I was asked to think of 100 things about me and jot them down. Some of them you will probably consider as "too much information"... but hey, it's MY list. =)

Enjoy!

1. I absolutely love to play volleyball. It's one of the greatest sports ever!
2. I broke my left arm when I was nine. A hospital misdiagnosed my break and didn't fix it. When I couldn't bend my arm past 90 degrees, we went to another hospital. The doctors there had to break my arm again to set it right. I carry a scar from that "incident".
3. I was born in Dalat, Vietnam.
4. I lived in France for 8 years before moving to the United States.
5. I've been living here almost 19 years.
6. I came two inches from having a hole in one.
7. I've eaten ostrich and alligator meat. I won't do that again unless I'm stranded in Australia with no other options.
8. I've bungeed off a hot air balloon. Once is enough.
9. When I was younger, I wanted to be a fighter pilot - part of me still does.
10. I tried to get out of school by heating up a thermometer with a lighter. The mercury bulb exploded all over me!
11. I was almost buried under a few dozen paint cans during the '89 earthquake.
12. I cannot stand deliberately inconsiderate people!
13. I love theatre - Broadway shows, operas, musicals
14. I think Lego sets are the best toys in the world. What you make is only limited by your imagination.
15. During one hot summer day, I made myself an electric fan out of nothing but Legos and a 1.5 volt motor.
16. My favorite type of food is Vietnamese. (Gotta go back to the roots!) - but in general, I'm a fan of many different cuisines.
17. For the past 3 years, I've been sleeping on a futon
18. Got milk? I used to drink a gallon every couple of days. However, I stayed away from the murky white water they call non-fat milk.
19. The last soda I drank was a Mountain Dew 4 years ago.
20. I am a self-taught guitarist - and that will explain a lot of things if you ever hear me play.
21. I cut my left index finger to the bone. Boy was I bleeding profusely! I still have the scar to show for it.
22. I really like sticky notes - they're very handy. I even have an electronic version on my laptop.
23. My brother and I used to slide down hillsides on cardboard sleds.
24. I don't like rap music - with the exception of maybe a handful of songs.
25. I do like oldies, eighties, popular, Christian and country
26. A test tube exploded in my hands when I was cleaning it in organic chemistry. It had dried mercury nitrate. I don't have much luck with mercury compounds it seems. (See #10)
27. I write software for a living
28. I've never been to an NBA game.
29. I have a fear of geese. For some reason, I remember being chased by an especially vicious one that would peck at my butt when I was maybe 4 years old.
30. I didn't learn how to ride a bike until I was 11 or 12.
31. I always try my hardest never to break a promise.
32. I don't like to gamble. I do buy the occasional lottery ticket once every couple of years.
33. I like the Orange Dream Machine from Jamba Juice
34. I think people who illegally use handicapped parking spots for "quick" stops should be fined at least $2,000.
35. I once spent a very cold night sleeping in the back of my truck waiting for a ski resort to open.
36. I get cranky when I'm hot and hungry. So feed me and cool me down - or beware!
37. I have to shave every couple of days. It's a pain in the butt. Maybe I should wax my face?
38. I have nicknames like B$ (pronounced "B money"), "the amazing bertrando", or just plain "B". I don't mind any of those, just please do not call me "Bert".
39. I fell down an escalator the first time I ever stepped on one. Luckily, it wasn't a really long one.
40. I've worn the same pair of athletic shoes for 6 years. I have yet to find another pair that doesn't give me shin splints. Who knows when I will. Needless to say, I take very good care of the ones I have.
41. I think it's weird when people use Cling Wrap to keep their remotes clean. Wash your hands instead!
42. I have a godson and a goddaughter. Both are adorable.
43. I once collected AOL CD mailings to use as coasters.
44. I like reading while in the bathroom. It passes the time.
45. I only need to go back to Vietnam to say that I've been around the world.
46. I was once student of the week in high school. They probably made a mistake... but hey, I didn't mind! =)
47. I'd like to teach after I retire from the industry.
48. I used to be a voracious reader. A book every few days. I didn't have much of a life then.
49. I love playing all kinds of racket sports, with the exception of racquetball. I'm too claustrophobic for that. Maybe that's not the right word. Let's just say I don't like running full speed towards walls.
50. I don't like telemarketers. Well, not the people themselves, but more the concept. Your home phone should not be used for marketing purposes... it's enough that you have junk mail. =)
51. At the risk of sounding like a nerd, I love code. There's nothing like the satisfaction of knowing that something you wrote is helping others out.
52. I do not like the taste of beer or liquor. I do drink once every couple of years to remind me what I'm not missing.
53. Nor do I like the smell of cigarette/cigar/pipe tobacco, but I don't need to remind myself of this.
54. I currently have lunch with my mom and brother every Wednesday.
55. There is nothing I like more than my mom's cooking!
56. I love movies with great special effects.
57. I hate to be wrong, but I'm learning to gracefully admit it. It still rankles though! =)
58. People sometimes mistake me for a Pacific Islander. I was asked for directions when I was visiting Hawaii as a tourist. Another time, I was yelled at for not knowing Tagalog. I am neither Hawaiian nor Filipino. I just tan easy!
59. I'm not a fan of chocolate... unless it comes with nuts
60. I really like the lightly sweetened, whipped cream topped cakes.
61. I would like to be more creative. I am heavily left-brained.
62. I don't think I'm a very good singer, judging from people's reactions.
63. My mom wanted a girl. she got me instead. Sorry mom! =)
64. I witnessed my friend killing a coot with a golf ball. I stand well behind him when we golf.
65. Speaking of which, I have a big golf ball dent on my hood.
66. All of the cars I've ever owned have had manual transmissions.
67. I don't like running, but I can bike or play a sport for hours.
68. I want to make a road trip from one coast to the other one day... maybe in an RV? I wonder how much gas money that will take.
69. I like to watch the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping. It puts me in the holiday mood.
70. I am a fan of Pictionary and Taboo. Endless fun!
71. I once mistakenly used the ladies' room after walking out of a draining midterm because I was still thinking of the exam. Thank goodness there wasn't anyone else in there or anyone to see me walk out of it.
72. There's nothing like a day in the park with friends and a volleyball net!
73. I've never been on a cruise but would really like to go on one.
74. I once walked onto a nude beach because I was lost [really I was!!].
75. I am very punctual. That is sometimes a bad thing when no one else is.
76. I've seen three Cirque Du Soleil shows. I loved them all!
77. I use Crispy Breeze Glade Stick-Ups to scent my car.
78. I once had a bird fly straight into my windshield as I was driving 70 mph on the freeway. The bird died and my windshield shattered. I had to roll my window down and stick my head out to pull my car safely over to the shoulder.
79. I practiced martial arts when I was younger. I don't remember much of it.
80. I love to eat at buffets because of the variety. I should do it more.
81. In college, a guy accused me of stealing his physics homework. He had mistakenly placed it in a stack of returned quizzes. He felt so bad he got me an internship!
82. When I was little, my grandma used to make me hang by my arms on a crossbar on the way to school. She said it would make me taller when I grew up. I think it just made my arms longer.
83. My futon mattress has a hump running down its length because I only sleep on one side of it - even after rotating the mattress. I just can't bring myself to sleep in the middle of my bed.
84. I don't own a single piece of clothing that is red or a shade of red. I don't want to antagonize any bull I may happen across.
85. I don't like most business meetings. I feel many of them are fruitless.
86. I found out recently that I don't understand many of the slang or "ghetto" terms kids use these days. It's like a whole other language.
87. Speaking of other languages, I never could understand pig latin. I can understand the concept but never apply it fast enough while hearing a conversation to do any good.
88. I'd like to write a book someday... not sure about what yet.
89. I have never been to an NFL game.
90. In high school, I volunteered to work at concession stands during home games. Hot dogs and popcorn were really cheap back then.
91. Rainy days make me want to be lazy.
92. I'm not a fan of Microsoft products and yet I am forced to use them day in and day out.
93. I learned how to bake muffins and pies when I was 12. It was part of the French academic curriculum. Too bad I don't have those recipes any longer. They were tasty.
94. I once received detention because someone one else was talking to me during class. Grrr!
95. When I was little, I had 14 teeth pulled out all in one shot. I didn't have solid food for a while.
96. I'd like to get Lasik surgery within the next few years. Contacts and glasses are a pain in the butt.
97. I have a rotator cuff instability impingement in my right shoulder. Yeah, I'm not sure what that means either.
98. My very first job was soldering LEDs for a computer manufacturing job. That shrink tubing is cool!
99. I once exerted myself so much in one day that I cramped up into a ball and had to be carried in the house by my buddy.
100. I had a high school math teacher who liked to stamp happy frogs on test and quizzes with high grades and angry rabbits for low grades. I lived to get those happy frogs.

So, this is how it feels to be a blogger.

It's going to take a little getting used to - this idea of posting your thoughts on the web for everyone else to read. I usually like to keep most of my thoughts to myself, or at least confined to people I interact with on an every day basis. I know someone out there that loves to read other people's blogs. I'm actually starting this blog mainly for her to read. Why am I going out of my way to do this for her? ... because she's my beautiful girlfriend and I would do many, many crazy things for her. Besides, it was fun to write this application. =)

Anyway, so here I am, posting my thoughts for all of the world to read. I'm not sure whether it's really a positive thing for the world - so beware!!! =)