100 things...

1. hi. i'm chris.
2. although my real name is christopher.
3. as a kid, it embarassed me when a teacher would call me christopher on the first day of school.
4. i am technically an only child.
5. although i have six younger brothers and sisters.
6. my parents divorced when i was a year old and both remarried.
7. i've lived in colorado my entire life.
8. the only exception being a 2-month stint at age 15 on my grandparents' farm in north dakota.
9. i went to college in-state, too.
10. i've always regretted not taking the opportunity to spread my wings and leave the state for school.
11. i am told that i taught myself to read at age 3.
12. and a month into kindergarten i was advanced to the first grade.
13. i was enrolled in a lutheran school.
14. the only class i've failed in my life was sunday school at the lutheran school.
15. because i wasn't lutheran and didn't attend sunday school.
16. i went to the lutheran school because i was a short kid and my mom was afraid i'd get picked on at the urban public elementary school.
17. my first kiss happened inside a tractor tire on the playground at recess in first grade.
18. her name was paula, and she was apparently attracted to the cast on my right leg.
19. because once the cast came off, paula dumped me for the next kid with a cast.
20. i took the fifth grade twice.
21. the first time, i was an underachieving trouble-maker.
22. the second time i was in a different school clear across the state.
23. and a model student.
24. i got my first pair of glasses when i was 10.
25. i cried when i had to wear them to school the first day, because i thought i looked like a dork.
26. and i did. the supreme dork.
27. i would later choose a frame in high school that made me look far worse.
28. when i was in 6th grade i correctly spelled "antidisestablishmentarianism" to win an in-class spelling bee.
29. but the teacher let me cheat and use the chalkboard.
30. i first acted in a play/musical as a 6th grader.
31. i was tiny tim. no, my voice hadn't changed yet.
32. in high school, i was very involved in drama.
33. and a vocal group.
34. and academics.
35. and not in alcohol. didn't touch a drop.
36. in college, i discovered alcohol.
37. and forget about drama, vocals, and academics.
38. i joined the crew team my third year of college with no rowing experience.
39. it was the most rewarding part of my college experience.
40. and gave my far more confidence than the academic part of college did.
41. i majored in civil engineering.
42. except a couple years into school, i no longer wanted to be a civil engineer.
43. yet i stuck it out because i didn't think it was worth it to change majors.
44. after working a couple years in the construction industry, i decided to go back to school for a masters degree.
45. in urban and regional planning.
46. best. decision. ever. (well, professionally)
47. it's amazing how well you can do in college when you're interested in the subject matter and apply yourself.
48. and while the program wasn't particularly challenging, it led me to a very satisfying career.
49. i met the woman i would later marry at a halloween party hosted by one of my grad school classmates.
50. we dated for a year and were engaged for another year before we were married.
51. and we were married for less than two years before she had her first affair.
52. i didn't find out for another two years.
53. when she had her second affair.
54. with our neighbor.
55. i was willing to give the relationship every chance, but she got bored with it.
56. we separated on mother's day, 2005 - her decision.
57. our divorce was finallized on december 1 2005.
58. i don't have any regrets about our eight years together, because without it we wouldn't have our son.
59. and my son is my greatest source of pride and joy.
60. i've wanted to be a father for as long as i can remember.
61. and it's better than i ever imagined.
62. i both cannot wait and dread the thought of him getting older.
63. i'd love to have another child, but i'm not sure i'll have the opportunity.
64. changing subjects now.
65. when i was in high school i was a raging junior republican.
66. then i went to college and gradually learned to think for myself.
67. today i don't claim a party - because i absolutely detest partisan politics.
68. but i certainly lean more to the left.
69. which i think drives my parents crazy.
70. well, my dad anyway.
71. i've had more jobs in my life than i can even remember.
72. it started at my father's drug store, operating the cash register at 10 years old.
73. and went on to include flipping burgers, grinding engine blocks, and driving a forklift.
74. today i am an urban designer.
75. and almost nobody understands what that means.
76. i love my job.
77. because it affords me a lot of freedom to do good and satisfying work.
78. and i'm not afraid to admit that i'm good at what i do.
79. although being a father is the most difficult and most rewarding "job" i've ever had.
80. i have a tattoo.
81. i got it when i was 23 - a celtic knot-inspired band around my bicep.
82. i didn't tell my parents about it until i was 32.
83. and i had countless bad dreams in those nine intervening years about my parents discovering it.
84. yes - i am still afraid of disappointing my parents.
85. in recent months, i've thought about getting another tattoo.
86. as part of the healing process of the divorce and starting over.
87. and, no, i'm not sure how tattoos and healing equate, either.
88. the best place i've ever visited is italy.
89. although i'm confident that if i made it to scotland it would probably equate to italy.
90. i'd rather vacation in a place with history and culture and something to learn than on a beach.
91. because beaches are boring.
92. i do the new york times crossword every sunday.
93. please note - i didn't say i finish it every sunday.
94. come on, only six more.
95. i once ate a jalapeno whole at the age of 12 for a free watermelon.
96. i also once sneaked into an avalanche playoff hockey game - at 25.
97. okay, will this never end?
98. i was once the only witness for the prosecution in a domestic violence case.
99. the jury didn't believe me, but i know what i saw and i know that he hit her.
100. and i'm spent.