Sunday Stealing x3

(Link in meme-roll)
The Alice Through the Looking Glass Meme

If your life was a book, what would be its title?

Plot? What Plot? seems about right.

Who is/was the weirdest person in your life?

I see weird people DAILY. You want weird coworkers, weird family members, weird members of the public, weird neighbors? I have someone--at least one person--in each category. Mostly, I enjoy Teh Weeerd. Sometimes, it makes me want to punch walls. Today was about half and half.

What is a special thing that someone once did for you?

I think the trick here is to notice the special things more than it is to expect big gestures of love from people. Possibly the nicest thing someone's done for me this week is driving me from work to pick up Beast after he had a diabetic situation Friday night. But the flight attendants on the plane, the car driver, and others I don't even know about were spectacularly on-point last Monday on our trip home from vacation.

If you could erase someone off the planet, who would it be?

My first reaction was political. Instead I'll just say that I'm not going to be sad when Crazy Cat Woman retires from my workplace in less than a month.

What’s a big goal that you have?

I have never been a Big Goal person. I'd like to retire someday. That's looking more and more like it will be some fairy-tale distance away.

If you could time travel and meet yourself at 16, what would you tell yourself?

Like I would listen to someone my age at 16?? I'd probably just pat myself on the back and suggest being a little more careful around booze and people who love it.

If it were the last day of your life, how would you spend it?

With kids. It would be wonderful to just sit around and play with some toddlers or babies, read them some books, get some sticky hugs and kisses...what a way to go.

If you could meet any celebrity, who would it be and why?

I would kind of like to meet Tammy Duckworth. She seems like the kind of straight shooter in person that I like in public office. I'd like to tell her that not only do I appreciate her service in the military, but I appreciate her service to our country since she came back home.

What is one thing that you would never do that others you know have done?

I'm pretty sure that I'll never drive drunk.

What is one romance depicted in film that you’d love to experience?

Wow. Uhm. I'm not much of a romance-watcher. The Tracy-Hepburn dynamic, though, that is fun.

Describe yourself in just one sentence.

"O.M.G." (and not in any theological sense)

Who is the most beautiful person on earth?

Really, any random newborn is pretty awesome. It may be the last time we are every fully ourselves, right after birth, before we start wearing other peoples' expectations.

What was the best experience in your life?

I've had a lot of good experiences. One of the best was getting my mom giggling during church in the middle of quiet prayer and then both of us giggling through the Lord's Prayer. It was strange, epic, and 100% unlikely.

If you could rule the world, what would you change?

So . Many . Things. Certain famous people who talk bullshit will be wearing a lot of duct tape over their mouths until they learn how to STFU when they have nothing productive to say.

Where were you when you heard the news of 9/11?

At church. Beast called while I was doing some volunteer work. I got in the car and turned on the radio while I headed home, turned on the TV when I got there and got a call from our brand-new pastor who had no TV service. So I watched the second tower fall with him and his wife, who was totes panicking: "I need to go to the grocery store! We need to stock up on food!"

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The Martial Arts Meme

Who was the last person that you held hands with?

Beast. Yesterday, I think.

Are you loud, outgoing or shy?

Yup. All of the above on varying occasions.

Who are you looking forward to see[ing]?

I can't think of anyone I'm desperate to see. I just finally met all but one of my great-nephews and -nieces, so it would be nice to see the only remaining unmet one. I'm not sure about going to Texas anytime soon though, and my understanding is that his parents are perhaps not together anymore. This makes me sad, but I'm treating it as rumor till I hear from someone definitively.

Are you easy to get along with?

Usually. Unless you're an idiot. Then I might be a little hard on you.

Have you ever given up on someone, only to let them back into your lives? Why?

Yes. Once. I shoulda stuck to my guns, but fortunately it wasn't a huge waste of time.

If you were ill, which TV doctor or nurse would you want to take care of you?

Honestly, if I were terrifically and suddenly ill, Johnny Gage's presence at my side in the ambulance could probably manage to put me back on the road to health before even arriving at the ER.

Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable?

Yes, it does. I'm so my parents' kid. Having admitted that, I tried very hard to keep my personal ooshiness out of sight whenever Sparky was in need of straight talk. The need to be honest definitely trumped the prude in me.

Who was the last person that you had serious conversation with?

Beast, after I got home from work today. Life is fraught right now and sometimes emotions boil over.

What was the last text message you received about?

Last Fbook PM: "Fair. :P I've just started throwing 'yins' into casual conversation."
Last text: "Yea. She makes a good date."
Last Google Hangout: "Almost got a ticket for not using hands free"
WhatsApp: "Haha! Guess that's a nice sort of problem to have?"
Not one is from the same person and they are all completely unrelated issues, but there is some sense of continuity there.

Do you believe in luck and/or miracles?

I completely believe in miracles! My life is full of them. Luck too, mostly of the good variety. I have to say, though, that this is another case of seeing what you look for and getting back from life what you put out into the world.

What good thing happened this summer?

Uhm. It was not exactly a stellar summer. I found some serenity and some freedom. Sparky got out of a lousy roommate situation and into a new apartment of his own. And then a EEEUUUGGGE implosion for Beast at the end of summer from which we'll be recovering for quite awhile. We still haven't seen all the final ramifications as yet. So I'm learning some more about patience, too.

Convince us why we should or should not believe in life on other planets?

You can believe whatever you want, as far as I'm concerned. Until we actually find life in space, you have that option. I find it hard to believe that we're alone, as big as the universe is, but I also doubt extraterrestrial life will look anything like us, should we ever run into it.

Who was your first crush on?

David Cassidy. I was 9. Or maybe 8.

Favorite part of daily routine?

Washing my face, brushing my teeth, putting on pajamas, and climbing into bed with my Nook to read or puzzle.

Do you like your neighbors?

Of the ones I know, all but one are good people. We have some new people we haven't met yet. And the neighborhood Dirty Old Man is (YAY!) moving. Or at least the house is for sale.

What’s your worst feature?

My teeth. They are really getting yellow as I age. :(

Have you ever had trust issues?

Huh. Not until the last few years. I'm still horribly gullible, though.

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The "Doing Questions Like It's 2003" Meme

Tell us about your pets. If you don’t have one, share why you don’t.

We have one lazy little guinea pig named Pinto. He's a cutie, but he will be the last. I'm retiring my zoological chores when he dies.

Name three things that are close to you.

Physically close? I'm surrounded by heaps of stuff that have accrued as I unpacked last week. There are three things here I need to mail tomorrow, a book about the discovery of Richard III (brought home from vacation), and a half a liter of Diet Coke that I've been working on all afternoon.

How was the weather for your summer?

It was good. Too muggy here at the end, but I can't complain about the temperatures: they never got wildly out-of-control hot.

What was the last film you saw? Did you like it?

We went and saw the last Star Trek movie when it came out. It was ok. I like the original timeline better.

Tell us about the last trip that you took.

We just got back last Monday from visiting my English family and attending the wedding of my nephew there. He was married in Bristol in probably the weirdest and yet the most fun wedding I've ever attended. Then we spent about a week driving to my nieces' homes in northern and central England and meeting and getting to know their kids. The weather was wonderful, and the kids were great, and it was good to see people I haven't been able to spend time with in 5 years.

Where do you buy groceries? Why?

Meijer, mostly, and increasingly Aldi. And a local standalone grocery. And a local chain that's only in the immediate metropolitan area in which I live. Mostly in that order.

Tell us something that you did today. Or will do if you haven’t had your morning coffee yet.

I worked. Today was Crazy Cat Woman's and Supplies' last Sunday to work before they retire. I'm sad that Supplies is going--in spite of her politics being 180 from mine, I've really come to like and admire her--but CCW can't leave soon enough. Anyway, I found the provenance of an unusual photo of JFK and Jackie for a patron. That was fun.

Have you pulled an all-nighter?

Kinda did that a couple of weeks ago on the flight to England. I might've gotten an hour of sorta-sleep on the plane. Maybe. At most. Before that was probably the last overseas flight, or staying up with family emergencies.

Can you taste the difference between Pepsi & Coke?

Yep.

Tell us about your siblings. How many and what do they do?

Tell ya what. Here's my family. Go read. It's current. This is not a question I love answering.

What’s the oldest thing that you own?

Several pieces of furniture. My grandparents' china (boxed in the basement). Some books that are well over 100 years old--nothing fancy or worth money, I hasten to add!