Clearly Dweebiness Runs In Our Family

Harry Potter Meme I stole from Chaucerian Girl:

1. Butterbeer or pumpkin juice?
If it tastes anything like what we tried to make when we had the Half Blood Prince reading party, butterbeer is definitely out.

2. What House would you most likely (or want to) be in in Hogwarts?
I would either be in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff.

3. If you were an animagus, what animal would you turn into?
A yellow lab.

4. What character do you empathize with, or resemble best?


Which HP Kid Are You?

5. What position do you play at Quidditch?
I play the person sitting in the crowd watching the game with a Gryffindor lion on my head.

6. Which teacher is your favorite?
Gonna have to go with Flitwick. Actually, in the quiz above, I was disappointed because "Charms" wasn't an option for favorite class.

7. Any Harry Potter 7 predictions?
To (sort of, we totally disagree on Snape) quote Chaucerian Girl. Only about a hundred, all of which are subject to change at a moment’s whim. Right now: Snape’s eeevil. Harry will live. Voldemort will die. Snape will probably die. If Neville dies (which he dang well better not), he will take Bellatrix with him. Harry & Ron will be in-laws, and there will be lots of fat babies in the future.

Because I Can't Go A Day Without Copying Something From My Sister's Blog

Liz Needs. You know the drill. Go to Google, type your name and the word needs; enclose them in quotation marks and hit the button. Find thirteen responses that are reasonably coherent and post them in your blog.

1. Liz needs a hip display name What, someone objects to the highly creative and unique izzybella?

2. Liz needs catchy slogan You people are never satisfied.

3. Liz needs to ensure that proper steps are taken in the beginning so more serious actions aren't delayed. I hear that ALL the time.

4. Liz needs to devise a budget and stick to it. It's like they know me.

5. Liz needs to get off her pedistool and stop worrying about Jason I can hear at least one person who knows me really well saying, "Amen, sister."

6. Liz needs to calm down she was having an the big O right there. ... Um, blush.

7. Liz needs to assemble allies: I have assembled them and some day we will rule the world. Or just the town, maybe. Or the block. Baby steps.

8. liz needs a hero Seriously, for reals.

9. Liz needs to satisfy one person ... herself. Thank you, Oprah. I feel very empowered now.

10. Liz needs to be physical and energetic to avoid becoming restless. Okay, I'm going to work a lot harder on that running thing.

11. Liz needs to grow up and get a clue. Well, that's probably true, but you don't have to be nasty about it.

12. Liz needs to take voice lessons from Celine Dion Not even that would make me a good singer.

13. Liz needs her voice back. Is this my metaphorical voice or my literal one?

And the extra special bonus #14:
Liz needs her sleep, after all she is carrying Jon’s demon child in her womb. I'm speechless. I really am.

Stolen From My Sister: Item. One Meme.

My Roomate and I once: picked a bunch of lavender from a neighbor's yard in the middle of the night even though we knew the neighbor was a cranky-pants who would never in a million years voluntarily let us pick his lavender, hence the middle of the night excursion. It smelled so good though. We put it in a vase by our open window and slept really well the next three nights. Till it died. Then we stole some more.

Never in my life have I: taken an illegal substance (second-hand pot smoke does not count)

High school was: part nightmare, part fun. I wasn't popular exactly, but I knew and got along with everyone. Usual high-school traumas involving bad grades and unrequited love, but I lived for drama and my fellow drama-dorks.

When I am nervous: I talk too much. And too fast. I'm like a crazy talking machine who says stupid things and then obsesses over how stupid I'm acting.

My hair: hasn't been my natural color in about five years. Currently it's a light reddish brown, thanks to Aveda and a really good stylist.

When I was 5: I was in the first grade and I was really, really, really, quiet and painfully shy. I blushed any time I had to speak to anyone and I was so scared to ask my teacher for help that I wound up falling behind in my school work, thus beginning an endless cycle of flunking classes and making it up summer school. That continued all through high school until my senior year when I actually did pretty well in all my classes. I think all of my elementary and high school teachers would be surprised to find out that I graduated from college summa cum laude.

By this time next year: is there where I'm supposed to have a goal for next year? 'Cause really my goal is to make it through this one. One year at a time. Sheesh.

My favorite aunt is: Oh, I don't have a favorite aunt--I don't actually know any of my aunts all that well. Aunt Barbara is like super-woman. She can do anything and prefers to do three or four things at once. She has issues with sitting still. Aunt Wyann is nice, but I don't really know her well. I was blessed with many fine uncles though. So my favorite uncle is either Uncle Lee or Uncle Bill. Uncle Lee is always good for lots of fun, but Uncle Bill is the sort of uncle you can tell anything to and he'll still love you tons and tons.

I have a hard time understanding: math. I concur with Chauceriangirl. We took our math classes for college together. Neither of us would have passed if it hadn't been for her husband who spent many fine Saturday afternoons tutoring us.

You know I like you if: I'm willing to hug you. I'm really not a touchy-feely type of person, but I do hug my friends.

My ideal breakfast is: What Chauceriangirl said. Bacon, eggs, toast, and grits from Pitt Grill Fine Food. But you have to go eat breakfast BEFORE you shower, because you’ll stink from cigarette smoke and grease all day if you don’t shower after eating at Pitt Grill Fine Food.

If you visit my hometown: you'd be in Fort Worth, TX, which I consider home. But if you wanted to visit my birthplace, you'd be in Atlanta, GA. Have a mint julep and a very nice day.

If you spend the night at my house: you'd be woken up the next morning by two very large labrador retreivers who would kiss you and stick their noses right in your face. So if you don't like dogs, you should probably not stay overnight at my house.

My favorite blond is: my childhood friend, Ronnye.

My favorite brunette is: my sister.

The animal I would like to see flying is: a pegasus. What? They're cool.

I shouldn’t have been: so shy as a kid. I missed out on stuff because I was afraid someone would actually speak to me.

Last night: I worked late, went home and had dinner, and then read Harry Potter. I'm rereading in anticipation of book 7. I'm on Goblet of Fire now.

I’ve been told I look like: my Father.

If I could have any car it would be: an Escape hybrid. Then I can have the back of my truck to take my dogs places, but still get really good gas mileage.

It's No Longer Wednesday, But I Liked This Meme

Hello everyone! Welcome to another Hump. I just finished reading from a magazine, so today's meme will be about magazines.

1. Do you currently subscribe to any magazines? If so, which ones?

Yes. I subscribe to Entertainment Weekly, Glamour, Runner's World, Fitness, Cooking for Two, Interview, and US Weekly (which I wound up with after my Premier subscription was cancelled because they quite suddenly went out of business-am still sad)

2. What magazines have you subscribed to in the past?

All of the above plus Rolling Stone, Vogue, Allure, Elle, People, Jane, Self, Reader's Digest, TV Guide, and many years ago Seventeen and Sassy.

3. What do you do with the little cards that always fall out of the magazine? Do you toss them, or have you found a use for them?

I keep one as a place holder and toss the rest.

4. If you could start a magazine, what would it be about? Who or what would be on the cover of the first issue?

Ooh, how about a regional theatre magazine. The first cover would be an up and coming theatre company called MoMentuM Productions.

The rules are, there are no rules!!! All you need to do is copy and paste the above questions into your blog and add your responses. After you've finished, return here and leave us a comment so we'll know you've humped. Be sure your hump is linked back to http://bdinsanity.blogdrive.com so others can hump too.

Remember, there are no right or wrong answers. If one of the questions doesn't inspire you then simply "pass" it. Just use your imagination!

Got Tagged

Chauceriangirl tagged me. I did one of these not too long ago, but it was six things instead of seven. So, here are 7 things you probably don't know about me unless you answer to the name Chauceriangirl, in which case you know all.

1. Lots of people will tell you they love the smell of freshly-cut grass, cookies baking, etc. And I do love those smells, but I also love the smell of gasoline and cigars (not together actually). They're both strong sense memories for me. When I was in high school my boyfriend drove a Honda Interceptor motorcycle--we used to go all over the city and up into the canyons on that bike on a weekly basis. I loved the feeling of sitting on the back, my arms wrapped around him tightly and the wind whipping through my hair (yep, no helmet, I was stupid) probably about as much as my mother hated the idea of me on the back of a 16-year old boy's motorbike. The cigars just remind me of my grandfather. He smoked swisher sweets and they smelled so fragrant before he lit them up. Lit up, though, they smelt rank. Even so, I can always tell by the smell if someone is smoking a swisher sweet and it always makes me think of him.

2. If I had a million dollars, I truly would not buy an expensive and fancy car. I genuinely can't fathom spending large sums of money on something which will depreciate the moment I drive it off the lot. On the other hand, I totally would blow a wad on world travel.

3. I talk a big game about being assertive and taking care of business, but when push comes to shove, I avoid conflict like nobody's beeswax. Unless I'm good and truly angry, in which case I wind up saying things for which I'm apologizing an hour later. I could probably use an assertiveness training or something.

4. Large groups of people freak me out. The larger the group, the more nervous I get.

5. I am currently working on a planning committee for a conference for kids aging out of foster care. I've just found out that I'm required to stay in the dorms-excuse me, RESIDENCE HALLS, as the university contact. I've complained loudly about that, but the truth is that I'm sort of looking forward to it. I never did the dorm thing in college and I feel like I'll be making up for something I lost. The best part is that it's only for 2 days, and I have a feeling the first day will be enough to make me realize how fortunate I was never to have had the full dorm experience.

6. I once had a doctor appointment, which wound up being cancelled by the doctor. Instead of going into work like I should have, I got a pedicure. Only then I felt bad about it, so I confessed to my boss. She just laughed at me.

7. I'm insanely jealous of the people who work for the Google boys, not because of the great pay, or the free haircuts, or the gourmet meals, but because they get to bring their pets to work with them. I would totally bring my dogs to work with me if I could get away with it.

There. There's seven things you may not have known.

That was hard.

This Post Brought To You By The Letter 'B'

Another meme from ChaucerianGirl. In her own words:

Yes, it's another meme. But that's because I'm really busy and have been going back and forth between about 10 different things all at once. Amanda posted this today on her blog; it's one of those fun "get-to-know-you" memes that will probably teach you more about me than you all care to know, however it's fun for me to do! All I had to do was request a letter and once received, I tell you all 10 things I love that start with that letter. I was handed an "R," so here are my 10 items I just love, all beginning with R, in no particular order.

She gave me the letter 'B' even though she really wanted to give me the letter 'Q' or 'Z' all because I had the audacity to call her briefcase a briefcase. She think's it's a purse. You be the judge. It looks a little like this except it's black. I don't know what brand, but probably a good one, because she's a purse snob. Except in this case it's a briefcase. Or at least an attache. It's not a purse.

Oh yeah-10 things I love that start with the letter B.

1. Books. Yeah, I know ChaucerianGirl said reading and this could be construed as copying off her paper, but it's a very true thing. Our mother raised us to love books, much to the distress of anyone who's ever had to help any one of us move. I paid a mover last time, though, so he kept his comments to himself. Minus one little bitty, "Wow, you sure do like to read, don't you?" Yes. Yes, I do.

2. Baxter. He's my beautiful yellow lab. One of them anyway. I love Cydney bunches and bunches too, but her name begins with a C.

3. Being on stage. Dude, that was totally a cheat, but true.

4. Banana splits. I've only had a banana split once or twice in my life, but I really love them. I seriously doubt I could eat one all by myself right now, but when I was a little girl and I got my first one, I ate the whole thing. I was really little too and my dad didn't think I could do it. There's a whole story about the banana split with which I will not bore you.

5. Beach. I love the beach. I love the ocean. I love being on boats. Hey! Boats. A'nuther B word.

6. Ooh, and B-word made me think of bitches which made me think of bit-cahs. Two of my favorite people always get cranky when I tell them they're sweet. They say they're bitches/bit-cahs and who am I to argue. But if they really are bitches, then I must think bitches are pretty damn cool.

7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It's a good television show. Why do I always feel like I have to defend myself every time I say I like it? Oh, yeah. 'Cause it's called Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

8. Bohemian Rhapsody. What? It's a good song. It's especially good when you're with your sister in the car on a road trip. Seriously.

9. Brainstorm. As in having a fabulous idea right when one is sorely needed.

10. Breakfast. Lately, anyway. I actually get up early enough to sit down and eat some breakfast over the morning paper with two truly adorable dogs sitting close by. That's pretty frakkin' close to perfect.

Banned Books

A meme invented by Chaucerian Girl based on the Banned Books Challenge.

Below is the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990 - 2000. Read any? Bold them. Any in your personal library? Place a + in front of them. Any you want to read? Italicize them. Which do you plan to read for the Banned Books Challenge? Make them large. Any you just don't want to read? Make them tiny. And as per ChaucerianGirl, it's okay if you don't want to read a book. Just don't try to take it away from others who do want to read it!


Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz

Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

+Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

+Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling

Forever by Judy Blume - Judy Blume rocks. I read everything of hers when I was a kid.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman

My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger - Add me to the list of "hated this book." I didn't care about a single character in it.

+The Giver by Lois Lowry

It's Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris

Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine - My little sister had a few of these in her bookcase when she was a kid and I read one of them when I was babysitting her.

A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck

The Color Purple by Alice Walker - I've seen the movie, but have yet to read the book.

Sex by Madonna - Friend owned it. I read it. Not that big of a deal.

Earth's Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel

The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson

+A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle - This is actually one of my favorite books.

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers

In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak

The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard

+The Witches by Roald Dahl

The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein

Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry - Have NOT read the whole series, just one or two book in it.

The Goats by Brock Cole

Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane

Blubber by Judy Blume

Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan

Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam

We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier

Final Exit by Derek Humphry

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - MA has strongly recommend Margaret Atwood to me. I trust her, so I'm definitely going to have to read this.

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

What's Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras

+To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Beloved by Toni Morrison - My mom loaned it to me when I was in high school. I really like it a lot.

+The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

The Pigman by Paul Zindel

Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard

Deenie by Judy Blume

+Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes - Was assigned this in the 9th grade and expected to hate it, but I loved it.

Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden

The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar

Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz

+A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice) - Yep, this is sort of filthy. By sort of, I mean totally way filthy.

Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole

Cujo by Stephen King

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl - Really, they tried to ban this?

The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell

Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy

Ordinary People by Judith Guest

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis - I have no idea why I want to read this because I'm not really into violence and anarchy, but I've wanted to read it since I first heard about it high school. I'll probably hate it.

What's Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras

Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume - My all time ever favorite Judy Blume book.

Crazy Lady by Jane Conly

Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher

Fade by Robert Cormier

Guess What? by Mem Fox

The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende

The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney

+Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Native Son by Richard Wright

Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women's Fantasies by Nancy Friday

Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen

Jack by A.M. Homes

Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya

Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle

Carrie by Stephen King

Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume

On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer

Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge

Family Secrets by Norma Klein

Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole

The Dead Zone by Stephen King

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

Always Running by Luis Rodriguez

Private Parts by Howard Stern

Where's Waldo? by Martin Hanford - Shut up! They banned Where's Waldo?? Seriously?

Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene

Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Running Loose by Chris Crutcher

Sex Education by Jenny Davis

The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene

Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy

How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell

View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts

The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney

Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

I didn't mark any as a "not-interested-at-all," because I don't know enough about them to indicate that. No tagging. Do it if you feel like. Don't if you don't.

Book Meme

ChaucerianGirl tagged me, so I guess I'm it. P.S. This was HARD.

Character you'd most like to have over for tea? Amelia Peabody Emerson. Actually, I'd like to have the whole Emerson clan over for tea (spiked tea!) and then read Mrs. E's journal entry of the occasion to discover first-hand how she changed the event to suit her sense of decorum.

Character you'd most like to have as a sibling? Dy Brougham. See this trilogy by Pamela Aiden, Pride and Prejudice retold from the point of view of Mr. Darcy. Dy is a most excellent character who would be an awesome big brother.

Character you'd most like to be friends with? I'm entirely unoriginal, but I'd love to be friends with Elizabeth Bennett. She's witty, loyal, funny, and good-hearted.

Character you'd most like to have as a cousin? Stephanie Plum. What can I say? She's funny and she knows the value of shop-therapy and the efficacy of junk-food in dealing with broken hearts. 'Course if I was related to her, I'd also be related to her crazy, perverted cousin Vinnie. That would be gross.

Character you'd most like to have an adventure with? Fred and George Weasley. Seriously, they'd be fun. True, there would be more adventury-adventures with Harry Potter, but I'd be more likely to live through one with Fred and George.

Favorite quirky character? I must agree with ChaucerianGirl, who was agreeing with Erin. Luna Lovegood. Simply put, I admire the way she goes merrily about her own way without caring what others think. That takes a kind of courage that is quite rare in one so young.

Favorite love-to-hate character? Again, I'm being unoriginal and agreeing with ChaucerianGirl who agreed with Erin. Delores Jane Umbridge, Hogwarts High Inquisitor. She's such a nasty piece of work. I yelled at her while I was reading the book, for all the good it did.

Favorite bad guy? Snape, Snape, Snape. Although, I'm actually of the opinion that, like Harry, he's Dumbledore's man through and through. But I also think he genuinely hates Harry, and I love that. Honestly, I think Harry hates Snape as much Voldemort now. And why wouldn't he?

And the category ChaucerianGirl added:

Character to whom you've most often been compared? No one has ever compared me to a character in fiction that I know of. At least not to my face.

TAGGING TIME: I tag Spin_Doc. Just because.

69

Stolen from Spin_Doc who stole it from Chesney Girl.

1. Are your parents married or divorced? Divorced, and then remarried. They're both better off the second time around.

2. Are you a vegetarian? No, I like steak way too much. I should be, though, as I would probably be much healthier.

3. Do you believe in Heaven? After losing my little sister, I find I have to.

4. Have you ever come close to dying? Nope, unless you count the time I had my stomach pumped when I was four for drinking some nail polish remover.

5. What jewelry do you wear 24/7? No jewelry. I used to work in a jewelry store where we had to wear earrings, necklace, and bracelet every day-I got jewelried out. Is jewelried a word? I don't think it is. I probably wear earrings more than anything else, but I only wear them once or twice a week.

6. Favorite time of day? Around 10:00 a.m. or so, I suddenly become incredibly alert and productive.

7. Do you eat the stems of broccoli? Yes, but I prefer the little florets.

8. Do you wear makeup? Yes.

9. Ever have plastic surgery? No.

10. If you did have plastic surgery, what would you do? I honestly can't see myself getting plastic surgery, but never say never, I guess.

11. What do you wear to bed? I am the pajama queen. I buy pajamas the way other women buy shoes.

12. Have you ever done anything illegal? No, I am remarkably law-abiding.

13. Can you roll your tongue? No, and I also can't whistle very well.

14. Do you tweeze your eyebrows? In between waxing, yes.

15. What kind of sneakers? I own nikes, skechers, and keds. Oh, my.

16. Do you believe in abortions? I'm against abortion for me, personally, but I am glad they're legal and hope they stay that way.

17. What is your hair color? Currently, it's a very pretty and warm shade of brown, thanks to the power of Aveda and a terrific hair-stylist. Naturally, my hair is a shade commonly referred to as dirty dishwater blonde.

18. Future child’s name? I don't see myself having children, but when I was younger I always liked Sarah for a girl, and Joshua for a boy.

19. Do you snore? No, but I grind my teeth in my sleep.

20. If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be? I really want to go to Greece.

21. Do you sleep with stuffed animals? I do not.

22. If you won the lottery, what would you do first? Buy myself a house.

23. Gold or silver? Gold

24. Hamburger or hot dog? Hamburger.

25. Only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Geez, whatever I picked, I'd get awfully sick of really fast. Let's say mexican food. There's lots of different choices that way.

26. City, beach or country? Beach, definitely.

27. What was the last thing you touched? Aside from the keyboard, the newspaper.

28. Where did you eat last? At work.

29. When’s the last time you cried? A couple of weeks ago.

30. Do you read blogs? Yes.

31. Would you ever go out dressed like the opposite sex? Sure, but my er, um, assets would be difficult to hide. Lets just say I'm definitely a girl.

32. Ever been involved with the police? Well, other than my mom used to be a cop, not so much.

33. What’s your favorite shampoo conditioner and soap? Right now I'm using one from Redken. I change frequently.

34. Do you talk in your sleep? Not that I'm aware of and no one has ever told me I do.

35. Ocean or pool? Ocean.

36. Sauna or whirlpool? Whirlpool.

37. Starbucks or Krispy Kreme? Starbucks.

38. Window seat or aisle? Aisle-get off the plane about 3 seconds faster that way. And that 3 seconds is clearly VERY important.

39. Ever met anyone famous? Yes, writers and actors both. The last time was when I took an intensive acting workshop from Betty Buckley (think Eight is Enough and the tony award for CATS). She was nice, plus I liked her for calling B.S. on people's crap.

40. Do you feel that you’ve had a truly successful life? I feel it's still a work in progress.

41. Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it? Cut.

42. Ricki Lake or Oprah Winfrey? Oprah.

43. Basketball or Football? I prefer watching basketball. Generally speaking, I'm not much of a football fan, though I sort of got into it when we were watching the last Cowboys game. They lost. Poor Tony Romo. It was very sad.

44. How long do your showers last? Usually about 15-20 minutes.

45. Automatic or do you drive a stick? I love driving a stick unless I'm stuck in traffic, in which case I prefer an automatic. In the past, I've always had manual transmission, but traffic in North Texas blows, so when I bought the Escape, I chose automatic.

46. Cake or ice cream? Depends on which type of cake or ice cream is being offered.

47. Are you self-conscious? On stage, I will do just about anything, but in the real world I can be horribly self-conscious.

48. Have you ever drank so much you threw up? Not since high school.

49. Have you ever given money to a beggar? Yes.

50. Have you been in love? Yes.

51. Where do you wish you were? On that dream vacation in Greece.

52. Are you wearing socks? Yes.

53. Have you ever ridden in an ambulance? Yes, twice. Once when I was a little girl-my mom rolled our car after an Atlanta Braves game and we all went away in an ambulance; and once as a teenager during an S.A.D.D. exercise.

54. Can you tango? Very badly.

55. Last gift you received? Hmm...the last gift I opened at Christmas was a bottle of Ralph Lauren Turquoise perfume from my brother-in-law. So I guess that's the last gift.

56. Last sport you played? Oh, geez, does walking the dog count?

57. Things you spend a lot of money on? Books. I buy way too many books. And it's stupid because I have no where to put them.

58. Where do you live? In North Texas.

59. Where were you born? Atlanta, GA.

60. Last wedding attended? Oh my gosh, it's been a while. I still lived in Utah.

62. Favorite position? (I'm going with Spin_Doc's reply here) I think this means something else, but I am going with sitting down.

63. Most hated food(s)? Squash, raspberries, strawberries (most red fruit, I know I'm odd), thai food (which I used to love, but after food poisoning, the love waned), etc.

64. Most hated soda pop? Pepsi.

65. Can you sing? No, and I really wish I could. I also can't dance, which could possibly be the reason why I've never been cast in a musical.

66. Last person you instant messaged? Roger.

67. Last place you went on holiday? What is this thing you call holiday?

68. Favorite regular drink? Lately, water. Haven't had a soda in about 3 weeks.

69. Current Song? Dude, I know nothing about the current music. Mostly I just listen to books on tape when I'm not actually reading a book. This week I'm listening to Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince on CD in my car.

Lying Liars Who Lie

So, apparantly a lot of people lie about the books they read, at least according to a survey in Britain. At first I was all judgmental and then I remembered that I did it myself in high school to impress a cute boy. (Wasted effort by the way--he didn't really give a crap about books so much as boobs.) So just for fun and in the interest of full disclosure, I am copying the top-ten lied about books here and will reveal whether I've actually read them. (Ooh, you say sarcastically, you're so excited--too that I say, "Shoosh. Be nice.")

1. The Lord of the Rings – J.R.R Tolkien
Well, I skimmed it. I have read The Hobbit a couple of times, but I have never, and believe me, I've tried, been able to read LotR all the way through without falling asleep. So I read the interesting parts and skimmed the dull. I'd say that pretty much counts as a not-read.

2. War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
I've never even tried.

3. Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
I've read it a few times. Heathcliff is not my favorite romantic hero. He's kind of whiny.

4. Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus – John Gray
Not read. My ex-husband did actually buy it for me while we were still married. He was into self-help books and really wanted me to be into them too. I wasn't. Perhaps this might partially explain why I'm his ex.

5. 1984 – George Orwell
Read it in high school with the kind of focus I can now demonstrate by telling you I don't remember anything other than the basic plot.

6. Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone – J.K Rowling
Read it many, many, many times.

7. Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
Haven't read it. Another one I started and put down midway through.

8. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
I've read it probably 3 or 4 times.

9. The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown
I've read it and I feel a compelling need to add that it's FICTION and that's why it lives in the FICTION section of the bookstore.

10. Diary of Anne Frank – Anne Frank
I've read it a few times. I love it--how can you not love Anne, with her hopes and her dreams that wouldn't die?

So, there you have it. I guess I'm not as well-read as I thought I was. The valuable lesson to be learned is--don't lie, because someone who really has read it will start asking you questions about it and then you'll look stupid. And that would suck.