An Aries Knows (this site is more fun when people read and comment)
It’s important to say ‘bye, Jet, but any sadness I feel is just a whisper compared to my HUGE gratitude that everyone’s okay. I believe your sturdy reliability was part of that. Thank you.
1. What curse word do you use the most? That F word.
2. Do you own an iPod? No.
3. What person on your f-list do you talk to the most? By phone, Marika. In person, Tim.
4. What time is your alarm clock set to? I don’t set a “real” alarm clock. Internal alarm clock varies.
5. Do you still remember the first person you kissed? Yes.
6. Do you remember where you were on 9/11? Yes.
7. Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture? Take it.
8. What was the last movie you watched? It’s Complicated
9. Do any of your friends have children? Yes.
10. Has anyone ever called you lazy? No.
11. Do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep? Yes.
12. What CD is currently in your CD player? At home, nada. In my car, there are six in the changer: one made by Jim for me, one by Pancho’s Lament, and the scores and soundtracks of Twilight and New Moon.
13. Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk? Chocolate.
14. Has anyone told you a secret this week? Not that I can remember.
15. When was the last time you had Starbucks? Two or more weeks ago.
16. Can you whistle? Yes.
17. What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex? Their manners.
18. What are you looking forward to? Looking back on this week with humor.
19. Did you watch cartoons as a child? Not often.
20. Do you own any band t-shirts? I don’t wear T-shirts but it’s possible I have one or two in a storage bin.
21. What will you be doing in one hour? Going to the gym, I think.
22. Is anyone in love with you? He’d have to be to put up with everything.
23. What was the last song you heard? “Rhiannon”
24. Last time you cried? Last night, with utter gratitude.
25. Are you on a desktop computer or a laptop? Desktop.
26. Are you currently wanting any piercings or tattoos? No.
27. What’s the weather like? Hot and muggy.
28. Would you ever date a girl/guy covered in tattoos? If I were single and dating, probably not.
29. What did you do before this? Went outside with the dogs.
30. When is the last time you slept on the floor? 2006
31. How many hours of sleep do you need to function? I do okay with four, but really need six.
32. Do you eat breakfast daily? I do now.
33. Are your days fast-paced? Not if I can help it.
34. What did you do last night? Watched two episodes of Y&R with Tom and Tim.
35. Do you use sarcasm? Not as much as I once did.
36. How old will you be turning on your next birthday? Look away if you’re easily shocked. I’ll be 35 for the [number redacted] time.
37. Are you picky about spelling and grammar? I prefer to think of it as conscientious. I only judge writers and teachers for more than the occasional error.
38. Have you ever been to Six Flags? Over Georgia, many times. No others.
39. Do you get along better with the same sex or the opposite sex? I get along with people who are smart and compassionate and who have a sense of humor. In my current world, those qualities are equally divided among men and women.
40. Do you like mustard? A little bit on some things.
41. Do you sleep on your side? Yes.
42. Do you watch the news? I read the news.
43. How did you get one of your scars? I slid into the corner of my parents’ dresser.
44. Who was the last person to make you mad? I’ll keep this answer to myself, but I will tell you it’s no one I live with.
45. Do you like anybody? I like lots of people!
46. What is the last thing you purchased? A Subway sandwich.
47. What side of the heart do you draw first? The right side.
48. Can you dive without plugging your nose? I don’t dive, I jump in, and I hold my nose.
49. What color is your razor? Pink.
50. What is your blood-type? I don’t know!
51. Who would you want to be tied to for 24 hours? Good grief, what a question. Probably one of a couple of Geminis I know, because they’d be either entertaining or asleep.
52. What is a rumor someone has spread about you? I’d rather forget that incident, thanks.
53. How do you feel about carrots? Carrots are great! What’s up, doc?
54. How many chairs at the dining room table? Four.
55. Which is the best Spice Girl? Grumpy!
56. Do you know what time it is? Yes.
57. Do you know all the words to the Fresh Prince theme song? Nope.
58. What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator? Ring the bell or use the emergency phone, then sit down and go somewhere better inside my head.
59. What’s your favorite kind of gum? Anything minty, and like asterapallas, I like that “Rain” gum and have even blogged about it.
60. T or F: All’s fair in love and war. Absolutely false.
61. Do you have a crush on anyone? No.
62. Do you know how to use some words correctly, but not know the meaning? If I don’t know the meaning, I don’t use it. I do know that I sometimes mispronounce words even though I know what they mean and use them correctly.
63. Do you like to sleep? I used to resent sleeping, but now I love it.
64. Do you know which US states don’t use Daylight Savings Time? I think Arizona and parts of Indiana? Not positive about that.
65. Do you know the song Total Eclipse of the Heart? Yes.
66. Do you want a bright yellow ‘06 Mustang? Not so much.
67. What’s something you’ve always wanted? To be treated with kindness.
68. Do you have hairy LEGS? No.
69. Would you rather swim in the ocean or a lake? Forget it. I swim in a pool.
70. Do you wear a lot of black? No.
71. Describe your hair. Short and skillfully colored.
72. Do you have Entomophobia? If they stay away from me, we’re all good.
73. Are you an adult? Yes.
74. Where is/are your best friend(s)? In Houston and scattered across the U.S., with one in Sweden.
75. Do you have a tan? No.
76. Are you a television addict? Nope.
77. Do you enjoy spending time with your mother? She’s dead, but I still talk to her all the time in my head and dream about her, so apparently, I do.
78. Are you a sugar freak? Definitely not.
79. Do you like orange juice? I don’t dislike it, but I rarely drink it. Would rather eat an orange.
80. What sign are you? Aries.
Below are personality descriptions for the 12 signs of the Zodiac. Does yours accurately capture your personality, or does it not even come close!
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CAPRICORN – The Go-Getter (Dec 22 – Jan 19)
Patient and wise. Practical and rigid. Ambitious. Tends to be Good-looking. Humorous and funny. Can be a bit shy and reserved. Often pessimistic. Capricorns tend to act before they think, and can be unfriendly at times. They hold grudges, like competition, and get what they want.
AQUARIUS – The Sweetheart (Jan 20 – Feb 18)
Optimistic and honest. Sweet personality. Very independent. Inventive and intelligent. Friendly and loyal. Can seem unemotional. Can be a bit rebellious. Very stubborn, but original and unique. Attractive on the inside and out with an eccentric personality.
PISCES – The Dreamer (Feb 19 – Mar 20)
Generous, kind, and thoughtful. Very creative and imaginative. May become secretive and vague. Sensitive. Doesn’t like details. Dreamy and unrealistic. Sympathetic and loving. Kind, unselfish and a good kisser. Beautiful.
ARIES – The Daredevil (Mar 21 – April 19)
Energetic. Adventurous and spontaneous. Confident and enthusiastic. Fun. Loves a challenge. Extremely impatient. Sometimes selfish. Short fuse. (Easily angered.) Lively, passionate, and sharp wit. Outgoing. Lose interest quickly – easily bored. Egotistical. Courageous and assertive. Tends to be physical and athletic.
TAURUS – The Enduring One (April 20 – May 20)
Charming but aggressive. Can come off as boring, but they are not. Hard workers. Warm-hearted. Strong, has endurance. Solid beings that are stable and secure in their ways. Not looking for shortcuts. Take pride in their beauty. Patient and reliable. Make great friends and give good advice Loving and kind. Loves hard – passionate. Express themselves emotionally. Prone to ferocious temper-tantrums. Determined. Indulge themselves often. Very generous.
GEMINI – The Chatterbox (May 21 – June 20)
Smart and witty. Outgoing, very chatty.. Lively, energetic. Adaptable but needs to express themselves. Argumentative and outspoken. Like change. Versatile. Busy, sometimes nervous and tense. Gossips. May seem superficial or inconsistent. Beautiful physically and mentally.
CANCER – The Protector (June 21 – July 22)
Moody, emotional. May be shy. Very loving and caring. Pretty/handsome. Negative. Protective. Inventive and imaginative. Cautious. Needs love from others. Easily hurt, but sympathetic.
LEO – The Boss (July 23 – Aug 22)
Very organized. Need order in their lives. Like boundaries. Amazing sex appeal. Like to help others. Social and outgoing. Extroverted. Generous, warm-hearted. Sensitive with creative energy, and full of themselves. Loving. Loves long relationships. Doing the right thing is important to Leos. Attractive.
VIRGO – The Perfectionist (Aug 23 – Sept 22)
Dominant In relationships. Conservative. Always wants the last word. Argumentative. Worries. Very smart. Dislikes noise and chaos. Eager. Hardworking. Loyal. Beautiful. Easy to talk to. Hard to please. Harsh, practical and very fussy. Often shy. Pessimistic.
LIBRA – The Harmonizer (Sept 23 – Oct 22)
Nice to everyone they meet. Can’t make up their mind. Have own unique appeal. Creative, energetic, and very social. Hates to be alone. Peaceful, generous. Very loving and beautiful. Flirtatious. Gives in too easily. Procrastinator. Very gullible.
SCORPIO – The Intense One (Oct 23 – Nov 21)
Very energetic. Intelligent. Can be jealous and/or possessive. Hardworking. Great kisser. Can become obsessive or secretive. Holds grudges. Attractive. Determined. Loves being in long relationships. Talkative. Romantic. Can be self-centered at times. Passionate and emotional.
SAGITTARIUS – The Happy-Go-Lucky One (Nov 22 – Dec 21)
Good-natured optimist. Doesn’t want to grow up … a Peter Pan. Indulges self. Boastful. Likes luxuries and gambling. Social and outgoing. Doesn’t like responsibilities. Often fantasizes. Impatient, but fun to be around. Has lots of friends. Flirtatious. Doesn’t like rules. Sometimes hypocritical. Dislikes being confined – tight spaces or even tight clothes. Doesn’t like being doubted. Beautiful inside and out.
Did the description of your sign match your personality?
My week so far is so without anything to post about that when I realized I was looking up lyrics to Enya songs yesterday and could put photos with them, I did NOT do it.
I expect some gratitude for this.
ETA: Note that while I’m encouraging your mockery here and on Facebook, I DO have at least a half-dozen Enya CDs and I LISTEN TO THEM. They are in my iTunes library. This counts as another confession. Internet, once you know my collection of flaws, will you still love me tomorrow?
Just seconds away from shutting down my laptop and going to bed, I decided to read one more news article. My eyes were drawn to the top of the screen to an ad for Stacy’s Chips. Some of you may remember this post back in April, when I ranted about the incorrect use of an apostrophe in “its.” Internet, LOOK!
They fixed it! In gratitude, I will soon buy my first bag of Stacy’s Chips.
Who knows; maybe this will even cure my insomnia. Good night!
Every morning but our last in New Orleans, Tim went out for breakfast and brought breakfast back to me in the hotel room. I felt SO spoiled. It was wonderful to have yummy food delivered to me as if I were some Very Important Person.
Our last morning in the Crescent City, we’d planned to meet Lisa, ‘Nathan, and Dan at the Clover Grill, but Tim was feeling a little under the weather, so I walked there alone. I was reminded when seeing Lisa’s photos that I, too, upon watching her whip out her camera, took the obligatory Clover Grill breakfast plate shot. Mmmmmm, grits: one of those things that say “back home” to me, even though my real “back home” is one state east and a few hours north of New Orleans. Roll Tide.
As we were eating, I watched the intersection of Bourbon Street and Dumaine come to life, including a house across Dumaine. Men emerged to sit on the stoop, squint against the sun, and wake up to the day. I noticed a “Happy Birthday” sign spraypainted on one of the windows and was idly writing a little story in my head in between the conversations at our table.
Later, when we stepped outside after our meal, I got one of my favorite shots of the trip, capturing an unexpected, happy moment, when Lisa strode across the street and asked the men, “How was the party?” Why hadn’t I realized that OF COURSE she’d probably been talking to the guys for days as she went back and forth to our favorite little café, and undoubtedly she knew all kinds of details about them. I just adore her. And if I’m wrong, Lisa, don’t tell me, ’cause I love the way you never meet a stranger.
Lovely memories. But back to Houston and this week…
Monday morning I was reminded of how spoiled I got in New Orleans when Tim came home from the gym with a breakfast sandwich from Jack in the Box for me. It was a nice beginning to what could have been a yucky day. June 1 is the first anniversary of my mother’s death, and Sunday night, I finished reading Scott Heim’s We Disappear while sobbing. What an achingly moving book by such a good writer. In earlier times, I’d have grabbed my quill pen and written him a tear-stained letter of admiration and gratitude. Instead, I sent him an e-mail and received one back from him. There’s a lot to be said for today’s more immediate gratification, and those two e-mails will remain intensely special to me always.
In addition, my brother, sister, and I exchanged some funny e-mails. I’m so glad I was born into a family where we were taught the value of humor for release and coping.
I had an eye appointment on Monday afternoon, and since I knew my eyes would be dilated, Tim graciously agreed to be my driver. (Another thing I could get used to. What am I talking about? I already have.) Off we went to the Galleria. While I was waiting for my glasses (a new prescription because my distance vision has improved, while my close-up vision worsened–I blame all that sewing), Tim further indulged me.
As many of you know, Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels became some of my favorite escapist reading after a friend recommended them when I was just starting to write A Coventry Christmas. (She did so after she found out that I, like Evanovich, was giving my main character a hamster.) The characters in these books just slay me with their quirks and exploits. I was able to hook my mother on them, and we used to crack up as we recounted the shenanigans of characters like Grandma Mazur, Sally Sweet, Albert Kloughn, and Lula. I think Evanovich has done a masterful job of introducing three hot men–Joe, Ranger, and Diesel–into Stephanie’s life and balancing them over fourteen “numbers” books (Finger Lickin’ Fifteen releases the end of this month!) and four “between-the-numbers” books. When Tim was in the hospital in 2007 and needed something light to read, those were the books I took to him.
So Monday, being the friend he is, Tim agreed to go on a hunt with me for the Bvlgari shower gel that Ranger uses because I wanted to know how Ranger smells. But as we scanned the men’s fragrance shelves in Nordstrom and Macys, none of the names were jumping out at me. Then we went to Etoile Perfumery, where the sales associate pointed out that there were some unisex Bvlgari products, too. I still wasn’t sure about the name, so we went to Borders to look through the books. Tim finally spotted the exact name in one of the later books: Green Tea. Back to Etoile to check out the scent. They didn’t have the shower gel, but since Tim’s out of Marc Jacobs, he said he’d be willing to wear this because it smells as delicious as Stephanie Plum says. I happen to have a checking account that I shared with my mother that still has money in it, so we paid for it using that account. She’d have gotten a kick out of the Ranger connection. Plus it was ON SALE, as it originally had been part of a set, and the other item was missing. What budget-conscious mother doesn’t teach us the value of buying stuff that’s ON SALE, right?!?
Then I almost got us eighty-sixed from the Galleria. Apparently, there are NO PHOTOS signs at every entrance to this shopping mecca. Which is weird, because I’ve ALWAYS taken photos there, especially at the ice rink. I guess it’s because only a terrorist would take a photo of a ginormous American flag. Ha, I got my shot before the security guard yelled at me. For scale, that’s Tim standing on the walkway directly beneath the flag.
The other night when The Brides were at The Compound, Lindsey cracked some nuts from a bowl sitting on the table. The nutcracker and the matching picks were in stuff of my mother’s that I kept because I remember using them on so many occasions, especially holidays, when my father, uncles, and cousins would tell stories while we shelled pecans for my mother’s pies.
The others’ parents had similar nutcracker sets, including wooden bowls with slots for the nutcracker and picks, and they also had memories like mine of sitting with older family members and listening to stories while everyone cracked pecans and walnuts.
Some of those memories were in my head today when I stood in line at the post office behind a man–maybe eighty-ish–dressed in blue coveralls and a jacket and leaning on a cane. There were only two postal employees to take care of a long line of us, and I found myself hoping that everyone behind me would have a little patience as the clerk helped the elderly man. He was sending a couple of packages, and he also bought stamps to put on some letters and cards. Except he didn’t realize he didn’t need to lick the stamps, He couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t stay on the envelopes, and the clerk was the very soul of kindness as she showed him how to peel the adhesive stamps off the backing then helped him finish stamping his mail.
By the time I got to her, there was no way I could have said anything without crying, so I just tried to let my politeness convey my gratitude for the way she helped him without belittling him in any way. As I was walking out the door, I heard the next person at her window say, “YOU ARE SO NICE!”
Just received:
Dear Becky,
only a moment ago I have read your book “A Coventry Christmas” in german. It is the best book which I ever had read in all my life time. I love Keelie. On every page of the book I thought you write about me.
Keep up the good work!
This is my first e-mail from someone who’s read the German-language edition. Having someone read something I wrote and can’t read is a new experience for me. I think I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the translator, Christine Blum.
My sister is coming tonight, and I’m continuing a family tradition of cleaning like a madwoman before her arrival. We used to always do this before our mother came for a visit, and Mother would say, “Please don’t! Let me do it when I get there.” Because she loved to clean, and her house was always spotless, which is something my sister and I don’t even aspire to.
I’ve also done what Mother would have done and baked Debby a coconut cake. Let’s hope this doesn’t lead to a Rex ass-plosion like last time. I still giggle when I remember getting a text message from Tim that said, “Rex’s ass just exploded.”
I haven’t seen Debby since just after Mother’s memorial service. When we were together then, she gave my brother and me each a certificate signed by Bush. If you click on it, you should be able to read it.
I think of my father every day, but I think of him with particular gratitude on this day. Although the original Armistice Day was celebrated on the date that World War I ended and honored those who served and lost their lives in that war, it became Remembrance Day in other parts of the world and Veterans Day in the U.S. to honor all veterans. Peaceful person that I am, I still respect those who are willing to risk their lives for freedom and to protect their country, and I’m proud to be an Army brat and the daughter of this man.
Thank you to all the men and women who serve our country.
…I immediately need to do another. It’s LiveJournal crack.
Earlier, I heard dogs howling in various pitches and thought, Oh, no, you’re not luring me out by barking at the mail carrier when we all know I’m getting nothing, NOTHING, but political flyers and solicitations for one organization or another.
I was wrong. Fedex dropped by.
Though I’m usually going on and on about only one of them here, my life is blessed with two Timothys. Way back when, Timmy provided his LJ friends a look at some of his art, and I see that I commented that I particularly liked “Lightning.”
Even though my camera is screwed up (no doubt it overheard tales of my lust for a digital SLR and is punishing me), I was able to capture evidence that “Lightning” has been renamed “Roots” and is a new addition to The Compound art gallery.
Timmy, I love you. Of course, you understand why my rush of gratitude was accompanied by hysterical laughter. You are utterly adorable and funny and wonderful. I know exactly where I’ll be hanging the painting so that I can enjoy it every day and think of your generosity (and the conversations that have made me laugh so hard). Thank you so much.
Today is novelist Anne Rice’s birthday. In honor of the occasion, I’ll share–and probably somewhat repeat past entries–some of my favorite moments with Anne Rice’s work.
Back in the mid 1980s, I made a new friend who, upon finding out that I was an avid reader, suggested that I read Interview With the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat. While anxiously awaiting release of The Queen of the Damned, he wanted someone to talk with about the novels.
I wrinkled my nose. Although I enjoyed the artistry of classic literature with some characteristics of horror or the supernatural–most notably works of Poe, Hawthorne, and the Bronte sisters–my heart and mind didn’t really go in that direction. But I valued his friendship and his opinion, so I said I’d give Interview a go.