Apparently I am an unsuspecting jerk friend.

I was tagged, dadnabbit.

1. Just who the hell do you think you are? No really.

These days? No idea. Not as much “me” as I’d like to be, that’s for sure.

2. Who is your favorite person you have met via blogging/internet (besides me, obviously).

Well, there’s Marie who had BETTER be available for drinkage during our next Indy trip is all I’m sayin’. TB and Dys are the most recent friends that I met in person, that were friends on-line before I met them in real life. I hope to meet Temerity Jane some time in the near future, seeing as she lives in the same state as me and all. Aw, hell, I hope to meet ALL of my on-line friends in person sooner or later!

3. Do you remember that one episode of Twilight Zone where that girl is driving and she has a flat tire and that guy stops to help her, but then there’s this weird hitchhiker and he keeps showing up and then it turns out she’s dead? That was awesome. Okay, but seriously. I liked AR’s fictional characters question, so I’ll put that one to you guys as well.

Do you remember when David Duchovny, aka “Jake Winters”, used to host Red Shoe Diaries on Skinemax? Le pant, le gasp, le sigh, le drool.

4. I need an idea for a Christmas dinner side item to go with ham. Thoughts?

Get ye hence. May I recommend the Connoisseurs Vegetable Casserole?

5. What are you proud of?

My sanity. My basically optimistic nature. My fudge.

6. What’s your poison?

IPA’s and whiskey.

7. What question do you WISH I had asked you?

Who was the last person you drunk-dialed, and what were the circumstances?

And now I thrust this task upon my usual suspects (the ones I figure will do this, anyway):

Mr. Bad Pants
Heather
Sherry
Jen
Oregon Sunshine
Kee-yim
Crisitunity

Please for to be answering the following RIVETING requests for information, and then impose upon seven of your friends with questions of your own:

1. Favorite holiday TV special, Christmas or not.

2. Favorite pre-1960 movie.

3. Most embarrassing moment of the year 2010.

4. Do you love football in the snow as much as I do?

5. Do you think people that sweeten their coffee with honey are totally weird? Or are you ONE OF THEM?

6. What’s your guilty pleasure?

7. Would you video tape yourself dancing to cheesy 80’s music? Please? No, seriously, please? Name the song!

BONUS QUESTION: Who was the last person you drunk-dialed, and what were the circumstances?

His and Hers Meme

Avitable started it, Crisitunity picked it up, and here I am putting my spin on it. I’m going to record both my answer, and Bill’s answer. Look at us, all maritally bonding and whatnot. Brevity wasn’t the intent of the original meme, I believe, but that’s what we ended up with.

Day 01 → Something you hate about yourself.

Tiff – My lack of discipline.

Bill – “My intolerance and bad temper.”

Day 02 → Something you love about yourself.

Tiff – Optimism that refuses to be crushed, withered, or otherwise die a horrible death.

Bill – “Nothing, really, that I can think of. Or, well, sense of humor I guess.”

Day 03 → Something you have to forgive yourself for.

Tiff – Moving away from home and not being there for Grandma in her last years.

Bill – “Teasing people and being mean and inconsiderate to them through grade school and high school. Looking back, it was childish and immature for sure.”

Day 04 → Something you have to forgive someone for.

Tiff – My ex-husband for being a psychotic asshat.

Bill – “Probably something having to do with my ex wife.”

Day 05 → Something you hope to do in your life.

Tiff – Move to Maine. And spend a month in Ireland.

Bill – “Achieve financial freedom so we can spend more time together.”

Day 06 → Something you hope you never have to do.

Tiff – Grow old in Arizona.

Bill – “Bury a loved one.”

Day 07 → Someone who has made your life worth living for.

Tiff – That one guy. Oh, hell, what’s his name…

Bill – “My wife.”

Day 08 → Someone who made your life hell, or treated you like shit.

Tiff – My psychotic, asshat of an ex-husband.

Bill – “My ex-wife.”

Day 09 → Someone you didn’t want to let go, but just drifted.

Tiff – My good friend Kim, who lives in Maine and I keep missing her on every visit home.

Bill – “My childhood friend George.”

Day 10 → Someone you need to let go, or wish you didn’t know.

Tiff – Nobody that’s presently in my life. I’ve let go of everyone I need to.

Bill – “Certain segments of my family.”

Day 11 → Something people seem to compliment you the most on.

Tiff – My positive attitude.

Bill – “How easy it is to talk to me, and how they end up somehow sharing more with me than most people.”

Day 12 → Something you never get compliments on.

Tiff – My singing. Ha. (Bill went as far as to shut the door to the workout room today as I was singing along to my iPod while on the elliptical.)

Bill – “My appearance.” (I protested this one because I tell him he’s handsome all the time, and he said I don’t count because I’m his wife.)

Day 13 → A band or artist that has gotten you through some tough ass days.

Tiff – Fleetwood Mac.

Bill – “Journey. Scorpions. Judas Priest. All for different reasons.”

Day 14 → A hero that has let you down.

Tiff – I don’t have any heroes. Maybe I’ll write about why some time.

Bill – “I guess my mom, when I was younger, and then everyone else in the reality of life from there forward.”

Day 15 → Something or someone you couldn’t live without, because you’ve tried living without it.

Tiff – Bill. Books (yes, I actually tried to stop reading so much, once). Carbs.

Bill – “Tiff. Beer. Motorcycles.”

Day 16 → Someone or something you definitely could live without.

Tiff – Debt.

Bill – “Absenthe. My ex-wife. Not to get bitter or anything.”

Day 17 → A book you’ve read that changed your views on something.

Tiff – I can’t really think of one. The books I tend to read aren’t exactly life-altering.

Bill – “Jesse Ventura’s “American Conspiracy”.”

Day 18 → Your views on gay marriage.

Tiff – Going to a gay wedding is on my bucket list.

Bill – “Why not? Why should we (straight folks) be the only one who suffer?”

Day 19 → What do you think of religion? Or what do you think of politics?

Tiff – Whatever doesn’t piss me off is cool with me. Which isn’t much, given those subjects. I’m not a particular political party, and I’m not a particular religion.

Bill – “The bigger and more organized they both are, the more evil they tend to be.”

Day 20 → Your views on drugs and alcohol.

Tiff – More, please.

Bill – “Yes, and yes.”

Day 21 → (scenario) Your best friend is in a car accident and you two got into a fight an hour before. What do you do?

Tiff – Wait, are they dead, or do they just have a broken leg or something? Is this a Hallmark moment, or a Kleenex moment? Will I need a ouiga board to tender my apologies?

Bill – “Apologize before pulling the plug.”

Day 22 → Something you wish you hadn’t done in your life.

Tiff – Left Maine. I continue to believe that even if I’d never made it to Arizona, Bill and I still would have met somehow.

Bill – “Gotten into a serious relationship at such a young age.” (He was fifteen when he met his now ex-wife.)

Day 23 → Something you wish you had done in your life.

Tiff – Finished my degree. Which is still my goal, if AcronymCo would just pony up the tuition, already.

Bill – “Gone directly to college right after high school.”

Day 24 → Make a playlist to someone, and explain why you chose all the songs. (Just post the titles and artists and letter)

Tiff – Bill’s playlist would include “Need You Now” by Lady Antebellum because that’s our go-to warm-fuzzy song lately. Also “You’re the First, My Last, My Everything” by Barry White because every time I hear it I remember Bill dancing around to it. “December 1963” by Frankie Valli because we went to see Jersey Boys twice. “Nei Tuoi Occhi (In the Miror)” by Yanni because they way they sing together is the way we feel about each other.

Bill – “My playlist would be to you. That Barbara Streisand song (“I’ve Finally Found Someone”), because it IS us. Rock You Like a Hurricane because it’s the theme song that I want to do ya to. Oingo Boingo (that would be “Dead Man’s Party”) because it always reminds me of our first days together. Dancing Queen because of the drunk proposal.”

Day 25 → The reason you believe you’re still alive today.

Tiff – Albuterol sulfate.

Bill – “Helmets and divine intervention. Oh, and husbands coming home late.”

Day 26 → Have you ever thought about giving up on life? If so, when and why?

Tiff – Never, even at my saddest.

Bill – “Yes. During my divorce when I was sure I would no longer have my wife and wasn’t sure whether I would have the love of my life.”

Day 27 → What’s the best thing going for you right now?

Tiff – What Bill said.

Bill – “The partnership that we have.”

Day 28 → What if you were pregnant or got someone pregnant, what would you do?

Tiff – Sue the pants off of my doctor.

Bill – “Take complete responsibility.”

Day 29 → Something you hope to change about yourself. And why.

Tiff – What Bill said.

Bill – “Improve my health because I want to out-live my wife. And so I can still be sexually active in the old people’s home.”

Day 30 → A letter to yourself, tell yourself EVERYTHING you love about yourself.

Tiff – I’ll pass on this one.

Bill – “Lame. No way.”

New Year Meme

I’ve seen this going around (the latest from Crisitunity), so I figured, eh, what the heck.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?

Took a 3,026 mile road trip to Wyoming (by way of Utah and Idaho, guest starring Colorado).

Started writing professionally.

Got paid to take pictures.

I started blogging under my real name.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I didn’t make any resolutions last year! I’m not making any resolutions this year! It’s very liberating.

3. How did you spend New Year’s Eve?

Vodka = ow.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No, thank goodness!

5. What countries did you visit?

My own. Hopefully by this time next year I’ll be able to say, “Canada!”

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?

50% less unsecured debt.

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

November 14th. Bill and I had a fight that was monumentally awful at the time, but the after-effects caused us to re-evaluate how we treat one another and I believe we came out the other side stronger than we were before.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Going professional with my writing and photography. I’m particularly proud of the latter.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Not having the handle on our debt that I wanted to have by the end of the year. I’m hoping this year will be better!

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

I had a long and sucky bout with plantar faciitis early on in the year. And I had a cold or some such thing that prevented me from being there for Oliver’s birth.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

The leather jacket Bill picked out for me in Cody, Wyoming. Also, Moto GP tickets.

12. Where did most of your money go?

The mortgage, followed closely by the credit cards.

13. What song will always remind you of 2009?

It’s a toss-up between these two (really, the whole Voices album):

14. What do you wish you’d done more of?

I wish I’d stayed in touch with my friends better. Written letters, made phone calls, and let them know I was thinking of them.

15. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Being depressed and anxious and sleeping a lot because of it and being lazy and sitting on my fat ass getting fatter.

16. What was your favourite TV program?

Big Bang Theory, Bones, Supernatural, Castle, Fringe, Criminal Minds, Californication (more or less in order)

17. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Don’t hate anybody!

18. What was the best book you read?

The Charlaine Harris “Sookie” series (True Blood), and Patricia Briggs’ “Mercy” series.

19. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Intervision. (Website has sound.)

20. What was your favorite film of this year?

Star Trek!!!!!

21. What did you do on your birthday?

Bill and I cooked a steak dinner together, and I made THE Pie(tm).

22. What kept you sane?

I don’t think anything did. I think I’m just now starting to realize just how BAD 2009 was, mentally speaking.

23. Who did you miss?

Grandma, Heather (though I got to see her!), and the grandbabies.

24. Who was the best new person you met?

I don’t think that I really made any new friends (IRL) in ’09. Lots of fun folks at Sandstone, I guess, but the “old” people I know are still the nearest and dearest to my heart!

25. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:

To let go of the things I can’t control and just believe that everything will work out in the end.

———-
Today’s 3P:

Positive: I did get to Trader Joe’s yesterday, and I’m having a truly yummy breakfast of TJ’s nonfat vanilla yogurt with TJ’s lowfat mixed berry granola. I love breakfast.

Productive: Dig up my bike lock and pump up the tires on my bike – I want to start riding my bike to work some day soon.

Plan: Put together a writing schedule for the next week.

Two Bits

First off:

Here I am! New haircut and color, which you can’t really tell by this picture. Highlights and lowlights, in “caramel” and “coffee”, per my food-oriented colorist. I told her she could lick my hair if she was so inclined. She wasn’t.

You’d never know by this photo that I have stick-straight hair. I use Foxy Curls to achieve this look. I apply a dab about the size of a quarter to towel-dried hair after my shower, then when I’m ready to blow dry I flip it upside down and scrunch it while drying on high heat/low speed until it’s dry (or mostly dry, sometimes I leave a tiny bit of moisture to prevent frizz). Then I apply a palmful of mousse to help the curls last – and they do, all day long. The thing I like about Foxy Curls is that it doesn’t make my hair crunchy and doesn’t build up.

Thus endeth your styling lesson for the day.

———-

Today’s 3P:

Positive: I got up at 7:00 and stayed up, which means I won’t/didn’t sleep the day away like I did yesterday (when I got up at NOON).

Productive: I have work to do, but I’ll be best pleased with myself today if I get to Trader Joe’s for some diet-worthy foods.

Plan: I am getting out into the fresh air today – perhaps I’ll take Portia for a walk. Poor dog has been neglected for the past two weeks while Amanda has been hanging out with her boyfriend.

Stolen from Ms. Sugarpants

This one is Karen’s fault:

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Living in Maine, in a loft in downtown Portland, with my husband. Making a living out of my writing and photography, such that Calvin doesn’t have to work and we have plenty of leisure time.

What is your greatest fear?
Death. Mine or my loved ones.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Sometimes I don’t try hard enough. I have to battle through the white noise in my head, and it comes across occasionally as not caring, or indifference.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Laziness.

On what occasion do you lie?
When I’m hiding something positive, like a surprise or a gift.

What is your greatest extravagance?
I won’t get my hair cut at one of those chain places, I spend $60 for a scalp massage and a layered cut at Chris Anthony’s.

What is your current state of mind?
Enforced relaxation. There’s stuff I could be stressing or worrying about, but I absolutely REFUSE. I spend enough goddamn time stressing.

What is the quality you most like in a man?
A giving heart.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?
A positive attitude.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
“You know I’m not wrong.”

When and where were you happiest?
On the beach, barefoot, at the ocean, hand in hand with my husband.

Who are your favorite writers?
Mary Stewart, Susan Cooper, JK Rowling, and a bunch of others.

Which talent would you most like to have?
I wish that I could play the piano, play the guitar, and speak Italian.

If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be?
Immediate family: I wish my daughter was more secure in herself, I wish my son would find a vocation that he was really enthusiastic about, I wish my husband and I saw eye to eye on everything. Extended family: yeah. I wish we all just got along.

If you died and came back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
It would be just like “What Dreams May Come”. Calvin and I would find each other, every single time.

What do you dislike most about your appearance?
I’m chubbier than I would like to be.

Where would you like to live?
Maine. And, Maine. And also, Maine.

What is your most treasured possession?
All of our photographs. And my journals, hand-written and on-line. And the starfish necklace that Calvin gave me. That’s three, I’m a rule-breaker.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Mourning.

What do you most value in your friends?
Constancy.

What are your favorite names?
Cricket and Firefly – pet names my husband has called me, that make me smile every time.

What is it that you most dislike?
Light: stupid commercials. Heavy: selfishness.

What is your greatest regret?
I haven’t finished my degree yet.

How would you like to die?
In a non-violent, painless way, surrounded by the people who love me.

What is your motto?
“Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”

This post is in no way meant to label me as a literary snob.

Stolen from the Coolest Joe Around:

1) What author do you own the most books by?
It’s kind of a three-way tie between Anne McCaffrey, Mercedes Lackey, and Laurell K. Hamilton. I say “kind of” because I’m not going to actually GO to my book closet and COUNT.

2) What book do you own the most copies of?
I have two copies each of every book in the “Hitchhiker’s Gude to the Galaxy” series. Chalk that up to “Stuff Laura Kept in the Divorce”.

3) Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?
Why, are prepositions something I should be afraid of?

4) What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
Jason. Still. DESPITE LKH’s last book, which sucked donkey kong.

Also, if anybody steals this meme and answers this question with either “Edward” or “Jacob”, I shall shun them. COMPLETELY AND FOREVER. I’M LOOKING AT YOU, JEN.

5) What book have you read the most times in your life (excluding picture books read to children; i.e., Goodnight Moon does not count)?
A bunch, but The Lady by Anne McCaffrey stands out in particular.

6) What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?
The Dark is Rising series.

7) What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year?
Well, according to my list, looks like it was something called “Jane’s Warlord” by Angela Knight. I remember NOTHING about it, so it must’ve been pretty bad. If it rates lower than a “5” on my scale, I don’t finish it, anyway. I mean, what would be the point of finishing a TRULY bad book?

8 ) What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?
Well, I’ve been digging Charlaine Harris’ Sookie books, lately.

9) If you could force everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be?
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Seriously.

10) Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for Literature?
NOBODY on Oprah’s book list.

11) What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
Actually, I remember actually thinking, after finishing Flirting with Danger and the subsequent books, that it would make for a great movie. IF adapted right. Which, as everyone knows, is key.

12) What book would you least like to see made into a movie?
Well, the one I was least happy about was The Seeker – The Dark is Rising, which was adapted from the book I mentioned in question #6. EPIC FAIL and totally disrespectful of the book, the series, and the author.

13) Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.
Heh. I always have HAWT dreams after reading an Anita Blake novel.

14) What is the most lowbrow book you’ve read as an adult?
Uh, yeah. I have a prolific romance novel collection.

15) What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?
Difficult to get through, or difficult from an emotional level? To get through, I’d say ol’ Billy Boy’s memoir. On an emotional level, I’d say The Lovely Bones.

16) What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you’ve seen?
Nothing obscure, really. “Much Ado About Nothing” and “Hamlet” and “Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Taming of the Shrew” and “Romeo and Juliet”.

17) Do you prefer the French or the Russians?
As a people, or as a dressing?

18) Roth or Updike?
I don’t care, but this guy does.

19) David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?
Sedaris comes across as pompous, to me. Just based on his Wikipedia page, I suspect I’d like Eggers better.

20) Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer?
“Three dead poets walk into a bar…”

21) Austen or Eliot?
Austen. I mean, I’m a girl, aren’t I?

22) What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?
Yeah. I don’t hang in circles where the gaps in my reading would be an issue.

23) What is your favorite novel?
Isn’t this the same, in principle, as number five?

24) Play?
It’s a tie between The Clouds and Lysistrata. I like Aristophanes.

25) Poem?
Psalms is nice. I also like Blake’s Auguries of Innocence.

26) Essay?
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. Hey, I used to own the Great Books of the Western World. Chalk that one up to “Stuff Laura Lost in the Divorce”.

27) Short story?
You know? None come to mind. I’m much more of an Epic Novel Length kind of reader.

28) Work of nonfiction?
I’m not typically a nonfiction kind of girl, but I did enjoy A Walk in the Woods.

29) Who is your favorite writer?
Probably tied to number one.

30) Who is the most overrated writer alive today?
STEPHANIE MEYER HOLY FUCK.

31) What is your desert island book?
“How to Survive on a Desert Island”

32) And… what are you reading right now?
“His Majesty’s Dragon” by Naomi Novik, and “Black Sun Rising” by CS Friedman. Shockingly, I’m still in the middle of these and have been for a couple of months. Those who know me realize that it’s a VERY unusual thing, to have only read EIGHT books thus far this year. There must be something wrong.

Variety

Another meme infestation. I stole it from Adam and Crystal.

How Well Do You Know Your Significant Other?

1. He’s sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen?
Something about WWII, sharks, or motorcycles.

2. You’re out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?
A half-gallon of ranch.

3. What’s one food he doesn’t like?
Brussel sprouts.

4. You go out to eat and have a drink. What does he order?
Their darkest beer.

5. Where did he go to high school?
Scottsdale, Arizona.

6. What size shoe does he wear?
8 1/2.

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be?
Motorcycles.

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich?
Hmm. He’s not a huge sammich fan. Turkey, probably. Or roast beef.

9. What would this person eat every day if he could?
He likes variety. No repeats or leftovers allowed.

10. What is his favorite cereal?
Shredded Wheat, or Honey Comb Hideout, or Corn Flakes, or Rice Krispies. He’s a traditionalist.

11. What would he never wear?
Socks with sandals. Thank the Good Lord.

12. What is his favorite sports team?
Football – Cards. Basketball – Suns. Neither one of us are huge fans of baseball, but if we had to pick we’d go with the Diamondbacks, of course.

13. Who did he vote for?
Obama.

14. Who is his best friend?
Me!

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn’t do?
Har. Tell him “no”.

16. What is his heritage?
Irish!

17. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake?
Blackberry cobbler.

18. Did he play sports in high school?
No, but he competed in motocross.

19. What could he spend hours doing?
“It”. Also, surfing p0rn.

20. What is one unique talent he has?
He can fix anything. Also, see #19, the first part.

Oh, what the hell.

Another meme contagion, spreading its way through the innernets.

———-

What are your middle names?

Calvin’s is “Wayne” and mine is “Laura” in real life.

How long have you been together?

Going on eleven glorious years.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?

Around three years. Four, maybe?

Who asked whom out?

Uhhh, yeah. That one’s complicated.

How old are each of you?

I’m 34 and Calvin is 45.

Whose siblings do you see the most?

Calvin’s, since they live in this state. And of his two sisters, we see his sister Karen the most often.

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?

Nothing, really. Maybe just our individual idiosyncrasies. There’s stuff about him that annoys me, and stuff about me that annoys him.

Did you go to the same school?

No, we went to school 3000 miles and 10 years apart.

Are you from the same home town?

No, he’s a native Arizonan and I am from Maine.

Who is smarter?

When it comes to words, me. When it comes to handy-man stuff, him. Math, me. Mechanics, him. Relationships, me. Logic, him.

Who is the most sensitive?

You know, he’s going to protest, but I’m actually going to have to say Calvin on this one. I’m more pragmatic than him, in all actuality. I let things roll off of me quite well, where Calvin will analyze things to death. Hmm. I’m going to have to have him formulate his own answers to this meme.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?

Geez, everywhere. But you’ll see us most often at the Dark Horse.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?

Hawaii (2864 miles), with Maine coming in second (2331 miles).

Who has the craziest exes?

We used to be tied on this one, but mine wins by virtue of his staying power.

Who has the worst temper?

Calvin. I don’t get pissed off easily at all, though that wasn’t always the case. I had a wretched temper when I was young, but I outgrew it. Calvin? He embraces his temper. Though, too, he’s mellowed out over the time that I’ve known him. It’s my excellent influence.

Who does the cooking?

I do more of it, but I think Calvin’s better at it. I’m a recipe-follower, while he’s an intuitive cook.

Who is the neat-freak?

Calvin, by far. His standards of cleanliness and neatness far exceed my own.

Who is more stubborn?

Calvin wins this one, too.

Who hogs the bed?

We’d both say the other, but in the end he ends up with all the sheet and I end up with all the blanket.

Who wakes up earlier?

Calvin on weekdays, me on weekends.

Where was your first date?

If I recall correctly, it was out to dinner and then to see a performance at the Improv.

Who is more jealous?

Calvin. I’m pretty much the opposite of jealous.

How long did it take to get serious?

Hmm. Another tough question. Not very long, in the grand scheme, once Calvin made up his mind.

Who eats more?

Me, dammit. I’m a three-meal-a-day-plus-snacks kind of person, he prefers to just eat once or twice.

Who does the laundry?

Me, dammit.

Who’s better with the computer?

Calvin. He works on computers for his job, after all. I can type faster, though. He’s a hunt-and-pecker. Heh.

Who drives when you are together?

Calvin, usually, though I’ve been known to fight him for the keys. The Trailblazer is so much fun to drive after all!

Interview With the Blogger

Amy is paying it forward with the volunteer interview movement that has been going around lately. I volunteered, she asked, and now you get to know Even! More! Pithy! And! Interesting! Things! About! Me!

Such as my proclivity to write single capitalized words interspersed with exclamation points.

1. Fellow beer lover, did you ever try the Pyramid Hefeweizen on draft? Did you have it with a lemon or orange wedge? (Personally, I prefer orange) And, what is your current favorite beer? Most disliked beer?

I am actually not a fan of Hefe’s. It’s the sediment, I think. And the fruitiness. I don’t, as a rule, like fruit in my beer (picture Chris Farley’s, “What the FRUIT?!?”). The only exception to that is Corona or Dos Equis, which of course require a lime or lemon for proper consumption. Generally, I’m more of a fan of chocolates and caramels and malts. Though, to contradict that entirely, my favorite type of beer is IPA (love the dryness), and my favorite brand of IPA is Bridgeport. Left Hand Brewing makes a Milk Stout that is running in close competition as my Favorite Beer Evar. It’s almost dessert in a glass.

Thus far I haven’t come across a beer that I’ve been prompted to say I HATE, but Sam Adam’s Triple Bock made me shudder in the manner of my first taste of absinthe. Brr.

It is a personal goal shared between Calvin and myself, to try every single beer in this book. We’ve made a good dent without even trying, I must say.

2. What is your all-time favorite book and why?

Gah. Just one? Really? How about top five?

Susan Cooper’s Dark is Rising sequence (I’m cheating, throwing five books in one). The epitome of my adolescent reading obsession.

Anne McCaffrey’s The Lady. Romance and horses written by an author who actually rides. Her short story Ring of Fear is another favorite, for the same reason. I’ve read my copies of both so often that they literally fell apart.

Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. My first foray into true science fiction, and a favorite since day one. I like the rest of the series too, but the first book is the best.

John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War. Truly the best science fiction book I’ve ever read, period. And I’m not just saying that because I was one of the test readers way back in the day before he was published. It’s seriously an awesome book, and if you haven’t read it yet, you must go forth and do so at your earliest convenience.

Mary Stewart’s The Crystal Cave. This is the book that introduced me to Mary Stewart herself, and Arthurian legend, all at once. Now I’m fascinated by both author (I own all of her books, I believe – she’s old school and I LOVE HER) and Arthur.

Notice. I did not mention JK Rowling, or Laurell K. Hamilton, or Tad Williams, or any of the other dozens and dozens of authors I read, love, and have mentioned here and here. Hard as it is to keep it to five, I did so without hesitation. There’s just some books that stay with you year after year, no matter what other authors and stories come before or after.

3. You have an adorable husband, great looking family and adorable grandkids, not to mention the slew of cool pets, what is your philosophy on life, love and the pursuit of happiness?

Well my goodness, you make me all verklempt. Though I believe Calvin would like to be thought of as “dead sexy” rather than “adorable”. Heh. I happen to think he’s both!

I don’t know that I have one specific philosophy on life, etc. I just try to keep optimistic, keep my head up, keep going. Be kind, be careful, be intelligent. Live life well, try not to hurt other people, and try to be the best wife, mother, and friend that I know how to be. And above all, keep the faith that life tends to work itself out. I’ve shared my favorite saying with you before, Amy, but it always bears repeating:

“Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”

4. What is something “less than grown up” (aka immature) that you do and refuse to give up doing?

Wow! Great question. I think we all have our moments of immaturity – some in good spirit, others just childish and spiteful. I guess one thing I persist in doing is constantly asking my husband, “What’s wrong,” or “Is everything okay,” whenever he gets quiet or pensive. There’s usually nothing at all wrong, yet I’ll persist in asking until Calvin snaps, “There will be something wrong if you keep asking!”

Let’s see, what else? Oh, sometimes I get all “fangirl” with my current TV, movie, or book obsession. Case in point, I’m all a-squee over Supernatural and would happily sit for hours upon hours getting myself caught up on all of the seasons, all at once (I’m on the second disc of season 2, and I only STARTED season 1 a couple of weeks ago). It has actually surpassed Grey’s Anatomy as my #1 Favorite Show Currently Airing. Also, when I first started reading the Twilight series I absolutely ABSORBED them all in a matter of days. And, I read the final book of the Harry Potter series (all, what, 800 pages of it?) IN ONE SITTING. 7:00 p.m. on its Saturday release day, through to 2:00 a.m. Seven hours straight, with pee breaks. And the book accompanied me into the necessary.

So, yeah. That last paragraph is the behavior that bothers Calvin the most, and I can’t say that I blame him. I’m all absorbed and not paying attention to anything else when I’m like that.

5. You have the day to yourself, unlimited resources and full tank of gas, how will you spend your day?

This is actually a good example of what I do with a day to myself. But in the spirit of this question (and if I was by myself), I’d say that I’d wake up early, browse the bookstore for an hour or three, indulge in some lens shopping at the camera gear store, have lunch with Calvin, go spend the afternoon at the museum, hit Old Navy for some new clothes, have a steak dinner at The Keg with Calvin, and then find a new microbrewery to tour and sample, before coming home and getting a little nookie. Again, with Calvin. Yep, that’d be just about my perfect day.

Now, if I had more than one day, and a husband to accompany me, hands down I’d vote for a road trip. Road tripping is my favorite way to spend a day – even if we have to fly to where we’re going first, then take day trips around the area. Calvin and I talk and talk and talk, and always have excellent music in the rotation. We both love exploring places we’ve never been before. I don’t even mind getting lost, because I just love love love to explore. That’s one of the reasons I like Maine so much – every road you take is “off the beaten path” and leads somewhere you’ve never been to or heard of. All these hidden jems of villages and parks and harbors, just waiting to be wandered.

SIGH. Now I’m homesick. Again. Still.

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That was fun! Now it’s your turn. Leave me a comment if you want me to interview you, and I’ll respond with a handful of questions you can post to your blog. An excellent cure for writer’s block. Thanks, Amy!

C is for cookie. And Christmas.

Mr. Naked on the Roof guy selected the letter “c” for me, with which to compose a creative list of coveted cravings and celebrations and… well, my ten favorite things that start with the letter “c”.

Alliteration has its limits.

In no particular order, I give you:

1. Cookbooks. I love them. I have a fairly large collection of them. See?

I covet more. Particularly a couple of Barefoot Contessa books. I’ve just recently come to realize how great she is. Sometimes I come late to the party.

2. My Canon camera. We have this one and I LOVE IT. It’s so flexible, and relatively easy to use once you mess around with it for a bit. Now, to get all the lenses I covet.

3. Clouds.

I appreciate them more now that I live in the desert. There’s either steel grey skies ready to rain, or bright blue cloudless skies. There’s usually very little in between around here. When I lived back east I used to lay for hours out in the yard, finding shapes in the clouds. I haven’t done that in a long, long time.

4. Steamed Clams.

I only get to eat them when we happen to be on the coast (this pic was taken in Oregon). Throughout my childhood, “steamers” accompanied every lobster dinner we ever had. They’d be soaked in brine and cornmeal so they could eat and plump up before cooking. I’m told my mother used to even eat the raw. Not something I have ever braved, nor do I plan to. There’s always a bit of sandy crunch to them, too – it wouldn’t be the same without a little grit.

5. Cottages. I don’t know if it’s the romantic side of me, or the love of old, unique, non-standard archetecture, or the love of history, or the desire to travel to Europe, or all of the fantasy books and stories I’ve read throughout my life. I’ve just always LOVED the idea of living in a cottage. I mean, look at this. Who wouldn’t want to live somewhere like that?

6. Chocolate Cake. I’m not sure I even need to qualify this one. It’s a no-brainer.

7. Color.

My favorite color is blue. My living room is painted a deep vibrant red. I’d love to paint the rest of my house in vibrant colors, but I think Calvin might protest. He likes things more subtle. I don’t know, I guess I’m tired of desert colors – most of the time I’m surrounded by a variation of beige, brown, more beige, and more brown.

8. Susan Cooper. She is the author of a series of books that I read and re-read and re-re-read during my adolescence, “The Dark is Rising”. From what I can recall, that series was my first introduction into the fantasy realm. It’s an absolute sin that Hollywood totally disrespected her work and the series with this piece of shit.

9. Cats. Particularly, these two:

10. Calvin.

He’s damned hot. Sexy, even. And charming, when he wants to be. And my best friend. And my favorite person. And did I mention hot?

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As requested, a picture of the starfish necklace Calvin got me for Christmas:

Our Christmas Day lobster dinner was a lot of fun. We had a full house, which is just how we like it for the holidays. Everybody stuck with the tradition of showing up in their pajamas, which was funny because we didn’t remind anyone. Marie and Michael spread the word just fine:

The table, set for dinner:

Calvin, cooking the lobsters (the puppies are in the cage to keep them away from the BOILING WATER OF DOOM):

Cooked lobsters:

You can’t look at this picture without your mouth watering – all of this bacon went into the baked potato soup:

The very busy stove – rice pilaf, melting butter, baked potato soup, and boiling water to top off the lobster pot:

Almost everyone showed up before 3:00, and we didn’t have dinner until almost 6:30. Everyone shot pool, played darts, gabbed and gabbed and gabbed, watched some TV, indulged in some Christmas Beverage, munched on appetizers, and kept pretty well occupied observing the whole Lobster Killing Process. We stuffed ourselves nearly sick, then after dinner we all played Rock Band.

My kind of Christmas. We hope you all had YOUR kind of Christmas, too!