Sunday Stealing

(Link in meme-roll) 

Misc questions 

1. Which is more romantic: an expensive, glittering bouquet OR flowers that were hand picked as they grew beside the parkway? 

I am far from fussy, especially these days. But I'm less likely to sneeze at greenhouse flowers.

2. Do you know yourself well enough to understand why you feel the way you do? 

Years of therapy have helped with this.

3. Which do you do more often: let movies, songs and books put your feelings into words for you or put your feelings into words by yourself? 

Of late, it's been "feel the feelings all the time." I don't really see too many movies and reading has been hard this year.

4. Do you believe celebrities when they are endorsing a product? 

I don't pay a lot of attention to ads, and I'd like to think the person in the ad means nothing, but I just got stung by ThirdLove so I guess I do sometimes.

5. What kind of movies do you wish were made more often?

Good ones. It would be nice if we (the audience) would refuse to see the crappy ones.

6. Does fashion matter to you? 

Not really.

7. Should politicians be held to the same legal standards as everyone else? 

Of course they should! Some might argue they should be held to a higher standard.

8. If you became president, whom would you invite to sing at your inauguration? 

My go-to would be a classmate of Sparky's who sings at our church. But I have no interest in running for any office whatsoever.

9. Do you try to write/say what you are feeling in a true and simple way? 

Yes.

10. What is your worst daily habit? 

Sleeping. I just got up from an afternoon nap.

11. If you had your choice which one TV show would you have canceled? 

If I never heard another word about the whole "Game of Thrones" debacle, it will be too soon.

12. Do you like the taste of sweet or salt? 

I strongly prefer sweet, but I'm currently eating salted peanuts.

13. Are you very precise about what words you use to describe your feelings and thoughts?

I try to be. They aren't always read or heard precisely, though.

14. What do you feel the most guilty about? 

Presupposing I feel guilty about anything (a pretty solid presupposition in my case, but still....), I had a long moment of "why isn't Beasty living here?" this morning.

15. Do you meditate?

Not as such. I ponder, I pray, I focus on the clock ticking...

Tea

(Found here)

black: how much personal space do you like?

I'm a midwesterner, so a fair amount compared to (for instance) southern Europeans, New Yorkers, etc. If you get close enough to me that I can smell your breath when you talk, you're too close. Especially if you had spicy/oniony food recently. Or, for cryin' out loud, BOOZE! Back the fuck right off!

chamomile: describe your sleep schedule

I shoot to head to bed by 9:30 so I can be asleep before 11. I'm usually awake at some point between 1 and 4 for an hour or so (usually more), and I'm out of bed no later than 7:30, though it varies from day to day. Often, I'm working on 5-6 hours average for several nights running. Or less.

dandelion: when you make wishes who are they for?

World peace. Me and Andie McDowell. Maybe there's something in the water around here....

elderflower: do you get sick often?

Define "often." I don't, not really, but I often feel like death in the colder months of the year, mostly psychosomatic.

fennel: how do you feel right now?

I'm exhausted. Considering I've had the last three days off work, I feel like I need a vacation! This semi-nursing situation at home just sucks. So much to worry about, all the time.

ginger: what animal do you act like?

I fear I am very much like my nickname on line. And often, not a very nice feline, either.

ginseng: post a photo of somewhere you feel calm

I don't have a picture of my bed, asleep. Or the driver's seat of my car on a country road with the sun shining and no worries.

green: list your top 3 motivators

1. Fear. 2. Love. 3. Stubbornness.

hibiscus: do you like when people try to start a conversation with you?

That is 100% dependent on the person. In general, when I'm out in public doing my own thing, no. At work, I don't mind, up to a point. And if you're creepy, do not talk to me. Ever.

kava: post your favorite color scheme

I like blue. Seriously, throw me in a blue room, or a room with blue furnishings and I'll be fine.

lavender: does physical activity help you relax?

Mindless stuff does...until it doesn't. I get antsy and bored if I do too much mindless physical stuff.

lemon: how differently do you behave when you're by yourself versus when you're with others?

I hope it's not a lot different. I suppose I talk to myself more when no one's around, since there's no one else to talk to. ;-)

matcha: do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?

Sunrise.

mint: what song gives you energy?

Almost anything by Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, or Pink will do.

nettle: is there anything you do when you feel guilty?

I get defensive and irritable.

oolong: where do you see yourself in five years?

Here is fine. I do hope that Beast isn't on Round Three of back pain. I'm tired of this.

peppermint: are you self righteous?

I can be, yes.

rooibos: if a conversation bothers you, will you speak up about it?

Oh, probably. I seem to have lost a lot of my etiquette filters over the years (assuming I had any to start with).

white: do you think family is important?

If your family isn't totally toxic, yes. Family is the most important thing, unless they are horrible people. I'm not, for a change, being flippant either. My family has a few nutjobs, but I love them all--when I don't want to bash them on their heads--and I know they've got my back. But we also tend to be generally rational, ethical, kind, and law-abiding.

Sunday Stealing

(Link in meme-roll)
Fun Fifteen

1. You have been awarded the time off from work and an all-expenses paid week anywhere in the United States. The catch is that it must be somewhere you have not been before. Where do you choose to visit?

"Anywhere I haven't been," eh? OK, then: Hawaii it is.

2. Name your guilty pleasures.

Sugar. Candy, cookies, ice cream, cake, you name it; if it's made of sugar, I'm pretty much there.

3. The best kind of milkshake is:

Butterscotch, but I prefer a malt over a shake.

4. What do you value most in other people?

Humor.

5. Be honest. Do you sneak some raw cookie dough when you’re baking cookies?

You might want to check out #2 for a refresher. I don't usually bake cookies--and not just because I don't usually have cookie dough around.

6. Have you ever looked back at your life and realized that something you thought was a bad thing was actually a blessing in disguise?

Yes, so many times. The roughest times are also the times I've done a lot of learning and growing. Freshman year in college, 1000 miles from home and as homesick as it's possible to be having never been away from family more than a couple of nights, was a particularly steep learning curve.

7. What is the most beautiful place you have ever visited?

Diametric opposites for a tie: the Rocky Mountains and the Aegean.

8. Are you more of a thinker or a feeler?

I'm pretty good at disconnecting emotions in a crisis, but I'm more of a feeler usually.

9. Name three things you are thankful for right now.

Air conditioning, inspiring sermons at church, and afternoon naps during NASCAR races. Re the latter, there really isn't a better background noise than the engines of racecars on TV for sleeping.

10. Have you ever participated in a three-legged race?

Oh my! Yes, I think? Has to be forty years ago though. Y'know, they really should put that in the Olympics--what a ticket-seller that would be!

11. When you are at an event that plays the National Anthem, do you place your hand over your heart?

Of course I do: I'm a Midwesterner! I sing, too.

12. Have you ever been on the wrong side of the law?

Uhm, I speed in my car every day. Much worse than that, though, not so much.

13. When was the last time you unintentionally surprised someone else?

I scared the living shit out of someone at work the other day: she leapt up and forward in her chair when I said her name. By the time, she'd pulled herself together and I'd stopped apologizing, I'd forgotten what I needed to ask her.

14. When was the last time you deliberately surprised someone else?

I can't remember. I think we did a party for someone this year sometime, but I can't remember details, not even the 'surprisee.'

15. What was the last really funny movie you watched?

I can't remember. We did catch most of "The War of the Worlds" (Tom Cruise, et al.) last weekend, but I can't think of a comedy we've watched.

Thursday Thunks

(Link in meme-roll)
What's in a Name?

1. We are changing your name. You have no choice. You get to pick it, but we must approve it. You must have a good reason. Ok, what is the name and reason?

Jo Hainault [spelled differently, though]. It's based on my mom's name. Sorta-kinda.

2. I say Shotgun, you say?

"Where are we going that you're calling shotgun?"

3. We are sending you away. Africa or Mexico?

Oh, jeez. This isn't easy. For how long will I be 'away'? Do I get to pick precisely WHERE? Because there are some places in Africa I'd love to visit, but I actually speak Spanish.

4. When you're home alone, do you still close the door when you use the restroom?

Usually not, especially if I know Sparky's in school and Beast is out of town, i.e. there's not a chance anyone will wander in.

5. Berleen told me that I have to ask a mean question. Tell us about a horrible memory.

Childbirth sucked.
Moving on....

6. What are your plans for October?

Stay alive. Lose some weight (again), if I can get back on that wagon. Visit three colleges with Sparky. Buy candy to pass out on Halloween. Maybe attend the local satellite Rally for Sanity.

7. Is there anyone that you regret ever meeting ?

Not really. I have learned a great deal from almost everyone. Maybe a few library patrons that were BEYOND annoying, like the guy who called to tell my boss that I'd sworn at him on the phone; I'd said something about "screwing up" which I guess if you were born in 1915, would perhaps be 'swearing' if you're a complete asswipe. He looked so much like Orville Redenbacher that I stopped buying that brand of popcorn.

8. You have 3 months left to live, what do you do?

Update my will, find a place to be buried or scattered, PLAY, travel to some of the places I'd wanted to do, write letters to people to read when I'm gone. Clean? Naaaahhhhh.

9. You wake up in an unfamiliar place, what is your first reaction?

Put my glasses on. Hey presto: not so unfamiliar after all!!

10. Your phone rings at 4am, just before you kill this person, who do you expect it would be?

OK, I'm unlikely to kill anyone because either a) it's a wrong number so I'm unlikely to know who they are, or b) it's bad news from someone in the family.

11. You're having a bad day, what one thing can make your day better?

Taking a nap. At home.

12. You are doing a meme written by the blogosphere's shadiest character. Is there anything else that you should be doing right now?

Right before I read this, I said to Beast, "Once I finish this meme, I will go clean up the kitchen and put the food away." Seriously. No guilt in my life, eh?

13. If money were not a problem, (and it never is, right? Yes, I stole this f$%*ing question. Sue me.) where would you like to live?

In the mountains in Colorado, in a relatively small, but quirky, house not very near any neighbors, but with OUTSTANDING Internet access.

Alternate Saturday 6

(Link in blogroll)
The Random Six

1. What was your favourite show on TV when your were little?

When I was really little it was a local cartoon show. Between cartoons, the host would draw pictures and talk to us kids watching her.

2. What’s the first CD/LP that you bought?

It was a compilation disc...with one decent song on it. Long gone, I'm afraid.

3. Who is the most famous person you have ever met?

I have met only one famous person, and he was hardly famous, so...blergh. I avoid these sorts of things on pain of death.

4. What’s your most guiltiest of pleasures?

Intentional use of poor grammar.

5.What’s the worst habit you have or had?

Biting my nails.

6.Describe yourself in three words?

Tonight I'm cranky.

Curious as a Cat

(Link in blogroll)

1) What one quality of your mother’s would you most like to share?

Her strength and stubbornness. They are hard to separate; they seem to feed on each other.

2) If you promised never to lie about anything ever again, in what area of your life would be it the hardest for you to keep the promise?

Feelings. Both mine and other peoples'.

3) If you found a fifty dollar bill in a vacant lot, what would you do with it?

I'd keep it. I'm not that way--if the lot really is vacant, and there really aren't any people around, I'd keep it. I would probably donate it, but I wouldn't waste any guilt in trying to figure out who dropped it.

4) What good deed that you didn’t do when you had the opportunity do you wish you had done?

There are so many...I wish I could take back some of the stuff I've said to one of the youth group members over the past year; I'm pretty hard on her.

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 is my mixer. It's also my mom's. I love these kind, because they are real workhorses that hold up to everything. Mom's was still working when she moved out of her apartment a few years ago--after almost 50 years of cakes, pies, and mashed potatoes!

Curious as a Cat

(Link in blogroll)

1) What book has most touched your soul?

"The Hiding Place," by Corrie Ten Boom. I think of its lessons on a very regular basis, at least weekly if not more often.

2) How do you think being a teenager today is different from when you were a teenager?

Obviously, the physiology is the same, but I think culturally we put an awful lot of 'stuff' on teens that is unnecessary. Maybe more than we used to? They are certainly exposed to things now that I wasn't at the same age. On the other hand, I grew up in the disco era, so what do I know? :-)

3) If you found out for sure there was no afterlife at all, would you change how you live your life?

I think I've mostly recovered from living my life on a promise of reward, or punishment.

4) What is the biggest regret of your life so far?

The amount of time I spent worrying about whether I was going to heaven or hell.

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

I love moose. Moose are one of the reasons I like Maine so much. Most times we have been there, if we drive a little bit north at dusk we have been able to see at least a half dozen (individual) moose loping through the woods. They are unbelievably odd-looking but somehow it works, which is sort of inspiring.

Curious as a Cat

1) What one thing makes your husband/wife/lover/best friend feel the guiltiest?

Making me cry. Unfortunately, I was raised to cry at the drop of a hat, so there is guilt galore 'round Cat 'n Beast's house. [And no: I do NOT do the crying thing on purpose!!]

2) What makes you laugh?

Babies. Kids in general. Stupid jokes ("bangity bangity") ("hare today, goon tomorrow"), and puns. Kind-hearted cleverness.

3) Who is the least spiritual person you know?

My first answer was going to be Amy, but that's wrong, from virtually any standpoint. Uh, jeez, I seem to be surrounded by spiritualists, er, spiritual people! Maybe my brother...?

4) What is the biggest surprise you've ever had?

Waking up after exploratory surgery without reproductive organs (and an appendix) was a bit...uh, unexpected, and so were the earnest discussions about chemotherapy with a gynecologist I had met only 24 hours previously.

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

OK, fair cop: This dog looks a great deal like Shady, the dog we had for 14 years, and who was possibly the most amiable, loving, bighearted dog ever. The ears on this dog are different: Shady had German Shepherd ears. But the expression on that face: "THROW the BALL! THROW it NOW! aRUUh?" I just want to kiss that nose. Sux to be allergic.... which I found out about a year after we got Shady. Worst, most useless advice from a doctor ever: "I'm not going to bother treating you (for eye problems) if you insist on keeping a dog that you know you are allergic to. Get rid of it!" Fuckhead asshat dipshit. Instead of getting rid of the dog, I ditched the doc.

I hope Shady and I end up in the same heaven.

Curious as a Cat

(Link in blogroll)

1) What is the worst experience you have ever had in a car?

I have been carsick in so many cars that it kind of negates the whole category as an option (I don't think I've ever thrown up, but there is a point at which I'd rather just get it over with). I've also--knock wood--never been in a serious accident. A couple of times I've come really close to a big wreck, though, and those are times that replay themselves over and over in my brain when I'm in a particularly freakout-able mood. Then there are those times when I've been in a car with others who are in the middle of an argument--that's not fun. Probably the scaredest I've been, however, is driving in really awful weather, be it wind, hail, blinding rain, blizzard.... Knowing that there's no way out of the situation but to forge forward, with the constant temptation to pull over, and therefore become a target...ugh.

2) Who is your personal hero, and why?

I don't think I 'do' heroes. Sorry. Moving on. I am easily, and all-too-frequently, disappointed. Doesn't mean there aren't a lot of people I look up to, just that I am far to realistic and practical to fall for too much. Some of that, of course, also is a reaction to events of this winter.

3) Name the one thing you have done that has caused you the most guilt during your lifetime.

Damn. Everything makes me feel guilty. I relive everything. It's awful sometimes in my head.

4) What is the most important duty or chore you perform regularly?

Grocery shopping. I was going to say "saying I love you to those I love" but that's not really a chore. Y'all know I hate shopping.... ;-)

5) Show and Tell. What comes to mind first when you see this picture? Or, tell a story if it reminds you of one.
Photo © Cat. 2006

I took this photo just before I cleared off the top of my dresser a couple of years ago. It was a disaster (and it is moving back that way now, too!). Let's see what I can make out: jewelry box from MIL, now kept in my closet. Lilac-scented candle from B&BW. More candles--tealights--in the square box in the back, next to the candle stand. The remote for my Bose radio (10 feet across the room...ridiculous). My work keys and phone. Photos of the wall behind the bathroom mirror showing all the pipes and ductwork before it was drywalled in. Altoids and Kleenex. Mother's Day and Val. Day cards from Beast. A small brown pottery bowl with odds and ends in it. A photo of Sparky at 18 months. There are some small tacks from our first house--they were holding the curtains back in our bedroom when we moved in. There's even a package of gum there if you look REAAAALLLLY closely.