Monday Meme

Stolen, with encouragement and permission, from Tense Teacher.

1.ONE OF YOUR SCARS, HOW DID YOU GET IT? I have one on the top of my head, about two inches above my hairline. I was seven, I think, and in the back seat of a 1970s-era car with no seat belts or anti-lock breaks. A bicyclist swerved around a pothole, and the maternal unit slammed on the breaks. My little body turned into a missile and my trajectory was halted by the dashboard. As I recall, the mother was pissed that I got blood on the seats.

2. WHAT IS ON THE WALLS IN YOUR ROOM? An old-fashioned map of Bermuda and Punkin’ Pie’s dragonfly fold-art.

3. DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME YOU WERE BORN? 10:15 in the morning on Wednesday, January 15, 1969.

4. WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW? For my friend to finally get the help she needs.

5. WHAT DO YOU MISS? What, not who? Believe it or not, I miss nursing my babies. I loved that forced quiet time, and the lovely bonding with my daughters. What I DON’T miss are the diapers and the sleep-deprived hallucinations, though…

6. WHAT IS YOUR MOST PRIZED POSSESSION? I’m not much of a material girl. I guess I’d have to say my wedding ring set.

7 . HOW TALL ARE YOU? 5′3″ first thing in the morning and when I’m feeling particularly good about myself.

8. DO YOU GET SCARED IN THE DAY? Startled, sometimes, but never scared.

9. WHAT’S YOUR WORST FEAR? I’ve got a couple of worst fears, and they all involve the loss of people I love.

10. WHAT KIND OF HAIR COLOR DO YOU LIKE ON THE OPPOSITE SEX? My favorite member of the opposite sex has reddish hair.

11. WHAT ABOUT EYE COLOR? Again, I’m going with my favorite man, whose eyes are a hazel-ish blue.

12. COFFEE OR ENERGY DRINK? Neither, thanks. I’m an Ovaltine, Diet Coke, or lemon water kind of gal.

13. FAVORITE PIZZA TOPPING? MMMMM! Onions, mushrooms and lots of sauce and cheese!

14. IF YOU COULD EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE? A plate of Chicken Scaloppine from Macaroni Grill. I’ve been in a low-level of crave over that dish for about a year and a half now.

15. FAVORITE COLOR OF ALL TIME? Probably green, though I’m also mighty fond of brown in my clothing choices.

16. HAVE YOU EVER EATEN A GOLDFISH? A living one? No. I like the little pretzel fish from Pepperidge Farms, though.

17. WHAT WAS THE FIRST MEANINGFUL GIFT YOU EVER RECEIVED? I can’t remember. I’d say my most meaningful gift was my engagement ring.

18. DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH? I’m going with Tense’s answer on this one: I have some celebrity crushes, but no one in real life.

19. FAVORITE CLOTHING BRAND? Anything that fits. I have no brand loyalty whatsoever when it comes to clothes.

20. WHAT KIND OF CAR DO YOU WANT? I HAVE the car I want – a 2006 VW Golf – black, four door, five speed, sunroof and electric windows! It’s lovely to love what you have and have what you love.

21. WOULD YOU FALL IN LOVE KNOWING THAT THE PERSON IS LEAVING? Would I have a choice?

22. HAVE YOU BEEN OUT OF THE USA? Yes, I’ve been to Bermuda. I drove into – and out of – Canada once, but I never actually set foot on Canadian soil, so I don’t think that counts. O’Mama SO wants to remedy this for me…

23. YOUR WEAKNESSES? My husband. Chocolate. A good book.

24. MET ANYONE FAMOUS? Not that I can recall.

25. FIRST JOB? Babysitter

26. EVER DONE A PRANK CALL? No. Despite what my parents might have thought, I was a goody-two shoes.

27. DO YOU THINK EVERYONE OUT THERE HAS A SOUL MATE? Yes, absolutely; probably more than one.

28. WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU FILLED THIS OUT? Do you really care?

29. HAVE YOU EVER HAD SURGERY? Yes; you all know about the outpatient surgery to have the cyst removed from my forehead. With luck, it’ll be my only surgery.

30. WHAT DO YOU GET COMPLIMENTED ABOUT MOST? My hair, my capacity for friendship, and the lovely manners my daughters display in public.

31. WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY? I want a birthday. I’ll be happy to have tucked away another year with friends and family – I don’t want for anything material. If I’m pressed for a gift idea, though, I’m collecting the West Wing on DVD. I’ve got the first two seasons so far…

32. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU WANT? I’ve got the kids I want; two daughters, which is what I always daydreamed about (see the loving what you have and having what you love comment above).

33. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No. I have an interesting naming story, actually. My biological mother wanted to name me Clancy, regardless of whether I was male or female. I was born in the era of twilight sleep births, so my father named me, and that name is NOT Clancy (not “Not Clancy,” either, wise-asses!). I have a name that’s unusual enough that I’m the only one I know, but not so strange that people ask me to repeat it when I introduce myself.

34. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST TURN OFF OF THE OPPOSITE SEX? Any of the isms – sexism, racism, homophobia (which, even though it’s a “phobia,” it’s still an “ism”). Really, any kind of closed-mindedness.

35. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU MISS ABOUT GRADE SCHOOL? Nothing. I was lucky to survive my childhood and I’d never, ever go back.

36. WHAT KIND OF SHAMPOO DO YOU USE? Whatever’s on sale and smells good to me that day. Currently, we’re working our way through a family-sized bottle of some variety of Suave.

37 . DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes, when I first start writing. Once I get going, though, my penmanship deteriorates.

38. ANY BAD HABITS? I’m a little better at procrastinating than I’d like to be.

39. ARE YOU A JEALOUS PERSON? Not really, but I’m also not entirely immune, either (see question #55).

40. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Absolutely.

41. DO YOU AGREE WITH FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS? No.

42. HOW DO YOU RELEASE ANGER? I breathe, mostly. Sometimes, I’ll need to be alone so I don’t treat my family badly, but mostly, I breathe.

43. WHAT’S YOUR MAIN GOAL IN LIFE? To put more good into the world than I found when I got here.

44. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD? I loved my teddy bear. In fact, it’s the only piece of my childhood that I still have.

45. HOW MANY NUMBERS ARE IN YOUR CELL PHONE? Too many for me to stop and count.

46. WERE YOU A FAN OF BARNEY AS A LITTLE KID? Barney wasn’t around when I was a kid and if he were, the answer would be a resounding NO. He was forbidden in my daughters’ childhoods, too – we went for Bear in the Big Blue House instead.

47. MASHED POTATOES OR MACARONI AND CHEESE? Definitely mac and cheese

48. DO YOU HAVE ALL YOUR FINGERS AND TOES? Yes (Who thinks these questions up, anyway?)

49. DO YOU HAVE A COMPUTER IN YOUR ROOM? No; neither do I have a television.

50. PLANS FOR TONIGHT? I’ve got a haircut appointment at 4:30. We’ll eat dinner together as a family, Mr. Chili and I will watch some TiVo before we go to bed (unless there’s a Sox game on). I like to do a little reading before going to bed. Exciting, no?

51. WHAT’S THE FASTEST YOU’VE EVER GONE IN A CAR? We did 120 in Mr. Chili’s Corrado once (more on that car later this week).

52. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO? The hum of the fridge and the ticking of a clock (and the keys of my laptop as I type)

53. LAST THING YOU DRANK? Ovaltine

54. REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT? Neither — I’m a registered Independent.

55. DO YOU HAVE A LOW SELF ESTEEM OR A HIGH SELF ESTEEM? Most of the time, I register pretty high. I still have some fairly serious and significant issues with this, though, and I imagine I’ll struggle with them for the rest of this life.

56. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING? I’m reading 1984 by George Orwell for the Dark and Stormy Book Club.

I’m off to work; today marks the halfway point in the semester! Happy Monday!