1. What’s something you hide about your personality?
Online, and especially here in my little chunk of the blahgosphere, I don't really hide anything. What you see is what you get. But IRL, I hide a lot. Literally and figuratively. I don't like attention focused on me, I don't usually speak my mind face-to-face, and I am painfully shy. Most people who read my mind blahg, I mean, not mind! probably wouldn't have guessed that. People who think they know me generally don't.
2. How do you deal with criticism?
I don't handle it well, to be honest. I have quite a bit of paranoia about it. I generally feel that if you don't like something I'm doing, you must hate me. It goes along with my first answer from yesterday's Saturday 9; when you're told constantly what a piece of shit you are, you tend to believe it. If you're going to criticize me, please be gentle and couch it in love. Otherwise, I tune out. Or cry. Or both.
3. What’s something sweet you’d like someone to do for you?
Every Mother's Day, all I ask for is a clean house. I don't think I've ever gotten it. It's okay.
4. Which fictional character would you most like to have lunch with and why?
Anne Shirley from the Green Gables series. I think she'd be immensely entertaining, for one thing, and just generally good company.
5. Who would you say is your “anti” role model? Someone who serves as a warning rather than an inspiration?
Oh, that's an easy one: My evil stepmother. She taught me exactly how not to parent my own children. Everything she did, everything she was, is the opposite of how I want to be. I'm breaking the cycle of abuse: the buck stops here.
6. What’s the most infuriating thing your parents (or caregiver) do?
My father is so self-centered, even my then-seven year-old told him that the world doesn't revolve around him but rather the sun. I grew up as the "yes, Daddy, anything you say, Daddy" kid and was therefore his favorite. (Why? Because I needed his protection from his wife.) When I went off to college and got a mind of my own, that stopped completely. We're not that close anymore. I hold him at arm's length now. I'm pretty sure he hates it.
7. Which movie character do you most identify with and why?
Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind really spoke to me. I'm not saying I have that level of genius, but I feel locked inside my own brain much of the time, to the point that it sabotages my relationships. I'm lucky to have such a supportive, understanding husband.
8. You’re an Action Movie Hero. What’s your weapon of choice and the line you scream when defeating your arch enemy?
I'd go right for the jugular, like she did. I'd make it slow and painful, like she did. And I wouldn't let her say a word in defense of herself, like I couldn't. I'd get in close and quiet, and calmly ask, "How do you like me now, bitch?" and lock eyes with her, like I never never could before. Ooh, sounds evil... but I'm the good guy in this story.
9. What’s the oddest term of endearment you’ve ever used or that someone’s used for you?
It's either "Willis," which is my term of endearment for everybody, or "Chicken Poop," which I reserve especially for Chloë (my 11yo). I have no idea why I say the latter.
10. What was something you used to enjoy, but was ruined for you? What’s the story behind that?
I used to love to sing and dance in public, but when I was 15, my stepmother said she wasn't going to continue paying for lessons. She said, and I quote, "I wasn't worth paying for." {{Ugh, I mistyped again. Obviously, she was talking about me and not herself. Der.}} She didn't buy me food or feminine hygiene products or anything after that. Life sucked.
11. Which mythological creature are you most like? Why? And if you could be any mythological creature, which would you want to be? Why?
I'm like the mythical Phoenix, rising from the ashes. During my childhood, after Mom died and The Bitch From Hell came along, my joy was obliterated and I became a completely different person, angry, hostile, and afraid to live life. But I'm overcoming that and becoming ME again, anew. That suits me fine, I guess.
12. Describe your dream library.
There would be an endless supply of books, and ladders that I could ride down the length of it on, and I would lend them out to only my reponsible friends. ;) And cushy, comfy chairs to curl up in, and a fireplace - away from the books - and a viewing/listening center for audio-visual materials - and a bathroom, and a snack bar. And a dog for a companion, at all times.
13. If you could design an amusement park ride, what would it be like?
I'm pretty tame when it comes to the rides I ride, but in reality, I'm a little wild and crazy, a little spontaneous, and I embrace the unexpected. So I can't tell you; you'd have to find out for yourself. And no two rides would ever be the same.
14. Do you have any “rules” about food?
My number one rule is NO MUSTARD. I not only hate it, but I have a phobia about it. I have no idea why.
No mammals; I don't eat 'em.
I was a marine biologist pre-marriage, so I can't eat anything I've studied. I take that on a case-by-case basis. I'll pretty much never eat Littorina ziczac - but who does?
No raw tomatoes; they make me gag.
No mushrooms; I don't do fungus as a general rule.
No baked beans. Even the smell of them makes me puke.
And for the kids: take what you want, but eat what you take! No wasting. I hate waste.
15. What’s your opinion on age differences in relationships?
I say, unless it's statutory rape, then go for it! Who am I to judge? As long as you're both happy and consenting adults, it's fine.
16. What’s something you want to do that you’d be embarrassed to tell other people about?
The only thing I would be embarrassed to tell are some of my sexual exploits, past, present and future. Those don't get written about here. Everything else is fair game, I think.
17. Describe a time/event in your life that you’re nostalgic for.
Of course, I would give anything to have my mom and son back to have and to hold...
Well, this was kind of a depressing post from me today, huh? Sorry about that, but it's real. It's always real.
Link up here if you're playing along today! (And check me out, I'm famous! )
1) This song is about a girl who can't accept how pretty she is. How do you respond to compliments? Do you accept them graciously, or do you get embarrassed?
I get embarrassed. I've been accused multiple times of not taking compliments well. I work on it, but it's hard when you've been told your whole life what a piece of shit you are.
2) Bruno says he takes inspiration from a variety of musical styles -- everything from rock to reggae to hip hop. What kind of music do you listen to most often?
I mostly listen to Top 40 music, but I like a wide variety of musical genres. Everything from Classical, Jazz, Blues, to Oldies, Musicals, Ska, Rap, Reggae... I like everything but country. I just can't get into that.
3) Bruno's uncle was a professional Elvis impersonator, and as a little boy Bruno also performed on stage as the King. When you picture Elvis, do you think of early rock'n'roll Elvis from the 1950s, Technicolor Hollywood Elvis of the 1960s, or the rhinestone jumpsuit Elvis who performed in Las Vegas?
I think of this Elvis: My dad ♥ loves ♥ Elvis to the nth degree, and he sings a lot like him, too. My father had a rhinestone jumpsuit and red scarf like Presley's, too - no lie. He has a jukebox in his living room full of Elvis music (along with others like Bill Haley and the Comets and stuff, but mostly The King) and a microphone, and he goes to town. It's quite funny, actually (but he's really good!).
4) Bruno plays several instruments onstage, including piano, guitar and congas. What instruments can you play?
I play a mean triangle. Like my mother, I played the organ, but I never got good like her. I think I have a learning disability when it comes to reading music. It just never came naturally to me; I really struggle with it. Like both my parents and my sister, though, I love to sing.
5) Bruno is touring all over the country this summer. What's the last concert you attended?
I would love to see Bruno in concert! My last one was either when I won tickets to see the Black-Eyed Peas from a newspaper contest, or when I took Hubs to see the Bob Dylan*Willie Nelson*John Mellencamp show at the Norfolk Tides ball field. I think that was a bucket list cross-off for him, so pretty awesome. Yes, he got a t-shirt.
6) Unlike some other stars, Bruno doesn't demand a lot of luxuries on the road, but he did admit to TMZ that he insists Wet Wipes be provided for his dressing room. If you could ask your boss for anything, anything at all, to make your workplace more comfortable, what would you request?
I don't work because of the cray. I would ask for my Bipolar Disorder to be taken away and some more normalcy in mah brain, so I could function like regular folk.
7) Rumors are flying that Bruno might become a judge on American Idol. Are you an Idol fan? Do you watch any of the other "talent search" shows -- The Voice, America's Got Talent, The X Factor, etc.?
As parents - and bill payers - we decided several years ago to cancel our TV service. Sure, we have plenty of DVDs, Netflix, YouTube and all that, but we didn't want to be slaves to the tube anymore, and I absolutely love that. So in a word, no, no reality television for moi.
8) Bruno is an unapologetic cigarette smoker. Do you smoke? Have you quit? Or did you never start?
Not only no, but hell no. I never started, I've never smoked weed (or done any other illicit drugs), and I'm immensely smug about it to the point of being a huge bitch about it. Y'all know how I feel about it. I rest.
(Shame on you, Bruno. You're going to ruin your voice.)
9) Billy Joel also had a hit with the title "Just the Way You Are." If we were going to do karaoke, which version would you sing -- Billy's or Bruno's?
Oh, man, Crazy Sam! You had to?! Okay, well, I guess I'd choose Bruno Mars' song, since it's much better suited to my voice. Joel's is a classic, and I don't think I could do it justice. Geez.
Good one, Gal! I loved this week's edition. Spanks!
I was driving to the dermatologist's office on Wednesday when the song "Gloria" came on the mixed music station I was enjoying. My mom loved that song, but the quintessential song I think of when I think of my mom is this one, "Hey There, Georgie Girl," by The Seekers. It got me thinking about Mom, of course, and the fact that I've talked about her death but not too much more about her life or specifically about her as my mother. Since this blog will hopefully someday serve as a record of my thoughts and memories for the kids to read, I decided it was important to put those memories I do have of my mother down, here, to preserve for Chloë, Jack, and Sophia.
I don't have a ton of memories; my recollection is pretty sparse and jumps all around, so this recount will, too.
Oh, and last year, my dad gave me my mom's old jewelry box full of costume pieces. I can distinctly remember seeing some of the necklaces on her chest; going through that box was like opening the front door on a windy day. All the memories just kept rushing in.
Karen Joyce O. was born on February 17, 1951, to Arthur and Ruth. She was the middle child between two brothers. The older one, Arthur Nicholas, had died a week or so before his first birthday after suffocating in an apartment fire. Uncle Chris was the baby. They grew up in the Bronx, New York City.
Mom had very fair blond hair and bright blue eyes. I have the brown/brown combination of my dad, but my sister Stacey inherited the blond/blue genes. Stacey's older daughter, Karen Joyce after her grandmother, did as well, while Hanna Leigh has her dad's red hair. My kids have a blue-eyed parent (Rob) and a heterozygous dominant brown-eyed parent (moi), so they've all managed to end up with hazel eyes. They could each have blue-eyed kids, if they marry light-eyed spouses. Sophia and Jack are blondes, while Chloë has her parents' brown hair. I digress, but the genetics do interest me so.
I don't know very much at all about my mom's childhood. I know from pictures and my own memories that she always had a lot of freckles, like me. I don't know what her favorite color was or whether she was right- or left-handed. I don't know what she studied in college for the brief time she was there, and so I don't know what her favorite subject in school was. Simple things like that don't really matter much until you don't get the chance to ask.
My parents met when Mom was 19 and Dad was a 28-year-old divorcée (did I spell that right?) with a daughter, Pamela. They were introduced through a dating service and married exactly one year later, on June 19th, 1971. Stacey was born in April, 1975, and I came along 17 months later in September, 1976. I know my father was always disappointed he never had a son, but my mother doted on her daughters. In my dad's words, "She made it fun for me to be a parent."
My earliest memory is from when I was three years old. I was a happy kid then (my dad's nickname for me was "Joyous"), and I always wanted to say something but could never think of what to say. I'm still like that. It would go, "Mom?" "Yes?" "I love you!" over and over throughout the day. They never hushed me. So the memory - I was running, screaming with joy and laughter, with my arms stretched high over my head, down the hall from the kitchen to my shared bedroom with Stacey. I was smiling broadly and screaming with happiness. I don't know what spurred on that moment, but I can see me doing it vividly, as from a high corner on the opposite end of the room.
Soon after that, I started having these traumatic episodes. If I was sitting on the bed in my room looking up at the place where the walls met the ceiling, I could literally "see" the walls falling in on me. It was terrifying. I would sleep with one leg standing on the floor, so that I could run when the bed collapsed underneath me. This happened often; I remember at least a dozen episodes. When it happened at night, I'd run into my parents' room, screaming with fright. Dad would try to shush me and take me into the bed with them, but I would refuse. I knew it would just collapse. Mom understood; she took me out into the living room, sat Indian-style with me in her lap on the floor, and rocked me while singing hymns to me. It was the only thing that ever calmed me.
I can't specifically remember my mother's voice, but she was musically talented. She sang, and she played the electric organ. I want to say she did both at church, but I'm not positive. I remember that on Christmases, my grandparents would come to where we lived in Monroe, NY, from New Jersey, and my dad's Aunt Amy would come from Manhattan, and we'd celebrate in our little yellow house at 16 Cooper Drive. Mom would play the organ, and we would all gather 'round the organ and sing along. My dad, sister, and I, along with my grandfather, all sing well. My grandma and Aunt Amy did not have such talents, but who cared? We'd all belt out the Christmas carols Mom played, both religious and secular, and I can still hear it. Grandpa had a rich tenor - like my father - and his favorite was "Gloria." The other Gloria, not the one on the radio on Wednesday. I can hear the timbre of his voice colliding with my mother's tune on the keyboard, and it makes me wistful for those days.
The organ was a favorite plaything for Stacey and me. We used to fight over it. My mom, surely out of frustration from the constant bickering, used to set the timer for one or five minutes, and we'd take turns playing while she worked in the kitchen. One minute always seemed like an eternity when it was Stacey's turn, but my five minutes ended in the blink of an eye.
Mom put us in the corner a lot when we misbehaved. She didn't watch us in the corner, though. I can remember Stacey coming in to taunt me when I was in the corner, in our bedroom away from Mom's eyes, teasing me for being punished. Of course, there was no talking in the corner, so I couldn't tell!
My mother spanked us only one time that I can remember. I know Stacey and I were especially naughty that day, but I can't remember exactly what we did to deserve the smacks on the tush. Mom spanked us while we both lay in our beds, first Stacey and then me. I remember the feeling of her hand on my butt. She was an emotional mother like I am, and I remember Stace and I taking advantage of that: after the punishment was dispensed, we jumped up and down on our beds, fake-crying, "You don't love us anymore...!!!" I must have been about five then. I remember her apologizing and telling us that she certainly did so love us! And you can bet we never doubted it.
One Thanksgiving, my mother - an excellent cook - made a couple of pumpkin pies. It was Stacey's favorite, and while the pies cooled, she asked for a taste. My mother agreed to it, so while she cooked the dinner, I took a forkful of pumpkin pie to Stacey on the couch in the adjacent living room. I can't remember whether Mom was aware of it, but I ended up feeding my sister about half the pie in one sitting! She wasn't a big girl, either.
One time, my mom took us roller skating with some friends. I remember it was during a weekday, and Mom wasn't particularly skilled on wheels. I was scared, so she took me around the edge of the rink, holding my hand. A large woman came skating toward us, and the three of us smashed into each other and fell in a heap, with me on the bottom. I was fine, though disgruntled! Later in that outing, all the skaters held hands and got in a big circle on the rink to do the hokey-pokey. I don't recall anything else about it other than the fun we had.
Mom used to take us to the park to feed the ducks by a pond in town. I absolutely adored this activity. Now that I know how bad it is to feed birds breadcrumbs, I'm completely conflicted about letting my kids do it. I don't, but it bothers me they won't get those warm fuzzies from remembering doing it with me like I do with my mom.
For special occasions, like school pictures, my mother used to put my hair in curlers and make me sleep with them in, with a net around them. I hated that! I remember the rollers pressing into my head while I tried to find a comfy sleeping position. In the morning, my mother would style my hair, and this was the reason I let her put the curlers in in the first place: she did such a great job, and I thought I looked so cute. I was pretty fond of my own countenance in my young childhood; I always thought I resembled Molly from the musical Annie.
My Uncle Chris, mom's younger brother by four years, has always been a computer geek. He brought us Atari before anyone else had it, when it first became available. My mother's favorite game was Frogger. She was addicted to it! I was always so pleased for her when she got to the first level with the snakes on it.
All of us loved to play games. I grew up playing Uno with my grandmother and watching her and Grandpa have their nightly Skip-Bo matches during Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! Grandma tried teaching me Bridge, but I never could catch on. So we played Gin Rummy instead, all the time, and you can bet we kept score. Grandma never let me win; I had to beat her fair and square. (I often did, about half the time.) I remember her playing Backgammon with my mom. When I thought of that, after she died, I'd ask Grandma to play Backgammon with me, too.
One time in Monroe, when we were about five and six years old, Stacey and I woke up in the middle of the night. I don't know what got us up, but we looked all over and could not find our parents anywhere in the house. Frantic, we were crying and screaming, looking all over the house for Mom and Dad. Then we heard their voices coming from their bedroom telephone, which was off the cradle. Picking it up, there they were on the other end, listening to us from down the road where they were playing cards with Fred and Lois O., our neighbors and their best friends. They had gone the few houses down after putting us to bed, to play games, and had left the phone off the hook in case we woke up. That was the 70s; I guess you could do that back then. I remember being pretty mad, though!
My mom worked as a secretary. One day in the summer, she was leaving for work. She was dressed to the nines from head to toe, with her hair done and her glasses and make-up on. For some reason (maybe it was her lunch hour, I don't know?), and Fred O. were outside in the backyard with Stacey and me. Fred picked my mother up and threw her - glasses, clothes and all - in our pool! Instead of getting angry, my mother thought this was hysterical, and we all laughed together for a long time about it.
Heather O., Fred and Lois' daughter, was Stacey's best friend. They had a younger son, too: Johnny. He was younger than I was. I was closer in age to Heather and Stacey, so the three of us would pal around in the neighborhood, running hill over dale all over the place, day in and day out. One day, we went to the construction site at the end of our road, and they built "pies" for me out of dog poop. I ate it. I don't remember how it tasted, but I remember eating their poop pies and thinking I was pretty dandy for doing so. We dug holes, deep enough for us to crawl into, in that site, too. And one time, outside in the middle of the road in front of our house, Heather and Stacey convinced me to pull down my pants and pee. As I did so, my mother came and looked out the front door at me. Oh, she shouted! She yelled! She had a fit!
We moved away from the O family when I was six, up to the Syracuse area. I don't remember a whole lot about that first year there. By the end of our first year, in April 1984, my mom wasn't well. We were Christian Scientists, so we didn't go to doctors. We had no idea what was really wrong with her. I wasn't ever aware of anything being wrong with her until that last weekend. She came home from work on Friday and went straight to bed.
I remember my mother calling out for me, repeatedly, to bring her water. After the third or fourth time of me putting the cup of water on her bedside table, I distinctly remember my dad telling me not to bring her anymore water; she didn't need it. (She did, though; the autopsy revealed she was an untreated diabetic.) I can remember her covered up, on the bed, with her pale arm reaching out for that water.
On April 9th, 1984, a Monday, my mom died. She was 33; I was 7½. She had come home from work, gone to bed, and never got up again. My father called the coroner's office, frantic, in the middle of the night. They whisked her out of the house in the dark; I never saw her again. I never got to say goodbye. When I woke up for school, a woman I knew from church walked into my room, pulled down the shades, and informed me that I did not need to go to school that day. She's the one who told us our mother had passed away. I can't remember if I saw my father at all that day.
It was an earth-shattering day for me. I'm still reeling, 29 years later. Oh, my God. She was a beautiful woman, a perfect mother, an angel on Earth. Remember that Billy Joel song, "Only the Good Die Young"? I can't hear it without thinking of her.
When things go wrong now with my own children, I think to myself what I want most for them to remember about their childhoods. And that thing, that thing I want them to hold most dear and precious to themselves, is that they grew up knowing how fervently Rob and I loved them. I want them to think happy thoughts about their youth; I want them to know they were loved; I want them to want to come and be with us as adults.
It's inevitable that there will be some unhappy times, some unhappy memories for them. I'm sure most kids have a few. The only happy memories I have from mine, save the holidays and summers I spent in NJ with my grandparents, were from those 7½ years between my birth and Mom's death. I cherish every single one; I crush it to my heart and hold tightly to it. I can remember her blond hair, so perfectly straight and soft. I can remember her crooked teeth. I can remember her sucking her thumb when playing house with us. I can remember her love.
I've mentally and emotionally put my mother up on this pedestal, which is not uncommon for bereaved kids according to my research. She is the anchor to my sanity; she is the reminder that I was born "Joyous." She is the mother I aspire to be like. I miss her so much. I miss her every day of my life.
Snow White: Do you consider yourself pretty? Name the part of your body you think is the most beautiful!
I think I'm okay. Not beautiful, but not unattractive, either. I think my collarbone and shoulders are the most attractive part of me; I wish I could get my full body lift to make the rest of me match!
Cinderella: What is your shoe size?
I have what one shoe salesman recently called "tiny" feet: size 5½. I take a size 4 bowling shoe, though.
Sleeping Beauty:How many hours do you sleep each night?
People sleep at night?!
My sleeping habits are pretty erratic. Half the nights I don't sleep at all, and then I'll do a marathon 10-12 hour catch-up snooze binge.
Little Red Riding Hood: What is your favorite food?
I adore hummus and frequently make ridiculous assertions about it being "yummus." Right now, though, I'm craving Gordon Biersch's garlic artichoke dippy stuff. Mmm-mmm, so tasty.
The Frog Prince: What do you find disgusting?
I know I always get on my high horse about this, but here's what continually disgusts me:
When I'm in an amusement park, zoo, or any other such venue where children are abundant, and there are designated smoking areas (or, ideally, the place is smoke-free), that whiff of smoke from some "the rules don't apply to me" asshat makes me want to vomit. You want to pollute your own lungs inside your own house, fine. But you don't have the right to toxify myany child's air. No. No, you don't.
It's the one thing about which I'll always be outspoken, shyness be damned. I don't care if you're the Queen of England. Smoking is gross.
And yes, that's how I really feel. ;)
Jack and the Beanstalk: What plants are in your room?
Sadly for a biologist, I have a black thumb. I killed so many plants as a graduate student, I wondered how I'd ever manage to successfully raise a child!
Puss in Boots: Do you have a pet? Do you want one?
Oh, God. Well, this is somewhat embarrassing, but right now we have six cats and are fostering two more. We intend to adopt out those little guys this week. I wouldn't mind getting rid of one of our six, but we all have pretty strong attachments to the other five, so I don't know how we'd pare that number down any more.
It wouldn't be so bad if we had the room for them. And in my utopia, there would be many more species in cohabitation with us! It'd be like Noah's freakin' ark up in here.
Rumpelstiltskin: What is the meaning of your url?
Let's go over that one more time, shall we? My name is Melanie Ann. My dad has always called me Mellie-Ann. When we were in middle school, my older sister delightfully changed it to Smellyann. The joke's on her, though, because I liked it!
The Little Mermaid: Can you sing?
I have my good voice days and my bad ones, but I can carry a tune. I was in choir for years and was going to audition for the college one, but I got strep throat for the billionth time. After that, I was too anxious about it and haven't really sung publicly since, unless singing in church counts.
Pinocchio: What is your greatest wish?
I wish people would take better care of the Earth we've been given. The situation is dire, and most people have their heads in the sand.
Peter Pan: What is your (mental) age?
In reality, I'll be 37 in September. Mentally, though - and especially now that we've moved back to Miami - I can't believe I'm not college-aged anymore. I feel the pangs of aging physically, but I still have that 20-year-old outlook. I admit to wearing rose-coloured glasses, too.
The Star Money:What is your most prized possession?
You know that quote, "The best things in life aren't things"? Well, all that aside, it's my mom's Bible and her old costume jewelry. I have few things from my mother - and fewer memories - but I cherish every gift of hers I've been given. And that includes her "things."
(Sorry about the formatting here, but Typepad is being a butt.)
Link up here if you want. I'm mad now; I already typed up this whole post once, and Typepad or Google Chrome ate it. Forgive me if the redeux is grouchy. Also, apologies for the comment verification; I've been getting so much spam lately, I could open a Hormel plant.
Of course, but I'm kind of a big weenie when it comes to roller coasters and stuff like that. I'm working on growing my cajones, though: when I was a kid, I used to be terrified of rides like the Scrambler or others that spun around fast, and now they're favorites. So there's hope for me, yet!
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2) In this song, Bruce likens romance to riding through the tunnel of love. The Red Hot Chili Peppers sing about a "Love Rollercoaster." What amusement park ride reminds you of your relationships?
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If walking on hot coals were a ride, I'd say that. There's an element of danger, sometimes someone gets burned, and yet it's exciting and exhilarating. Oh, and very intense. Life with me is not a picnic.
. 3) Bruce's nickname is The Boss. Who was your best boss? What made him/her a good supervisor? .
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That would be me. I'm my own boss now, and I like it that way. I am hard on myself when I deserve it, but I can also be patient and kinder to myself when I need that, too. I pay myself what I'm worth - although I need a raise, Self! - and listen to my instincts. I push myself, I create challenges and goals, and I work hard to achieve them.
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4) Bruce's father was a bus driver and his mother was a legal secretary. What professions did/do your parents work in? .
Hey, I was once a legal secretary, too. I had a good boss then, as well. (RIP, Jim.)
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Mom did a little bit of everything, and I'm sure she did lots I didn't know about. She was a secretary when she died. I have a newspaper article on her from when Stacey and I were toddlers; she had started a babysitting co-op in our town and they praised it for it. Now, those are commonplace. As for Dad, he's a bit of a Jack of All Trades, Master of None. To sum up his talents, he's a salesman. He could sell water to a fish.
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5) Bruce met his wife Patti at a bar in Asbury Park. Do you believe you can pick up lasting love in a bar? .
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Of course. I know a couple that met that way. As for Hubs and me, we met online, and that works, so why not a bar. Incidentally, my parents met though a dating service, too.
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6) Springsteen was unable to work for years because he was embroiled in a lawsuit with his management company. Have you ever been sued, or sued someone else? .
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Five barks for you. Heh.
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7) Bruce won an Oscar for writing the title song for the Tom Hanks movie Philadelphia. Do you have a favorite Tom Hanks movie? .
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It has to be Splash, my first Tom Hanks movie. He, Daryl Hannah, John Candy, and the rest of the cast were awesome in that. I could watch it again and again. I wonder if it's on Amazon Prime?
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8) Bruce's official Twitter account (@springsteen) has more than 389,000 followers. Do you tweet? If so, how many people follow you? .
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I tweet updates and check-ins from my iPhone and reward sites like Crowdtap and Swagbucks, but I'll rarely go straight to Twitter and post Facebook-like status updates. I couldn't care much less about that. I'm @Smellyann if you want lots of stupid information about where I am, though. ;) I have no idea how many followers I have. Three or 400, maybe?
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9) Bruce's drummer, Mighty Max Weinberg, led the band on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. Who do you think is funnier -- Conan or Jay Leno? Or are you looking forward to Jimmy Fallon?
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Fallon's okay - he's gotten better since the beginning - but I'm a huge fan of Conan. We have a similar sense of humor; I 'get' him and think he's hysterical. I never liked Leno as a talk show host at all. He's unoriginal and unfunny, IMHO. I was horrified by that whole Leno/Conan shake-up on NBC. Really? That was ridiculously unfair. I felt so badly for the O'Brien family, to be honest.
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I'll be back tomorrow for Sunday Stealing, if not before then with some family updates. See ya back here, hm?
I'm trying to get into the habit of eating the darkest chocolate I can stand, because it's better for you, but I love my milk chocolate too much to give it up entirely. White chocolate... isn't. Gross.
3. If you could get a tattoo for free, would you do it? What would it be?
I really don't know. I'm not inked yet, but I've thought about it for a long time. My husband has 8 of them, and we talked about getting a joint one that would be an artistic feat of matching up our arms or legs to, together, make up our four kids' initials, embedded in a huge oceanic wave. I'd have to see the artist's workup first to be sure!
4. Did you grow up in a small or big town? Did you like it?
Until I was six, I lived in New York's Hudson Valley region, and then we moved up northwest of there, to a small town outside of Syracuse. I liked it at the time, but I'm a city girl at heart, and I really hate the small-town, backwards-thinking mentality of a lot of people who remained there. I prefer progressive types. ;)
5. Who was your favorite adult as a child, besides your parents?
Well, my mom would have been that person, but my dad and stepmother? Huh, no. Not even close. I guess it would have been my grandparents. They were the shining stars of an otherwise terrible, traumatic upbringing. If it weren't for Grandma and Grandpa - my mom's parents - I would have had very few happy moments.
6. What kind of smoothie sounds really good right now?
A sugar-free strawberry banana protein-boosted one from Tropical Smoothie Café
7. Most embarrassing moment from your elementary school years?
I can't think of anything that embarrassed me then. I didn't know enough to be embarrassed!
8. Most embarrassing moment from your middle school years?
That would absolutely be the time in 7th grade when I was on the computer in the library and didn't want to give up my spot. I sat there so long, I ended up peeing my pants, and the popular kids noticed it! I endured a lot of nasty teasing for it. Three of my good friends walked, surrounding me while I clung to the wall on one side, down the the Principal's office with me so I could call home for a change of clothes. Love those girls!
9. Most embarrassing moment from your high school years?
The time when I unexpectedly got my period wearing white shorts. Ugh!! How mortifying. Thank God the home-ec teacher had a spare change of clothes for me to wear while I washed them in her room. Why do all my most embarrassing moments involve my underwear?!
10. Have you ever fired anyone?
No, but I did get fired myself once. I was working at Larry's Ice Cream Shoppe in St. Pete Beach, Florida, between college and graduate school. They found out I had been accepted to start my Ph.D. and decided to fire me before I could quit. Really? Higher education is grounds for termination?! I was livid.
11. Have you ever climbed a tree more than 20 feet off the ground?
I've never seen a tree more than 20 feet off the ground. Isn't part of the intrinsic nature of a tree being rooted into the ground?! Heh, heh.
12. Did you like swinging as a child? Do you still get excited when you see a swingset?
I'm glad you clarified what you meant there, because I was not a child swinger, no! ;) Anyway, yes, I have always loved to go on the swings. When I was in college, my friend Kristal and I often drove from Miami out to South Beach - in the middle of the night sometimes, even - to go rollerblading and to ride the swings on the beach there. Good times, good times.
13. If you could have any pet in the world, illegal or not, what would you get?
My mommy had a pet monkey when she was a kid - really! - and I always thought it would be cool to have a chimp until I learned what terrible pets they really make. I'll stick with my yearning for a Chihuahua puppy, thanks.
14. What's your favorite place to relax?
In bed, in Hubby's arms - best place in the world.
15. What's your favorite part of your personality?
It's hard for me to admit to liking anything about myself, since I grew up with so much self-hatred, but now I do appreciate that I have good qualities, too. I like that I really do care about other people and try my best to help them in whatever way I can. And I love my giggly, silly nature!
16. Madonna or Lady Gaga?
I admit, I like both, but the Material Girl is a longtime favorite of mine.
17. Have you ever watched the Super Bowl all the way through?
I don't think I have ever - ever! - watched any part of the Super Bowl. Call me un-American, but it just doesn't interest me much.
18. Have you ever watched any major sporting event live?
Yes, we went to Shea Stadium in NYC and watched the Mets play the California Angels, when I was a kid. That was when Darryl Strawberry and other famous guys were on the team. And if college football games between the Miami Hurricanes and our biggest rivals, the Florida State Seminoles (f**k you, Seminoles!) count, then plenty of those, too.
19. What's the most delicious food you've ever eaten in your life?
The entire meal I ate when I was a Junior in high school at the Inn Between, halfway between Camillus and... Dewitt (??), in Central New York. There I was with three other folks in their late 20s, who had taken me along for a pricey ($100 a pop, maybe?) Valentine's dinner out, because they were the coolest folks ever and knew I had a terrible home life. I can't remember everything we ate, but I know there were some creamy, buttery, garlic mashed potatoes that were to die for!
A close second are the amazing lump crab cakes I get from Uncle Chuck's seafood shack at the Virginia Beach Farmer's Market. Before I return 100% to vegetarianism this year, I hope I get one more chance to have a crabby patty or two from there!
20. Margarine or butter? Which did you grow up with?
I grew up with both, but I'd much rather have real butter now than plastic, er, margarine...
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Welp, that's the show, folks! Have an outstanding day, and I'll be back tomorrow with some photos.
Jes' like I skipped out on Saturday 9 last weekend, I did the same with Sunday Stealing, so likewise I'm fixin' ta do both week together in this-here post and uh muh guh I've been reading too much Tom Sawyer to the kiddos at night...!
At the moment, it's Typepad. I had a long answer written out, but it randomly deleted itself. I'm not going to repeat it, because, as I once told my deaf sister and husband, "I don't repeat myself for you." Ha, I'm SUCH a B!TCH!
2. Where and when were you born?
Picture it: Sicily, 1926. Oh, wait, that's The Golden Girls. RIP, Estelle Getty. Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes. I don't mind sharing that my DOB is 9/8/76 which, IMHO, seems like it should be awfully easy to remember. "Should" being the operative word. I was born just outside of The Big Apple.
3. Where did your parents meet?
They met online before there was online: through a dating something-or-other, like a service or something. Yeah, that's it, a dating service. IN The Big Apple, from whence they both came.
4. Do you have any siblings? What are/were they like in four words?
I have a half-sister whom I've never met, a full sister, Stacey, who merits the occasional mention here on Ye Olde Blahg, and formerly two step-sisters with whom I no longer speak. In four words: Stacey wins by default. Hee!
5. Where do you live now, and with whom?
I live in what's known here as "America's First Region," a term which always up-cracks me, formerly known as Tidewater but now known as Hampton Roads. Futurely known as "The Place Smellyann Once Graced." Heh. I live with an almost-retired Navy sailor, aka Rob, aka Hubs, and ¾ of the children we produced together. Oh, and of late, SIX DAMN FELINES, now that I've gone and rescued these two cuties from the middle of the road in the middle of the night at the middle of ... yeah, I'm out of middles. ::Looks down:: Wait, no, I've plenty of middles...
The new babehs' first bath! Awww. (No, they didn't like it, but they both pooed all over themselves, ewww.)
6. What is your occupation?
I'm a stay-at-homeschooling mother of the afore-mentioned kids, one of whom just officially started middle school and has the attitude to match! Oy to the vey.
7. Write a full description of yourself.
I have. It's called this damn blahg. Read more of it and you won't need me to answer this question, dangit.
8. To which social class do you belong?
Go f*ck yourself. That one. Heh. I'm klassy, see? See?
9. Do you have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses?
I don't know why, but this question made me laugh out loud. Okay, so, you really want to know? All righty, then, let's have at it:
Allergies: I answered that yesterday. Scroll.
***GAK! TYPEPAD ATE THE REST OF THIS ANSWER, WHICH WAS HIGHLY AMUSING AND WHICH I'VE HAD TOO MUCH MIKE'S HARD LEMONADE AT THIS POINT TO REITERATE. LET'S JUST SAY THE LIST WAS LONGER THAN YOUR (OR ANY OF YOUR MATES' EVER) WEINER. HEHEHE.***
10. Are you right- or left-handed?
Yes.
11. What does your voice sound like?
It's high-pitched, like, shrill and stuff. When I Viggle, erm, nothing, just to rack up points, and I talk through the Viggling process, three times now it's come up with Jersey Shore as the show I'm watching. No, I'm not bragging. Heh.
12. What words and/or phrases do you use very frequently?
They all have four letters.
13. What do you have in your pockets?
Nothing, unless you count my hands, checking, a coupla seconds ago.
14. Do you have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics?
Quirks: I tried asking my husband to list them, because I know I have a lot, but he's a freaking dumbass who can't wrap his feeble mind around the concept of limiting it to the called-for length of this post. Does that help?
Strange mannerisms: "What's the difference between a Strange Mannerism and a Quirk?" asks Hubs. I have to agree.
Annoying Habits: "You HAVE to be right, at all costs." - Hubs
"That's not true, we're still married. And I am always right." - Me
Other Defining Characteristics: "Cute as hell, smart as shit, and funny as all get-out." - Hubs. Again, I have to agree. (See, I'm funny.)
15. How would you describe your childhood in general?
It sucked ROYALLY after my mom died when I was seven. Before that, it was pretty blissful. She was an angel. I have her on The Pedestal of Maternal Perfection. After that, I buried myself in school to get away from my craptastic family.
16. What is your earliest memory?
I'm three years old, happy as can be, running and laughing with my arms up in the air all the way down the hall to my mommy. I don't remember why.
17. How much schooling have you had?
I have a New York Regent's diploma from high school. I have a B.S. with a double major in Marine Science (our honor society, no lie, was Rho Rho Rho, which I absolutely loved!) and Biology (Beta Beta Beta), and a minor in Chemistry, from the University of Miami. Graduated with Honors and in the Golden Key Society.
I did an internship in Fisheries Biology at Mote Marine Lab before working for a year and a half on my Ph.D. in Biology studying the functional and ecological morphology (aka "Ecomorphology" (a wiki link, which is of great humour to me!) of elasmobranch fishes (aka sharks, skates & rays) with the premier scientist in the field, before realizing I wanted a life more than the constant publish-or-perish and writing for grant money stress, so I left, to many peoples' shock and chagrin. Plus, I felt inadequate, so it was then that I joined Mensa to re-establish myself - to myself - as an intellectual, empirically academic individual, and yes, sadly, I needed to pull out that card and look at it almost every day.
I worked on the (sickeningly - to me - less rigorous) Master's in Science Ed. program at the same school for a semester after leaving my prestigious doctoral program, but I lost my scholarship in doing so, so I needed to take some time off to earn money to return. It was during that time that I met Rob. We eloped two months after meeting and got pregnant on our wedding night, so I've never gone back. I plan to go to law school and practice Family Law until I get a judgeship in that field, once the kids are grown.
Whew! Oh, and I'm CPR-certified. Hee.
18. Did you enjoy school?
Did you read the above? Yes, it would be quite untrue to say anything less than that I adored it. I'd be the Perpetual Student if I could afford to be.
19. Stop and count, since you were born until today; how many homes have you lived in?
Nineteen, not counting moving in and out of the same places multiple times. The number would skyrocket exponentially if I did that.
20. While growing up, did you have any role models?
My three or four best friends' seemingly normal, unconditionally-loving parents, and my grandparents filled that position.
21. While growing up, how did you get along with the other members of your family?
Heh. I may be in therapy forever thanks to my upbringing. It's a wonder I'm "only" bipolar and not schizophrenic, or have Multiple Personality Disorder, or something... although I'm always waiting for the other shoe to drop. :/
22. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Forever, I'd wanted to be a marine biologist. And for a while, I can say I was...
23. What were your favorite activities 3 years ago?
Let's see. Probably: Hanging out with my family, wasting time online, and, okay, rapidly losing massive poundage, since I'd just had my surgery!
24. As a child, what kinds of personality traits did you display?
I was and remain painfully shy around those I didn't/don't know well. I'm horrible at small talk; I think it's the dumbest thing ever, sorry. I was and remain freaking hysterical around my kindred spirits. ;) I was probably bipolar from my tween or early teen years on, although it's only been six years since I was finally diagnosed. I was and remain impulsively suicidal when the slightest things go wrong, though a good cocktail of meds now help to control those impulses. As a very young child, until Mom died, I was joyous, sweet, kind, loving, and an all-around great kid. I'm in therapy to return to being that person, whom I believe I was born to be.
25. As a child, were you popular?
The smartest and funniest people in the room gravitated toward me. Especially when I was by myself.
26. When and with whom was your first kiss?
Kenny, when I was 14, at Tri-County Mall in B'ville, NY. It. Was. Awesome.
27. Describe any influences in your past that led you to do the things you do today.
I talk to my therapist about that. You don't have the time. TRUST ME ON THIS! You've already had an eyeful here, anyway. ;)
28. What’s next?
Next, Hubs retires, and we skip town the beginning of March, to wend our way westward to San Diego. He'll begin nursing school, and we'll all begin exploring our newfound surroundings. I simply cannot wait!!!!
☼
Well, that was quite sobering for me. Reflective. Memory-lane tripping. I'm off to get a Diet Coke refill and a hug from Hubs, if I can wake his narcolepic arse...
So this is the end of the line for the current version of S9, but apparently someone's going to start taking it over starting next week, and I'm eager to see who it will be! Meantime, post here if you're playing along this week!
1. If you could experience any life form that was not a human of your sex, what would you pick and why?
I would be a Bald Eagle, soaring high and majestically, swooping low when I desired and rising high again, and revered by all Americans. Yeah. That's what I'd be.
2. Do you believe in the American Dream or has it passed through time?
I think that what was known as the American Dream in the past has changed in the minds of each generation, so that now the younger folk each have their own version in their minds of what it means to them.
3. It's been asked before, probably weekly, but what's irritating you today?
Right now, it's the mess the kiddos left in the kitchen last night. Ugh! I hate to even go in there and see it!
4. What do you think you'll end up looking like? (A picture would help.)
Well, here's what I look like right this second:
So, I imagine eventually, I'll end up looking a bit like this:
Hee.
5. Has anyone told you that you could not do something?
Sure. The thing that sticks out in my mind was an older male pediatrician telling me that I, a mere stay-at-home mom, could not possibly understand the medical stuff and to "leave the doctoring to" him. I filed a complaint against that @$$hole. Smelly don't play dat!
6. Is there anybody dead that you'd like to talk to?
Sure. Having lost my mom at such a young age (me 7, she 33), there are so many things I'd love to tell and especially ask her. I have a long list; I wouldn't know where to start, so please don't give me a time limit!! Also, my baby boy, gone 9½ years now - I'd like to check up on him and see that he's okay. I know he is, though; he's got my mom and plenty of others to look after him! ♥
7. Have you ever done volunteer work?
Yes, for five years I wore many hats with the Girl Scouts, including my younger daughter Sophia's Troop Leader for the last two years. Before that, from 2004-2010, I ran my own charity, CARE Package, Inc., in memory of my afore-mentioned son, Robby. I did everything from administrative to production, including getting it set up as a 501(c)(3) non-profit public organization all by stupid stay-home mom self! ;) I had a lot of help on the production end, though, especially from mamacita, aka my MIL! ♥ I've done other do-gooding that I'd like to keep to myself, though.
8. Have you ever walked away from a job and regretted it?
I gave up my Ph.D. program with the premiere biologist in the field of ecomorphology, the most renowned in the world, after working my ASS off to get there, and it shocked a lot of people, including myself. I just didn't have the passion for it anymore, after all. I have regretted it many times since, but if I hadn't done that, I probably wouldn't have the life I have now, and I consider myself lucky that I do.
9. How did you find Saturday 9?
I can't remember how I stumbled across it. Perhaps I was in my big meme phase and was looking for more to do? I think that's it. Or maybe I ran into it on someone else's blog? But I think it's the former.
And that's it! Cheers to you, "Crazy Sam" and gang, and best of luck with your future endeavors (to quote many a yearbook signature). To the rest of you, happy weekend!
Anything that asks me my favorite this or that. Really, no one gives a shit, and I'm too capricious to stick to favorites for long, anyway.
2. If you married the last person you texted, what would your last name be?
Wynn
3. Were you happy when you woke up today?
Well, I'm up all night for the third consecutive night, so it's all relative to me. I took my happy pills, I'll say that much.
4. When were you on the phone last? And with who?
Does listening to my dad's voice mail and choosing to call him, maybe, count? (A little Carly Rae reference there; if you caught it, holla!) If not, then... the appointment schedulers for the military docs. Far less interesante, no?
5. Who are you excited for?
I'm excited for my friend, "The Other Melanie," to have Baby #8!! Yes, you read that correctly. And she's my age. *faint*
7. Honestly, who was the last person to tell you they love you?
Oh, God, you had to say "honestly," didn't you? I'm going to get in trouble for this, but I cannot tell a lie: it was my friend D, to whom I am not married.
8. What's the last thing you put in your mouth?
Well, since you didn't say "honestly" this time (just kidding; Hubs is in bed - ha!)... It was a swig o' Diet Mt. Dew.
9. Have a best friend?
Listen, I've been around the world and had a best friend everywhere I go, but my true, honest-to-God besties are Hubs and Dr. Lisa, whom I've known since Grade 6. (Not Hubs; I've only known him since we got married + two months.)
10. Were you ever or are you scared to fall in love?
Nah. I'm one of those foolish girls who is in love with being in love. I love to love.
11. Do you think teenagers can be in love?
Young teenagers, like 13 or 14, hm, to some extent, but I think it takes a certain amount of maturity that only comes with age and experience to really know what being "in love" means.
12. Last person you wanted to punch in the face?
The douchebag who blocked my driveway, so I had to do some maneuvering I'm barely capable of to get OUT and to the road.
13. What time is it right this second?
I'm not going to check seconds, but fo' real, it's 4:44 AM.
14. What do you want right now?
That's a long list, but if we're talking immediately, then I'm all set, thanks.
15. Who was the last person you took a picture with?
That would be Hubs. And I love the pic:
16. Are you single/taken/heartbroken/or confused?
Very much taken, in more than one sense of the word.
17. When was the last time you cried?
Thursday. I was exhausted and felt like crap.
18. Do you have a good relationship with your parents?
Mom died when I was 7, and my Dad... we have a tenuous grip on a decent relationship, but until and unless he becomes more enlightened and self-aware, it won't be much better than that.
19. Do you find it hard to trust others?
No. I'm pretty naïve for such a jeenyus. ;P
20. How fast does your mind change?
How fast did it take you to read this sentence?
21. I bet you miss somebody right now. Who is it?
I always miss my mother and my baby boy, whom I lost 9½ years ago, now. I miss my sister up in NY, and my friends... shoot, I even miss Hubs, since he's all the way in the other room, sound asleep. Sometimes I like to bother him awake to play and chitchat. Sometimes he lets me. (I'm obnoxious; I admit it.)
22. Can you honestly say you're okay right now?
Yes, I am. Ask me every 20 minutes or so, and you'll see how much fun it is being Bipolar I, though. (Hint: I cycle very rapidly up and down. I'm a true joy to be married to, doubtless.)
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Welp, my friends, that's the end of this quarter-meme, so I better get on with my knitting. Leave me a comment and tell me something. Your favorite color, even. Just so I know you were here.
I have precious few memories of my mom, but I'll share this one with you: When I was very young - three, four, five - my mother had a little game she played with us girls, my sister and me. It was like a magic trick for us, and we had no idea how she did it, but it worked every. single. time:
Sitting at a red light while driving - er, not driving - she knew JUST the right moment to count to three with us, and then BLOOOOOOW the red light to green, so that we could go again. Sometimes we had to wait just a few seconds for the countdown, sometimes a minute or two, but Mom always knew that magic moment.
I had forgotten about that game she played with us after she died a couple years later, until it was my turn to drive. And then, duh, it dawned on me, how she figured out her little secret: you can see the lights on the cross streets turning from green to yellow! A-ha! I've found myself, even when I'm alone in my car, blowing out the red lights ever since. (Sometimes I have to breathe twice; yellow lights must've gotten longer in the interim! Either that, or my lung function is subpar. We'll go with the former.)
Of course, I have played this game with my own children, too. Not every time, however we'd been doing it more often lately. My kids are older and savvier than I was, though, and they were catching on to the game. So I told them about my mother's trick, and how I thought she had magic up her sleeve, and how amazed I always was.
I think it's okay that they know the secret. You know, it doesn't make blowing out the red light any less fun. And now we're all doing the magic together. I give that a green light.
Link thyself up here if you're a thief like us, m'kay?
1. Have you ever written a song?
Actually, yes, in junior high, my then-BFF wrote the music, and I wrote the lyrics to a song for another good friend of ours that was moving away, and it was recorded in then-BFF's dad's studio. (He's a locally famous singer. Todd Hobin & The Heat - you may have heard of them, if you're near Central New York?)
2. Have you ever been in the opposite sex's public toilet?
No, I've never fallen into a urinal. Gosh, I hope I never do...
3. Are you superstitious?
Nah, but I'll knock wood just for shits and giggles.
4. What's the most daring thing you've done?
I married a guy two months after the first time he emailed me from an internet dating site. We're coming up on 12 years. I knew what I was doing.
5. Did you have a baby blanket? Do you still sleep with it?
Yes, my grandma made it for me. I don't still sleep with it, but I will keep it forever.
6. Have you ever tried to cut your own hair? If yes, how’d it work out?
I have cut my bangs a trillion (that may or may not be hyperbole) times, but between Hubs and me, we cut my mid-back length hair down to this:
I thought it was pretty cute, but I'm growing it out again now, as you can tell by my banner up there.
7. Have you ever sleepwalked?
No, but I talk in my sleep constantly. Apparently I'm pretty funny. But of course I am.
8. If you could be any age, what age would you be?
I'm happy with being 35. Since I grew up thinking I'd drop dead at 33 like my mother, I figure every year after that is a bonus.
9. What is your dream car?
Right now I want a Vespa. And/or a Smart For Two. And/or a cute little red convertible Mazda Miata. Love my minivan, but it's not itty-bitty. I like itty-bitty things.
10. What is your favorite cartoon of all time?
The Smurfs, duh!
11. If you were in a car sinking in a lake, what would you do first?
Swear at Rob, 'cause he's probably the one driving.
12. Have you ever ridden in an ambulance?
At least half a dozen times. We are a family with frequent-flier passes to the ER.
13. How many foreign countries have you visited?
Does Guam count? Do the USVI? Does Puerto Rico? Let's see... Canada, Mexico, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Bahamas, Panama, Spain, France, Monaco, Italy (mainland and Sicily), Greece, Croatia... and the aforementioned three US territories. However many that is.
14. If you fell into quicksand, would you try to swim or try to float?
I think you're supposed to do the latter, right? I don't see it happening anytime soon, though.
15. Do you talk in your sleep?
You weren't listening, hm?
16. Have you ever slipped in the bathtub?
Yeah, but one time, my older stepsister passed out in the shower and fell on the floor. It was scary at the time, but now it's kind of... well, no, it's not that funny, I guess.
17. If you could invite any movie star to your home for dinner, who would it be?
Matt Damon, if a menage a trois is included. What?
18. Have you ever re-gifted?
Sure have. Win-win, I think.
19. If you could attend an Olympic event, what would it be?
Anything; it's on my bucket list. Ideally, gymnastics or figure skating, though. Oh, so exciting! A friend of mine lives in London and has passes to three different events this summer. Jerk.
20. If you could participate in an Olympic event, what would it be?
The same ones I'd want to watch. Makes sense if you think about it, no?
21. If you won a $5,000 shopping spree to any store, which store would you pick?
If it had to be a store you've heard of, I'd either go the A.C Moore/Michaels route, or IKEA (to which I've never been - bucket list item!). Otherwise, some obscurish specialty yarn store with beautiful fibers... ahhh, now, how do I enter?
22. What do you think is your best feature?
I think my face is pretty cute. Unless you meant ON my face specifically, and then I'd have to say my nose. I had a customer once tell me it was "perfect," and I'm taking her word for it. ;P
23. If you were to win an Oscar, what kind of movie would it be for?
Probably a documentary, or anything Meryl Streep would do. She picks good roles. Hello, understatement.
24. Which of the five senses is most important to you?
Sight. I live my life in big, bold, beautiful colour, and I'd be lost without that.
25. Would you be a more successful painter or singer?
Oh, singer, definitely. I'm horrible at painting, but I can carry a decent tune.
26. How many years will/did you end up going to college?
I did my B.S. in 3 years, and I worked on my Ph.D. for a year and a half, and a Master's for the rest of that second year... I'll go back to school one of these fine years, hopefully for a J.D.
27. Have you ever had surgery?
If dental surgeries are included, I've had about 10. If not, 7 or 8. Three of those included evicting my four children.
28. What do you like to collect?
Shot glasses. Pressed pennies. Beautiful yarns. And cats, apparently.
29. How many collectibles do you have?
I don't know, and I suspect no one really cares, so I'm going to take this opportunity to tell you that I have had a kitten napping behind me throughout the writing of this post, and she keeps stretching and scratching her claws down my bum. Every time I move her, she moves back. She's not my favourite person right now.
1. What is your origin of your first name? What about any nicknames?
My mom just randomly came up with it. I was supposed to be "Eleanor" after my dad's mom, or "Clayton" if I was a boy, but when my dad wasn't in the room, my mom quickly put down "Melanie" instead. Hee! I've come to appreciate that, although my elementary school BFF was Eleanor, so of course I had wanted that to be my name then. My middle name is Ann, so my dad always called me "Mellie Ann," which my wonderful older sister changed to "Smellyann" at some point. And there you have it.
2. Have you any claims to fame?
Apparently, I'm meant to be a writer. In college, I came in second (or third?) in a huge poetry contest - you've probably seen the ads for it - and my published poem was analyzed in the front of the anthology in which it appeared. I was supposed to have my boys' and my story published in the Chicken Soup for the Twins Soul book, but apparently they decided it was too sad and took it out later on, which is fine with me. And more recently, my "Works for Me Wednesday" pets edition blahg post was published in a book called That Works For Me! or something like that; I had to give the proper permissions and all that. I've always been a pretty decent writer and thought I've had more poetry and maybe a novel rattling around in there, but I haven't been able to get started. We'll see if that ever comes to fruition.
3. If you were famous, how would you introduce yourself to someone who had never heard of you?
The same way I do now, I suppose: I'd have the head of my huge entourage do it. Heh.
4. Which of your country's achievements do you hold in highest regard?
Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation couldn't have come soon enough; I think it just edges out winning the American Revolution. JMHO
5. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
First, I wanted to be a teacher and librarian. As I grew up, though, I wanted to be a marine biologist. And until I got married, I was one. For a brief time, I was livin' the dream I grew up having. Now, I'm happier things worked out this way. I wouldn't change a thing, except for maybe a fatter wallet..
6. What was your most prized possession as a child? Do you still have it?
It was my red-and-white stuffed puppy dog named Snowflake, who eventually was missing an ear. The other ear had holly leaves and berries on it. I loved that puppy. I don't know what happened to her.
7. What would you change about yourself, if you could?
Pfft. What wouldn't I? That would be a shorter list. I would take away the Bi-Polar Disorder from which I suffer (as do those around me, I'm afraid), and I would give myself more strength of character. People who know the sorts of things I've been through always tell me what a strong person I am, but I don't feel that way. I feel like a weak, meek little mouse. My therapist tells me I am progressing though - she told me recently that I was "individuating," since I am no longer seeking my father's approval. I laughed and said it was high-time at 35, but she says she sees people much older than I am who haven't gotten that far and wow! I am babbling! Anyway, physically, I'd get my plastics to remove the skin I have hanging around (literally) after my 200+-lb weight loss.
8. What are you obsessed with?
Yarn. Picking at myself. My husband's nuts. Jafra. Couponing. And more yarn.
9. What is your greatest achievement so far, or the high point of your career?
Oh, I've received my fair share of academic accolades, but my proudest achievement was winning "Class Giggler" in 3rd grade. I still have the certificate!
10. When/where were you happiest?
January 2, 2001: The day we eloped was the most blissful day in my life. I'll never, ever forget that high.
11. And the lowest point in your life thus far?
March 25, 2003: The day I held my older twin son as he shuddered taking his last breath. Nothing is worse than outliving your child.
12. What was the best decision you ever made?
Marrying Rob! He is so good for, and to, me. We both have our share of shortcomings, but I definitely ended up with the better end of the deal. God knew what he was doing when he brought me this man.
13. If you have any body modifications, which was most painful, or which do you regret the most? If you haven't got any, do you have any planned, or would you ever consider getting any?
Other than four piercings in each ear, I have a nose ring. So that was the most painful. I haven't fully decided on getting a tattoo, but if I do, it'll be a joint one with Rob, honoring our four children together.
14. What is the most idiotic thing you have ever done while intoxicated?
We don't have to go there, do we? Let's not. Maybe the next time I get that intoxicated, which will be never, I'll share that story with y'all. ;) Let's just say I'll probably never drink Goldschläger again!
15. What is your favorite joke?
I am so terrible at remembering things like jokes and movie quotes. Asking me to tell a joke is putting me on the spot. I like stupid jokes anyway, like this one:
Knock Knock?
Who's there?
Little old lady.
Little old lady who?
I didn't know you could yodel!
16. What is the coolest/most impressive thing you own?
You mean aside from my iPhone? (You know I love that dang thing.) Okay, let me think on it a minute... probably the Britto. We bought a limited edition giclée of his called Deep Night Romance on our Mediterranean cruise, and it sums up our love for each other beautifully.
17. When did you last cry, and why?
I cried a little bit last night, thinking about this coming Monday. It'll be the 28th anniversary of my mom's death, and I always get a little weepy.
18. What's the best piece of advice you've ever had?
Surprisingly, it came from my dad. I'll paraphrase: "Don't let anyone rob you of your joy."
19. Similarly, what's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for you?
A semi-anonymous benefactor helped me pay for my college degree, the day I was going to get kicked out for non-payment of my classes. Biggest relief of my life!
20. Have you any vices?
I'm too self-indulgent.
21. Do you regret anything?
No regrets. I live for today, and tomorrow. There are things I wish I'd done differently, but I didn't, and I have learned and grown from them.
22. What is the best invention ever?
Hello?! The iPhone! lol
23. How would you describe your relationship with your family?
I have a very small living family. My mom is gone, my dad and I aren't speaking at the moment, and my sister and I are as close as we can possibly be from a distance. I love that broad! ♥
24. Who is your biggest inspiration?
Anyone with deep emotional fortitude, who can come through a tragedy and not completely fall to pieces. Well, falling to pieces isn't the thing, but someone who can pick up those pieces and make life work again - that's inspiring to me.
25. What are you going to do when you've finished Sunday Stealing?
Work on my April/May Jafra newsletter, a week later than I'd planned. Oops.
First, let me just say that I have this whole album, and I have listened to it a bajillion times. Cee Lo's voice is like buttah, and the songs are swell, too. Totally worth every penny. Anyhoo, link up here if you're playing along today!
1. Have you ever felt that you needed to just forget an ex-lover?
Of course. The guy before Hubs. He's probably the ONE bf I regret completely. What a waste of two years of my life! UGH. To think I almost married that... piece of crap.
2. Spring picnics and cookouts are here! What would you want to have on your plate as you head back to the table?
Chicken, but not BBQ. I hate BBQ and also blackened meat. (Sorry, Missouri-bred husband o' mine.) Something tender and juicy. I like corn, but I always cut it off the cob, because I can't stand stuff getting stuck in my teeth. I've been doing that since my braces days, way back when. And... deviled eggs. With paprika, natch.
3. It's St. Patrick's Day, March 17th! Do you celebrate? Drink Green Beer? Go out?
Normally, no. Never, ever. For one thing, I'm not Irish; for another, I have not-so-pleasant memories of TBFH (ex-stepmother) putting the four of us girls in matching green shirts and white pants, with green carnations pinned to our shirts, and having to go to school like that. And yes, of course I thought about changing or at least ripping off the flower when I got to the bus, but my step-sisters would've thrown me under the bus. Possibly literally.
However, we are having a St. Pat's Day-themed birthday party for my son today, as he's turning 9 on the 22nd and my very-Irish friends are hosting it at their house for us. However, we're having Italian food and Corona instead of Guiness, so, you know. It's all good.
4. Did you remember to wear green today?
I'll probably wear my U. Miami outfit, and there's green in that. I'll try to find green stuffs for the kiddos to wear. If it doesn't happen, my heart won't break or anything.
5. What phrase or saying do you over use?
"Totally." "Awesome." "Totally awesome." Okay, not really on that last one. Right now I'm digging on "totes" for "totally," though you can only say it once or twice before people start reminding you how old you actually are...
6. If you could (or could have) change(d) something about your relationship with your parents, what would it be?
Oh, God. I'd change everything about my relationship with my dad growing up. I was the "yes, Daddy, okay, Daddy, anything you say, Daddy" kid growing up, and it's still VERY hard and painful for me to stand up to him. But more and more, little by little, I'm doing it, and I'm extremely proud of that. I have lots of Daddy issues. We really don't need to get into all that, but suffice it to say I had everything I could have possibly wanted or needed growing up - except love, comfort, and safety. I've been looking for it in all the wrong places ever since. And of course, I'd change my mom dying when I was 7 to still being alive and well today. Otherwise, I've put my mom up on this Pedestal of Perfection, and I don't like to hear about what faults she may have had. She was totes awesome.
7. If the NCAA Men's or Women's Final Four basketball tournament was played in your hometown arena or within easy driving distance from where you live, would you try to attend one of the games?
Not unless UM was playing, and then hell yeah!
8. No matter what's going on in your life, what always makes you smile?
The silly-smart things my kids say. I love hearing the incredible thoughts that rattle around in their young brains. So intelligent, but so screwy sometimes!
9. We've asked this before: What else is on your mind? Go ahead and rant.
Right this VERY second, it's the fact that I just singed my right hand pulling Jack (son's) cupcakes out of the oven, and my hand is on FIRE. I do that every freakin' time. I iron myself every time, too. I'm, like, one big scar and stuff.
Well, y'all have a great weekend. Don't drink and drive, m'kay?
I'm a stay-home homeschooling mom of three. I damn well better be, huh?
2. If you could do any job in the world what would it be?
I'd be a family court judge. And I hope to be, one day...
3. If you could be a character in a novel who would you be?
I'd be Tom Sawyer. What an imp! I like mischief as much as the next kid, you know?
4. When it comes to spending time with those you love, do you think it should be about quality or quantity?
Both count, but definitely quality over quantity. If you're not really present with each other, what's the point?
5. Is there a job/career you wanted but realized you couldn’t possibly do for one reason or another?
Pre-marriage and babies, I was a marine biologist. I was working with the pre-eminent scientist in our field (elasmobranch feeding ecomorphology, or in layman's terms, shark/skate/ray feeding behavioral ecology). A year and a half into my Ph.D., I realized I didn't have the passion to pursue that and be at sea half the year and then, when I was home, spend all my time stressing over grants and funding for research, etc. I wanted to be a wife and mom, and I didn't want to give up those desires, no matter how much I loved being a Biologist. And I did. And I still do... but. I love this so much more.
6. If you could live anywhere in the world or out of this world where would you live?
Oh, I'm so glad you added that last part. I'd love to live on Jupiter, assuming it were hospitable to humans. It's my favorite of our planets. (What, doesn't everyone have a favorite planet?)
7. Where would you most like to visit and with whom?
Everywhere I've never been, with Hubs and the trio of offspring we're raising.
8. Which skill would you like to learn?
Oh, gosh. I want to learn to spin my own yarn. And dye it. I want to learn to relax and meditate. I want to learn to practice self-patience and -forgiveness. I'd like to be fluent in every language, but at least five. It would be fun to be able to juggle while riding a unicycle... okay, now I'm getting carried away.
9. What made you laugh today?
A high school friend's Facebook status update: "Miracle Whip is actually tweeting on Twitter. What has the world come to when condiments are reminding us to set our clocks ahead?"
10. What are you looking forward to tomorrow?
Cleaning, organizing, and doing.
11. What is your sign and do you believe in horoscopes etc?
I'm a Virgo, and to the extent that it's fun. I fit the typical Virgo profile to a "T," but I don't go all nutso about it.
12. If you could change one thing about your life thus far, what would it be?
Many things... like, if I had known then what I know now, I would have seriously reconsidered going to the University of Miami, where top students like me struggled financially and football players were treated like gods, and perhaps gone to one of the several schools offering me a full, free ride instead.
13. If there was one charity you could give a huge contribution to, which charity would it be and why?
15. What are your views on the smoking ban in public places?
Fully supportive - what'd I just say?!
16. Why do you blog?
To answer questions for your total entertainment, edification, and... okay, for my own amusement, too. And other things, but I've already answered this question eleventeen times before now.
After my mom died, I learnt to play the organ/piano, which she also played. And my vocal chords. But I've always had a terrible ability to sight read music, so I didn't go very far with the keyboard. I did sing all through high school, and I was going to sing in college, too, but I got mono right before my audition, and then I got stage fright. I hate auditioning. Just give me the part I want and we'll go from there. Hee.
19. What would your ideal car be?
I would love to zip around in a cute little Mazda Miata convertible, or a Smart for Two convertible. Red, of course. Red cars go faster.
20. Describe yourself in one short sentence.
I am so weird.
21. What do you look for in a spouse/other half?
A penis, for starters. That's a must. He's gotta make me laugh and make me think, even better if he can do them both at once. Everything else ... let's just say I got so lucky with Rob. He definitely got the short end of the marital stick! ;)
22. Worst meal you’ve had?
Chicken a la king, when I was, like, five. I'd probably love it now, though I'm too scared to attempt another go.
23. What do you do to relax in the evening?
Rob.
24. Do you get along with your siblings?
I have one full sister 17 months older, and yes, we are very close. Always have been. I have a much-older half-sister whom I've never met, and two former step-sisters with whom I no longer have a relationship.
25. Do you have any regrets?
Everytime I start painting my nails, I instantly regret not going pee first.
I'm from New York and I'm now in Virginia, by way of South Carolina, Florida, and then Guam.
2. Favorite childhood story/book/film?
E.T. I remember going when I was a kid, when it was first out.
3. If you could change gender for a day what would you do?
Pee standing up. Play with my weiner - a LOT. And go into men's rooms and dressing rooms and stare. Hey, I like looking at men naked. I'm a hot-blooded straight woman, after all.
4. Do you feel your family is complete or would you like more/some children?
Well, neither of us is physically capable of having more children, but one day if we had the space for it, I'd consider fostering-to-adopt. I'd love a roomful of babies, but... I don't think it's in the cards.
5. What do you do/Where do you work and do you enjoy it?
I homeschool my three children, and I love it, but it's definitely a challenge!
6. Which three words do you think sum you up?
Smart. Funny. Nutty.
7. If you were a fairy what magical powers would you possess?
I'd definitely be able to fly, I'd do the whole bibbity-bobbity-boo-here are your three wishes thing, and I'd be smokin' hot. Think Tinkerbell, not the three plump fairies who raised The Sleeping Beauty. Oh, that's not a power? I don't care.
8. If you were invisible, where would you go and what would you do? Why?
Men's dressing rooms, just like in #3. Hot-blooded straight woman, just like I said. Quit making me say it.
9. What song can’t you listen to without crying?
"The Day You Gave Me a Son" by Babyface, and more recently, "Someone Like You" by Adele.
10. Which book changed your life – or at least made you think a lot?
Well, a lot of books make me think, but Evergreen by Belva Plain has always been my favorite. I really can't explain why. It was just powerful to me when I first read it as a teenager.
11. Why do you blog?
Sometimes, because I have something to say. Sometimes, because I don't, but I have things I need to get out, and starting a post helps open that door. And sometimes, I just want to share what's going on with us, which is the main reason I started this thing.
12. What is your top ‘me-time’ tip?
Earbuds. Headphones. Whatever you use. Tune out somehow and go into your own world.
13. What can’t you live without?
Aside from my family? My iPhone, and the Interwebs. I love them!
14. Which of all your blog posts are you most proud of and why?
The one where I wrote an open letter to my grandfather, and the one about my father-figure, my former boss, which I recently wrote. It touched me to write those, and I could tell they touched some of the people who read them.
15. Have you ever met a famous person? Who and where?
The humor writer, Dave Barry. He came into the store where I worked in college, all the time. I waited on him often. He was funny and nerdy, just like you'd expect.
16. When did you last have a full nights sleep?
A night or two ago, maybe three. I don't know. I don't sleep well. Naps help.
17. What would you think is harder: Going to work or staying at home with children?
Having only ever stayed home with my children, I would have to say going to work and missing out on things that you don't really want to miss.
18. What are you doing for Easter?
Haven't even thought about it yet.
19. What is your favorite drink?
Alcoholic - a good Mai Tai, Rumrunner or Piña Colada. Non-alcoholic - Diet Coke.
20. Do you play any sports?
I'm like the least athletic person you'll ever meet, so no. I keep planning on starting to run, though, but... so far I haven't. No excuses, I'm just lazy.
21. What is your most embarrassing moment?
Seventh grade. I wet my pants, in the middle of the school day. Not a great age for that. The popular kids noticed and laughed. It was mortifying.
22. How clever are you?
Six.
23. Name a new favorite TV show?
Smash, on NBC. I watch it online after it airs, since we don't have TV service.
24. Any guilty pleasures?
Sure. I shouldn't eat chocolate, but I do. I shouldn't take as much "me time" as I do. I take advantage of my husband's understanding and generosity sometimes, but I try to make sure he knows I appreciate everything he does for me.
25. If you could have chosen your own name, what would it be?
I used to hate my name, Melanie, but now I really love it. I would've named me Melanie Penelope, instead of Ann, though. I'm silly and I like lots of syllables.
26. Whom do you most admire in life, and why?
Single parents who manage to make it work and raise their children into decent adults. I don't know that I could. I have a lot of respect for that.
27. What is your most treasured possession?
My mom's jewelry box. My dad gave it to me last year. Not "the good stuff," my older sister got that. I got the costume jewelry. I remember her wearing some of the pieces. Like the necklaces. I remember her bending down and those necklaces being in my face. She died when I was seven, so those are powerful jolts of memory.
28. Tell your favorite funny joke…
I'm really not good with remembering jokes. That's my husband's forte. I rather tell my own, be my own funny.
29. What is your biggest fear in life?
Losing another one of my children. One of my twin boys died almost nine years ago. It wrecked my psyche. If it happened again... I don't know that I could survive that.
30. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? What does it remind you of?
Peanut Butter and Chocolate. It reminds me of when I worked at a sundae shop on St. Pete Beach, and I ate entirely too much of it, because it was gourmet and good. Vanilla and butter pecan remind me of my grandpa. They were his favorites, and he was very fond of ice cream. He always claimed to have taught me how to eat it!
Link up here if you're fragmenting along with Mrs. 4444 today!
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This will be short, as I don't have a whole lot to say. I haven't had a good week. As you may know, I'm bipolar, and my psychopharmacologist (the shrink who prescribes, basically) changed up one of my meds last week. (I take quite a cocktail to stay on a semi-even keel, needless to say, as I'm Bipolar I, and it's... hard to stay stable.) Anway, it was a bad move on his part, and I took a nosedive and got very depressed and suicidal very fast. I couldn't sleep, then I slept too much, and back and forth, back and forth. To be completely honest, I took my first shower tonight in a week. A WEEK! I barely left the house, and I had to take the week off from homeschooling the kids. I finally called him and said "uncle," and he put me back on the old med. It's been a day, and I can already feel the difference. I'm on my way back up, thank GOD, and I know it'll be okay. So... that's pretty much how I've spent my week.
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Last Friday was my mother's birthday. She would have been 61, had she not died at the age of 33. As I'm 35 now, that once-far off age seems so surrealistically, impossibly, unfairly young. She was just a babe. It still blows my mind that she died, let alone so young.
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Friday was also our "second eleventh" anniversary. To explain, Hubs and I eloped on January 2nd, our "real" wedding anniversary, but we had a wedding in front of family, friends, and God on my mom's birthday. A very small wedding on the beach at sunset. I was barefoot - and pregnant! - by then. It was funny, because I thought I sent my husband flowers for Valentine's Day this year, and when they didn't come, I mentioned it to him. I'd never sent flowers to a man before, and he'd never been sent flowers before, so I thought I'd switch things up and take the pressure of him to be the one to, you know, spoil his lady on that Hallmark holiday. Heh. Well, when the flowers showed up on our sort-of anniversary, I was all, ohhhh yeah. Duh.
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Meh. I really don't have much else to say. This post is kind of a downer, huh? I'm sorry. Hopefully next week I'll be more upbeat and fun.
Link up here if you're playing along today. Hopefully it won't eat my entry, like it did for Saturday 9, when I was all the way finished... so frustrating. Anyway, here we go:
Cheers to all of us thieves!
76) In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?
I'm no authority. As long as both (all?) parties are happy, that's what counts.
77) How did someone win your heart?
I met my husband online. I knew from his first email that he was The One. I could tell he was smart, funny, and had ambition, for starters. And he responded to my wacky profile, which was insane, so he had to be a good catch, right?
78) In your world, what brings on more creativity?
Inspiration from various sources, whether it be others' creations, nature, patterns, my own weird mind, my children... all can lead to creative spurts from me.
79) What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?
Marrying that guy in #77 eleven years ago.
80) Why did you break up with your last ex?
We had a horrible relationship anyway, but when he broke my two front teeth, that was the end.
81) What would you want to be written on your tombstone?
Nothing. I want to be eaten by sharks.
82) What is your favorite word?
Pupitre - it's Spanish for "student desk."
83) Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word: delusional.
The Bitch From Hell, aka my ex-stepmother.
84) What is a saying you use a lot?
Lately, it's "awesomesauce," although I'm trying to cut back.
85) Are you watching Idol this season? If yes, how do you like it?
Nope. We don't get TV service. Makes it hard to get credit on Viggle!
86) Were you surprised that House got canceled?
House got canceled?
87) What is your current desktop picture?
LOL... a really pretty skein of yarn, in my favorite shades of bluish-greens...
88) If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be?
See #83. ;)
89) What would be a question where you'd not tell the truth?
Well, answering that would already give too much away, wouldn't it? So I plead the fifth.
90) One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by WEEPING ANGELS. The Weeping Angles aren't really doing anything, they're just standing around your bed. What would you do?
That's just too weird. I would probably decide I was really still asleep.
91) You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what's even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power?
I can fly! (I've always believed I could; I dream it all the time...)
92) You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again?
That whole running to the courthouse to elope before it closed episode was breathtakingly wonderful. I'd do that again and again and again.
93) You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?
Can I erase ages 7-17? If not, then when my son died. Well, I would erase a whole host of bad experiences, but pretty much nothing tops saying good-bye to your own child forever.
94) You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. (let's say that you are both single and available) Who might it be?
Y'all know I'm going to say Eric Clapton, right?!
95) You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?
Australia. I'm already packed.
96) Do you have any relatives or friends in jail?
I don't know anyone in jail, thankfully.
97) Who's winning the U.S. Republican presidential nomination? Why?
I don't know, but God help us all if it's Newt.
98) Who's winning the next U.S. Presidential election?
I wouldn't mind a repeat of the last election. I don't know, though, I don't seem to have much company amongst my, well, my Facebook friends, at least! haha
99) If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?
I would implore them to take care of this beautiful planet we've been given. Some say it's already too late, and it may well be, but if every single person made an effort, maybe we could reverse some of the damage and stop further progression toward disaster.
Link up here if you're playing along late this week(end), like I am.
Cheers to all of us thieves!
51) Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?
Yeah. Unless they apologize. Then I'm easily forgiving.
52) What's your astrological sign?
Virgo. Unless we're talking Chinese, and then I'm a Dragon.
53) Do you save money for anything? What?
Spending.
54) What's the last thing you purchased?
Cat litter. Whew, we were desperate. Four cats who all prefer ONE box? Yick.
55) Have you ever had a relationship that you realized was lust not love?
Of course. I'm a hot-blooded American female. ;)
56) In a relationship?
That is not a complete sentence. Are you asking if I'm in one now? If so, yes, I'm on my dozenth year of marriage. Is dozenth a word?
57) How many relationships have you had?
Too many to count. See my answer to #55.
58) What do you want to tell us about your day?
I took my nearly-9yo son out with me to run errands, including shipping a bunch of boxes at the post office (using the automated machine), 7-11 for Diet Coke and a reward snack for him (and to pick out something for his sisters, too), and the grocery store for the afore-mentioned cat litter. He was a perfect little gentleman: without asking, he held open the P.O. door for me when my arms were full of packages, and since had my keys and likes to lock and unlock the van doors, he did so and then opened my driver's door for me, just because. I was very touched and impressed. He's so sweet! ♥ (And he put a lot of thought into what his sisters would enjoy, too.)
59) Where were you yesterday?
I'm going to answer this as if "yesterday" was Saturday, so I'll tell you that. In the morning, my daughters and I went to a Girl Scout event wherein they learnt, on real sewing machines (something I've been wanting to do but haven't yet...) how to make drawstring bags. The bags will be given to Operation Smile and filled before being sent to cleft palate and other oral surgery patients overseas.
Then we dropped off a couple Valentine's Day cards I had made for some nearby friends (we were far-ish from home) before stopping at a few stores to play with the iPhone (and Droid?) apps CheckPoints and shopkick, where you get points and then rewards for checking into stores and scanning the designated products. It's fun and addicting. And me like prizey.
(If you're into TV and want rewards for checking into TV shows, check out Viggle as well. Even if you don't watch TV, like me, you can still rack up quite a lot of points in other ways, so it's worth having.)
60) Is there anything interesting within 10 feet of you?
A mirror. No, for serious, there's tons of interesting things, in my opinion. There's the Britto, Deep Night Romance, that we bought on our Mediterranean cruise 3½ years ago, which speaks volumes about my hubs' and my love for each other. Then there's Hubs himself, who is a wonder of wonders. I'd go on, but you're practically snoring and drooling over there, so never mind for now.
61) Are you wearing socks right now?
No, and 9 times out of 10, I won't be. I love bare feet.
62) What's your favorite animal?
Sharks, but my favorite land animal and a close second are elephants. I've always been fascinated by elephants.
63) What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?
I wish I knew. I mean, I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.
64) Where is your best friend?
Sleeping on the couch 5' away.
65) How did you end your last relationship end?
We lived together. We got in a fight. He shoved me into a bookshelf, breaking my two front teeth. I kicked him out. The end. (Wow, I made a long story short, imagine that!)
66) What is your heritage?
I'm 2/3 German/Pennsylvania Dutch, with some English and Hungarian, and I'm sure a smidge of "mutt."
67) What were you doing last night at 12 AM?
I believe I was actually sound asleep for once. Rare for me, at that hour. I was tonight, too, but I woke up wide awake at 0200 (it's 0311 now) and that was it. Maybe I'll sleep more later, maybe not. I sure hope so.
68) What's new?
I can't really answer that. If this is your first time here, then everything is new. If not, you pretty much know everything. I got the Girl Scout cookies my girls have sold so far today, and so I'm like a mother bird sitting on her nest now, protecting them from the snack-thieving Sophia. I guess that's news? LOL
69) What is the key to seduction?
Leaving more to the imagination than is revealed, at least at first...
70) What was the weirdest thing that happened to you this week??
My usually-grumpy psychopharmacologist, who prescribes my bipolar and anxiety disorder meds, smiled genuinely at me after I complemented him on his nice sweater. I nearly fell over from the shock.
71) You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?
Get fired.
72) You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid?
(a) I'd tell some people, but I wouldn't have it, like, emblazoned on a t-shirt.
(b) I'd try like hell to get to Australia and Japan, and finish up as much else on my bucket list as I could.
(c) No. I've never been afraid of death. Honestly, I'd be excited about seeing my mommy and my baby boy again.
73) You can only have one of these things: trust or love.
F**k you. Oh, are you asking me to pick? Wow. That's a tough one. Um, love, I guess. I'd rather be madly in love and always suspicious than completely trusting and have someone betray that. So, love.
74) What's a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?
Lots of songs do, but the first one that comes to mind is "Mambo No. 5" by Lou Bega. Can't help but dance!
75) Who has your cell phone number (other than family)?
Half of North America, it seems like. Lots of people. LOOOOTS of people. (We don't have a home phone line, so it's all I have.)
Well, I'm off to 7-11 to get me another Diet Coke. Yes, I realize it's the midding hours, but I'm fairly well immune to the caffiene-keeping-me-awake properties of the stuff by now. If I'm meant to sleep, I will, worry not.
Uhh... I have this beret I like to wear. So, toque?
38. Do you shampoo or soap up first in the shower?
Shampoo, wash face, rinse hair, condition, soap up, rinse hair. Since you asked. :P
39. Wet the toothbrush or brush dry with the toothpaste?
Wet
40. Pen or pencil?
Pen. I hate writing with a pencil. Hate.
41. Have you ever gambled at a casino?
Yeah, with someone else's money. I lost it quickly. Just as well; I'm not the gambling type.
42. Have you thrown up on a plane?
What kind of questions are these? It's like you just threw a bunch of words up in the air and let them land where they may. Um, no.
43. Have you thrown up in a car?
Okay, yes. I have done that. Couple times.
44. Have you thrown up at work?
Yesss... what's with all these upchucking questions? I threw up at the vet's office once too, when I was pregnant with my oldest. Embarrassing!
45. Do you scream on roller coasters?
I rarely go on roller coasters, because I'm chickenshit, but hell yes, I scream like a mofo.
46. How many shoes do you have?
Not a ton. I have a shoe organizer thingy on the back of my closet door. It's full. Mostly Crocs, flip-flops and slippers. I'm no fashionista, people.
47. Who was your first roommate?
Jen from Rochester. She was nuttier than I was, if you can imagine that. I liked her, for the most part, until she went total fruitcake on me and dropped out of university. Never heard from her again.
48. What alcoholic beverage did you drink when you got drunk for the first time?
Multiple shots of Goldschläger, when I was 17. I was a wreck, but I bowled better than I ever did sober, so hey.
49. What was your first job?
Babysitting, if that counts, followed by working for my dad in his travel agency, if that counts, followed by a local small supermarket cashier gig. I loved that freakin' job. My customers were awesome!
50. What was your first car?
1991 red Ford Escort Wagon. I bought it in 1993. I drove it maybe half a dozen times. Long story.
51. When did you go to your first funeral?
When my great-aunt Amy died, when I was about 15 or so. She lived in Manhattan, but the funeral was in Staten Island, I think. Or maybe we just went there as long as we were in the city, since my dad grew up on SI. We visited Aunt Amy a lot during her life, though, so it's... babble time, apparently.
52. How old were you when you first moved away from your hometown?
Six. We lived in Monroe, NY, until then, and moved up to the Syracuse area. When I moved away, on my own, after that, it was to Miami for college. Oh wait, I'm forgetting the summer between high school and college, when I lived in South Carolina with my dad.
53. Who was your first grade teacher?
I had subs all year long. My teacher was supposed to be Mrs. Sullivan, but she had a baby, like, the week before school started, and apparently they had no back-up plan. I had a different sub every day of the year until we moved up to the Syracuse area in April of that year. Then it was Mrs. Mullins at first, until I tested up to the "smart kids' class," and I can't remember the new teacher's name...
54. Where did you go on your first airplane ride?
From Newark, NJ, to Syracuse, NY. I was five. I rode by myself. My older sister was supposed to go, but she was scared to fly by herself, so they sent me instead. I loved it. Wait, that was my first solo flight. I don't remember my actual first flight. I've been flying forever, my whole life. I should be a damn pilot by now. Probably the same trip, though, in either direction.
55. When you snuck out of your house for the first time, who was it with?
Julie, who I was fortunate enough to reconnect with on Facebook years later, after she moved away that summer. That was three years ago, and we're still tight. She was sleeping over at my house, and we left in the middle of the night to go buy junk food at the grocery store down the road apiece. I was shitting my pants, I was so nervous! It was fun, though. That's the only time I ever snuck out, more or less.
56. Who was your first best friend and are you still friends with them?
Victoria Dixon. She was petite and beautiful, I thought. That was in Monroe; I haven't heard from her since I moved at six. Holy old memories in this meme, eh?
57. Where did you live the first time you moved out of your parents’ house?
My dorm room at the U of Miami, and I loved it!
58. Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day?
My husband at work, if he's not home. If he is home, I just talk to him.
59. Whose wedding were you in the first time you were a bridesmaid or a groomsmen?
My dad's, with his third wife. (He's on Wife #5 now.) I was eight. My mother had died a year earlier. I hardly felt celebratory.
60. What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Try not to wake up, give up, and go pee.
61. What was the first concert you attended?
It was either Whitney Houston or Bon Jovi. This was the 80s, when Whitney was still the shiznat.
62. First tattoo or piercing?
No tattoos. Four piercings in each ear, though I rarely fill them. I got my nose pierced when I turned 21. I still wear it.
63. First celebrity crush?
Matt Dillon! That makes me laugh now, for some reason...
64. What's your favorite number?
64! Okay, I totally just added that question myself because, hello, it's my favorite number and I wanted to end on it. :P
Okay, I'm tired and have a headache, so no witty parting remarks. See you in a week.
Link up here if you're doing Part II of this misnamed meme!
Cheers to all of us thieves!
21. Did you go to your high school prom?
I went to my Freshman Banquet, with my then-BFF Erin. There was no Sophomore dance at our school, but that year I went to my then-boyfriend's Freshman Banquet (he was older than me, but, er, uh, not as academic if you know what I mean). I went with a group of friends to my Junior Prom. I couldn't go to my Senior Ball, because my boyfriend was black, and we weren't "out" as a couple to my family, who would not have approved. So... no?
22. Perfect time to wake up? 23. Perfect time to go to bed?
Ideally, I'd stay up all night and sleep all day. I'm nocturnal; I always have been. I'd convert my children - who are homeschooled - to the same schedule to make it easier on myself, if it wouldn't pretty much eff up the rest of their lives! :P
24. Do you use your queen right away in chess?
I have never had the privilege of being engaged in a chess match. Learning to play - and beating someone - is on my Bucket List.
25. Ever been in a car accident?
Oh, yeah. A few, but the most memorable was the time my dad and I were driving me back to college in Miami from South Carolina, and about 1/3 of the way there, we got hit by a drunk driver. It was the middle of the night, and the young man sped off, leaving us spinning around until we landed, facing out toward the road, down an embankment. There was an eerie silence except for the music coming from my boombox, which had flown out a broken window and gotten turned on. My dad sat there, paralyzed, not having a clue what to do, while I was basically freaking the freak out of an 18-year-old girl who desperately wanted to get back to school and away from ... him.
Finally, after what seemed like hours but was probably more like 20 minutes, a semi pulled into view. I leaned over in front of my dad and leaned on the horn for all I was worth. The truck driver skidded to a stop as soon as he could, and soon he was on the scene, helping us out of the thick brush and rescuing us. Before long, the place was crawling with police, us, the trucker, and the drunk driver and his dad, who had woken up when his son slammed into the house. He'd taken one look at his son and realized something bad had happened, telling him, "You've got to go back there, son." The police told us that we probably would have been dead if all four tires hadn't blown out on our rental van during the spinning and crashing. Anyway, that's my story.
26. Closer to mom or dad…or neither?
Well, I told you that story... but my mom died when I was 7. I 'talk' to her all the time, so... I'd say it's a draw. 27. What age is this exciting life over for you?
I expected to drop dead at the age of 33, just like my mom did, all my life, so now that I'm 35, every year I get older is just an amazing, miraculous surprise. I intend to live life right out loud as long as I've got, whether it ends tomorrow or when I'm 103. I don't know. I never expected to get old, but I've married the love of my life, and it would be spectacular to get old together, y'know?
28. What decade during the 20th century would you have chosen to be a teenager?
I loved being a child of the 80s, but I think the Roaring 20s would have been fun, or the 50s, with the sock hops and all that stuff.
29. Favorite shoes you have EVER owned?
Well, I haven't worn them yet, but I got these knee-high black boots that fit perfectly and look great, off Freecycle. I'm taking a break from knitting THE perfect dress to go with them. I can't wait to rock that outfit!
30. Do you have an article of clothing you have had since you were in high school?
I do. Several shirts. Nothing worth mentioning, really.
31. Were you in track and field?
*Snort* No. Running for me is like ... like... a penguin trying to fly. It's almost physically impossible. I'd like to do the pole vault, though.
32. Were you ever in a school talent show?
Well, no. I was the Caterpillar in our 5th grade production of Alice in Wonderland, and I was a big hit. Then I developed stage fright, after my stepmother made some evil cracks about how I wasn't worth the money to spend on my dance lessons, though I was talented... but let's not go there. No. I wasn't ever in a talent show.
33. Have you ever written in a library book?
I don't know. I don't think so. I've probably dog-eared a few, though.
34. Allergic to?
It was the weirdest thing. I was never, ever allergic to anything, until 2008, when I was suddenly allergic to EVERYTHING. Strawberries and apples, Percocet and Anceph, the chlorine at the pool, my pillows... everything. I had reactions constantly. Then we went to Europe in the summer, and the reactions stopped during the trip. I haven't had an allergic reaction since then. Weird, right?
35. Favorite fruit?
Rob. Oh, you meant fo' real, a food? Hmm... I love me some fruit. It's a tie between kiwi and strawberries. I like grapes, too. Oh, and Clementines... and canteloupe. I love me some fruit!
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