random memes and gabbies

I've been tagged by Lil Mouse at The Name Was Over The Door for a Seven Random Things Meme and I have to say that something like this is right up my alley at the moment. I'm feeling very random and can't seem to locate my attention span. Perfect!


#1. When I was in High School we had a serial killer (the Hillside Strangler) wreaking havoc way too close to home. One day in our Current Events class several Pasadena police officers came to teach us how to get away if we were attacked. They showed us how to do it and then brought us up, one by one, to the front of the class. They put enough pressure on our neck to really hurt and kept it up until we broke free. One girl panicked and actually passed out. Can you imagine pulling something like this now?


#2. Nothing in the world is inedible if it is covered in Blue Cheese dressing. Put on a little freshly ground pepper and even my gym shoe would be a delicacy.


#3. I'm a big fan of the sitcom. I think a really well done sitcom is an art form all its own. So many of them are badly done that when one is executed well it's a true achievement. Some of my favorites over the years - Mad About You, Scrubs, and possibly the best written sitcom ever - Frasier.


#4. When I had my appendix out when I was fifteen, my hospital roommate was Lenny Bruce's mother. That woman was funny. My stitches hated her.


#5. The veins on my arms are so visible that in anatomy class people used me to diagram on. I look like a road map.


#6. I'm one of those people who simply stop eating when I'm really stressed. Not stress as in a bad day or cranky kids or uncooperative checking account balances, but stress as in crisis. Not unsurprisingly, there's an eating disorder in my past.


#7. I love getting awards, but I totally stink at acknowledging them. I don't know why that is, but there you have it. Actually, I do know why it is, now that I think about it. I have huge problems passing them on, because I want to give them to everyone and hate having to choose. I'm feeling a little reckless at the moment, so this isn't going to be your typical awards show.

I've been really slow in passing these on, so please forgive me. I appreciate them all more than you know, and hopefully they haven't spoiled for the waiting.


To start with, look at what laurie has done. She's passed two awards along this way. Bless her heart. (And question her judgment).

The first is A Roar For Powerful Words!, which kind of speaks for itself. This award originated at this site, and is intended to acknowledge roaring bloggers . I myself feel I'm more deserving of a Whining Blogger Award, but I'll take it.

I'm passing this on to -

aims at Big Blue Barn West. Because she blows me away more with every post.



And then there's this Best Blogging Buddies Award. Is this not the cutest thing you've ever seen? (Okay, it would be cuter with puppies, I'll give you that. But still).

This is tough. I refuse to choose. If you're reading this you qualify. So snag this baby and post it!




From Dumdad at The Other Side of Paris, comes this You Make My Day Award that he created specially for a lucky bunch of us. Succinct and to the point. Can you tell it came from a journalist? I love it! Thanks, Dumdad.

And I didn't mention Clint Eastwood once. Let him start his own blog.




Last, but certainly not least, comes the You Cheer Me Up Award from Eileen at A Life of Triggers.

I'm a huge I Love Lucy fan, and this episode still cracks me up, so this award cheers me up no end. Thanks, Eileen!


You know what? I refuse to choose here, either. It's Open Awards Season - claim it!


Since I don't play by the rules these will probably be the last awards I'll ever get. I'll treasure them always.

June Bug

I've been tagged by Jo Beaufoix to do the Birthday Month Meme. Here's the way it works. Each month has a list of qualities that anyone born in that month supposedly has. We get to go through and address each one and see how it applies (or doesn't) to us.


I'm a June baby. You'd never have picked me for a Gemini, right? Right. So here we go.


JUNE:


Thinks far with vision. Well, I'm nearsighted. And it can't be corrected with glasses. So that's a no, right?


Easily influenced by kindness. I think kindness is the most important thing in the world. So that's a yes.


Polite and soft-spoken. I actually am relatively soft-spoken. Or maybe I just sound that way compared to the rest of my family. And I'm pretty polite, too. I was raised right.


Having ideas. Oh lord. I've got a million of them. And they never stop. No matter how much I beg them to.


Sensitive. Far, far, far, far too much so. I'm one of those people who is empathetic to the point where I can get embarrassed for someone, even a television character. This sensitivity is a major minus in my job. Sometimes I have to go in the break room and kick my backpack. I need to get better at distancing myself from people's pain.


Active mind. Um. Yeah. If my body were this active I'd look like Keira Knightley.


Hesitating, tends to delay. This may surprise you. I'm very tentative in situations until I feel comfortable. I don't like to act unless I know exactly what I'm doing. This made for an interesting learning curve in critical care nursing. Once I'm comfortable...look out.


Choosy and always wants the best. Nah. I'm way too cheap to want the best. Well, I want it. I just won't buy it.


Temperamental. Um. Yeah. Several years into our marriage the FG heard (probably on NPR) that there was no translation in Arabic for the phrase "calm down." I was sure there was and asked my father. He scratched his head and thought about it. Final Answer: NO. I'm sure this is an area where I take after my lovely, calm Scotch mother.


Funny and humorous. Only unintentionally.


Loves to joke. I think if you can laugh your ass off at least once a day you could live to a hundred. At least.


Good debating skills. I am a world class arguer. For better or worse I can run high speed verbal circles around almost anyone. I'm not sure this is a good thing.


Talkative. Daydreamer. Sometimes you can't shut me up. Sometimes I talk all day and don't really say a thing. Sometimes you can't drag a word out of me. Every minute I'm awake I daydream. Why is that?


Friendly. I like to think so, but I'm really shy. I hide it well, but it's still there. I'm always afraid someone is going to take my shyness for aloofness, or worse, arrogance.


Knows how to make friends. Again, I like to think so. I have a lot of friends. Does that count?


Able to show character. I'm all about being me. I'm not all about pretending to be someone I'm not. If you like me as I am - great. If not- oh, well. I'll just go read a book.


Easily hurt. Yes. But I'm working on that.


Prone to getting colds. I refuse to even answer this. Was this question planted? Where's my kleenex?


Loves to dress up. Used to. Used to have to. Now, I'm big on "comfortable". I'd like to change that though. I like nice clothes and I've heard I clean up well.


Easily bored. I can be. It depends on what it is. Some things I have all the patience in the world for. Others? Not so much.


Fussy. Oh. My. God. NO.


Seldom shows emotions. I'm good at hiding them, I'll admit. It's a defense mechanism.


Takes time to recover when hurt. Too long. Way too long. Sometimes never.


Brand conscious. Bwah hah hah hah! Oh, I'm sorry, we're you talking to me? Okay, seriously. Some things, yes. I like a real Cuisinart and don't mess with my Bobbie Brown make-up. I figure as little as I wear it, it better be exactly what I want. Other than that...no.


Executive. Not so much.Unless I'm related to you, I hate telling people what to do.


Stubborn. Oh, lord. How much time do you have?


Now I'm supposed to tag people, but (forgive me, Jo), I'm not going to. This is up for grabs, folks, and a really fun one it is. (Not to mention a life saver. I was pounding my head against the wall for a post). Consider this a late Christmas gift to all.

Here are the instructions:

1. Mention the person who tagged you and create a link back to them.
2. Copy-paste the traits for all the twelve months.
3. Pick your month of birth.
4. Highlight the traits that apply to you.
5. Tag 12 people and let them know by visiting their blogs and leaving a
comment for them.
6. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve done it!

THE MONTHLY FLAVORS, WHICH ARE YOU?

JANUARY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach
and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Likes to
criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive
and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited
or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but
prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves
children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very
stubborn and money cautious.

FEBRUARY: Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and
clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy
and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom.
Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily
hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary
things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn.
Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and
leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous.
Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

MARCH: Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved.
Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and
serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered.
Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses
others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves
attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors.
Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

APRIL: Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret.
Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention.
Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and
fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional.
Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others.
Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover
can see.

MAY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp
thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep
feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no
motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong
clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good
imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts.
Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children.
Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.

JUNE: Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and
soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to
delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous.
Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows
how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting
colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes
time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.

JULY: Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood.
Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation.
Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful.
Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and
easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets.
Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and
mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving.
Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges
people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves
to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be
quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not
aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems.
Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless.
Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous
and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises.
Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous.
Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves
to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and
defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns
to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make
friends.

SEPTEMBER: Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to
point out people’s mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to
talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed.
Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good
memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must
control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding.
Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows
emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in
relationships. Systematic.

OCTOBER: Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at
the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry
often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but
recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others
think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts
and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just
and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves
children.

NOVEMBER: Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique
and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong
clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive.
Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but
amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is
a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry
unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others.
Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited.
Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in
relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and
keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

DECEMBER: Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and
interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations.
Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to
be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing
personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions.
Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

Tagged Tuesday

Tag! I'm it!






I've been tagged by ahna at iguana banana to do a

10 Random Facts About Me Meme

thereby confirming what has been long suspected - that pretty much everything about me is random. I can do this. Just don't ask me to do anything where I have to take off my It's All About Me handle.

1. Almost none of my friends know that I blog. And of the ones who do, almost none of them read it. Some family and friends in LA follow along, but to the best of my knowledge only two people I see on a regular basis read it. Three if you count the Film Geek. To be fair, I think I've only told three other people in Kansas, so it's not like they're avoiding me in droves. Or are they?

2. My big High School rebellion was with, of all things, the Bay City Rollers. My step-father (at the time) was a fairly hotshot studio and touring musician who often ended up on prestigious lists of acoustic guitarists. We even had the Teac/Tascam test studio in our house. It was crawling (sometimes literally) with really excellent musicians who were all perfectly happy to talk music with a teenager. This truly messed with my ability to rebel properly, as all the bands that had my friend's parents up in arms were bands that this crowd thought very highly of. Enter the BCR. My step-father would grit his teeth and say Do you think they could hit even ONE note in key? in a very tortured tone of voice. I played them constantly and sang along (off-key) at the top of my lungs.

Mission Accomplished.

3. I had three negative pregnancy tests with Sasquatch before one finally came out positive. After the third one I was really upset and my husband and a friend thought they would take my mind off of it at a blow-out birthday bash we were invited to. After two glasses of wine I suddenly developed the urge to get up and dance with the fire-eater who was performing. There was photographic documentation. And the next day there was a blue line. Sigh.

4. I consider myself a good cook but I cannot cook a piece of meat right to save my life. Every roast I've ever made has been slightly tougher than my shoe. And don't get me started on chicken. I'm so afraid of poisoning my whole family that I cook it until it smokes. When the smoke detector goes off, it's dinner time.

5. I really think I have low level OCD. I'm a checker. Check to make sure things are locked, check to make sure no kids are crouching down behind my car in the driveway, check to make sure we never run out of chocolate in the house.

6. I reread all the Little House on the Prairie books depending on my mood. When I need a kick in the pants I read The Long Winter. When I'm upbeat I read These Happy Golden Years. When I'm hungry I read Farmer Boy. I almost never reread the first one. I have no idea why.

7. I can eat caramels until I make myself sick.

8. I came thisclose to going into psychiatric nursing. Working in an ER is pretty damned close though. When I get totally burned out on critical care (hopefully a long way off) I want to do hospice nursing. Talk about a complete 180.

9. When I was growing up my mom had a sachet and potpourri business that I helped out with. We did huge craft shows up and down the West Coast. It was a lot of fun, but for years my nose was so overloaded it was completely out of whack. Everything smelled exactly the same.

10. I hate ants with a passion. A burning, white hot passion. It could be from living in a house for eleven years that was built on an anthill. It could be from the fire ants in Alabama. It could just be that they're absolutely disgusting. Whatever the reason, they awaken my inner sadist every time I see their cute little selves on my kitchen counter. I cackle madly, Raid in hand, grinning like a crazy woman.

I'm supposed to tag 10 people, but what I'm going to do is make this a free for all. Anyone who wants to do this meme can go to town with it. It'll be fun.

Come on. You know you want to.

Queen for a Day

I've been hit with the most free form meme imaginable by laurie. Evidently all you have to do is talk about yourself. I can so do that. Isn't that what I do on a daily basis with my It's All About Me blog anyway? And now it's officially sanctioned? Sweet.

If I were following what few rules there are, I'd start with why I blog. So (since at heart I'm a rule follower and not a rule breaker) I will. I blog...because I can. I started because there were people I felt I was losing touch with and it broke my heart. I continued because it feels good to write again. Writing was my outlet for so long, but I rarely had the nerve to show anyone. You can be brave on the internet even if it's harder to be brave in your life. I keep doing it now because I've made friends who have become very dear to me. I worry about their kids and their dogs and their lives. I worry if they don't post for a day. I miss them when they don't post for a day. And I love the immediacy of commenting. Bam! What started out as a monologue is now interactive. Not to mention the fact that this may be the only facet of my life where people actually listen to me. That...is why I blog.



The second component of this meme is to talk (more) about yourself.
Now, my life is a pretty open book, even when it should be firmly shut. I try to not tilt into TMI territory any more than I have to, but my boundaries on that might be a little lax. I'm pretty game for any subject that comes up, but I've noticed that some topics are hard to introduce casually. It's like telling someone that you're pregnant or going out with someone new. (I'm neither, by the way). It feels kind of abrupt to just blurt it out, but you'd still like to bring it up at some point. Hopefully before the birth or the honeymoon.

So I thought it could be interesting to bring up some of my "orphan" facts here. You know, the ones that are trickier to work into a typical blog post, but are nevertheless a piece of the bigger picture. Don't say I didn't warn you.

~My father was Iraqi, born and raised, the second oldest (and oldest boy) of nine children. He was Catholic, however, and this led to a lot of persecution by those in the religious majority. He moved to the US (by way of Britain) a few years before I was born. Specifically, he was Chaldean, a small group of people directly descended from the Babylonians. The largest concentration of Chaldeans in the world lives in the metropolitan Detroit area. There's a lot of info on Google, but I couldn't decide which one to choose...so I didn't. I could probably get a hundred posts from this one fact alone off the top of my head. I'm sure it could be interesting, though probably not productive.

~I hated High School with all my heart and didn't really feel like I could be myself until college. I loved college as much as I hated high school. Isn't it funny how most people like one or the other but usually not both? Why is that?

~As I was typing this my mammogram results arrived in the mail. All clear, baby. Whew!

~To paraphrase swearingmother, I am a world class worrier. My grandmother (who was the same, and had a bleeding ulcer to prove it) used to describe us this way - "Honey, we worry so much that when there's nothing to worry about it worries us." Yup. That about covers it. Every now and then I get furious with the Film Geek because it seems to me like he never worries. He always has the same answer - "Well, I know you're worrying enough for the both of us." Gee. Thanks.


~If I ever write my autobiography (admittedly a long shot) the title will be Men and Film. I seem to have spent most of my life involved with men who are involved with their cameras. (Wow. Does that sound bad or what?)

~ I hate odd numbers. I like even numbers. I am the only even numbered birthday in my house. Sigh.

~ Stay tuned for another episode of The Gabbies, as I have a slew of awards to dispense later this week.


Are you bored to death yet?

I figured as much.

So...let me quickly pass the torch on to Jen and Mya. (Jo was also on my list, but when I went to her site to copy her address I saw that someone else had already gotten her with a very similar meme. You're off the hook this time, Jo).

Wow. Did you ever think there was so much about me that you didn't want to know?

###################################################################
I take it back. I am tagging Jo on this after all. I just actually read her meme and it's totally different. Thought you pulled a fast one, eh Miss Jo?

The Meme Game, take two

I've been memed by Pixelpi and Sweet Irene and given this list of questions to answer. Anyone not interested in totally useless RC trivia is free to take a nap. Whoever is left (all one of you) can follow along.

Also, I'm supposed to tag four bloggers to do this meme but I'm going to be a rule breaker. Partly because every time I try to add in bloggers my computer goes all weird and secondly because I can't think of whom I want to pick on. I want to pick on all of you. I'm an equal opportunity picker.


So...if you want to play, post your answers on your blog. Or put them in comments here. Or pretend you've never heard of the word meme in your life. I'll never tell.



Four Jobs I've Had in My Life
1. cocktail waitress
2. movie studio page
3. flower delivery gal
4. artist's model


Four Movies I Could Watch Over and Over
1. When Harry Met Sally
2. Dirty Dancing
3. Casablanca
4. Little Miss Sunshine


Four TV Shows I Like to Watch
1. 24
2. Top Chef
3. Project Runway
4. Medium (is this still on?)


Four Places I've Been on Vacation

1. London
   
2. Moscow and Leningrad, USSR (at the time)
   
3. Playa del Carmen, Mexico
   
4. Maui and the Big Island, Hawaii

Four Places I've lived

1. Michigan
2. Pasadena, California
3. Los Angeles, California
4. Kansas


Four Favorite Foods

1. Pasta
   
2. Peanut Butter
   
3. Popcorn
   
4. Pad Thai
   

Four Places I Would Rather Be

1. On the beach. Any beach.
   
2. Australia.
   
3. Southern California
   
4. Did I mention the beach?

Four Blogs I Read Regularly

1. Confessions of a Pioneer Woman
2. Project Rungay
3. Post Secret
4. All my Blog Buddies (you know who you are!)

Layer Meme

Akelamalu started it! But I'm happy to jump on the wagon. You know me...

LAYER 1

Name: Julie

Birth Date: June 16th

Current Status: Married

Eye Color: Brown

Hair Color: Streaky auburn



Layer 2

My Heritage: Scotch/Irish and Iraqi (really!)

My Fear: Something bad happening to my kids

My weaknesses: How much time do you have??

My Perfect Pizza: feta and red onion



LAYER 3

My thoughts first waking up : Where the hell is the snooze button?

My bedtime : Usually between 11 and 12

My most missed memory: I wish I remembered more about my childhood



LAYER 4

Pepsi or coke : Diet Coke with lime

Single or group dates : My memory doesn’t go back that far!

Adidas or Nike : New Balance (sorry!)

Tea or Nestea : tea

Chocolate or Vanilla : dark chocolate

Cappuccino or Coffee : coffee with skim milk



LAYER 5

Smoke : Not a chance

Curse : Hell, yeah

Take a shower : Once a year minimum

Have a crush : Hello! Have you been reading my blog??

Think you’ve been in love : Of course

Go to school : No, but kind of kicking it around

Want to get married : Isn’t that illegal?

Believe in yourself : You know, I really think I do

Think you’re a health freak : No, but I aspire to it!

LAYER 6

Drank alcohol : Isn’t wine one of the four basic food groups?

Gone to the mall : We don’t have a mall here and I don’t miss it

Been on stage : Yes, but it’s been awhile

Eaten sushi : Every chance I get

Dyed your hair : Most of my adult life

LAYER 7

Played a stripping game : Not since I was a teenager

Changed who you were to fit in : Not changed really, but I’ve learned when to lay low and when to speak up



LAYER 8

Get married: I think I got married at the perfect age

LAYER 9

Best eye colour : Blue

Best hair colour : Dark

Short hair or long hair : I actually prefer shorter hair, but I’m okay with whatever

LAYER 10

A minute ago : Getting a glass of iced tea

Hour ago : Talking to my mom on the phone

Month ago : In the middle of a hellish work run before vacation

Year ago : Considering changing jobs



LAYER 11

I love : My family

I feel : Grateful. Always

I hate : Mean people

I hide : My insecurities

I miss : The Pacific Ocean. Desperately.

I need : To stop being my own worst critic


This is a freebie meme for anyone who wants to use it. At least I hope it is...since I just used it!

The Meme Game

My brain seems to have gone walkabout this morning, so I'm going to jump on the meme bandwagon. This one is from Akelamalu and is

Eight Facts about the Film Geek and Yours Truly.

As I understand it, this meme is open to all who choose to use it. You just have to let the person you took it from know so we can satisfy our curiosity factor about you and your SO.

1. The first time we met was when I volunteered for a student film he was directing because I thought he was cute. The first thing he asked me to do was carry a fifty pound lighting kit up about 1oo stairs (nicknamed Cardiac Hill). He failed to notice that I was on crutches at the time from a torn ligament in my foot. I've never let him forget it.

2. He comes from a pretty conservative Catholic military family and I come from a musician flower child ultra liberal type upbringing. As adults he's way more loosey goosey and I'm way more structured. We're both still ultra liberals - whatever that means.

3. We both have terrible sweet tooths. And we are both stress eaters.

4. I'm always five minutes early and he's always way late. When we were first married this scared me to death, as I always imagined him dead on the side of the road. Now I automatically add an hour to anything he tells me. If he's really stressed I add two. He hasn't been dead on the side of the road yet.

5. We're both avid readers, but we read totally different things. He likes science fiction and I like mysteries. He likes fiction and I like non-fiction. We're both magazine junkies. He hasn't read Harry Potter (except for the last twenty pages). What else can I say?

6. We have a horrible time doing projects together. Our styles drive each other crazy. He thinks I'm sloppy and I think he's bossy. (BTW - I'm right and he's wrong).

7. He and my mother are the only two people in the world who can talk me down from an anxiety attack. (Although it's been years - knock wood - since I had one).

8. Before we moved here he took a teaching job in another state for a year. This wasn't by choice, it was by financial necessity. I stayed in LA with three kids (ages 6, 2 and 1) and he rented a room in someone's house. We both secretly believed the other one got the better part of the deal. When he came home we then moved halfway across country to yet another state. It took us a long time to recover from that year.

And there you have it. Are you still awake?