Before One Dies

What is it with me and meme's lately?! Here's another one I found while randomly clicking on blogs in the blog list on DC Blogs. This one is "Five Things One Should Eat Before One Dies" or something along those lines. I found it on Lost in Somewhereistan.

Here's my list...

1. Fresh, hot, slather-them-on-my-thighs, please, Krispy Kreme Original Donuts. Ambrosia!

2. A plate of fine cheeses--Humboldt Fog, Wisconsin Smoked Gouda, Manchego--and a hearty loaf of crusty sourdough.

3. Crepes from Ti Couz in the Mission District in San Francisco. Most especially, the Tod and the La Delice. Divine! (The restaurant doesn't have a website, but here's a good review of it by a foodie. One day, I'm going to write my own review.)

4. Fresh strawberries from the farm stand on Lucas Valley Road in Marin County, California, or the Point Reyes Station Market in Point Reyes Station, California. So naturally sweet and delicate, it would be an insult to dust them with any kind of sweetener.

5. My mom's homemade crescent rolls. There's so much butter in these puppies, it's amazing the Surgeon General hasn't declared them a hazard to one's health. But they are sooooooo good. Mmmmm-mm.

If you were about to die, what would you eat?

More Meme

And while we're on the subject of meme, this one comes via Sideon. Here are the rules:

• Grab the nearest book
• Open the book to page 123.
• Find the fifth sentence.
• Post the text of the next four sentences on your blog along with these instructions.
• Do not dig around for the 'cool' or 'intellectual' book on your shelf. Do not go to the other room to find an old textbook. Just pick up whatever is lying at hand.

My book: Literature from the "Axis of Evil". This is taken from the story "A Tale of Music" by Kang Kwi-mi of North Korea. The book is a collection of essays and short pieces by renowned authors in countries the Bush Administration considers "evil."

Soon after, I discovered a surprising bit of news in the Rodong Sinmun. The government awarded citations to those who had achieved great feats in building monuments, and my brother's name was on the list of recipients. Pak Song-won. It was clearly my brother.

And again, as with the other meme from tonight, if you want to participate, go for it!

Totally Missed It

So, obviously, I haven't been over at Every Wrong Move (aka LiseysMom) in a couple of weeks, because this evening I was over there and discovered that I had been tagged. Where the hell have I been?!

As much as I claim I don't do memes, I'm a total sucker for them. Here goes.

Eight Random Facts/Habits About Me, Myself, and I

1. I'm a blog squatter. I've created several blogs that don't have any content--at this time--and I'm just sitting on them. I don't know why. It's like owning random pieces of real estate in the hope that one day you'll plop a house down on it, sell it, and make a mint. Only in my case, it's in the hope that one day I'll have an epiphany of such bright and shining brilliance that I'll plop it down on a blog and make a mint!

2. Like she-who-tagged-me, I, too, clean my ears every single day. I went to the ear specialist a year or so ago to have my hearing tested yet again (I do this every so often just to make sure that a) I'm not going profoundly deaf and b) to see if the technology has advanced such that they can correct the total deafness in my left ear), and the nurse told me my ears were "too clean." Well, tough cookies, sweetheart. Nothin' oogier than sticky, gooey, waxy ears. I'd rather see boogers than ear wax! TMI?

3. And speaking of ears and hearing, if you walk with me, I'll inevitably walk in a circle around you to get on your left side so I can hear you. People initially find this disconcerting, but the longer they hang with me, the more accustomed they become to it until I finally have them trained and they remember to walk on my right!

4. I think I said this in a previous meme of similar content, but I love James Bond movies. I can't explain it, especially as a feminist, because they're so incredibly misogynist--particulary the pre-Brosnan/pre-Craig era films. Still, I adore them.

5. I make the best peanut butter and jam sandwiches ever. EVER.

6. One day, I'm going to have a pair of dachshund and when I do, I'm going to name them Geronimo and Timber.

7. I will listen to my newest CDs until I practically run them into the ground. I've just about done that with Madeleine Peyroux and Pink Martini.

8. I put on my pants one leg at a time. (Okay, I know that last one isn't random or weird, but it is a fact!)

I'd tag eight people, but I think I've tagged everyone I know at least once, if not twice. If you want to play along, feel free. Leave me a link in the comments, so I can check out your eight random facts and/or habits.

With Friends Like These...

Caution: If you haven’t taken this test and you want to, do not read today’s blog entry. Go here to take this test first, then come back here and read the answers.


I thought I’d provide the answers to the "How Well Do My Friends Know Me" test I posted the other day. So, without further ado, here they are.

1. My eyes are: Blue. They’re also my best physical feature. At least, it would seem as I receive more compliments for my eyes than any other feature. On this question five out of 11 of you answered correctly, or 46 percent.

2. In college, I majored in Foreign Language and Literature. In graduate school, I studied Religion and Society. This was obviously a trick question, with emphasis on the word college. Arguably, I did major in Religion and Society, but that was in grad school. On this question four of 11 answered correctly, or 36 percent.

3. I was born in California, grew up in Utah, moved to Virginia, lived in Austria, went to grad school in California, and now live in Washington, D.C. On this question, nine out of 11 answered correctly, or 82 percent.

4. When I was 8, I acquired a scar on my right knee. I got it when I ran into an above ground sprinkler painted green so as to blend in with the lawn. I had to have stitches. For years, that scarred really bothered me and I didn’t like people to see it. Now, I don’t care. On this question three of 11 answered correctly, or 27 percent.

5. If I had pets, they would be a pair of dachshunds. I know what you’re thinking. “Dachshunds!? Those long little dogs who look funny?” Yep, them’s the ones. Love me my doxies. One day. One day… On this question six of 11 answered correctly, or 55 percent.

6. I would name my pets Geronimo and Timber! Wouldn’t that be fun when you holler for them? Geronimooooooo! Timberrrrrrr! In all fairness, though, I’ve also considered naming a pair of dachshunds Col. Klink and Sgt. Schultz, a la Hogan’s Heroes. Oscar and Felix come in a close third. On this question two of eleven answered correctly, or 18 percent.

7. I’m a weeny when it comes to being cold. I don’t like being cold. More specifically, I don’t like it when my feet or nose are cold, especially at night, when I’m trying to go to sleep. On this question five of 11 answered correctly, or 46 percent.

8. I am totally deaf in my left ear. Have been since birth. I don’t hear in stereo, which is a shame, because I love music. This is also why I will always walk on the left side of you or why I’ll offer to drive places. Sitting in the passenger seat isn’t enjoyable for me (unless I'm in England. Then driving would be a drag) because I can’t hear the conversation and I constantly have to ask people to repeat themselves. At restaurants, on the other hand, I’ll usually sit near the wall, or on the right hand side of you. This way, sound bounces off the wall and into my good ear. You learn all sorts of little tricks when you’re with me. Oh, and I lip read, too, so watch what you say in my line of vision! I thought everyone knew this about me. Hm. Guess not. On this question eight of 11 answered correctly, or 73 percent.

9. In a cheese shop, I always go for the Humboldt Fog Chevre. Although, the Wisconsin Smoked Gouda comes in a close second. I also enjoy Feta, Butterkase, Drunken Goat Cheese, Port Salut, and just plain old cheddar. On this question eight of 11 answered correctly, or 73 percent.

10. I only subscribe to one magazine. It is Cook’s Illustrated. Not only is this one of the best cooking magazines out there, it also has no advertising. I canceled my subscriptions to Gourmet and Saveur because I got tired of wading through the needless advertisements. On this question nine of 11 answered correctly, or 82 percent.

11. My beverage of choice is Dr. Pepper. Although, in social or business/networking settings, I usually order a cranberry juice with ginger ale and a lime. There’s something about having a drink in your hand that has color and a little piece of fruit that keeps people from questioning why you’re not imbibing in drinks with more punch. On this question seven of 11 answered correctly, or 64 percent.

12. The last author I’ve most recently read is John McPhee’s La Place de la Concorde Suisse. I’m currently reading his book about Alaska, Coming into the Country, as well as several other authors. On this question eight of 11 answered correctly, or 73 percent.

13. My favorite album at the moment is Pink Martini’s “Hang On Little Tomato.” This was a tough question, because I just favorably reviewed three of the four albums I listed as choices—Pink Martini, Madeleine Peyroux, and Norah Jones—all of which are excellent albums. But of those three, Pink Martini is my very favorite. At least, right now anyway… My thanks to Mary Ellen for that recommendation! On this question six of 11 answered correctly, or 55 percent.

14. My favorite monument in Washington, D.C., is the Lincoln Memorial. Although, the World War II Memorial at night with the Lincoln Memorial lit in the background are my favorite set of monuments after the sun goes down. On this question ten of 11 answered correctly, or 91 percent. This was the question with the most correct answers.

15. When I want to get away from the rat race of life, I go to the beach. Even if I have to get up at 4:00 a.m. to beat traffic, which is what I have to do out here to be in Rehoboth, Delaware, in time for sunrise (which is just a sunset in reverse, doncha know?) On this question three of 11 answered correctly, or 28 percent.


16. And finally, when I was 6, I was Tinkerbell in the school play! My dad and my Uncle Dwight fashioned a really cool pair of wings for me that involved welding and soldering and filmy, gauzy sheer fabric. I was one adorable little sprite! If I can wrangle up a picture from my mom, I’ll post it here. On this question six of 11 answered correctly, or 55 percent.

Thanks for taking my test, friends! It was fun.

Getting to Know You... Er... Me....

I'll admit: I'm shamelessly unoriginal. I saw this over on Ms. Understood's blog and just had to do it. (By the way--I took her test and scored a 50%, which wasn't bad, I thought. Especially when you consider I've never even met her and all I know about her I've learned from reading her blog.)

So, here you go. Let's see how well you know me.


Create Your Own Friend Test Here.

Thinking

Apparently, I spoke too soon.

FALSE ALARM, FOLKS! I'm really not on hiatus.

Actually, maybe I should have gone on hiatus sooner.

Or perhaps this is a tactical move by The Gunfighter to flush me out of my hidey-hole and back into the open. Obviously I'm an easy mark, because it worked.

By now, no doubt, you're asking, "Huh? What the hell is she mumbling about?"

It would seem the aforementioned Gunfighter has tagged me for a Thinking Blogger Award. Which just goes to show that the Gunfighter has exquisite taste, I might add, ever so humbly. Thanks, GF!

Okay, I have a speech here somewhere.

First, I'd like to say that, unlike Helen Mirren, I am wearing underwear and my bosoms do not feel like they're being held up by the hands of angels.

Of course, this blog wouldn't be possible without the folks at Blogger, who manage somehow to make this experience excruciating and complex when it needn't be.

Most importantly, though, I'd be remiss if I didn't thank my loyal readers and commentors who often leave their thoughts and opinions on my blog, giving me even more material to ponder. A special thank you to those of you who point out my gaffes and blunders. I'm committed to better fact checking this year (assuming I start blogging again.)

Finally, I'd like to thank the cat living in my house. A lovely Abbysinian named Pogeaux. If all I had was him, and not this blog, I'd be a drunk by now!

And now, here's the meme portion of this award. The rules of the Thinking Blogger Awards are as follows:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme
3. Optional: Proudly display the "Thinking Blogger Award" with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn't fit your blog).

Five Blogs that Make Me Say, "Hmmm, I'd never thought of that..."

Self-Portrait As
Rantings of a Creole Princess
Sister Mary Lisa
Alice's Adventures Underground
Rio Grande Valley Girl

I don't suppose I can tag the Gunfighter back, but his blog certainly makes me think. And Frank Warren's PostSecret always makes me think, but I suppose it would be presumptuous on my part to think I could bestow an award on a guy whose project is known the world over.

And now, a gratuitous picture of the aforementioned cat who will drive me to drink sooner rather than later...

Pogeaux the Red. In a bag. Need I say more?

Thank you! And now back to my hiatus previously in progress.


Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid

Another Book Meme?! No!

I’ve been tagged by JaneAnne. Here goes.

Hardback or trade paperback or mass-market paperback? No particular preference, although, I’ll admit: I’m a snob and a misophobe and prefer my books new. This is why I don’t have a library card. I don’t know who's sneezed in the books at the library. My one exception would be good condition books I buy either at used bookstores or at the Wheaton Library Bookstore.

Amazon or brick and mortar? Amazon. If I go into a retailer, I end up buying more than I went in for. Amazon has saved me money, because I just order what I wanted. I don’t browse.

Barnes & Noble or Borders? Borders, but if B&N is more convenient, I’ll go there. I also try to support small, independent bookstores, if they're around.

Bookmark or dog-ear? Both. I use a bookmark to note where I’m at in the book, but I dog-ear if there’s a particular passage I want to remember.

Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random? Neither, nor. I group by topic or theme. For example, I have two shelves of nothing but World War II and the Holocaust, a shelf or two of biographies, shelves of cookbooks and Cook’s Illustrated, sections on religion and society and religion and spirituality, religious texts (Bibles, prayer books, etc.), children’s books… Well, I’m sure you’re getting the picture.

Keep, throw away, or sell? It’s hard for me to get rid of books, unless they’re really, really bad or I’ve ‘outgrown’ their needfulness. I never throw away books; just because I might not have liked it, doesn’t mean someone else won’t. I haven’t sold books yet. I usually give them to Goodwill or the Wheaton Library Bookstore.

One thing I absolutely never, ever, ever do is lend books. I never get them back in the same condition in which I lent them out. My books are pristine and on the few regrettable occasions that I’ve lent out, they’ve come back tattered and torn. I even had a book come back once with coffee stains on it. I’ll buy you the book first before I’ll lend it to you. So, please, don’t even ask.

Keep dustjacket or toss it? Keep. Although, I’m going back and forth on this one lately.

Read with dustjacket or remove it? Remove it, so it doesn't get battered.

Short story or novel? Either.

Collection (short stories by same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)? One author. Short stories are an art form and few people have properly mastered it.

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket? Neither. I’ve read a few of the Potter books, but they’re overly long and only okay. I can take ‘em or leave ‘em. That said, though, I'm thrilled that they've contributed to increased reading by young people. With computers and Game Boys and iPods and all the other gadgets kids have these days, it thrills me when I see a kid with a book in their hand. If Harry or Lemony piques their interest and gets them reading, that's fine by me.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks? I stop wherever I am, whenever that is.

"It was a dark and stormy night" or "Once upon a time"? When I’m interested in a new book, I generally flip to the center of the book and read a few pages. If it grabs me, I’ll buy it. If not, I reshelve it. I don’t trust first lines. However, if I had to choose between “It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time,” I’d take the former. I don’t understand why this sentence was panned so long ago. It’s descriptive. It sets the mood. It’s ominous. Once upon a time is unimaginative.

Buy or Borrow? Buy. In addition to never lending, I also refrain from borrowing.

New or used? Ninety-eight percent of the time, new.

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse? Depends on my mood. Although, I rarely read book reviews, aside from what’s on Amazon. I suppose that makes me a peasant.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger? Hadn’t really thought about it. I like books that make me think; if the ending is tidy or leaves me hanging, I’m indifferent. If, on the other hand, the book just ends and I’m left asking myself, “What was the point of that?!” then it pisses me off.

Morning reading, afternoon reading or nighttime reading? Whenever and wherever except at the dinner table or in the bathroom.

Standalone or series? Mostly standalones, though I’m currently caught up in reading John McPhee’s books.

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard? The Physicists, Fredrich Dürrenmatt.

Favorite book(s) read last year: Rising from the Plains, John McPhee. I read quite a bit last year, but I can’t recall what, aside from McPhee.

Favorite books of all time? See here.

Tag? My siblings (you can post it in the comments, if you want), Sister Mary Lisa, The Gunfighter, Holly, Creole Princess, Zanne, Church of the Big Sky.

Resolute Bookends

I have stacks of books sitting in my office, on my nightstands, and in my bookcases that I am bound and determined--i.e. resolute--to read this year. And it doesn't help that I discovered the Friends of the Library Bookstore at the Montgomery County Library in Wheaton, Maryland, last year. That's just added to my pile of to-be-read books. Nevertheless, I bring you the first meme of 2007: The Book Meme. (Didn't I say somewhere once in a year past that I don't normally do these things?!? I guess I lied.)

1. The name of a book I have read more than once.

There are so many and the range is broad. I just re-read Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. I've re-read The Diary of Anne Frank; Corelli's Mandolin; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; The Hours; The Physicists; East of Eden; A Prayer for Owen Meany; Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry; The Good Earth (which I read long before Oprah ever 'book-clubbed' it); Pride and Prejudice.... The list could go on and on and on.

2. If I could have one book while stuck on a deserted island.

One book... One book? Only one book?! Hm. Well, I'm not sure that's really fair. I mean, it's not as though you can simply have a category called 'books.' There are so many possibilities and interests to be had in books. Still, from a practical standpoint, if I was stranded on a deserted island, I'd want some kind of survival manual (and I'm not talking Martha Stewart Living!)

If, on the other hand, I ended up deserted on an island that had materials for building a hut, a fresh water source, and the ability to make fire and catch fish, then I think I'd want C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. It's a tiny book, but each sentence is packed with material that will give you food for thought for days, weeks, and months on end.

3. A book that made me laugh.

A Wish for Wings that Work, Berkeley Breathed. Actually, anything Berkeley Breathed is guaranteed for good chuckle. In terms of all-out guffaws, that would be Sleeping at the Starlite Motel by Bailey White.

4. A book that made me cry.

Bridge to Terebithia, Katherine Patterson. It's a young adult (what you'd probably call 'tweens today) classic and the first book that came to mind, because it's the first book I remember reading that made me cry. It's ageless and I enjoy reading it again from time to time.

5. One book I wish I had written.

Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith, Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery

6. One book that I think shouldn't have been written.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Biggest freakin' waste of a good chunk of my summer reading time (read about it here.) Someone should have driven a stake through this blood-sucking, tree-killing tome. So not worth it.

And while we're on the subject, anything written by Ann Coulter also goes in the "not worth it" category.

7. A book I'm currently reading. (That should probably say books.)

Moab is My Washpot, Stephen Fry
The Tale of Despereaux, Kate DiCamillo
The Gospel of John in the Light of Indian Mysticism, Ravi Ravindra
The Tao of Pooh, Benjamin Hoff
Rising from the Plains, John McPhee
Call It Sleep, Henry Roth
Sacred Longings: The Ecological Spirit and Global Culture, Mary C. Grey

8. One book I've been meaning to read. (Again, this should say books.)

Most of these I've read in part, but I'd like to read them in their entirety.

Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler
The Holy Qu'ran, Mohammed the Prophet, PBUH
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, John Berend
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Max Weber
Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville
A History of God, Karen Armstrong

9. One book that changed my life.

To Know As We Are Known, Parker Palmer

10. My favorite children's/youth books.

Also a tough one, because I have so many. I've listed several under #1. Others include:

Charlotte's Web, E.B. White
Tikki Tikki Tembo, Arlene Mosel
The Little House, Virginia Lee Burton
The Cay, Theodore Taylor
The Great Brain Series, John D. Fitzgerald
Little House on the Prairie, Laura Ingalls Wilder
A Chocolate Moose for Dinner, Fred Gwynne
Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak
Your Favorite Seuss, Dr. Seuss
Olivia, Ian Falconer

11. Other books that I think are noteworthy:

Woman: An Intimate Geography, Natalie Angier
The Rise & Fall of the Third Reich, William Shirer
Lee: The Last Years, Charles Bracelen Flood
No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith, Fawn Brodie
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
The Survivor: An Anatomy of Life in the Death Camps, Terrence Des Pres
The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou
Where the Sidewalk Ends, Shel Silverstein

I tag everyone who loves to read.

Day 25: Merry Christmas Meme

This meme came to me by way of my friend, Holly. The picture is a snapshot of my favorite Christmas ornament on my Christmas tree.

What greeting of the season do you use?
It all depends on who I’m greeting. Usually Merry Christmas prior to Dec. 25, then Happy New Year after Dec. 25. But I’m also known to tailor my greeting based on individuals and their holiday of choice.

Did you leave out milk and cookies for Santa?
Absolutely! Home made cookies, a glass of milk, an orange, and a couple of tiny candy canes. Santa always nibbled the cookies, drank most of the milk, and ate all of the orange. This year, Santa got homemade banana bread and egg nog.

What's one Christmas Eve tradition your family had?
When I was a kid, we’d get a new pair of pajamas that my Mom made. One year, I wanted a jogging suit, so she made me mint green terry cloth PJs with a pink stripe down the side. Another year, she made all of us nightgowns and stocking caps a la The Night Before Christmas. We also choose names out of a hat and give that person a gift that they open that evening. I have my sister this year and she’s getting this.

What's your favorite Christmas song?
My absolute favorite Christmas song is Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht in its original language: German. I also like Liese Reiselt der Schnee. O Holy Night and Do You Hear What I Hear? (the version sung by Johnny Mathis) both come in a close second. I enjoy some of the more contemporary pieces, too, like John Lennon's Happy X-mas (War Is Over) and Amy Grant’s Breath of Heaven. And I get a kick out of the absurdity of Elmo & Patsy's Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer and Brad Paisley's new one this year, Penguin, James Penguin.

What's your least favorite Christmas song?
That would be a dead heat tie between The Twelve Days of Christmas, The Little Drummer Boy, and anything rendered by The Chipmunks. Horrible little beasts. They do unconscionable things to Christmas songs. They should be shipped off to Guantanamo Bay.

What's your favorite Christmas movie?
The Grinch Who Stole Christmas with Boris Karloff. The Jim Carey/Ron Howard version is dismal and was just one big piece of stock footage for Visa to use in their ads that year.

What about A Christmas Story?
I still don’t understand why this is such a cult “classic.” It’s a stupid movie and I don't care for it. I think the first--and only--time I ever watched it, I didn't finish it.

What's your favorite Christmas tv special?
I think it’s all those Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer ones. They use to freak me out as a kid, but they’re kind of nostalgic now. Besides, what's not to love about Burl Ives?

What's the best present you ever received?
The best present I ever got? The best present I ever got… Hm. Can I pick more than one?
Age 5: Hand made kitchen cabinet and stove/oven play set my Dad built for me. I’d give anything for a picture of that right now, or for the piece itself. I wonder if my parents still have it? It was yellow with blue accents and had lots of cupboard and counter space.
Age 12: A hi-fi, Technics turntable.
Age 14: A CD player.
Age 15: A really cool red ski sweater. (And I don't ski.)
Age 16: My very first Opus the Penguin. I still have him. And several others.
Age 27: A Panasonic microwave for my apartment.
Age 33: A Kitchen Aid.
Age 37: A set of nice Henckel gourmet knives.

What's the worst present you ever received?
Is there such a thing as a bad present? Isn’t that why gift receipts were invented? Actually, I know I’ve had a few over the years that I didn’t much care for, but I can’t remember what they were (I’m sure my siblings will be able to name a few for me with total recall.)

What's the best present you ever gave?
I think it’s going to be this year’s gift to my mom. My siblings and I put together a montage of photos and music about my grandparents and my mom and her sisters on DVD. (See yesterday's blog, "Homemade" for all the details.)

What's the worst present you ever gave?
I don’t give bad presents. All my presents are good.

What do you want for Christmas this year?
Peace on earth. A job. Freedom from want.

Is Christmas still a religiously significant holiday for you--in other words, do you celebrate it as the birth of the savior of humanity?
Yes.

Day 12 (Part 3): Weird Tags and Other Dangling Participles

Oh, man. I've been tagged by the Gunfighter. Well, here goes nothing....

Six Weird Things About Janet M. Kincaid (a.k.a. DC Rush Hour):

1. I like to buy sheets. It's true. When I moved, though, I had to jettison some of my sheet sets because I had too many and some were getting lonelier than others from misuse.

2. I tend to anthropomorphize things that shouldn't be. Like the aforementioned sheets. Or all the little critters that inhabit the tree outside my office window. There's Bert and Roscoe, the dueling squirrels and Percy the Possum and Bart the Bat and Waldorf the Woodpecker and... Well, I'm sure you get the picture. Oddly enough, though, I haven't named any of the many feral cats that wander through my yard and alley. They're all just named "Damn Cats!"

3. I listen to Christmas music. In July. A lot.

4. I have a thing about manners and using your inside voice when you're in public spaces and indoors. That's weird because a lot of folks in today's cell-phone obsessed, fuck-you world don't give a damn about common courtesy and decorum.

5. I love James Bond movies. Most of my friends--especially my feminist friends--don't understand this one. I don't understand it either. It just is.

6. I like to wear my Bergsteiger and yodel. Okay, that last one isn't true, but it is weird. And I do own a Bergsteiger Hut complete with pins from every town and province I lived or worked in in Austria.

And now I'm supposed to tag six other people.

Let's see. How about Mary Ellen, Sister Mary Lisa, Dr. Lala, Miss Understood, Holly*, and, and, and... Hm. I guess that's it.

*Holly, who asked me to do the Christmas Meme. Stay tuned for that. It will appear on this blog on or around Christmas Day.

Day 3: 10 Names

Meme is not really my thing, but I've seen this little piece floating around the blogosphere and thought I'd give it a whirl. (Since I wrote this particular entry months ago and never posted it, I can't remember whose blog I originally saw it on. Wherever it was, here's a call out to you.)

My Ten Names

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet and current street name)
~Brisky Tewkesbury

2. YOUR MOVIE STAR NAME: (grandfather/grandmother on your mom's side, your favorite candy)
~Martha June Ritter

3. YOUR "FLY GIRL/GUY" NAME: (first initial of first name, first two or three letters of your last name)
~J'Kin

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
~Blue Doxie (Although, Doxie Blue sounds more alluring…)

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
~Marlene Vallejo

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name, first 3 letters of mom's maiden name and first 3 letters of the town you grew up in):
~Kinjabanpro (I like it all together, but split, it's Kinja Banpro.)

7. SUPERHERO NAME: ("The", your favorite color, favorite soda)
~The Blue Pepper

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first name of both your grandfathers)
~Eldon Carl

9. FUTURISTIC NAME: (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne and the name of your favorite shoes)
~Freesia Brooks

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother/father's middle name and the next name you hear on the tv/radio...
~Clayton Darcy

I'm not tagging anyone on this, but feel free to do this one if you'd like.

UPDATE:
See Muffy and Prince Lautengarten's Meme here.
Read Chakra N. Balance's Meme here.


Photo courtesy of Gigi Lau Design.

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What I wrote about a year ago: The Beauty of a Good Pet.

Hasn't

Rules:

1. Reach for the nearest book to you and open it to page 12.
2. Find the 3rd sentence.
3. Find the 4th word in that sentence.
4. Do a Google Image Search on that word only.
5. Choose the 5th image and post the resulting picture to your blog, along with the word you Googled and these instructions so others can play!

My book: The Female Brain, Louann Brizendine, M.D.
My word: "hasn't"
My result:

Call out to Vernicious Knids for this meme.

Four Things Meme

Adriana and Diana both tagged me for this, so here goes.

Four Jobs I've Had
1. Director of Fund Development at a non-profit in D.C.
2. Manager of Recovered Fiber and Tissue Products at a prominent trade association.
3. Managing Editor at a spin off of one of the coolest trade publishers in the world.
4. Managing Editor at one of the hippest, most socially conscientious trade publishers in the world (which no longer exists, was sold off into various parts, and is now mostly this.)

Four Movies I Can Watch Over and Over
1. Baraka (breathtaking)
2. To Be or Not To Be (the Mel Brooke’s version. Hilarious. “Heil Myself!”)
3. Pirates of the Caribbean (with the incomparable Johnny Depp)
4. Anything James Bond

Four Places I've Lived
1. Washington, D.C.
2. San Francisco/Bay Area, California
3. Fairfax, Virginia
4. Vienna, Austria

Four TV Shows I Love To Watch
1. The Vicar of Dibley
2. Ellen
3. CSI and CSI: New York
4. Anything on Showtime

Four Places I've Been on Vacation
1. Point Reyes, California
2. Vancouver, British Columbia
3. New York, New York
4. The Outer Banks, North Carolina

Four Blogs I Visit Daily
1. What I Made for Dinner—my friend Adriana’s adventures in cooking and life in Park Slope/Brooklyn, New York with her son Jasper and her artist-husband, Lane Twitchell.
2. Swiss Account—the adventures of Scott, Diana, Gibby, Dee Dee and Eartha Cat in Swizzyland.
3. Beauty and the Beltway—the writings of a D.C. poli-sci student and transplant from Montana named Abra Leigh Noelle. Never met her, but she’s a kickass writer. Her stuff can be equal parts thought-provoking, hilarious, and vulnerable.
4. DC Blogs--a list and highlights of blogs by people living in D.C. or in the Metro area.

I don't read this one daily, but I do check it every Monday to see what the latest new secrets are. Check out PostSecret here.

And a call out to my friend, Julie Smith, who is a stay-at-home mom who also reads like a dervish and provides short reviews. See Out of the Best of Books.

Also, check out Overheard in the Office. If you’ve ever worked in an office—which most of us have—you’ll love and hate this site. It’s good for a groan.

Four of My Favorite Foods
1. Anything involving chocolate
2. Fresh peaches
3. Cypress Grove's Humboldt Fog chevre
4. Salmon

Four Places I'd Rather Be
1. Tide pooling in California
2. The Alps
3. Kayaking
4. In bed, snug under my down comforter

Four Albums I Can't Live Without
1. Christmas music, especially Johnny Mathis and Harry Connick, Jr.
2. Anything Mary Chapin Carpenter
3. Mozart’s Requiem
4. Whatever’s currently in the CD player in my car

Four Vehicles I've Owned
1. Honda CR-V EX 4WD in Blue Pearl with black interior, a moonroof, six CD changer built-in-dash, power windows and locks, room for five plus storage…. This is my current car and I LOVE IT!!! Note to Honda Motor Company: PLEASE make this car in a hybrid. Then I’d be overjoyed.
2. Honda Civic DX in Green Pearl with tan interior. This was the first car I ever bought. (Confession: I used a smidgen of my student loan money as a down payment. Really stupid, I know, but at the time it was the only liquidity I had.) Four months after I finished paying it off, this car was totaled in an accident at the corner of 15th Street and Rhode Island Avenue NW thanks to a ditz who decided that making a left turn from the right lane from a dead stop, crossing in front of me going 40 mph was a good idea. Thank goodness for insurance.
3. Chevy 10 passenger cargo van. This actually belonged to my parents. I drove it while I was living at home and going to college.
4. Chevy Malibu Classic station wagon in red orange. This also belonged to my parents. Eventually my dad dropped a V-8 engine in it and gave it to my brother. We christened it the Rocket Sled after that.

Four Taggees
1. Swiss Account and What I Made For Dinner together, since they tagged me.
2. Beauty and the Beltway
3. My buddy Eric, whom I’ve neglected of late due to personal ventures in home shopping.
4. To my friend, Mary Ellen, who should start a blog, but hasn’t. She’s smart as a whip, really witty, a fabulous writer, and just a really, really cool friend. Kisses to ME.


Ala Lipton

And, carrying this a step further and plagarizing from Inside the Actor's Studio with James Lipton:

My favorite swear word: F***.

Sound/noise I love: the ocean.

Sound/noise I hate: the neighborhood derelict hood and nuisance, Alfonso, yelling for my landlady.

A profession I’d like to try: small town doctor.

A profession I’d hate to try: politician.

What I regret: not going to medical school.

What I don’t regret: being myself and following my bliss.

If I die today, what do I hope God will say when I pass to the other side: Welcome.