Saturday 9

(Link in meme-roll)
Nobody Told Me

1. When you grew up were you ever told how to deal with problems?

Hmmm. I'm sure I was. I don't remember any direct conversations, and I probably learned more by watching the adults in my life, but I'm sure somewhere along the line my parents told me to plow through them, that there was no avoiding them, but to keep a stiff upper lip and "git 'r done."

2. What was your first apartment like?

Tiny. Well, ok, it wasn't as small as BIL's: it had separate rooms (i.e., it wasn't an efficiency), but the bed barely fit in the bedroom, and the bedroom closet was practically hysterical in size. Good thing we didn't have much stuff, because there wasn't anywhere to put it! We were in a building probably built between WWI and WWII and despite its size, the apartment had a front and a back door--though the latter was totally blocked by the fridge. There was no counter space in the kitchen; we used the stove to stack dirty dishes before washing them. The bathroom had a window in the shower that didn't open anymore, but since it looked out on an airshaft, that was all right. We certainly could have done worse, though; the building was in pretty good repair and the tenants were mostly pretty nice.

3. What was the first car you owned?

Beast brought his 70s-era Ford Pinto in the marriage with him. When it died, we bought a used Chevy Monza and eventually a Toyota pickup. Those were my first experiences in ownership. If the Toyota was a gourmet meal at a 5-star restaurant, the Monza was more like K-rations.

4. Tell us about a crush or relationship that you had at high school.

I had a notebook full of crushes in high school, but I only dated one guy. The unfortunate thing was that I only dated him because he asked me out; I really wanted to date his brother. Fortunately, I never shared that with either of them, and the brother remains a good friend, but L and I haven't spoken in years.

5. Have you ever had an “enemy” in your life?

Besides myself, you mean? I don't know. I don't dwell on enemies, or negative behavior, just one of the many reasons you can't honestly nickname me Tricky Dick.

6. What were you doing the first night that you got drunk?

Heh. The first time I got blotto was on school-sponsored champagne in college. It was a theme weekend, that year's theme being New Year's Eve. The after-dance party included a champagne fountain--like the chocolate fountains so prevalent today, which is part of why I'm not a big fan of chocolate fountains--which I used perhaps 12-13 times in about 45 minutes. Once we left, I didn't make it to the door of the Union, but instead made it to the bathrooms in the basement and spent who-knows-how-long bringing the champagne back up. My roommate stayed with me, eventually calling Security who had to carry me home to the dorm with a garbage pail under my face. SO EMBARRASSING! Still can't drink cheap champagne 29 years later.

7. Ten years ago, what was you job and did you like it?

I think it was about 10 years ago that I started doing the cataloging at my workplace. I love(d) my workplace, love the job, like most of the people. I'm very fortunate.

8. What movie had the biggest impact on you as a child and why?

We didn't go to the movies that often, but I have some very vivid memories of Paint Your Wagon. And, oddly, Tora! Tora! Tora! which I thought was going to be a bullfighting movie, but instead was a deadly dull movie full of people talking. Oh, and Dr. Zhivago...it appeared in my consciousness just at the point when I was ready to fall for the romance of big movies (and stories) like that.

9. What are your plans for this weekend?

I work today--need to hit the road in ten minutes, tops. Tomorrow, I have Sunday School with the kidlets for the first time since before Christmas, and then we're putting away Christmas. :'(