The Knives, Clarice...
I am on day 5 of my current headache. At first, I thought it was leftover construction dust at the house, but now I'm thinking it's the weather.
I long for spring.
I promised a picture of the piano, so here:
Nice, eh?
I, unfortunately, am a bit discombobulated; I had one of the worst nightmares I've had in years last night, that woke me up hyperventilating and in floods of tears. Not that anyone else cares, but I dreamt my ex-husband was coming up the stairs towards me when he pulled out two razor-sharp kitchen knives and started hacking at my hands and arms - all with a nasty smile on his face.
No, I have no idea what it means (nor do I much care), but it was the devil to wake myself up from. I've rarely felt that thankful to wake up at 1am. I am still emotional about it - I don't have nightmares often. Bad dreams, yes - and fairly often, I wake Bob up, because I'm trying to yell in my sleep - but not real, bad, this-is-not-fun-I-must-wake-up-NOW nightmares. My mood can be summed up thus:
So, I'm going to do a meme - ganked from
gwen_the_potter:
60 30 Things You Possibly Didn't Know About Me
(Actually, I tried to pick out things you really might not know, so the list got pared down a bit.)
1. What is in the back seat of your car right now?
Nuttin'. I subscribe to the theory that the bad man cannot appear in the back seat and abduct you while you are driving if you do not have a back seat. The Miata is a two-seater (three if the top is down, and you like living dangerously by riding on the trunk); behind the seat is an assortment of maps, paperwork, old gloves, water bottles, ice scrapers, and trash (I really need to clean out my car).
2. When was the last time you threw up?
I got pretty close this morning. I have a sensitive stomach, and while I don't particularly enjoy throwing up, I do it fairly frequently. Too-greasy food, headaches, motion-sickness, strong smells - they can all be triggers. I carry cola syrup (it really works!) with me all the time.
3. What's your favorite curse word?
It's not safe for LJ's sensitive widdle ears. Swearing by various Catholic saints is always good for a laugh, though.
7. What will you be doing 3 hours from now?
Sitting in a meeting (if my boss remembers we're having one) and trying not to fall asleep. Alternatively, I'll be checking study paperwork for corrections needed. After that, I may have a cigarette, or I may pace around trying to get my legs to stop going numb.
8. Have you ever been to a strip club?
No, but I auditioned for a phone sex line once. The pictures of beautiful women they show you in the ads for those lines? Lies, damned lies. I was in a room with crack whores, mutants, and genetic anomalies too strange for the Jerry Springer Show. You could catch genital warts from these people over the phone lines.
10. What is the best ice cream flavor?
Best? I don't know- my tastes are not exactly mainstream. My favourite flavour is Coldstone Creamery's white chocolate mixed with raspberry sorbet, drizzled with caramel sauce, in a waffle cone. Decadence.
12. What are you wearing right now?
From the outside in - black, olive green, lavender.
13. What was the last thing you ate?
The last eighth of a bag of chewy Sweet-Tarts minis. Mmmm, tangy.
14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
I bought two '60s vintage dresses this weekend - one was turquoise blue, the other bright yellow. Together, they look like a Miami hotel, but they're cool. Neither of them fit me, but that's not the point.
19. Ever go camping?
All the time when I was a kid - we used to camp on the farmland of a friend of my father's up in Scotland, near Jedburgh. He owned many, many sheep. We used to camp at the base of a small Roman fort (just a hill, no ruins) by a stream. It was there I saw my first wild stoat, and there I saw the hugest meteorite/shooting star I've ever seen. I've been bitten by ants, burnt by bonfires, stung by nettles, slipped, fallen, frozen, soaked, and covered with feathers in a plucking incident that involved my brother, his friend, and two "hung" pheasants. I've also gathered wild mint, seen ancient ruins, listened to my father reading Three Men in a Boat, and had some of the most wonderful experiences there.
It was also the place where I first heard bagpipes as they were meant to be heard - from the next hill over.
20. Do you have a tan?
I do not tan. My tribe, they are severely melanin-deficient, to the point of translucency. I go slightly honey-coloured in the summer if I'm out in the sun a lot, but only on my arms and back, never my legs or front.
24. Do you drink your soda from a straw?
Always. I have a tendency to dump either the soda or the ice in the glass down my front, so to minimize my complete lack of social graces, I go with the straw.
28. Where is your mum right now?
At the Economist office, being "retired" (they can't seem to let her go; she's too good).
31. What do you think of when you think of Australia?
"This is not a wine for drinking; it's a wine for laying down and avoiding".
33. What is your birthstone?
Turquoise or Cubic Zirconia (!), depending on which "authority" you consult. Us December babies always get the leftovers. I loathe turquoise - I don't even merit a precious stone, apparently - so I am claiming Tanzanite (a very pretty clear lavender stone) as December's birthstone. Who's with me? (edit: I win.)
34. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?
I prefer the drive-through - mostly because I am slightly less likely to run into scary, scary people. I used to prefer to eat inside, rather than on the road when travelling, but Bob prefers to eat on the road, so I adapted. Now I rather prefer it if we're doing fast food - but that's probably because I take my burger apart and eat everything but the bun, which is better done in the semi-privacy of one's car.
I have a total thing for Big Macs - God knows why - and I've always eaten them in sections, because the whole bun is too big for me to bite comfortably. And the french fries are crack. Crack, I tell you!
38. Have you met anyone famous?
I have met Tony Todd. As a child, I met bunches of semi-famous and famous people when I was with my father, but I don't remember most of them (he works on and off for the BBC). I do remember talking to Sir Richard Attenborough on the phone, but I was just taking a message for my father.
40. How many Provinces/ Territories have you lived in?
Maryland, US, and London, England. I've vistited a fair bit of Europe, but not many other places. Heck, I've never even been to Canada.
41. Ever go to college?
Cambridge, England. I dropped out to get married (don't do this!). I've never finished my degree, mostly because I don't see the point in taking all sorts of extraneous classes, which I would be required to if I took my degree in the US. I have no plans to go back to Enlgand for that length of time, so I guess it will remain incomplete.
42. Where are you right now?
Oh, duh. At work. (Shhh - don't tell anyone.)
44. Last song listened to?
Brothers in Arms is playing on my iPod shuffle right now. I love this song - I was deeply annoyed after September 2001 when a couple of the local radio stations started playing it under a medley of Bush's blandest rhetoric, as I thought it deserved better than that. Some people have no shame. Or taste.
46. Are you allergic to anything?
Mushrooms, and by extension, probably mould. It's not an anaphalaxis-type reaction, but a drop in blood pressure that makes me incredibly loopy. It would be hard for me to unknowingly consume enough mushrooms to die, but it is an inconvenience all the same - some restaurant staff think it is sufficient to scrape off the offending fungi, but if the 'shrooms are cooked with the dish, then it's pretty much inedible for me.
...mushrooms turn up in the weirdest places - breath mints, and diet pills are two that caught me by surprise. I guess peyote would be the one illegal substance it would be counterproductive to try, since I'd probably just pass out and waste a good high.
47. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
It varies - currently, I can't wait for the weather to get warm enough so I can wear my new peep-toe ankle strap shoes. They are super cute, and I must be sure to paint my toenails in honour of them.
48. Are you jealous of anyone?
Not really - it is not a terribly useful emotion. I used to feel it a lot more, but it made me unhappy all the time, so I had to let it go. It seems better to spend that energy on reaching my full potential than wasting it fretting about other people's achievements. Sometimes I feel wistful about roads not taken, but ploughing through the wilderness in a mucking great bulldozer isn't so bad. :)
50. Is anyone jealous of you?
Would it be the height of arrogance to say probably yes? Yes, yes it would. But it's possible; I'm not saying no.
53. Do you eat healthy?
Do I eat healthy what? I hate half-finished sentences. I probably manage to consume enough vitamins to have a marginally healthy diet, but I'm a sucker for junk food, so I have to be careful. I'm currently trying to eat more yoghurt and vegetable/fruit juice (not that V8 stuff, but organic).
54. What do you usually do during the day?
Work, drive home, nap for a couple of hours, work on current project(s) while watching way too much TV. Do crosswords. Go to bed. Lather, rinse, repeat for four days a week. The other three days are mostly project filled, with an occasional (very occasional) break for minor housekeeping.
That reminds me, I need to do laundry.
55. Do you hate anyone right now?
Lord, no. People I dislike aren't worth the extra effort.
59. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
Yes - but not the one right near me, the one up in New Jersey. It was quite fun, but the spinny rides make me nauseous. To be honest, I don't see the point in waiting in huge long lines for rides, though if it's not crowded, I enjoy it. The best amusement park experience I ever had was when my mother got a press junket to the 15th birthday of DisneyWorld in Florida - we got the entire park to ourselves in the evening, and I was on the first bus to arrive at a completely deserted park. It was *epic*. I rode Space Mountain a good seven times, no wait at all. The Haunted Mansion was my favourite ride - long, amusing, and nice to look at.
Epcot Center, not so much - though it wasn't bad.
60. How did you get one of your scars?
The one on my knee I got in Yugoslavia - we used to stay with friends of my mother's in a little tourist town called Crickvenica (now in Croatia) on the coast of the Mediterranean. There were diving boards set in concrete in the ocean, and the summer I was seven, my brother dared me to jump off one, but I was too scared to jump off the top (I get water up my nose easily, and dislike diving). I jumped off the steps, but didn't jump far enough, and slammed my knee into the edge of the concrete block, making a huge gash. My brother felt so bad he bought me the gold belt I had been sighing over in the marketplace. He certainly didn't mean for me to get hurt. I still have a slight scar on that knee, but it's almost gone now.
I long for spring.
I promised a picture of the piano, so here:
Nice, eh?
I, unfortunately, am a bit discombobulated; I had one of the worst nightmares I've had in years last night, that woke me up hyperventilating and in floods of tears. Not that anyone else cares, but I dreamt my ex-husband was coming up the stairs towards me when he pulled out two razor-sharp kitchen knives and started hacking at my hands and arms - all with a nasty smile on his face.
No, I have no idea what it means (nor do I much care), but it was the devil to wake myself up from. I've rarely felt that thankful to wake up at 1am. I am still emotional about it - I don't have nightmares often. Bad dreams, yes - and fairly often, I wake Bob up, because I'm trying to yell in my sleep - but not real, bad, this-is-not-fun-I-must-wake-up-NOW nightmares. My mood can be summed up thus:
So, I'm going to do a meme - ganked from
gwen_the_potter:
60 30 Things You Possibly Didn't Know About Me
(Actually, I tried to pick out things you really might not know, so the list got pared down a bit.)
1. What is in the back seat of your car right now?
Nuttin'. I subscribe to the theory that the bad man cannot appear in the back seat and abduct you while you are driving if you do not have a back seat. The Miata is a two-seater (three if the top is down, and you like living dangerously by riding on the trunk); behind the seat is an assortment of maps, paperwork, old gloves, water bottles, ice scrapers, and trash (I really need to clean out my car).
2. When was the last time you threw up?
I got pretty close this morning. I have a sensitive stomach, and while I don't particularly enjoy throwing up, I do it fairly frequently. Too-greasy food, headaches, motion-sickness, strong smells - they can all be triggers. I carry cola syrup (it really works!) with me all the time.
3. What's your favorite curse word?
It's not safe for LJ's sensitive widdle ears. Swearing by various Catholic saints is always good for a laugh, though.
7. What will you be doing 3 hours from now?
Sitting in a meeting (if my boss remembers we're having one) and trying not to fall asleep. Alternatively, I'll be checking study paperwork for corrections needed. After that, I may have a cigarette, or I may pace around trying to get my legs to stop going numb.
8. Have you ever been to a strip club?
No, but I auditioned for a phone sex line once. The pictures of beautiful women they show you in the ads for those lines? Lies, damned lies. I was in a room with crack whores, mutants, and genetic anomalies too strange for the Jerry Springer Show. You could catch genital warts from these people over the phone lines.
10. What is the best ice cream flavor?
Best? I don't know- my tastes are not exactly mainstream. My favourite flavour is Coldstone Creamery's white chocolate mixed with raspberry sorbet, drizzled with caramel sauce, in a waffle cone. Decadence.
12. What are you wearing right now?
From the outside in - black, olive green, lavender.
13. What was the last thing you ate?
The last eighth of a bag of chewy Sweet-Tarts minis. Mmmm, tangy.
14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
I bought two '60s vintage dresses this weekend - one was turquoise blue, the other bright yellow. Together, they look like a Miami hotel, but they're cool. Neither of them fit me, but that's not the point.
19. Ever go camping?
All the time when I was a kid - we used to camp on the farmland of a friend of my father's up in Scotland, near Jedburgh. He owned many, many sheep. We used to camp at the base of a small Roman fort (just a hill, no ruins) by a stream. It was there I saw my first wild stoat, and there I saw the hugest meteorite/shooting star I've ever seen. I've been bitten by ants, burnt by bonfires, stung by nettles, slipped, fallen, frozen, soaked, and covered with feathers in a plucking incident that involved my brother, his friend, and two "hung" pheasants. I've also gathered wild mint, seen ancient ruins, listened to my father reading Three Men in a Boat, and had some of the most wonderful experiences there.
It was also the place where I first heard bagpipes as they were meant to be heard - from the next hill over.
20. Do you have a tan?
I do not tan. My tribe, they are severely melanin-deficient, to the point of translucency. I go slightly honey-coloured in the summer if I'm out in the sun a lot, but only on my arms and back, never my legs or front.
24. Do you drink your soda from a straw?
Always. I have a tendency to dump either the soda or the ice in the glass down my front, so to minimize my complete lack of social graces, I go with the straw.
28. Where is your mum right now?
At the Economist office, being "retired" (they can't seem to let her go; she's too good).
31. What do you think of when you think of Australia?
"This is not a wine for drinking; it's a wine for laying down and avoiding".
33. What is your birthstone?
Turquoise or Cubic Zirconia (!), depending on which "authority" you consult. Us December babies always get the leftovers. I loathe turquoise - I don't even merit a precious stone, apparently - so I am claiming Tanzanite (a very pretty clear lavender stone) as December's birthstone. Who's with me? (edit: I win.)
34. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?
I prefer the drive-through - mostly because I am slightly less likely to run into scary, scary people. I used to prefer to eat inside, rather than on the road when travelling, but Bob prefers to eat on the road, so I adapted. Now I rather prefer it if we're doing fast food - but that's probably because I take my burger apart and eat everything but the bun, which is better done in the semi-privacy of one's car.
I have a total thing for Big Macs - God knows why - and I've always eaten them in sections, because the whole bun is too big for me to bite comfortably. And the french fries are crack. Crack, I tell you!
38. Have you met anyone famous?
I have met Tony Todd. As a child, I met bunches of semi-famous and famous people when I was with my father, but I don't remember most of them (he works on and off for the BBC). I do remember talking to Sir Richard Attenborough on the phone, but I was just taking a message for my father.
40. How many Provinces/ Territories have you lived in?
Maryland, US, and London, England. I've vistited a fair bit of Europe, but not many other places. Heck, I've never even been to Canada.
41. Ever go to college?
Cambridge, England. I dropped out to get married (don't do this!). I've never finished my degree, mostly because I don't see the point in taking all sorts of extraneous classes, which I would be required to if I took my degree in the US. I have no plans to go back to Enlgand for that length of time, so I guess it will remain incomplete.
42. Where are you right now?
Oh, duh. At work. (Shhh - don't tell anyone.)
44. Last song listened to?
Brothers in Arms is playing on my iPod shuffle right now. I love this song - I was deeply annoyed after September 2001 when a couple of the local radio stations started playing it under a medley of Bush's blandest rhetoric, as I thought it deserved better than that. Some people have no shame. Or taste.
46. Are you allergic to anything?
Mushrooms, and by extension, probably mould. It's not an anaphalaxis-type reaction, but a drop in blood pressure that makes me incredibly loopy. It would be hard for me to unknowingly consume enough mushrooms to die, but it is an inconvenience all the same - some restaurant staff think it is sufficient to scrape off the offending fungi, but if the 'shrooms are cooked with the dish, then it's pretty much inedible for me.
...mushrooms turn up in the weirdest places - breath mints, and diet pills are two that caught me by surprise. I guess peyote would be the one illegal substance it would be counterproductive to try, since I'd probably just pass out and waste a good high.
47. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
It varies - currently, I can't wait for the weather to get warm enough so I can wear my new peep-toe ankle strap shoes. They are super cute, and I must be sure to paint my toenails in honour of them.
48. Are you jealous of anyone?
Not really - it is not a terribly useful emotion. I used to feel it a lot more, but it made me unhappy all the time, so I had to let it go. It seems better to spend that energy on reaching my full potential than wasting it fretting about other people's achievements. Sometimes I feel wistful about roads not taken, but ploughing through the wilderness in a mucking great bulldozer isn't so bad. :)
50. Is anyone jealous of you?
Would it be the height of arrogance to say probably yes? Yes, yes it would. But it's possible; I'm not saying no.
53. Do you eat healthy?
Do I eat healthy what? I hate half-finished sentences. I probably manage to consume enough vitamins to have a marginally healthy diet, but I'm a sucker for junk food, so I have to be careful. I'm currently trying to eat more yoghurt and vegetable/fruit juice (not that V8 stuff, but organic).
54. What do you usually do during the day?
Work, drive home, nap for a couple of hours, work on current project(s) while watching way too much TV. Do crosswords. Go to bed. Lather, rinse, repeat for four days a week. The other three days are mostly project filled, with an occasional (very occasional) break for minor housekeeping.
That reminds me, I need to do laundry.
55. Do you hate anyone right now?
Lord, no. People I dislike aren't worth the extra effort.
59. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
Yes - but not the one right near me, the one up in New Jersey. It was quite fun, but the spinny rides make me nauseous. To be honest, I don't see the point in waiting in huge long lines for rides, though if it's not crowded, I enjoy it. The best amusement park experience I ever had was when my mother got a press junket to the 15th birthday of DisneyWorld in Florida - we got the entire park to ourselves in the evening, and I was on the first bus to arrive at a completely deserted park. It was *epic*. I rode Space Mountain a good seven times, no wait at all. The Haunted Mansion was my favourite ride - long, amusing, and nice to look at.
Epcot Center, not so much - though it wasn't bad.
60. How did you get one of your scars?
The one on my knee I got in Yugoslavia - we used to stay with friends of my mother's in a little tourist town called Crickvenica (now in Croatia) on the coast of the Mediterranean. There were diving boards set in concrete in the ocean, and the summer I was seven, my brother dared me to jump off one, but I was too scared to jump off the top (I get water up my nose easily, and dislike diving). I jumped off the steps, but didn't jump far enough, and slammed my knee into the edge of the concrete block, making a huge gash. My brother felt so bad he bought me the gold belt I had been sighing over in the marketplace. He certainly didn't mean for me to get hurt. I still have a slight scar on that knee, but it's almost gone now.