Sunday Stealing

(Link in meme-roll)
The Icebreaker Questions

1. Are you loud, outgoing or shy?

Yes.
I am all of the above at different times. In fact, I am the loudest librarian you've probably met. I can be very outgoing. However, the Real Me is quite shy and fearful.

2. What’s coming up where you’ll see an old friend?

.....I got nothing. I'm not even sure we're going to have a vacation this year, so unless said "old friend" comes to me, I'm gonna just be sitting here with my current friends. Of course, I have some current friends who are old.... Am I overthinking this question??

3. Are you easy to get along with?

I think so. Usually. Unless you're stupid or flat-out obnoxious.

4. Have you ever given up on someone, but then gone back to them?

I give up on people regularly, but I have a hard time holding myself to the vow to drop them. That's getting easier, but I've only gone "back" to a boyfriend once. It was a mistake.

5. Who was the last person that you had a deep conversation with?

There were a few of those at church this morning. With Sue, with Beast, with Sunday school people, with Sally, with Lee, with Gary....

6. Are you okay with being in a big crowd?

How big? Like a couple hundred people in a church or concert or theatre? Sure. Anything much more than that, then no. I really wanted to go to one of the marches yesterday, but holy shit I would have been hyperventilating the entire time. I don't even enjoy traveling as much as I used to because of the crowds in airports and so forth.

7. Do you believe in luck and/or miracles?

I do. Not in the "buy a lotto ticket" kind of luck. I've witnessed miracles and there is literally no earthly reason I'm still alive after a couple specific events.

8. What good thing happened during the summer? (It’s good to think about summer when you are freezing your butt off in January.)

My feet were warm. I miss that these days.

9. Do you think there is life on other planets?

Sure. I mean, why not?

10. Who was your first crush on?

First first was David Cassidy. I was, probably, 8. At most. I remember kissing an album cover. It's been downhill since then. ;-)

11. What are your bad habits?

Nailbiting. Making assumptions. Trying to answer rhetorical questions. Trusting people. Sarcasm. Lack of attentiveness.

12. What’s your favorite part of your daily routine?

Going to bed to read before sleep.

13. Other than your significant other, who are you most comfortable with?

Well, that's a rather ginormous assumption you've got going there... heh OK, I'm qute comfortable with myself. I guess Sparky is in there too. Not really many others, even my besties. See question #1.

14. Has an ex ever told you that they regret breaking up?

Yup. See question #4.

15. Why should your celebrity crush drop everything to be with you?

That would ruin everything!!

16. What would be the hardest to give up and why? Books. TV. Music.

Books. Or, actually, maybe music. I could write and then read my own stuff or read cereal boxes and magazines, but I gotta be able to sing.

17. Do you believe in second chances?

Yes and thank GOD for them, no??

18. What would like to do next in your life?

I'd feel better about answering this if Beast was contributing to the household income.

19. What’s the meanest thing that anyone has ever said to you?

Really? My co-teacher said something at Sunday school today about being as old as Moses today. My co-teacher is older than me, so I just gaped at him. [it was a joke, a lousy one] EVER though? Wow, so many things. Several of them said by my son in angry moments.

20. What’s the nicest thing that anyone has ever said to you?

Many years ago now, in the middle of a conversation about something entirely different, Beast said to me that one of the things he most admires (admired?) about me is how kind I am to others.

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!

W.T.F. Meme

(Link in meme-roll)
Getting a little freaky on Friday

1) If your life was a TV game show, what current show or type of show would best reflect the life you've lived?

Jeopardy. Not the word itself, but all the questions about random trivia.

2) We all know the story of "Freaky Friday" (two people change places and live in the other person's body for a day or two). If you could become any member of your family for just one day, who would you become?

I think the best person would be my niece, but it would be a horrendous day because I'd spend the whole time worrying about how she was screwing up MY life.

3) The current issue of Redbook magazine talks about how to handle your children walking in on you having sex. ... Did you ever hear your parents or *shudder* walk in on them having sex? What happened once they found out that you overheard it or saw them? Did they talk to you about it or just pretend it didn't happen?

As far as I'm concerned my parents had sex precisely 5 times. I don't even want to think about this. Moving on...

4) On opposite end of the spectrum, one of my ex-boyfriends once got a gun pulled on him when he was caught having sex with a hunter's teenage daughter. Did anyone ever catch you during a sexual activity?

It sort of depends on your definition of "sexual activity" but in general terms, no.

5) My father, an art teacher and professional artist, always said that the most beautiful people in the world usually have symmetrical faces. If beauty is mostly based on bilateral symmetry, why do you think most hairstyles are asymmetrical?

Most hairstyles are asymmetrical?? Where the heck do you live? Not around here, for sure. Middle part, maybe bangs. Yeah. People whose hair LOOKS asymmetrical probably GROWS that way; mine definitely does, no matter how I try to keep it the same on both sides.

6) Would you eat a bowl of live crickets for $10,000?

Nope. Anything still alive is not (intentionally) going into my stomach.

7) List 5 things that simply bore you to tears.

Discussions of cars and other mechanical things.
Airports.
Mopping/sweeping/dusting.
Other peoples' bragging or repetitive stories.
Star Wars.

8) Tell me about one of your totally useless possessions and how you came to own it, and don't try to tell me you don't have at least one useless item because we all have 'em.

I have a lot of ridiculous souvenirs. Uhm, let's go with the plates and platters that decorate the top of my kitchen cupboards. There are 11, I think, and two pretty bottles. At least 3 of those I purchased specifically to display--they match nothing in my house. Four are from Beast's mom's collection of pewter. Two are part of my mom's china set. Two were gifts from Beast's mom. I do use some of them once in awhile, so they aren't totally useless. Well, except the bottles, of course. ;-)

9) If farting was a career, my younger brother could seriously be a billionaire. What is a "skill" you naturally possess that you wish you could make a living doing?

Sleeping comes to mind. Avoiding work does, as well.

10) If your significant other created a scavenger hunt for your birthday during which you had to drive around town and gather clues to locate your gift, would you find it romantic or annoying?

It would be funny. Maybe I'll do that for Beast one of these days. Or, actually, Sparky would appreciate it more, I think. Beast would probably be towards the "annoyed" end of the continuum.

11) The circus is in my town this weekend. If you joined the circus, what act would you most want to perform?

I would love to trapeze! Heights don't bother me much and I love to swing.

12) What do you think would happen if it really did rain cats and dogs? I know I'd be in heaven if it happened, but what about you?

There'd be a lot of cat and dog corpses around. No thanks.

13) Today (June 24) is “UFO Day.” The first documented UFO sighting was on this day. Do you believe in life on other planets?

I believe there is a statistically significant likelihood of something else being alive somewhere else in the universe. Finding it is pretty unlikely, however.

Tina's Tuesdays

(Link at left)
Out of this World

1. If you could live on another planet besides Earth, what planet would you like to live on? Why?

Well, honestly, um, I'm sort of partial to Earth where we have food, oxygen, and my family and friends. Moving to another planet has absolutely no attraction to me. I don't hate humanity that much.

2. Do you think we are the only intelligent beings in the universe? Why?

No. There's God. And then it's just improbable that in this ginormous universe we are the only planet supporting some kind of life.

3. Using the theory that we are not the only intelligent beings in the universe, what do you think other species could be like?

I have no idea, though I suspect they bear little resemblance to anything we've seen on Earth.