Friday, November 16, 2007
What fresh hell is this????
I received a comment on my last post from Kris, saying the following:
"Dude. You've been tagged. Big time. By me. Go get 'em tiger".
I swear to you on everything holy that I read her comment and literally said out loud, "OH NO - JOHNNY'S ROLLING MEME OF DOOM!!!". Turns out, I was right...lol.
Ok so here's the dilly-yo:
1) Read the meme that was dumped on/assigned to you. Answer the questions.
2) Add TWO new questions to the list. Answer those questions.
3) Dump/Forward this onto the next victim/blogger (and list their name and link to their blog).
4) This series will conclude when we get 50 questions - so yes, it’s 25 bloggers in the chain.
5) Please make sure that the next victim in the “link” doesn’t have a password protected blog.
[Optional 6] Update the links so people can follow along (this is similar to the method Johnny used in the “Why China” series).
[Optional 7] When you see an update, down the chain, update your own page with the new questions and answers.
[Optional 8] Copy these micromanaging instructions into the top of your meme post.
Now... On to the questions!
1. What secret/surprising/personal goal (that is realistically achievable within the next 15 years) would you like to fulfill? I want to be a stay-at-home mom to *at least 3* children. Never thought I'd want that in a million years, and yet lately it's all I dream about.
2. Can you name an event or a last minute decision or guess that significantly changed the path of your life? Ok, so this question says "event", "last minute decision" or "guess". I've had all three occur where they've had life-changing effects on me, but I'll go with Event: Divorce. Best thing that ever happened to me, because it turned me from victim and doormat to master of my domain almost instantly. It also taught me to trust my gut feelings about things (which sent up red flags within 2 weeks of knowing him and I ignored them). I felt like I was living my life the way I was expected to, behaving the way I was expected to, and being someone who played the role of a meek and undeserving wall-flower so as to let others get the attention they needed. But after finding and reading the quote/poem/writing, "Our Deepest Fear" (many links for it on the net, but here's one so you can read it), I read the line "Your playing small does not serve the world" and started to think, "hey, maybe this is telling me something". I feel like I didn't start living my life at all until I got divorced. In fact, I have a hard time remembering things that happened before that time, and yet it was only 10 years ago. Almost immediately I was more my authentic self, and just became more and more "the authentic me"with each year. Now? I'm thrilled with who I am... because I'm just 100% me :)
3. What is one unrealistic goal (but your total secret dream) that you would love to come true, but are pretty sure it won’t ever happen? Be able to have a major record producer hear me singing/playing my own songs and offer me a contract. I would then turn him down and sell my songs to him for a handsome price, pay off my bills, quit my job, and spend my time raising my children. The biggest part of this unrealistic goal is that I'd have to be playing and singing in public for this person to hear me, and that ain't likely to happen.
4. Who has had the most influence on your life and what did they teach you? As many others have said, this is a tough one. I have a few who I could list, but one I keep thinking about is... My ex-boyfriend. Prior to him I was SO incredibly critical of what was considered beautiful. I'm not sure where I got this idea of "perfection=beauty" and anything else was ugliness, but that's how I thought... If you weren't a super-model, you just weren't attractive. He himself was a bodybuilder and was considered in cultural circles to be one of the "beautiful people", where his physique literally was a key that unlocked doors to free entry into clubs, free meals, free entry into anything that had a bouncer at the door, drinks at the bar, people offering him things like "Why don't you come stay at my beach house for the weekend" after only knowing him a few hours, attention from women and men alike (girls wanted him, guys wanted to BE him), and generally people were nicer to him. I should know, I was his "not-so beautiful people" girlfriend who tagged along for the ride for 3 years and watched in disbelief. But this life of liberties he seemed to live never once made him think he was better than anyone. He had guys say to him that they thought he could do better than me in the girlfriend department, meaning that I wasn't his physical equal. His response was "she's cute, and she makes me laugh my ass off... what more do you need than that?". One of the great things about him was that he could scope out a room and find one physical characteristic that he thought to be incredibly beautiful on anyone, no matter if society would deem them to be attractive or not. He would also find the positives to what would be considered someone's shortcomings. He could look at an overweight woman and say, "DAMN! Look at those legs on her! She's got great legs, doesn't she?" or see a really short guy and say, "Yeah, but listen to this guy, he's got all the lines, the moves... look at how he gets the attention of the women he wants to talk to. He knows how to work the angle of his height and look - the rest of the guys just stand around wondering where they went wrong. I'm just a muscle-head chump - I could learn something from that guy!" and then he'd poke fun at himself. Although on many levels he was a great guy, he just wasn't great for me, and I decided to move forward with my life and called it off. He was stunned, and didn't believe me when I told him I wanted to see other people. Only a few weeks after breaking up with him, I met Hubby on Match.com. Two months after dating Hubby, my ex-boyfriend proposed to me, and I turned him down. He told me that he didn't think I'd say yes, but he had to try anyway. I knew that I'd met my future husband when I met Hubby, and I also knew that while he was a great person, my ex-boyfriend just wasn't a great match for me for the long haul. But in those few years we were together, he taught me to see the beauty and the best in everyone, and subsequently, I also found the beauty and the best in my self in the process.
5. You are on a deserted island. You are stranded with someone from any point in time for 2 months (they are coming to rescue you but are busy right now). Other then family/friends/naval engineers, who is it? Santa Claus. Why? Because he knows freaking EVERYBODY and he can tell me who's been naughty, and how. ;)
6. Name and describe 3 things on your mind lately. Is there any particular reason why you're thinking about a particular thing? Conception. Gracie is a looooong ways away and I ain't gettin' any younger. I wonder what the universe would bring if I let my guard down. Age. I'll be 37 in the next few weeks and that number is shocking the shit out of me. Wasn't I just 30 last year??? I was always the youngest in every crowd: school, work, friends. Now I'm always dismayed to find that many of my closest bloggy friends are younger than me. Great for them, not so much for me. Money. I am astonished at how much I bring home, and yet how little I have left over. And a 4th: blogitty sisters, coming for a visit :)
7. If you could go back to one moment in time and change it, what would the moment be and what would you change it from and to? I would have sang "I've Got The World On A String" to John at our wedding, as I'd hoped to. After all, I only prepared for it for 4 months... it would have been nice to have actually pushed myself to go through with it instead of cry in the bathroom over my anxiety of singing in front of everyone I know in the free world, only to bail out at the last minute...
8. What is your biggest pet peeve and is there anything that you can do or not do to stop other people from doing it? Takers, liars, and people who are nasty to you because they're jealous. Is there anything I can do to stop them from being this way? No. However, the best revenge is to just stop giving them anything, stop trusting anything that emanates from them, and, be even more fabulous than you already are (and laugh heartily while you're doing it)... :)
9. Who has been the most influential teacher in your life and why did he or she have such an impact on you? Have you sent them a note? Mr. Rogers, 3rd grade. He was the first adult to be 110% present with me, listen to every syllable that came out of my mouth, took me seriously and responded in kind, kindly. He played guitar in class, and made every hour seem as if it were recess. I loved him to pieces.
10. What three things do you regret not learning to do? Well if you ask Melissa and Stacy, I can do pretty much anything ;) But if I had to pick, I'd say paint watercolor, play jazz piano (I play piano already just sooo not well), and stay out of debt...lol.
11. What is your biggest fear? Singing in front of other people and having them think I suck. If I knew people were going to think I was awesome, I could sing in public all the time.
12. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I would want to change my self-doubting ways. I'd have more faith in myself. Hell, I'd like to have as much faith in myself as everyone else seems to have in me. That'd be schweeeet. Oh, and I'd get rid of my tree trunk legs.
13. What is the answer to life, the universe, everything? “Always cut the bagel away from your throat”- Big Dan (old friend from a loooong time ago), circa 1992
14. If you knew, beforehand, that the wait for your child from China would take this long and drastic a time frame, would you still go through with it or would you choose another country? I would still go through with it. It was an episode of A Baby Story where a family adopted their second daughter from China that introduced me to international adoption in the first place, so that's where my heart was. And, knowing it would be 3-4 years from the get-go would be a FAR easier pill to swallow than being told 12-18 months and naively believing it until reality fwaps (yes, I said fwaps) you upside the head with the truth of the matter.
15. What is one food that most people like that you do not like at all? Peanut butter. Ew, gross, disgusting, hate it. And don't you dare even eat the stuff around me or I'll gag.
16. Name one place in the world you would love to spend at least one month visiting? Is there anywhere on earth that is so repulsive to you that there is no amount of money that could convince you to visit it? There are so many countries I'd like to see because I've barely been anywhere. But if I had to choose one, I guess I'd choose China, for the obvious reasons. But Italy is a very close second, maybe even tied for first. And a repulsive place? My father & his wife's house, in Florida. No f'ing way. I'd rip my toenails off with pliers first than endure that kind of torture. It's not about the house, it's about the people living in it... them.
17. What book have you just finished reading and why did you pick it up? Would you recommend it to others? Stardust, by Neil Gaiman. This is an adult fairytale which was recently made into a movie. I had been downloading audio books to my iPod from audible.com and on the homepage they were offering a free 15 or so minute listen for this book. I listened to it and got hooked into the little that I'd heard, and I decided to purchase it immediately - because the narrators voice - who is also the author - is just DREAMY. However, much to my delight, the story itself is just fantastic, and I actually reviewed the book at Audible so you can read what I wrote about it for yourself (the link in the title will take you there). Also, if you want to hear the authors voice, go to the link and click on "Sample", just to the left of the price. You won't be disappointed by his narration, or his book.
18. Share a relatively quick and easy recipe for Fall. One pot/dish recipes given extra credit.
19. Would you rather be financially well off, but unhappy, or a happy person who is always in need of money? Broke as a joke and happy as a clam :P
20. What is the most comforting sound in the world to you and why? Wow, this is hard. I don't think I have a favorite sound. It's not a matter of having too many to choose from, it's that I don't even think I have one favorite sound. Hmmmm... odd.
21. What is your all time favorite book? If you aren’t a reader, what is your favorite movie? And why? Ugh... I'm not really a reader and I'm also not really a huge movie goer. But one book that I keep telling people to read over and over again is Forever, by Pete Hamill. I can't tell you why you should read it, you just need to, because it's a great escape from reality. Movie? Uncle Buck is in my top three (if you've seen it, you know why), and so is Pride & Prejudice with Kiera Knightly. I love period films and this one is packed with incredible acting.
22. Share one of your most cherished childhood memories. One favorite is sitting at the top of the stairs on Christmas day, listening to my mom tell us about all the gifts she sees, waiting for her to say it's ok to come down. Another is all the summers we spent at the Oceanside pool... great times.
23. What are you paranoid about? Can't sleep - clowns will eat me. ;)
24. What trait of yours do you MOST hope your children will carry on? Geez... I'd have to say all of them. But I especially hope they're musically and artistically inclined.
25. What’s your guilty pleasure? Playing The Sims and buying yarn.
26. What would you buy if you had a thousand dollars to spend on yourself? The only catch is that it has to be a totally selfish purchase, just for you. No paying bills or buying a year’s supply of wet wipes. A vacation!
27. Help me update my iPod...name your favorite artists, and then your favorite song that they perform. This is the worst thing to ask me (just ask Doris) because I am the music girl, liking everything from The Gypsy Kings to Prince to Lyle Lovett to Elvis Costello to Jill Scott to Louis Prima to Diana Krall to Led Zepplin. But to keep me as sane as possible, I will limit it to... well, I was going to say three artists, but who am I kidding. By no means are these my #1 favorite songs of theirs, because I could never pick just one. So, I'll pick two for each - and these still aren't my only fav's....lol. And take heed people, if I list these artists, you should definitely go check them out. The first time someone told me they liked Lyle Lovett, I openly laughed at them. Now? He's my all-time favorite musician, for many, many reasons. So please, give them a listen... Lyle Lovett - The Road To Ensenada and If I Had A Boat. Elvis Costello - Green Shirt and Radio, Radio. Dave Matthews (hello, yum) and Dave Matthews Band - Grace is Gone and Crush. Oddly enough, Dave Matthews is a big fan of Lyle Lovett, and even covered his song "If I Had Boat".
28. What is your favorite charity? "Charity begins at home"....lol. Actually, I don't have a favorite, but most often times the charities I've given to were for breast cancer research.
29. In The Shadow of the Wind, there is a beautiful passage that says “few things leave a deeper mark on a reader than the first book that finds its way into his heart.” Do you think this is true, and if so what is your “first” book and why. There are far too many questions about books in this meme...lol. I don't have a "first book". I was never a reader in school growing up, and after I graduated high school, I was too busy working 2 jobs at a time to have a moment to read anything other than the bills I had to pay...lol.
30. What is your favorite wilderness hike and why? (You knew I was going to ask this-if you aren’t a hiker, you can modify it to drive by landscapes or whatever speaks to you.) I don't do much hiking, so I'll go with favorite drive: It's actually the drive on the way to my house. Hubby and I used to go on drives almost every Sunday and we'd always end up in north-west NJ. It was such a gorgeous drive and it was like being in a different state. When we started looking for a house, we could barely afford anything and the only houses that were really inexpensive were the ones in the area where we used to take our drives. We ended up moving there and now we don't go on drives anymore...lol. There have been times when I'm driving and I look around me at the scenery and the landscape, and say out loud, "I can't believe I live here".
31. What were/are your nicknames? Do you like them? Head, Headmeister. I got this nickname from shaving half my head in my freshman year of high school. Heather changed to Hedda, Headder, Headly, Head-o-rama, Headmeister. Even members of my family call me Head. Do I like being called Head or Headmeister? Sure... who else do you know is called "Head" and doesn't work in the p*rn industry????...lol.
32. What was your first concert? Your most recent? First: Prince, Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, Long Island 1984. Most recent: In all sincerity, I can't remember my last concert... it's been a while. So here are a few of the last ones I can remember going to: Lyle Lovett, David Bowie, Depeche Mode, Diana Krall, and Prince, Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, Long Island 2004... exactly 20 years later. He was not only just as good, he was even better the second time.
33. Have you ever done someone the dirty? I mean really, foully, badly wrong. And would you do it again, and why, or why not? I'm the kind of person who believes HEAVILY in karma. I've always thought that if I did something bad like that, it would eventually find me and happen to me, too. In fact, in the past, anytime something bad used to happen in my life, the first thing I'd think to myself was "ok, what did I do". I think the worst thing I've ever done was cheated on a boyfriend when I was really young. Yeah, I was the one who people screwed over, not the one turning the screws. But I tend to treat people the way I want to be treated, even if I can't stand them... lol.
34. If you found out that the universe HAD been created, and you could ask the Creator one question, what would it be? Why didn't you make exercise orgasmic? If that were the case, I'd surely be doing more of it.
35. What were your dreams as a child? Being a child wasn't very much fun for me, and I just took one day at a time. I had no dreams of being anything other than independent and moving out. And, I succeeded - I left when I was 17.
36. What can you do better than most people you know? Sing, cook
37. What’s your favorite bird and why? Hawk. I have an uncanny ability to spot them in trees from long distances, even when they're kind of "hidden". There was also a time in my life where I was going though a rough patch and was hoping for a sign that things would change. Right then, a hawk swooped down out of nowhere, and it was beautiful. Now every time I see a hawk I think if it as an omen of good things to come.
38. When/where did you last go camping? 1993 at North/South Lake in NY. I went with a group of women that I attended a type of group therapy session with. It was more like a pre-menopausal bitch-fest than it was a therapy session, because there was no therapy involved - it was just a bunch of people taking turns complaining...lol. At the time, they were all 35+ and I was only 22, but they welcomed me anyway. We all decided to go camping together and thought it would be fun. After we all got there, that's when I found out that I was the only person there with any camping experience at all. To say that it was a stressful weekend is putting it mildly. I quit the group shortly afterwards, after realizing that at only 22, I still had my shit together 10x more than they did...lol.
39. Is there something that you feel you should love doing with your kids but you really don’t enjoy at all? Not having any children right now, I can't really say... But I cringe at the thought of having to learn all of those songs from those kids groups like The Wiggles.
40. What home improvement project is next on your list? Something as small as changing a light bulb counts. Have to empty out the 11x7 room that will be Gracie's nursery (that we use to collect all our crap in right now) and turn it into a guest bedroom in less than 3 weeks. The fact that all of our computer equipment and wireless stuff is in there turns this into a major deal.
41. Which season is your favorite? Fall, love that first change from our boiling hot summers to the crisp promise of fall. The smells of fires burning… wearing sweaters… the holidays on the way...love it. (this was Kris' answer, but it is soooo exactly what I'd write, I left it as is, unedited :)
42. MAC or PC? Can you believe that only 11 years ago I didn't know how to turn on a computer? And now, it's the field I'm in. I learned on a Mac, but now I'm a PC Princess. It helps to have the skills to fix what you're working on. If I had a Mac and something went wrong with it, I wouldn't have a clue as to how to fix it. Therefore, it's PC all the way.
43. If you had to name the best thing about getting older, what would you say it is? Huh... well, I'm really not feeling anything good about getting older right now! I guess I'd have to say not caring about what other people think about me.
44. If you were to name the most comforting thing for you to hold in your hands, what would it be and why? Hubby's hand. Why? Because even though we've been married for almost 5 years, we still hold hands wherever we go and it makes me feel like we're still dating :)
45. What is the most surprising thing you've learned about the blog world (and you CAN'T say "I've made such great friends". We all have, so we know that already! lol...). Ok, here's something that creeped me out: After the Georgia bloggy bash, there were people I knew nothing about (and had never even seen their blog) who were commenting on not only my blog, but on other blogs, practically begging to be invited next year. There was even one person who wasn't even adopting and they commented all over the place about wanting to come to next years gathering of adoptive parents. To set it straight, this is not some social clique that denies people from joining us and having fun; it's a group of women who have already developed a relationship based around the common ground of adopting a child from China. So if you don't really know any of us, or, if you're not even adopting, isn't that just a weird thing to do?
46. If you had to choose one actress to play you in a movie, who would it be? There isn't anyone famous out there who really looks like me, so I'd have to go with something other than a physical resemblance. I asked Hubby and he said "Well, she'd have to be sassy" and then he laughed. He laughed because he knows I HATE the word "Sassy"...lol. I guess I'd pick Drew Barrymore, just because she's a little quirky and has no hangups about her body.
*** OMG, I just did a spell check on this whole monstrous thing and there wasn't one mistake! That has GOT to be wrong...lol.
I have decided to tag Ten (aka Kristen from The Sense In It All...)! I know that she's not making Thanksgiving dinner and she's not hosting visitors at her house, so she should have plenty of time to do this meme! lol! Go ahead girl, let's see whatcha got!
"Dude. You've been tagged. Big time. By me. Go get 'em tiger".
I swear to you on everything holy that I read her comment and literally said out loud, "OH NO - JOHNNY'S ROLLING MEME OF DOOM!!!". Turns out, I was right...lol.
Ok so here's the dilly-yo:
1) Read the meme that was dumped on/assigned to you. Answer the questions.
2) Add TWO new questions to the list. Answer those questions.
3) Dump/Forward this onto the next victim/blogger (and list their name and link to their blog).
4) This series will conclude when we get 50 questions - so yes, it’s 25 bloggers in the chain.
5) Please make sure that the next victim in the “link” doesn’t have a password protected blog.
[Optional 6] Update the links so people can follow along (this is similar to the method Johnny used in the “Why China” series).
[Optional 7] When you see an update, down the chain, update your own page with the new questions and answers.
[Optional 8] Copy these micromanaging instructions into the top of your meme post.
Now... On to the questions!
1. What secret/surprising/personal goal (that is realistically achievable within the next 15 years) would you like to fulfill? I want to be a stay-at-home mom to *at least 3* children. Never thought I'd want that in a million years, and yet lately it's all I dream about.
2. Can you name an event or a last minute decision or guess that significantly changed the path of your life? Ok, so this question says "event", "last minute decision" or "guess". I've had all three occur where they've had life-changing effects on me, but I'll go with Event: Divorce. Best thing that ever happened to me, because it turned me from victim and doormat to master of my domain almost instantly. It also taught me to trust my gut feelings about things (which sent up red flags within 2 weeks of knowing him and I ignored them). I felt like I was living my life the way I was expected to, behaving the way I was expected to, and being someone who played the role of a meek and undeserving wall-flower so as to let others get the attention they needed. But after finding and reading the quote/poem/writing, "Our Deepest Fear" (many links for it on the net, but here's one so you can read it), I read the line "Your playing small does not serve the world" and started to think, "hey, maybe this is telling me something". I feel like I didn't start living my life at all until I got divorced. In fact, I have a hard time remembering things that happened before that time, and yet it was only 10 years ago. Almost immediately I was more my authentic self, and just became more and more "the authentic me"with each year. Now? I'm thrilled with who I am... because I'm just 100% me :)
3. What is one unrealistic goal (but your total secret dream) that you would love to come true, but are pretty sure it won’t ever happen? Be able to have a major record producer hear me singing/playing my own songs and offer me a contract. I would then turn him down and sell my songs to him for a handsome price, pay off my bills, quit my job, and spend my time raising my children. The biggest part of this unrealistic goal is that I'd have to be playing and singing in public for this person to hear me, and that ain't likely to happen.
4. Who has had the most influence on your life and what did they teach you? As many others have said, this is a tough one. I have a few who I could list, but one I keep thinking about is... My ex-boyfriend. Prior to him I was SO incredibly critical of what was considered beautiful. I'm not sure where I got this idea of "perfection=beauty" and anything else was ugliness, but that's how I thought... If you weren't a super-model, you just weren't attractive. He himself was a bodybuilder and was considered in cultural circles to be one of the "beautiful people", where his physique literally was a key that unlocked doors to free entry into clubs, free meals, free entry into anything that had a bouncer at the door, drinks at the bar, people offering him things like "Why don't you come stay at my beach house for the weekend" after only knowing him a few hours, attention from women and men alike (girls wanted him, guys wanted to BE him), and generally people were nicer to him. I should know, I was his "not-so beautiful people" girlfriend who tagged along for the ride for 3 years and watched in disbelief. But this life of liberties he seemed to live never once made him think he was better than anyone. He had guys say to him that they thought he could do better than me in the girlfriend department, meaning that I wasn't his physical equal. His response was "she's cute, and she makes me laugh my ass off... what more do you need than that?". One of the great things about him was that he could scope out a room and find one physical characteristic that he thought to be incredibly beautiful on anyone, no matter if society would deem them to be attractive or not. He would also find the positives to what would be considered someone's shortcomings. He could look at an overweight woman and say, "DAMN! Look at those legs on her! She's got great legs, doesn't she?" or see a really short guy and say, "Yeah, but listen to this guy, he's got all the lines, the moves... look at how he gets the attention of the women he wants to talk to. He knows how to work the angle of his height and look - the rest of the guys just stand around wondering where they went wrong. I'm just a muscle-head chump - I could learn something from that guy!" and then he'd poke fun at himself. Although on many levels he was a great guy, he just wasn't great for me, and I decided to move forward with my life and called it off. He was stunned, and didn't believe me when I told him I wanted to see other people. Only a few weeks after breaking up with him, I met Hubby on Match.com. Two months after dating Hubby, my ex-boyfriend proposed to me, and I turned him down. He told me that he didn't think I'd say yes, but he had to try anyway. I knew that I'd met my future husband when I met Hubby, and I also knew that while he was a great person, my ex-boyfriend just wasn't a great match for me for the long haul. But in those few years we were together, he taught me to see the beauty and the best in everyone, and subsequently, I also found the beauty and the best in my self in the process.
5. You are on a deserted island. You are stranded with someone from any point in time for 2 months (they are coming to rescue you but are busy right now). Other then family/friends/naval engineers, who is it? Santa Claus. Why? Because he knows freaking EVERYBODY and he can tell me who's been naughty, and how. ;)
6. Name and describe 3 things on your mind lately. Is there any particular reason why you're thinking about a particular thing? Conception. Gracie is a looooong ways away and I ain't gettin' any younger. I wonder what the universe would bring if I let my guard down. Age. I'll be 37 in the next few weeks and that number is shocking the shit out of me. Wasn't I just 30 last year??? I was always the youngest in every crowd: school, work, friends. Now I'm always dismayed to find that many of my closest bloggy friends are younger than me. Great for them, not so much for me. Money. I am astonished at how much I bring home, and yet how little I have left over. And a 4th: blogitty sisters, coming for a visit :)
7. If you could go back to one moment in time and change it, what would the moment be and what would you change it from and to? I would have sang "I've Got The World On A String" to John at our wedding, as I'd hoped to. After all, I only prepared for it for 4 months... it would have been nice to have actually pushed myself to go through with it instead of cry in the bathroom over my anxiety of singing in front of everyone I know in the free world, only to bail out at the last minute...
8. What is your biggest pet peeve and is there anything that you can do or not do to stop other people from doing it? Takers, liars, and people who are nasty to you because they're jealous. Is there anything I can do to stop them from being this way? No. However, the best revenge is to just stop giving them anything, stop trusting anything that emanates from them, and, be even more fabulous than you already are (and laugh heartily while you're doing it)... :)
9. Who has been the most influential teacher in your life and why did he or she have such an impact on you? Have you sent them a note? Mr. Rogers, 3rd grade. He was the first adult to be 110% present with me, listen to every syllable that came out of my mouth, took me seriously and responded in kind, kindly. He played guitar in class, and made every hour seem as if it were recess. I loved him to pieces.
10. What three things do you regret not learning to do? Well if you ask Melissa and Stacy, I can do pretty much anything ;) But if I had to pick, I'd say paint watercolor, play jazz piano (I play piano already just sooo not well), and stay out of debt...lol.
11. What is your biggest fear? Singing in front of other people and having them think I suck. If I knew people were going to think I was awesome, I could sing in public all the time.
12. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I would want to change my self-doubting ways. I'd have more faith in myself. Hell, I'd like to have as much faith in myself as everyone else seems to have in me. That'd be schweeeet. Oh, and I'd get rid of my tree trunk legs.
13. What is the answer to life, the universe, everything? “Always cut the bagel away from your throat”- Big Dan (old friend from a loooong time ago), circa 1992
14. If you knew, beforehand, that the wait for your child from China would take this long and drastic a time frame, would you still go through with it or would you choose another country? I would still go through with it. It was an episode of A Baby Story where a family adopted their second daughter from China that introduced me to international adoption in the first place, so that's where my heart was. And, knowing it would be 3-4 years from the get-go would be a FAR easier pill to swallow than being told 12-18 months and naively believing it until reality fwaps (yes, I said fwaps) you upside the head with the truth of the matter.
15. What is one food that most people like that you do not like at all? Peanut butter. Ew, gross, disgusting, hate it. And don't you dare even eat the stuff around me or I'll gag.
16. Name one place in the world you would love to spend at least one month visiting? Is there anywhere on earth that is so repulsive to you that there is no amount of money that could convince you to visit it? There are so many countries I'd like to see because I've barely been anywhere. But if I had to choose one, I guess I'd choose China, for the obvious reasons. But Italy is a very close second, maybe even tied for first. And a repulsive place? My father & his wife's house, in Florida. No f'ing way. I'd rip my toenails off with pliers first than endure that kind of torture. It's not about the house, it's about the people living in it... them.
17. What book have you just finished reading and why did you pick it up? Would you recommend it to others? Stardust, by Neil Gaiman. This is an adult fairytale which was recently made into a movie. I had been downloading audio books to my iPod from audible.com and on the homepage they were offering a free 15 or so minute listen for this book. I listened to it and got hooked into the little that I'd heard, and I decided to purchase it immediately - because the narrators voice - who is also the author - is just DREAMY. However, much to my delight, the story itself is just fantastic, and I actually reviewed the book at Audible so you can read what I wrote about it for yourself (the link in the title will take you there). Also, if you want to hear the authors voice, go to the link and click on "Sample", just to the left of the price. You won't be disappointed by his narration, or his book.
18. Share a relatively quick and easy recipe for Fall. One pot/dish recipes given extra credit.
This is the recipe for Giada DeLaurentis’ Fettuccine Alfredo! I’ve made this at least half a dozen times and it’s AMAZING! Better than that, it’s SO EASY AND FAST, you’re not going to believe it. From the time the water is boiling, the whole thing takes less than 15 minutes and tastes better than any restaurant Alfredo sauce you’ve ever had.
I have Giada’s cookbook where this recipe is also published, but I snagged this one off of Food TV because I couldn’t remember one of the ingredients (the nutmeg – which I don’t use anyway). This recipe below will serve 6-8 people, but the one in her book is HALF of this and easily feeds three for a meal, or 4-6 for an appetizer portion (I’ve added the halved amounts in parenthesis). I’ve also added cooked diced leftover chicken to mine, and even raw shrimp at the very last minute (halfway through making the sauce). I would love to add frozen peas to the sauce, but hubby detests them…lol. It’s a new favorite in my house and it’s just so easy… Once the pasta is cooked, this takes literally 5 minutes! Enjoy!!!
18 (9) ounces fresh fettuccine (I used dried and it was fine)
2 1/2 (1 ¼) cups heavy cream
1/2 (1/4) cup fresh lemon juice (or the juice from one lemon)
12 (6) tablespoons unsalted butter (very important to use unsalted butter… if you use salted, it’s too salty to enjoy)
2 (1) cups grated Parmesan (I’ve used a combo of parm, romano, locatelli… it’s all good)
2 (1) teaspoons grated lemon zest (this really gives it a lemony kick… don’t use more than what it calls for or it’ll be the only thing you taste… trust me…lol)
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (I never used it and it still came out great)
Salt and freshly ground white pepper (I don’t like white pepper, but I put TONS of freshly ground black pepper in it, and I find the more I put in, the better the whole dish tastes… not sure why. Be careful with the salt because the parm cheese is VERY salty to begin with. Taste before adding it!)
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Drain. (don’t trust this time, because unless it's cappellini, it’s not long enough – just cook it until it’s al dente)
Stir 2 cups of the cream and the lemon juice in a heavy large skillet to blend. Add the butter and cook over medium heat just until the butter melts, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Add the pasta and toss. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of cream, and Parmesan to the cream sauce in the skillet. Add the lemon zest, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. Toss the pasta mixture over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Dish on to place... Eat til you puke. It's that good.
19. Would you rather be financially well off, but unhappy, or a happy person who is always in need of money? Broke as a joke and happy as a clam :P
20. What is the most comforting sound in the world to you and why? Wow, this is hard. I don't think I have a favorite sound. It's not a matter of having too many to choose from, it's that I don't even think I have one favorite sound. Hmmmm... odd.
21. What is your all time favorite book? If you aren’t a reader, what is your favorite movie? And why? Ugh... I'm not really a reader and I'm also not really a huge movie goer. But one book that I keep telling people to read over and over again is Forever, by Pete Hamill. I can't tell you why you should read it, you just need to, because it's a great escape from reality. Movie? Uncle Buck is in my top three (if you've seen it, you know why), and so is Pride & Prejudice with Kiera Knightly. I love period films and this one is packed with incredible acting.
22. Share one of your most cherished childhood memories. One favorite is sitting at the top of the stairs on Christmas day, listening to my mom tell us about all the gifts she sees, waiting for her to say it's ok to come down. Another is all the summers we spent at the Oceanside pool... great times.
23. What are you paranoid about? Can't sleep - clowns will eat me. ;)
24. What trait of yours do you MOST hope your children will carry on? Geez... I'd have to say all of them. But I especially hope they're musically and artistically inclined.
25. What’s your guilty pleasure? Playing The Sims and buying yarn.
26. What would you buy if you had a thousand dollars to spend on yourself? The only catch is that it has to be a totally selfish purchase, just for you. No paying bills or buying a year’s supply of wet wipes. A vacation!
27. Help me update my iPod...name your favorite artists, and then your favorite song that they perform. This is the worst thing to ask me (just ask Doris) because I am the music girl, liking everything from The Gypsy Kings to Prince to Lyle Lovett to Elvis Costello to Jill Scott to Louis Prima to Diana Krall to Led Zepplin. But to keep me as sane as possible, I will limit it to... well, I was going to say three artists, but who am I kidding. By no means are these my #1 favorite songs of theirs, because I could never pick just one. So, I'll pick two for each - and these still aren't my only fav's....lol. And take heed people, if I list these artists, you should definitely go check them out. The first time someone told me they liked Lyle Lovett, I openly laughed at them. Now? He's my all-time favorite musician, for many, many reasons. So please, give them a listen... Lyle Lovett - The Road To Ensenada and If I Had A Boat. Elvis Costello - Green Shirt and Radio, Radio. Dave Matthews (hello, yum) and Dave Matthews Band - Grace is Gone and Crush. Oddly enough, Dave Matthews is a big fan of Lyle Lovett, and even covered his song "If I Had Boat".
28. What is your favorite charity? "Charity begins at home"....lol. Actually, I don't have a favorite, but most often times the charities I've given to were for breast cancer research.
29. In The Shadow of the Wind, there is a beautiful passage that says “few things leave a deeper mark on a reader than the first book that finds its way into his heart.” Do you think this is true, and if so what is your “first” book and why. There are far too many questions about books in this meme...lol. I don't have a "first book". I was never a reader in school growing up, and after I graduated high school, I was too busy working 2 jobs at a time to have a moment to read anything other than the bills I had to pay...lol.
30. What is your favorite wilderness hike and why? (You knew I was going to ask this-if you aren’t a hiker, you can modify it to drive by landscapes or whatever speaks to you.) I don't do much hiking, so I'll go with favorite drive: It's actually the drive on the way to my house. Hubby and I used to go on drives almost every Sunday and we'd always end up in north-west NJ. It was such a gorgeous drive and it was like being in a different state. When we started looking for a house, we could barely afford anything and the only houses that were really inexpensive were the ones in the area where we used to take our drives. We ended up moving there and now we don't go on drives anymore...lol. There have been times when I'm driving and I look around me at the scenery and the landscape, and say out loud, "I can't believe I live here".
31. What were/are your nicknames? Do you like them? Head, Headmeister. I got this nickname from shaving half my head in my freshman year of high school. Heather changed to Hedda, Headder, Headly, Head-o-rama, Headmeister. Even members of my family call me Head. Do I like being called Head or Headmeister? Sure... who else do you know is called "Head" and doesn't work in the p*rn industry????...lol.
32. What was your first concert? Your most recent? First: Prince, Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, Long Island 1984. Most recent: In all sincerity, I can't remember my last concert... it's been a while. So here are a few of the last ones I can remember going to: Lyle Lovett, David Bowie, Depeche Mode, Diana Krall, and Prince, Nassau Colliseum, Uniondale, Long Island 2004... exactly 20 years later. He was not only just as good, he was even better the second time.
33. Have you ever done someone the dirty? I mean really, foully, badly wrong. And would you do it again, and why, or why not? I'm the kind of person who believes HEAVILY in karma. I've always thought that if I did something bad like that, it would eventually find me and happen to me, too. In fact, in the past, anytime something bad used to happen in my life, the first thing I'd think to myself was "ok, what did I do". I think the worst thing I've ever done was cheated on a boyfriend when I was really young. Yeah, I was the one who people screwed over, not the one turning the screws. But I tend to treat people the way I want to be treated, even if I can't stand them... lol.
34. If you found out that the universe HAD been created, and you could ask the Creator one question, what would it be? Why didn't you make exercise orgasmic? If that were the case, I'd surely be doing more of it.
35. What were your dreams as a child? Being a child wasn't very much fun for me, and I just took one day at a time. I had no dreams of being anything other than independent and moving out. And, I succeeded - I left when I was 17.
36. What can you do better than most people you know? Sing, cook
37. What’s your favorite bird and why? Hawk. I have an uncanny ability to spot them in trees from long distances, even when they're kind of "hidden". There was also a time in my life where I was going though a rough patch and was hoping for a sign that things would change. Right then, a hawk swooped down out of nowhere, and it was beautiful. Now every time I see a hawk I think if it as an omen of good things to come.
38. When/where did you last go camping? 1993 at North/South Lake in NY. I went with a group of women that I attended a type of group therapy session with. It was more like a pre-menopausal bitch-fest than it was a therapy session, because there was no therapy involved - it was just a bunch of people taking turns complaining...lol. At the time, they were all 35+ and I was only 22, but they welcomed me anyway. We all decided to go camping together and thought it would be fun. After we all got there, that's when I found out that I was the only person there with any camping experience at all. To say that it was a stressful weekend is putting it mildly. I quit the group shortly afterwards, after realizing that at only 22, I still had my shit together 10x more than they did...lol.
39. Is there something that you feel you should love doing with your kids but you really don’t enjoy at all? Not having any children right now, I can't really say... But I cringe at the thought of having to learn all of those songs from those kids groups like The Wiggles.
40. What home improvement project is next on your list? Something as small as changing a light bulb counts. Have to empty out the 11x7 room that will be Gracie's nursery (that we use to collect all our crap in right now) and turn it into a guest bedroom in less than 3 weeks. The fact that all of our computer equipment and wireless stuff is in there turns this into a major deal.
41. Which season is your favorite? Fall, love that first change from our boiling hot summers to the crisp promise of fall. The smells of fires burning… wearing sweaters… the holidays on the way...love it. (this was Kris' answer, but it is soooo exactly what I'd write, I left it as is, unedited :)
42. MAC or PC? Can you believe that only 11 years ago I didn't know how to turn on a computer? And now, it's the field I'm in. I learned on a Mac, but now I'm a PC Princess. It helps to have the skills to fix what you're working on. If I had a Mac and something went wrong with it, I wouldn't have a clue as to how to fix it. Therefore, it's PC all the way.
43. If you had to name the best thing about getting older, what would you say it is? Huh... well, I'm really not feeling anything good about getting older right now! I guess I'd have to say not caring about what other people think about me.
44. If you were to name the most comforting thing for you to hold in your hands, what would it be and why? Hubby's hand. Why? Because even though we've been married for almost 5 years, we still hold hands wherever we go and it makes me feel like we're still dating :)
45. What is the most surprising thing you've learned about the blog world (and you CAN'T say "I've made such great friends". We all have, so we know that already! lol...). Ok, here's something that creeped me out: After the Georgia bloggy bash, there were people I knew nothing about (and had never even seen their blog) who were commenting on not only my blog, but on other blogs, practically begging to be invited next year. There was even one person who wasn't even adopting and they commented all over the place about wanting to come to next years gathering of adoptive parents. To set it straight, this is not some social clique that denies people from joining us and having fun; it's a group of women who have already developed a relationship based around the common ground of adopting a child from China. So if you don't really know any of us, or, if you're not even adopting, isn't that just a weird thing to do?
46. If you had to choose one actress to play you in a movie, who would it be? There isn't anyone famous out there who really looks like me, so I'd have to go with something other than a physical resemblance. I asked Hubby and he said "Well, she'd have to be sassy" and then he laughed. He laughed because he knows I HATE the word "Sassy"...lol. I guess I'd pick Drew Barrymore, just because she's a little quirky and has no hangups about her body.
*** OMG, I just did a spell check on this whole monstrous thing and there wasn't one mistake! That has GOT to be wrong...lol.
I have decided to tag Ten (aka Kristen from The Sense In It All...)! I know that she's not making Thanksgiving dinner and she's not hosting visitors at her house, so she should have plenty of time to do this meme! lol! Go ahead girl, let's see whatcha got!
Red Hot n’ Rollin’: Johnny(1, 2) -> Our Journey to China (3, 4) -> 3D’s Adoption Journey (5, 6) ->Waiting for Pumpkin (7, 8) ->Two Kayaks (9, 10) ->Watch Our Family Grow (11, 12) -> Our Journey to Little Maple and Back (13, 14) -> American Family (15, 16) -> Chicago Mama (17, 18) -> The Further Adventures of SpacemomMrs. Figby (19, 20) -> (21, 22) -> Mortimer’s Mom (23, 24) -> Mimiboo (25, 26) -> Sopapilla (27, 28) ->Jiangli (29, 30) ->Beeb (31, 32) -> FD Chief (33, 34) -> The Daily Grind (35, 36) -> Different Dirt (37, 38) -> Twoladybugs (39, 40) -> Forks and Chopsticks (41, 42) -> The Mad Race for Macey (43, 44) -> Digging A Hole To China (45, 46)
About Me
I'm a 36 year old optimist currently residing in the tri-state area with my Hubby and too many fur-babies, and we are patiently waiting to adopt a baby girl from China! This blog has been created to document all the ins and outs of this journey we're on... Follow along as the countdown begins for our little girl!
Archives
Tech Tips & Fixes
Bloggers I've Met!
Other Blogs I Follow
Amex Alert!!! 
(click on "Some Babies Come By Plane" in the bottom of the main page)
Number of way-cool peeps who've seen this blog
6. I'd visit...I miss ya chica!
9. Mr. Rogers...did he have a snazzy sweater?
15. Peanut butter? REALLY?!
16. I'm SO with you on 16. Last year Josh and I spent a few days in Italy and it was SO freaking nice.
23. Clowns scare the bejesus out of me. Ever since my ever-lovin' brother made me watch Poltergeist with that freaking clown under my bed. Not to mention that my mom had made me a cross-stitch of a clown that hung on my wall. I used to check under my bed for quite a long time after that movie...
32. While I haven't gone to as many concerts as you, I like your style. ;)
34. You always have a way of catching me off guard and snort-laugh my coffee out my nose.
42. Josh and I are updating our P.O.S. PC to a Mac in the upcoming weeks...or at least I'm hoping it will be weeks...or whenever he's sick of me whining about it. ;)
45. It wasn't me (but can I come?) :P
hhhhhaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhaaaaaaaa
Loved #44- can anyone say "awwwwwwww....?"
I agree, Dave Matthews? Yum.
I find this meme facinating because it took some time and insight to answer.
Ten, can't wait to read more about you!
Have a Happy T-Day!
I certainly haven't & won't! lol!
Just tonight Kiara was dancing to Aerosmith & AC/DC!!
ROCK ON!
Anyhow. I did learn a few Wiggles songs, but not because of my own child. Most of them I don't like, but a few are catchy. Oh, and you DO NOT have to play kids music to your children and drive yourself nuts. My almost 4 yr old can sing, "One Particular Harbor" by Jimmy Buffet. I have to get that on video and post it to YouTube. This kiddo likes mommy & daddy music and has never once insisted on listening to the stuff that makes you want to climb the walls. Yeah me!!! Do you remember or know the song, "Barbie Girl" by Aqua? My sister and I were driving from Indiana to Michigan for a cousin's wedding and Eriks was in the backseat. It started to play on her iPod and the 3 yr old in the backseat started singing. I had not played the song that often either. LOL!
The saying is true, we are our own worst critics. Wish there were times I could lay off myself!
Keep smilin!
LOVE YA!!!!
I will get to this on Wednesday afternoon..
Loved reading all of yours!!!
Feel free to visit, if you'd like!