More Halloween

from the usual source

Candy
M&Ms or Skittles? Skittles. M&Ms remind me of PsychoBoss too much.
Berry or Tropical Flavors? Not tropical, eh!
White, Milk, or Dark Chocolate? Milk chocolate. No dark.
Sour or Sweet? Yes. Please?
Chewy or Crunchy? I prefer chewy.
Cloddhoppers or Whoppers? WTF? Never heard of the former, so Whoppers it is!
Chocolate-covered Raisins or Peanuts? I'll pass on this course.
Starburst or Gobstoppers? Either, but not together!
Bubble gum or lollipops? Bubble gum.

Frighteners
What was the first horror movie you saw? No clue. Maybe...uh...Salem's Lot on TV? I saw chunks of Carrie on the drive-in screen when we drove by, but I don't think that counts, since I could NOT figure out the plot! I didn't read the book till a few years later.
What was the last horror movie you saw? Psycho
Zombies or Aliens? Aliens, but not that way.
Ghosts or Vampires? Ghosts
What are the goriest movies you have seen? I would never willingly, knowingly choose to go to a gory movie. I find gore repulsive and nauseating and don't understand why people would pay money to see it portrayed onscreen.
Who is scarier: The Ring girl or The Exorcist girl? ...not in a position to pick
Who is Scarier: The Saw clown or the Chucky doll? I can't pick scary, but that damn mannequin/doll fucked with my mind all the way through high school, even though I never saw the movie!
What did you like better: Goosebumps or Are You Afraid of The Dark? I never read either. Somehow, I just couldn't bring myself to 'previewing' Sparky's reading, and when it started giving him bad dreams, he was cut off completely. I'd forgotten that edict until recently when we got into a screaming match because he wouldn't show me what book he was reading at the library...because he was afraid it would get him into trouble. It was a Goosebumps book. I think he's over the fear by now!
What do you prefer: Resident Evil or Silent Hill? Neither, please-and-thank-you.
What was the scariest video game you have played? The Sims is never scary.

Wrap-Up
What are you doing for Halloween this year? Passing out whatever candy I don't eat to cute kids.
What is your biggest pet peeve about trick-or-treaters? Clueless parents. But we don't have too many of those, really, around here.
What was your favorite jack-o-lantern you helped carve? Sparky and I did an awesome wolf last year. Beast did an emoticon this year: ;-)
Have you ever been out on Devils Night? No, because (here's a huge hint about my location) I don't live anywhere near Detroit.

Halloween Survey

From (who else) Kwizgiver...at the left...yada yada

Ghosts or Goblins? Assuming I believed in either...ghosts.
Zombies or Vampires? Assuming I believed in these in any but a metaphorical sense, zombies.
Witches or Hags? Witches
Werewolves or Frankenstein? Frankenstein (I like my wolves to be 100% canine).
Black Cats or bats? Bats
Trick or Treat? Treat
Candy Corn or Candy Apples? Candy corn
Pumpkins or Squash? Squash
Orange or Purple lights? Orange
Toads or Spiders? Spiders
Lanterns or Lit Pumpkins? Pumpkins, lit.
Skeletons or Mummies? Mummies

HALLOWEEN QUESTIONS:
What were you last year for Halloween? A single parent for the night.
What are you going to be this year? A blogger.
Favorite costume you have ever worn? I zombied at the library one year; it was pretty funny.
How do you spend your Halloween? During the day, I do the same thing I'd do if it weren't Halloween. At night, I hand out candy and ooh-and-aahhh over the kiddies.
Are you or are you not going trick or treating this year? I eat my own candy (and whatever people bring in to work tomorrow. Tooth decay, ahoy!
Did or do you pull Halloween pranks? Nope, sorry, not my thing at all.
Do you believe in ghosts? Not as such, not in Halloween terms.
Are you superstitious? Only very vaguely.
Do you like caramel popcorn? ...eh...not really....
Have you ever gone in the country to look for pumpkins? I frickin' live in the country!? Let me give you a hint: wandering around the countryside in search of pumpkins the way this question sounds...you'd die of exposure first. I buy my pumpkins at a farm. A farm where pumpkins are grown.
Have you ever been on a hayride? Yup. Miss those....
Do you decorate your home for Halloween? What is this "decorate" of which you speak?
Have you ever been to a haunted house? The kind you have to pay to go in and be jumped at, yes. I worked in one for three (?) years. I had my head cut off (over and over) one year, took money one year, and rose from a coffin another year.
Have you ever been to a graveyard on Halloween? ...no...I drive past one every day. Not really that scary to me.
Have you ever attended a Halloween party? A couple. Again, not really my thing.
Do you watch scary movies on Halloween? Why should I break with tradition and start doing that?
Have you ever had your candy stolen from you? Not exactly.
Did you ever steal any one's candy? No.
Has anyone ever gotten hurt due to your prank? What prank?
Have you ever dressed as a witch/warlock? Nope. Neither.
Are your parents into Halloween? "Into," no. They always bought candy, or rather Mom did. Dad was an equal-opportunity holiday-eschewer. He liked having the candy around, though. hee
Do you know someone who was born on Halloween? Noo, I know someone born 11/1, though.

HAVE YOU EVER:
Passed out candy? Of course. I love it.
Bobbed for apples? Once. Hated it. Stupid game.
Gone to a pumpkin patch? See above. Every year.
Hosted a Halloween Party? No, thanks.
Attended a Halloween Party? Yes.
Made pumpkin pie? Absolutely not! Yuck. I buy the pumpkin pies that are served in my house, because making them would make me unable to eat for several days. Yuck yuck yuck.
Raked leaves? Yes, and that's why I love wind.
Watched the Travel Channel with the Halloween specials? Probably. Not this year, however. Beast is painting, so the TV is off.

HAVE YOU SEEN: (this'll be easy, since I haven't seen many scary movies...)

Amityville Horror? Nope. Read the book which scared me just about enough.
Halloween? No
Last House On The Left? Never even heard of it!
House Of Wax? No.
Tales From The Crypt? I saw a couple of these.
The Exorcist? No. I read the book, however, knowing that my brother had not only gone to see the movie several years previous, but had had to leave halfway through it. The book was actually pretty good, as horror novels go.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre? No.
Pumpkinhead? No.
The Sixth Sense? No.
All or any of the Nightmare On Elm Street? No.
Practical Magic? No.
Any or all of The Simpsons Halloween episodes? No.
The Munsters? OK, that show is 100% scare-free. I watched it, but always thought it was sorta lame.
The Adams [sic] Family? Now THIS show...THIS one was wonderful!! I loved Gomez and Uncle Fester and Lurch...OMG, Lurch! To die for (funny).
Elvira? Only in a very passing way, when others were watching.
The Lost Boys? No.
Contact? No.
Hocus Pocus? No.
Edward Scissorhands? I'm embarrassed to admit that I've never seen this....
Friday the 13th? No.
Childs Play? No.
The Shining? Nope, but I read the book in the mountains, in a cabin alone with a friend (no adults with us). Didn't sleep real well the night I finished it. And I've drived past the hotel they used to film the movie several times.
Salems Lot? HEY! Yes, I saw this, the TV version with the guy from ...damn, David...David....David SOUL! The book was millions of times better. Not that I'm a S.King groupie or anything. Really. No, really.
Fright Night? No.

Costume

The Halloween Costume Generator

My Result: Kitty

Admit it, you've always wanted to lay back, look adorable, and let everyone else do the work. That's why your perfect Halloween costume is squishy, fuzzy, loveable little creature. You're cute and sweet, and you're sure to get all the attention this year, even after the party's over. Of course you've got a naughty streak as well, and have been known to show your claws from time to time, but you won't swipe unless you really need to.

So show off that sweetness at all the parties in furry, footed pajamas and some ears. You're sure to find someone to give you a hug. Aww...

Take this test >

Oh, the gack factor is high here, but it seems like an appropriate answer....

Tuesday Twosome

(Link at left)
Halloween

1. Celebrate it or don’t? Explain:

We don't go nuts over it, but we hand out candy to the kids.

2. Scary or just another yearly event? Explain:

It's as scary as you make it. Our participation is NOT scary!

3. Scare or be scared? Explain:

Neither. Not my cuppa.

4. Give out candy or receive candy? Explain:

Give it out. Anything leftover goes to work. I don't need it lying around here!!

5. This year, staying home or going out? Explain:

I'm staying home. My son is far too old to trick-or-treat!

Tina's Tuesdays

(Link at left)
Halloween Fun

1. What is your favourite thing about Halloween?

I really love seeing the kids all wandering around, so excited about their costumes and the candy and staying up late. And I like the candy, too.

2. Do you decorate your house (inside or out) for Halloween?

Just the jack-o-lanterns. That's all.

3. Do you hand out candy and chocolate to neighbourhood children?

Of course. And what's the difference between chocolate and candy? Normally, we do Tootsie Rolls, but this year we're breaking with tradition and going with Starbursts and Skittles.

Curious as a Cat

(Link at left)

1) What one topic is the most painful to discuss with your parents? Why?

Ugh. Virtually everything, nowadays, although it's better than it used to be a couple of years ago. But in reality, and over my entire life, anything to do with sex was strictly off-limits. Never discussed. Ever.

2) What was the happiest day of your life? Do you think you'll ever top it?

I guess it would be my wedding day, but it was so stressful and anxious that I don't remember most of it. The happiest day that I remember off the top of my head is moving into this house about four years ago. Will I top it? OK, here's the thing: if I thought that was the highlight of my life, I think I might as well kill myself. I hope to have lots of exciting days for a long time to come.

3) What animal would you like to be able to communicate with?

Real answer: wolves.
Immediate-thought-in-my-head answer: men.

4) In what way do you come nearest to perfection (as you define it)?

Enthusiasm? Hopefulness? Use of brain cells, overall, I think.

5) Show and Tell. What comes to mind first when you see this picture? Or, tell a story if it reminds you of one.
Public Domain Photo

Right now, it's reminding me that we don't have pumpkins yet, so we may not have any jack-o-lanterns this year for Halloween.

Monday's a Bitch

(Link at left)
Very Scary

1. Do you have any recurring nightmares?

Not so much, not anymore. Having said that, last night I had what I call one of my Anxiety Attack dreams, wherein I spent most of the morning hours not quite asleep, but worried about all the stuff coming up in the next few weeks. I always wake up from these with a feeling that I need to drink a bottle of vodka or take 3 or 4 Valium just to move forward.

2. When was the last time you screamed in horror?

I don't think I do "scream in horror." I think I do a little, piercing shriek when shocked (good or bad shock) or startled, but horror generally strikes me mute and sends me into what we call Clinical Mode. De-personalize and deal with the situation.

3. What was the most bizarre thing you ever got while trick-or-treating?

Uh...pretty sheltered. Nothing bizarre: walk the block, collect the candy, come home and sort it, eat it.

4. What do you consider to be the most over-used costume?

Well, overused-but-I-don't-care would have to be witches. Overused-and-just-stop-already: small children dressed really ghoulishly. Like, blood-curdlingly grotesque stuff on a 3-year-old.

5. What costume could someone wear that would be a turn-on for you?

Not so much into the dressing-up-to-turn-me-on thing. I like a fit guy in a tux, but I also like someone in full Margaritaville garb, as well. It's not the wrapping I worry about, it's the whole (ahem) package itself.

Manic Monday

(Link at left)

If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be and why?

I've started this answer three or four times now, but everytime I "pick" something I realize that without that, I wouldn't be who I am. And there's the very large fact that they weren't the same. I wish Dad would have been more tuned in, but he was WAY more tuned into my life than he was to my siblings' lives as children. I wish my mom would have been (would be) more honest about her childhood, but she did leave enough clues that we've figured more out than she realizes.

Do you think that the world will be a better or a worse place 100 years from now?

About the same, though it's sorta dependent on whether humans have killed themselves off as a race yet at that point.

"What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun. (Ecc 1:9)

At the beginning of a relationship, do you trust your new partner unless there is something specific to make you do otherwise, or do you withhold your trust until he/she has earned it?

I can't speak to new romantic relationships, since I haven't really had one of those in over two decades. Who knows how I would manage that.

So I'll answer in terms of friendship: I trust, up to a point. Frankly, I'm not sure I extend True Friendship without recognizing a certain level of trustworthiness. The older I get, the more I realize how much I (must) differentiate among my friends. Some friends I would trust with my life, my deepest secrets; those are my Friends. Some friends have entrusted me with their lives and some deep secrets; those are friends as well, but not necessarily Friends. And some people I wouldn't trust to mail a letter for me. Those are friends, too, but Thin-Ice Friends. I like them, I even love some of them, but they have not shown a great deal of reliability, or have been negligent in hurtful ways. I would never, ever, waste our time together by trying to make our relationship into Friendship.

A Little About Us

Found at Skittles' Place

Who is your man? Beast
How long have you been together? 24+ years if you count dating
Dating/Engaged/Married? Married.
How old is your man? We're the same age, except for 6 days every year.
What’s his middle name? The same as his mother's maiden name.

Him or me?
Who eats more? He does, but not as much more as you'd think.
Who says "I love you" first? Both.
Who weighs more? He does.
Who sings better? Me.
Who’s older? Me.
Who’s smarter? If you'd've asked me this 20 years ago, I'd've said me. Now, I'd say him.
Who’s temper is worse? I have frequent quick, noisy flare-ups. His tend to be much less frequent and consequently louder and longer-lasting.
Who does the laundry? Mostly he does.
Who does the dishes? Me. He seems to be allergic to this chore.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? He does.
Whose feet are bigger? Hah! His.
Who's hair is longer? He gets a #2 buzz. Mine is long enough for a ponytail.
Who’s better with the computer? I let him think he is.
Who mows the lawn? He does. Because I am allergic. {hee}
Who pays the bills? He does, now. I used to.
Who cooks dinner? ...er, "cook?" "Cook dinner?" OK, mostly me, but he makes dinner at least once a week, and we have lots of fend-for-yourself nights.
Who drives when you are together? Usually him.
Who pays when you go out to dinner? Usually him.
Who's the most stubborn? Yes. As in, we both are.
Who is the first one to admit when they’re wrong? And mean it? Me. To be an asshole/martyr? Him.
Whose parents do you see more? His.
Who named your dog? We have a dog?? We named the dog we used to have by consensus, based on her original name.
Who kisses who first? I think I do, but I'm not keeping score.
Who asked who out? Uh...we just sorta started hanging out together.
Who's more sensitive? Mostly, me.
Who's taller? He is.
Who has more friends? He knows more people (he is a sales guy, after all). I have more people to call in a crisis.
Who has more siblings? Me.
Who wears the pants in the relationship? We both do. We both think we do, anyway!

By the Way Sunday

(Link at left)
~Fall Follies~

hayride or hike? Hike, for the most part.

picking out pumpkins or picking apples? ...oooh, close call... If there's a small child involved in one, that tips the scales!

hot apple cider or hot chocolate with marshmallows? Cider.

fall festival or trick-or-treating? TRICK-OR-TREATING!!!

roasting marshmallows or bobbing for apples? If someone else will eat them, I'd rather roast marshmallows. I just don't like to eat 'em.

cute little scarecrows or ugly, scarey monsters? "Cute" is a four-letter word. Monsters.

Colorado Rockies or Boston Red Socks? 1) I hate baseball. 2) I grew up in Denver. 3) I'm not a fan of New England based sports right now. ergo Rockies. They will lose, I know, but that's the norm.

Patrick's Place

(Link at left)
Sunday Seven

Name the seven brands of shampoo you’re most likely to use.

1. Back to Basics
2. Suave
3. Tresemme
4. Johnson's Baby Shampoo

...sorry, that's it. I'm pretty fussy. Allergies.

Unconscious Mutterings

(Link at left)

1. Inaugural :: Presidential
2. Pledge :: furniture polish
3. String :: ...theory
4. Trot :: Hot to...
5. Fitness :: Exercise
6. Cinder :: Alley
7. Edge :: Richard Pryor
8. 31 :: Route...
9. Blue :: True...
10. Leather :: Suede

Patrick's Place

(Link at left)
Saturday Sunday Six

1. Which of the following two would you find more offensive if you saw it out in the open in a family restaurant: two men holding hands or a woman breast-feeding a child? Why?

Neither. Truthfully. I can't be bothered to be offended. I'd probably be more offended by anyone who started being offensive in response.

2. Which of the following would you find more offensive if you heard someone say it: a blond joke or a racial joke? Why?

Racial joke. My (blonde) niece is the only one who still tells me blonde jokes.

3. Which of these would you generally consider more offensive: An atheist who badmouths Christians, or a Christian who badmouths atheists? Why?

I don't like people who badmouth others for their beliefs, especially if they don't take the time to really understand and respect other points of view. Period.

4. Which of the following ideas about a presidential hopeful would you find more offensive: that a woman shouldn’t run for president because a woman doesn’t belong in the White House, or that a black man shouldn’t run for president because a black man doesn’t belong in the White House? Why?

I think we've established that I am going to be offended by gross generalizations like this, irregardless.

5. Which of the following political terms or movements would you find the most offensive: "Pro-Life" or "Defense of Marriage"? Why?

Aren't these both the same movement? I mean, really, it is the same demographic, isn't it? People who think they get to make the rules for everyone else.

6. Which of the following forms of protest are you likely to find most offensive: an animal rights group’s members shedding clothes to encourage people not to buy fur, or a war protest group’s members burning the American flag to criticize war policy? Why?

Oh, for heaven's sake...I guess burning the flag, but only because of the inherent danger of setting other stuff on fire.

Confessions

More from Kwizgiver, who is linked in the blogroll

CONFESSIONS

1. Is anything wrong? That's vague-ish, no? I'm ok, except my feet and my eyes (lotsa walking/standing and allergies, respectively). My household is generally ok. Katherine and Alan...I'm worried about them.
2. Do you want to go to college? The occasional class, for fun, sure. Another degree...probably not.
3. How many kids do you want to have? One looks wonderful.
4. Do you have a good relationship with your parents? The one remaining one...well, we're getting along I guess.
5. What did you do for your last birthday? Absorutely nothing memorable. Which is fine.
6. What were you doing at midnight last night? Sleeping. Just getting comfy.
7. Name something you CANNOT wait for! Tomorrow, 4:15 p.m.
8. Last thing you ate/drank? Working on a glass full of decaf diet DP, and crackers and cheese.
9. Do you like peanut butter? Within reason, yes.
10. Who’s making you feel the way you are right now? The Rockies are being retarded, Ohio State is winning so far, the computer is working. I'm vaguely at peace, with a tinge of annoyance over baseball. Which isn't unusual.
11. Most visited web pages?Bloglines. Or Blogger.
12. Last person to make you mad? Really mad? People at work. Low-level annoyance: Katherine. Today.
13. Coke or pepsi? Dr. Pepper.
14. Have you hugged anyone in the past week? Several. Today.
15. Fun thing to look forward to this or next week? DbD creation on Monday.
16. How many siblings do you have? There were originall 5 of us.
17. Do u have any pets? No, but Sparky duz. erg
18. Whats your favorite number? 16
19. What do you do after school/work? Go...home....?
20. Do you know how to swim? Nope.
21. Where were you born? Porter Memorial Hospital, now known as Porter Adventist Hospital, I guess.
22. Do you have a crush? There's a patron that I've developed a little thing about. Don't worry; I'm not going to get all freaky.

FRIEND CONFESSIONS

1. Are you jealous of one or more of your friends? I have moments of strong envy for one or two of them.
2. Have you known any of your friends your whole life? I've known Laura since we were in Kindergarten.
3. Are any of your friends taller than you? Beast is, as are several other male friends. I think that's it nowadays.
4. Have you ever been ditched by a friend? Good heavens! I should hope by this age I would have not only be the ditched but also the ditcher!
5. Have you lost or forgotten a friends phone number? See first sentence above. But I still know Laura's: same prefix as my childhood phone, then 8828. Her parents still use the same number, too!
6. Have you been to most of your friends houses? I have visited most of my IRL friends at home, yes.
7. Do you love most of your friends? Well, y'know, really: if I didn't at least like them a lot they certainly wouldn't be my friends, would they?

HABIT CONFESSIONS

1. Do you play with things when nervous? I...yes.
2. Do you have an odd obsession with knives? Uh, no? At all.
3. Do you sleep with the door open or closed? Front door: closed and LOCKED! Bedroom door: I prefer shut tight, Beast prefers open. We compromise on "ajar."

LOVE CONFESSIONS

1. Do you currently like/love someone? {eyeroll} Of. Course.
2. Who? Beast. Sparky. The rest of my family. Jenny. Amy. John. Kelly. Jacob. Deanna. Sarah. Sara. Jessica. Grace. Anne. Annie. Justin. Rachel. The multitude of Beths I know. Gwen. [get the picture?]
3. Do you want to kill one of your ex's? No. Why bother at this point?
4. You get bored of your girlfriend/boyfriend easily? Here's a hint: if you answer this in the affirmative, I might suggest moving on to someone who doesn't bore you. Just a thought. [My answer is an unquivocal "NO."]

Friday Saturday 5

(Link at left)
Fruits and Laws

1. Of peace, joy, love, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control, which are you most lacking?

I'd say it's pretty close between self-control and patience.

2. Of peace, joy, love, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control, which are you most blessed with?

Humility.

3. The Scout Law says that a scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. Which of these are relative strengths for you?

Loyalty, helpfulness, friendliness, courtesy, kindness, obedient, thriftiness, cleanliness. I guess. See how humble I am?!

4. Which of the elements in the Scout Law are relative weaknesses for you?

Reverence and (lately) cheerfulness.

5. If you were to create a list-type law, such as the Scout Law, for your occupation, what might it look like?

I fear it would be quite similar to the Scout Law, except "brave."

Sins

From the Kwizgiver who is linked in the column to the left

Wrath
Who did you last get angry with? Hey! I haven't been angry all day today! Wow--see what NOT going to work does for me!? Face to face, the last person I was irritated with was Sparky over the weekend. Last Thursday night I was furious with The Schedule Nazi.

What is your weapon of choice? My brain. And when things really go to hell, tears.

Would you hit a member of the opposite sex? Uhm, for real? No. But I slug Beast all the time when he's particularly annoying and pesky, in the arm.

How about the same sex? I have. I wouldn't do it in anger, however, not unless grievously provoked.

Who was the last person who got really angry at you? That I know of? Beast, probably. Or Sparky.

What is your pet peeve? Intentional stupidity that overflows into other peoples' lives.

Do you keep grudges, or can you let them go easily? I have a long memory, but I am able to set things aside unless the same sorts of behavior keep cropping up. If it's a pattern, I'm not going to let it go.


Sloth
What is one thing you're supposed to do daily that you haven't? Today? I'm not sure I brushed my teeth this morning, actually.... [hey, I've been home all day!]

What is the latest you've ever woken up? I think I have made it to noon, but not recently, and I recall being completely discombobulated most of the afternoon. Screwed me up for another day or two as well.

Name a person you've been meaning to contact, but haven't? Everyone I know! I'll go with Dean, my brother-in-law.

What is the last lame excuse that you made? All my excuses sound lame to me. "I'm busy" is the most frequently used.

Have you ever watched an infomercial all the way through? Gaaah. No.

How many times did you hit the snooze button on your alarm clock this morning? Don't think I did at all this morning, I just let the radio play while I woke up.


Gluttony
What is your overpriced yuppie beverage of choice? If bottled water counts, that's it. If not...uh...it would have to be caramel apple cider at Starbucks since that's the only overpriced yuppie beverage place I ever visit.

Are you a meat eater? Yes. Ahem.

What is the greatest amount of alcohol you've had in one sitting -outing -event? I had 12 of those little plastic glasses of champagne at midnight one Saturday in college, after...some other stuff much earlier in the night. And I drank those 12 glasses in about 20 minutes. Fuckme. I was gone for several hours that morning (as in blacked out). The only other time I was anywhere near that drunk was on several shots of Peppermint Schnapps. I can't drink cheap champagne or schnapps (or use Scope), or even SMELL them, anymore. Gag.

Are you comfortable with your drinking and eating habits? Drinking, yes. Eating...not really, but I don't care enough to work on 'em.

Do you enjoy candy and sweets? Is the Pope Catholic?

Which do you prefer: sweets, salty foods or spicy food? Sweets. Then crunchy. I'm aware that's not on the list, but I don't care for salty stuff UNLESS it's crunchy.

Have you ever looked at a small house pet or child and thought, "lunch"? Lunch for someone if they were pesky, yes.


Greed
How many credit cards do you own? One credit (zero balance), one debit.

If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it? In order by approx. amount: pay taxes, invest/pay off the house, give away...

Would you rather be rich or famous? Of those two choices, rich. I have NO desire to be famous, none whatsoever.

Would you accept a boring job if it meant that you would make megabucks? No. Well....how boring?? What would constitute boring? My job can be tedious, but that's some of the part I enjoy. Yes. I'm weird. Move on.


Pride
What's one thing that you have done that you're most proud of? There's not a lot I can think of that I have done completely by myself recently. However, I will say that my grades throughout school were a pretty damn good achievement, and the fact that I have stuck with some rather untenable workplace situations is up there. If I could include "joint projects" the answer would be a tie between my marriage and my son.

What's one thing you have done that your parents are most proud of? No idea. Probably staying married, but I really have no earthly idea. Not something that has ever been, or is likely to be, mentioned by my mother.

What thing would you like to accomplish late in your life? Dignity.

Do you get annoyed by coming in second place? Yes. It's why I rarely actively agree to compete in public.

Have you ever entered a contest of skill, knowing you were of much higher skill than all the other competitors? Well...yeah! Of course.

Have you ever cheated to get a better score? Only in solitaire.

What did you do today that you're proud of? Spent only $55 on Amazon instead of the hundreds of dollars I'd prefer to have dropped. ;-)


Lust
How many people have you seen naked (not counting movies, family, strippers, locker rooms)? Well. Uh, that eliminates virtually everyone I've seen naked. Several actors, and some "actors."

How many people have seen you naked (not counting physicians, doctors, family, locker rooms, or when you were a young child)? That list is it, as far as I know.

Have you ever caught yourself staring at the chest/crotch of a person of your chosen sex during a normal conversation? What's "normal"? Sure, I guess. Maybe. Sure.

What is your favorite body part of a person of your gender choice? ...I'm going to pass on this. Thanks for asking.

Have you ever had sexual encounters (including kissing/making out) with multiple persons? At the same time? Nope. Thanks, again, for asking. Move on.

Have you ever been propositioned by a prostitute? Uh, not that I'm aware of. I'm not sure I'd know, truthfully, unless it was 100% overt.


Envy
What item of your friends would you most want to have for your own? Some furniture. Some self-control. It sort of depends on the friends in question.

Who would you want to go on "Trading Spaces" with? We have joked with J & L about doing this, but I'd hate to lose a friendship over it.

If you could be anyone who existed in the world, who would you be? myself is fine...I've got that sorted out (most days)

Have you ever been cheated on? Yeah....

Have you ever wished you had a physical feature different from your own? Of course! Haven't we all be teenagers!? Sometimes, still.

What inborn trait do you see in others that you wish you had for yourself? A better eye for decor.


What deadly sin...
Do you do the most often? gluttony, maybe wrath

Do you do the least often? Envy

Twick o Tweat

Are You a Trick or a Treat?

My Result: Nothing up Your Sleeve

Stop it, you're giving us a toothache. Why? Because you're just that sweet. Grandmas, bosses, the checkout guy at the store — they all think you're pretty goodhearted. And even though you're not exactly Mother Teresa and don't have plans to donate all your money to charity, you're still a stand-up person with a big heart and a lot to give.

While being good is golden, it's always fun to plan out a little trick now and then. Go ahead — jump out and scare a friend, plan a Halloween prank, or just simply sneak an extra piece of chocolate out of the bag. No one will get hurt and it'll be fun — we promise!

Take this test

Yep, I'm afraid this is true. And I don't really like pranks at all.

Wild

You can do this yourself here. Found at Fond of Snape.

Five on Friday

(Link at left)
Trick or Treat

Would you rather...

1: eat nothing but chocolate or go without chocolate for the rest of your life?

Go without. My stomach hurts at the thought of nothing-but-chocolate!

2: stub your toe or get a paper cut?

The average toe-stubbing is over in less than a minute. Paper cuts are annoying for several days. Therefore, I'll take the stub, provided I don't have to break my toe in the process.

3: write the news or make the news?

Crawl under a rock. Ick. I hate the news media in this country right now. If I absolutely had to choose, I'd rather write it, but only just barely.

4: lose 10 pounds or gain 10 IQ points?

If I gained 10 IQ points, I'd be an unbearable pain. In this conversion table it would mean I'd be at the 99.5 percentile range. Give me that weight loss!

5: wear a costume to work or wear normal clothes to a Halloween party?

At this point, I'd be more inclined to wear normal clothes as much as possible everywhere, party or not.

Friday Fill-In

(Link at left)

1. The last good thing that came in the mail was a reimbursement check for the training session last week.

2. This week I'm grateful for small favors, and a better attitude.

3. Caramel cheesecake is the most delicious thing ever. But only if it's made correctly.

4. My work inspires me. On a good day, that is!

5. I'm most happy when I am plowing through a great-big pile of work and getting it done.

6. And all the roads we have to walk along are scenic. And usually less difficult than we make them be.

7. As for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to catching up on Thursday night shows, tomorrow my plans include getting together with my niece (oh, the joy!) and Sunday, I want to sleep. But I have to work, so I'll probably go early/stay late and try to make sense of my desk.

Friday fiver

(Link at left)
Who got the fresh-e-freshy?
FYI--if you wanna know what the hell...click on "Hooch" once you get there

1. What is sweet?

Er, sugar?

2. What hours do you work?

Long ones, lately. I only work about 32/week, though so who's complaining?

3. When do you relax?

In the bathtub, while blogging, and in bed on my way to sleeping.

4. How did you learn about the birds and the bees?

Mr. G's Family Living class in 7th grade, and from my friends. And from reading. And from life.

5. Friday fill-in:
The good vibes flow {ack! I'm having a 60s flashback! Get it away!}

Friday's Feast

(Link at left)

Appetizer
Name a great website you would recommend to others.

My new favorite is FreeRice where you can play with words AND donate food for free. Go. Play. NOW, dammit!!!!

Soup
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 as highest), how often do you dream at night?

10. I'm quite sure I dream every night. If I didn't, I'd be literally insane. Whether I remember my dreams is a whole (n)other story. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I've blogged a few dreams, when I remember them. Which I tend not to do.

Salad
Did you have a pet as a child? If so, what kind and what was its name?

When I was a young child, we had a parakeet named "Poppy" (I think?). We got a dog when I was 10--for protection because I was home alone after school most days. I always wanted more pets, especially dogs. I still do.

Main Course
If you had the chance to star in a commercial, what would you choose to advertise?

The obvious answer seems to be allergy meds. Could I be the next Nasonex bee? Or, no! I could be in the same commercials with the current Nasonex bee, with Antonio Banderas. The taping sessions would be AWEsome! For me, at least.

Dessert
What is your favorite kind of hard candy?

First of all, I don't eat it anymore. It has ruined my teeth to the point where eating it hurts! Second, double-entendre alert: My all-time favorite hard candy is Blow-Pops. Insert joke here.

Thursday Threesome

(Link at left)
::World of Warcraft::

Onesome: World-- Wide Web resources? Is there one particular area of your life, personal or professional, where you use the web as an informational resource? Knitting? Medical? Research?

I'm a flippin' reference librarian (some of the time)! I use it for everything from finding out about prescription drug interactions to printing tax forms, from printing seahorse photos to creating Interlibrary Loan requests, from CIA Fact Sheets to finding out what the correct indicator field in a 100 field in MARC record should be for a peron with one name only, from Meebo-ing to California fire maps. I'm all over the web. All day. Every day. A day without the web is a day spent shelfreading the fiction section or (at home) reading a book or cooking dinner.

Twosome: of-- the 168 hours in a given week, how much time do you spend on the computer? No, we're not looking to plan an intervention, just curious...

Here's how I figure it:

52 hours of sleep = 116 hours
25 hours interacting with people f2f (away from a computer) = 91
20 hours shopping, cleaning, dealing with reality in other ways = 71
15 hours eating (away from a computer) = 56
8 hours in the car for various reasons = 48

v.

28 hours using a computer at work = 20
20 hours using a computer at home = 0

Threesome : Warcraft--

games? Poker games? Role playing games? Do you play games on your computer? Really? What kind of games?

I've rediscovered Solitaire lately, but I also use the net for Sudoku, dominoes and assorted tetris-like games. I can get quite buried in Simming, though it's cyclic (Sparky just purchased Sim-City 4 yesterday, however, so I may disappear from Online again soon!). Don't do MORPGs though. Not my cuppa.

Booking Through Thursday

(Link at left)
Read with Abandon

The books that you start but don’t finish say as much about you as the ones you actually read, sometimes because of the books themselves or because of the circumstances that prevent you from finishing. So . . . what books have you abandoned and why?

Several years ago, someone asked me a similar question, and I sort of "codified" my very ambiguous, erstwhile unwritten reasons for bailing on something I'm reading:

1) A book must have "hooked" me within the first ten or twenty pages. If, after fifty or so pages, it hasn't lived up to the hook, it's done.

2) Other reasons for not finishing a book include: dull writing and/or subject, manipulative writing, "dirty tricks," crises in my life, and any combination of the above.

3) If a book sits next to the bed for more than three weeks while others come and go, give it up!

Having said that, I will add that if a book comes highly recommended from someone I respect, I will bear with it longer. If a book is assigned for some reason, I'll usually finish it, though I never did finish Moby Dick (100 pages left to read when I gave up) or The Deerslayer (I read about 150 pages) or Madame Bovary (I read about 20 pages) or The Grapes of Wrath (I read about 5 chapters) or Cry, the Beloved Country (I've tried several times and get about ten pages further each time--I'm up to about p. 80 at my last try).

I have also stopped in the middle of reading books--novels, mostly--that hit too close to home, or were too gory in a "horror movie" way. Not Stephen King gory, the kind of gore that reads more like bad p-0-rn except with violence instead of sex. My tolerance for idiocy is not very high anymore. I no longer waste time with Pat Cornwell, and this is one reason.

And I tend to take mega-super reviews with a large helping of salt. Anything EVERYone liked can't be that good. There are exceptions (To Kill a Mockingbird springs to mind), but the vast majority of Oprah's books, Best of the Year, NYT Bestsellers...gaaah.

Overall, I'm MUCH less patient than I used to be. I used to have a mania about finishing books, but thanks to many discussions with a wonderful library patron several years ago, I'm over that. Thanks, Mr. B, wherever you are! I suspect he is with Eric Ambler, discussing plot points.

There are too many books out there for me to waste my time on anything I don't enjoy. I'd rather use my free time enjoyably. So, farewell, Janet Evanovich. Goodbye Anthony Trollope, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Jan Karon, Jon Grisham, Tim LaHaye, Jane Austen.... I'd rather read something fun, intelligent, well-edited and of personal interest to me.

I currently have 362 books on my Want to Read List, and another 90 authors are on my Want to Read EVERYTHING by them (about 1550 titles). I'm never going to have time to read what I "should" read, and that's--mostly--ok.

And yes, I am THAT anal! I have not only lists of what I HAVE read, I have lists of what else to read AND what books "my" authors have published. The former is cross-referenced by author, title, date published, and what library owns, including OCLC numbers for ease of ordering. The Books I've Read list is on index cards in a file drawer.

You got a problem with that? :-)

3x Thursday

(Link at left)
It's That Time Again!

1. Are you ready for the upcoming holiday season? Why/why not?

Oh, so, totally, NOT.

2. Are you going to get into the spirit/participate in any of the next 4 (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Xmas, and New Year's) major seasonal activities? How so/how not?

Halloween candy? None purchased, but I will buy something on Monday. And then either Weds night or Thurs a.m. for Christmas Child boxes. (The kids at church want to fill 160 or more boxes this year, and we like to put a little candy in each box.)
Thanksgiving plans? We are NOT hosting this year!
Christmas...? Hah, give me a break! We have to get through November first! We have two GIANT fundraisers going at church--OCC and Christmas greens sales, both "due" by Thanksgiving. I have not purchased one Christmas gift. I have not even made lists this year. I am...screwed.
New Year's? My current plan is to completely sleep for two days. Longer if possible. And do a jigsaw, with Sparky's and Beast's occasional help. We'll watch the Rose Parade. And we'll have a fondue on New Year's Eve.

3. Do you like holidays? Why/why not?

I like the actual day of the holiday. I loathe the lead-up to them, though!
And a belated comment: "Sweetest Day"? NOT a holiday. Stop participating, people! Grr.

More stolen stuff

...from Kwizgiver, who stole from Leesepea...etc.....

1. Song that always makes you sad? So very very many...Amazing Grace for sure. "One" and "Yahweh" by U2 almost always get me, and almost always at different points.

2. Last thing you bought? booo! Groceries.

3. Last person you argued with? Sparky and I had some brief words earlier, but it wasn't really an argument. The last real down-and-dirty, face-to-face argument was probably Beast, but I've sure been angry with some other people since then!

4. Do you put butter [on the bread] before putting the peanut butter on? Eeergh. Yuck. Even I think that's just a little too greasy!

5. One of your stuffed animals’ names as a kid? I didn't have too many, and most of them didn't have names. The snake was a popular choice the last time I mentioned it; by the way, it was probably 5" in diameter.

6. Did you ever at one time own a Barenaked Ladies CD? No, but Sparky has at least one.

7. Favorite day of the week? Mondays.

8. Favorite sundae topping? Butterscotch or caramel.

9. Did you take piano lessons? Of course. It's what girls do in my parents' families.

10. Most frequent song played? In piano lessons? :-D
OK, really? "Spider Web" probably. (Joan Osborne)

11. T.V. show you secretly enjoy? If it's a secret, then...?!? OK, "Cash Cab." You'll have to go find it yourselves.

12. Would you rather play basketball or hockey? I'd rather WATCH hockey (no contest). I'd rather drive the Zamboni or equivalent court polisher--or file 3,000 catalog cards--than PLAY either.

13. Date someone older or younger? Beast would frown upon either. He is slightly--VERY slightly!--younger than me. If I were dating (OMG--so glad I'm not!), age wouldn't be the first thing I looked at, but I wouldn't be likely to date anyone more than 5 or 6 years younger or older than me.

14. One place you could travel right now? I could travel not very far, actually, on the $35 in my wallet right now! I'd LOVE to go to Tennessee again, though. Or Greece. Greece would be wonderful...sigh.....

15. Do you use umbrellas? Not really. I'm not outside enough to make a fuss with them. I have one in the car for the occasional HUGE downpour. Otherwise, I just walk/run between raindrops with my hood up (if I have one).

16. Do you know all the words to the Canadian national anthem? I know how it starts, that's all. Not something I was plugged into as an impressionable child.

17. Favorite cheese? Yes. (oh, and not slimy)

18. The Smith’s or The Cure? How about I eat nails instead? Ick. (Sorry Vickie!)

19. Do you prefer blondes or brunettes? As Allison said, "why are redheads always left out???" I like brunettes, generally. And auburn hair is fabu.

20. Best job you ever had? Ever? Wow. Best short-term job was working at my college over the summer and living with the six other students in a ratty old house on campus. It was a complete blast.

21. Did you go to your high school prom? No. I was very much of the "too cool for school" mindset for that, although couched in terms of Hating the Establishment instead. I always tend toward running the other way from what "everyone else" is doing. In any case, Beast went to, like, three proms, so he definitely made up for it.

22. Perfect time to wake up? Assuming I went to sleep between 10 and 11, 6ish works.

23. Perfect time to go to bed? Before midnight.

24. Do you use your queen right away in chess? Uh....yeah, no. But that being said, I have played a full game of chess about 10 times, all against Sparky, and all more than three years ago.

25. Ever been in a car accident? Yes. I drove away from all of them, though.

26. Closer to mom or dad…or neither? Close to both, liked Dad better.

27. What age is this exciting life over for you? ...when...I...die... What a weird question! I'm not killing myself because I turn 105!

28. What decade during the 20th century would you have chosen to be a teenager? I wouldn't want to be a teenager. There are bad and good things about each decade. The early years would have been bad because child labor was still very prevalent, the 50s were boring, the 60s were scary (although fun!), and I'm too close to judge the rest of the decades. Sorry, I can't pick one.

29. Favorite shoes you have EVER owned? Earth shoes, similar to these. They were awesome. I have some comfy shoes now that are similar. The best shoes ever are none though....

30. Do you have an article of clothing you have had since you were in high school? I do, but not that I wear; I have two or three T-shirts from high school, and some clothes my mom made, but I never wear any of them anymore. They are strictly taking up space in boxes.

31. Were you in track and field? I was on the high school track quite often for band, and stood in a LOT of fields, but I didn't do sports in high school (or college), no.

32. Were you ever in a school talent show? Oh, yeah. 'nuf said.

33. Have you ever written in a library book? Every day, babe, every day!
I used to do worse, when I was a kid.

34. Allergic to? What am I NOT allergic to?? feh

35. Favorite fruit? Apples.

36. Have you watched Sex and the City? Yes.

37. Baseball hat or toque? Toque?? WTF? K'boy hat, thanks.

38. Do you shampoo or soap up first in the shower? Shampoo first, so it can drip-dry a little while I finish.

39. Wet the toothbrush or brush dry with the toothpaste? Uh...I don't EVER brush without water...?

40. Pen or pencil? Depends, but I like the way graphite looks and feels. I prefer mechanical pencils; I hate sharpening pencils and I really hate dull pencils!!

41. Have you ever gambled at a casino? Yes. I think I lost about 50 bucks, total.

42. Have you thrown up on a plane? Nope, somehow. The only sort of moving vehicle I have actually thrown up is a train. I've been sick in virtually every other type of vehicle.

43. Have you thrown up in a car? Nope. I get lots of early warning.

44. Have you thrown up at work? Hmm, noo.... don't think I have. THANK GOD! See above, re early warning. I can usually make it home, clean the toilet, and still have an hour to wait.

45. Do you scream on roller coasters? More like yelps. I don't ride them that much.

46. How many shoes do you have? I probably have about 30 pair, including various sorts of boots. But I would love to be able to say I have 27 individual shoes, exactly. ;-)

47. Who was your first roommate? My niece, Elizabeth, whenever they visited. Other than that, my college roommate was my first permanent roommate.

48. What alcoholic beverage did you drink when you got drunk for the first time? Rum? I dunno, Warren; what was it that you gave us that night?? heh

49. What was your first job? Baby-sitting. Unless you count taking messages for my dad, or taking the trash to the garbage.

50. What was your first car? I had pretty unlimited use of my mom's 1971 Toyota Corolla when I was a junior or senior in high school. When I got married, Beast had a Pinto (aaack!!). We bought a Toyota pickup about two years later.

51. When did you go to your first funeral? Gosh, I wonder if I went to Grandpa's (Dad's dad) when I was 3!? Probably not, but I know I went to my other grandma's (Mom's mom) when I was 6 or 7.

52. How old were you when you first moved away from your hometown? 18, though I don't think I really realized it at the time.

53. Who was your first grade teacher?
Miss Campbell. I even have a picture of her in her bouffant.

54. Where did you go on your first airplane ride? I believe it was to Milwaukee when I was 7 or 8.

55. When you snuck out of your house for the first time, who was it with? Have not ever felt the need to do this.

56. Who was your first best friend and are you still friends with [her]? Laura. Yes. Sorta.

57. Where did you live the first time you moved out of your parents’ house? A dorm room.

58. Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day? Beast. Who else?

59. Whose wedding were you in the first time you were a bridesmaid or a groomsmen? My sister Jean, when I was 8: mint green dress and sparkly ballet flats. Awesomes shoes! I loved those shoes; they're all I remember about the wedding!

60. What is the first thing you do in the morning? Turn off the radio and put on my classes.

61. What was the first concert you attended? Beach Boys at Bears' stadium in Denver. And then...hmmmm...Paul Young in 1985 (during that awesome summer where I worked at college). ACTUALLY, my first concert was the Denver Symphony; my parents had season tickets. And in reality, my first concert was my brother's high school band concert wherein they played the "1812 Overture" with real cannon.

62. First tattoo or piercing? Pierced ears (earlobes) on my 14th birthday.

63. First celebrity crush? David Cassidy. And then briefly Shaun Cassidy, 5 years later.

Curious as a Cat

(Link at left)

1) What was the most powerful moment of silence you've ever experienced?

That might be the first time Sparky slept through the night, or one of those days when he was cranky and I couldn't get him to stay quiet...and then he crashed into an exhausted sleep suddenly.
In a spiritual sense, it's when I can't hear God. There've been a few of those moments over the years.

2) What are friends for?

To remind ourselves of two things (at least): 1) We are loved; and 2) We must love to be alive.

3) What one school subject has turned out to be the least useful or worthwhile? Is that a surprise?

This is tricky, since I have had occasion to use virtually every subject I've studied at some point at the Reference Desk. In a personal way, I'd say math, specifically algebra. I don't exactly whip out a quadratic equation on a regular basis anymore! Not a surprise, but I enjoyed doing them at the time.

4) What kind of power do you want most?

Self-control and the power to say "NO!"

5) Show and Tell. What comes to mind first when you see this picture? Or, tell a story if it reminds you of one

Public Domain Photo
This picture cracks me up. Obviously, someone has interrupted an important moment in these two animals' lives. I suspect that this is a good thing for the big deer-like thing (what is that, anyway??), and if it can get its head together and take off, it might make it home free. They both look annoyed, don't they? This looks like a picture I might have taken in the mountains of Colorado, but then if I had, I'd know what they critter is!

Manic Monday

(Link at left)

Would you be able to serve on a jury and sentence the defendant to the death penalty if he/she were found guilty of a crime that the court felt warranted the death penalty?

No. And, by the way, this is a good way to be 'excused' from serving on the jury; the attorneys will ask this of potential jurors before the trial!

Have you ever faked being ill to avoid doing something you didn’t want to do?

Besides going to work on your average day? I don't think so. Not as an adult; I'm sure I did it as a child.

Would you state you were guilty of a crime you didn't commit to free a loved one?

Depends on the crime. Probably not, though. If/when it was discovered that I'd lied, I'd go to jail and so would my loved one, so that would be silly.

Monday's a Bitch

(Link at left)
Aging

1. If you could pause your aging process, at what age would you choose do to it? (Meaning you would not live forever, but live for 90 or so years at whatever age you chose).

Oh, ugh! This sounds like hell on earth to me! I would be bored out of my mind. Pass.

2. At what age did you (or will you) consider yourself to be an adult?

I knew childhood was completely over when I understood (and cared about) the word "escrow" which was around the time I was also discussing (and caring about) the purchase of appliances and furnaces.

3. What do you think will be your most annoying trait when you’re a senior?

Repeating myself. I do it already!

4. How does your current life compare with where you thought you’d be at this point when you were young?

For the most part, it's just where I (vaguely) expected to be. I didn't think too much about any age past about 30 when I was a kid. From 30 to 60 was a vast bog of "boring."

5. When would you like to retire? What do you see yourself doing with your life after retirement?

Retire? Hah! I very much doubt that there will be any Social Security money left when I reach my mid-60s. If I really could retire, I would love to travel all over for a few years. If that conflicted with being around my grandchildren, though....wow. Uh, I dunno. I've got more than 20 years to figure this out, assuming the best. Which I don't.

Unconscious Mutterings

(Link at left)

1. Las Vegas :: Viva! (to my eternal shame...)
2. Linus :: and Lucy
3. Struck :: Dumb...
4. Movie ::Film
5. Anxious ::Edgy
6. Bandit :: Masked... (honestly, though: the first thing that popped into my head and stayed was someone's dog with that name)
7. Picks ::Guitar...
8. Lasso :: Lariat
9. Dinner :: Bell
10. Bargain :: Haggle

Saturday 8

(Link at left)
jobs

1. what was your worst job? why?

My longest-lasting bad job was my first full-time job, which lasted for 6 full years, which was about 66 months too long. However, I think the worst was working the Christmas season at Swiss Colony while I was in grad school. I'm NOT a salesperson, and the whole situation just sucked.

2. what was your best job? why?

My current job, most of the time, is wonderful.

3. are you looking for a new job now?

I think I'm going to start reading ads for the first time in a long time.

4. when did you get the job you have now? if you're unemployed, how long have you been without a job?

I started in January of 1994 as a 16 hours/week reference librarian. I started doing shut-in delivery (bringing library items to people who can't get to the library) in 1996 or 1997, adding about 5 hours/week. In 2001, I started the Young Adult department in our library. And in 2003 (?), I stopped doing the deliveries and YAing and became the sole cataloger when the former cataloger retired. I'm now up to about 32 hours/week, give or take.

5. have you ever been fired from a job? what happened?

Yes. I stopped lying about what I was accomplishing, got a verbal warning after a few weeks and explained why (and by implication, said that everyone was lying), and was fired a few weeks later. It went down on my record that I quit, however.

6. have you ever had a horrible, back-stabbing colleague?

Of course. I've had a horrible, back-stabbing (and front-stabbing, to be fair) boss, too.

7. have you heard of or ever been involved in a an office scandal at your work?

Yes, see #6. Can you imagine allowing someone who no longer works at a business being allowed to arrange invoices for payment??

8. what's your dream job?

I would like to do my current job, without all the bullshit. That means I'd like to catalog and run technical services without having to 'back up' the service desks. Or, rather, I would like a definition of 'backing up' as differentiated from 'permanently filling-in' to be printed up and distributed. I would also like one of the long-time technical service people to leave/quit. It won't happen: she needs the income because she's a complete financial moron. Really, I have an awesome job...when I'm allowed to do it!

Patrick's Place

(Link at left)
Saturday Six

1. When speaking to someone in person, how often do you look them directly in the eye?

I have always struggled with this. I rarely look people in the face. It's exceedingly rare, only occurring when I'm overwrought in some way, and only with people I know and trust. I don't think my parents ever really did the "look me in the eyes" thing.

2. How likely are you to notice another person’s eye color?

...and so it makes sense that I almost never notice this detail. It's hard to pick out stuff like that when you are only looking at people when they are not looking at you! So it's not at all likely.

3. What color eyes does your closest friend have?

Beast's are hazel. Amy's are blue. I know because they've told me. Jenny's are...uh, not sure. Blue, I think? I've only known her 25 years, eh?

4. Take the quiz: What do your eyes reveal about you?

When I took this a couple of weeks ago, my result was Anger. I'm sure that hasn't changed a great deal...this has been a very irritating-bordering-on-fury week.

5. If you had the chance to permanently change the color of your eyes, and would never be able to change it back to your original color, would you change it? If so, from what color to what color?

No. DO. NOT TOUCH. MY. EYES.
I'm shuddering at the thought, and for me especially, it's totally pointless. See answers to #s 1, 2 and 3. I can't even handle wearing contacts!

6. If you were a candidate for Lasik® eye surgery, do you think you’d have the guts to go through with eye surgery?

No. See #4. Fortunately, my eyes are so whack that it's not even likely. Ever.

Saturday Special

(Link at left)
~Words Ending in OWL ~ I Say You Answer~

1. Screeching Owl...you answer?

Harry Potter. OK, I'm thinking of the Howlers, but whatever, eh?

2. Night To Howl...you answer?

Full moon. If I howled. But I don't. I don't think I howl unless I'm imitating a howl.

3. Evening Prowl...you answer?

...erk? Sounds vaguely menacing. OK, I'll go with prowling around the house when I can't sleep, but that is, to be truthful, almost always after midnight, so not really "evening."

4. Nasty Scowl...you answer?

Me, at work, Thursday.

Friday Saturday's Feast

(Link at left)

Appetizer
If you were a dog, what breed would you be, and why?

Hmmm, a terrier of some kind. Based on the profiles here, terriers and other working dogs have similar personality traits to mine. Behaviors are a little skewed though.

Soup
What does the color purple make you think of?

Whoopi Goldberg.

Salad
Approximately how long does it take you to get ready each morning?

In actual prep time, if I shower, it takes me 25 minutes, but I have to let my hair dry for another 30 minutes in there if I want to do anything but a braid or a ponytail. If I don't get to the shower, I can be ready to walk out the door in 10 minutes: wash face, ponytail hair, get dressed, go!

Main Course
How many cousins do you have, and are you close to them?

I have two on my mom's side whom I haven't seen since I was about 7. I have two on my father's side whom I haven't seen since I was about 10 (actually, I don't even remember EVER meeting one of them).

Dessert
Take your initials (first, middle, last) and come up with something else those letters could stand for. (Example: SFO = Sweet Funny Otter)

I decline, courteously.

Friday Saturday Fun

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Your Future Friday

1. When you were in high school, how did you envision your future? Kids, college, marriage, professional, etc.?

In high school: I was going far away to college and never look back (I did the former, not so much the latter), I wasn't ever going to date a football player (I married one), I was going to adopt a bunch of children (I gave birth to one), I was going to work...somewhere (got that one right!). I had no idea, really. Does anyone, ever, really?

2. How does that compare to the reality of what was to come?

Well, some was semi-accurate, as noted. Much of my life is quite similar to my sisters' lives, which were (are?) models for me. But there have been some rather large differences, of course, as well. Honestly, in high school, I had no clear idea of what I was going to do afterwards except "college" and "far away from home."

3. What, if anything, would you change about your choices, had you had the benefit of knowing what was to come?

I might have started having babies earlier. I would DEFINITELY have found a different job and escaped PsychoBoss Hell faster! I would have visited Ellen much more after her cancer diagnosis. Otherwise, I'm not sure I would change a great deal.

4. Do you believe that the cliche about clouds and silver linings holds true, that out of bad can cause good?

I don't use that cliche that way; there is almost always a silver lining in every situation. And out of a horrible experience, something good can sometimes be found. I think they are two different thoughts; one is present (silver lining), one is past. The benefit of experience is being able to look at things that have happened to and around you and find the goodness in everything. It's not usually evident at the time.

5. What about karma? Does what goes around come around?

I think I do believe in something similar to karma, though not the exact literal definition of karma. I think sometimes we get into situations because we don't see them coming till it's too late, because we think we can't possibly ever experience that. And where we are blind is where we need to learn.

Friday Saturday Fiver

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Don't let me out of your sight

1. What makes you feel exposed?

Loss of control. It's hard to explain. I like knowing what happens next, at least in a general sense!

2. What do you have to force yourself to do?

Cleaning. Anything to do with housekeeping or scheduled activities (dusting, vacuuming, laundry, shopping). Ick.

3. Where do you like to spend your time outdoors?

What is this "spend time outdoors" of which you speak?? I love hiking in the mountains, and like walking in general, but I can't be outside around here. How about if we move??

4. What surprises you?

Kids. They always find some way to do something unexpected.

5. Friday fill-in:
Late at night I'm asleep. If I'm not asleep, I'm worrying about something, though that is MUCH less frequent than it used to be!

Friday Saturday Five

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5, 4, 3, 2, 1....

1. Name five favorite movies.

Heathers, RHPS, Shoah, Matrix, The Lion King.

2. Name four areas of interest you became interested in after you were done with your formal education.

Ecclesiastical history, the internet, parenting, blogging.

3. Name three things you would change about this world.

In no partcular order, I'd like to see more personal responsibility/accountability, less selfishness, and LOTS more kindness.

4. Name two of your favorite childhood toys.

Jumprope and jacks.

5. Name one person you could be handcuffed to for a full day.

At this point in my life? No one. There is no one. I'm kinda over the whole intense need for togetherness of adolescence and early love-and-marriage. I also prefer having a few moments of privacy in the bathroom, thanks.

Friday Saturday Fill-In

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1. October is my favorite month. There! I've finally decided!
2. Heights doesn't/don't scare me!
3. Haunted houses are not my cup of tea.
4. My favorite scary movie is Psycho because I know how it ends, and it's not that scary, really.
5. Bite me.
6. It was a dark and stormy night night. Always reminds me of Snoopy in "Peanuts."
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep, tomorrow my plans include being at church all morning, and youth group in the evening, and Sunday Monday, I want to enjoy a quiet day--well, half-day--at home alone.

Four for FridaySaturday

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Q1 - I'm Telling!: In many parts of the U.S., drought conditions are so bad that homeowners are banned from watering their lawns. If you lived in a town that temporarily banned outside watering and you noticed a neighbor breaking the rule, would you go out of your way to report them to the local water authority? Would your answer change if the neighbor were someone you absolutely despise or consider a good friend?

I grew up with water rationing in Denver. I don't have the manic attraction to a perfect carpet of ultra-green grass that is the suburban brass ring. I'm actually allergic to some grasses--I'm sure that comes as a giant shock, doesn't it?--so I'd be more than happy with a Zen rock garden.

Would I report a neighbor who was watering? If it was someone I knew, I'd probably try to find out why they were doing it, especially if it were a sudden development. Otherwise, yeah, I'd probably report it. OK, I might ask them first if they knew about the bans/metering. I'd probably let it go for awhile, but I have to think that if their lawn stayed suspciously healthy while all the other lawns in the neighborhood turned spotty-brown, the water authority would figure it out pretty quick. It's not really something you can cheat on for long. On the other hand, around here, watering our yards is not really all that necessary. God waters 'em for us, most times.

Q2 - Now That's Funny!: An unlikely new candidate entered the Presidential race this week, adding his name to an already deep field of candidates: comedian Stephen Colbert. The host of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report" announced this week that he would enter the primary in his home state of South Carolina. Seriously folks, would you vote for a comedian or another non-traditional candidate, (i.e., someone who is not either a successful business person, legislator, politician, or community leader) for President of the United States?

In the primary, maybe. We have to declare a party at the primary election here. If he was on the "other party's" ticket, I'd DEFINITELY vote for him!!
Would I vote for him in November? No.

Q3 - Cafeteria Trays: When you eat at a self-serve or walk-up-and-order and carry-it-to-your-table-yourself style of restaurant, do you use your cafeteria-style tray while you eat or do you immediately remove your food from the tray and turn in all directions to see just how quickly you can get rid of the thing?

I usually keep the tray, or not. Depends on who is eating with me. If they dump the tray, I do too. Beast is definitely more the "unload and dump the tray" type. I wonder if this has anything to do with having worked at a restaurant? Keeping the tray means the table stays WAY cleaner! In fact, I think kids should HAVE to keep trays until they are at least 7! ;-)

Q4 - Media Ownership: The head of the Federal Communications Commission has circulated a plan to relax decades-old media ownership rules, including repealing a rule that forbids a company to own both a newspaper and a television or radio station in the same city. Kevin Martin, chairman of the FCC, wants to repeal the rule in the next two months -- a plan that, if successful, would be a big victory for Samuel Zell, the Chicago investor who is seeking to complete a buyout of the Tribune Company, and Rupert Murdoch, who has lobbied against the rule for years so that he can continue controlling both The New York Post and a Fox television station in New York. Do you think media conglomerates like the ones Martin seeks to exist are okay, or, like church and state, should local newspapers and television and radio stations remain separate entities?

For the two gentlemen (so-called) cited alone, the rule should stay in place. I'm convinced Rupert Murdoch is the devil himself, and anything that gives anyone more clout in Chicago is to be avoided at all costs! In the real world, however, I recognize that there is already a lot of incest in the journalism community, so it's kind of hypocritical to try to whitewash it. I'm reminded that one of the major radio stations and a network TV station in a city in which I used to live (and visited yesterday) uses as its call letters 'W' followed by the first letters of the name of the (only) local newspaper. I think something very similar was true in Denver when I was a child.

Five on FridaySaturday

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Jingle All the Way

1. Do you ever find yourself singing advertising jingles?

Unfortunately, yes. Usually ones from my childhood: cereal and fast-food are the killers.

2. What are your favorite jingles?

I think "favorite" and "jingles" may be close to mutually exclusive terms. They annoy the crap outta me, especially 30 years later. I mean really: "Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame-seed bun" "Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders don't upset us, all we ask is that you let us serve it your way. Have it your way, have it your way, have it your way, have it your way" "Blue stars, green clover" "Trix are for kids" "Plop-plop, fizz-fizz, oh what a relief it is" Not favorites, just stuck in the memory.
I do like the old Christmas Coca-Cola ad, though.

3. Which jingles do you hate to hear?

Anything sung by extraordinarily cute and adorable (and off-key) children or cartoon animals. And 90% of the others.

4. Why do you think jingles are so effective?

They operate on the level of those songs we learned as young children: short, rhyming and rhythmic, and incessantly repetitive (and repeated!).

5. Are jingles going the way of the dinosaur? Or do you think we're going to be singing them for the next 50 years?

I think as long as advertisers see the value in my response to #4, we'll have them on some products, especially those marketing to children. Either that, or more classic rock and pop songs will be sold to be used to sell products. I saw a (very funny, actually) ad today for Jeep (?) that used "Rock Me Gently" in a clever, or slightly insane, way. Watch for it.
This is a double-edged sword, however. In my case, any product that uses "Electric Avenue" or that damn Robert Palmer female robot song has effectively lost my dollar!

Thursday Threesome

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::A to Z::

Onesome: A --round this time of year? What's happening with the weather where you are? Ch-ch-changes? ...or are things still 'Summery'?

Today the weather is blustery and chilly, and the leaves are FINALLY changing. It has been super-warm this fall for most of October, but I think fall is actually starting in earnest. I hope we don't pay for all this warmth in the fall by having a horrendously cold winter!

Twosome: to -- inventory your place for insurance coverage, what would it take? Too much work? How about ideas for the gang: is video taping with a voiceover the way to go?

We did a video awhile back. Should probably do another. Beast keeps all (I do mean "all") our receipts and maintenance books together in the office, but if there were a fire or tornado that wouldn't help much! Great: another project! ;-) I know there is software out there to help coordinate this, and I would bet there is freeware, and free ideas, on the net somewhere.

Threesome: Z --one coverage? ...better than "man"? Are you following any football teams this year? How are they doing?

We always follow the Pack, and they are doing ok (would've been nice to BEAT CHICAGO last week, boys!). The Broncos--my childhood team--are sucking, and the Browns--Beast's childhood team--are so-so. He's more wrapped up with baseball for his home-team right now. I don't get zone coverage as a regular strategy; never have, particularly. But I also don't get sport strategy on most levels. I watch for the banging into each other, the beautiful passes and running plays, and the sheer lunacy of it all.

3x Thursday

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Are You Afraid?

1. Are you afraid to die? Why/why not?

Not really. I'm afraid of the potentially-long road that leads up to it, not being a fan of pain or frustration. Death itself, strangely, has become not exactly friendly-sounding (cuz, really, I'm not suicidal!), just not scary. I used to be afraid of it. Now it's like any other event in the future: it's there, you can't remember/know exactly when it arrives, but it'll be there, you might as well plan for it.

2. Are you afraid of getting old? Why/why not? Do you have any fears about getting old? If so, what are they? If not, why not?

I don't have fears about getting old per se. I have fears about my body deciding to play tricks on me. Being the Way Youngest means I get to see a lot of the possibilities: heart disease, cancer, Parkinson's, knee surgery, diabetes, back surgery, etc. Maybe I'll forge my own path...I just hope it's not a worse one!

3. In general, do you feel safe? How so/how not?

Yes. We live in a relatively crime-free area (major felony crimes, at least), and are careful about our behaviors, trying to keep ourselves from situations that scream danger. Except driving; can't avoid that.

Loaded Questions

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Hypotheticals: If you could bring someone famous back from the grave, who would you choose?

No thanks. They'd just be muddled about what has changed since they left, plus I expect I'd be very let-down by them in person.

Anything Goes: Where do you not mind waiting?

Dentist's waiting rooms, before I'm in The Chair. The mammogram waiting room. Otherwise, I suck at waiting; it's one thing that, if there were a course, I'm sure I'd flunk no matter how many times I took it!

No-Brainers: What do you hate sharing with people?

My toothbrush. My bath-time (usually). And, deep secrets, in person. I know, I know...that doesn't make any sense, but there ya go.

Personals: Where is your birthmark?

That presumes I have one! The only thing I can think that might count is a small bump under my right earlobe (I had to check which ear!). It bothered me a lot--was more noticeable--when I was small, but I don't even see it anymore.

80s TV

You're Cheers


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Day

what day of the week are you?

You are Monday. You are versatile, and can get along with almost anyone. You are also a hard worker and laziness ticks you off.

Your best friend days: Every day EXCEPT Sunday
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I like Mondays a lot. And the part about Sundays just makes me laugh......