My life according to Google images

As much time as some memes seem to take, this one, which Krista tagged me for, intrigued me, as I do so LOVE a random google search.

How it works: Type the answer to each question in a Google image search and post the 1st picture result.

Age at my next birthday:

 

Place I’d like to travel:

Favourite place:

Favourite object:

 

Favourite food:

Favourite colour:

 

Nick name:

 

Place you were born:

 

I hereby tag Heather and Andi, because I am sure the pictures they would come up with would be awesome. And anyone else pining for blog fodder, have at ‘er!

Bad blogger!

I recently posted a meme involving seven random things about myself, saying that I was tagged by Team Effort.  Little did I know that I was also tagged by Charming Bitch. The thing is, I read Charming Bitch every day!  How did I miss that??

So, as penance for my bad speed reading, here are seven more random things you probably wish you didn’t know about me:

1. I made out with 3 different guys in about 24 hours.  I’m not proud of it, but that’s what being 17 is all about, right?
2.  In total contrast to that, my husband and I made a conscious decision to NOT have sex until we were married.
3. My husband and I lived together for 6 months before we got married, making #2 very difficult.
4. I loathe American Idol, but I heart Kelly Clarkson.  Carrie Underwood, too.
5. I also heart Avril Lavigne.  Girlfriend is such a bitchin’ song!  When I saw her in concert, my sister and I were standing next to a 40-something man who was just givin’er to the music.  He was alone.  At an Avril Lavigne concert.  Scary.
6. Sometimes, in the middle of the night when my cat starts meowing to no relent, I want to find a 24-hour humane society drop-off.
7. I admit, I tried to eat my iPhone.  I’m so glad CNN told me not to.

No taggies this time, as it is totally my bad for missing my being tagged in the first place.

Instead, you can all ponder how an engaged couple can live together for 6 months and not do it.

Randomness

I was tagged for the seven random things meme by el burro over at Team Effort. Seeing how I am never one to let a meme go unnoticed, here goes:

1. If my husband were in charge of this meme, every answer would contain the word boobies.
2. I am an accomplished pianist with over 18 years of experience and training.
3. When I started university, I wore a 34A bra. One year later, I wore a 34C. No surgery involved.
4. On a trip to Paris with my husband, I spent approximately 49% of the time looking for washrooms or toilets or somewhere to pee. Damn “Hors Service” signs on those damn street pay-toilets!!!
5. I am an expert at french-braiding my own hair, but can’t do it worth shit on someone else.
6. I have two brothers-in-law named Jason. It was almost three, but one engagement didn’t make it to the aisle.
7. When my son has massive poops, I leave the dirty cloth-diapers in the toilet for my husband to deal with when he gets home. The alternative would be him cleaning up my vomit.

And now for the tagging: Cate, Jackie, Krista, Dory, and Heather. Have at ‘er!

Memology 101

As tagged by Andi over at Poot and Cubby. You know I can’t resist a good meme!

What were you doing 10 years ago?

I laughed when I read this. Fortunately for all you out there, I kept a diary from the ages 12 to 18. So, after a quick look, I found my diary from 1997 and even found an entry from June 27/97, 11:33 pm:

I am so pathetic! Every love song on the radio reminds me of Brenton and they’re all starting to make sense to me now. Every cartoon and TV show I see reminds me of him and us. I watched Aladdin and seeing Aladdin and Jasmine together in love made me think of me and Brenton. How pathetic is that! This feeling I have for him makes me act and think pathetically. You know you’re really happy when you find yourself relating to love on cartoons! I’m even singing corny love songs and they’re so beautiful! Just like our relationship!

Oh sweet blooming petunias. LMAO! I was 15 when I wrote that, just so you don’t all think I’m a total loser. That is possibly the cheesiest thing I’ve ever read. I think this diary may be good for a laugh-a-thon at my expense.

What were you doing 1 year ago?
I’ll give you a hint: I was about 40 lbs heavier and wearing stretchy pants every day. Oh, and my stomach moved as though possessed by an alien.

Five Snacks You Enjoy

1. Anything from Starbucks
2. Apple slices and sharp cheddar
3. Salsa and nachos to bring it to my mouth
4. Celery with nutella smeared on it
5. Stawnichy’s sausage

Five Songs That You Know All The Lyrics To
Only five? Well, here are some off the top of my head:

1. Possession – Sarah McLachlan
2. Girlfriend – Avril Lavigne
3. What Hurts the Most- Rascal Flatts
4. Bubbly – Colbie Caillat
5. Angel – Sarah McLachlan (I used to sing this to S to put him to sleep or calm him down when he was a wee newborn)

Five Things You Would Do If You Were a Millionaire

1. Pay off Andi’s student loans
2. Pay off Tony’s effing contract
3. Buy my Baba a new car and a condo
4. Set up a scholarship in memory of my dad through the U of A or NAIT
5. Buy a Starbucks

Five Bad Habits

1. Playing the what-if game for EVERYTHING
2. Chewing my nails
3. Picking my acne, and Tony’s. Gross, I know. It’s a problem, really. Did I mention that I was crazy?
4. Losing my keys
5. Staying up too late and then bitching when I am tired in the morning.

Five Things You Like To Do

1. What I wouldn’t give to just be able to sit and play the piano for hours on end, composing and singing and being the creative me that has gone into hiding since August 25th of last year.
2. Shop
3. Golf – when I can get away, and when I can get a tee-time
4. Knit
5. Drink Starbucks beverages

Five Things You Would Never Wear Again

THIS!!!

1. Bathing suits with the little skirts on them
2. Mathing outfits with my mother and sisters (see above). Oh the humanity!
3. Those really pointy-toe shoes. They look great on everyone but me.
4. Any dress that requires me to go braless.
5. Any bra size less than a D cup

Five Favorite Toys

I don’t play with toys (much), but I used to enjoy

1. Lego – and not the dumb pink ones.  REAL lego, dammit!
2. my old fisher price record player
3. Ice cream pails – for collecting things, wearing as helmets,etc
4. Broomsticks and string to go fishing in our ditch in the front yard. Oh, and rocks for bait.  My dad loved that (insert sarcastic laugh here).
5. Blankets and pillows to make forts in our living room.  My mom loved that.  Made cleaning SO easy, right?

As for tagging, my sister loves doing these, but she is behind on her memes, so I’ll just tag Krista and Kara instead.  The Kloganistas!

Is gravy a talent?

 

As tagged by my rockin’ awesome sister-in-law/knitter in crime

1. Were you named after anyone? Interestingly, there are two stories to this. My dad swears that I was named after the Fleetwood Mac song while my mother says that it was after my great grandmother. I tend to think both stories are true. Good old communication in my house.

2. When was the last time you cried? You know, I can’t remember. I think I’ve gone hard. Stone hard.

3. Do you like your handwriting? Sure! Although my students used to say that my z’s looked like 3s. Oh well, what do kids know…

4. What is your favorite lunch meat? Stawnichy’s garlic sausage. I grew up on the stuff. Used to eat an entire ring as a snack. Although I can’t get it out here in T-town.

5. Do you have kids? Yes, a 10 month old boy.

6. If you were another person would you be friends with you? I’ve been told that I appear judgmental, so I would probably think that I was a snob and snubbing myself,so I would start badtalking myself behind my back, and then probably not really want to get to know me, even though if I did, I would realize that I am not judgmental and that it’s just my normal facial expression.

7. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Fo sho!

8. Do you still have your tonsils? yup

9. Would you bungee jump? I don’t think so. The opportunity presented itself with the possibility of scoring some cool points for doing it, but I didn’t have the hroshi to do it.

10. What is your favorite cereal? Reese Peanut Butter Puffs. They’re the perfect cereal/snack/junk item of the millennium!

11. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Not so much

12. Do you think you are strong? Physically, I’m a tank. Mentally, I’m a fish tank in great need of some cleaning.

13. What is your favorite ice cream? I like ice cream in general. Of the regular kinds, chocolate chip mint rocks my world.

14. What is the first thing you notice about people? Smiles, how their eyes light up (IF they light up) when they talk about something. Then hair. I love funky hair.

15. Red or Pink? PINK

16. What is the least favorite thing about yourself? I’m the worst at what-iffing when there is no need for it. And I’m an awful morning grump.

17. Who do you miss the most? This is a loaded question, as I live 3000 km from everyone I really know and love. So if I specify one name and not another, I’m in the chicken coup (not even good enough for the doghouse). Let’s just say I miss my mom. That’s a pretty safe answer, and it should earn me brownie points. Are you reading this, MOM? I also miss my dad, as he died when I was 17.

18.What color pants and shoes are you wearing? Jeans and naked feet.

19. What was the last thing that you ate? Indonesian Satay Chicken. That’s right, I made curry.

20. What are you listening to right now? Silence. And it truly is wonderful.

21. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Could I be a mood crayon and choose whichever colour I want to be whenever I want to be it?

22. Favorite smells? Stawnichy’s sausage being warmed in the oven. The smell of success…otherwise known as a chocolate martini.

23. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? Julie

24. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Absomolutely

25. Favorite sports to watch? Figure Skating! Although I have not watched it since S was born.

26. Hair color? Blonde

27. Eye Color? Blue. Yes, I am Hitler’s poster-child.

28. Do you wear contacts? Used to, but they never really sat well with my damn astigmatism.

29. Favorite Food? It’s easier to say what I don’t like: seafood, sushi, okra, zucchini, caviar, salmon.

30. Scary Movies or Happy Endings? Endings that are so happy it’s scary.

31. Last movie you watched? Pan’s Labyrinth.

32. What color shirt are you wearing? Hot pink!

33. Summer or winter? Summer with the heat and the pools and beaches and wearing halter tops and daisy dukes…

34. Hugs or Kisses? Both. It’s the French Canadian way! I kiss everyone!

35. Favorite Dessert? Sex in a pan (I’ve peaked your interest, haven’t I) and trifle.

36. What book are you reading right now? Lullabies for Little Criminals

37. What is on your mouse pad? A cushy gel pad for my wrist so that the tendonitis doesn’t come back.

38. What did you watch on TV last night? A whole lot of Everybody Loves Raymond

39. Favorite Sound? Someone playing the piano, especially if that person is less than 2 feet tall and laughs after every few notes he plays.

40. Rolling Stones or Beatles? Beatles appeal to me a bit more, although they are before my time and interest.

41. What is the furthest you have been from home? Let me look at a map…I guess Greece.

42. Do you have a special talent? Not really sure. Is making amazing gravy a talent?

43. Where were you born? Peace River. Figure out where that is.

44. What superpower would you like? The ability to make people fall in love. That, or the ability to make babies sleep through the night.

Tag time: I’m going to tag my witty sister. She loves doing these things anyway.

Marriage = changing your name?

An informal tagging in this meme about names has led me here. “Names” in general terms seems to be a broad topic, and after naming my son Sacha, I have spoken out numersiou times about the validity of naming a boy Sacha (even though it is originally a boy’s name in Russian, Greek, and the like). This is not the road I will choose today, as frankly, it tires me when people assume things about a person simply by what their name is.

Instead, I want to tell you a little tale of two people who were madly in love and planning to spend their lives together. They decided to wed, and the Wonderful Selfless Man volunteered (of his own free will, no bribes of sex or the like involved) to give up his name and assume his fiancée’s name once they were married. He had never met her father, and since he had passed away leaving but three daughters, there was no one left to carry on the family name. The beautiful young woman was astonished, as she had never heard of this before, but was so taken aback by her love’s proposition and glad that she would not have to come up with a new signature that she went along with it.

Wonderful Selfless Man’s family had no qualms about him taking his wife’s name. Beautiful Young Foxy Lady’s family was elated that a man would want to honor her father in that way, and many tears of joy were shed.

The wedding came and went, and then began the real show. Wonderful Selfless Man went to have his driver’s license changed into his new name: no problem! Wonderful Selfless Man wanted to have his passport changed: easy peasy! Wonderful Selfless Man calls the government to update his name on his social insurance number. Bitch Lady tells him that he is not allowed to change his name as it is not “social custom.” Wonderful Selfless Man hangs up, dials the 1-800 number again, gets new operator, and account is updated.

Wonderful Selfless Man bears the brunt of many light-hearted jokes from friends regarding his “maiden” name. Beautiful Young Foxy Lady becomes a teacher and realizes that it may be easier for her students to simply call her “Mme N.”

Wonderful Selfless Man applies to write his licensing exam to become a pharmacist. Pharmacy examining board tells him that they do not accept his new name (despite the fact that the passport office is A-OK with it) and that he must file for a legal name change. (In case you do not know the difference, a legal name change deletes all existing documents in your birth name and redrafts them in your new name. This includes your birth certificate. Changing your name after marriage is “assuming” a name, and simply adds this new name, so to speak, on to your existing identity.) Wonderful Selfless Man opens a can of whoop-ass and tells them that they are discriminating against him because he is a man and that if this were the reverse situation (ie: a woman took her husband’s name) they would not be having this conversation. He threatens legal action, at which point the head honcho of the pharmacy examining board apologizes profusely for his employee’s behaviour.

Happy couple move to new province and must change their driver’s licenses. Beautiful Young Foxy Lady changes hers with no questions asked. Wonderful Selfless Man is not permitted to change his, despite the fact that his PASSPORT and all other legal documents are in his new name, until they see a valid marriage certificate. Wonderful Selfless Man protests, saying that he has all the proper documentation required and that it doesn’t say he needs to show a marriage certificate. Psycho-hose Beast Lady tells him that it was his choice to do something weird such as take on my name and that he must deal with the consequences of that choice. Obviously, one needs a driver’s license to drive, so Wonderful Selfless Man express-ordered the marriage certificate from home province to complete the transaction.

Even after all this hassle, Wonderful Selfless Man still says if he had to do it over again, he would still take my name.

That is love.

And that is my name meme.

Tagging time: Let’s say…somewhatmalcontent, kristagrothoff, st.magoo, and girl’slife
Have at ‘er!