Unconscious Mutterings

Week 169

1. Out of place :: me
2. Helicopter :: Whirlybird
3. Francis :: ...the Talking Mule
4. Ryan :: Goin' to Jail (hee hee hee)
5. Wedding :: bells
6. Apalled :: Shocked and ...
7. Historian :: ...yeah, yeah, I should read this book---get off my back! :-)
8. Powerful :: Strong
9. Sex symbol :: Marilyn Monroe (who else?)
10. Uncomfortable :: Achy

Saturday 6

Episode 107

1. What new piece of technology have you resisted buying and what would it take for you to change your mind?
I don't have an iPod yet. I'm not sure why: I love music. Just seems a bit...faddy. I dunno; I'm sure I'll end with one sooner or later. I think I'd want one that will download books, not just music, though.

2. If someone was to go through a closet of your old clothes, what clothing style would you find most embarrassing?
I get rid of clothes I don't wear. I have a few outfits from my teen years, primarily saved because my mother made them. I can't fit into them, but I can't throw them away. I also saved my wedding dress (of course) which is a bit over-the-top (and too small again), and the skirt I was baptized in (at age 14); lost the shirt somewhere along the lines.

There really isn't much incriminating in my closet, to be honest. Except disorder.

3. The movie "United 93" opened this week to controversies over whether or not it is too soon or not to deal with the events of September 11th. Do you have any desire to see this movie? Why or why not?
Nope. Pass. Just...no.

4. Take the quiz: How Class Works. Without getting specific about any of the actual results, which category hurts you the most, and which helps you the most?
Compared to my education (professional degree), my pay **sucks**. Some of that it my choice (I work part time) and some of it is just part of the deal in being a librarian. It's interesting that my pay and my prestige are absolutely equivalent. My overall average "score" is in the 74th percentile, driven by the degree.

5. Of the results you got in the last question, which one was the biggest surprise and why?
No surprises except that pay = prestige thing

6. READER'S CHOICE QUESTION: What is your favorite article of clothing? Is there a story behind it?
The same as always: a couple of shirts that belonged to my dad because they remind me of him, and wearing them reminds me of his presence.

Writing

You Should Be a Joke Writer

You're totally hilarious, and you can find the humor in any situation. Whether you're spouting off zingers, comebacks, or jokes about life... You usually can keep a crowd laughing, and you have plenty of material. You have the makings of a great comedian - or comedic writer.

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

I think the position of Snark has been filled, remarkably well, by Dennis Miller, Jon Stewart, and Judy Tenuta.

Extroversion

Your Extroversion Profile:

Assertiveness: Very High

Friendliness: High

Cheerfulness: Medium

Excitement Seeking: Medium

Sociability: Low

Activity Level: Very Low

Medium on the Cheerful scale, eh?

Friday Four

Two days late...via Fleur de Lisa

Q1 - Possessions: Do you think that the more stuff you own enhances your life or adds to your burden?
Some of it actually makes dealing with the realities of life easier (i.e. plumbin, insulated walls, central heat/air. But most of the stuff we actually buy on a regular basis (clothes, toys, books)...uhm, not so much. Too much of that definitely becomes a burden, especially when moving! Too bad I live with a pack rat, and I have my own packratty tendencies also.

Q2 - Oil: If OPEC decided to turn off the oil spigot, do you think that the United States would have the right to wage war to protect its interests?
Absolutely not. I got into an abbreviated discussion yesterday about this issue...abbreviated because I didn't want to turn a social occasion into a battleground. The people in this country need to be aware of the real cost of oil and stop using so damn much of it!

Q3 - Movie: Have you seen the movie Ellie Parker with Naomi Watts? If so, would you recommend it to a friend?
No, I haven't seen it. Is this the one about sex discrimination? I'm too lazy to look...

Q4 - Birthday: What are the maximum number of days someone should spend celebrating his/her birthday?
Is this a trick question? Only one day a year is your birthday, so that's the only day you should expect others to celebrate it. You-yourself, however, can do whatever you want and chalk it up to "birthday" all year round if you like. People will think you're weird, but...oh, well.

Bonus Question... Q5 - Dancing: How often do you dance... and I don't mean just boogying to your favorite tunes inside your car or in the shower. We're talking real dancing here, with a partner on a dance floor (weddings count).
Not often enough, pretty much just weddings.

Friday Fiver

Is it me or you that I'm afraid of?

1. What's missing from your life?
Peace of mind

2. Do you like to get drunk?
After drink number 2, it's a blast. After drink number 4, not so much.

I rarely even make it to drink number 2 any more. Too many memories of the next day.

3. Have you ever kissed a stranger?
Yes. As a child, I'm sure I did.

4. Do you smoke?
No. I tend to steam.

5. What makes you happy?
In a general sense, accomplishing something big makes me happy. Accomplishing anything cheers me up a lot.

Friday Five

Can’t Get Enough of Your Love Baby

1. Who was your first kiss (your mom does not count)?
R*n M*art*n*z, under mistletoe yet.

'Course, he was carrying it around himself and kissing everyone, but still...

2. What is your idea of the perfect date?
Going out for walk or a sightseeing thing, or to a park. And then capped off my a nice meal, not a fancy one, just nice.

3. What music needs to be on when you are “getting your thang on”?
I actually don't ever think to turn music on. Probably a good thing; I tend to get caught up in music to the detriment of other things....

4. What is the most amazing experience you’ve ever shared with a partner?
Childbirth.

5. Sex is best saved for: love, marriage, alcohol, days that end in “y”?
...someone you know very well and for whom you have the utmost respect...and days ending in 'Y'.

Five on Friday

The Silver Screen

1. What is your favorite movie?
Heathers

2. What is the worst movie you have ever watched?
In a theater: Snow Dogs. Had to stay: it was a birthday party movie for MY kid.

3. What was the last movie you saw in the theatre?
Chronicles of Narnia.

4. Sugared or salted popcorn? Or maybe butter?
Sugar on popcorn is a sin. Salted, with butter (real butter is preferable than whatever that fake butter stuff they glob on at theaters).

5. Movie theatre or DVD?
Really depends on the movie. Most times I can wait for the DVD, or for HBO to run it.

13 meta-questions

from the Irish Church Lady


1. Are you over 18? I'm so "over 18" I no longer get carded when buying cigarettes or booze.
What is the wallpaper on your computer? See photo, although really what is on the desktop is only the top left corner of this photo.
Did you get enough sleep last night? Turned the light out at 11:45, and the alarm went off at 6:15. So, no. What else is new...
First thing you thought about this morning when you woke up? "I really need to get up."
What do you have under your bed? Primarily dust, but that's where I keep the box where my socks live.
Ever tried to skip a meal? I fasted on Good Friday.

2. Grilled or fried? Depends what I'm eating. Generally, grilled.
What makes you unique? Not to be pedantic, but... my DNA
Are you afraid of the dark? Nope

3. Favourite movie(s)? Heathers, The English Patient, Shrek (either one)
Three things you can't live without? Air, water, love
First thing you will buy if given $1000? Bank it for Sparky's college fund.
Favorite song when you are sleepy? What a weird question. If it's a song to keep me awake, anything Top 40 will do, since the annoyance level alone will do it. If it's a song to fit the mood...jeez, I don't know.
What are you afraid of? Failure

4. Are you a giver or taker? Lately, I'm a taker. I don't have a lot of emotional resources for giving this week.
What are your nicknames? Cat. Otherwise, I don't 'do' nicknames.
What [was] your dad's middle name? Albert
Most recent movie that you watched? Speed 2, because Sparky was watching it while I was in the living room with him. Pretty bad.
If you were invisible for a day, what would you do? Smack some people upside the head repeatedly and generally make their lives so miserable they'd go somewhere far away from me.
If you were stuck on a deserted island and could have only one kind of food for the rest of your life, what would it be? For the sake of my health I'd pick fruits and veggies. It's a food-group: deal.

5. Favorite TV commercial? My favorite is an older Kohl's ad--they may still run it--where there are several moms loading their kids on the school bus, getting all teary and saying stuff about the first day of school. The bus pulls away...and the moms all start dancing and laughing.
Either that one or the old Norelco Santa-on-a-Razor ad.
First thing you'll save in a fire? The people.

6. Your eye color? Hazel. Today they're brown.
What are the things you always bring with you anywhere? Chapstick and my wedding rings.
Who's on your mind right now? Flipping through the mental rolodex, mostly, but sparing some extra time for Jason's grandmaw.
What do you usually do when the clock turns 7 am? Huh? I've been up for awhile by then, most days. So, just gettin' on with the day.
The color of your bedsheet? They are cream with navy blue stripes. No flowers in my bedroom!
Who do you want to meet? Seriously? Nobody famous, that's for sure....ok, I'd be happy to be breathing the same air with Bono or The Edge....
But really, seriously: Jesus.
How's life today? So far nothing bad has happened.
Do you like chinese food? Yes, within reason.
How big is your bed? It's a queen size, with a headboard my dad made out of a salvaged teak table.
Is your room clean? My bedroom? Not a complete horror show, but it certainly could be tidier.

7. Laptop or desktop computer? Usually the laptop.
Favorite comedian? Of late, Eddie Izzard. Overall, Richard Pryor, or George Carlin. Monty Python, too.
Who do you sleep with every night? When he's home and healthy, Beast.
Do long distance relationships work? Depends on the couple's expectations. Generally, I'd say they wouldn't in the long term, but for short bursts, sure--why not?
How many times have you been pulled over by the police? Only once. I was let off with a warning about stopping completely at stop signs...because I stopped outside our church, on my way to Bible Study.
Pancakes or French toast? Yes, smothered in syrup, please.
Do you like coffee? I like the way it smells, but I can't drink it. Yuck.
How do you like your eggs? Over easy, whole yolks--with toast for dipping in the yolks.
Do you believe in astrology? Not particularly. It's all pretty vague.
Last person you talked to on the phone? Next door neighbors invitin us to their son's First Communion pary on Saturday.
Last person on your missed call list? "Out of Area" (i.e. unknown caller)
What was the last text message you received? Haven't texted in eons, because I have a better calling plan so it's easier for an Old Person to just call that maneuver that tiny keyboard.

8. McDonalds or Burger King? BK, but I'm outvoted by The Boys most times.
Number of pillows? There are two on my side of the bed, but I normally only sleep with one.
What are you hearing right now? The hard drive on the laptop clickety-clacking, and distant traffic noise. Oh, and the guinea pigs chewing. The garbage truck has been and gone.
Pick a lyric, any lyric or song? "I'm all right/nobody worry 'bout me" [trying to talk myself into it]
What kind of jelly do you like on your sandwich? Not really into jam or jelly much. Whenever we have overnight company, I have to go buy some for jelly toast. I prefer honey, if I'm going to have a Sugar Sandwich. [I await your comments with glee]
Can you play pool? Not well.
Do you know how to swim? Nope. It's on my list of things to learn within the next few years, though.
Favorite ice cream? Peppermint. Or vanilla.
What color is your wallet? Bright frickin' red, so I can find it!
Tell me a random fact about yourself: What have I not said a million times over? I used to think I wanted to be a geologist.
Ever play spin the bottle? For real? I think, once, as a joke.
Ever attend a theme party? Not that I recall. I'd probably skip it if invited.
What is your favorite season? Autumn. Spring has been lovely this year, though.
Favorite quote? I just told Shelly that my new quote for Sparky is "Trust, but verify." I hate that I'm quoting Reagan, but it's so accurate about our relationship now.
Last time you laughed at something stupid? I may have chuckled at a couple of bloggy things yesterday, not because they were stupid though, just funny. So...stupid....not this week.

9. What time did you wake up this morning first time? 5-something. I went back to sleep, though.
Best thing about winter? The morning after it has snowed all night, before the trucks plow the roads and everything is quiet and soft-looking and pristine.
Last time a cop gave you a ticket? Never. HAH!
Name of your first pet? My parents had a parakeet when I was a little kid, named Peppy.
Do you think pirates are cool or overrated? First off: my high school mascot was the Pirate. Second of all: NOT cool. Real pirates were not nice people...for that matter, they still aren't. However, Johnny Depp as a Pirate? Hysterically cool.
What do you do on weekdays? Work, cook, read, blog, grocery shop, run errands, go to meetings. Pretty much the same as weekends.

10. What are you doing this weekend? Going on a weekend scrapbook outing with 200 other women. God help us all. I may take headphones and my CD player, for the first time ever!
Are you desperate for anything right now? Yep.
How is life treating you? Pretty sucky, thanks for asking. Which is a fabulous follow-up for the previous question.
Do people like you? The fact that there are a few friends out there is what is keeping me sane.
What do you think it is that makes the "popular" one? Fear. Charisma. Power. Friendliness. Take your pick, stir together and run like hell.

11. What do you wear the most? Jeans.
Are you using a pc or mac? Gateway PC
Do you like peanut butter chunky? No. If I want to eat peanuts, I'll just eat the damn nuts. "Butter" implies smooth.
What amazes you about the opposite sex? How they can compartmentalize their lives so effectively. Yes, that's a huge generalization, and certainly not always true all the time. Still...
Are you in love with anyone? Yes.
Favorite cereal? Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Except I rarely eat cereal.
Name a movie that makes you cry? Schindler's List. But really, this is SOOOO not a fair question: I cry in almost every movie. I cried in the latest Star Wars movie for cripes sake!! I cried in last year's Batman movie!
What's something you like about the opposite sex? Those strong arms, those square jaws, that inability to articulate a coherent emotional thought... (again, a broad generalization)
Is it true that only the good die young? Great song. Bullshit theory.
Do you live for today? Somedays that's all I can handle.
How fast can you run? Why? Who's chasing me?? I can't run very fast without provocation.

12. Favorite band from the 60s/70s? Creedence Clearwater Revival. Or the Eagles.
Have any of your friends had kids as teenagers? There were pregnant girls in our smallish high school.
Did they finish high school? I believe they all did.
Favorite 80s television show? Hill Street Blues.
Were you born in the 80s? Nope. I graduated from high school, college and grad school in the 80s.
What year? N/A
Have you ever taught a little kid a curse word? I'm a bad mom. Let's just leave it at that. If so which one was it? We're gonna leave it! Suffice to say that what he didn't learn from me he has learned from public school.

13. Do you think little boys are horrendously ill behaved? No more so than whiny little drama queen girls.
Have you ever thrown anything at a moving car? Hee hee. We used to play Frisbee across the street, even when there was traffic. We weren't really aiming at the cars.... Really.
Name a villain in a movie that scared you when you were a kid: That creepy Childcatcher in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."
What's your favorite channel? The only network TV I watch is CBS, just because the three shows I watch are there. Otherwise, I like the Discovery Channel and HBO.
What do you say when you stub your toe off of the corner of the coffee table? We don't have a coffee table. :-) Normally I just hop around saying OWOWOWowowow. OK, maybe I say "damn it" too.

Friday's Feast

Feast Ninety-One

Appetizer
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how polite are you?
I try to hover near 8 or 9.

Soup
What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud?
Can't actually remember the last time I did that. It was definitely before Tuesday this week, though.

Unless it was something on someone's blog.

Salad
Who is your favorite cartoon character?
Mighty Mouse

Main Course
Tell about the funniest teacher you ever had.
"Funny? What do you mean, funny? Funny, how?" OK, enough of that.

I don't remember too many funny teachers. I remember some really strange ones, though.

Oooh, wait: Bud Hudson! He was a riot, and probably the best science teacher I had in 18 years of education.

Dessert
Complete this sentence: I strongly believe that _________________.
....I am going to have to eat something else before I go to bed or I will never sleep.

My stomach is getting really noisy!

3x Thursday

04/27/y2k+6: Do you...


1. Do you work better alone, or with other people? Why?
In case you couldn't tell this week, the answer is "alone." ALL alone. In a cave. With surround-sound.

2. Do you worry too much? Why/why not?
Yes. No news there... Why do I worry, or why too much? I worry because I was raised to do so. I worry too much because I can't stop myself, and it keeps me from thinking about important things.

Like new shoes. I don't think enough about new shoes.

3. Do you believe in life after death? Why/why not? If not, what do you believe?
Not life exactly, but I definitely know there's something after death. It's what keeps me going some days.

Bonus Question: When you leave your house and your car, do you make sure that the locks are locked? Why/why not?
Yes, they are locked. I live with the ultimate Paranoid Person. Besides, I tend to leave stuff in my car I'd hate to lose. And, having walked into a burgled house once in my life, I would prefer not doing it again. It's a very creepy feeling.

Thursday Threesome

::Packing for a Trip::

Onesome: Packing-- What type of packing do you do when you travel? Are you one of those who carefully does the "traveler's roll" with each peace of clothing and tucks it carefully away? ...or does everything more or less just find its way into the car somehow?
I careully do the "traveler's roll" in suitcases, but I'm nowhere near as proficient as Beast when it comes to fitting things into cars and so forth. He could pack an elephant into a Yugo.

Twosome: for a-- change of pace how about a guided tour of any building or place you'd like to visit: where would you go if you had that opportunity?
I'd like a slow-paced tour of the Vatican behind- and in front of the-scenes, specifically dealing with the art, but including lots of other history too. A week- or month- or year-long tour; however long it took.

Threesome: Trip-- Where are you off to on your next trip? ...or if you're stuck in place for a while, where would you like to go? ...and yes, "Anywhere!!!" is an okay answer !
Right now, my next trip isn't really a vac, but we're going to D'Iberville Mississippi in June to put roofs on buildings, or whatever. My next do-nothing vac is somewhere with Beast while Sparky's at camp; somewhere where we can celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary.

ABCs

found here

Accent: I definitely don't sound like I come from this part of the country. But when I go back home, I definitely don't sound like them either. And when I go to England, I start with that cadence. I'm a mess!

Booze: I wouldn't say no to a drink, providing it wasn't beer or tequila (or peppermint schnapps).

Chore I Hate: Laundry. Can I make it two? Anything related to floors. Mopping, vacuuming. Ick.

Dog or Cat: Like dogs more, am more familiar with dogs, am badly allergic to cats and also dogs. So it's a moot point.

Essential Electronics: At work, sound-dampening earphones and a fast PC. At home, satellite TV and wireless internet (and some kind of computer to use with it). And a digital camera is handy to have, too.

Favorite Cologne: VS.

Gold or Silver: I prefer silver, or white gold in a pinch. Don't wear too many necklaces, so this is mostly an earring thing.

Hometown: Denver, Colorado, though I grew up in a house my dad built just after WWII in a suburb directly south of Denver.

Insomnia: Sometimes. Not so much lately, although there's that waking up early thing....

Job Title: Head of Technical Services/General Reference. That's what the business cards say.

Kids: One thirteen-year-old twerp...er, boy. Who occasionally goes on sale at a very good price. Like, free.

Living arrangements: I live with the above critter and his father, my husband, in a house we built 2 1/2 years ago that we love, in a subdivision in the country.

Most admirable traits: Mouthy, opinionated, honest.

Number of sexual partners: In my entire life? And how are we defining sex (to be all Bill Clinton-y about it)? For a flip answer, I'll just say "One at a time."

Overnight hospital stays: Two different times, for a total of 6 or 7 nights. Oh, and the night I spent in the waiting room of St. Mary's in Milwaukee waiting to see if my dad was going to die. He didn't. Not that time.

Phobias: Failure. I'm not fond of crowds, either.

Quote: Too many. One I should remember, and apply more often, is "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." FDR, FYI

Religion: Born and bred Presbyterian at the liberal end of the scale. Moving more liberal every day, I suspect. Perhaps I'll become a Unitarian.

Siblings: I'm the youngest of five.

Time I wake up: My alarm is nearly always set for some time between 5:45 and 7 a.m. Normally I sleep till the radio comes on, but lately...eh, all bets are off.

Unusual talent or skill: I can write backwards in cursive, though I haven't practiced in years.

Vegetable I love: Corn on the cob, fresh from the field. Achoo.

Worst habit: Pitching fits and panicking.

X-rays: Teeth. I think that's it. I've had ultrasounds, of course, when I was pregnant and in prep for surgery, and I've had a couple of bone scans and mammograms.

Yummy foods I make: Mac n cheese, firefighter lasagna, bread, cakes. I can fix boneless chicken breasts about 28 different ways....

Zodiac sign: Scorpio. Which explains a lot, if you buy into that.

Do you have / Do you / Are you /Have you / Did you

Do you have:
(x) your own cell phone
( ) a television in your bedroom [Absolutely NOT, ever. Never.]
( ) an MP3 player
( ) a photo printer
(x) own phone line [It's under my name...]
( ) TiVo or a generic digital video recorder
(x high-speed internet access (i.e., not dialup) [wireless]
( ) a surround sound system in bedroom [See above re TVs in bedrooms]
( ) DVD player in bedroom [see above...ditto]
( ) at least a hundred DVDs
(x) a childfree bathroom
(x) your own in-house office
( ) a pool
( ) a guest house
( ) a game room
(x) a queen-size bed or larger
( ) a stocked bar
(x) a working dishwasher
(x) an icemaker
(x) a working washer and dryer
(x) more than 20 pairs of shoes
( ) at least ten things from a designer store
( ) expensive sunglasses
(x) framed original art (not lithographs or prints)
( ) Egyptian cotton sheets or towels
(x) a multi-speed bike [...not that I ever use it...]
( )a gym membership
( ) your own set of golf clubs
(x) a pool table [bumper pool counts, right? hee]
( ) a tennis court
( ) local access to a lake, large pond, or the sea
( ) your own pair of skis
(x) enough camping gear for a weekend trip in an isolated area
( ) a boat
( ) a jet ski
(x) a neighborhood committee membership [Homeowner's Assn.?]
( ) a beach house or a vacation house/cabin [someday...maybe...]
( ) wealthy family members [define wealthy]
(x) two or more family cars
(x) a walk-in closet or pantry [both]
(x) a yard
( ) a hammock
( ) a personal trainer
(x) good credit
(x) expensive jewelry [not much; don't get excited]
( ) a designer bag that required being on a waiting list to get
(x) at least $100 cash in your possession right now
(x) more than two credit cards bearing your name (not counting gas cards or debit cards)
(x) a stock portfolio
(x) a passport
( ) a horse
( ) a trust fund (either for you or created by you)
(x) private medical insurance (at least in theory)
(x) a college degree, and no outstanding student loans

Do you:
( ) shop for non-needed items for yourself (like clothes, jewelry, electronics) at least once a week [a.k.a. purgatory]
( ) do your regular grocery shopping at high-end or specialty stores
(x) pay someone else to clean your house, do dishes, or launder your clothes (not counting dry cleaning)
(x) go on weekend mini-vacations [about twice a year, within about 50 miles of home]
( ) send dinners back with every flaw
(x) wear perfume or cologne
(x) regularly get your hair styled or nails done in a salon (every 3 months) [my hair gets attention every 5-6 weeks]
(x) have a job but don't need the money [define "need"] OR
( ) stay at home with little financial sacrifice
( ) pay someone else to cook your meals
( ) pay someone else to watch your children or walk your dogs
( ) regularly pay someone else to drive your taxis
( ) expect a gift after you fight with your partner [oh puhleeze]

Are you:
( ) an only child
( ) married/partnered to a wealthy person [again, define "wealthy"]
( ) baffled/surprised when you don't get your way [not since I was about 17]

Have you:
( ) been on a cruise
(x) traveled out of the country
(x) met a celebrity
( ) been to the Caribbean
( ) been to Hawaii
( ) been to New York
( ) eaten at the Space Needle in Seattle
( ) been to the Mall of America
( ) been on the Eiffel tower in Paris
( ) been on the Statue of Liberty in New York
( ) moved more than three times because you wanted to
( ) dined with local political figures
(x) been to both the Atlantic coast and the Pacific coast [I'm counting this, even though I was actually on the other side of the Atlantic, but at the coast...]

Did you:
( ) go to another country for your honeymoon
(x) hire a professional photographer for your wedding or party
(x) took riding or swimming lessons as a child [well, I went to one swimming lesson anyway...
(x) attend private school [technically, my undergrad was private]
(x) have a Sweet 16 birthday party [but not a big deal one--we went to a movie and came home for cake/ice cream]

Tell the Truth (again)

This time from the original source.

1..Sweet or salty?
Sweet whenever possible. Salty on the odd occasional basis.

2..Europe or Australia?
Been to: Europe
Want to go to: both

3..Broken bone or surgery?
Which do I prefer? Surgery, unless we're talking about a small bone.
Which have I had? Surgery

4..Good speller or good map reader?
More consistent at good spelling, but I'm a good navigator too.

5..Pizza or burgers?
Both sound good right now... uhm... I had leftover pizza for lunch, and I haven't had a burger in over a week... so.... burger, I guess.

6..Birthday or Christmas?
Birthday. MUCH less stress involved (for me).

7..Long hair or short hair?
For myself I prefer it longer. Childhood trauam and all that. ;-)

8..Pierced ear or gold chain on a man?
Pierced ear. No contest.

9..Crossword or sudoku?
On paper: Crosswords. Less erasing
Online: Sudoku. Less fiddly

10..American Idol or Survivor?
Survivor all the way. Haven't yet watched even the briefest moment of AI.

Natural Wonder

Found at the presurfer


Which "Natural Wonder" are you?

Hot?

You Are Smokin' Hot

You're a terrible flirt, a sharp dresser, and a party animal. Of course, you're totally sizzling too. And for you, being hot just comes naturally.

Are You Hot?

Well.

There ya go.

[I hope you all enjoy the fact that I just sent Dr. Pepper flying out of my mouth...]

Hump Day

All you have to do is tell me a story from your childhood (up to 18, let's say). It can be short, long, funny, serious. Anything you want.

Wow. That's lot of leeway... So many choices.

When I was 4 or 5, before I started Kindergarten, my next-oldest sister, Jean was 18 or 19. She decided to try to teach me to read properly. I had one of those "Helen Keller at the pump" moments of clarity in the midst of reading Chitty Chitty Bang Bang where I suddenly got it: Those squiggles = The words she was saying. Aha! I can even tell you that it was on the page with the illustration of the family toward the front of the book.

By the way, the book is totally different from the movie in plot AND tone. It's interesting to go back and read it as an adult. These are not cartoon characters, like in the movie, but honest-to-God Bad Guys.

Though that Child-Catcher in the movie is about the freakiest thing I've ever seen; he still creeps me out.

Tuesday Two

Episode 27

QUESTION A:
What disease or illness are you most afraid of and what made you become afraid of it?

or

QUESTION B:
You are given the power to eliminate one specific disease. (For example, you can't say simply "Cancer;" you'd have to narrow it to a specific type of cancer.) Which disease would you eliminate and why?

Choose A or B ...not both!

I'm choosing A: My sister has Parkinson's Disease. Right now, that tops the list for me. And there's really no treatment much less a cure.

Friendship (but it's all about me)

Friendship Survey Take your Friendship Survey at JokesUnlimited.com 1. Whats your name? Cat. 2. Do you have a nickname, if so what is it? None 3. How old are you? 42 4. Where were you born? Denver, CO 5. Where do you live now? midwest U.S. 6. Do you have any brothers or sisters? Yes 7. What do you look like? Tall, brownish-red hair, glasses 8. What is your favorite movie? Heathers 9. What is your favorite drink? Dr. Pepper 10. What is your favorite food? Sugar 11. What is your current Job? Cataloger 12. What is your dream Job? Cataloger 13. If you could be anyone you wanted, who would you be? myself 14. What do you hate most about the opposite sex? Their emotional cluelessness 15. What do you like most about the opposite sex? The ability to differentiate emotion from practicality 16. What is your best quality? Kindness 17. What are your hobbies? Scrapbooking, reading, blogging 18. What one word best describes you? emotional 19. What car do you drive? Ford Ranger 20. What is your dream car? Jeep Cherokee 21. What is the best experience of your life? Being a mom 22. What is the worst experience of your life? Giving birth Take the Friendship Survey at JokesUnlimited.com

Sunday Seven

(extremely late!)
Episode 34:

CNN recently ranked the top 25 innovations of the past quarter century. Their list can be found by scrolling down in the article on their webpage. What would your top seven innovations be? Do you agree with their top seven, or would you have a different take? Remember, we're talking about innovations of the past twenty-five years ago.

I'm doing this prior to reading CNN's list:

1. Computers
2. The internet (or at least, public access to it)
3. Shrunken cell phones
4. Barcodes on everything
5. PDAs
6. Digital cameras
7. ATMs

Got most of 'em; they omitted barcodes. {{shrug}} Whatever.

?otd

In all honesty, would you want to be a member of the Royal Family?

Only in a country where the press would cut me a break, i.e. NOT Britain.

But really, no. Especially not since reading "The Queen and I" by Sue Townsend.

To Tell the Truth

from my new source of all that is good: Lisa

01..Long or short nails? They don't get very long on their own, and I have ugly, short nailbeds, so even long is short.
02..Early riser or night owl? I generally prefer early mornings, but I tend to stay up later now than I ever used to.
03..On the rocks or neat? Depends on what drink. Generally, on the rocks, but not always.
04..Risk taker or worrier? Both. I worry constantly, but I'm not averse to risky behavior (within bounds)
05..Sleeptalker or sleepwalker? Of the two, sleeptalker, but I'm actually a fairly quiet sleeper. I have done both of these, however.
06..Coffee or Tea? Tea. I don't like coffee
07..Skydiving or Swim with sharks? Since I have a healthy sense of self-preservation and I can't swim a lick...skydiving (which I'd choose anyway).
08..Math or English? English (though I liked math until we got into geometric proofs).
09..Body Piercing or Tattoo? Presumably pierced ears count. I won't get a tattoo on a bet. Ick.
10..Hot dog or Pogo? What's a Pogo? So, by default: hot dog.
11..Glass half full or half empty? Depends on the day and how thirsty I am.
12..Debator or peacekeeper? Peacekeeper, to my detriment I fear.
13..Runner or walker? I only run when I'm being chased.
14..Shop or clean? Clean
15..Neat or messy? Messy
16..Short or Tall? I'm tall. As for preferences in other people...I don't have any.
17..Bikini or one piece? I've retired the bikini concept long ago--though I had a tankini a couple of years and 10 lbs. ago.
18..Laundry or dishes? Dishes. I hate laundry--takes bloody FOREVER! And I love warm water and soap suds and progress being made.
19..Dog or Cat? Dog, though I'm allergic to both dogs AND cats.
20..Beer or wine? Don't like beer, but I'll have a dry white at the drop of a cork. Red wine gives me a killer headache.

My blog on poetry

also found at Lisa's blog

Sweet Home. without....
a manicure. I could
live here one week...wandering around
Phoenix.

Seems about right to me.

Make your own poem here.

Kinky?

from Lisa

According to experts, I am : 58% Kinky Take the Kinky Quiz at JokesUnlimited.com

Actually that's higher than I expected. hee

States and Provinces

The idea here seems to be to comment on each state/province you've visited. I'm adding the provinces because I've been to a few. I should probably add Mexican states too...

The instructions aren't very clear, but I got this from Obsidian Wings, the name of which is lovely, actually.

U.S. States

Alabama -- NA
Alaska -- NA
Arizona -- Beautiful, warm (in March) and cactus everywhere. The mountains are astounding around Phoenix.
Arkansas -- NA
California -- The cities generally suck, though I've a soft place for SF in my heart. And the ocean is lovely.
Colorado -- Home Sweet Home. Heaven on earth.
Connecticut -- NA
Delaware -- NA
District of Columbia -- I want to go back again. Too much to do there, and too expensive to stay there long. But I liked it a lot.
Florida -- I've only been to Orlando. But...yuck.
Georgia -- NA
Hawaii -- NA (someday)
Idaho -- NA
Illinois -- Flat. Just...flat.
Indiana -- There are bugs everywhere in this state, and it always smells of corn. Nice people, though.
Iowa -- Speaking of corn... There is nothing like an Iowa evening in midsummer. Des Moines needs to work on its downtown nightlife.
Kansas -- NA
Kentucky -- NA
Louisiana -- My parents hated living in Lake Charles during the war (that would be WWII). I wasn't exactly thrilled with much when I was in Shreveport: 4 hours to get our rental car at the airport?? People--eh, not fabulous.
Maine -- If Colorado disappeared, this would be a perfect place to host Heaven on Earth. Moosehead Lake rocks.
Maryland -- NA
Massachusetts -- There is a Dunkin Donuts every two blocks in Boston. Strange, but true. Nice people there, very cool architecture and absolutely loads of history.
Michigan -- Flat. Surprisingly flat. And really boring (but then again, I've only been in the main part of the state, and only to get other places).
Minnesota -- I hate the Minneapolis airport. And winter totally bites in the Twin Cities. But the people are wonderfully warm. And Prince is around, somewhere.
Mississippi -- NA (I'll let you know in June)
Missouri -- NA
Montana -- My brother lived in Billings for several years. Bitter cold winters and the weirdest airport. Nice little city though and wonderful scenery.
Nebraska -- I spent much of my childhood just wanting to be DONE driving across Nebraska. It's just long. Nothing much to see, nothing much to do, nothing much to eat, and all the cities are on the eastern side of the state. Great steak, though.
Nevada -- Empty. Battle Mountain. hee Hothothothot. And Vegas, Mars on earth.
New Hampshire -- Green and lovely, lots of trees. I could live here. If they'd have me.
New Jersey -- NA (not a priority)
New Mexico -- I've only been to Shiprock. Would like to go back. All I remember is hot, dry and dusty.
New York -- The northern part of the state is pretty. Long drive to get across it, but pretty scenery. Someday I'll go to NYC.
North Carolina -- NA
North Dakota -- NA (Why not Minot? Freezin's the reason)
Ohio -- Beast was born and (mostly) raised here. I'm one of the few people in the world who likes Cleveland who isn't from there.
Oklahoma -- "Do not drive into smoke." Some really weird people in this state. Some really boring scenery, with the occasional little drama to keep you awake.
Oregon -- NA
Pennsylvania -- Twisty tollways. Standoffish people. Great mountains.
Rhode Island -- NA
South Carolina -- NA
South Dakota -- BORING, with the exception of the Black Hills. The only time to be in the rest of the state is during the weeks around the Sturgis bike rally. Great motorcycle viewing. Oh and the Laura museum in DeSmet is nice.
Tennessee -- Further south that I thought. Tay is always swate there. And my niece has lived in TN for just about 10 years now. I feel like a klutz there.
Texas -- We should've let them secede when we had the chance
Utah -- Amazing scenery. The Salt Lake is very cool. And probably the rudest people I have met anywhere in my travels.
Vermont -- BEAUTIFUL. I'd live here in a heartbeat.
Virginia -- I've only been to the area near DC. Very ugly architecture and the hotel wasn't even close to clean...and we were paying (in 1990) over $120 for the joy of dirty carpets.
Washington -- NA
West Virginia -- NA
Wisconsin -- CHEESE. State Fair, Packers, Badgers and beer-brats-bowling. Very midwestern and cold in the winter. COLD.
Wyoming -- As a church friend said to me when we were in high school: "The armpit of America." With multiple relatives who lived here, I can only say that none of them totally disagree with that statement.

Mexican States

Aguascalientes -- NA
Baja California -- NA
Baja California Sur -- NA
Campeche -- NA
Chiapas -- NA (I just recently read, however, that this state is the most rebellious of all of Mexico and a lot of people there consider themselves more ancient than Mexico in terms of culture and so forth)
Chihuahua -- NA
Coahuila -- NA
Colima -- NA
Durango -- NA
Guanajuato -- NA
Guerrero -- NA
Hidalgo -- NA
Jalisco -- I was in Puerto Vallarta, so not exactly a fabulous representation real Mexican life. The scenery is very deserty and dry, similar to Arizona, with similar aspects to Greece too. And the ocean...the ocean is amazing.
México -- NA
Michoacán -- NA
Morelos -- NA
Nayarit -- Not that I could see much of it without my glasses, but some Mexican guys picked up me and three friends and drove us from Puerto Vallarta to here before driving us back when we started freaking out.
Nuevo León -- NA
Oaxaca -- NA
Puebla -- NA
Querétaro -- NA
Quintana Roo -- NA
San Luis Potosí -- NA
Sinaloa -- NA
Sonora -- NA
Tabasco -- NA
Tamaulipas -- NA
Tlaxcala -- NA
Veracruz -- NA
Yucatán -- NA
Zacatecas -- NA
Federal District --I actually really liked Mexico City, in spite of the poverty, the smog and the scary traffic.

Canadian Provinces & Territories

Alberta -- NA (but...someday)
British Columbia -- NA (but...ditto)
Manitoba -- NA
New Brunswick -- NA (someday)
Newfoundland -- NA but I've heard stories from family about the people there and the hospitality...and the good hospitals....
Northwest Territories -- NA
Nova Scotia -- NA
Nunavut -- NA
Ontario -- A lot like Ohio in terms of scenery. Wonderfully nice people, great food, fun things to do. Canadian soldiers march wierd. At least at the historic forts....
Prince Edward Island -- NA but again, good stories about the people there.
Quebec -- Time warp. 'sall I'ma gonna say.
Saskatchewan -- NA (someday)
Yukon -- NA

In summation, I need to get back to Mexico, and also to western and far northeastern Canada.

Chooseday

Would you rather:

1. ...be stuck beside somebody with horrible body odor on a crowded subway car for 10 stops OR against someone with an obvious erection on a long elevator ride?
I choose the elevator ride. The laughter that would ensue. I can get my person b.o. fix at work, thanks very much, from a multitude of sources.


2. ...find out your parents kidnapped you when you were a baby and raised you as their own OR find out you had a twin that died at birth that they never told you about?

I used to actually think the first choice was true. I wouldn't want to know about a twin. That would suck.


3. ...find out now that you will die exactly on your 70th birthday OR never know?

At this point--almost 30 years out--it wouldn't matter either way. Were I closer to 70, I'd rather know than not know.


4. ...have regular encounters with aliens and not have any proof OR have your best friend be invisible?
At this point, I think my best friend actually is invisible.

Things you should know

I made a Meme!

Cos I'm bored and I love these self indulgent questionnaires thingo's. Go to sleep now and I'll wake you when I'm finished.

1. Better quality to have. Good kisser or good conversationalist?
Good conversationalist. Useful 24/7.

2. Last time you cried?
Sunday, while talking to my pastor about my sister and the rest of my frustrations in life.

3.How old do you wish you were?
It wouldn't be horrible to be 8 again. Otherwise, I'll stay put here, thanks.

4. What's your real life nickname?
Don't really have one, unless "Mom" counts.

5. How often do you talk to your mum?
Not often enough. Just ask her. Probably 2-3 times a month.

6. When is the last time someone gave you a dirty look?
I believe I was on the receiving end of one of these at least once yesterday from Sparky. It wouldn't be a complete day without one.

7. Most embarrassing cd in your collection?
Wayne's World soundtrack

8. If someone accidentally spits on you while talking do you acknowledge it or ignore it?
I try to ignore it, following their lead. Unless we're talking about a constant thing. Then I'd try to move away.

9. Eternal love or endless money supply?
Love. I can make more money.

10. If you were guaranteed that you would succeed, what is the one thing you would do?-
Wow. I can't think of anything. Oh wait: throwing the whole Bush-Cheney out of government and influence permanently forever.

11. Finish these sentences:

A) Sex on the first date is.....
...not the best idea, assuming first date also means first time you've ever met the other person.

B) On Saturday night I like to....
...take a long bath and go to bed early. See how old I am?

C) I try to avoid.....
...being too judgmental.

D) My childhood dream was....
...to be able to run a cash register: the old kind with buttons for each amount that went "cha-Ching" after each sale. OK, I was pretty little. Other times I wanted to be a writer, a dancer, an actress. The usual stuff.

E) I secretly envy....
...people who can get on with life without a care in the world.

Monday's a Bitch

Travel

1. What are the top three places you’d like to visit before you die?
I'd like to do a photo safari in Eastern Africa
I'd like to go back to Moscow and St. Petersburg in the summer
I'd like to spend a month or so in Australia and New Zealand

2. Who would be your ideal travel buddy?
Someone who lets me get as neurotic as I need to be and can calm me down if necessary. Someone patient and well-traveled. Someone who spoke 8 or 10 languages.

3. What’s the longest time you’ve been away from home?
Probably a toss-up between spending 5 weeks with my sister the summer I was 11 while my parents went to England, and spending 5 weeks in the USSR and China...and Italy...while I was in college.

4. Where's the best place you’ve ever visited?
Ydra, Greece

5. What’s your favourite travel story?
So very very many of them....singing the national anthem on the tarmac of an airport in Russia...Sparky being given a teddy bear by a Greek cabbie...climbing up and down the dales through sheep fields in Yorkshire to throw rocks in the river...watching a monkey tear the weather stripping off of a car in a safari park in Canada...going to sleep in Maine and hearing absolutely nothing except water lapping at the rocks outside our camp...freezing my ass off in a tent/cabin in Yellowstone in bloody AUGUST...burning off chest hairs of one of the guys on the drive to a church retreat in high school...marching in a Disney parade, a Knott's Berry Farm parade, and the Tournament of Roses parade in one week...wandering around the Forum at night in Rome...searching for groceries in Irkutsk in January, and finding nothing but pear juice and bread...hot tea every morning on the "Chinese train"...getting up at 4 to leave on a long weekend vacation and stopping for breakfast in Johnson City where the cream containers were shaped like cows...waiting out a tornado warning in my sister's basement after a called-off softball game...driving a canal boat through the canals in Leicestershire...

TV Meme

Bold shows you've watched regularly... Add any you find missing from this list. Spotted at Elf M. Sternberg.

It doesn't give a time limit, so I'm including any show I've watched more-or-less regularly, even if I was 5 years old at the time

[$65,000] Pyramid (only when I watched, it was the $10,000 and then the $25,000 Pyramid)
2 Stupid Dogs
20/20
3 2 1 Contact
60 Minutes
Absolutely Fabulous
addition: Alias
Airwolf
Alice
All Creatures Great and Small
All In The Family
Alvin & The Chipmunks
American Bandstand
addition: America's Funniest Home Videos
Animaniacs
addition: Apple's Way
addition:Babylon 5
Bakersfield PD
Banana Splits Show
Barney Miller (man, I loved this show!)
Batman
Battlestar Galactica (Original)
Battlestar Galactica (Remake)
Beakman's World
Beetlejuice
Ben Casey
Best of the West
Bewitched
Bill Nye the Science Guy
Bonanza
Boston Common
Bozo's Circus
Buck Rogers
addition: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Candid Camera
Captain Kangaroo
Carol Burnett Show
Caroline In The City
Casper and Friends
Charlie's Angels
Cheers
addition: CHiPs
Circus 3
City Confidential
Clarissa Explains It All
Columbo
addition: Cops
Courage the Cowardly Dog
Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse
addition: CSI
addition: CSI: Miami
addition: CSI: New York
Daktari
Dangermouse
Dark Shadows
Dave's World
Davey & Goliath
Designing Women
Dharma and Greg
Diff'rent Strokes
Dilbert
Dinosaurs
Doctor Who
Don Kirschner's Rock Concert
Dragnet
addition: Dukes of Hazzard
Dungeons & Dragons
Eek! The Cat
Eight Is Enough
Electric Company
Emergency
Everybody Loves Raymond
F-Troop
Family Affair
Family Dog
addition: Family Feud (Richard Dawson)
addition: Family Feud (other hosts)
Family Guy
Family Matters
Family Ties
addition: Fantasy Island
Fawlty Towers
Felix The Cat
Flipper
Forever Knight
Frasier
Friends
Frugal Gourmet
Full House
Futurama
Galloping Gourmet
Garfield and Friends
addition: General Hospital
Gentle Ben
Get Smart
Gigantor
GI Joe
Gilligan's Island
Gomer Pyle
Gong Show
Good Times
Grace Under Fire
Grape Ape
Green Acres
H.R. Puffnstuf
Happy Days
Hazel
Here Come The Brides
Hodge Podge Lodge
Hogan's Heroes
Hollywood Squares
Home Improvement
Home movies
Homicide: Life On The Streets
I Dream of Jeannie
I Love Lucy [and the newer shows, minus Desi]
In Living Color
Inspector Gadget
Iron Man
It's Garry Shandling's Show
Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors
Jem
Jeopardy
Johnny Quest
Julia
Julia Child & Company
Just Shoot Me
Kate and Allie
King of the Hill
Knight Rider
Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp
Lassie
Laugh-In
Laverne & Shirley
Leave It To Beaver
Let's Make A Deal
Little House on the Prairie
Little Rascals
LooneyTunes cartoons (Bugs Bunny, etc.)
Lost In Space
Love, American Style
Love Connection
M*A*S*H
Mad About You (another one I loved!)
Malcom In The Middle
Mama's Family
Marcus Welby, MD
Married...With Children
Match Game
Medical Center
Mighty Mouse (Original)
Mister Ed
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (I miss him)
Mod Squad
Mork and Mindy
Mr. Magoo
Murphy Brown
My Favorite Martian
My Three Sons
NOVA
Name That Tune
National Geographic
New Zoo Revue
Newhart
NewsRadio
Newton's Apple
Night Court (another great show)
One Day at a Time (my husband STILL has a crush on Valerie Bertinelli)
One Life To Live
addition: Oprah
Outer Limits
Password
Patridge Family
Pee-Wee's Playhouse
People's Court
Pepper Ann
Petticoat Junction (ahh, I really loved this one....)
Pinky and the Brain
Police Squad!
Quark
Reading Rainbow
Red Dwarf
Red Skelton Show
Robotech
Rocky and Bullwinkle
Romper Room
Room 222
Roseanne
addition: Rosie O'Donnell
SCTV
Sabrina, The Teenage Witch
Samurai Jack
Sanford and Son
Saturday Night Live
Secret Squirrel
Seinfeld
Sesame Street
Shazam!
Sledge Hammer!
South Park
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
Space: 1999
Speed Buggy
Speed Racer
Star Trek (original)
Star Trek: Animated series
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: Voyager
Stargate
Stargate SG-1
Strange Luck
Streethawk
addition: Survivor
TV Bloopers and Practical Jokes
TV Nation
Ted Mack's Amateur Hour
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Tenspeed and Brownshoe
That 70's Show
That Girl (oy, I loved this show too: "Donald!")
That's Incredible
The A-Team
The Addams Family
The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.
addition: The Amazing Race
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Andy Griffith Show
The Arsenio Hall show
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Bill Cosby Show
The Bob Newhart Show (only when drinking, Bob)
The Brady Bunch
The Cosby Show
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
The Critic
The Daily Show
The Dating Game
The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Drew Carey Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ellen Show
The Flintstones
The Flip Wilson Show
The Flying Nun
The Friendly Giant
The Gumby Show
The Honeymooners
The Jackie Gleason Show
The Jeffersons
The Jetsons
The Jim Hensen Hour
The John Larroquette Show
The Lone Ranger
The Love Boat
The Magilla Gorilla show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mickey Mouse Club (original)
The Midnight Special
The Monkees
The Munsters
The Muppet Show
The New Detectives
The Newlywed Game
The Oblongs
The Odd Couple
The Phil Donahue Show
The Pink Panther
The Price Is Right
The Real Ghostbusters
The Ren and Stimpy Show
The Shari Lewis Show
The Simpsons
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
The Sonny and Cher Show
The Thundercats
The Tick
The Tracey Ullman Show
The Transformers
The Twilight Zone
The Waltons
The Wild Wild West
The Wonder Years
The Wonderful World of Disney
The Woody Woodpecker Show
The Yogi Bear Show
The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy
The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse
Thicke of the night
Third Rock From The Sun
Three's Company
Tiny Toon Adventures
To Tell The Truth
Tom & Jerry
Underdog
Unsolved Mysteries
WKRP in Cincinnati
Wacky Races
Welcome Back Kotter
What's My Line?
Wheel of Fortune
Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?
Who's Line Is It Anyway (I prefer the British version)
addition: Wide World of Sports
Wild Kingdom
X-Files
X-Men
Zoom (original)
¡Villa Allegre!

I've spent way too much time in front of the TV

Found meme

(¯`'•.¸(¯`'•.¸A Lizzie Quizzie!¸.•'´¯)¸.•

1. Do your parents still have any of your childhood art on display in their home?
No, I don't remember them actually displaying much. I did re-inherit the valet tray I made in shop when we cleaned out my mom's apt. last year. Does that count as art?

2. Do you have a carbon monoxide detector in your home?
I think our smoke alarms do both smoke and CO2. What we don't have is a radon detector.

3. How good of a speller are you?
I'm a bit fanatical about it, but I could probably do better about spell-checking when I type as my fingers frequently go where they shouldn't. I'm a great editor, that's for sure! :-)

4. Nails... bare or polished?
Fingers are bare; I don't have time or inclination to keep up with a manicure. I do have on bright red toenail polish right now.

5. What is the most expensive thing you have bought in the last year?
This here laptop (which technically Beast bought).

6. Do you know how to set the clock in your car?
Yes, eventually I figure it out. Sparky did it for me this month though.

7. What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you lately?
It's sucha regular occurrence that I no longer notice.

8. Ever talk to yourself?
Yes. Sometimes when I'm talking to Sparky it feels that way, too.

9. Do you recount the change you recieve back at the store? Bank?
I count the money at the ATM. I almost never count the "jingly" change at stores, but I do check the bills. Cursorily.

10. Don't you hate it when _________________.
...you go to the store for one or two things and leave with 10 or 12, and still manae to forget to buy what you went there for in the first place.

Manic Monday

Embarrassing...

If you had to pick the most embarrassing thing your parents did to you as a child, what was it?

To a certain extent, just being my parents was embarrassing: I never remember either of them with hair any color but white. They did a lot of similar things not to embarrass me (I think) but because that's just who they were.

The biggest battle was always clothes. My mother was "forward-thinking" enough to let my sisters wear "dungarees" for play; she was told by her mother-in-law that girls shouldn't wear trousers. Ever. So yeah, that was the late 40s into the early 60s.

I started school at the end of the 60s. No dress code to speak of at school. I vividly remember wanting go-go boots in 6th grade: no dice. I also remember wanting to NOT have to wear a skirt/dress to school most days: no dice. My sister--the Fun One--bought me my first pair of jeans when I was 13. If I could have, I would have worn those jeans every day for the rest of my school years.

Meanwhile, mom had made me several pairs of "perfectly serviceable" jeans on the sewing machine. Note: they had elastic waistbands and stovepipe legs and were ugly. I wouldn't even wear them now, 25 years later (as if I could fit into them).

Mom finally gave in, but not without a great deal of moaning about me being ungrateful, etc.etc.etc. All of this may help to explain why I haven't work a skirt or a dress in any capacity since sometime last fall. The only reason I wear them at all in the summer is because they are cooler.

Obviously, I'm warped for life. ;-)

Sleep Test

Find your own pose!

Toboggan Traits and Tendencies Tobogganeers are always one step in front of their peers; they're first to buy a house, first to microdermabrate, first to spend more than a thousand dollars on a rug. Yet in their rush to get ahead of the curve, Toboggan couples sometimes find themselves racing in two entirely different directions. If they don't check in frequently to make sure they're both on the same track, they can grow impressively far apart, and it can take a great deal of painful maneuvering and many late-night talks before they reconnect once again.

Comfort Zone Toboggan is a Sun Sleeper pose. Other Sun poses a Tobogganeer might enjoy include Big C Little c, Classic Spoons, and The Heimlich.

A Note About Feeding Tobogganeers have two modes: fed and calm, and unfed and frantic. To prevent bickering and other erratic behaviors, always keep the pantry and glove box well stocked with a supply of crackers and spreadables.

This wins the prize for the weirdest questions on any quiz, ever. For the record, I don't sleep this way.

Curious

Week Number Fifteen:

If you could say one thing to any religious leader (just one), what would you say to whom?

I'd really love to talk to someone high up in the Taliban to find out what the hell they're thinking. 'Course, they wouldn't talk to me, since I'm a woman and apparently "Unclean Unclean." Fuckheads. Er, maybe that's not a good attitude with which to walk into a conversation where I'd like honesty.

Alternately, give me 2 minutes with Pat Robertson.

Finish this sentence: "I never leave home without...."

...brushing my hair, although that is not always apparent! I always have clothes on, too. There really isn't just one thing I always take with me, since sometimes I'm just going for a walk, and sometimes I'm going four places over the course of the day with different loads of stuff for each place.

Musical Mambo

Find a musician who was born on your birthday (or on the day before or after your birthday, if you don't like the people born on your day) and give me a list of three or four songs by that artist. You can do this for as many musicians as you want.

If you need help, go to Wikipedia and you should find some information there if you search for a date.

Jo Stafford, American singer :

Jambalaya
Shrimp Boats
Hey Good Lookin'

Neil Young, Canadian singer, songwriter, and musician :

Ohio
Southern Man
Heart of Gold
Rockin' in the Free World
When God Made Me

Brian Hyland, American singer :

Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini
Sealed With a Kiss
Gypsy Woman

It never fails to annoy me that I share my birthday with some DAMN crazy people, including Charles Manson, Sammy Sosa, and Tonya Harding.

Monday Madness

5 THINGS

Name 5 things that:

1. Make you smile:

Shrek (it's on TV right now)
Beast
Sparky
the guinea pigs
babies

2. You can see on your desk right now:
I can't see my desk right now: I'm in the living room. I'll tell you what's on the floor next to the couch in here, instead:

the camera in its case and the box in came in (which has all the software etc. in it)
all my Creative Memories stuff, including 2 photo albums
the GameCube and a couple of games
four days' worth of local newspapers
two pairs of my shoes

3. Kept you busy this weekend:

traveling to and from the zoo yesterday, and spending the best part of the day there
blogging and figuring out the feeds issue
church stuff
planning for the week ahead
uploading pictures and ordering copies online

4. You'll be doing this coming week:

going to the School District band concert tomorrow night (SURPRISE! sigh)
making meals with Dinner by Design
cataloging books....I sincerely hope
meeting about the senior high youth group, and (assuming I develop a spine before Wednesday) resigning effective June 10
sorting through the miscellaneous paperwork on the kitchen counter, which has been accruing for a month now

5. You've said to make someone else smile:

"I love you"
"I still love you"
"Oh my God, I'm sitting by the only lawyer in the room?" [no, it wasn't Amy]
...I don't know...I say a lot of stuff to keep the general intensity level as low as possible in meetings, and generally go for the absurd point of view in most situations...

Saturday 6

Episode 106

1. What food do you most enjoy cooking? How many people have you cooked this dish for?
I like baking, almost anything (except drop cookies). I make good bread, especially challah.

2. If you could go behind the scenes at any television show to get a look at how things worked, which show would you choose and why?
The Amazing Race. Love to see how they decide on where to send people and what kinds of challenges to do.

3. Besides your bed, what's the easiest place in your home for you to take a nap? When was the last time you fell asleep there?
The couch in the living room. I was thinking I'd nap here this afternoon in fact.

4. Take the quiz: What time of day are you?
Did this last week: I'm midnight.

5. What time of year do you usually read the most books?
Whenever I'm in the bathtub, evenings most of the time in general.

6. What is your favorite article of clothing? Is there a story behind it?
I have a couple of shirts that belonged to my dad, that are good when I need a hug. I dread the day they fall apart.

Unconscious Mutterings

Week 168

1. Rising :: ...tide
2. Third :: ...Day (the band)
3. Disruptive :: Children
4. Surround :: ...-sound
5. Distant :: ...relative
6. Suction :: Vacuum
7. Fried :: Fattening
8. Nuggets :: Ouray (there was a restaurant there...)
9. Clip :: ...shop
10. San Antonio :: salsa

Power Level

Your Power Level is: 57%

There's a good chance you feel pretty powerful, and with good reason, you're already fairly successful. Keep developing your goals and skills, and you'll be surprised by what you can really achieve.

How Powerful Are You?

If you need to discuss something uncomfortable with someone, you'll just bring it up. There's no use hinting or sugarcoating. Whaddaya think my answer for this question was?? hee hee

Religious questions

From Hey Jules, via Claire Joy

Your opportunity to let your imagination go wild and see what kind of answers and adjectives you can come up with to these questions.

1. What do you imagine the earthbound Jesus smelled like? How does that differ from the post-resurrected Jesus in your mind?

My presumption, knee-jerk in its entirety, is that Jesus probably smelled of sweat. Maybe of wine once in awhile, too.

Post-Resurrection, he probably didn't smell sweaty at all. Clean and fresh. From a practical point of view, though, maybe he smelled worse? Lazarus surely did...hmmmm. Nope, I'm sticking with Tide-fresh.

2. When you think about the Holy Spirit, what picture does your mind conjur up? How do you picture Him moving about? How does He interact with the other two parts of the trinity?

The Spirit is more female than male (certainly more female than the rest of the Trinity). Her name is Sophia, after all.

Anyway. There's that dove thing. It's a long story, but I do picture my conscience as a dove, too, sort of the good angel on my shoulder.

3. What do the voices of the angels sound like? Deep and throaty? Light and lyrical? Do they speak in your native language or do they have their own?

Angels are serious creatures. They have serious voices, I suspect. I think they have their own language but can obviously speak human languages as well. Their voices, while solemn, are lovely to listen to.

On the other hand, I don't think I believe in angels in the traditional sense.

4. Out of the three parts of the trinity, do you feel especially drawn to one part? Can you express why that is? Do you feel closer to one part in times of stress and a different one in times of joy?

I'm drawn to all of them for different reasons. When I feel close to God it's because I feel a need for security and rescue. When I feel close to Jesus, I need friendship and intercession. And the Spirit is around when there is fluidity of experience happening. I prefer the Spirit and God; Jesus usually means I messed up.

5. When you say a prayer, do you imagine them taking on some shape or substance and going actually going somewhere or do they instantly vaporize? Or, are prayers "just words" to you?

Depends on the prayer. Normally they are 'just words." Sort of a verbal telegram to God. Sometimes, though, if I can get there, I actually feel them moving around inside. It's a little like gas, or baby kicking, for lack of a better analogy.

6. What color would the following items be if they could be seen? Mercy. Grace. Blessings. Joy. Sorrow. Peace. Gratitude. Okay, now what would each of these things feel like if you could hold them in your hands?

Mercy: blue, sky blue and heavy with solid edges. Grace: white and soft like a baby blanket. Blessings: sparkly silver, like lightweight heavenly money. Joy: Yellow and orange, very neon but all visual nothing holdable. Peace: blue-gray and soft like a summer dusk, or colorless and smelling like a sleeping baby. Gratitude: Gold and big like a Christmas present.

7. When you think about being in heaven with Jesus some day, do you imagine yourself talking freely and having open back-and-forth conversations with Him or do you think He'll still be in the role of teacher - speaking in parables and constantly challenging your thinking?

Oh dear, I hope he's not lecturing. I hope it's back-and-forth conversation with lots of challenging stuff. I'd rather he treated me as a disciple not one of the five thousand.

8. When you picture heaven, is it always day? Day and night? Do you picture it as being back on earth or up in the sky?

Heaven is a summer day with a light breeze. Of course, it's hard not to picture it being "up in the sky." I'd kind of prefer if it were in the mountains somewhere, personally.

9. What does the voice of God sound like? Is it actually vocalized or will it always be this telekinetic-type connection between He and us?

I'm not sure I could actually hear God. It strikes me that God's voice might be too much for our senses. I think it would have to be partially ESP-ish or we'd go mad.

Can one go mad in heaven?

10. What will it feel like to us to be in His actual presence one day? How do you think you will react?

I would hope that I'd have sense enough to fall flat when I knew God was in the house. Pretty sure I'll be terrified, at least until I was told to stop being terrified.

Red

You Are Red Orange

You are a very genuine person, although it takes a while for you to show the true you. A bit introverted, you desire respect and affection from those close to you. You are quite empathetic, and you have a true concern for the well being of others. Many people have warm, heartfelt memories of you - even if you don't remember them well.

What Color Red Are You?

Not a bad answer. Not my favorite color in the world, however.

Friday's Feast

Feast Ninety

Appetizer
List 3 things you keep putting off.

Sorting pictures for scrapbooking...and scrapbooking itself.
Organizing all the crap from my mom's apartment.
Reading a good book.

Soup
What do you feel is your greatest responsibility?

Raising my son to be a good man.

Salad
If you could have starred in any movie, which one would you have wanted to be in and why?

Probably a Meg Ryan movie from the 80s...When Harry Met Sally perhaps. Or Gone With the Wind. ;-)

Main Course
What is an expectation you had as a child about being an adult and, now that you are grown up, you realize you were wrong?

That I'd be free to make any decision at all...that there were never repercussions.

Dessert
When was the last time you had your car serviced?

At the shop? Eons ago, probably a couple of years. I have my own personal mechanic at home. However, since the passenger side door sensor keeps telling me that it's "ajar" all the time, I think I need to take it to someone with the right computer to diagnose the short-circuit and fix it.

Five on Friday

Take Out

1. What are your favorite ethnic/regional cuisines (Italian, Mexican, Thai, etc.)?

Mexican, especially real Mexican, not just the spicy stuff. And Italian, of course. And Greek. Love me some souvlaki.

2. When visit a restaurant serving that kind of food, what do you generally order?

Oops, skipped ahead. Mexican: flautas. Italian: depends--pasta algio e olio or Alfredo. Greek: moussaka or souvlaki...or almost anything else really.

3. Which ethnic food or dish is your favorite to make yourself?

Spaghetti. Easy-peasy stuff. I make a fab lasagna too, if I take the time to get all the right ingredients.

4. If you could travel to one country or region, just to experience the food, where would you go?

Back to Greece. Or back to Italy.

Someplace new? Spain.

5. Where would you not want to go because of the food?

Germany. Russia.

Someplace new (to me)? Japan.

Friday Fiver

What it all comes down to...

1. When is the last time you were broke?
As in stone-cold-who's-paying-the-gas-bill broke? Never. As in gee-it-would-be-nice-to-have-something-besides-tuna-casserole-for-dinner-for-the-23rd-straight-day? About 8 years.

2. What makes you lose focus?
Having too much to do, and constant interruption. I really don't multitask well, especially if people are involved in one of the tasks.

3. How tall are you?
I'm just shy of 5'8". And, unfortunately, beginning the Shrinkage.

4. Are you brave or cowardly?
Yes: both. Neither.

How about "foolhardy"?

5. What's in your pocket?
I haven't stocked them for the day. Normally I carry Chapstick everywhere and my cell phone. When I'm at work, I have my keys in my left front pocket and my cell phone in my right front pocket (set to vibrate, not ring), although I get almost no signal in the building at all.

Friday Five

April 21, 2006

1) How do you feel about people who commit suicide? Such as, do you feel that they are too lazy to deal with life, have depression, do you feel sorry for them, etc.?
There are two different situations here: choosing death over a painful, slow death caused by a terminal disease (other than life itself); and depression suicide.

The former I have no problem with, assuming you've settled all your emotional accounts with family and friends and so forth.

The latter is, I suspect, what's at issue here. I've had a couple of friends kill themselves. I'm still pissed about it, and sad. I don't think it's laziness though. I think they did it out of pain and having nowhere to turn (in their minds). Which is why, up above, I say that you need to settle your emotional accounts before you do this.

2) What do you think people say about you behind your back?
"What a bitch!"
Do I care?
Not really.

3) If you could own and operate any major business, what would it be?
Bookstore, but I'm way too lazy to do it.

4) Are you/would you be embarrassed to talk to your friends or family about sex?
I have a 13-year-old son. It's embarrassing but necessary. I do not talk to my 'family of birth' about sex. Ever. It's Not Done.

5) In some cultures, young women are married and begin families as soon as they start a menstrual cycle. Do you believe this is right or wrong? Why?
My cultural background says it's wrong. I don't think girls as young as 11 or 12 should be put in the position of potentially getting pregnant. I don't think their bodies are ready for that.

As another cultural issue, I think that societies that do this generally select and "appropriate" husband for her. I'm completely against that. If you can't figure out why, you suck.

Booking through Thursday

Booking Through Thursday

Connect any six books in your library to each other by any way you want. One book will remind you of another because the author's name is similar, a fictional character shows up in someone else's book, another author is talked about by characters in a book, maybe the same friend recommended both books, or whatever. Books from a series count as one entry in your list.

"My library." I no longer remember what books I own and what books I've read. My library, therefore is "all the books I've read before," to paraphrase Julio and Willie.

I'll start with the book in the CD player in my truck right now:

1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix reminds me of...
2. Catcher in the Rye (because Harry is very disaffected). That reminds me of...
3. To Kill a Mockingbird (because my copies of both have red covers). This book reminds me of ...
4. The novelization of the movie "Alien" (because I couldn't stop reading those books and stayed awake almost all night to finish each of them when I was a teenager. Separate nights, of course.) That reminds me of ...
5. The Star Trek:TNG books I read obsessively 10-15 years ago (because of the quality of the writing and their basis on another medium for a great deal of the characterization). Those remind me of...
6. A Christmas Carol (because Patrick Stewart did a one-man version of this for several years). That reminds me of...
7. Carol Bird's Christmas (because of the title). And that reminds me of...
8. Little Pilgrim's Progress (because I read them about the same time, and because they are both very didactic Christian books for kids--I loved this one, though). This reminds me of...
9. Dante's Inferno (talk about didactic Christian books!). Let's see, then I think of...
10. The Earl Emerson series of mysteries 'starring' a firefighter (inferno -- fire...pretty obvious). Which reminds me, other than I haven't read one of these in quite awhile, of...
11. The Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich (because they are funny, too). Those remind me of...
12. Bridget Jones's Diary (also funny). And that reminds me of...
13. The Adrian Mole Diaries (hysterically British humor). They remind me of...
14. The Queen and I (same author). That reminds me of...
15. If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things (because of the street that I pictured in both of these books). That reminds me of
16. ..well, Harry Potter (because I listened to the last one on disc in the car).

Whew. Made it back around. Harder than I thought it would be, although I'm not sure if "making it around" is the point really.

Time of day

You Are Midnight

You are more than a little eccentric, and you're apt to keep very unusual habits. Whether you're a nightowl, living in a commune, or taking a vow of silence - you like to experiment with your lifestyle. Expressing your individuality is important to you, and you often lie awake in bed thinking about the world and your place in it. You enjoy staying home, but that doesn't mean you're a hermit. You also appreciate quality time with family and close friends.

What Time Of Day Are You?

I almost never lie awake in bed thinking.

Otherwise, this is surprisingly accurate considering how difficult I found some of the questions.