Category: Memes

I somehow missed that Stacie had tagged me with a meme last week.

List 5 things you’d like to do someday.  The dreams that you’d like to accomplish.  The goals you’ve set for yourself.

Here’s my list:

1. Archaeology-oriented travel. I’ve always been fascinated by the ruins of ancient civilizations, but have never visited any sites. I’d love to go to Greece, Mexico, Central America, Egypt and anywhere else that offers a glimpse into the past.
2. Learn to play guitar. I don’t have aspirations of being a shredder, but I’d like to learn basic power chords so I can play some rhythm guitar. I’m bad about practice, though, so I’d really need to discipline myself.
3. Perform in a concert venue. Even if it’s just as an opening act to a C-level band, I’d like find out firsthand what it’s like to sing with my band in front of a large crowd.
4. Practice yoga daily. I was getting a good head start on this before my vacation, but I’ve wandered away from it since I came home sick. Starting today, I plan to return to class, resume my schedule of three classes per week and work up from there.
5. Write a novel. In truth, I don’t know that I have one in me. I’m much more of an essayist than a long-form writer, but I think it’s still a worthy goal. It’s another activity that will take a lot of discipline that I may or may not be able to muster.

I’m not going to tag anyone in particular, but feel free to run with this if you’re looking for post ideas.

I don’t have a lot of time this morning, so I decided to steal this meme from Megan at Divine Reality. You may wish to do the same!

Friday Fill-In

1. The scariest movie I’ve ever seen is…
2. …is stuck in my head.
3. If I had a superpower, it would be…
4. The last blog I commented on was…
5. The last last person to comment on my blog was…
6. Whatcha doin’ this fine weekend?

My answers:

1. "Silence of the Lambs" is probably the scariest movie I’ve seen as an adult. That scene in the killer’s basement was so intense the first time I saw it that it took me about 20 minutes for my heart rate to slow down once the movie was over.
2. I’m listening to the radio right now, so all I can think of is the song that’s playing: "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath
3. Hmm, now that I have the show "Heroes" to give me new superpower ideas, I guess I’ll have to say, "Manipulating time and space."
4. I can’t remember – I haven’t commented anywhere since yesterday.
5. Kelli from A Far Green Country
6. I have the day off today, so my weekend has already started. I’m going to the dermatologist (fun!), having lunch with my dad, getting a pedicure, having my hair cut and colored, and doing some vocal recording tonight. Tomorrow I have a community service committee meeting, then some last-minute Halloween costume shopping and a couple of parties to go to (my husband and I are dressing as if we’re in a goth band). On Sunday, I’m babysitting my niece and nephew so my sister and brother-in-law can go to the Chiefs game.

Have a great weekend!

Here’s a meme I picked up from Poppy Z. Brite’s blog.

IF YOUR LIFE WERE A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc.)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that’s playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don’t lie and try to pretend you’re cool…

Opening Credits – "Eyes Wide Open" by King Crimson

Waking Up – "Cobalt Canyons" by Bill Bruford

First Day at School – "Come Together" by the Beatles (a version recorded at practice by a band I was in a couple of years ago)

Falling in Love – "That’s Life" by David Lee Roth

Fight Song – "The Real Me" by the Who (again, a version my old band recorded at practice)

Breaking Up – "Peg" by Steely Dan

Prom – "Ready or Not" by Hotwyre, the band I was in before the one I’m in now. The song is about facing your destiny and preparing for battle, so I’m thinking that only Buffy the Vampire Slayer would find it to be an appropriate prom soundtrack song.

Life is Good – "The Flat Earth" by Thomas Dolby

Mental Breakdown – "Black Magic Woman" by Santana

Driving – "Day of the Eagle" by Robin Trower

Flashback – "Predator" by my current, as yet unnamed band.

Getting Back Together – "Spectrum" by Billy Cobham

Wedding – "I Don’t Remember" by Peter Gabriel

Paying the Dues – "Urges" by Thomas Dolby

The Night Before the War – "Get Stoned" by Hinder

Final Battle – "Been Caught Stealing" by Jane’s Addiction

Moment of Triumph – "Synchronicity II" by The Police

Death Scene – "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns ‘n Roses

Funeral Song – "Twice As Hard" by the Black Crowes

End Credits – "Mercy Street" by Peter Gabriel

It turns out that my husband has put a lot of music in iTunes that I didn’t even realize was there.  I still followed Rule #6, although this is probably the first time I’ve ever heard the Billy Cobham or the Bill Bruford songs that came up.

Just in time to save me from another day with no post, Blondie has tagged me for a meme.  I’ve actually addressed this question in meme context before and not had an answer, but I’ll take a more serious stab at it this time.

Top Five Songs I Want Played Over My Dead Body:

• "Independent Women" by Destiny’s Child. I know, kind of out of left field for a hard rocker, but I think it sums up many of my attitudes toward life rather nicely.
• "Happy Birthday" by "Weird Al" Yankovic. An upbeat song about how we’re all going to die.
• "We Will All Go Together When We Go" by Tom Lehrer. Same as above.
• "Happy With What You Have to Be Happy With" by King Crimson. I really like the song and there’s a positive message in there somewhere.
• "Live Wire" by Motley Crue.  Just to freak everybody out.

It was very tempting to include "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC, but I’ve left it off out of respect for the guests.

My songs were chosen primarily to try to keep people from crying. How can you cry and "throw your hands up at me" at the same time? I posit that you cannot.

I’m not going to tag anyone, but feel free to keep this going if you’re stuck for ideas this week!

After my unexpectedly eventful Saturday night, the rest of my weekend was pretty mellow.  Thus, I’ve decided to snag the following meme from CJ and coast this morning:

1. How tall are you barefoot? Almost 5’7"
2. Have you ever been cheated on? Probably in the distant past (not by the hubby!)
3. Do you own a gun? No.
4. What do you think of hot dogs? Love ’em! You can keep your "lips and a-holes" comments to yourselves. Deeper knowledge about hot dogs does nothing to counter their deliciousness.
5. What’s your favorite Christmas song? I don’t think I have a favorite, but I know a lot of them and I would love to go caroling sometime, just for the heck of it.
6. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Jasmine-flavored green tea
7. Do you do push-ups? Sometimes.
8. Have you ever done ecstasy? No.
9. Do you like Disney World? Eh. It’s okay.
10. Do you like the rain? Yes.
11. Do you own a knife? I have some very nice kitchen knives. I don’t carry one as a weapon, though, if that’s what this question is getting at.
12.
What do you smell like? Right now I smell like soap and hair products. I just got out of the shower.
13. Do you have A.D.D.? Probably. I’ve taken several self-test quizzes in my sister’s ADD books and I can answer "yes" to the majority of the indicator questions.
14. Full initials? A.J.D. (Average Jane Doe – here, anyway)
15. Name 3
thoughts at this exact moment. 1) I’m thirsty. 2) These sleeping cats all look comfortable. 3) I wish my hair would hurry up and dry.
16.
Name the last 3 things you have bought today (in this case, yesterday). A black hooded sweatshirt jacket, a can of Red Bull, and the ingredients to make pasta for dinner.
17. Name five drinks you regularly drink. The green tea I have each morning, water, iced tea, Red Bull and coffee.
18. What time did you wake up today?  6:15 a.m.
19. Can you spell? Yes, I’m a good speller.
20. Current worries? My poor, old cat with kidney disease.
21. Current hate? Inattentive drivers. Someone actually ran me onto the shoulder of the highway last weekend, then gave me the "oh well" shrug, which made me see red.
22. Favorite place to be? I love sitting on my front porch swing when it isn’t biting bug season.
23. Least favorite place to be? The dentist’s chair.
24. Where do you want to go? Someplace fun and relaxing.
25. Do you own slippers? Yes, although I’m due for a new pair.
26. Where do you think you will be in 10 years? Right here, I imagine. I don’t foresee any enormous changes in the next 10 years.
27. Do you burn or tan? I used to tan lightly but burn easily. Now I just stay inside or use heavy-duty sunblock.
28. Yellow or blue? Both mixed together to make green.
29. Would you give up your current life to be a pirate? No, I prefer to remain scurvy-free.
30. Last time your cell rang? Yesterday, right as I was getting ready to go into the theater to see Accepted.
31. What songs do you sing in the shower? Oddly enough, I don’t sing in the shower. My living room has a nice echo, though.
32.
What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child? The monster under the bed was the main threat, but the monster in the closet ran a close second.
33. How much cash do you have on you? About $11
34. Last thing that made you laugh? See #30. The movie had some good chuckles.
35. Best bed sheets you had as a child? Star Wars sheets.
36.
Worst injury you’ve ever had? It’s probably a tie between the broken knuckle I got trying to smash ice on the horse tank with a sledgehammer when I was in college, and the huge bruise I got on my hip falling down a flight of stairs of a house while we were shopping for the house we have now.
37. Where have you been out of US? Jamaica and Mexico.
38. Who is your loudest friend? I don’t know – when they all get together, the collective volume is pretty overwhelming, though!
39. Who is your most silent friend? I might be the quietest of my social group.
40. Does someone have a crush on you? Not that I know of.
41. Do you wish on stars? No.
42. What song did you last hear? I can’t remember.
43.
What song do you want played at your funeral? Wow, I have no idea. Play whatever you want – it won’t make any difference to me!
44. What were you doing at 12:00 last night? Getting ready for bed after watching "Deadwood."
45. First thought upon waking up this morning? Ooh, I can probably get to work early after all.

Knowing that I’m always running late on Wednesdays, I’m going to cheat and pick up a meme I found at Mom, Ma’am, Me:

1. Gum, mints, or Tic-Tacs?  And what flavor? Kinda none of the above, but I’ll occasionally go for original flavor Trident gum.
2. What kind of shoes are you wearing? Black, laceless Converse All-Stars
3. Suri Cruise: real or imaginary? Even though I was born in the Show-Me State, I’m going to have to go with "real," despite the fact that I’m pretty sure we won’t be seeing her anytime soon.
4. What kind of entertainment do you listen to in the car — radio, CD, talk show, or none of the above? On the way to work, I listen to the morning show of a rock station.  The rest of the time, I flip around to find other rock songs, listen to a CD of songs for which I need to write lyrics, and occasionally listen to other bands’ CDs.
5. Did you ever want to change your name as a kid?  If so, what was your favorite "new" name? My name is fairly unusual and, like all kids, I complained about it sometimes.  However, I don’t think I was ever serious about coming up with a new one.  Then again, as an adult I’ve written under many different pseudonyms and had a stage name, so clearly the impulse stayed lurking in my subconscious all along.

Blame it on the Red Bull I had at 5:00 p.m. yesterday, but I just did NOT get enough sleep last night.  Thus, I’m lifting the following meme from Mac and saving myself the trouble of trying to think of something else to write about.

accent: I’m the child and grandchild, respectively, of Swedes and South Dakotans, so there’s a lot of extra roundedness to my vowels.  Add to that the English Major accent and I don’t sound like anyone else who grew up with me.

booze: I’ve really cut back lately, but I’ll go for wine, wheat beer, ale or stout.  I still like a nice dirty martini (vodka), but only on special occasions.

chore I hate: Cleaning out the cat boxes.  I can’t ever do it without yelling up the stairs, to no one in particular, "I hate the cats!"  And yet I really love them, except for their nasty excretions.

dogs/cats: Three cats, ages 16, 15 and somewhere in the neighborhood of 13.

essential electronics: Computer, TiVo and Bose Wave Radio

favorite perfume/cologne: I’m between colognes right now, but I’d love to have a bottle of Marc Jacobs’ Essence.  And what do you know?  My birthday is coming up in about three weeks!  Hint, hint (darn it – my husband doesn’t read this).

gold/silver: I always wore silver until I got a gold wedding band.  I have a beautiful white gold three diamond anniversary band that I could wear instead of the gold band, but the plain ring is more to my taste and it’s what I wear 99% of the time.

hometown: Kansas City, Missouri

insomnia: See Red Bull comment above.  But no, I sleep pretty well.

job title: Senior Copywriter

kids: No thanks.

living arrangements: Just me, the hubby and the cats in a two-and-a-half bedroom house with a recording studio over the garage.

most admired trait: A sense of humor

number of jobs I’ve had: About 7

overnight hospital stays: One kidney stone, one appendectomy

phobia: My knees get all woogy when I’m up high, even inside a building.

quote:

"Just because we wear lipstick doesn’t mean we can’t kick your ass."
– Vince Neil, Motley Crue

I prefer to think of it applying to women rather than glam rockers, though.

rock song I like:  Hell Bent for Leather by Judas Priest

siblings: One sister

time I usually wake up: 6:00 a.m.

unusual talent: Does insane multi-tasking count?

vegetables I refuse to eat: I’ve really, really tried to like brussels sprouts, but it’s just not happening.

worst habit: Procrastination (I know that doesn’t seem to fit with the whole multi-tasking thing, but yet it all works out in the end.)

x-rays: Dental, chiropractic, respiratory – repeat.

yummy foods I make: Minestrone, cheesecake and much more.

zodiac sign: Cancer.  What a horrible-sounding zodiac sign to have!

I know, I know.  Two memes in a row is really too many.  However, I have a lot of work to do today and I need to get out of here early.  I’m going to do us all a favor by cutting out some of the questions.

Incidentally, I did make it to the gym yesterday morning for my first workout in a long time.  My knees hurt today, and also my calves.  And my back.  And my glutes.  I’ll go back for more punishment on Saturday morning, though.

1) Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, and find line 4.
"Their language is Greek in origin, but has been greatly simplified and is no more difficult to learn than English.”

2) Stretch your left arm out as far as you can and see what you touch.
The plastic bowl from which I ate kettle corn for dinner a couple of nights ago.

3) What is the last thing you watched on TV?
"Lost" on Wednesday night, followed by "Invasion" and the tail end of "The Daily Show."

4) Without looking, guess what time it is.
7:15 a.m.

5) Now look at the clock. What is the actual time?
7:23 a.m.

6) With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
The washing machine going through a spin cycle and a cat’s claws clicking on the hardwood floor as she walks by.

7) When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
Last night, walking from the garage into the house.

8) Before you started this survey, what did you look at?
Doris’ blog (which is where I found this meme).

9) What are you wearing?
Jeans, tennis shoes and a long-sleeved t-shirt with a short-sleeved t-shirt layered over it.

10) Did you dream last night?
Not that I recall.

11) When did you last laugh?
Last night, hanging out with two of my friends after a Pampered Chef party.

12) What is on the walls of the room you are in?
A Georgia O’Keeffe print, a surreal acrylic painting called "Bluegrass Rhinos" by Neil Cannon, a horizontal Asian-looking print featuring lots of insects, a framed mirror, and a large metal sculpture of a carousel horse.

13) Seen anything weird lately?
I’m wracking my brain, but I can’t think of anything particularly weird that’s caught my attention of late.

14) What do you think of this quiz?
It’s giving me a really easy blog entry to end the week.

15) What is the last film you saw?
"Nanny McPhee" – twice last weekend.

I should have known someone would get me with a variation on this meme sooner or later.  I’ve been tagged by Huts, of In Flux.

Remove
the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up
one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so.

1) doris
2) Radmila
3) Riri
4) In Flux
5) Average Jane

Next select five people to tag

1)  Goofy Girl
2)  Dorothy
3)  Pharmgirl
4)  Cagey
5)  Me

What were you doing 10 years ago?

I had been married for a little more than a year and we already lived in our "starter house," which is still our house now.  I’m pretty sure I still worked a 3:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. shift, which meant I stayed up almost all night, slept late every day and sometimes rolled into work without bothering to comb my hair or change out of what I’d worn to bed.  Good times.
 

What were you doing 1 year ago?

I’m going to cheat and check my blog archives.  It seems that this time last year I had pinkeye, we had a huge snowstorm and I was doing a lot of account service work at my job.

Five snacks you enjoy:

1) Ice cream
2) Orville Redenbacher microwave kettle corn
3) Sharp cheddar squares with crackers
4) Veggies and ranch dip
5) Hummus and pita bread

Five songs to which you know all the lyrics:

Here are some of the songs my band does right now:
1) Hell Bent for Leather, Judas Priest
2) Flight of Icarus, Iron Maiden
3) Day of the Eagle, Robin Trower
4) Little Dreamer, Van Halen
5) You Give Love a Bad Name, Bon Jovi

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire :

(I’m going to assume multimillionaire here)
1) Pay off all our debts
2) Buy a nicer house and build a recording studio in it
3) Put my band members on salary and work on music all the time
4) Do the same for my husband and his band members
5) Give money to charities

Five bad habits:

1) Procrastination
2) Spending too much time online
3) Crabbiness (especially to my poor, long-suffering husband)
4) Not doing the dishes immediately after meals
5) Leaving my plants without water until they get droopy

Five things you like doing:

1) Singing
2) Writing
3) Hanging out with friends and family
4) Listening to music (cranked up loud!)
5) Playing games

Five things you would never wear again:

1) My giant, AquaNet shellacked, ’90s mullet
2) Khaki pants with pleats
3) Non low-rise pants or jeans
4) Halter top
5) Spandex pants

Five favorite toys:

1) Laptop
2) iPod Shuffle
3) Thinking Putty
4) KitchenAid mixer
5) Cuisinart