1. Who is the last person you spoke to?
A creditor. Word to the wise...it's easier to talk to creditors and work out payment arrangements whilst operating on 2 hours' sleep.
2. I know you're listening to music. What's in your cd player at this very moment?
Incubus' 'Drive'
3. Jelly or Jam?
Spreadable fruit (no extra sugar)
4. And do you prefer grape or strawberry?
Strawberry (but blackberry is best!)
5. Hot or cold?
Cold. I can always pile on more blankets, but haven't figured out a way to step out of all my clothes, my skin, and fat yet, and I'm hot-natured.
6. Your parents were cooks. What else did they consider naming you?
Margaret, nicknamed Gretchen. That didn't fly because taken with Broadbent the family thought it would be too long. Grace. But that was chucked for the same reason I'd never name a daughter Willow. Love the name, but it's bad for a child with fat and clumsy genes. For a boy I've been told two possibilities: Gregory Scott or Dwayne. Both make me gag, but if I were Dwayne, that would be three friends starting with 'Dw' and that would be a sure sign of the Apocalypse. (Later I was asked why Gretchen was short for Margaret, given the 'garet' --> 'gret'. I pointed out Peggy is also short for Margaret. Sometime the name gods just play games.)
7. What were you doing 10 years ago?
1994? I had gone back to school because I couldn't find a job anywhere (not just libraries; groceries included) except the bagel place where I was hoofing myself 2 miles down Waller Avenue across the train tracks where the serial killer was later found to be operating and no streetlights at 5 am for a measly $5 an hour. Classics looked way better at that point.
8. Ever been skiing?
No. Did I mention the lack of grace part? Trees, hillsides, snow do not combine for fun for the ungraceful. Oddly enough, I did have opportunities whilst living in California in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas. I contented myself to watch from afar. I'm just happy not to fall off level sidewalks.
9. What is your favorite kitchen gadget?
Pampered Chef makes this doo-hickey where you make a sandwich, press with the gadget, and out pops a sealed sandwich. It has no real important purpose. It's just fun. Useful gadgets are way better, but this one warms the cockles of my gadget-loving heart.
10. What is the coolest thing you think you own?
A lamp that swirls around colours into distilled water whilst plastic coloured marbles go up and down. I would say I could watch it for hours, but the gentle rain-like bubbles put me to sleep.
11. Any hidden talents?
Finding random things in the store for other people, although never for myself. Sometimes I can find lost items, too. Much more useful than a former friend whose psychic talent was to see what other people's bathrooms looked like when he met them.
12. There seem to be two distinct Rod Stewart camps: love him or hate him. To which do you belong?
Listening to Rod Stewart is like going to the dentist. You dread it, it's painful, but the comfy chair puts me to sleep. I think he should have stayed with football.
13. Admit it. You've broken the law.
Yes. Hangs head. I have a criminal record (one count theft by deception, because of a post 9/11 anxiety trip to Slone's for comfort food, where the cheque bounced but I never got notice to pay before they sent it to court). Made restitution and paid court fees. After 18 year of driving, I was pulled over on April Fool's for going through a yellow light (the nice officer said it was red, and I had no one to back me up, so you don't argue with the nice officer). Paid that off, told them I was interested in traffic school because I didn't want the 3 points on my licence (it's the same amount of money totally either way), then found out that since I hadn't actually scheduled traffic school in the midst of the move, they suspended my licence (which was worse than I'd have gotten if I'd never asked to go to traffic school. Go figure.) Unfortunately I found that out upon opening a letter at a stop light on the way here, then had to drive down to the clerk's office, ask for a traffic school date (still don't know when that will be...by schedule, they just mean pay that last $15 and we'll send you something within about 6 weeks), get my address on my licence changed by Elvis (I'm not kidding, have you been to the clerk's office lately? I was waiting for him to pop out with 'Hunk-a-hunk of burning love'--but he was very nice, especially since I'd been told to renew before going to schedule traffic school and it needed to be the other way around. He kindly pointed me down the hall and didn't make too much fuss about the suspension.)--and now I'm in good graces. Sigh. Why couldn't I have used my juvenile record for some of this? I was too goody-goody back then--never even shoplifted with the rest of the chicks, toilet papered anyone's house, or knocked over mailboxes. In retrospect I also have had 2 parking tickets and occasionally tried alcohol before I was 21. (Quick note to one of the respondents: It's okay for the consumer to tear off the tags, just not the seller.)
14. Toilet paper roll: pull from the top or pull from the bottom?
Top. Anything else simply will not do, and I must admit I judge people slightly by how they orient their rolls. (But having no orientation, say, by not putting it in the holder is fine).
15. Do you like to clean your ears?
Yes. Obsessively. I also obsessively clean the ears of my and other other people's animals (but I do seem to have the right touch, so even feral cats will let me do it). Worse than the earwax, which is annoying, is any dead skin. I sometimes use pen tops for that, which irritates a friend to no end. I once complimented someone on their shiny, clean ears, and fortunately she has a similar pet peeve about ungroomed ears, so took it well. Other people would just call me a freak.
16. Do you put both socks on and then move on to shoes or complete one foot at a time?
Both socks, then shoes, with occasional aberrations that makes the OCD girl twitch but I never know why I do it.
17. Are you only happy when it rains?
No. Rain makes me sleepy and depressed. Must have big ball in sky unobscured for happiness, although it does rob me of my shape-changing powers.
18. Do you sleep with socks on?
No. I have a friend who has threatened to put me in adult-sized footed pygamas when I'm in 'the Home'. I cannot abide anything on my feet if at all possible. Not socks. Not covers. First thing off is my shoes when I get home. Sandals are better than shoes. Barefoot is better than anything.
19. Do you ever wonder what would happen if everyone really did Wang Chung tonight?
Yes. I also worry that the Hokey Pokey is really what it's all about. I think the Earth would tip on its axis and bring about climatic upheaval if we all Wang Chunged at the same time, especially as Americans are getting hefty.
20. Did you hear that the New York Post erroneously reported that Kerry picked Gephardt as his running mate?
Yes. But who believes the Post?
21. Firesafe cigarettes? What?
Oh, gee, but where would we get our stories of spontaneous human combustion from?
22. You remind me of the babe.
Who do (Hoodo)? You do? I looooooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeee that movie (and had a terrible crush on Jennifer Connelly for years). She dressed just like I would at that age if I'd had access to nifty phantasy clothes. Oh, wait...the garbage heap is a little like my life, too. Hmmmm....maybe I am Sarah.
23. What's on your nightstand right now?
Alarm clock, phone, King James Bible, job-finding oil, job-finding powder, Alba emolient lotion, comb, brush, Hekate Soteira, Greek Religion, The Magickal Life, The Diary of Anaïau;s Nin, a carefully folded paper towel, a pen, and a few random notes.
24. What is your biggest fear?
You know, for someone with anxiety issues, I can't really think of a real, honest-to-goodness fear. I guess a lot of my issues are abandonment related. And now that we're getting older, I'm a little worried about losing my mom, especially as she's smoking like crazy and already has emphysema and diabetes, but I don't fear dying myself.
25. You've been picked to be one of the pioneer moon colonists. What job would you want?
Cruise director. After the moon blasts out of orbit on September 13, 1999. Ooops, that's right, we passed that (and I didn't even have the money to throw a party...not that most people I knew had any idea what Space:1999 was, seeing as they were either toddlers or not even conceived yet). And we still don't have flying cars, either. We were ripped off! And I want a Jetsons house and Rosie, too. I've been playing Moon Tycoon (think Sim City with moon base modules) a lot lately. I'm thinking horticulture specialist for the hydroponic O2 generator with giant domes for plants. So long as I have Huey, Dewey, and Louie from Silent Running to help.
26. Are you crafty?
Hmmm...Crafty as in Odysseus? Crafty as in making paper in a blender? Crafty as in sneaky? Crafty as in the esoteric sense? Oh, yeah. I guess it's yes to all of them, although for the life of me I think I'm knitting-challenged. It's the same problem I have playing piano. Cannot. Make. Both. Hands. Work. Doing. Different. Things. I can do anything with either...but can't make them work together. Hmmm...kind of like the English vs. Metric systems. I can only remember 2.5 cm to an inch; all other conversions require my PDA. Typing, though seems to work, because it's coming from my head and not some piece of paper.
27. If you had a mailbox full of postcards from chimpanzees, would every one be addressed to you?Yes. But the ones that would bother me most are the ones in jack boots.
28. What's your favorite office supply?My Bad-Girl-a-Day tear-off calendar. A close second is my sticky notes that say, 'Things to do: 1. Breathe in. 2. Breathe out.'
29. Speaking of Pac-Man, what's your favorite 80's arcade game? (I later found out the creatrix of the quiz had likened staple removers to Pac-Man. It didn't come through on the one I received.)
Dig-Dug. Which my mother kept for years until she moved on to Super Nintendo. Unfortunately, by the time I finally got it back, my Atari computer had stopped working, and she'd given away hers. Fortunately you can get it online, and she gave me a Power Joy (not what you're thinking) that has 80 games on it, including Dig-Dug. So I think I may e-Bay my old Atari games.
30. Okay, I know it's been a while. Have your answers to questions 1 and 2 changed?
Yes. 1) A mother of one of our patients. 2) Faith Hill 'Somebody Else's Dream'
[Yep, I'm listening to vol. 2 of the semi-autobiographical CDs I burned during therapy, can you tell? It'll eventually get to Genesis, Staind, Kansas, Creed, Train, Dido, Garth Brooks, The Righteous Brothers, Eve 6, the Rolling Stones, The Police, Dixie Chicks, Lee Ann Womack, The Hooters, Uncle Kracker, Journey, and Louis Armstrong. Vol. 1 has of Simon & Garfunkel, Depeche Mode, Yes, The Cars, Pink Floyd, Abba, Martina McBride, Live, a-ha, Peter Gabriel, Paula Cole, Alannis Morissette, Loreena McKinnitt, Queen, The Turtles, etc.]
Apparently I am the only one of my co-workers (other than the woman who made it) who recognised Labyrinth, Wang Chung, and 'Another Postcard'. No one else really 'got' them. I don't know if that means I have a broader understanding of pop culture than I thought, or if she and I just think freakishly similarly. At least we differ on Rod Stewart.
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