Sunday Stealing

(Link in meme-roll)
Shout Out The Answer Meme

Do you shout out the answers at the TV while watching quiz shows?

Only if I'm alone. I've discovered how annoying it is when someone does that while you're trying to watch (and figure out the answers).

Do you get over-involved with TV or movie plots at times?

Define "over-involved." lol
I've dreamed about TV shows. And yes, I do find myself pondering the show--or rather the characters--at odd times at work or while doing chores.

What's the highest hill or mountain you've ever climbed?

I grew up in the mountains of Colorado. While I never "climbed a mountain" in the sense of people doing Everest, I've been up my share of 12,000-foot+ high peaks. And rooted around the sides of several of those for fun too. From bottom to top in one go, that would be Big Squaw Mountain with my mother-in-law, Beast, and his brother in about 1988.

Do you have a piggy bank?

I do. One of these days I'll take a picture of it so I can post it. I love that bank!

What's the fastest you've ever traveled in a car?

TOO fast. I was in a car going close to 100 mph in traffic probably 20 years ago. It was exhilarating and stupid as hell.

Could you ever hand milk a cow?

Probably not. I suspect whichever cow got stuck with me would be pretty irritated pretty quickly, and I'd probably get smacked with a hoof or two. Also, I don't think my hands would hold up long enough. Yay, RSI.

Which was your favorite science? Biology, Physics or Chemistry?

Bio, once we got past cells. I hated the always-too-lengthy focus on cells, but systems, oh yeah! Loved muscles, skeletons, even nerves and digestive systems! OK, not a fan of all the stomach enzymes, but otherwise......SO COOL!

Have you ever had a surprise party? (that was an actual surprise)

I had two surprise baby showers before Sparky was born! Clearly, my brain wasn't working very well that both times I was 100% clueless. I threw a surprise graduation party for Beast when he got his MBA--at our house! He had no idea.

Have you ever warn clothing with the labels/tags still attached?

Nowadays, with the printed-on tags, I do it all the time. :-) And yes. Not too long ago, someone had to peel something off the back of my leg off of pants I was wearing for the first time. That was a little embarrassing.

Have you ever slipped on a banana skin?

Nope. I wonder where that comes from? Did people used to do that? Or was that a stand-in for all the piles of manure that used to litter streets prior to cars?

Are you scared of the dark?

Nope. I actually love darkness. I fully respect the power of darkness to mess with our senses, though. Ever been underground in a cave with no flashlight? Yeah. Awesome-scary.

Do you have a lawyer?

Hmmm. I know a fair number of attorneys, but I haven't paid any of them recently. We really need to go get our wills updated, though. Soon.

If you had a paid year off, what would you want to do?

Travel! I would love to do a world cruise.

How long did you[r] last phone call last?

...I can't even remember the last time I used a phone outside of work calls. My last work call, yesterday, was probably only a minute of actual phone time, with a period on hold in the middle. Personal call.....jeez, I think it's been over a week, when I call someone in Al-Anon about missing a meeting where I had meant to drop off boxes.

Have you ever helped someone across the road?

Yup. Everyone in my family is older than me, and many of them are or have been frail.

Have you ever been wolf whistled in public?

Ugh, thank God I'm old now!! I was first wolf-whistled while sitting on my front lawn when I was about 11. Who the FUCK does that?

Friday 5

(Link in meme-roll)
Fireday 5

1. What kind of campfire experience do you have?

I can build one, if pressed, and keep it going assuming there is wood around. The smoke generally follows me wherever I stand. I like to watch the firelight as it burns down into embers. And I'm not a big s'mores fan (though, ironically, right now I am eating a S'mores Blizzard).

2. How are you with a charcoal grill?

Meh. Don't like charcoal. Messy. Give me a gas grill any day, but also give me someone else to cook on it. I don't 'do' grilling.

3. What was the occasion for which you last lit a candle?

I think I lit one while I soaked in the bathtub sometime sort of recently. Meaning, sometime since Christmas.

4. What food, usually consumed cooked, do you prefer raw? (Alternate question: What food, usually consumed raw, do you prefer cooked?)

Cookie dough, of course. And for the alternate question: tomatoes, in sauces.

5. What was the occasion for your last getting all fired up?

Hmmm. I was very glad to see all our friends' kids last weekend, but I dreaded spending time with their mom. It all turned out ok, but she really is a pistol.

Blogthings

Your Style is Bright

You are an optimistic and sunny person. And you like your surroundings to be as bright and as cheery as you are. You love colorful things, but you also understand that less is more. You are likely to work with a home's natural sunlight and architecture. You aren't afraid to make bold choices in decorating and in the rest of your life. You like to be surrounded by things, people, and events that pop. There is nothing subdued or boring about your style. However, you are never too much - you are just the right amount!

What's Your Decorating Style?

Who knew I had style?! I do like bright rooms--there's nothing more depressing to me than a room without light, even when the lights are on.

Late Saturday memes

(Both are linked in the meme-roll)
Patrick's Place -- Saturday Six

1. How many flashlights do you own?

We probably have close to two dozen scattered around the house, in virtually every room. I even have one at work plugged in and charging under my desk. We lose power (at home and at work) often enough that this is important.

2. When did you last use a flashlight?

Last night when I was bringing the laundry up to our room after Beast was asleep. I needed to see where not to swing the basket as I passed his feet.

3. When is the last time you lost power at your home?

Within the last month. Like I said, it happens fairly often. I don't even pay a lot of attention anymore; we have a generator, and even when Beast is out of town, I have directions on how to connect it up to the house electrical panel if we're dark for more than a few hours. I haven't had to do that (yet) this year, though.

4. How many light bulbs do you have installed in various fixtures in your home right now?

In counting them up, I get about 42 on the main floor (and porches and garage) of the house, about 32 upstairs, and I didn't even try to deal with whatever is going on downstairs in the basement! So, yeah, about 100. And why do they seem to all go more or less at the same time? I did not include Christmas tree lights, by the way. lol

5. Of those, how many bulbs are the new "CFL" bulbs?

At least half. Some of our lamps don't accept the shape/size of the CFL bulbs, and several of our fixtures require really odd-shapped (smaller- or larger- than standard) bulbs. Where we can, we use them.

6. If you could eliminate either the old-style Edison bulbs or the new-style CFL bulbs, which would get the axe and why?

I'm not really much of a fan of either. The new ones are dangerous if they get broken, and the older ones are designed to fail. The old original Edison bulbs were much better in terms of conservation. Really hate fluorescents, though, 100%!

Saturday 9 -- Band on the Run

1) This song is about a band of musicians that escapes on an adventure. Do you consider yourself spontaneous and adventurous?

Of the two people currently living in this house, I'm way, way, WAY more spontaneous. But we're both rather adventurous in slightly different ways. We like a good challenge.

2) Paul McCartney and Wings traveled all the way to Lagos, Nigeria, to record Band on the Run. That's a long, long way from London. What's the farthest from home you've ever been?

Beijing.

3) Wings featured Linda McCartney on keyboards. Paul said that when Linda died, after almost 30 years together, he lost the love of his life. Who is the love of your life? Or have you yet to meet him/her?

Well, I've been married 27 years, have known Beast fairly well for three years before that... So I guess that means Beast is the love of my life. In the words of Tevye & Golde: It doesn't change a thing / But even so / After twenty-five years / It's nice to know

4) Paul has said he's very proud of Band on the Run, his most successful post-Beatles album. Brag a little. Tell us something you're proud of.

I'm really proud of my son, for whom I can't completely claim credit, but it is nice to see him getting more mature and dealing with the pitfalls of life with some calm and sensible ways. We talked today for the first time in almost two weeks and he has been dealing with a helluva a lot of not-good-things this past week, without once calling us to whine.

5) Paul's birth certificate reads "James Paul McCartney." He's named for his father, Jim. Are you named after anyone?

I'm, supposedly, named after a friend of one of my sisters. They 'suggested' it to my parents because the girls felt my parents' name-choosing skills had been shown to be lacking in the extreme. I'm not so sure the name I ended up with was any worse than anything my parents would have picked. My dad, after all, had had a sister named "Rowena" which is a delightful name, not that I have any idea that they'd've used it!

6) Paul enjoys oil painting in his spare time. What's one of your hobbies?

Wasting time.

7) 20 Forthlin Road, Paul McCartney's boyhood home, has been turned into a museum by the British government. It's a modest 2 bedroom cottage, with a drainpipe that Paul used to climb to sneak in after curfew. How would you describe your childhood home?

My dad designed and built it--it's one of two in the world with the same floor plan. Two bedrooms on the main floor, a full basement with another (big) bedroom, a playroom and lots of storage (and a second bathroom). When I arrived on the scene rather tardily, Dad added a room above the garage that became the master bedroom (it is a GIANT room: probably something like 12 x 30'). The hallway to the bedrooms on the main floor curves to create enough space; if the corner had been squared, there would be no hallway.

8) Paul is 5'11". How tall are you?

I'm about 3" shorter than he.

9) Actor Christopher Lee is on the album cover. He played Dracula in a series of movies in the 1950s and 1960s. Who is your favorite vampire?

I'm not really much into vampires, having seen 'Salem's Lot at an impressionable age. I find the whole concept way past creepy, medieval in all the bad ways, and kind of nauseating. And that's just the 'traditional' vampires; do NOT get me started on the more modern 'sparkly' variety!!

Thursday This or That

(Link in meme-roll)

Christmas lights: White or Colored?

I generally prefer colored, but this year we have all white. Yuck.

Real tree or Fake?

Fake.

Themed ornaments or Sentimental ornaments?

Sentimental. Though we have a bunch of themed ornaments too.

Sugar cookies or Gingerbread Men?

Sugar cookies.

Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?

Egg nog.

Curious as a Cat

(Link in meme-roll)

1) What is a good cure for insomnia? What do you usually do when you have insomnia?

Exhaustion can help cure insomnia. When I can't sleep, I don't lie there sweating it, I get up and read or do a crossword till I drop off. If things are really dire, I go sleep (or read, or do crosswords) in the living room, or the spare room. Nothing electronic, no TV, just eyeballs. And if it looks like my own body isn't going to cooperate, I'm not above using Tylenol PM or Benedryl to kick me over.

2) Duct tape: love it or hate it?

Love it. Really. I love it a lot. Not as much as my friend Grace who has grown up making things of duct tape and in fact has a full-on rack of every color duct tape made. She intends to win the duct-tape prom dress competition when she's old enough.

3) List the 5 worst pickup lines you've heard.

They are ALL bad. Just be normal, don't be cute.

4) 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 our first year with all-white lights on the tree, because we bought a pre-lit tree. I'm hoping we can replace them a bit at a time over the next few years; I miss my colorful lights like those in the picture.

Curious as a Cat

(Link in meme-roll)

1) What do you usually want to know about someone when meeting them for the first time? Why is this information intriguing to you?

I would love to know if they have a sense of humor, and what kind it is. Then I know whether to keep a lid on the expletives or not, for instance. I'd also like to know if they like where they are in life emotionally, but that's not something that's likely to come up in conversation.

2) What season causes you the most health problems?

Fall. Allergies. Ugh.

3) Do you still own any articles of clothing from your school years? Do you ever wear it/them?

I do own quite a few things from high school and before, but I am no longer a size 0 (hah) or even smaller.

4) 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

You know, when I first saw this, I thought it was some sort of doorknob on speed. OK, then, as a light fixture, it's everything I don't like about light fixtures. This is my style:

It's the fixture over our dining room table.

Curious as a Cat

(Link in meme-roll)

1) When the power goes out, do you grab matches and candles or a flashlight first?

Flashlight. We have 'em in every room. Once I've got that, I light the oil lamp and some candles.

2) If you could personify and speak to your deepest, darkest fear, what would you say?

"Get Lost!"

3) You're gathering signatures for a petition - what's your cause?

I wouldn't be likely to do this--I suck at this sort of thing. I would, however, continue to sign petitions for environmental awareness, helping children, and generally doing the right thing.

4) 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 cake is awesome. OMG--there is no cake or other sweety-treat in the house, purposefully, and I'm kinda desperate for a piece of this one. Gaaaahhhhh!

Friday 5

(Link in meme-roll)
Unrelated

1. What’s your favorite kind of cracker?

Wheat Thins, I guess.

2. What part of your residence gets the best natural lighting?

The master bedroom and the office. They are perpendicular to each other; one faces southeast and the other faces southwest.

3. What song have you frequently listened to lately?

Today was a big Spandau Ballet day at work for some reason. Jango has days like that where it sorta gets stuck on a band some days.

4. What could you use a little break from?

Blowing my nose. Tired of being plugged up.

5. What’s going on in your town this weekend?

Big doin's surrounding a large rodent.

Lighting

You Are a Lava Lamp

You are dreamy, relaxed, and contemplative. You like to get lost inside your own head. You never know where your thoughts will take you, and you consider reflection to be a wild ride. You're happy to sit and be alone for long periods of time. You only do well with others who are like minded. You appreciate other peaceful, creative types. Great things can come when great minds get together.

Are You a Lava Lamp or a Disco Ball?

Vaguely accurate. I'm definitely NOT a disco ball, so I guess this is the lesser of two evils.

Candle light

You Should Light a Green Tea Candle

You are calm yet energetic. You take good care of yourself, and you have a lot of endurance. Like most people, you have a hectic life. But unlike others, you try to have as many moments of peace as possible. You're the type of person who's witty and insightful. You're secure with yourself, and you often have a hilarious take on life. You are expressive and apt to talk quite a bit. However, you're able to kick back and listen too.

What Scent Candle Should You Light?

OK, I'm fine with this. What does green tea smell light, though?

Beacon of Hope

(Link in blogroll)
Food 4 Thought Friday

Breakfast
What is your favorite place in your house and why? Describe it or add a photo.

It's a tie between bed and here on the couch with the laptop. I seem to spend about the same amount of quality time in each place. ;-)

Lunch
If your spouse or significant other were a light bulb, what wattage would they be? 25 -60 -75 -100 or a dim black light?

Oh, good gosh, this is an awesome question!!!
Beast would be, most of the time, a nice steady 75-watt energy-saver (MY energy is saved, certainly!) bulb, or possibly a floodlight. Lately, I think he's fading out to an old 60-watt one, or maybe a 25. It's been a rough month.

Dinner
Name something that would disqualify you if you were a contestant on Fear Factor.

I don't know the rules for "Fear Factor" since I've never watched it. However, I think my personal fears would exempt me from appearing in the first place.

Midnight Snack
What is something you do that helps you to escape for a while?

Meming. Taking a long, HOT bath is helpful too. Driving, though I don't do that much anymore with the price of gas being what it is. I already fill up the tank weekly and that's just for regular getting-through-the-days usage.

Recipe for this Week (instead of your recipe for life - what is it for just this week?)

The one just passed? Trying to stay in the zone...so metaphorically lots of bland ingredients and comfort food with anti-depressants added liberally to counter the effects of overstimulants like habaneros.

Not that this is actually what I've been eating, by the way. I had a decent (for middle America, that is) chicken curry yesterday and some vaguely healthy food most days. No habeneros, and just one meal that included mashed potatoes & gravy.

Curious as a Cat

(Link in blogroll)

1) If you could know the location (i.e., heaven, hell, other) of any one person's soul, whose would you ask about?

This is weird, but all that comes to mind is Jeffrey Dahmer. There's a long story there, but suffice to say that knowing the dispensation of his afterlife would clarify a lot of things for me.

2) When was the last time you literally screamed at the top of your lungs?

I can't remember. I have occasional short bursts of screaming during football games, but sustained screaming...? No clue.

And why is it "the top of you lungs"? Wouldn't it be more likely to scream from the bottom to get the full use of your lungs?

3) What do you think is the most beautiful word in the English language? The least beautiful?

Yes.

4) What is the most cowardly thing you've ever done?

Let others take the flak for saying something with which I agreed but was too chicken to admit in public.

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

This time of year, candles are one of the small joys in my life. They dispel the dark dreariness of the days, and give off heat (what I think of as 'hot light') and just make things more bearable. They just look so hopeful.