more questions & answers

Here are some more of those questionnaire thingies that circulate on email; I may have filled these out already on this blog, but I can’t be bothered to check!

An identity alphabet

[A is for age:] 32

[B is for booze of choice:] English cider, although I rarely drink any alcohol at all, and when I do, I drink very little.

[C is for career:] Editing/Publishing

[D is for your dog’s name:] It was Benny. My dear boy died in 1999.

[E is for essential item you use everyday:] A tie between my bed and my TV.

[F is for favorite song at the moment:] A tie between Rootless Tree (Damien Rice), Your Ex-Lover is Dead (Stars), Breathe Me (Sia), In the Sun (Joseph Arthur), and The Moment I Said It (Imogen Heap)

[G is for favorite games:] Super Breakout (on Atari, because I’m a purist), Same Game for Windows, Trivial Pursuit Pop Culture Edition

[H is for Home town:] Lebanon, PA

[I is for instruments you play:] None, unfortunately.

[J is for favorite juice:] A toss-up between apple, orange (no pulp, please!), and blueberry.

[K is for kids:] I have none and I’m not sure if I want any. The jury’s still out on that one.

[L is for last hug:] Krista’s dog Max!

[M is for marriage:] I’m not, but I wouldn’t mind being married someday, if I found the right person.

[N is for name of your crush:] No real crushes, thank god! Those things are the bane of my existence. Celeb husbands include: John Krasinski, Damien Rice, Colin Firth, Josh Groban (don’t like his music—just his adorable face & hair!), Hugh Laurie, Phil Keoghan, Jake Webber. Oh, and that dastardly EJ Wells (James Scott) on Days. Lately I’ve also played host to several embarrassing Brit celeb mini-crushes, too: Richard Hammond, Piers Morgan, and the main dude on Life On Mars. (I said they were embarrassing.) And I kind of have a little crush on Billy Bush, but only because he looks like Ryan O’Neal in Love Story, and that’s one of my favorite movies!

[O is for overnight hospital stays:] A few during infancy and one in 1997.

[P is for phobias:] torn leather seats, worms

[Q is for quote:] “People who stand back and watch the commotion for years will suddenly take the world by storm.” --G. Lorin Swenson (more of my faves can be read at: http://www.jenniferboyer.com/quotations.html)

[R is for biggest regret:] A tie between not going on meds sooner than I did and letting certain people treat me like utter shit.

[S is for status:] As in social status? Zilch. Relationship status? Single.

[T is for time you wake up:] 6:30am on weekdays; usually 10-11:30am on weekends.

[U is for underwear:] No thanks!

[V is for vegetable you love:] corn, tomatoes

[W is for worst habit:] laziness, procrastination

[X is for x-rays you’ve had:] A few relating to craniosynostosis, a torn temporalis muscle, and acephalgic migraines. Plus the x-rays my dentist takes every year.

[Y is for yummy food you make:] I’m an awful cook! I guess I make boxed food best!

[Z is for zodiac sign:] Geminis rock da house y’all! ___________________________________________________

In the last 24 hours have you...

1. Had sex: Ha!

2. Bought something: Way too many things at My Organic Market.

3. Gotten sick: Nope, but half my department is plagued with one thing or another.

4. Sang: Surprisingly, no. Often I’ll sing along to music during my commute, but today I didn’t.

5. Been kissed: No, although Plath usually kisses me a few times a week.

6. Eaten something: Dinner last night: vegetarian sushi. Breakfast this morning: a bowl of cereal and a mug of coffee. Morning snack: blueberry bagel with cream cheese.

7. Felt stupid: Surprisingly, no.

8. Talked to an ex: No.

9. Missed someone: No one in particular... ___________________________________________________

Last person who....

1. Slept in your bed: Freyja.

2. Saw you cry: My cats. I watched Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List and those movies always make me brutz.

3. Made you cry: Oh, I don’t even remember. I try not to let people get to me like that anymore. It was probably my grandfather, when he had a health scare a few months ago and I really worried he wasn’t going to make it.

4. Went to the movies with you: Myself, to see a Czech film (Lunacy).

5. You went to the mall with: Shesus, I don’t know. I avoid malls like the plague. Probably the last time I was in a mall with someone was like two years ago, when Kristen and I took Olivia to Montgomery Mall to enter her in a Beautiful Baby contest. ___________________________________________________

Random.....

1. Do you love someone: Friends, families, and pets, absolutely.

2. What book are you reading now: Fifty Russian Winters, by Margaret Wettlin.

3. Worst feeling in the world: Unrequited love. And the loss of a loved one to death.

4. Future kids’ names: I probably won’t have kids, but I dig the names Freyja, Finn/Finley, Eion, Benjamin, Oliver, Sebastian, Linnea, Magda, and Alistair.

5. Sleep with a stuffed animal: Rowlf stays on my bed!

6. What’s under your bed: Boxes and containers of stuff (storage in my apartment is very limited), my Atari set, my dream journal, and lots of cat hair and dust bunnies. Or shall we say dust yetis, because they are huge.

7. Favorite sports to watch: Nothing.

8. Location: In da DC ’burbs.

9. Piercing/Tattoos: Pierced ears, nothing else. Although I had a pierced nose in college.

11. What are you most scared of right now: Bird flu. Never being able to afford a house. Loved ones dying.

12. Where do you want to get married: In an old estate in Lebanon County.

13. Who do you really hate: My upstairs neighbors, Bush, Bush’s cronies, right-wing nuts, religious fundamentalists, people who think gay marriage destroys the “sanctity” of marriage (yeah, like straight people don’t destroy that sanctity themselves all. the. time.).

14. Do you have a job: I’ve got six jobs—my main job and five freelancing jobs.

15. Do you like being around people: Not really.

16. Have you ever liked someone you had no chance with: Sha!

17. Have you ever cried: Ever? Do people actually say “no” to that one? Of course I’ve cried!

18. Are you lonely right now: No.

19. Song that’s stuck in your head a lot: I keep getting earworms from Damien Rice’s new album. But I love that album, so discomfort is minimal.

20. Played strip poker: No—poker doesn’t interest me. I’d like to take a strip aerobics class, though.

21. Menage a trois: No thanks!

22. One night stand: No thanks!

23. Sex in public: Have I ever? No. Would I ever? Eh...

24. Married: Have I ever? No. Would I ever? Sure.

25. Divorced: Same as my answer for #24. ___________________________________________________

1. Something purple within 5 feet of you: The beak on a little rubber monster thingy I got as a Halloween present (he’s sitting on my monitor).

2. The sexiest item of clothing you own: Uh...my neon pink wig, maybe? Or my knee-high boots?

3. Your nails were last painted: Fingernails—I have no idea. Toenails—last summer. I always paint them in the summer because I wear a lot of sandals.

4. The weirdest thing you’ve ever heated in the microwave: Probably socks or something like that, since I’ve got poor circulation in my toes. (Do I sound 80 yet?)

5. How much Japanese do you know: None except “domo arigato”! (Thanks, Styx!)

6. Do you look good in yellow: It’s probably not my best color, since I’m pale, but I don’t think it’s horrible on me.

7. Do you sing: I sing in the car and sing to my cats, much to their chagrin, I’m sure.

8. Ever danced naked in front of a crowd: No, but if I wanted to inflict PTSD on the world, I’d do it.

9. Do you spit: Usually not.

10. Is your hair long enough to chew on: After cutting off 11 inches in December 2005, it is finally reaching a length where I can nibble on the ends if I really want to (which I don’t).

11. Least favorite color: Hmmm...teal, maybe?

12. Ever had Dippin’ Dots: I don’t think so...

13. Ever played an instrument: No, sadly. Well, I did have a synthesizer in junior high, and I do still remember how to play “When the Saints Come Marching In.” I just wish I had kept the music book that came with it, because it was filled with all sorts of rokkin’ tunes, like songs by Wham!

14. Ever had a H2O massage: What’s that? Does someone just shoot a jet of water at you? The thought of getting any kind of massage—except for a head massage and water massage, maybe—repulses me.

15. Do you believe in Big Foot: Yeah, sure, why not. Stranger things have happened, I guess.

16. Ever been to a palm reader: Yes, twice. But neither one mentioned my simian line!

17. Last Pez dispenser you purchased: I don’t think I’ve ever purchased one, but I’ve gotten them as gifts a few times.

18. Have you had sex in your current car: No. My Sukkamielli has virgin seats.

19. Did you have a good weekend: It was kind of terrible, actually. But it could’ve been worse.

20. What are you thinking about right now: How relieved I am that A) I don’t have to do any freelancing this weekend, and B) it’s a long weekend because of Monday being a holiday.

21. Have you ever had a black eye: After my last surgery there was yellowish bruising around my right eye; that’s the closest I’ve come to having a black eye.

22. How is today going for you: Meh.

23. Any plans for tonight: Hit the Vitamin Shoppe and Target, slump on the couch, read, watch TV.

24. Do you find Smurfette sexy? No, I was hot for Papa Smurf (I loved his rock star red pants) and Brainy Smurf (I dig guys in glasses!!)

25. Current disappointment: Where to begin? ___________________________________________________

More questions!

1. Do you have an air freshener in your car: Yeah, a diffuser with peppermint oil in it, even though I’m anosmic.

2. Do you have plants in your room: I’ve got heather in my living room that I think is dead.

3. If you could drink anything right this second what would it be: Hot chocolate, because I’m chilly.

4. Last piece of mail opened: A credit card bill.

5. Does anything hurt on your body right now: Astoundingly, no.

6. Last alcoholic drink you had: A glass of Vana Tallinn on New Year’s Eve.

7. If someone you hated died, would you laugh and spit on their grave: I might laugh, but I wouldn’t spit on their grave. Unless they did something really heinous, like rape me or someone I love, or murder someone I love (pets included).

8. What were you doing at 9 pm last night: Sitting on my bed, skimming a vitamin book, and watching Grey’s Anatomy.

9. Favorite drink at Starbucks: I never go there. I have a $10 Starbucks giftcard I received at work like two years ago and it’s still sitting in my wallet. Although, that being said, Susan and I did pop into a Starbucks on Halloween to warm up, and we had a bite to eat while there.

10. Do you exercise as much as you should: Hell to the no!

11. Did you do the deed on prom night: Doing it on prom night is so clichéd!

12. Would you give your bf/gf a second chance if they cheated on you? No!
___________________________________________________

Eye color: blue

Hair color: brown, but turning white (*flinches*)

Height: somewhere between 5’8” and 5’9”

Right handed or left handed: right

Your heritage: PA Dutch, German, Irish, Swiss, French (I think)

The shoes you wore today: My Nikes, because it’s Casual Friday.

Your weakness: Salty things (mind out of the gutter, please!), Andes mints, Cadbury chocolate eggs, marshmallow Peeps, Amy’s soy cheese pizza pockets, Cedarlane vegetarian ham and cheese pockets, Hershey’s peanut butter kisses, Yorkie bars. Non-food items: sleep, trashy British magazines, boys in geeky glasses, Perez Hilton.

Your perfect pizza: I’m a sucker for plain cheese pizza, but spinach and caramelized onions are great additions.

Goal you would like to achieve this year: Buy a house, visit friends out of state.

Your most overused phrase on an instant messenger: I don’t use IM, but LOL annoys the crap out of me.

Thoughts first waking up: “Arrrrrgggghh.”

Your best physical feature: My eyes. Not the effed-up shape, but the color.

Your bedtime: I aim for 11pm, but often have trouble falling asleep.

Your most missed memory: Hanging out at the playground in Schaefferstown; my time at Goldsmiths.

Pepsi or Coke: Coke, although I rarely drink soda anymore.

McDonalds or Burger King: Neither one is particularly vegetarian-friendly, so I’ll say that they both suck. But lord, I do love their chocolate shakes. And Burger King’s onion rings. And the old-school apple pies still sold at McDonald’s in Europe. Also, the McDonald’s in Tallinn sells baked Camembert chunks with raspberry dipping sauce, and that alone keeps me from wanting to wipe McDonald’s off the face of the earth.

Single or group dates: Group dates in the beginning, when things are still awkward; single dates after that.

Cappuccino or coffee: Regular coffee, I guess, because all coffee/cappuccino/espresso tastes the same to me (due to the anosmia), so I may as well stick with the cheap, easy-to-prepare stuff.

Do you smoke: No. It’s nasty and I’m allergic.

Do you swear: Waaaaaaaay more than I fucking should. Although I need to start watching my mouth around Olivia.

Do you shower daily: On weekdays, yes; on weekends—not a chance.

Do you believe in yourself: More than I realize.

Do you get motion sickness: Nope.

Do you think you are attractive: Nope.

Are you a health freak: Not at all. However, as I grow older, I’m becoming more concerned with what my shitty diet is doing to me, so I’m going to increase my vitamin intake.

Do you get along with your parents: Yes, quite well.

Do you like thunderstorms: Thunderstorms have screwed me over so many times (damaged house, damaged car, flooding, lost power), but I still love ’em.

In the past month have you drank alcohol: Only a glass on New Year’s Eve.

In the past month have you smoked: No.

In the past month have you been on drugs: No. Except for Effexor.

In the past month have you gone on a date: No.

In the past month have you gone to a mall: Yes, but only to buy Christmas gifts at Sephora and Crate & Barrel.

In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos: A whole box??? No. Not even a single Oreo. But I did ship a few packages of them to Richard in England for his birthday and Christmas.

In the past month have you eaten sushi: Yes, last night.

In the past month have you been on stage: No.

In the past month have you been dumped: No.

In the past month have you gone skinny dipping: In the middle of winter? Uh, no. But I did it before during the summer and I’d gladly do it again. During the summer.

Ever been drunk: No.

Ever been called a tease: Not to my face.

Ever been beaten up: No, but two people threatened to do it to me in high school!

How do you want to die: Peacefully, obliviously. Not from bird flu, because I don’t want to be shoveled into a mass grave!

What do you want to be when you grow up: A homeowner.

What country would you most like to visit: Countries where I’ve never been: Greenland, Norway, Faroe Islands, all of Eastern Europe, Morocco, Antarctica. Countries I’d most like to return to: Iceland, Scotland, Switzerland, Finland, and Estonia.

Number of drugs I have taken: 0, unless you count antidepressants, in which case: 4.

Number of CDs I own: A lot, but Dave owns more!

Number of tattoos: 0

Number of things in my past I regret: Let’s say 5-6.


song heard most recently before posting:
Sundrenched World—Joshua Radin