A little Friday Five...
1. What holiday or holidays do you celebrate this time of year?
Christmas, then New Year's, then my birthday. (Which is two weeks from today, incidentally. And I'll be 30. Holy crap, when did that happen? And do I have to start acting like a grownup now, because quite frankly, I don't plan to.) I like Christmas, usually -- it's by far my favorite holiday. I'm not feeling much in the spirit this year, though. I've had a bad case of the blahs lately -- worrying a lot about things I can't control, plus a general feeling of "my life is going nowhere, I'm accomplishing nothing, and I'm a troll, and no one will ever love me but my mother and my cat. And I'm not sure about the cat, either." So, blah.
2. What was the best gift you have ever received?
Christmas gift? Hmmm. My ex surprised me with tickets to a hockey game a few years ago, which was pretty damn cool. He'd told me he couldn't afford them, and had me all convinced, and then gave them to me after all the other presents were open. I love hockey, but I liked the going out part better -- we never went out and did date-type things, so I enjoyed it. The Bruins lost, but we were so close to the ice I could have spit on it, and we had a lot of fun. I'm also very fond of the puzzle my mom gave me last year -- it's a map of Tolkien's Middle-Earth (yes, I'm a Tolkien geek. Shut up.) and it's beautiful. I like it even more because I know she went to a lot of effort to get it for me, just because she remembered that I'd seen it in a shop and loved it.
3. What was the worst gift you've ever given?
I'm sure I gave some crappy gifts when I was a kid, but I don't really remember. Plus, kid gifts don't count -- even if they're crappy, the recipient likes them, right? The worst gift I probably gave was nothing, because I was broke during my college years. Even then, I'd try to scrape together enough money to buy at least my mom and my brother a book or something.
4. Where will you be celebrating the holidays? Are you hosting? Going away?
I won't be. I have Christmas off work, but not December 24 or 26. So, I will be at home, watching TV. I'm hoping to see Lee and Patrick so I can give them their presents, and have a bit of holiday cheer. Other than that, it'll just be a Wednesday off work for me. I will be visiting my mom for a delayed holiday during the first week of January, so it's fine. I plan to go to her house, have some dinner, then sit back and wait for people to fling presents at me. Have I mentioned my birthday? Yes? Just checking. (30!)
5. If you could spend the holidays with someone who isn't around, who would it be with? Why?
My grandparents. We used to have big family holidays at their old house in Wisconsin when I was little -- we'd all be there, my aunts and uncles and a billion cousins, and the kids would play in the park outside, and Grandma would wake us up on Christmas morning, early, by walking around the house wearing a Santa hat and yelling "Ho, ho ho!" She had this red plastic bell that, when turned on, lit up and played Jingle Bells. She'd take the bell around to all the rooms and "Ho, ho, ho!" at us until we got up to open presents. It was terribly cute, and funny, and I miss it. The whole family hasn't gotten together like that since my uncle Brian got married when I was... 8 years old? A long time ago, anyway. My grandparents sold the house and moved to Florida years ago. I miss that house -- I miss the green shag carpeting in the basement, and the zebra-striped carpet in my uncle Brian's old room, and the parlor where the good china was, and the basement where my brother and cousin Greg taugh tme to play pool when I was just tall enough to reach the top of the table. My grandpa's workshop was down there, and he built gorgeous dollhouses, and let Greg and I watch. Sigh.
See, I said I had the blues. I'm feeling nostalgic for things I didn;t appreciate enough at the time, and feeling like I won't have it so good again, ever. I'm feeling old -- turning 30 didn't seem like a big deal a year or so ago. But now... my life isn't anything like what I thought it would be. I didn't think I'd be divorced, and so damn single I've forgotten what being part of a couple is like. I didn't think I'd be working an entry-level job. I didn't think I'd be in debt up to my eyebrows. But mostly, I didn't think I'd be alone. The being single is what's making me feel the worst. And I know it isn't a big deal, and for the most part I'm very happy with my little life, but at the moment, it's bothering me. I want someone to talk to. I want someone to hug me when I get home from work. I want someone to make dinner for, and spend evenings with, and... I want a lot of things, and I'm pretty sure I'm not getting them for my birthday, and I feel like an idiot for sulking about it. And this is one hell of a downer, so I'm going to shut up now.
Hey, look at that! Two entries in two days! You know what, though? I go ages without updating, and the notfiy list stays as quiet as a pile of mice. I update, and people start dropping off the list like flies. Sniff. What, do my notify emails smell bad or something?
It was a slow afternoon at work, so I fiddled around with this survey, which I snitched from Melissa --
1. Are you an innie or an outie?
Innie.
2. Have you ever worn bell-bottoms?
Yes, but only when I was very young, and my mom chose my clothes.
3. Have you ever written a song?
No. I'm quite sure I would be very, very bad at songwriting.
4. Can you make change for a dollar right now?
No. I'm hording my loose change -- the quarters are for laundry, and the rest is being saved in a big jar on my dresser. I am currently halfway to a new pair of Doc Martens!
5. Have you ever been in the opposite sex's public toilet?
Yes, at work. The few times I've closed the library, I've had to check to make sure no one was in the bathrooms. And no, I've never walked in on anyone in the mens room.
6. Have you ever smelled your own feet?
Yes, but not voluntarily. I mean, I notice when they smell, but it's not like I sit around snorting them or anything.
7. Do you like ketchup on or beside your french fries?
Beside them. Sometimes I'll go for mayonaisse instead of ketchup. (Shut up. Mayo on fries is really good.)
8. Can you touch your tongue to your nose?
No, but I can curl my tongue and cross my eyes.
9. Have you ever been a boy/girl scout?
I was a Brownie for a year or so, until I got bored and quit.
10. Have you ever broken a mirror?
Probably.
11. Have you ever put your tongue on a frozen pole?
Yes, once, when I was little. My brother dared me to. It hurt a lot.
12. What is your biggest pet peeve?
Bad spelling/grammar. Intentional rudeness or stupidity. People who crack their gum.
13. Do you slurp your drink after it's gone?
No.
14. Have you ever blown bubbles in your milk?
Of course!
15. Would you rather eat a Big Mac or a Whopper?
I like Whoppers better, but I rarely eat them.
16. Have you ever gone skinny-dipping?
No. I'm boring.
17. When you are at the grocery store, do you ask for paper or plastic?
Paper if I have access to a car, and plastic if I have to walk home with the groceries. I reuse the plastic ones in the bathroom trash can, so I don't mind getting them.
18. True or False: You would rather eat steak than pizza.
Depends on my mood.
19. Did you have a baby blanket?
Yes. It was pink, and I adored it. It was full of holes by the time it finally wore out. I don't remember what happened to it.
20. Have you ever tried to cut your own hair?
Yeah, a couple of months ago. I did a pretty decent job with it, too.
21. Have you ever sleepwalked?
Yes. I get very active in my sleep when I'm sick. If I have a fever during the night, I'm likely to sleepwalk
and talk. I'm told I laugh in my sleep all the time.
22. Have you ever had a birthday party at McDonalds?
No. The idea has never appealed to me.
23. Can you flip your eye-lids up?
Ew. No. And it grosses me out when people do that.
24. Are you double jointed?
No.
25. If you could be any age, what age would you be?
Huh? I guess it would depend on my mood. Sometimes I think it'd be nice to be a kid again, but that's only when I'm stressed out and don't want to have to worry about things like money and the future and such. Otherwise, I'm pretty content with the age I am now.
26. Have you ever gotten gum stuck in your hair?
Not that I know of.
27. Have you ever thrown-up after a roller coaster ride?
No. I like roller coasters. I don't get motion-sick.
28. What is your dream car?
A little VW Bug, or a Mini. I like cute little cars.
29. What is your favorite cartoon of all time?
Hmm. Probably various Looney Tunes cartoons.
30. Would you go swimming in shallow waters where, one year earlier, a shark had attacked a child?
I'd wade in it. I'm not much for swimming in the ocean.
32. Have you ever eaten a dog biscuit?
Yes, when I was little. My brother dared me to, as usual. He used to eat them regularly, though. I only took a nibble. It tasted sort of like salty cardboard.
33. If you were in a car sinking in a lake, what would you do first?
Does a river count? I've done that. I swore loudly, then kicked open the back door and climbed out.
34. Have you ever ridden in an ambulance?
No.
35. Can you pick something up with your toes?
Yes. I used to pick things up with my toes all the time when I was a kid.
36. How many remote controls do you have in your house?
I have two in my bedroom (TV and stereo) and three in the living room (TV, VCR, and cable box). I don't know how many my roommate has.
37. Have you ever fallen asleep in school?
All the time. I'm terrible about staying awake in class.
38. How many times have you flown in an airplane in the last year?
Twice, back in May when my mom and I visited my family in Florida. I hated every second of it.
39. How many foreign countries have you visited?
Er. One. Canada, when I was seven. I'm hoping to rectify that someday soon.
40. If you were out of shape, would you compete in a triathlon if you were somehow guaranteed to win a big, gaudy medal?
Huh? What, a medal just for showing up? No.
41. Would you rather be rich and unhappy, or poor and happy?
How about financially comfortable and content? I'll take that, please.
42. If you fell into quicksand, would you try to swim or try to float?
Float, I guess. Since I'm not likely to run across any patches of quicksand in the Boston 'burbs, I'm not
overly concerned about it.
44. Do you ask for directions when you are lost?
Yes.
45. Have you ever had a Mexican jumping bean?
No, but I wanted one when I was a kid, until I discovered they're just beans with worms in them.
46. Are you more like Cinderella or Alice in Wonderland?
Hmmm. Probably Alice, except for the talking rabbits and such.
47. Would you rather have an ant farm with no ants or a box of crayons with broken points?
Crayons! If I had an ant farm, I bet all the ants would escape and infest my house. Besides, I like crayons.
48. Do you prefer light or dark bread?
Light bread. I hate dark breads.
49. Do you prefer scrambled or fried eggs?
If I can't have an omelette, I'll take them scrambled.
50. Have you ever been in a car that ran out of gas?
No, but an ex of mine nearly ran out of gas on a very dark road, very late at night. It felt like we were
about to become hapless victims in a horror movie.
51. Do you talk in your sleep?
Yes, sometimes. See above.
52. Would you rather shovel snow or mow the lawn?
Shovel snow. Mowing the lawn is something you do in warm weather, you see, and I hate getting all sweaty doing work like that.
53. Would you rather be bitten by a poisonous snake or constricted by a python?
Yikes. Neither! I guess bitten, if I really have to choose -- I think I'd have a better chance of
surviving, unless it was a very small, weak python.
54. Have you ever played in the rain?
Yes, but not recently.
55. Which do you think is more dangerous: an angry bear or a hungry white shark?
A hungry white shark, I guess, though I'd prefer to avoid either, thanks.
56. Would you climb a very high tree to save a kitten?
Probably not. If I tried, I'd get stuck, and have to be rescued myself. I'd call animal control.
57. Can you tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator?
No.
58. Do you drink pepsi or coke?
Either. I don't really care one way or the other. I've been drinking a lot of Diet Vanilla Coke lately,
though.
59. What's your favorite number?
Who the hell has favorite numbers? Why is this question on every survey-type thing I see? If you have one, why?
60. If you were a car, would you be an SUV or a sports car?
I'd be a wood-panelled station wagon. Slightly rusted.
61. Have you ever accidentally taken something from a hotel?
No. Everything I take from hotels is on purpose. (I always snitch the little bottles of shampoo and such,
and I've swiped ashtrays in the past.)
62. Would you blow your nose at the dinner table?
Depends. If I'm eating alone, sure. If I'm at my mom's, probably. Anyone else, no.
63. Have you ever slipped in the bathtub?
No. Well, I haven't slipped and fallen. I've slipped and nearly fallen a few times.
64. Do you use regular or deodorant soap?
I use various pleasant-smelling body washes.
65. Have you ever locked yourself out of the house?
Not that I recall. I don't remember even locking myself out of dorm rooms.
66. Would you rather make your living as a singing cowboy or as one of the Simpsons voices?
Simpsons voice!
67. If you could invite any movie star to your home for dinner, who would it be?
Hmm. I have absolutely no idea.
68. Have you ever gotten a truck driver to honk his horn?
Not that I recall.
69. Which would you rather live with: a huge nose or crossed eyes?
I guess the big nose -- it would be hard to see with crossed eyes, wouldn't it?
70. Would you hang out with someone your best friend didn't like?
Sure. I wouldn't necessarily make them hang out together, and I wouldn't hang out with them if they
were a big jerk or something, though.
71. Would you hang out with someone your best friend liked, but you didn't like?
Sure. I've done it -- it's not a big deal.
72. Have you ever returned a gift?
Um... no, not that I remember.
73. Would you give someone else a gift that had been given to you?
Probably not, no.
74. If you could attend an Olympic Event, what would it be?
Eh. Can I just choose the opening and closing ceremonies? Oh, and hockey. I like hockey.
75. How many pairs of shoes do you own?
A lot. I only wear a few pairs of them, so it's stupid, but yeah, I have about 20 pairs.
76. If your grandmother gave you a gift that you already have, would you tell her?
No. But since most of the things my grandmother gives away are handmade, it's not likely she'd give me
a duplicate gift.
77. Do you sing in the car?
Always! That's one of the reasons I really miss having a car.
78. Would you rather jump into a dumpster or into a vat of honey?
Ew. A vat of honey? Like, a deep one? That sounds horrifying, like you would sink and drown quickly.
I'll take the dumpster, as long as there are no rats or bugs in it.
79. What is your favorite breed of dog?
I like big, goofy ones. I especially like Golden Retrievers.
80. Would you donate money to feed starving animals in the winter?
Yes.
81. If you were a bicycle, would you be a stingray or a mountain bike?
What's a stingray?
82. What is your least favorite fruit?
Red Delicious apples, raisins, and bananas.
83. What kind of fruit have you never had?
Hmmm. I've never had a kumquat.
84. If you won a $5,000 shopping spree to any store, which store would you pick?
I'd have to choose just one? I guess it'd be the really nice yarn store near my mom's house -- I could
buy a lot of pretty yarn for that much money. Either that, or a bookstore.
85. What brand sports apparel do you wear the most?
I don't know what "sports apparel" is. I'm assuming that means I don't own any.
86. Are/were you a good student?
Moderately. I tended to daydream in high school, and fall asleep in college, but I did my homework and
tested well. I always got good grades in English -- that was the only subject I'd really participate in.
87. Among your friends, who could you arm wrestle and beat?
Um... my mom? I don't know. I'm really tempted to challenge Lee next time I see her, though.
88. If you had to choose, what branch of the military would you be in?
None of them. I don't want to be in the military.
89. Would you ever parachute out of a plane?
No. No, no, no. Not for any amount of money. Hell, no. I hate planes, and I'm not that keen on heights, and the very idea makes me knees wobbly. No.
90. What do you think is your best feature?
I have nice eyes, and I think my lips are quite nice.
91. If you were to win a Grammy, what kind of music would it be for?
Um... what? I have no musical talent, so unless they start giving out awards for entertaining songs sung to my cat, I won't be winning a Grammy any time soon.
92. What is your favorite season?
Fall. I love fall. I like winter, too, until about mid-January. I hate summer because I hate hot weather.
Spring's pretty nice.
93. How many members do you have in your immediate family?
Four, including me.
94. Which of the five senses is most important to you?
Sight and hearing, in that order.
95. Would you be a more successful painter or singer?
Um... a painter, I guess. I have a decent voice, but I get stage fright, so I couldn't ever sing in front of
people.
97. How many years will/did you end up going to college?
About seven years.
98. Have you ever had surgery?
Only to have my wisdom teeth out.
99. Would you rather be a professional figure skater or professional football player?
Figure skating. I hate football. Actually, I think I'd rather be a hockey player.
100. What do you like to collect?
I don't really collect anything. I started trying to find all the Trixie Belden books (I loved them when I
was a kid) but that sort of fizzled. I guess I'm collecting yarn that the moment.
Man, that was a short holiday. I can't really get my head around the idea of going back to work tomorrow. Sigh.
I took Wednesday off, and caught the 11:45 Greyhound to Vermont. I knew it was supposed to snow that day, but I thought it was going to start later in the morning. At 6 or so, I woke up and peeked out the window, and was startled to see a few inches covering everything in sight. Eep. I figured, given the icky weather, that I should catch the T bus a bit earlier than planned, so I got up and showered and finished packing, and headed outside to wait for the 9:15 bus. And I waited. And waited. And waited. And got really wet and cold, and swore a lot, and waited. The bus showed up at 9:40, driven by a very old man who was terribly afraid of accelerating. At least the bus was warm. I was a little worried by that point, because I needed to get to the bus station early. I'd bought my ticket online, and so had to be there an hour before the bus left. I got there with two minutes to spare, got my ticket, got some breakfast, and settled in to read and wait for the bus to board. The station was a mob scene, and our bus was late -- it arrived at 11:50, and we had to stand and wait in line while the driver ate lunch, chatted with the other drivers, had some coffee, chatted some more, etc. Security came around and searched everyone, and I got a scolding for having a weapon of mass destruction in my carry-on -- that's right, I'm a terrorist. I tried to bring (gasp) knitting needles onto the bus. I know, I know -- heightened security and all that. But last I checked, knitting needles were okay to bring onto a plane. They're blunt, and I could do more damage with my fingernails (not to mention the nice sharp pens in my bags). I would have been okay with putting the knitting into my checked bag, except the security guy was an ass about it. He looked younger than me, and was all sorts of puffed up with importance. He took the bag from me, pulled the yarn out, stared at it, then turned to me and demanded to know what it was. "It's knitting. A scarf." He looked me up and down and said "You can't bring... that... on the bus." The passengers around me giggled. He made some noise about having to confiscate it, because it might be dangerous. I rolled my eyes and said I'd put it in my checked bag, and he reluctantly agreed. So yeah, that's me, a terrorist. I have knitting, fear me.
The bus, once we got on, was mobbed. We left 40 minutes late -- I read my book and had a nap, and probably snored. We got in a bit late, but that's normal, so I wasn't too worried about my mom waiting outside in the cold. When we pulled in, I saw her through the window, and noticed that she was looking at my funny. I checked my hair to make sure it wasn't sticking up any more than usual, checked my clothes... all normal. Still, the funny look. When I got off the bus, she grabbed my arm and muttered "Jjjjjffss hrrrfff." Huh? "What?" "Janet's here!" I looked over her shoulder, and there was my dad's girlfriend, apparently meeting one of her kids on the bus. Great. (Janet is the woman my dad cheated on my mom with. I have little love for her.) We hightailed it away from the bus, then got a bad case of the giggles when I commented that it was a good thing my dad wasn't there -- given my mood, after spending 5 hours on a late Greyhound bus, I'd have been spending Thanksgiving in jail. We picked up some sushi at the brand-new sushi bar (in the grocery store, of all places) and went home to eat dinner and relax.
Thursday, Mom did the Thanksgiving cooking (turkey, mashed potatoes, yams, stuffing, gravy, green bean casserole, the usual plate of pickles and olives, little tiny onions, and corn). I helped as much as she'd let me -- I put out the pickles and olives (and grazed happily from the plate while waiting for dinner) and made the crescent rolls. Mom's neighbor, V., joined us for dinner -- she doesn't have any family in the area, and is very sweet. My brother and his girlfriend had to work, so it was just the three of us. We ate until we couldn't move, and then talked V. into going to see Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets with us. We opted for a 4:40 matinee, which was a good choice -- there was hardly anyone there. I'd seen the movie once, but wanted to watch it again -- I still loved it the second time, but noticed that the editing was really choppy. No segues at all between scenes. It was jarring, but I guess they had to pack so much into the film that the segues would have taken too much time. Plus, it's a kid's movie. My mom and I were obnoxious during the spider scene -- we're both deathly afraid of spiders, so during that scene, I'd reach over and lightly run my finger over her knee, making her jump. She'd swat me, then reach over and tickle the back of my neck. Much giggling and whispers of "Quit it! Yow! Stop that!" ensued. It was fun.
Friday, Mom had to work, so I slept in, and puttered around the house until she got home. She's been looking after a very cute little stray cat for a couple of weeks -- a pretty little grey and white longhaired cat, in need of a home. She sleeps on my mom's porch in a nice little bed Mom made for her from a cat bed and an old fleece pullover of mine. The cat -- we've been calling her Porch Kitty -- is very sweet and docile, and loves to be cuddled and tucked into her bad. She was very thin when Mom found her, and is still a lit malnourished. I was planning to try bringing her indoors Friday, to see how she'd do with Mom's cat, but she'd wandered off by the time I got dressed. Friday night, we went to the mall and to the local craft store -- I bought two sweaters that turned out to be horribly ugly when I tried them on (and no, I didn't do that before buying -- store dressing rooms make me want to fling myself into traffic, what with the full-length mirrors and fluorescent lighting) and Mom bought supplies to make those little glass pebble magnets. We went home and spent more than two hours clipping little pictures out of magazines and making magnets out of them -- it was way too much fun.
Saturday, Mom woke me up an hour early cleaning the kitchen (and yes, I was snarly about it, but only briefly. My brother and I have had a running joke since high school -- Mom gets the urge to wash silverware at 6 a.m. on the days we get to sleep in. When I reminded her of that joke, she said "But I didn't wash the silverware!" I said "No, you washed everything else in the damn kitchen!") It turned out fine, though, since we got to go shopping before I had to get back on the bus to come home. I returned the horrid sweaters and got two new sets of flannel pajamas -- one of which I am wearing right now -- and we went to the yarn shop near her house. I spent a horrifying amount of money on two skeins of beautiful hand-spun, hand-dyed wool. It's got every color in the rainbow in it, and is thick and soft and fluffy... the scarf I'm making is half-finished. It was expensive, but worth it -- and Mom paid for part of it as an early Christmas present. Thanks, Mom! Shopping done, we went home and had leftover turkey sandwiches, and then I got on the bus to come back home... it felt like it was way too soon. Mom was sniffly about it, which made me sniffly. I wish she lived closer, we have so much fun together. My cat was glad to see me, though. I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving, if you celebrate it... if not, I hope you had a great Thursday!