October 21, 2005
Some Things About Me(me)
(For the next coupla weeks, I'll be attending a plethora of classes and then I’m heading off for the annual knitting retreat again so posting will be spotty. However, good news—The Mysterious K does seem willing to be The Guest Blogger for at least one or two entries.)
A coupla entries ago, I was meme-pinged by Marfa!! Thanks, Marfa! This one was fun!
10 YEARS AGO
1995, 35 years old. Working as the technical training manager for the doomed law firm. Recovering, slowly, from the unexpected-yet-kinda-not death of my mother—brought on by cussed stubborness—in April.
5 YEARS AGO
2000, 40 years old. My boss had embezzled $2 million dollars, the law firm had gone in the crapper after 108 years in business. Had landed my Worst Job Ever in tech support for an astoundingly dysfunctional stock brokerage firm. Volunteered to be laid off during a downsizing, and was—hallelujah! Bought a book on web design and HTML coding, studied it for a week and landed a job as a web editor and technical writer, where I remain, although now I am Bosslady of the (very small) department.
1 YEAR AGO
2004, 44 years old: Had just celebrated my 18th anniversary with The Mysterious K in a manner which did not, that year, happen to involve museums or ultra-ordinary plates of spageeeeeti but did involve gold jewelry. I likes me gold jewelry!
FIVE SNACKS
Chocolate, grapes, apples, crunchy Cheetos, brie and crackers, strawberry rhubarb pie, kettle corn, dried cranberries, elephants ears, donuts, Fritos, strawberries, bananas, cherry tomatoes, fried mozzarella sticks, cornbread, cherries, ice cream, brownies…Oh, you said five?
FIVE SONGS I KNOW ALL THE WORDS TO
Oh, this is going to be embarrassing.
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
The Happy Birthday Song
The National Anthem
Oh, and Handel’s Messiah if I’m singing along with it. But that’s it. I’m not much of a music girl. (Although just this morning I was able to hunt down online the tune and lyrics (who knew!) for the Popcorn Song. We had sung it incessantly once on a road trip but, from that day forward, whenever we tried to sing it, it would come out as the "Maxwell House" percolating song. It was driving us both nuts.)
Update: Big Sister called me to remind me of all of our childhood songs whose lyrics I know. Among them was this gem:
"Black socks, they never get dirty,
The longer you wear them the blacker they get.
Sometimes I dream of a laundry,
But something inside me says “Don’t send them yet.”
FIVE THINGS I WOULD DO WITH $100 MILLION
Buy a “hobby farm” with a storybook yellow house with a white wraparound porch. Populate the farm with lots of animals, particularly Arabian horses, colored sporthorses like this beaut, a quarter horse for TMK, at least one pygmy goat and one miniature donkey, a corgi, and a borzoi, but no llamas, alpacas, vicuñas or sheep. I’ll leave those to the shearers and the spinners, especially after reading Cuzzin Tom's blog entry today. (Go, read it, even if you're not a regular reader of DODR. Fiber-related and too funny.)
Hire someone to manage the farm for me because I would very quickly realize the farm was a stupid idea and I couldn’t possibly manage all those animals.
Hire a housekeeper because I would very quickly realize my dream house would require a lot of colonic housecleanings, and we all know I suck at that.
Hire a cook because, well, we all know I suck at that.
Donate money to animal causes.
And the rest, believe it or not, I’d invest. I’m pretty sensible with my money. Until I stumble across a Mata Ortiz pot.
FIVE FOUR PLACES TO RUN AWAY TO
Switzerland (every bit as beautiful as the postcards, although there’s more smog than one would think)
Venice (experienced the most beautiful moment of my life there when some silver cobblestones, gold fall leaves, and the pink rays of a fall sunset came together in a mind-numblingly beautiful tableau that I will never forget)
Vienna (the art, oh, the art!)
Paris (lives up to its billing, especially at night)
FIVE(+) THINGS I WILL NEVER WEAR
A bikini, although let the record show I was skinny enough to once upon a time, then puberty happened and…well, I refer you to my snack list.
Gold lamé spandex
Double-knit polyester (Had enough of that as a child. I don’t know what my mother was thinking.)
Cat-eye glasses (Ditto. They were blue. They were awful. I was a geek among geeks.)
A leotard. Oh, my God, just the thought, especially the thin ones that invade your butt-crack.
Anything made of faux fur. Actually, anything made of real fur. (Although I did have a black bomber jacket made of rabbit fur once…until the moment I realized what I was actually wearing, and instantly sold it at a garage sale for a pittance.)
FIVE(+) FAVORITE TV SHOWS
Red Dwarf
Mr. Bean
Many of the other British comedies like Are You Being Served, As Time Goes By, Keeping Up Appearances, The Vicar of Dibley, Good Neighbors, Coupling. The list goes on.
Any newsmagazines like 60 Minutes, Twenty Twenty or 48 Hours
Currently, Surface
And my guilty pleasure: America’s Next Top Model, especially this year because one of the women is baby-butch gay, looks ridiculous with make-up on, and clomps up and down the runway like horse. What is she thinking?
Food-tv-wise, we are currently hooked on America’s Test Kitchen.
FIVE(+) BIGGEST JOYS, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER
Reading (and going to the Friends of the Library Sale to get yet more books)
The people who knit for Dulaan
Knitting
Frankie
Rainy afternoons with m’girl, especially days when we make challah
Dahlias
Borzoi
Horses
This blog and my Dear Readers. Seriously. And the other people who write the blogs that I read regularly. Seriously.
Ferals.
Funny phone calls with my sister, made all the more precious by the fact that we have had some difficult years. Hugs, sis!
FIVE FAVORITE TOYS (and Games. Ed.)
Camilla, my Chrysler Sebring convertible, although she can be a real pain in the tuckus.
TMK’s Playstation II
The Net
Cranium
Cribbage
Scrabble
FIVETWO PEOPLE I WILL TAG WITH THIS MEME:
TMK! (Hey, you SAID you thought the memes were fun—and I thought you might need some inspiration.)
And, for a lark, Cuzzin Tom. (No obligation, Cuzz, but I thought you might find it fun.)
Everyone, please join me in wishing Nathania a fairy tale wedding and a long and happy life with her honey. They are getting married tomorrow!!!
Lastly, proof that I have been knitting, the finished SuperDeeDuper Ultimate Extreme Over-the-Top Cascade 220 Stashbusting Dulaan Scarf:
Lurv the scarf. Really really do. So bright and cheerful.
I am planning me a visit up to Washingtonat some point to meet all the fab bloggers I know. We MUST have ourselves a cribbage game. I play online all the freakin time. Love me some cribbage. Heee
Posted by: Stalker Angie on October 21, 2005 12:10 PMHow I wish I had proof that I had been knitting. (sigh) It seems that every thing has had to be frogged. It is so sad. Especially when there are two new babies to knit for and Christmas is coming and my little dogs are starting to shiver. Maybe this weekend things will begin to gel. Congratulations on the beautifu scarf and giving me the courage to frog when things just aren't working out.
Posted by: laura on October 21, 2005 12:14 PMOh, Laura, if you knew how much and how often I frog!!! In fact, last week I frogged the top of the completely finished Ram's Horn Hat because it just had some problems. But it's coming out so much better now that it was worth it.
Stalker Angie, we will welcome you up here with welcome arms, play cribbage with you until you want to puke, and then take you to all of the yarns stores.
Posted by: Ryan on October 21, 2005 12:39 PMCan't wait for tomorrow! I'm hoping it's OK that I bring Mr. Handsome Pants with me, he's almost 6 and will probably be accompanied by myriad Power Rangers and various other things for which I do not know the proper titles. If he gets raucous (or if you prefer him not to be there) we'll leave promptly :)
Posted by: Libby on October 21, 2005 01:16 PMLove the bright scarf Ryan...i've taken a leaf out of your book and started stripes to use up oddz'n sodz too.. mines a pinkie sweater.Congrats on your anniversary... i enjoyed TMK's blog entry and loved her mittens "it's the thought that counts" :) and i just hope your sore fingers are soon better,i did wonder how the camel yarn would knit up... at least they wash up soft...and i bet they'll be very hard wearing!
Posted by: Diane on October 21, 2005 04:12 PMI know a different version of that last one (which I know as a round):
Black socks, they never get dirty,
The longer you wear them, the stronger they get.
Sometimes, I think I should wash them, but
Something inside me keeps saying, "not yet, not yet, not yet."
For the Borzoi lover, you have read Oksana's page, right? Just google Ask Oksana. Oh, and my understanding is they shed enough hair you could spin it and knit sweaters for you, TMK, and Frankie. That is why I enjoy the barenaked greyhounds.
I think you would be cute in the cat eye glasses. Don't rule them out yet.
LOVE Vicar of Dibley! Did you see the 10th anniversary show?
Wish I could come play with you guys tomorrow.
Posted by: Laurie on October 21, 2005 05:00 PMOh goodness yes, "The Vicar of Dibley" was one of our favorites - especially the bits at the end of the show with Alice. "Chef!" is another one we snicker at regularly.
And we love you too, honey :)
Posted by: Robbyn on October 21, 2005 05:04 PMGood morning, dear knit-inners! I'm up early making a cranberry-walnut tart for a dinner with some pals later in the day. Wish I were baking another one for y'all! I know that this will be a vegas-esque affair (what happens at TMK's stays at TMK's) but do save a story or two for the rest of us! Happy day.............
Posted by: marylee on October 22, 2005 05:10 AMOoh, the black sock song. Here's another, almost-the-same-but-slightly-different regional variant. Never thought of it as a round, but that's a great idea!
Black socks, there's something about them,
the longer you wear them the stronger they get.
Black socks, I know I should wash them,
but something inside of me tells me "Not yet! No, not yet!"
Love your scarf! Very bright and cheerful. I admit I have been bad and haven't started any Dulaan stuff yet. Right after Christmas is when I will start - promise! I also am a fan of British comedy. I have about a dozen VHS tapes full of "Are You Being Served?", and I love "Keeping Up Appearances" and "Mr. Bean" (both cartoon and the real one!).
Posted by: Sheri on October 22, 2005 07:54 PMOh, man! Do none of you understand irony? Must I go into schoolmarm mode, grab a piece of chalk and diagram it out for you and your other Dear Readers? The true and correct lyrics to Black Socks are:
Black socks, they never get dirty
The longer you wear them, the CLEANER they get --
[Etc.]
And I did a huge AWWWWWWW to learn that the Ferals are one of your Five-plus joys in life. The feelings are, of course, mutual--!!!
I WANT A HALLOWIG!! That is quite possibly the funniest thing I have EVER seen!!! :)
Posted by: Courtney on October 22, 2005 11:52 PMReading your meme answers was fun! and inspiring. I got tagged by the 20 random personal bits... I bet YOU are fun.
I agree with you about the Hallowig. However, you can see a very strange couple of fringy yarmulka/wiggy things I knit on my blog (August 20: here's the photo: http://photos1.blogger.com/img/82/1713/320/21.jpg) but be reassured I only wear them indoors... in private.
And then there's this (http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/624/467/1600/Pink%20Urchin%20Head%20Back%282%29.jpg) that wasn't knit at all!
I have no proof at present that I've been knitting...must to the dreaded SEAMS before I can take photos. sigh.
Tears are streaming down my face at Cuzzin Tom's blog. Fabu.
And the horses... oh, good god, girl, can I just come and look at them? I mean, with so many on your farm, if you need someone to help exercise them, I'm here... Yes, I know it's a fictional farm. So is my ability to get on a plane and fly across the country just to exercise your paints....
Posted by: Amie on October 23, 2005 06:39 PMaw, why not ryan! would you KNIT a hallowig? it could be a hat for dulaan! as for gold lame spandex, i shudder. now, gold lame has it's place, but spandex? help! nice scarf, glad to see ya got it done. i haven't started my dulaan knitting yet, i'm trying to get through halloween costumes, and a newborn due in december (and the shower is nov 6!) and my other charity knitting due at the end of the month, and a hat contest with a deadline of halloween and and and oh hell, i'd better get back to work!
Posted by: minnie on October 23, 2005 08:49 PMI love the Vicar of Dibley and have never heard of anyone else even knowing that it existed! (I do enjoy all of the other BBC shows you've listed as well but the Vicar is one that I wish had more episodes because I've seen them all!)
now back into lurking (which includes lots of "oh that came out GREAT" and "I wonder if I could do that with MY dulaan yarn..." wonderings from this end of the computer screen.)
Posted by: Kristen on October 24, 2005 04:01 PMRyan, are you ME, and no one told me? a) My mom passed in April 95 due to what I'd call stubbornness, but what was actually more, um, depressiveness. (ME:Mom, are you walking like the doctor told you? MOM:It makes me out of breath and you (you who were hospitalized for asthmas last year) don't know what that's like!)
b) your description of your $100 million is about what I'd do, except I'd also have my retirement-home-for-dogs, and I'd go to the pound the day before Christmas and take EVERY SINGLE ANIMAL IN THERE home with me. And my house would be with a red shingled roof and white porch and big giant trees that turned gold in the fall.
c) red dwarf is hilarious, and Onslo (sp?) is my favorite
d) I can't decide whether I'd actually kill for Mata Ortiz pottery, or if I'd just rather go move there and have them teach me to make one myself, then come back home.