1.What bill do you hate the most? I don't expend the energy to hate much of anything or anyone, but I worked with this Bill S. who was a supervisor, a misogynist pig, a total company man, and a 'damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead' ass regardless of who got hurt. One contractor said that every maintenance guy should be issued a pair of handcuffs so if Bill came around they could handcuff him to the nearest pipe so no one got hurt.
Hee! Yes, ergh, handcuffs indeed.
3.What do you really want to be doing right now? This, I guess. If it was something else, I'd be doing it, right?
I gave this one a lot of thought after posting. These questions are such a weird combination of silly and profound, aren't they? Okay, yes, we're all doing what we want to be doing right now because we're posting, which is the very definition of a pointless and thoroughly enjoyable hobby. But am I doing what I want to be this afternoon, say? Writing on conference paper? Painful, but I like my job, and I like going to conferences, and at a certain point I'm fine with doing what I want on Saturdays and working thought other things at other times.
*sigh* I suppose what it really means is that we don't have kids or dependents, S. Or that we *aren't* the kids.
13.Favourite lunch meat? Lunch meat??
I know. This is definitely written by one of the sandwich set. :)
15.Ocean or Lake? Salt water: river, bay, sound, ocean, harbor, etc.
Yay!
17.What famous person (past or present) would you like to have dinner with? I'm not comfortable having dinner with strangers.
I know, hm? In the past, I've answered this one with various scholars and activists and writers who've interested me, but liking someone's activism or writing is not the same thing as enjoying their company over dinner. Apart from friends whose conversational habits you're familiar with, how do you know who's going to be good company over dinner?
18. Have you ever crashed your vehicle? Slid off icy roads? Yes, fortunately with minimal damage, and that came when I was pulled out of the ditch. Totaled? Major body work? Injury? No - not yet.
May that remain forever true.
24. Do you have a go-to person? For what?
Is this what the kids nowadays are calling a best friend? Or do they have servants like Batman and Alfred?
29. Are there times you still feel like a kid? I'm not sure what that means. As a kid, I never thought, 'wow, I feel like a kid!'
So true.
34. Do you tell stories that start with "when I was your age?" No, unless I do it as a joke. Or to point out that, no, cell phones have NOT been around forever, and yes, I do think it's important to know, and find, the points of the compass. (OK, I can't operate a smart phone, which is probably equally important these days. *sigh*)
All I want is for them to put the phones *down.* Adults, too, for that matter. :(
I'm sure my idea of necessary life skills is far different than what others think. I think driving a standard is a necessary skill. I know fewer and fewer cars seem to have them, but - here in the country, at least - you never know when you may be called upon to drive a vehicle in an emergency, and that vehicle may be a tractor or a skidder, or who knows what. Besides, there is a certain cachet, in my opinion, to being able to drive whatever.
[Break for story.] My friend J has an old convertible sports car with a stick shift. The summer she had both knees replaced, she couldn't drive it for quite a while, so she taught her granddaughter, who was 19 or 20, to drive it so they could go tooling around. This granddaughter, Jen, was in college for a hospitality degree (who knew there was such a thing?) and was working summers at a local resort doing front desk, office, and whatever else was needed. One evening there was an "event" at the resort, and they had valet parking. Jen and four guys were on duty. A man drove up in a brand new Porsche and handed over the keys. The guys just looked at each other, none being able to drive a stick. Jen was, "out of the way, boys" and parked the car.
So, yeah. Life skills: driving a stick, orienting yourself to the points of the compass day or night - if it isn't cloudy, tying a few decent knots, doing CPR, reading a map, knowing how to use, or being able to figure out how to use, a subway, swimming, basic first aid, walking without looking like a victim, making change, doing a simple budget, shopping, cooking simple meals, simple deductive reasoning, voting! Having some godsdamned faith in your ability to function as a complete individual and not someone who "needs" another person to feel complete! (Uh, oh, soap box coming on!)
That list seems to be getting longer every year. *sigh*
Ha! I like that story about Jen. And I agree that they should teach stick as well as automatic, at least until self-driving electric cars take over. :) It's like swimming--just in case.
CPR should also be required in school. Along with basic financial literacy; skills to fix or as least check on cars, sinks and toilets, and computers; a short history of racism, sexism, and class oppression in the US; and how to make small talk in the elevator. (Seriously. The millennials seem not to know how to do it, and we can't assume people just pick things up.)
There's a very sweet college-age student at one of my local coffee shops who can't seem to make change, and it's so distressing. Is he having difficulty with numbers? (Why? How?) Does he not use cash? He doesn't seem to have trouble doing anything else except that.
Make small talk in an elevator?? Nonononono, just stare straight ahead and pretend not to notice that someone farted!
And yes, I forgot cars. If you drive, you should know how to check fluid levels, change a tire, and jump start an engine. Oh, yeah. And pump gas. Seriously.
I don't get people who can't make change. I have people tell me they can't do the math in their heads, or do it fast enough, and they just don't get that you don't NEED MATH to make change, all you have to do is COUNT. It's even easier than cribbage, for heavens sake! I learned to make change when I was about six. Just COUNT! And people look at me like I have two heads. I remember a conversation with a customer once after I had counted back his change from, I dunno, a hundred, I think.
He looked at it, then looked at the display on the register that said, "Change: 0.00" "How much did you give me?" "I don't know." "Then how do you know it's right." "I counted it." "Then how much is it?" "I don't know, I counted up." "Then how do you know it's right?" "BECAUSE I CAN COUNT." I haven't much patience with some people. On the other hand, I have been thanked for counting change back instead of just handing over a fistful of bills and coins.
And just thinking. So many of the people I work with will just stand there if something breaks or goes wrong. They don't seem to have any idea how to go about figuring out what the problem is, or what to do to fix it. Logic! Troubleshooting! Do they teach ANY of this in school or even at home?
Hee! Yes, ergh, handcuffs indeed.
3.What do you really want to be doing right now? This, I guess. If it was something else, I'd be doing it, right?
I gave this one a lot of thought after posting. These questions are such a weird combination of silly and profound, aren't they? Okay, yes, we're all doing what we want to be doing right now because we're posting, which is the very definition of a pointless and thoroughly enjoyable hobby. But am I doing what I want to be this afternoon, say? Writing on conference paper? Painful, but I like my job, and I like going to conferences, and at a certain point I'm fine with doing what I want on Saturdays and working thought other things at other times.
*sigh* I suppose what it really means is that we don't have kids or dependents, S. Or that we *aren't* the kids.
13.Favourite lunch meat? Lunch meat??
I know. This is definitely written by one of the sandwich set. :)
15.Ocean or Lake? Salt water: river, bay, sound, ocean, harbor, etc.
Yay!
17.What famous person (past or present) would you like to have dinner with? I'm not comfortable having dinner with strangers.
I know, hm? In the past, I've answered this one with various scholars and activists and writers who've interested me, but liking someone's activism or writing is not the same thing as enjoying their company over dinner. Apart from friends whose conversational habits you're familiar with, how do you know who's going to be good company over dinner?
18. Have you ever crashed your vehicle? Slid off icy roads? Yes, fortunately with minimal damage, and that came when I was pulled out of the ditch. Totaled? Major body work? Injury? No - not yet.
May that remain forever true.
24. Do you have a go-to person? For what?
Is this what the kids nowadays are calling a best friend? Or do they have servants like Batman and Alfred?
29. Are there times you still feel like a kid? I'm not sure what that means. As a kid, I never thought, 'wow, I feel like a kid!'
So true.
34. Do you tell stories that start with "when I was your age?" No, unless I do it as a joke. Or to point out that, no, cell phones have NOT been around forever, and yes, I do think it's important to know, and find, the points of the compass. (OK, I can't operate a smart phone, which is probably equally important these days. *sigh*)
All I want is for them to put the phones *down.* Adults, too, for that matter. :(
Fun to read these answers, S! M.
Reply
[Break for story.] My friend J has an old convertible sports car with a stick shift. The summer she had both knees replaced, she couldn't drive it for quite a while, so she taught her granddaughter, who was 19 or 20, to drive it so they could go tooling around. This granddaughter, Jen, was in college for a hospitality degree (who knew there was such a thing?) and was working summers at a local resort doing front desk, office, and whatever else was needed. One evening there was an "event" at the resort, and they had valet parking. Jen and four guys were on duty. A man drove up in a brand new Porsche and handed over the keys. The guys just looked at each other, none being able to drive a stick. Jen was, "out of the way, boys" and parked the car.
So, yeah. Life skills: driving a stick, orienting yourself to the points of the compass day or night - if it isn't cloudy, tying a few decent knots, doing CPR, reading a map, knowing how to use, or being able to figure out how to use, a subway, swimming, basic first aid, walking without looking like a victim, making change, doing a simple budget, shopping, cooking simple meals, simple deductive reasoning, voting! Having some godsdamned faith in your ability to function as a complete individual and not someone who "needs" another person to feel complete! (Uh, oh, soap box coming on!)
That list seems to be getting longer every year. *sigh*
Reply
CPR should also be required in school. Along with basic financial literacy; skills to fix or as least check on cars, sinks and toilets, and computers; a short history of racism, sexism, and class oppression in the US; and how to make small talk in the elevator. (Seriously. The millennials seem not to know how to do it, and we can't assume people just pick things up.)
There's a very sweet college-age student at one of my local coffee shops who can't seem to make change, and it's so distressing. Is he having difficulty with numbers? (Why? How?) Does he not use cash? He doesn't seem to have trouble doing anything else except that.
Kids these days. :) M.
Reply
And yes, I forgot cars. If you drive, you should know how to check fluid levels, change a tire, and jump start an engine. Oh, yeah. And pump gas. Seriously.
I don't get people who can't make change. I have people tell me they can't do the math in their heads, or do it fast enough, and they just don't get that you don't NEED MATH to make change, all you have to do is COUNT. It's even easier than cribbage, for heavens sake! I learned to make change when I was about six. Just COUNT! And people look at me like I have two heads. I remember a conversation with a customer once after I had counted back his change from, I dunno, a hundred, I think.
He looked at it, then looked at the display on the register that said, "Change: 0.00"
"How much did you give me?"
"I don't know."
"Then how do you know it's right."
"I counted it."
"Then how much is it?"
"I don't know, I counted up."
"Then how do you know it's right?"
"BECAUSE I CAN COUNT."
I haven't much patience with some people. On the other hand, I have been thanked for counting change back instead of just handing over a fistful of bills and coins.
And just thinking. So many of the people I work with will just stand there if something breaks or goes wrong. They don't seem to have any idea how to go about figuring out what the problem is, or what to do to fix it. Logic! Troubleshooting! Do they teach ANY of this in school or even at home?
*sigh* I'm old.
Reply
Leave a comment