, eat the junk food, and see the animals.
56. If being a lawyer doesn't work out, I might attempt to become a mini-donut magnate.
57. I once went on a date with someone I met through our blogs.
58. I used to end my week and start the new one by watching the 11 PM rebroadcast of "Booknotes" on C-SPAN. Now "Booknotes" is no more. I do the same thing with "Q&A."
59. I have one living grandparent who I'm trying to call more often.
60. The best meal I've ever had was at The Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Virginia. Second best was Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia.
61. I procrastinate. Consequently, I am still a member of Netflix.
62. Senior year in highschool I portrayed Schroeder in "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown." Other famous roles include Oliver Warbucks in "Annie" (okay, "Arnie" -- it was an all boy's camp), and the Baker in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."
... and we'll be back, in just a moment...
Addicted to Alias, love the ass-kicking. And though I agree about the 80s, why specifically 1987?
Posted by: Esther | April 28, 2004 at 09:30 AM
Re #9: View From the Wing (http://www.webflyer.com/blog/).
Posted by: Karol | April 28, 2004 at 10:03 AM
Karol -- Thanks.
Esther -- where to begin? La Bamba, With or Without You, Luka, Touch of Grey, Mandolin Rain, La Isla Bonita, Walk Like an Egyptian, True Colors, Only In My Dreams, Where The Streets Have No Name, Livin' on a Prayer, Touch Me, Never Say Goodbye, Where's the Party, Jacob's Ladder, The Lady in Red. That's just off the top of my head. Just look at the 1987 Billboard chart in the iTunes music story.
Also, thanks for reading.
Posted by: Mike | April 28, 2004 at 07:43 PM
A boy, huh? Can't wait to read the; About a Man post ;)
Posted by: Ari | April 30, 2004 at 06:33 AM
Can't wait to read it either, Ari. On your blog.
Posted by: Mike | April 30, 2004 at 09:30 PM
What years were you at Kamp Kohut? I was a counselor there in 1978 (got stuck with the nickname "Hockey Man" for running the street hockey program). I just dropped my daughter off there yesterday to begin her Kohut years and happened across your blog. -Scott Williams
Posted by: Scott | July 26, 2004 at 12:33 PM
Scott, who is your daughter.. I was just at Kohut first session for my 5th year--Liza
Posted by: Liza | August 02, 2004 at 01:05 AM
Dear Liza, My daughter's name is Meg. She is in Oxford as part of the 2-week "mini Kamp" to introduce newcomers. From what I have seen (on the website), read (in her terse letters) and heard (during an all-to-brief call), she is having an absolutely wonderful time. Although I had no doubts about Kamp, my wife was a bit concerned at first about leaving Meg in the woods of Maine. At this point, there is no question -- Meg has already said she wants to go for the full month next year. I hope she draws from it the rich, formative experiences you found. All the best, -Scott Ps. - Mike -- Sorry! Didn't mean to post on your blog.
Posted by: Scott | August 03, 2004 at 12:59 PM
Hmmm...White Hut....
When I was a kid I thought Massachusetts should move the state capital to Worcester. I still think it would be a good idea.
Posted by: chris | October 11, 2004 at 12:49 PM
Wow...#9! I thought I was the only hotel-freak in this world! I wouldn't even own a house if I could afford to live in hotels! I'd love to have a job that required frequent hotel stays. Is there such a job as a Hotel Tester? LOL, That would be my dream job! ;)
Posted by: Sque | January 15, 2005 at 08:40 AM
What a great list! Thanks for brightening my day!
Posted by: Stacie | June 10, 2005 at 08:26 AM
I spent the best summers of my life at Kamp Kohut from 1970-1974. The Kamp fell on hard times during the 1980's, but has rebounded nicely as a 4 week co-ed Kamp (when I attended it was 8 week and all boys). I've recently started visiting on an annual basis with my now 5 year old.
Posted by: Alan | August 03, 2005 at 07:51 PM
1968 the best yr in musical history.......in fact time stood still and it is still 1968 for me.....................separately, i grew up on long island and billy joel's band played at my senior prom in june 1968.......he had the best band on the island that year...and yes he needs to learn when he shouldnt get behind the wheeel.......
Posted by: john jansen | October 13, 2005 at 12:02 PM