A IPOD SHUFFLE MEME CAUSE WHY NOT

1.Put your music player on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS! (I skipped any repeat artists in the spirit of variety)
4. Tag 10 friends who might enjoy doing the game as well as the person you got the game from.

1. IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
I Hear a Symphony- The Supremes
Whenever you’re near/I hear a symphony/A tender melody/Pulling me closer/Closer to your arms.
Apparently I am not only okay with whatever people are asking about, I am ecstatic about it. Maybe people just have really good taste and are only approaching me with awesome things.

2. WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Western Eyes- Portishead
With western eyes and serpents breath/We lay our own conscience to rest/But I'm aching at the view/Yes I'm breaking at the scenes just like you
So I suppose this means that I sometimes do bad things and then I feel really bad about them later. Doesn’t everyone?

3. WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
If you Don’t Get It The First Time Back Up and Try It Again- The JBs
The lyrics are pretty much the title, no need to retype that
Who wouldn’t like a guy who is both resilient and funky?

4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
God- Tori Amos
God sometimes you just don’t come through/ Do you need a woman to look after you
Actually, I feel pretty good today. There was no need for this teenage angst to pop up here. Actually, there is pretty much never a need for this particular brand of teenage angst, I just can’t let it go.

5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Stop Singing and Start Swinging- Malcolm X
Well this is a speech and, for a time, I was this militant (in theory) However, since we now have a Black president and OBVIOUSLY live in a post-racial America there will be no need for anything like this anymore…right???right??? UH….

6. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Murder Ink- Dr Dre
Uh, uh, for real/ You’ll fuck around and get killed
Uh, uh, I won’t be killing anything at all. I’m not as hard as I think I am and I certainly don’t think I’m the murdering type

7. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Small Man, Big Mouth- Minor threat
You laugh at a man when he tries/You're trying to make up for your size/To you life is a rivalry/ Keep a step ahead of me
Apparently my friends think I have a serious Napoleon complex, who knew? Oh, iPod shuffle, you reveal mysterious wonders sometimes

8.WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
50ft Queenie- PJ Harvey
Hey I'm king of the world/You oughta hear my song/You come on and measure me/I'm fifty inches long
Well, I too seem to be obsessed with my height. I would have you know that I am no mere fifty inches long. I stand a proud seventy inches so there!

9. WHAT IS 2 + 2?
Hunting Bears- Radiohead
This is an instrumental piece. That is what they get for asking such a stupid question


10. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Boll Weevil- Presidents of the United States of America
Boll weevil why don’t you get out of your home/He said I’m comfortable here I don’t wanna move I don’t wanna leave/I said boll weevil get right out of your home
I have a few people that I could consider best friends. Out of all of them I am the one who is most likely to stay inside. I can’t say this one applies too much but it would if my best friend were the person who sent this to me cause she never goes out.

11.WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Sunshine Recorder- Boards of Canada
A beautiful place/a beautiful place/an eagle in your mind
I guess I really like him huh?

12. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Dueling Banjos- Primus
An easy groove. The notes are happy, even jolly. Then you think about Deliverance and everything is much worse. Much much worse.

13. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Beef Jerky- Cibo Mato
My weight is 300 pounds/My favorite is beef jerky/I’m a vagabond, I’m a vagabond/My mom says, you are kinky!
Well I most certainly do not want to be a 300lb kinky hobo

14. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
All Along the Watchtower- Jimi Hendrix
There must be some kind of way out of here/Said the joker to the thief/There is too much confusion/I can’t get no relief
This is like the exact opposite of what I think. It is an incredibly awesome song though so I’ll just go with that vibe

15. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Bridge over Troubled Water- Simon and Garfunkel
When you’re weary. Feeling Small/ When tears are in your eyes/ I'll dry them all
What can I say? My parents really really love me

16. WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Derilict- Beck
Blow back derelict wind/Lay my soul in the foul of the air
I can find absolutely no way this song works. Lyrics, no. Tune, I would like to see Tony and I try to dance to this with our non-dancing asses

17. WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Reeling- PJ Harvey
Wanna bathe in milk/ Eat grapes/ Robert DiNiro sit on my face
Uh, gross and completely inappropriate

18. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Memories of Jacqueline- Olivia Tremor Control
Right now is when we break the static/With our themes of liberation/Conquer all that we can
Yes, my hobby is to conquer all that I set out to conquer. The fact that I don’t try much of anything does somewhat hinder this hobby but I’m sticking to it

19. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Sir Duke- Stevie Wonder
Music is a world within itself/With a language we all understand/With an equal opportunity/For all to sing, dance and clap their hands
See, I am secretly the most talented musician/singer/songwriter that the world has ever seen but I can’t divulge my talent because the world just can’t handle my glory. Therefore, I fool everyone into thinking I have no instrumental talents and can’t carry a tune to save my life. I do write a pretty awesome song though, get a little whiff of this
Insideoutafied, I said insideoutified---YOU TURN ME
That's what I thought, you can't even handle the awesomeness.

20. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Mingusings- of Montreal
Sister tells you No, our shit is only gonna get better /I'll let ya know let ya know let ya know /I feel like the last time is gonna be /my final collapse
This obviously means that I have awesome friends and we help each other when the other is down

21. WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Let It Be- The Beatles
When I find myself in times of trouble/ Mother Mary comes to me/ Speaking words of wisdom/ Let it be
I swear I am not skipping any songs (except repeat artists), this is just too perfect. The worst thing that could happen is just something that you deal with. Let it be.

22. HOW WILL YOU DIE?
The Mariner’s Revenge- The Decemberists
We are two mariners/ Our ships sole survivors/ Trapped in the belly of a whale
I am going to be swallowed by a whale while on a mission of revenge. That is freaking badass

23. WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Pattern Against User- At The Drive-in
Circus carny guarding/The gates of heaven/Like stuck in limbo abduction/Wormed our way through/Distant earth
I have absolutely no ideas what this means. I suppose it means I have no regrets?

24. WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Get Me Away From Here I’m Dying- Belle & Sebastian
Oh, get me away from here I’m dying/ Play me a song to set me free/ No one writes them like they used to so it may as well be me
What is funny about this one is that the above lyrics used to always give me a chuckle so I guess that is another right on pick by Natapod

25. WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
My Baby Loves the Secret Agent- The Detroit Cobras
I can’t get the lyrics for this one but I do know that it is about someone’s baby being in love with a secret agent. That would certainly make me cry

26. WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
(You Caught me) Smilin’- Sly and the Family Stone
In my pain/I'll be sane to take your hand
Well the song ends with that, I suppose it means that it would be smart for me to get married

27. DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Black Coffee- Tricky
I feel so lonely, haven’t slept a wink/I walk the floor, and watch the door/And in between I drink black coffee.
I will take this as a resounding NO. Or, maybe I have a coffee drinking stalker, and that is a very scary thought

28. IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
What’s Mine is Yours- Sleater-Kinney
Sit down, honey, let's kill some time/Rest you head on this heart of mine/Tell me, honey, cause you look so blue/Just how did they, did they get to you?
I guess I wouldn’t’ change anything, maybe just help the past me through some of the hard times and maybe leave her with a tip or two on how to make them not quite so hard

29. WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Tunneling Through The Guy- Man Man
Girlfriend, I know/I can smell your blood/you're gonna do bad things tonight
Well this sounds like something is really painful, in fact, nothing hurts at all right now except for the fact that my cell phone broke but that will be fixed soon enough

30. WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Return to Hot Chicken- Yo La Tengo
Another instrumental one, and that is that

Boring Meme of Nothing

The brain is filled with thoughts of vacation and thoughts of making sure everything is in order at work before I leave for vacation. All else has been pushed to the background. 3 days of work left and 4 till the plane leaves. It's almost here. Rental cabins here we come!

Therefore, I give you meme that Monica tagged me with. She has nothing to say either.

1. What are your nicknames?
People used to call me Nat. That doesn’t happen too much anymore. My sister calls me Head, no one else is allowed to because coming from anyone else it would be gross and wrong. Sometimes Tony calls me Bearface. We like bears, they are cute, its ok. Mizzle calls me Nizzle and that is also fine. Most people should just call me Natalie though.

2. What game show and/or reality show would you like to be on?
Lingo, Wheel of Fortune, Who wants to be a Millionaire, that’s about it

3. What was the first movie you bought in VHS or DVD?
I have absolutely no idea. It was probably Kuffs or Universal Soldier or The Great Muppet Caper.

4. What is your favorite scent?
Delicious food

5. If you had a million dollars that you could only spend on yourself, what would you do with it?
I would pay all my debts, buy a house and furnish it, buy a car, and go on a very long vacation. Anything left over goes into retirement accounts.

6. What one place have you visited that you can't forget and want to go back to?
I haven’t gone anywhere al that great since Friend and I went on after college trip. Maybe after Washington vacation in 4 days I’ll have more to talk about.

7. Do you trust easily?
Depends on who is talking. If they are a friend then yes.

8. Do you think before you act, or act before you think?
Both. I usually think too much about things I should just do and not enough on things that I should think about more

9. Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?
Not too much, things are pretty good

10. Do you have a good body image?
Reasonably so

11. What is your favorite fruit?
I ate fresh figs the other day, they are not my favorite but they are pretty good. I think I like mango the most

12. What websites do you visit daily?
My various emails, facebook

13. What have you been seriously addicted to lately?
Thinking about vacation

14. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
Mizzle is a bitch

15. What's the last song that got stuck in your head?
“Plastis Wafers” of Montreal, cause I am a huge predictable nerd

16. What's your favorite item of clothing?
My navy blue cardigan, it makes me oh so cozy

17. Do you think Rice Krispies are yummy?
I have, but I have been wrong

18. What would you do if you saw $100 lying on the ground?
Take it. Although, like Mizzle said, if I were inside that would probably change

19. What items could you not go without during the day?
computer, TV

20. What should you be doing right now?
This is fine

6 THINGS ABOUT ME

Colleen tagged me with the Six Quirky Things About Me meme. I am struggling with the idea because I can’t think of anything I haven’t already talked about before. I’ll give it a try though. Who knows, I might come up with something new. I just spend about 20 minutes not being able to come up with anything so I decided I am going to narrow things down and stick to quirky food things. This too may be hard.

1)I eat my pizza like a weirdo
I prefer to eat my pizza with a knife and fork. Although a little strange it is certainly not unheard of. However, utensils are only the beginning of my pizza neurosis. I always start by cutting off the crust, or ripping it off if there are no utensils. I do this because it is one of my least favorite parts of the pizza. I then cut (or rip) a one inch strip from directly below the crust. If there is some cheese that has crept upon the crust and gotten nice and brown I will generally take it off and put it on the side of my plate to eat later. As I pick up little squares of pizza to eat I bite the crust part first, put down the fork and then eat the cheese part. Sometimes I try to eat cheese and crust together but I invariably separate them in my mouth. After I have eaten the top third of the pizza slice I turn my plate and work at it from the tip up. Eventually I am left with the middle third of the pizza slice. This third is where most of the toppings and goodness tend to be. I will peel the cheese off in one big chunk, eat the crust, and then savor the last wonderfully full cheesy bite. It doesn’t matter whit kind of pizza it is the process will be the same. This process may be why deep dish is one of my least favorite pizzas. It can be very hard to separate the cheese and crust because of the way they are constructed. Stuffed crust is easier. With that I usually will eat away the bottom crust and eat the top crust and the stuffing together. I despise pizza being cut into squares because it really messes up my flow.

2)I will always save the second best nacho.
If eating nachos, I will find the one with the second best combination of toppings and set it to the side of my plate. The best nacho should be eaten immediately while everything is nice and hot and melty. If there are tons of nachos and I won’t finish them in one sitting I eat the second best nacho just as I am about to be full. I will eat nachos as leftovers but they are never as good as the first time and I don’t want to waste my perfect one. My little sister, Shoshana, has this nasty habit of stealing my second best nacho. I don’t blame her, it is the best one left on the plate. For a while, she tried to play it off like she thought I put it to the side because I didn’t want it but that only worked once or twice. She will still try to steal it though.

3) I eat my burgers and sandwiches from the outside in
Yes, they are veggie burgers. I always start by nibbling around the edges and then slowly making my way to the middle. I bet you can guess why…the middle has the best mix of all the yummy goodness. With a sandiwch I try to leave the center for the last bite as well. Sometimes this can be hard because of all the things in the sandwich. You can bet my last taste won't have any crust though.

4) For most of my life I would turn down desert for more dinner
I didn’t have a huge sweet tooth but I sure loved a savory dish. Typically I would rather have a taco or some pasta than a bowl of ice cream. However, lately I have been craving sweets to end a meal. This has been a bit of a problem because I have never really kept sweets around as I would rather have some cheese. I’m going to have to make some changes.

5) I eat candy bars in layers
Chocolate is certainly not one of my favorite foods. I do like candy bars though. I like to meticulously eat as much of the chocolate from around the edges of a bar as possible so that I am just left with whatever is inside. This I particularly easy with things like Kit-Kat bars and Twix bars. Twix may be the easiest. With those I like to eat the cookie part separate from the caramel part. I like the caramel part better. They separate quite nicely.

I have just realized that most of food quirks revolve around getting the best bite possible. I wonder if they are all that quirky. Doesn’t everyone want the best bite possible? Anyway, I tag anyone who wants to do the meme.

1. Well I’m reading this poem and it’s so profound/ and I/ I like its rhythm/ and I/ I like its sound

2. Can I come over/ Tonight/ Can I come over/ Tonight/ What do you think I wanna do/ That’s right/ Can I come over/ Tonight

3. I got bullets in the clip/ So what you want/ I got a lyric I can spit/ So what you want

4. Andy would bicycle across town in the rain to bring you candy/ and john would buy the gown for you to wear to the prom/ With Tom the astronomer who’d name a star for you

5. Loyal fans and new found followers/ What’s up ya’ll/ Hello how are you doing out there/ You chillin/ I’m winnin/ Oh by the way the album’s out/ Go get it

EXPECTATIONS

Is a really good song. Oh man, Monica, I need those Belle and Sebastian CDs so much.

Urban Chick passed on a meme that asked only one question, what do you expect from your blog?

I thought it was a rather easy question to answer. I expect absolutely nothing from it save that it entertains me. If other people are entertained as well that is simply a bonus. I like cataloging all the random thoughts, happenings, and mindless drivels that I encounter on a daily basis. It is something to do and it makes me smile. Plus, I like to talk about blogging and blogs with people who also blog and like to talk about blogging and blogs. It is yet another piece of things to discuss and for someone who is socially awkward an increase in potential topics is always a good thing.

There are some people who expect a lot from their blogs. They expect that they will get a book deal or a huge readership or quoted in some random media thing. If those things happen for those people it will not only be despite huge odds against it but it will cause more people who want to blog for reasons other than self-gratification to belly up to the keys and churn out tons of mediocre attempts at being deep. I’m sure someone will read their stuff though and stroke their ego and maybe one of them will make something out of their blog. If so I think that is great for them.

I like having readers, it makes responding to comments a much more enjoyable experience than if no one stopped by. That being said, would I blog if no one commented? Probably, I mean how many posts did I do about Figure skating before someone other than my mom really seemed to care? I still enjoyed writing them.

I’m not going to tag people, tagging is totally 2007. I’m just going to say it’s an interesting question to ask yourself and if you want to answer it feel free.

Monica, answer all five of these songs right now.

1. It’s over/ You don’t need to tell me/ I hope you’re with someone who makes you feel safe in your sleep. No Distance Left To Run, Blur. Identified by Jason.

2. Laid back in an old saloon with a peso in my hand/ Watching flies and children on the street. Mexicali Blues, The Grateful Dead. Identified by Monica

3. I/ Was gazing in your eyes/ Seeing butterflies/ Melting on the wall/ Strangest thing I saw . Will You Come and Fetch Me, of Montreal. Identified by Moncia

4. Streets like a jungle/ So call the police/ Following the herd/ Down to Greece. Boys and Girls, Blur. Identified by Monica

5. Your butt is mine/Gonna take you right/ Just show your face/ In broad daylight. Bad, Michael Jackson. Identified by Jenn

SHAME AND A MEME

So I am officially incredibly uncool. I have known for some time that my level of cool is not the highest. I stay relatively up to date with gadget talk and video game news by watching Attack of the Show on G4 more days than not. I am incredibly socially awkward, particularly when around people I fear could possibly be cool but even around people who I know are definitely not cool. Before doing something new I often have nightmares and feelings of utter failure, even when I know the chance of utter failure is negligible. Regardless of all this embarrassing horror, I am very comfortable in my own uncool skin. Remember, it’s hip to be square.

However, I just found myself hardcore groovin’ to Sarah McLachlan. There is absolutely nothing remotely redeemable in the coolness department about that. It would be one thing if I had a moment of nostalgia and put the album on but to be jamming like it’s the hottest new joint is just not right. I’m really not THAT much of a total tool. Or maybe I am.

What had happened was my iPod was on shuffle and this Elsewhere came on and I was like, “man I miss this stuff,” so I put on the Fumbling Towards Ecstasy album and was instantly transported back to a time where I actually thought listening to it might somewhat approach coolness. I heart this album. It ranks up there with More Than Words and To Be With You in my list of guilty pleasures. The thing is, those are songs and this is a whole album. I am actually a bit scared that one of my co-workers or worse, one of my student workers, will come in the office and catch me. Whatever, it is so good.

Monica gave me a meme. It’s been a while.

1)Three Exes I would pretend not to know today:
I don’t think I would really pay much attention to any exes but I also don’t think I wouldn’t at least give a nod.

2)The most scandalous rumor to pass through my high school:
I am sure there were plenty but I honestly can’t remember a single one.

3)The time I Knew Santa didn't exist:
I had an inkling but it was confirmed when I was around 7 my parents rapped the Santa present in the same paper as the other presents. They then tried to tell me it was possible that Santa also shopped at Target.

4)The funniest thing I did in a house of worship:
Other than weddings, funerals, and bar mitzvahs I have only been in a house of worship once or twice. I don’t think I have done anything funny in one at all.

5)Best excuse I came up with for being out past curfew:
The cops stopped me for speeding. See, if I hadn’t been stopped I totally would have made it home on time.

6)Saturday cartoon character I had a crush on:
Keith from Voltron. At least he is a person.

7)Cartoon character I wanted to be:
Princess Allura from Voltron

8)Foods I can no longer stomach:
spaghettios. I went through a month or two of really liking them in high school because I had never eaten them and I thought they were grossly delicious. Now I think they are just gross.

9)Tacky pick up line you used that worked:
I don’t think I have ever used a pick up line.

10)Secret Hangover recipe:
If I told you it wouldn’t’ be a secret anymore.

Song time.
1. Every second/ of every minute of the day/ I let my fancy play

2. OOOHH Baby/ Cry Baby/ Cry Baby/ Welcome back home

3. Stand/ Under/ Fountain/ Cool skin/ Wash clean. Wash him/ From me. Fountain, PJ Harvey. Identified by Jason.

4. There are people going hungry/ Far away/ They got nothing on their plates

5. Deep in the bosom of the gentle night/ Is when I search for the light/ Pick up my pen and start to write.

A SPOOKY MEME

I found this meme over at Katrina's blog and just had to take it. I am like totally trying to get in the spirit.

1. What's the scariest movie you've ever seen?
Hands down it was the original Amityville Horror. That was easily the scariest thing ever created. It was based on a true story which made it even more terrifying. The new one was horrible, I fell asleep in the theater.

2. What was your favorite Halloween costume as a child?
Voltron, I was wicked awesome. I had a mask and a Blazing Sword that talked. I had big old shoulders made of cardboard.

3. Given enough money what would be your fantasy Halloween costume?
I really want Tony and I to go as Ernie and Bert because he is tall and I am short, I have a roundhead and he has a long one. It shouldn’t be that hard to do but since we love Ernie and Bert so much we would want it to be perfect and since I don’t have time to shop for the perfect striped sweaters or make a very very long paperclip chain I would want to hire someone to do this for us.

4. When was the last time you went trick-or-treating?
I want to say I was 14 or 15. I was far too old for it.

5. What is your favorite Halloween candy?
As far as traditional Halloween candy goes I would say candy corn. It is incredibly disgusting and tastes as if chalk were made of marshmallows but I still like it.

6. Tell us about a scary nightmare you once had.
Well the scariest are the nightmares about the Blue Meanies. If you want true horror click on the link. My first nightmare was of a HUGE monarch butterfly wearing high top turquoise Chuck Taylor’s stomping around my bed and looking at me. It sucked.

7. What is your supernatural fear?
The guy outside the window. He has a long long beard and fucked up teeth. He has wispy long falling off hair and he cackles. He looks like he spent way too long out at sea. I swear I have seen him outside my bedroom window many many times. The thing is that my bedroom is almost never on the first floor. He also doesn’t generally have a body.

8. What is your "creepy-crawly" fear?
Pede-like creatures are the worst of all creatures. You know em, those really fast centipede type creatures that can swim so you can't drown them in the toilet. Ugh.

9. Tell us about a time when you saw a ghost or heard something go bump in the night.
Other than the headless old man at the window I would have to say in the Marshall Field Music Building at SLC. It has always been said that the building is haunted. People would get trapped in practice rooms or other strange things would happen. The stories of where the ghost originated are vast and unconnected. One day I was in there with my sister and her friend Corey and I went into this dark back stairway for some reason. The door slammed shut on me (no one was around because they were on a different floor) and it wouldn’t open. It was pitch black and utterly terrifying. I pulled and pulled and pushed and twisted the knob but all in vain. Then it just swung open. Very strange.

10. Would you stay overnight in a real haunted house?
I might say that I would but if something real fucked happened I would be out the door.

11. Are you a traditionalist or a creative carver of your Jack-O'Lantern?
I haven’t carved a pumpkin in a really long time but I like to think that I would do something creative. Then again, I would probably try but not be happy with it and then just cut some triangles for eyes and a crooked mouth to cover up my errors.

12. How much do you decorate your house at Halloween?
None. That is for people with kids.

13. What do you want on your tombstone?
I don’t really expect to have one because I am going to live forever.

1. My dick costs a late night fee/ Your dick got the HIV/ My dick plays on the double feature screen/ Your dick went straight to DVD.

2. Slippin’ on through the sensors/ Trippin’ over rails and fences/ Slippin’ on through the sensors/ Made of the mist in the abyss.

3. I feel unhappy/ I feel so sad/ I’ve lost the best friend/ That I ever had.

4. I really know how it feels to be/ Stressed out stressed out/ when you’re face to face with your adversity

5. Sucking on my titties like you wanted me calling me/ all the time like Blondie/ Check out my chrissy behind it's fine

10 SNOGGABLE FICTIONAL MALES

Cassandra, Customized Training Assistant, seems to be doing well. Today we played find the files. It was not an easy game. Before we moved offices things were exactly where I expected them to be. Now, not only do I not know where files are, no one seems to know. As we have an audit coming up relatively soon and are missing a few (and I mean very few) files, this could prove to be a problem. We have some good people trying to help locate them though so it should all be ok. The Volunteer Coordinator resigned after her first day. I am really pissed. Anyway.

Blog Antagonist had this really interesting meme up a while ago about 10 literary characters that you would want to make out with. Being quite a reader, I thought that I would have no problems with this whatsoever. I actually found it to be quite hard. I could only come up with four (and that was a challenge only two were easy) so I really take no responsibility for anyone five and after. I had to push the envelope a little bit. You are all probably going to now find me a very odd individual. See, here is the thing. Most of the books I love aren’t teeming with positive male characters that I would want to make out with. In fact, many of the books that I love have pretty horrible men in them. I like books about bad people. Oh well.

1. Valentine Michael Smith, Stranger in a Strange Land
Ah, the man from Mars, a genuinely honest person who loved humanity more than anything in the universe. It was written that when he kissed or made love he was able to focus only on the person that he was with. His mind was empty of everything except experiencing that moment. It was said to be quite nice. It sounds quite nice. He understood people but didn’t understand the world in which they lived. He tried things his own way and changed people for the better. That is why he had to be my number one.

2. Howard Roark, The Fountainhead
Roark was actually the first person that I thought of but he was soon eclipsed by Mike. There is something incredibly sexy about someone who is incredibly passionate and rigid in their convictions even if those convictions sometimes make you an asshole. Roark was a sick fucker but I loved him and wish more people felt as passionately about their work as he did. Well, maybe not that passionate, but close.

3. Paul Mua’dib, Dune
Paul had powers. Really cool powers that let him lead people and guide a society. I’m not so sure I want to make out with Paul from the latter books because, if I recall correctly, he went a little bonkers but in this book he was an inspiration. He was a hero and he loved with all his heart. Wait, wasn’t he 15? Oops, I promise that I literally just remembered that while I was writing. Damn. Take my list down to three legitimate entries.

4. Switters, Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates.
Switters is a nutjob. He is a walking talking contradiction but he loves life and he loves women. He’s a real Indiana Jones type of guy who is appropriately reverent of other cultures. Yet, he still questions the validity of most social constructs. Plus, if he could get a nun to sleep with him he had to be offering something pretty good.

5. Pan, Jitterbug Perfume
Yes, I realize that Pan is a half-man half-goat. As you can see my list has gotten quite wonky. Pan loved the ladies and the ladies loved Pan. Sure, he smelled like a goat in heat all the time but that’s what the perfume was all about.

6. Hazel, Watership Down
Hazel is a rabbit. That is even sillier than a half-man half-goat. It doesn’t even make sense. However, if Hazel was a person, he would be right up there after Roark. Hazel was the best person a rabbit could be. He led his flock to a new home where they would be safe and thrive. He orchestrated a plan to liberate does from the clutches of an evil tyrant. He was incredibly smart and knew how to harness the strengths of those around him. He was a true leader because he knew when to follow.

7. Azlan, The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe
Sure, Azlan is a lion and an allegory for Jesus. I’m not trying to say I want to make out with Jesus or a lion. Azlan is just freaking cool. He is magic, just, wise, and brave. He would sacrifice himself for the betterment of the world and has no problem taking a kid for a ride on his back. Azlan would make a good dad.

8. Severus Snape, Harry Potter
Yeah, the man was not the most attractive. Granted, he was an evil wizard. However, his love for a woman was stronger than his loyalty to domination and control. To make it even more impressive it was a love that was unrequited. If he could feel that strongly about a woman who didn’t even love him back he was obviously a man with a lot to offer. Or else he was a total sicko. It really could go either way.

9. Winston Smith, 1984
What could possibly be kissable about a man who would turn his one true love over to a horrible oppressive government to save himself you may ask? Well here it is; Winston Smith tried. He really really tried. For a while he even succeeded. Sometimes society will crush someone and they just aren’t strong enough to resist. Winston Smith was just a regular guy and he couldn’t beat the system but I would give him a kiss for trying.

10. Smog, The Hobbit
Smog was evil. Smog had scales. Smog was a greedy money hungry killer. He was not a nice guy. However, Smog was really into himself and sometimes a rich stuck up guy can have something inexplicable going for him. He's like a dragon Bateman. I was really grasping at straws by this point people. Give me a break.

2. I prayed to/ Heaven today/ Bring its hammer down on me/ And pound you out of my head/ I can’t think with you in there. Missing, Beck

3. I spend the afternoon in cars/ I sit in traffic jams for hours/ Don’t push me I am not ok. Jumpers, Sleater Kinney

5. So they say I was sometimes cruel/ I don’t know if I would say that too/ Oh I/ I don’t know about that. Sixteen, Le Tigre

5 RANDOM THINGS

Johnny Yen tagged me for the 5 questions meme a few days ago. Wanna hear them, here they go.

1. If you could be there to change just one event in history, what would it be?
This is a pretty hard question. I mean history is a really long time. I don’t want to change anything too far back because the repercussions that would ensue could be catastrophic and I tend to like my life. I’ll go back and fix that mess in Florida. I have a feeling that things would be a lot better now if I did. I also think that my life would be the same enough that I wouldn't be messing with too much cosmic stuff.

2. If you could be any actor or actress who ever lived, who would it be, and why?
Without a doubt or a moment of hesitation I would be Audrey Hepburn. She is beautiful, funny, classy, and has roles that look incredibly fun to play. How much would I like tobe Eliza Doolittle? A lot.

3. What was your favorite Saturday morning cartoon show?
Voltron: Defender of the Universe. Voltron was the unsung hero of the 1980s Saturday morning cartoons. He was relatively busted and the shows were pretty repetitive. Most people liked Transformers or Thundercats. I liked them too but not as much as Voltron, he was my hero. I was Voltron one year for Halloween and Princess Alura (she manned the blue lion after this one guy died) the next (or maybe it was the other way around). I had all types of Voltron toys and most of them are still around.

4. Beatles or Rolling Stones?
Beatles hands down. I don’t know a lot of the Rolling Stones catalogue, just their big songs and a few others here and there. I’m okay with that. I know a lot of the Beatles catalogue and I am glad that I do.

5. If you could be any fictional literary figure ever, who would it be?
The Little Prince because every time people would read about me they would laugh hysterically, learn something, and be brought to tears. I would be loved by children and adults all around the world. It sounds nice.

I am not tagging anyone but if someone wants to answer five random questions I will ask them of you.

Yesterday Monica came over to watch Top Chef. We were all about it. It wasn’t on. We were confused. Tony, who doesn’t watch the show, looked at us like we were crazy and said, “Doesn’t that come on Wednesdays?” Crap. It was Tuesday. We watched Flight of the Concords and Rick and Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in the World instead. It was still fun.

From a day when all songs wre guessed to a day when none were. Come on, people, there are some easy ones in there.

1. What if the show didn’t go on/ What if we all got jobs and got to bed before dawn/ What if Old Joe had to retire/ What if all the stagehands were let go or fired.

2. I do it for the joy it brings/ cause I am a joy-ful girl/ cause the world owes me nothing/ And we owe each other the world. Joyful Girl, Ani DoFranco. Identified by Brooke.

3. All the world just stops now/ so you say you don’t want to stay together anymore/ let me take a deep breath babe/ If you need me, me and Neil will be hanging out with the Dream King. Tear In Your Hand, the best Tori Amos song ever. Identified by Brooke.

4. You’ve taken the fun/ Out of everything/ Making me run/ When I don’t want to think

5. Every night/ Out for love/ Get my strength from the man above/ God of pistol/ God of steel/ God is here behind my wheel

DOGGONE IT

I have been tagged with a Stuart Smalley Meme that Blog Antagonist created. The theme of the meme is, of course, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, I like me. You have to list ten things you like about yourself. Being a somewhat self-deprecating person (although not so much on my blog) I found this a very hard task. I actually thought about just not tackling it at all for fear of not coming up with ten things. I will come up with ten but some might be pretty stupid. The ten things can be physical, mental, or whatever. Because I’m not all that brave, mine are going to be more mental or whatever than physical. I’m not all that proud of the physical right this second.

1. I have the ability to be truly empathetic. I don’t always use this ability because I can be a bit of a jerk but when it is needed I can empathize with the best of them. People often define empathy as the ability to imagine going through what someone else is going through and thereby understanding their feelings. That only scratches the surface. To truly empathize you have to deeply understand the other person because the way they feel about the situation depends on all their personal history, which is obviously different from yours and see how having their life experiences would change your opinion of the situation. Let me give a real clear cut example. Someone is in a hysterical fit because they misplaced and lost twenty dollars. You imagine losing twenty dollars and can see yourself bummed out and upset and depending on the week maybe slightly stressed but you aren’t in conniptions. Then you look at that person’s situation, they have three children no food in the refrigerator, the rent is due and the power is about to cut off. That twenty means a lot to them. I think empathy is a term many people take very lightly but to truly be helpful to someone you have to take it deeper.

2. I am funny. I’m no comedian and if I set out to make someone laugh I will probably do embarrassing dances or mediocre funny faces and not be all that successful. However, just as far as general conversation goes I tend to be a little bit funny. I think the people who really like me think I am more than a little bit funny. I’m not as funny as some; Monica and Tony have me beat hands down on that one. But I am funny. I also have the ability to pull funny out of bad situations (always remembering that some bad situations can’t be turned into laughter cause of the whole empathy thing) and that can be a good thing.

3. I take care of others before taking care of myself. I realize this is not necessarily a good thing in general. There are times when it can be downright detrimental to my personal wellbeing. Yet, it is something I really take pride in myself for. Not to say that I am never selfish because that would be a lie. I just try to care for those who really need me as much as I possibly can. I think that is one reason I tend to keep friends for a long time.

4. I have a nice smile and I use it. People tell me about my smile all the time and I would have to agree. I am a big smiley cheeseball. I like to see other people smile and me smiling is part of that. I like to see people happy.

5. I’m a thinker. I like to listen to many different ideas and take them all in and think about them and decided which parts I like and which parts I think are suspect. I like to write about what I think about and I often don’t share those thoughts because they are relatively difficult to articulate. I like to think about the nature of reality and humanity, the balance of nature and machine. I think about things I know are true and will impact the world and I think about the mystical and the magic that is surrounding us all. Thinking rules.

6. I am content. Like taking care of others first, this can be a dangerous one. Contentment can lead to apathy and that is never good. However, I have spent so much of my life not being content that it feels incredibly good to say that I am.

7. I like my feet. My feet are incredibly ugly as far as feet go but I have grown to like their grossness and oddities. I like them because they are small and shoes look good on them most of the time. I like them because they have memories and battle scars from everywhere I have been and everything I have done. I spent years and years hating and being scared of all feet (many of you already know this) and I no longer fear toes. Some toes I even like.

8. I trust my instincts and I don’t regret my decisions. If I have a gut feeling about something I’m going to go with it and I’m going to be right. I think that I know what is best for me in the long run and that I’m not going to sabotage myself or do things that I don’t want to do. My decisions often defy logic but I am ok with that. If I feel something is right I have to go for it. I certainly have steered myself in wrong directions before but I have always learned something from going the wrong way and that is ok.

9. My taste in clothes truly reflects me. Back in the day I dressed in a way that I thought would make me “cool” or make me fit in. By Jr. and Sr. year of High School I was pretty much over that. Once I went to college I didn’t look as strange as I did in High school because everyone at Sarah Lawrence is kind of a freak. Since college I have calmed down somewhat and settled more into myself and my clothes have calmed down as well but some days I know it is time for a Mushroom Dress. I’ll take friends opinions into consideration but when something is right for me it just is right and I have to go with it.

10. In general, I’m a cute girl. Sure, half the weight I lost last year is back and I’m none to pleased about it but at least it isn’t all back. I think I’m relatively well proportioned even though my proportions are bigger than ideal. I like my face a lot and I have nice hair that goes boing. People think I am younger than I am (although not much younger as they used to) and that makes me smile. Cute is a just fine thing to be.

Ok that was incredibly difficult. By thing 5 I thought I was pretty much done with everything and I had to stretch a little (see #7) but after finishing I kind of want to smile. I’m not tagging anyone with this. It is just too hard. However, if you want to do it you should. I will admit that you may feel pretty happy with yourself when you are done.

I forgot my iPod at home today!!!! Oh No!!!! so I can’t add any new songs to the shuffle. Here is the one still unguessed from yesterday.

1. These are the games that we employ/ I am a girl and you’re a boy/ No matter what you said to me/ I didn’t have the energy.

MANIC MONDAY- WIND

I have been a little lax in my Manic Mondaying and I thought people may have begun to catch wind of that fact. However, as the word today is Wind (he he), I thought I would do a special shuffle with songs that have something to do with wind. If I can pull it off, that is. I also wanted to do a meme that With Love, Fat Girl had up that was all about Harry Potter. I promise this will be my final Potter post.

1. Butterbeer or Pumpkin Juice? Butterbeer, without a doubt. I like beer. I like root beer. I think I would like butter beer. Nice creamy beer is never bad. Pumpkin juice would taste too much like pie filling I think. Pie filling is good but beer is better.

2. What's your wand? The Elder Wand of course

3. What would be your Hogwarts house? I’ve been sorted a few times by a few different hats, although we know there is really just one. Every time I come up Gryffindor

4. If you were an animagus, which animal would you be? A bear cub and I would never grow to full size.

5. Which character do you resemble best? I don’t seem to recall any Black Jews in the Potter world. In fact, I recall very few Black characters at all. The only one I remember at all is some boy. I also don’t recall any Latina characters, I kind of look like them sometimes. I’m going to have to go with Padma Patil (Ron’s date to the ball in Goblet of Fire). Indian is as close as it gets for me.

6. What position would you play at Quidditch? Bludger without a doubt. My aim is no good and I’m not particularly fast but I have a heavy hand.

7. Pet? Scabbers or whatever that rat’s name was. It just figures my petwould be some evil little shit.

8. Which teacher is your favourite? Professor Trelawney for sure. She is a total dip, although she has a little power here and there. She cracks me up and the main characters have very little use for her. She is 90% comic relief.

9. What would your patronus be? Giant Mr. Snodgrass (plecostomos) I don't think anyone else has had a fish so mine would be super cool.



10. Which disgusting Bertie Bott's every flavoured bean would you be willing to try? I might try a meat flavored one just so I could see what it would taste like

11. Which Hogwarts room would you love to visit? The headmasters office, provided I get to use the pensive of course.

12. Favourite Harry Potter moment? The one at the end of book seven where...just kidding. I am going to go real classic and say when the letters flew into the cabin in book one.

The Wind songs are here and boy oh boy are they easy.

1. Catherine liked high places/ High up/ High up on the hills/ A place for making noises/ Like whales/ Noises like the whales. The Wind, PJ Harvey, Identified by Brooke.

2. After all the jacks are in their boxes/ And the clowns have all gone to bed/ You can hear happiness staggering on down the street/ Footprints dressed in red. The Wind Cries Mary, Jimi Hendrix. Identified by Johnny Yen.

3. In the chilly hours and minutes/ Of uncertainty/ I want to be/ In the warm hold/ Of your loving mind. Catch The Wind, Donovan. Identified by Mom.

4. How many roads must a man walk down/ before you call him a man/ How many seas must a white dove sail/ Before she sleeps in the sand. Blowin' In The Wind, Bob Dylan. Identified by Mom.

5. I listen to the wind/ To the wind of my soul/ Where I’ll end up well I think/ Only God really knows.

The songs from last week are as follows:
1. Down in the cellar in the Boho zone/ I went looking for some sweet inspiration/ Oh well, just another hard time and with Negro affectations. The Boho Dance. Joni Mitchell

2. I just wanna fuck bad bitches/ all them nights I never had bitches/ Now I’m all up in that ass bitches/ Mad at your boyfriend ain’t you. Fuck You, Dr. Dre

3. Well showing how it used to be/ So hard/ This hard /Used to get those kicks for free/ But now I’m towing the line. Multiply, Jamie Lidell

4. Oh we could rock/ Or we could bomb/ Or we could try/ Like super hard. Let’s Run, Le Tigre

MEME MADNESS

I got three tags the other day so here they go.

The first is an oh so flattering Rockin' Girl Blogger award from The Thinker

How cool is that? I also get to tag five rockin' ladies with it. I am going to tag some awesome ladies.

1. Mrs. Loquacious because she is a real nice lady who tends to ROCK out a bit. Plus, she was the first person I didn't know who left me a comment and that rocks.

2. I got to give one to my dear friend Monica because she always tells me about rockin' bands to listen to and she just ROCKS in general. Without her my instances of leaving the house would be even fewer and that would be quite scary.

3. I'm going to throw one to Blondie, and since Clark St. is real close, she might even catch it. She made me feel less nervous about turning 30 in a few years with her recent chronicle. Cheers to that, it ROCKS.

4. Mood Indigo was gone for a long time doing incredibly important work with The Africa Project but I am selfishly happy she is back because she ROCKS!

5. I also want to send one to Blog Antagonist because she writes one the three or four "mommy blogs" that I enjoy. She doesn't just post stuff about her kids that no one cares about. She has important and interesting things to say. She also recently took her eldest to a Fall Out Boy concert because they really wanted to go and that kind of move ROCKS.

The second is from Memoirs of a Fat Girl
INSTRUCTIONS: Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so.
Classy & Fancy
[Cherry] Ride/
5of9erAiram
Memoirs of a Fat Girl
Almost Interesting Musings on Life

Select five people to tag: You, You, You, You and...uh...You

What were you doing 10 years ago?
I had just graduated from High School and was working at Learner New York (now NY&Co). I hung out with all the friends I knew I would keep forever (and now talk to very few) and switched from saying pop to saying soda because I didn’t want to get made fun of.

What were you doing 1 year ago?
I was finishing up my wonderful contract working with DCFS youth and getting ready to be the temporary Volunteer Services director. I am now again the temporary Volunteer Services director. If I am doing the same thing next year I might die.

Five snacks you enjoy:
1. cheese
2. popcorn
3. guacamole
4. yogurt w/various cereals and/or fruits
5. hummus

Five songs that you know all the lyrics to:
1. The Humpty Dance, Digital Underground
2. Sunshine Superman, Donovan
3. The Circle Game, Joni Mitchell
4. Disseminated, Soul Coughing
5. Tender, Blur

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
A million isn’t as much as it used to be so it isn’t going to last me very long. Maybe by millionaire they meant multiple millions? I took it literally. It's a little selfish but I give back every day at work so screw it.

1. Pay off my debts
2. Buy a lofty 3bed 2 bath condo
3. Buy a Smart Car
4. Take a year off to travel with Tony
5. If I have anything left (and there won’t be much after that vacation) invest it

Five bad habits:
1. cracking any joint that I possibly can
2. being a total slob
3. making decisions
4. finishing projects that I have started
5. not taking as good care of myself as I should

Five things you like doing:
1. cooking/eating fun and exciting foods
2. road trips with good people
3. sleeping in
4. all kinds of movies/ TV and video games
5. nothing

Five things you would never wear again:
1. culottes
2. sneakers with a heel (the maroon ones with a big sole don’t count)
3. shiny lycra (I’m talking about skating here people and maybe a few other times)
4. scrunchies
5. the crazy blue horizontal striped dress (but I’ll still wear it in the house)

Five favorite toys:
1. iPod
2. PS2
3. Cable
4. Scrabble
5. Monopoly

I was also tagged by Not Fearing Change for the 8 random facts meme. I think Monica tagged me with this or something like this but since I used her facts it wasn't quite right.

Players start with 8 random facts about themselves.
Those who are tagged should post these rules and their 8.
Players should tag 8 other people and notify them that they have been tagged.

I am tagging the five "Yous" from above and also You, You and...um...You

Just the (Random) Facts
1. My second toe on my right foot is longer than my big toe but on the left foot the big toe is longer. I think if I can figure out why this is I will unlock my mutant toe power.

2. I am 5ft tall but think I am much taller. When I see people my height walking around I am always struck by how small they are.

3. Right now I am relatively damp because I ran across the street in a torrential downpour an hour and a half ago.

4. I used to have a severe SIMS addiction. It stopped because the downloads I had didn’t work with Nightlife and I got annoyed because new SIMS had bad hair.

5. Most of the time I would rather be sitting at home.

6. I have only 400 pages left to read in War and Peace thus completing my reading of the books on my bookshelf...I think.

7. I have just folded 50 brochures about my customer service training

8. I love lamp

This post has taken me about five hours to actually finish. I am too tired for random songs.

I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN

Danielle tagged me with a meme that you are supposed to start off with, “How was I supposed to know”. This actually fits in well with where I was planning on going with my post today.

How was I supposed to know that drinking too much alcohol would be a bad bad thing? It seems like a question that shouldn’t be that hard to figure out. In all honesty, I was supposed to know because people told me. Unfortunately, I have never been one to pay too much attention to what I am told.

Given that, I should have known early on in life due to personal experiences. The first one was at the tended age of 3 I drank too much alcohol and acted a damn fool. It wasn’t the fault of my parents. They didn’t give it to me or anything. I just saw it and knew grown-ups drank it and I wanted to be grown up. So my friend and I drank some wine that was left in the cups of adults. We also wanted to drink coffee because that was something else grown-ups drank. Our coffee consisted of water in my plastic tea cups and brown marker for color. I don’t think it was very tasty. We then wanted to be mummies. Grown-ups aren’t mummies but it seemed like fun. We were discovered wrapped in toilet paper stumbling like fools.

I was reminded of this incident when I read that a two year old was served a margarita in a sippy cup at some restaurant. The parent noticed when the child started pushing away their apple juice and acting strange. She opened the cup only to find margarita. The kid got all sick. I would have been so pissed if I was that lady. It is one thing for your kid to take it upon themselves to drink. Another if someone forces it on them. What a stupid that bartender was. Who ever orders margaritas in sippy cups?

Another time, I thought I was drinking this sip of apple juice left on the counter by a family friend (I know, gross) but I just needed a sip to take some allergy medicine. It was scotch. It was disgusting. After these experiences, why did I want to drink? Why has it taken me to the ripe old age of 28 to be able to know when I should stop drinking? All I’m saying is that I should have known.

1. Well my name is Young MC and I’m cold rockin the house/ I came up into the place and now I’m turning it out

2. Whatever you want from me/ whatever you want I’ll do/ I’d try to squeeze a drop of blood/ From a sugar cube. Sugarcube, Yo La Tengo. Identified by The Doc.

3. Today is the greatest/ Day I’ve ever known/ Can’t live for tomorrow/ Tomorrow’s much too long. Today, The Smashing Pumpkins. Identified by The Doc.

4. When I look out my window/ many sights to see/ And when I look in my window/ So many different people to be. Season of the Witch, Donovan. Identified by, Brooke.

5. Father I/ Killed my monkey I/ Let it out to/ Taste the sweet of spring. Bliss, Tori Amos. Identified by, Brooke.

INTERIM IS BACK ONTERIM

Not all that long ago, I was very excited about not having to be the interim Volunteer Services Director (not my favorite thing at all) and being able to start on my contract management. Unfortunately, I am again being asked to be the Interim Volunteer Services Director. Evne more unfortunate is that I still have my contract to manage. Joy.

I have known for some time our Volunteer Services director was on the way out but it was kept very quiet and no one really knew when her last day was going to be or what all the logistics surrounding her leaving were. This was difficult because I knew I would have to start doing that job again, but I didn’t know when. Apparently, when is now.

Her last day was Friday. She didn’t tell anyone. Luckily I have access to her email account because as I was her back-up for so long that she gave me her passwords. This morning, after I verified that Friday was actually her last day, I logged into her account to see what she told the volunteers. She didn’t tell them anything. Unfortunately, I haven’t had time this morning to get a blast email out to the volunteers describing the little I know about the situation because I was teaching volunteer sessions and making sure that all the addresses of volunteers in her personal address book matched those in the companywide distribution list. Joy.

I then needed to eat some food and blog about how annoyed I am by the whole situation. I wish she would have told me what was going on. I thought we were cool? I guess not. First thing to do when my lunch is over is to get this email out. I can just see the replies I’ll be getting. When did she know she would be leaving? Why didn’t she tell anyone? What is she doing now? The only question I can technically answer is the first one. It has been easily over a month even though it was a secret and no one was supposed to know. However, I don’t want to give out that information because they will then be wondering even more about the second question and I have nothing to say about that. As to the third, your guess is as good as mine.

Wish me luck.

The only unguessed song from last week was

4. Wish you gave me your number/ Wish I could call you today/ Just to hear a voice/ I got a long way to go/ I'm getting further away. Better Be Quiet Now, Elliot Smith.

Because I can't help myself from joining in crazy long memes, here is a random list of movies I took from Mrs. L. Apparently if you have seen more than 85 films on this list you have no life. If you read this blog you already know I have no life. This only serves to prove my point.

(x ) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
(x) Fight Club
( x) Starsky and Hutch
(x) Neverending Story
( x) Blazing Saddles
( x) Airplane
(x) The Princess Bride
(x) AnchorMan
(x) Napoleon Dynamite
(x) Labyrinth
(x ) Saw
(x ) Saw II
() White Noise
(x ) White Oleander
(x) Anger Management
(x) 50 First Dates
(x) The Princess Diaries
(x) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Total so far: 20

(x) Scream
(x) Scream 2
() Scream 3
(x) Scary Movie
(x) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
(x) American Pie
(x) American Pie 2
(x) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
(x) Harry Potter 1
(x ) Harry Potter 2
(x ) Harry Potter 3
(x ) Harry Potter 4
( ) Resident Evil 1
( ) Resident Evil 2
(x) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
( ) The Village
() Lilo & Stitch
Total so far: 32

(x) Finding Nemo
(x ) Finding Neverland
( ) Signs
( x) The Grinch
(x ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
(x ) White Chicks
(x ) Butterfly Effect
(x ) 13 Going on 30
(x ) I, Robot
(x ) Robots
( x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
(x ) Universal Soldier
( ) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
(x ) Along Came Polly
( ) Deep Impact
( x) KingPin
() Never Been Kissed
(x) Meet The Parents
(x) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
(x ) Joe Dirt
(x ) KING KONG
Total so far: 49

( ) A Cinderella Story
( x) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
(x) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
( ) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
(x ) Halloween
(x ) The Ring
(x ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving X-MAS
(x) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
( ) Practical Magic
(x ) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( x) From Hell
( ) Hellboy
(x ) Secret Window
() I Am Sam
( ) The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards
Total so far: 57

(x ) The Day After Tomorrow
(x ) Child's Play
( x) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
(x) Ten Things I Hate About You
( ) Just Married
( x) Gothika
(x ) Nightmare on Elm Street
(x ) Sixteen Candles
(x) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
(x ) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(x) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
( x) Bad Boys
( ) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
() Lucky Number Sleven
(x) Ocean's Eleven
() Ocean's Twelve
(x) Bourne Identity
() Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
( ) Bedazzled
( x) Predator I
( ) Predator II
( ) The Fog
(x ) Ice Age
( ) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George
Total so far: 73

(x) Independence Day
(x ) Cujo
( x) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
( x) Christine
(x) ET
( ) Children of the Corn
( ) My Bosses Daughter
(x ) Maid in Manhattan
( ) War of the Worlds
(x) Rush Hour
() Rush Hour 2
( ) Best Bet
() How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(x) She's All That
( x) Calendar Girls
(x ) Sideways
(x ) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
(x) Ever After
(x) Wizard of Oz
(x) Forrest Gump
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
(x) The Terminator
( x) The Terminator 2
(x ) The Terminator 3
Total so far: 90

(x) X-Men
(x) X-2
(x) X-3
(x) Spider-Man
(x) Spider-Man 2
( ) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
( x) Catch Me If You Can
(x) The Little Mermaid
(x) Freaky Friday
( ) Reign of Fire
( x) The Skulls
(x) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
( ) The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
(x) Shrek 2
( ) Swimfan
( x) Miracle on 34th street
( x) Old School
() The Notebook
( ) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf's Tribe
() A Walk to Remember
( x) Ice Castles
( x) Boogeyman
(x) The 40-year-old Virgin
Total so far: 107

(x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
( ) Baseketball
( ) Hostel
(x ) Waiting for Guffman
() House of 1000 Corpses
() Devils Rejects
(x ) Elf
( ) Highlander
( ) Mothman Prophecies
( x) American History X
( ) Three
( ) The Jacket
( x) Kung Fu Hustle
(x ) Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
( x) Monsters Inc.
(x) Titanic
(x) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
(x ) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard
Total so far: 122

( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
() Hulk
( ) Dawn Of the Dead
(x) Hook
(x) Chronicles Of Narnia The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
(x ) 28 days later
(x ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
( ) Waterworld
( x) Kill Bill vol 1
(x ) Kill Bill vol 2
( x) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
( ) Kingdom of Heaven
(x ) the Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) Army of Darkness
Total so far: 130

(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(x) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(x ) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
( x) Ewoks The Battle For Endor
(x) The Matrix
(x) The Matrix Reloaded
(x) The Matrix Revolutions
( ) Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
(x) Team America: World Police
( ) Red Dragon
(x ) Silence of the Lambs
( ) Hannibal
Grand Total: 142

SEVEN THINGS

While I was at lunch with Monica today, I mentioned how I had nothing to write about on my blog. I seriously thought about writing about the trip of least tolls but I haven’t had a chance to reread the journals from that time and I don’t want to leave out anything particularly extra funny. This left me with nothing. During my lamentation regarding my lack of post motivation Monica mentioned there was something on her blog that would inspire me. I quickly deduced that she had tagged me. Wanna hear it, here it go.

1) A thing that makes me happy
As you can see from the last post, Bob makes me happy. Look at how happy I am.

This picture, by the way, was taken during the trip of least tolls.

2) A funny thing that happened yesterday
Yesterday was not particularly funny. I am really trying to think of something. Funny things happen to me all the time. Yesterday just wasn’t a funny day. I had fun yesterday, just not particularly funny fun. How lame.

3) A thing I like to eat
I love to eat cheese. Everyone knows this. I love to eat salty delicious snacks. I love to eat just about everything that isn’t meat. I even love “gross” vegetables like lima beans and brussel sprouts. I love spicy things. I love beans. I love breads. Sauces are the best. I love to eat and I can't choose just one thing.

4) A thing that bugs me a lot
People who think they are smart but aren’t and people who think other people are smart who aren’t. Basically, I hate stupids. As we were discussing at lunch today, having a lot of degrees doesn’t necessarily make you smart, at all. They have these superior attitudes and you can’t tell them a thing even when they are obviously wrong. Of course there are plenty people with a lot of degrees who are incredibly smart but I don’t have a problem with them.


5) A thing I have on right now
I have on that one skirt with all the colors and the pleats that is really cool because, depending on what color shirt you wear, it looks like a different skirt. Not really. I am just telling myself that so I have an excuse to wear it as often as I do. I love my skirt, my skirt is so comfotably lovely.


6) A thing you once did that was technically dumb but actually fine
I do a lot of technically dumb things. Many are lost to me right now. I think the thing that I did most often that was technically dumb was wear my cow shoes as my everyday shoes. I have mentioned the cow shoes before. Those things are six-inch platform sling-backs. They rule. I wore them day in and day out and walked up many hills and across uneven terrain. This was stupid because I technically should have broken my ankles many times over but it was actually fine because I didn’t.


7) A thing you plan to do today
I have absolutely no plans for the rest of the day. There is nothing on my plate. I suppose I plan on going home and hoping that the dishes are done so I don’t have to do them. Then I plan to sit on my butt and maybe watch a movie or something. I then plan to read some more War and Peace and go to sleep. Oh, I also plan on working on my budget.

After reading this post I think it has been revealed that I am the most boring person ever. How sad. I tag anyone who feels like doing this post.

Five new lyrics today!

1. No one dared to show for that shower/ When nobody turned out to be clean/ Was not even touched by the water/ Just another Nazi scheme. The Big Takeover, Bad Brains. Identified by Monica

2. Who knows how long I’ve loved you/ You know I love you still. I Will, The Beatles. Identified by Mom.

3. I said upside down you’re turning me/ You’re giving love instinctively. Upside Down, Diana Ross. Identified by Monica

4. I’m not you woman. I’m not your man. I’m something that you’ll never understand. I Would Die 4U, Prince. Identified by Monica

5. They call me the wild rose/ But my name was Eliza Day/ Why they call me it I do not know/ For my name was Eliza Day

WHO IS LAKEIYA?

As some of you may know, because I talk about her so much, I have an awesome co-worker named Lakeiya. She is my favorite co-worker to talk to about politics, people, racism, and general complaints with. She is my favorite co-worker to walk with to meet Monica for lunch. She is hilarious and adorable. Sometimes she even leaves me comments. She brought me my first taste of Americone Dream. At the end of the summer, she will be leaving me to go to Georgetown Law. What a jerk. Anyway, she wanted to participate in the interviewing that was going on around the blogosphere and she didn’t have a blog. Because I love her so much I agreed not only to interview her, but also to put her answers on my blog. As you read them I think you will realize why I adore her so much. Cause she is freakin awesome. So, without furtner ado, I give you five questions from me, to Lakeiya.

1. You have a wonderful youthful energy that radiates from your person. Even when upset, you swing your arms around and smile as you throw tantrums. What makes you so gosh darned jolly and adorable?
The thing is, I have a pretty low tolerance for pain, both emotional and physical. I just can't bring myself to be unhappy for long periods of time. I think that's why I get so frustrated and indignant sometimes; I need all the emotions to come to the surface and just be able to get them out so I can be done with them. The weird thing is that I spent a lot of time as a kid unhappy. I didn't really have an unhappy childhood but for some reason, I just wasn't happy. I used to believe that no one in life could be truly happy; you just had good moments, and the memories of the good moments sustained you through the long and unpleasant unhappy times. But I've earned that being unhappy is tiring and draining and that I don't particularly care for it. I've found that, for me, it's easier to be happy. I'm naturally sort of easy going and strange and optimistic. So put together my low threshold for pain and my refusal to expend the energy to be anything other than what I am and you get someone who skips down the hall at work and performs mini dance routines in the middle of the office when she thinks no one is looking. ::shrugs::

2. What, other than me, will you miss about Jobs For Youth when you leave. I realize this may be a really hard question as I have taken away the greatest thing about working at this place (me in case you forgot) for an answer.
While I'll definitely, definitely miss my coworkers, I think what I'll miss most is the place I've kind of made for myself here. I feel like I've sort of found my place here and it took be a while to do that. I've learned what I'm good at and how I can contribute and I like that. I like being helpful and being good at what I'm good at. I think I'll miss that the most: being able to contribute to a place and feeling like what I do makes a little bit of a difference. I enjoy working w/ my clients (most of the time, anyway) and I love the feeling of being able to help them and knowing that I'm something positive in their lives. I also work in a department that works really well together and I enjoy contributing to a team that creates that type of synergy.

3. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life what would it be and how would you maintain variety in your diet?
That's a hard question because I'm torn between choosing potatoes or bread. And though the discovery of sourdough bread changed my life, I think I'm going to have to choose potatoes. They're yummy and easy to cook and versatile; you can have them mashed or cut up into strips and made into French fries or however you cut them to make them into hashed browns. And I'm counting sweet potatoes as potatoes also because they have the word potato in their name, so that opens up a whole 'nother world of possibilities: baked sweet potatoes, sweet potato fries . . . .

4. If you were magically transformed into an animal what animal would you be and where would you want to live?
This is probably completely unoriginal but I've always had a fascination with dolphins. I would want to be a dolphin and live off of the southern coast of Africa. I got to see dolphins swimming near the coast in South Africa and there was something almost magical about it. I also love that they live in groups and that they're highly intelligent. They're seen as friendly and playful but people often underestimated their dangerousness. That friendliness mixed with fierceness appeals to me.

5. If you were to get fired tomorrow would you secretly be smug and happy or would you be out in the open with it.
I'd be secretly smug and happy. I'll admit that I have a bit of a vindictive streak but I always end up feeling guilty about being mean so for my own sake, I try to curb it. Plus, I think there's something to the idea of leaving graciously. Despite some of the craziness, I've had a fairly good experience here and, at this point, I'm content to leave quietly with that thought and leave all the craziness behind.

1. I wanna reach out/ And touch the sky/ I wanna touch it/ But I don’t need to fly. Supernaut, Black Sabbath. Kind of sort of identified by Kiyotoe

2. Love/ Used to be a stranger to me/ Love/ was so disappointing/ I was waiting for a sign/ I was looking for some company/ So I took a walk outside/ MMMM what a lucky day

3. Through the warmest cord of care/ Your love was sent to me/ I’m not sure/ What to do with it/ or where to put it

4. I’ve been living to see you/ Dying to see you but it shouldn’t be like this/ This was unexpected/ What do I do now/ Could we start again please

5. It was a cold and wet December day/ When we touched the ground at JFK/ Snow was melting on the ground/ On the BLS I heard the sound. Angel of Harlem, U2. Identified by Johnny Yen

RESTAURANT MEME

Dmarks tagged me with a restaurant meme. How fun, I love to eat. The mission is to name my five favorite places to eat in Chicago. I wanted to mention places that I haven’t talked about a lot already so my apologies to Ethiopian Diamond and Hema’s Kitchen which are easily my favorite places for a meal out. The places I chose for this run a little more expensive than my typical dining experiences (Alice and Friends is pretty close though) but they are worth the extra cash for the quality and atmosphere. My price approximations include appetizers but no desserts or drinks and I always round up.

1. Green Zebra
I wanted to do something special for New Years, 2006 and I searched high and low for a restaurant where I could go and enjoy a fabulous meal. Most of the fancy gourmet type restaurants in Chicago have prix fixe menus for New Years. As a vegetarian, I can’t eat most prix fixe menus. However, Green Zebra is a vegetarian dream. The décor is minimalist and very modern. There are clean lines and dim lights that really set the mood well. The menu changes seasonally and, although I have only been once, every time I look at the menu I want to rush over and eat as much as possible. The wine pairing with dinner was also excellent. If only I could spend $30 a person on a regular basis this would be my most frequent spot.

2. Alice and Friends which doesn't have it's own website so metromix has to do
I have never had “meat” as delicious as that at Alice and Friends. They really do something special with that soy protein. Meat eaters always agree too it isn’t just a veggie opinion. Their specialty is Korean food and everything I ate was delicious. The prices are very reasonable I think about $20 per person. The only drawback is that the place is absolutely tiny and it can be hard to get table at peak hours. You also can end up eating relatively close to someone. If you go during the week it shouldn’t be a problem. The atmosphere is really quaint and adorable and, if not full, can be very comfortable.

3. La Fonda Metromix has done it again
This place is simply delicious. While it does register high on the price scale $30 a person I think it is well worth it. Plus they give you chips and salsa and portions are huge so an appetizer isn’t necessary (although totally delicious). While they have only one vegetarian entrée it is easily one of the more delicious entrees I have ever had. They also have many a vegetarian appetizer so a veggie could have one or two of those and make a delicious meal thus not having to order the same thing over and over. The service was wonderful and the setting very modern without being sterile. You may need a reservation during peak hours but you may not.

4. Frontera Grill/Topolobampo
Do I need to say anything other than Rick Bayless? I think not. This duo of restaurants is a veritable dining experience. The sauces and flavors are fantastic. However, I do prefer my guacamole. Frontera is the cheaper of the two $35 while Topolobampo (where I haven’t actually eaten) is about $45. This is another one that is a little sparse on the vegetarian side. It depends on the menu they are sporting at the time. They usually have one thing at one of the two restaurants, sometimes more. However, I would check what they will be serving before going if you are not a meat eater. You’re going to plop down some cash so you better plan to enjoy your meal selections. Reservations are highly suggested if not required.

5. Geja’s Café
Geja’s is a veritable dining experience. It is widely recognized as one of the most romantic restaurants in Chicago and I would have to agree. You’re going to be treated to a four course meal so go hungry. This is a fondue restaurant so if communal cooking isn’t your thing, skip it. The meal will average about $35 a person (unless you take a veggie when it will be $20) but, as wine flights are a must, plan for around $70 each. Getting a booth is an extra special treat. You can’t reserve them so the best way to manage is to make a 5pm reservation (when they open) and be the first ones there. There are only two two-seater booths so arriving as early as four may not be a bad idea. Sitting at a table isn’t at all bad either though, so don’t feel pressed to go the extra mile. You will first get a salad, then a cheese fondue (MMMMM cheese) with fruit and breads for dipping, the third course is an oil fondue where you are served a tray of your selected meats and vegetables (or just vegetables if you are me), eight delectable dipping sauces, and instructions on how long various things take to cook. The final course is a flaming chocolate fondue with sweeter fruits, cakes, and marshmallows for dipping. I’ve went here once for a romantic Christmas dinner and the second time made my parents take me cause I knew it would be fun and they paid. Oh, an extra perk is that no kids under 10 are allowed.

So there are my top five “special” dining places in Chicago. Anyone who wants to participate in this meme can feel free.

INTERVIEW PART 2 AND A HIDDEN FOODIE FRIDAY

Part two in the interview game comes from Johnny Yen. His questions required some serious thought.

1. You’ve been asked re-record your favorite album with whoever you want, living or dead. What album is it and who would you choose?
This was by far the hardest question. My favorite Album would have to be something so completely cohesive and wonderful that most of the newer albums wouldn’t do. I then had to think if I would want the album done by a band with a completely different style, which would be cool but could possibly suck or if I wanted to go with a similar artist that would potentially end up sounding too much like the original. I am still not sure if I have made the right decision. For the album I chose “Blonde on Blonde” because it’s pretty much perfect and although I love listening to Bob Dylan, many people don’t and therefore miss out on the wonderment. I thought about “Electric Ladyland” or “Abbey Road” but I don’t think anyone doesn’t like listening to Jimi or The Beatles. I was incredibly close to having Belle and Sebastian redo the album but then realized that, while I adore their music, I am not the hugest fan of their covers. I also thought very seriously about choosing Camera Obscura but I thought the female touch might be a little too strange for me I didn’t want to pick them just to be different. Therefore, Of Montreal will be covering Blonde on Blonde.

2. A scientist develops a machine that will allow you to be transported into the past and live for a year in any time you want. What timeframe do you choose and why?
This was by far the easiest question of the bunch, I’m going to be a total cheeseball and say 1969 because I want more than anything to go to Woodstock and roll around in the hippie filled love mud.

Chicago has built five new schools. You’ve been asked to name them. What five names do you choose and why?
I’m going to assume that they are going to be five themed charter schools because it makes my answers more fun.

The Robert Heinlein High School of Scientific Humanism- I probably chose this because I just finished rereading Stranger in a Strange Land. This school would have a science focus but also be concerned with philosophy and how to apply science to the betterment of humankind.

X Elementary- This school would be focused on radical social movements, not only African-American as the name may suggest, and would teach children the importance of speaking out for their communities.

You Are Different; So Are We High- The name comes from the brochure Sarah Lawrence sent out to prospective students. While the high school would have to have a few more required classes than Sarah Lawrence did, students would be able to plan their curriculums and classes would be taught in the conference style.

We Know Trades and Will Make Lots Of Money High School- This school will focus on getting people into the trades. It is hard to get the proper information on how to enter these lucrative fields and such a school would directly funnel low-income students who may not plan for college into high paying careers.

Natalie’s Elementary School of Stuff- I had to name one after me. This school would incorporate teaching styles from Open, Montessori, and traditional schools into one cohesive wonder of education and learning.

4. If you could have a dinner with five people, living or dead, who would it be and what dinner and drinks would you serve?
Being an incredible book nerd I’m going to go with five authors. So that I can contribute to the discussion I’ll have to pick people whose body of work I am pretty familiar with. I’ll take Dostoyevsky (and somehow he will magically speak English), Tom Robbins, Saul Bellow, Toni Morrison, and Ralph Ellison. I thought about inviting Kurt Vonnegut but since I couldn’t also invite Monica because I am selfish and that would mean one less author I figured it would be better not to include him than to ruin a great friendship. Obviously these people have very different writing styles but all of them write about the turmoil of being human. I think it would be a fantastic discussion. I would need to serve a large meal with many courses so that we can sit and talk. I find Mexican food delicious and easy to make in large amounts so that is what we will eat. We’ll have some fine Vodka to drink with various mixers. I know Vodka isn’t usually paired with Mexican food but we have to do something to make Dostoyevsky feel a little more at home.

Appetizer- Yucca Frita, I have never made it but man that stuff is delicious and it can’t be that hard to fry yucca.

Salad- (Here comes Foodie Friday) Nopalitos salad with cilantro lime vinaigrette (this recipe makes about four salads)
-Two hearts of romaine sliced in thin strips
-Two Scallions (the green part) sliced into .5 inch tubes
-Four thinly sliced radishes
-Two cups nopalitos (pickled prickly pear cactus)
-¼ cup crumbled queso fresco
Dressing-
-3tbsp lime juice
-3tbsp olive oil
-3tbsp balsamic vinegar
-1 clove garlic
-1 small jalapeno (chopped a little)
-2 tbsp cilantro
-Pinch of salt
-Grind of pepper
Place ingredients in food processor or blender and whir it up.

Soup- Gazpacho recipe from Mom

Main Course- Tacos (I made delicious and very rustic tortillas this week which was incredibly fun and easy and would be a great dinner party food) with homemade salsa and guacamole. I would cook some black beans and get Tony to prepare some meat

Dessert- Ben and Jerry’s Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream Ice Cream.

5. Like my wife, you grew up in Minneapolis-St. Paul, and now live in Chicago. What are the pros/cons of living in each place?
Minneapolis (I did NOT grow up in St. Paul) is a wonderful place to grow up. It has a small town feel although there is enough to do so that you aren’t relegated to the two small town young person entertainments, driving around and getting drunk (not that we didn’t do plenty of that). The lakes are beautiful and you can swim in them without feeling disgusting. Chicago has some parks and obviously a huge lake but nothing to compare with the looking for fossils along the banks of the Mississippi and the general greenery. Unfortunately, the people there think they live in a much bigger city than they actually live in and that can cause some inflated assumptions about how great and cosmopolitan Minneapolis actually is. As you get older, there isn’t as much to do and you need to stretch your legs. Chicago’s hyper-segregation is the hands down worst thing about this city. Minneapolis seems to be more segregated by class than race, although the two often go hand in hand. However, the museums, theater, and shopping in Chicago leave Minneapolis far behind (not that there aren’t great places to do those things in Minneapolis, don’t get all naming places Mom). Chicago is a true big city, and if you want that type of environment it is the place to be. If you want the attractions of a big city, albeit on a smaller scale, and the ease of small town granola crunching life, Minneapolis is the place to be.

I still have two slots open if anyone else is game.

Bucktown, Smif-N-Wessun- I have nothing to say good or bad about this. It is relatively standard sounding mid 90s decent rap.

The Chronic (Intro), Dr. Dre- THis always takes me back to the summer of 92 watching MTV videos with shoshana while the parents are at work. This wasn't on the TV but it just gets me ready for all the wonders of The Chronic to take me back.

You Shook Me All Night Long, Tori Amos- Tori is another one of those artists whose covers I am not particularly fond of. Purple Rain is pretty good though. I thought about having her cover a great album but iknow exactly what it would sound like so no. However, if anyone wants to buy me a present I hear she is about to come out with a new album.

IN WHICH MONICA ASKS ME QUESTIONS

An interview meme as been making the rounds. People volunteer to be interviewed by various bloggers and then are emailed a set of fun questions to answer and post on their blog. Monica has interviewed me. I will interview the first five people that tell me they would like to be interviewed, and Monica because she asked.

1. What is the best thing about you? Would others agree?
The best thing about me? That is not an easy question at all. I would have to say that it is that I can be an incredibly good friend and really try to make my friends as happy as I can. Of course I have had arguments with friends before, that is part of friendship, but even when I am upset with someone I think that I still love them and want the best for them. i help them out when I can in whatever ways they need and truly enjoy doing it. Would others agree? I would like to think that they would. Since I tend to keep truly good friends for a while I would assume that they do.

2. If you could be great at one instrument, what would it be?
I would love to be great at the kalimba. The first time that I remember seeing one was at my Uncle Jimmy’s and he played it. Uncle Jimmy was always the epitome of cool and I thought that it was an incredibly cool instrument. It would also be something highly unusual to be truly awesome at. I would enjoy that. I bet you could use a kalimba player in your fake ass band. Ok that was mean, sorry. I know you guys are real.

3. If you had to pick between saving Cho Cho or your mix tapes from a fire, what would the choice be?
That is an easy choice. I would quickly forget all about how much I loved mix tapes in a fire. The first things I would grab would be Cho Cho, my college photo album, and my diaries. The mix tapes would be way down on the list.

4. What do you get out of making a blog?
I get a lot out of making a blog. Sometimes I get headaches from thinking about things to write and that reminds me of a time when I actually had to think produce things. I like that feeling and had missed it. I also really enjoy the greater blog community. I enjoy the voyeuristic aspect of peeking in on peoples lives. I have always been fascinated by people and what makes them work and blogs are a great way to enjoy that fascination without being totally intrusive and creepy. With a blog people put themselves out there and you don’t have to pull information from them. I also enjoy writing. Blogging gives me an excise to write about nothing and everything and I get some sort of validation from having people comment on and seem to enjoy the random things that are in my brain. Initially, I thought it would be a good way to waste time. It has become more than that.

5. What movie or book is the most like your life? Why?
I have been thinking of an answer to this question for a long long time (well the three hours since i read it). The most valid answer would be Bonnie’s Book of Beliefs (once it’s finished) because it is loosely based on my life. However, that is a total copout of an answer. To be absolutely accurate I would have to say Naive Super by Erlend Loe. One of the things that really struck me was the main character’s obsession with time and if it really matters or not. I have a strong obsession with, as well as an aversion to, the concept of time. Our main character couldn’t find any meaning in his life and was desperate for direction. Although I can find meaning here and there in my life, anyone reading this blog will see that I too am desperate for direction. He finds solace in childish games like the hammer and pegs and a rubber ball, I find solace in children’s books. I flipped through the book to see if I could find something that really explained how it summed me up; luckily I had taken a pen to it so that made finding good stuff easier. I found this, “And while dawn breaks, I sit there thinking that I’m a really good guy and never mind space and time and all the rest of it.” The thing is, he can’t help but mind space and time and all the rest of it. Neither can I.

The Stars That Play With Laughing Sam’s Dice, Jimi Hendrix- I love how Jimi Hendirx has all this music that comes out periodically. He is like 2 Pac. He wrote this song a long time ago. It was released a fairly decent time ago as well but some people will get the joke.

Master of Puppets, Metallica- UUHHHH UUHHHH this didn’t just happen. Please strike this from your memory

The Gambler, Kenny Rogers- The Muppet Show with Kenny Rogers as the guest contains a skit to the music of this song. It is relatively terrifying. There is an eerily human Muppet as the Gambler and he of course dies and then gets all ghostly and sings songs. Creepy.