Mary Poppins I ain't

My friend bibliophile81 gave me some things for our yard sale back in October, including a really cute green purse. Since the purse I was carrying had a bum zipper, I asked if she'd mind if I just kept the purse. She said she didn't, so I started using it and never went back. A few weeks ago I mentioned to her that I really like the purse, especially since I can put a board book and Nico's sippy cup in there along with my stuff. She looked surprised and remarked that I must not have much in there, which reminded me of a fun old meme, the What's In Your Bag meme.



A:  iPhone in really beat-up case

B:  packet of tissues I stole from the diaper bag

C:  little pocket mirror

D:  wallet, obviously

E:  a pen made from recycled materials and a nice Zebra pen that actually belongs to MB

F:  microfiber glasses wipe thingie

G:  buckeye for luck

H:  I found this little box when my mom and aunt cleaned out my great-aunt's house to sell it a few years ago. I don't know what it was made for, but it's the perfect size to hold all the gift cards and frequent shopper cards that won't fit in my wallet.

I:  I got this notebook for writing down book titles, quotes, etc. I don't use it as much now that I have an iPhone.


If you want to play along, post a photo of the contents of your bag / purse. I'm going to attempt to put a Mr. Linky in this post so you can leave me a breadcrumb trail back to your posts.

Quote, Unquote

I'm revisiting an old meme that I really liked. I used all my very favorite movies last time, so I had to dig kinda deep to get ten this time around. Hopefully they aren't impossible.

The rules:

* Pick 10 (or so) of your favorite movies.
* Find, remember, or look up a quote from each movie.
* Post them here for everyone to guess.
* Strike it out (I'm going to turn them green instead) when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.
* NO googling or cheating by doing an online search. Cheaters never prosper.
* Commenters should share the fun and only guess one movie.

1. I swear on my dead relatives - and even on the ones who are not feeling too good - I am your man forever!

Jason knew this line from The Count of Monte Cristo. He's a count, not a saint.


2. If you were waiting for the opportune moment, that was it.

My homie Kerri Anne spotted this quote from Pirates of the Caribbean:  the Curse of the Black Pearl. She loves weddings! Drinks all around!


3. You ask a serious question, I'll give you a serious answer: Happy enough. I don't expect much. I don't get much, I don't give much. I generally enjoy whatever comes along. That's my answer for you, summed up for your feminine consideration. I'm happy enough.

Laura Danger knew this quote came from the excellent movie Waitress. She can't have coffee. It's on the bad food list. What kind of doctor are you?


4. Uh... trudging. You know, trudging? To trudge: the slow, weary, depressing yet determined walk of a man who has nothing left in life except the impulse to simply soldier on.


5. Went away? "I dwell in darkness without you" and it went away?

Nicholas recognized this line from Willow. He is the greatest swordsman who has ever lived!


6. Ah! But that is because I am a miserable, grumpy elitist - and that works for me!


7. You know, there's a million fine-looking women in the world, dude. But they don't all bring you lasagna at work.

Amanda knew that this quote comes from Clerks. She's not even supposed to be here today!


8. Under no circumstances do I want you to leave that couch... unless it's to get me $9000, and then you bring it here to me, okay?

SS pegged this as a line from the superb Empire Records. But SS, you love Gwar!


9. I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, "I drank what?"

Norahs1213 remembered this quote from Real Genius. She only runs when chased.


10. Oh I don't know. If I had survived an old lady ass-kicking I would want to brag about it.

Bibliomama recognized this line from My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Give her a word, any word, and she will tell you how that word comes from Greek.


And...go!

ABCs of Me(me)

I like to open NaBloPoMo with an about-me type of thing each year since it's the month that creates the most opportunity for new people to arrive on my blog. I got this meme from the fantastic Miss Grace.

A - Age: 29

B - Bed size: Queen. Sometimes I wish we had a king just so there was more room for the dog and the kid.

C - Chore you hate: I cannot stand cleaning the bathroom.

D - Don’t eat: Anything made from pigs

E - Essential start your day item: Splashing cold water on my face

F - Favorite board game: Clue

G - Gold or Silver: silver

H - Height: 5’5

I - Instruments you play: I took many years of piano lessons, but I'm quite out of practice.

J - Job title: science geek (Okay, not really. But my actual job title is a little too google-able.)

K - Kid(s): Nico, 9 1/2 months

L - Love or lust: Both, thanks.

M - Mom’s name: Carol

N - Nicknames: Girl

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: None

P - Pants or pantyhose: Pants. I threw away my last pair of pantyhose in college and vowed never to buy another pair.

Q - Famous Movie Quote: "I killed the president of Paraguay with a fork. How have you been?"

R - Right or left handed: Right

S - Sibling(s): One sister, age 24

T - Time you wake up: Nico wakes me up anywhere between 3:30 and 4:30 AM to eat every morning, but then we go back to sleep until somewhere between 6:00 and 6:30. He doesn't believe in sleeping in, so even on my days off we're usually out of bed by 7:00.

U - Underwear: Ugh. I still can't fit into my pre-pregnancy unders, so I'm still wearing my post-C-section granny panties. So embarrassing.

V - Vegetable favorite: Cooked carrots

W - Ways you run late: I'm late a lot. I tend to underestimate travel time, or getting-kid-into-carseat time.

X - X-rays you’ve had: Teeth

Y - Yummy food you make: I bake cookies and banana bread and cheesecakes.

Z - Zoo favorite: Hmmmm...I really like the otters at our zoo. And the bats.

Greater than

(stolen from Jen and Kerri)

music > silence

books > TV

woods > beaches

reading > shopping

thrift stores > malls

bare face > makeup

daily ponytail > flat ironing

flip flops > heels

jeans > dresses

ice cream > steak

milk > any other drink

camping > five star hotels

camels > monkeys

cake > pie

yoga > therapy

Fall > Summer

friends & family > fortune

life with my boys > anything else, ever

The music meme

I desperately wanted to go to bed early tonight, so I asked for meme ideas on Twitter today, hoping to avoid the pattern of staying up too late wracking my brain for something to say. Alas, technology problems caused me to stay up too late anyway, but I appreciate Meg's tag for the music meme.

As usual with this one, most of the answers make no sense whatsoever, but there are a few funny song / question pairings:

1. If someone asks "Are you okay?" you say?
"Better" by Regina Spektor

2. How would you describe yourself?
"Cats on Mars" by the Seatbelts

3. What do you like in a guy/girl?
"One Piece at a Time" by Johnny Cash

4. How do you feel today?
"Restless Sinner" by the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

5. What is your life's purpose?
"Silent Sea" by KT Tunstall

6. What is your motto?
"My World" by Olive Lucy

7. What do your friends think of you?
"Pentagram" by Cake

8. What do you think about very often?
"Say it to You" by Caroline's Spine

9. What is 2+2?
"Babylon" by Don McLean

10. What do you think of your best friend?
"Carbon Monoxide" by Cake

11. What is your life story?
"On Call" by Kings of Leon

12. What do you want to be when you grow up?
"Modern Romance" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs

13. What do you think when you see the person you like?
"White Trash Wedding" by the Dixie Chicks (HAAAAAA!)

14. What will you dance to at your wedding?
"Strawberry Wine" by Deanna Carter

15. How do you want to die?
"Mountain" by Tonic

16. What is your hobby/interest?
"Ozone Baby" by Led Zeppelin

17. What's your biggest fear?
"Zombie Jamboree" by Rockapella

18. What do you want right now?
"Rehab" by Amy Winehouse

19. What do you think of your (boy/girl)friend?
"Sin Wagon" by the Dixie Chicks (OMFG. Hilarious That's right, I said 'mattress dancing.' )

20. What is your favorite song?
"Swagger" by Flogging Molly

3...2...1...it's a meme!

One of my favorite parts of doing NaBloPoMo is being exposed to new blogs and new things that other bloggers recommend. I thought it might be fun to make up a meme to facilitate discovery of new blogs and new things.

To play along, post on your blog listing your favorite books, movies, and music from this year. It doesn't matter which order you put them in, just choose three from one genre, two from another, and one from the last. Leave me a link in the comments so I can stop by and read your list!


Books
The Late, Lamented Molly Marx (review here)

Homer's Odyssey:  a Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned About Love and Life With a Blind Wonder Cat by Gwen Cooper (review here)

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson


Movies
500 Days of Summer

Away We Go


Music
Hazards of Love by the Decemberists

Imagine me and you, and you and me

It's rare to find a meme that hasn't made the rounds 43,726 times by now, so when I saw this one over on Dooce, I snagged it. It's also a little different, because it has questions that relate to the meme-answerer and the meme-answerer's spouse / significant other.

What are your middle names?
My middle name is Marie, MB's middle name is Christopher. (What, you thought his initials were MB?)

How long have you been together?
We've been married four and a half years, together eight and a half. (Holy crap.)

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
I met him on August 7, 2000, and he asked me to be his girlfriend on August 30, 2000. There was some dating in between.

Who asked whom out?
I asked him if he wanted to "hang out sometime" while we were still just interested in each other. He was the one who asked me, "Do you think the question 'Will you go out with me?' is corny?" less than a month later.

How old are each of you?
I'm 27, he's 28. I have less than one month left to tease him about being old, and then I'll have another birthday.

Whose siblings do you see the most?
We each have one sibling, and they both live here in town, so we probably see them about equally.

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
It's hard to say...we tend to cope with stuff pretty well. Being broke always sucks, though.

Did you go to the same school?
Nope.

Are you from the same home town?
Negative.

Who is smarter?
MB would say I am, but I disagree. I think we just have differing academic strengths.

Who is the most sensitive?
Depends on the topic. I won't elaborate, lest I get myself into trouble.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Probably Longhorn...we're suckers for the firecracker chicken wraps.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Seattle

Who has the craziest exes?
Neither of us dated much before we got together (we were only 19 years old, so it's not like we'd had lots of time), so we're pretty lucky to have lives mostly devoid of exes.

Who has the worst temper?
Taking the fifth.

Who does the cooking?
Probably MB, to be honest. He's definitely better at it than I am.

Who is the neat-freak?
I get eye twitches when he hangs his shirts up crooked or puts the Tupperware away in the wrong places. He gets crabby if the living room gets cluttered. We each have our preferences.

Who is more stubborn?
I can't even tell. I fear for our future as parents.

Who hogs the bed?
Someone with SHARP, BONY ELBOWS.

Who wakes up earlier?
MB. He has to be at work at 6:30.

Where was your first date?
MB's apartment. SHUT UP, IT WASN'T LIKE THAT.

Who is more jealous?
I don't think either of us is a very jealous person, thank God.

How long did it take to get serious?
We knew at about three months of dating that we'd get married someday. We have also talked on the phone or in person every day since our first date.

Who eats more?
MB, but it's less because he's a pig and more because I'm a picky eater who can't eat much in one sitting.

Who does the laundry?
Remember the eye twitch? Yeah. I have very specific routines for the laundry, to the point where I actually requested that MB not wash any clothes while I was away for a week last Fall.

Who's better with the computer?
Definitely MB. I'm ridiculously ill-equipped.

Who drives when you are together?
Usually me, since we usually take my car. We also discovered after several years of trial and error and OHMYGOD WE NEED TO STOP TALKING ABOUT THIS that road trips work out WAY better if I drive and he navigates. Let's just say that only ONE of us cares to know exactly how many meters it is to the next intersection. And that person should always be the one controlling the GPS, not the vehicle.

Betcha Didn't Know

A while back I was tagged by Geek Girl for the quirky facts meme. I've been linked for this before, but there are always more weird things to share.


RULES:
Share 6 non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
Tag 6 random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
Link to the person that tagged you.
Let your tagger know when your entry is up.


1. When no one is looking, I always ride my shopping cart across the parking lot at the grocery store.

2. I have sworn off pantyhose for life. I was "required" to wear them on a college trip, only to discover that the ones I'd brought were sheer black ones from high school and didn't match my dress. So I threw them away and vowed never to buy another pair. So far, so good!

3. I volunteer at the local nature center, and one of the most fun things I do is lead owl pellet dissection workshops. It's super rad.

4. When I was a kid, my mom always gave us Sprite or 7-Up when we were feeling pukey. Now I can't stand to drink either one, because they make me feel like I'm going to puke.

5. I hate rollercoasters. I want to like them, but I just can't. They nearly give me panic attacks. I like spinning rides, though, so I'll go on the Scrambler with you anytime.

6. In high school I had a goldfish named Godzilla, whom I won while trying to win a tiny little lizard in a ping pong ball toss game at a carnival. I would play Blue Oyster Cult's "Godzilla" for him all the time, and if I turned the stereo up too loud he'd freak out and it would look like he was head banging.


Let's see...I am going to tag Joy at A Spot of T, Ari at Beyond My Slab, Black Sheeped, Cadiz, Kerri Anne, and Daisy.


Reading:  My Latest Grievance by Elinor Lipman

Playing:  the Stardust soundtrack

Dead Reckoning

Linda at All & Sundry has again posted her end-of-the-year quiz. My 2006 answers are here, and 2007 is here.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? I went to Alaska

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? As usual, I was pretty crap at following through on my resolutions. This year, I hope to exercise more, appreciate life, and strive to be a better person.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? My honorary nephew Macduff was born in May. He is cuteness squared, in stripey socks:


4. Did anyone close to you die? Luckily no human friends or family members were lost, but both my family's oldest dog and my childhood cat passed away this year. It was peaceful and time for each of them to move on, but I do miss the old girls.

5. What countries did you visit? I went to Alaska, so that means I have lots of foreign experience, right? I practically went to Russia, after all.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? As always, I could use more motivation.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? On January 13, we found out that our offer on the house had been accepted. Our closing was February 15, moving day February 16. On April 13, we adopted the best dog ever.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? I think I was really able to shine as far as the kind of programming I created and implemented at work. I also did some kickass event planning. Hopefully my bosses noticed.

9. What was your biggest failure? I think I need to work on my time-management skills.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Other than a disgusting bout of Zombie Death Flu on Christmas night, I remained mostly intact this year.

11. What was the best thing you bought? our house, for sure

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? MB has continued to prove that I made the right choice when I married him. Well played, my lover. Well played indeed.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? A friend whom I once considered among the sweetest and most giving people I know reacted in a very ugly, selfish, and small way to an intricate surprise I put together for another friend. In the process, other friends were deeply hurt and I was made to feel like shit for doing something nice and for expressing one of the most core parts of my personality. I thought the hurt and disappointment would pass, but here I am, months later, still feeling that the memories of something that should have been one of the year's best experiences were spoiled. Our friendship may never be the same, sad to say. (Though maybe finally writing it out will help.)

14. Where did most of your money go? Uh...see #11

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? The big surprise I mentioned in #13, prior to the explosion of ugliness.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008? anything by the Decemberists

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer? Happier, a bit fatter, and poorer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? I wish I'd made a little more time for reading this year.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? procrastinated

20. How did you spend Christmas? We spent it with family and friends.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008? Oh, you could say that...

"Uh...aren't we supposed to be walking?
Not stopping for photos of leaves and flowers and me?"
"Srsly. NO MORE PICTURES. WALK TIME."

22. What was your favorite TV program? a tie between Project Runway and Burn Notice

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? No, still hate free!

24. What was the best book you read? There were several good ones this year but no massive standouts. I think the one I most want to read again is The World Without Us by Alan Weisman.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? the Decemberists, thanks to Heather Feather

26. What did you want and get? a freaking great dog

27. What did you want and not get? smaller boobs ;)

28. What was your favorite film of this year? I barely went to the theater at all this year, but of the new films I did see, The Dark Knight was a definite standout.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? If I recall, for my birthday this year I just had friends over to see the new house and eat ice cream cake. I turned 27 and posted my 500th blog post on my birthday. Hooray!

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? I guess it would've been nice to win the lottery and lose ten pounds. But overall, I'm pretty pleased.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? My uniform of jeans and solid-colored shirts from Target served me very well.

32. What kept you sane? family, friends, music, time to write

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Clive Owen

34. What political issue stirred you the most? the election of Barack Obama

35. Who did you miss? I miss my friends who don't live nearby.

36. Who was the best new person you met? I've known her for years online, but I finally got to meet my beloved kittyb in person, and she? Is teh awesome.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. Be true to yourself, be honest, and be compassionate.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. You can't control the sea / She will always do as she pleases / It's her nature to be free


Happy New Year, everyone! Best wishes for what lies ahead!

This post brought to you by the letter P. How appropriate.

I got this meme from the fabulous Elise at All or Nothing.

The rules:

If you want to participate, leave a comment on this post, and I’ll assign you a letter. You write about ten things you love that begin with your assigned letter, and post it at your place. When people comment on your list, you give them a letter, and the chain continues on and on.

Elise gave me the letter P, and here, at long last and in no particular order, is my list:

1.  peppermint stick ice cream

I don't really like plain peppermint candy or peppermint candy canes or even peppermint gum, but there is just something so perfectly scrumptious about peppermint stick ice cream. My favorite comes from the local ice cream shop where I used to work, and if you ever come to visit me and they have it in stock, I will buy you a cone of it so you can experience the deliciosity for yourself.


2.  pets, specifically mine

They're sometimes rotten, but I wouldn't trade them for anything.


3.  partner, a.k.a. husband

He is my Sun, my Moon, my starlit sky.


4.  paranormal TV shows

They scare the bejeebers out of me, but I love them anyway. Ghost Hunters on SciFi is my favorite. We used to watch A Haunting on Discovery, but it actually got a little too damn scary, with all the demons and whatnot. Me no likey.


5.  paperback books

I truly love books of all kinds, but paperbacks win because they're cheap, and they start with P.


6.  presents, small & unexpected

I like receiving them, but I actually like giving them even more. There's something so enjoyable about seeing a little thing out at a shop, knowing it would be perfect for someone, and getting it for them as a small surprise.


7.  periscope tail

MB gets up before I do, and after he takes his shower, he lets Indy out of his crate. Our bed is really tall and the dog is a tad small, so when I'm still in bed, all I can see is his upright tail, circling like a little fuzzy periscope. It is unspeakably cute.


8.  planets

I really love seeing the planets in the night sky. Seeing them makes me feel connected to the past and to anyone else who might be looking up and seeing them. Tonight while I was driving home from an errand, I ended up on this flat country-ish road with a perfect view of Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury in the Southwest. It was awesome.

The three of them will only be visible together early this week and Mercury is really low and dim, so head out an hour after sunset tomorrow or the next day if you want to check it out.


9.  pomegranate lotion

Last year I was out Christmas shopping with evilducky, and she gave me a really great coupon for Bath & Body Works. I used it to get a big bottle of midnight pomegranate hand cream. It is so luxurious and smells so wonderful. Best of all, a little goes a very long way, so I still have more than half the bottle left, even a year later.


10.  photography

I have really fallen in love with taking pictures over the last several years. I'm hoping to get a new camera in the next couple of months, and I can't wait to see what I can do with a slightly more advanced toy.


Bonus:  the pooch on his pillow

Indy says, "There is no charge for awesomeness. Or adorableness."

Paint me a picture

Another neat meme from Alyndabear:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.



1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. What you want to be when you grow up?
9. What do you love most in life?

1. Velociraptor portrait, 2. ice- cream anyone ?, 3. A Dawg's Life, 4. Unchained Melody, 5. clive owen, 6. Glass, 7. heaven's tree, 8. mother-baby bathtime - dscf8133, 9. wedding ring

But can something be new and classic at the same time?

I stole this "new classic movies" meme from the lovely Cadiz. I have no idea who got to decide what movies made the list, but I hadn't seen this one before, so I figured it would be interesting. Feel free to steal!

Mark the ones you've seen with italics and the ones you particularly enjoyed in bold. I made them blue, too, since they didn't stand out that much in just italics.

1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
2. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-03)
3. Titanic (1997)
4. Blue Velvet (1986)
5. Toy Story (1995)
6. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
7. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
8. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) So creeeeeeeeeepy, Clarice.
9. Die Hard (1988)
10. Moulin Rouge (2001) Roooooooooxxxaaaannnnnnnnnnnne!
11. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
12. The Matrix (1999)
13. GoodFellas (1990)
14. Crumb (1995)
15. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
16. Boogie Nights (1997)
17. Jerry Maguire (1996)
18. Do the Right Thing (1989)
19. Casino Royale (2006)
20. The Lion King (1994)
21. Schindler's List (1993) I feel like it would be weird to say I enjoyed this movie, but I did think it was heartbreaking and brilliant.
22. Rushmore (1998)
23. Memento (2001)
24. A Room With a View (1986)
25. Shrek (2001)
26. Hoop Dreams (1994)
27. Aliens (1986)
28. Wings of Desire (1988)
29. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
30. When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
31. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
32. Fight Club (1999)
33. The Breakfast Club (1985)
34. Fargo (1996)
35. The Incredibles (2004)
36. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
37. Pretty Woman (1990)
38. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) I love Kate Winslet so much.
39. The Sixth Sense (1999) I really appreciated the twist, but it's sort of only effective that first time.
40. Speed (1994)
41. Dazed and Confused (1993)
42. Clueless (1995)
43. Gladiator (2000)
44. The Player (1992)
45. Rain Man (1988)
46. Children of Men (2006)
47. Men in Black (1997) Tommy Lee Jones is the man.
48. Scarface (1983)
49. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
50. The Piano (1993)
51. There Will Be Blood (2007)
52. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad (1988)
53. The Truman Show (1998)
54. Fatal Attraction (1987)
55. Risky Business (1983)
56. The Lives of Others (2006)
57. There’s Something About Mary (1998) Thought it was overrated.
58. Ghostbusters (1984)
59. L.A. Confidential (1997)
60. Scream (1996) I'll be right back!
61. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
62. sex, lies and videotape (1989)
63. Big (1988) I've actually seen this, but it's been so long that I barely remember anything about it.
64. No Country For Old Men (2007)
65. Dirty Dancing (1987)
66. Natural Born Killers (1994)
67. Donnie Brasco (1997)
68. Witness (1985)
69. All About My Mother (1999)
70. Broadcast News (1987)
71. Unforgiven (1992)
72. Thelma & Louise (1991)
73. Office Space (1999) Excuse me, I believe you have my stapler.
74. Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
75. Out of Africa (1985) We watched this in English / history class in 11th grade, and I remember being really effin' bored.
76. The Departed (2006)
77. Sid and Nancy (1986)
78. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
79. Waiting for Guffman (1996)
80. Michael Clayton (2007)
81. Moonstruck (1987)
82. Lost in Translation (2003) Totally did not get the hype about this damn movie.
83. Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987)
84. Sideways (2004)
85. The 40 Year-Old Virgin (2005) This was way better than I thought it would be.
86. Y Tu Mamá También (2002)
87. Swingers (1996)
88. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
89. Breaking the Waves (1996)
90. Napoleon Dynamite (2004) Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate.
91. Back to the Future (1985)
92. Menace II Society (1993)
93. Ed Wood (1994)
94. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
95. In the Mood for Love (2001)
96. Far From Heaven (2002)
97. Glory (1989)
98. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
99. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
100. South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (1999) Not as funny as I expected.

It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye *

Our whole group of friends is pretty big on party games and board games, so MB and I have been on the lookout for something new and fun. A few weeks ago I had a 25% off coupon for Borders, so I gave MB a short list of the games they had that looked interesting and he picked Wits and Wagers. We took it on our camping trip, and tonight we took it over to my parents' house. It was a huge hit both times, and we definitely recommend it!

In the spirit of talking about good games, here's a Scattergories meme that a friend sent me last week:


Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following.
They have to be real places, names, things...nothing made up!

You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

1. What is your name?   velocibadgergirl

2. A four-letter word?   vile

3. A boy's name?   Victor

4. A girl's name?   Veronica

5. Occupation?   ventriloquist

6. Color?   violet

7. Something you wear?   Velcro shoes

8. Beverage?   vermouth

9. Food?   Velveeta. Does that even count as food?

10. Something found in a bathroom?   Veet



*And then it's fun with no depth perception!

Alphapathetical

Day three of Nablo and I'm already resorting to memes? Does not bode well.

I stole this from the lovely Alyndabear, whom I believe I met through the first Nablopomo. Hooray for blog friendships!


A. Attached or Single? Attached

B. Best Friend? I am lucky to have quite a few of these!

C. Cake or pie? Yes, please! Actually, I do prefer cake.

D. Day of choice? Hmmm...I can't say I really have a favorite day of the week right now.

E. Essential item? Something to read

F. Favorite color? Yellow

G. Gummy bears or worms? Ooh, hard choice. Worms!

H. Hometown? Nice try!

I. Favorite indulgence? Starbucks chai lattes

J. January or July? That's a hard one, because I dislike both extreme heat and extreme cold. I guess I'll go with July.

K. Kids? Someday

L. Life isn’t complete without? Love

M. Marriage date? August 7, 2004

N. Number of brothers and sisters? One sister, who turned 22 last month and wants to get her PhD in math

O. Oranges or Apples? I'm terrible and rarely eat either, but I prefer apples.

P. Phobias? I'm not really afraid of heights, but I don't really enjoy them either.

Q. Quotes? "Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone; it has to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new." -- Ursula K. LeGuin

R. Reasons to smile? The trees are beautiful. My family and friends are mostly healthy and happy. I have a wonderful husband and pets that are only rotten some of the time. Life is pretty damn good.

S. Season of choice? Fall, no contest

T. Truth or dare? I always, always choose truth.

U. Unknown fact about me? I have anxiety when it comes to speaking in front of people, but only when it's official-like. I can stand up in front of a room of 60 kids and their parents and have no problems. I can (and do) give public science programs without breaking a sweat. But put me at a podium in front of a crowd and I practically hyperventilate. It's pretty annoying.

V. Vegetable? Cooked baby carrots are my favorite

W. Worst habit? I talk a lot. Like, A LOT.

X. X-ray or Ultrasound? I've only ever had X-Rays so far.

Y. Your favorite food? Ice cream

Z. Zodiac sign? Pisces! According to wikipedia this means I am malleable / impressionable, gentle, good natured / easygoing, likeable / kind, compassionate / sympathetic, sensitive, impractical / dreamy, instinctive / intuitive, imaginative / artistically able, versatile, gullible / naive / easily led, spiritual, escapist, selfless. I'd say I used to be pretty impressionable and easily led, though not so much any more. I'd like to think I'm relatively good natured, intuitive, imaginative, and versatile. Not sure about the rest.


Feel free to steal, and leave me a comment so I know to come and read your list!


Reading:  Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 by David Petersen

Playing:  More Adventurous by Rilo Kiley

Seven Deadly Memes

Way back in April, Suzie tagged me for the seven random things meme. Because I suck and have the memory of a gnat for things I don't write down, I totally spaced it until just a few minutes ago, when I had to stare quizzically at my blogroll and try to remember who had tagged me and how long ago.

I've been tagged for this one before, but it's been a while, so I figured I could surely come up with some more random things to share. Not that I have anything as cool as Suzie's story about finding a human skull. No, seriously.

1. I have never seen The Wizard of Oz or The Sound of Music all the way through.

2. I talked to a woman on the phone today (at work) who wanted to know if there was anyone on staff who could tell her what kind of fossil she had found. She was pretty sure it was a fossilized sna ke head with sn ake skin just under the surface (highly unlikely), and wanted to know if we knew of anyone who would do DNA testing. On the fossil. Which is A ROCK. This actually was not the weirdest at-work request I've received. (I'm spacing "sn ake" out funny because I really don't want her to google her fossil and find me)

3. Things I don't like to eat / drink:  broccoli, lemons, potatoes, shrimp, lobster, steak, coffee, beer, wine

4. I read pretty much all the time. If there's even a smidge of a chance that I'll be waiting somewhere, I take a book. If I don't have a book, I'll read whatever I can get my hands on, including product boxes.

5. I had a roommate in college who always matched her underwear to her shirt. Even though no one else would see it, if she went to put on her shirt and couldn't find one to match her underwear, she'd change her underwear. To this day, if I go to the bathroom and discover that I've inadvertently matched my knickers to my shirt, I think fondly of her.

6. I used to think I was going to go to grad school and get a masters degree in ecosystem rehabilitation. I still think it's a ridiculously cool field, but I'm kind of glad I didn't do it.

7. Even though I like birds in general, and am fond of them on principle, I prefer them to be over there, away from me. If a bird gets within a few feet of me, I can pretty much guarantee I'm going to be freaked out.


If you have random things to share, please consider yourself tagged (and drop me a comment or email so I can read your meme!). Thanks again, Suzie. Sorry it took me so long to get to this!

Complimentary

Antonia at Whoopee did a great post today with a list of the nicest things people have ever said to her, and suggested that others write their own. Here are mine:


"You don't throw like a girl."

(Boy in my 10th grade gym class who incidentally picked me NOT LAST for his team. I did have a crappy football throw, but I tried really hard and I guess it counted for something.)


"You're way prettier than Uma Thurman. She's ugly compared to you!"

(MB, when drunk, which means he was being absolutely honest.)


"She's a good writer. You need to keep an eye on her."

(One of the most respected English professors at my university, to my advisor. One of my mentors told me that having him say you're a good writer is like having the Pope say you're a good Catholic. Too bad I never made anything of myself.)


"Ah. You're the girl with the funny jokes!"

(Tim Cahill, at a writers' retreat where I met him and shot the shit around a campfire one night. ZOMG. I still can't believe this one.)


"You're not like a regular grownup. You're cool. You're kind of like a kid, like us!"

(a girl at my old Girl Scout Camp on Thursday, where the bibliophile and I were serving as guest nature counselors, an adventure which I hope to have time to write about tomorrow night :P)

You've got red on you

Kickass zombie meme stolen from the fabulous kerrianne:

You are in a mall when the zombies attack. You have:

1. One weapon.
2. One song blasting on the speakers.
3. One famous person to fight alongside you.

Weapon can be real or fictional; you may assume endless ammo if applicable. Person can be real or fictional.

1. I want a baseball bat. Blunt, heavy, little finesse required.

2. "The Perfect Drug" by Nine Inch Nails

3. Unless BoMB counts as a famous person, I'll take Clive Owen's character from Shoot 'Em Up.

Tagging:  anyone who wants to be prepared when the zombie apocalypse comes


Quite possibly the best Flickr set ever: Stormtroopin'


Reading:  The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry


Playing:  Disc One:  All Their Greatest Hits by Barenaked Ladies

Memery, all alone in the moonlight

Swiped from Charlotte.

1. What is your occupation? science geek, nontraditional educator

2. What color are your socks right now? No socks at the moment

3. What are you listening to right now? The Deadliest Catch on TV. I freaking love this show.

4. What is the last thing you ate? a Dove dark chocolate raspberry caramel

5. Can you drive stick shift? Not that I'm aware

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? yellow

7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? MB

8. What’s your favorite yoga pose? downward dog split

9. How old are you today? 27

10. Favorite drink? favorite every day drink = milk, favorite special drink = chai lattes

11. What is your favorite sport to watch? professional football

12. Have you ever dyed your hair? I dyed the ends of my hair blue once, then got on a plane to London. When I got off the plane, the dye was gone. Just gone. Weirdest damn thing.

13. Pets? just this guy

14. Favorite cake? cheesecake!

15. Last movie you saw? 27 Dresses. It was better than expected!

16. Favorite day of the year? It varies year to year, of course. I always look forward to Thanksmas.

17. How do you vent anger? Sometimes I have to write it out. Other times I can just be pissed off for a little while and then I get over it.

18. What was your favorite toy as a child? Hmmm...I guess my teddy bear, Kissy Bear

19. Autumn or spring? Autumn all the way

20. Hugs or kisses? Depends on the person giving them, to be honest

21. Cherry or blueberry? Cherry, unless we're talking muffins

22. Living arrangements? I live in a house with my husband and our large fluffy cat.

23. Last time you cried? There were a few anecdotes in the book I finished today that made me feel a little teary.

24. What is on the floor of your closet? Neatly arranged shoes, and a basket of shoes. I don't really have that many pairs, though.

25. Who is the friend you’ve had the longest? I met the bibliophile in Kindergarten.

26. Favorite smell? rain

27. Who or what inspires you? people who work to make a difference in the world

28. What are you afraid of? losing my loved ones

29. Hamburgers? sometimes

30. Favorite car? I'm pretty fond of my CR-V.

31. Number of keys on your key ring? Personal:  five Work:  four, plus about ten more that I only use occasionally and keep in my desk drawer

32. How many years at your current job? Full time 2 years and three months, super part time 6 years before that

33. Favorite day of the week? depends on the week

34. How many countries have you lived in? Just the US, though I've visited England and Canada

35. Dream job? writer


Reading:  Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank (and other words of delicate Southern wisdom) by Celia Rivenbark

Playing:  a little Cake, a little Live, a little Godsmack, and some Decemberists

The Photobucket Meme

Stolen from Profgrrrrl.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Go to Photobucket
2. Type in your answer to the question in the “search” box.
3. Use only the first page.
4. Insert the picture into your Blog.


1. What is your relationship status?

2. What is your current mood?

3. Who is your Favorite Band/Artist?

4. What is your favorite movie?

5. What kind of pet do you have?

6. Where do you live?

7. Where do you work?

8. What do you look like?

9. What do you drive?

10. What did you do last night?

11. What is your favorite TV show?

12. Describe yourself:

13. What are you doing today?

14. What is your name?

+ +

15. What is your favorite candy?

16. What is your favorite drink?

The movie meme

This meme has been going around, and it's new to me, so I stole it from the fabulous Alison at Party of 3:

The rules:

* Pick 10 (or so) of your favorite movies.
* Find, remember, or look up a quote from each movie.
* Post them here for everyone to guess.
* Strike it out (I'm going to turn them green instead) when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.
* NO googling or cheating by doing an online search. Cheaters never prosper.
* Commenters should share the fun and only guess one movie.

1.  "This happens to be a Nocturne. You know, Frederic fucking Chopin."

My homegirl M knew that this was from the fantastic film Tombstone. She's my huckleberry.


2.  "Do you think they are using the same wind we are using?"

Blogapotamus Rex knew that this line came from The Princess Bride. She's smiling because she knows something you don't know. (She is not left-handed either.)


3.  "Really? I live in Queens. Did you put that together yourself, Einstein, or have you got a team of monkeys working around the clock on this?"

Alison fingered The Usual Suspects. Back when she was picking beans in Guatemala, they used to make coffee right off the trees.


4.  "With Mars your ruler in the ascendancy, you will get wiped out in a freak napalming incident and Helen says bollocks to you."

Daisy Jo made my day by picking this out as a quote from Sliding Doors, the movie MB and I watched on our first date. Daisy Jo remembers what the Monty Python boys always say...


5.  "I killed the president of Paraguay with a fork. How have you been?"

Blogapotamus Rex identified this as a line from the superb Grosse Pointe Blank. She doesn't want to join your little club. She's a lone wolf, lone gunman, get it?


6.  "Well, Pete, it's a fool who looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart."

I can't believe this one went last, but rabidmonkey finally picked it as a quote from the wonderful O Brother Where Art Thou. She has seen things that are not to be believed, like a cow on top of a cotton shed.


7.  "The All-Father wove the skein of your life a long time ago. Go and hide in a hole if you wish, but you won't live one instant longer. Your fate is fixed. Fear profits a man nothing."

My favorite otaku knew that this is a line from The Thirteenth Warrior. She is an ambassador, dammit! She is supposed to talk to people!


8.  "You whine like a mule. You are still alive."

Hoochie M also picked this one out, from Robin Hood:  Prince of Thieves. She's going to cut your heart out with a spoon!


9.  "The ratio of people to cake is too big."

Bianca knew that this muttered complaint is from Office Space. She asked for a mai tai, and you gave her a piña colada. She might put strychnine in the guacamole.


10.  "Chevy didn't make a 327 in '55, the 327 didn't come out till '62. And it wasn't offered in the Bel Air with a four-barrel carb 'til '64. However, in 1964, the correct ignition timing would be four degrees before top-dead-center."

Bianca also nailed this line from My Cousin Vinny. She wants you to imagine that you're a deer. You put your little deer lips down to the cool, clear water...