But those are all Imponderables, and best left for another day when I'm not feeling so snarky. And fussy. And Over It.
Instead, let's have some fun, Quicky Questions for a fluffy post. Here we go.
1. Favourite Colour?
Red
2. Reading?
The new biography of Oscar Wilde, Oscar Wilde: A Life by Matthew Sturgis is being delivered tomorrow!
3. Streaming/Watching?
ER
4. Wine?
(Yes, please.) We've found a label we really like, Z. Alexander Brown, out of California. I'm back onto cabernet sauvignon for my all-purpose red and (Barton & Guestier) vouvray for my AP white.
5. Latest Food Obsession?
Haagen Dazs Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Making my own spice blend coffee
6. What will you miss about summer?
Boating
7. Which childhood dream of yours did you fulfill?
Among others, I became a teacher.
8. What historical figure do you wish you could go back in time and meet?
President Abraham Lincoln
9. What three words can describe you well?
Intelligent, kind, impatient
10. Did you play a sport in school?
Oh, heck no.
11. What's the last thing you bought for yourself?
The aforementioned book and two cozy cardigan sweaters.
12. Are there places you do or don't shop/patronize because of your political beliefs?
Absolutely. I believe in voting with my wallet.
13. Do you like your name? If not, what do you wish your name was?
Hate, hate, hate my given name. I wanted to be named Samantha, which was my grandmother's name for me.
14. What popular phrase or saying really gets on your nerves?
It is what it is.
15. You find a hundred dollar bill in your mailbox. What will you do with it?
I put it in my wallet and wait for the time to come when I want or need something unexpectedly.
Your turn. I can't wait to see your responses to any or all of these Quicky Questions in Comments.
Ooo - fun! Although at least one of these questions made me a little sad (read on to see which one!)
ReplyDelete1. Favourite Colour?
Apparently blue. But sometimes purple.
2. Reading?
The new Robert Galbraith novel (JK Rowling's pseudonym). I like the series, about a private investigator in London.
3. Streaming/Watching?
Post season baseball!
4. Wine?
No!
5. Latest Food Obsession?
Adding raisins and sunflower seeds to my salads
6. What will you miss about summer?
It still being light outside when I get home from work.
7. Which childhood dream of yours did you fulfill?
The only childhood dream I remember is wanting to be a librarian. My high school killed that dream. I was an otherwise good student who did terribly in her library science class – the fault may have been mine, but I think she just wasn’t a very good teacher. I decided I was too dumb to be a librarian, so I got an accounting degree instead – ha!
8. What historical figure do you wish you could go back in time and meet?
Mary Magdelene
9. What three words can describe you well?
Kind, responsible, funny
10. Did you play a sport in school?
Nope – and the idea of it makes me laugh.
11. What's the last thing you bought for yourself?
Lucky Charms & milk last night at our emergency run to CVS (we’re on vacation at the beach).
12. Are there places you do or don't shop/patronize because of your political beliefs?
Yup.
13. Do you like your name? If not, what do you wish your name was?
I do now. When I was young I didn’t know any other Danas and I didn’t like that at all. I tried to go by my middle name (Marie).
14. What popular phrase or saying really gets on your nerves?
I can’t think of anything – sadly, I tend to “acquire” popular phrases so I might be the one using one that bugs you.
15. You find a hundred dollar bill in your mailbox. What will you do with it?
YARN. Ooo – the possibilities!
Bug--I like your name. I'd prefer it over my own.
DeleteI'm sorry about your Librarian Dreams, and that one class or teacher was so pivotal. But maybe it was the class that showed you how being a librarian wasn't exactly what you thought it would be. I know I thought being a librarian was hanging out with books, recommending good books, and putting them back on the shelf. Oh, and using that cool date stamp. If only, right?
I knew you'd buy yarn with your hundred bucks. What a fun splurge!
I was rereading my answers & realized that I left out the word LIBRARIAN - she was the teacher. I think it was just a sort of made up class for us to have choices for electives. My grades were poor on the Dewey Decimal system test - my memory is that she didn't prep us very well for that test, but I could have just been a flibbertigibbet (I was a freshman). BUT being a librarian means LOTS of customer service & I would be terrible that. So she saved me. Ha!
Delete1. Favourite Colour?
ReplyDeleteBlue
2. Reading?
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
3. Streaming/Watching?
Great British Bake Off newest season
4. Wine?
Nope! Don't drink alcohol.
5. Latest Food Obsession?
Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream (Jewel brand but delicious!)
6. What will you miss about summer?
nothing
7. Which childhood dream of yours did you fulfill?
I wanted to be a Mom and I am.
8. What historical figure do you wish you could go back in time and meet?
??
9. What three words can describe you well?
Funny, Kind, Helpful
10. Did you play a sport in school?
No organized sports for girls in my youth!
11. What's the last thing you bought for yourself?
More comfortable bras!
12. Are there places you do or don't shop/patronize because of your political beliefs?
Yes, no Walmart, no Sam's Club, no Hobby Lobby for me.
13. Do you like your name? If not, what do you wish your name was?
I don't mind my name because it was my Grandma's name!
14. What popular phrase or saying really gets on your nerves?
I can't stand to hear anything from the anti-vaxers and the Big Lie believers.
15. You find a hundred dollar bill in your mailbox. What will you do with it?
Save it like you would for unexpected expenses...
Ellen--Is there really such a thing as a comfortable bra? I hate them all, and I'm small up top.
DeleteI'm so glad there's a new British Baking Show available; now, if I could just get away from ER to watch it. We are obsessed with finishing that series. It's so good. BBS will be our dessert.
You and I are not very adventurous or fun with our found money, are we? We both have lived through more than a few lean times, perhaps, or we just know that things always crop up.
Co1or: b1ue a1ways b1ue
ReplyDeleteReading: Streaming: podcasts: 9/11 Radio 1ab: tha1idimide and another on K1eptotherms Very interesting
Food obsession: carame1 app1es
What wi11 I miss about summer?: Padd1eboarding and baseba11 CUBBIES
Historica1 figure: You know me. I want to meet Mrs Donner and hear about what rea11y happened that trip....
kathy b--You're in good company; lots of commenters here are fans of blue.
DeleteI haven't had a caramel apple in years and years. Even just a cut up apple dipped in caramel. I've kind of gone off caramel in general. More for you!
When I answered Boating, I was thinking about your paddleboarding and wondering if your season was all done. We are pulling our boat this weekend, weather permitting.
Interesting choice for your historical figure. I wonder, though, if you'd get a straight story from her.
I don't usually do or like these kind of questionnaires or memes to post on internet aiding trackers collecting personal info about each of us, but will make an exception.
ReplyDeleteCyan is my favorite color. My favorite book is usually whatever I'm reading at the moment but was always enamored with "Animal Farm". I'm not streaming or watching anything particular right now -- oops, Doc Martin on PBS. I like wine but don't drink regularly. No food obsessions presently but have had for dark chocolate covered almonds, other times potato stik. Will just miss the seasonal variation summer offers. Childhood dream of traveling around U.S., out of country partly satisfied as never enough. No particular historical figure comes to mind. Liked playing sports but no opportunity of organized team. Good-natured, happy, optimistic. Last bought some blouses. Vote with my wallet, too. My name with two words became a pain for others spelling it correctly in digital world; rather liked the idea of Lee when young. Word "like" before every phrase & "you know what I'm saying?" Would keep $100 bill for future.
Joared--I love Doc Martin. We stream an episode of that every now and then, even if it's one we've already seen. My mom is addicted to that show.
DeleteUgh, the dreaded "like"! I just watched an interview with an Afghan woman, transplanted to the US in New Hampshire, where she has set up an internet school to teach other Afghan women to code. She was well-spoken, except for peppering her speech with the word "like". It's so pervasive!
1. Favorite color?
ReplyDelete~Purple
2. Reading?
~Actually, started reading a short story by Poe...Ligeia - wonder who suggested that?
3. Streaming/Watching?
~NCIS
4. Wine?
~No
5. Latest Food Obsession?
~White chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.
6. What will you miss about summer?
~nothing!
7. Which childhood dream of yours did you fulfill?
~A mother of two...boy & girl
8. What historical figure do you wish you could go back in time and meet?
~Too many... Shakespeare, Twain, Poe, Disney, Einstein Jefferson. (Just to name a few)
9. What three words can describe you well?
~Tired, wrinkled, but happy. (I can count...that's four)
10. Did you play a sport in school?
~Tennis
11. What's the last thing you bought for yourself?
~A cheeseburger.
12. Are there places you do or don't shop/patronize because of your political beliefs?
~I try to boycott Hobby Lobby for my own personal reason that they stopped selling Halloween crafts. I know they have the right, but so do I.
13. Do you like your name? If not, what do you wish your name was?
~I like it. I'm named after my mom's sister.
14. What popular phrase or saying really gets on your nerves?
~Anything that begins with "so". So this is it? So what about tomorrow? So now what do we do?
15. You find a hundred dollar bill in your mailbox. What will you do with it?
~Go out for dinner.
Anni--I hope you enjoy "Ligeia" even though I ruined the twist ending for you. I love Poe, and hate that his legacy and character were so tarnished by one single man, Rufus Griswold, a jealous contemporary with an axe to grind. I wrote about our relationship here.
DeleteI laughed that you bought yourself a cheeseburger. I hope it was terrific! I can't remember the last time I had one. I'm often so disappointed in them that I've just given up.
As a former English and writing teacher and a writer/editor, I should really dislike the "So..." construct. But I have to say, I like it. I like the casual suddenness of it, the intimacy of sort of coming in on a conversation that feels like it's already been in progress. "So I bought this pillow on Amazon." Immediately I'm in the middle! I like it.
Dee--I'll be sure to check out your post, and I'm glad to help!
ReplyDeleteI detest that horrid tree. It completely dictates what we can plant IN OUR VERY OWN YARD because of the juglone (toxic chemical) the tree exudes from all roots, bark, fronds, and fruit. And that tree is enormous.
Green!
ReplyDeleteI've been reading too many emails lately. :)
Always wine! New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs---all of them.
No food obsessions
I'll miss nothing about this hot ass summer.
Childhood dream: Being a MOM-check!
Abe would be a great person to chat with.
Funny. Kind. Loyal.
No sports for me either.
I bought 8 shirts for the husband to find the perfect Father Of The Bride shirt. (we were successful!)
Nope.
I like my name: Who wouldn't want to be called Susan? *giggle giggle*
It annoys me to hear someone say after a person passes: "They're going someplace better." Really? I don't think we actually know this.
$100? I'll tip my hairdresser and nail tech next week!
I hope you get your fall soon!
Suz--I have come to like green quite a bit. My bathroom is light green both at home and at the lake. I plan to redo the bedroom a very, VERY pale green. I find it serene and soothing.
DeleteLove New Zealand sauv blancs, too, especially with tuna or raw oysters. SO GOOD.
I agree with you about "They're going someplace better". As a matter of fact, I find 90% of what people say upon the death of someone to be absolutely terrible. Most people should merely say, "I'm so sorry" and then shut the hell up.
You bought 8 shirts for the husband, but what was the last thing you bought FOR YOURSELF?
Makeup and a new blow dryer---I'm not sharing either.
DeleteSuz--They are all yours. (Although, a few of us here are fixated on finding the perfect mascara, so at least tell us what works for you.)
DeleteSorry about your black walnut tree. We have a similar issue with eucalyptus trees behind our house. The leaves poison the dirt, and they are greedy with water and nutrients. I blame that, and the fact that our yard gets mostly shade, punctuated by short intense sun in the late afternoon when it is hot, for the fact that my yard always looks like crap. It’s not that I am lazy and forget to water until the plants are drooping, or that I rarely fertilize, and that my planting is haphazard at best. No, that’s not it at all.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the blog prompt, I went and answered these on my own blog this morning. :-)
J--You are welcome! Glad to help.
DeletePerhaps you can rent a koala family and they can help with your eucalyptus tree problem. I feel like that should be an option even though I know it isn't. But how awesome would that be, and in so many ways?!
I don't know about you in California, but in Ohio, I am All About My Yard in the spring and early summer. Then, the weather gets unrelentingly hot and humid, and I just cannot stand the constant maintenance in the heat. I feel like, "Hey, I gave you a good start; you're Nature at this point. Do your own thing." By the time mid-July rolls around, I'm out. Done. And once the black walnut tree starts dropping effing ALL OF ITSELF all over the place in September, I can't take it anymore.
It's not laziness. It's...what is it? Reaching the limit? Whatever.
I'll be over at your spot soon.
1. Favourite Colour - Red
ReplyDelete2. Reading? Rereading the Diana Gabaldon books, as the next in the series will be out next month. Big books. Also just reread parts of, wait for it, Robinson Crusoe, for book club.
3. Streaming/Watching? I don’t.
4. Wine? I don’t do that either. But we just drove the QE through wine country and I thought of you.
5. Latest Food Obsession? Hummus.
6. What will you miss about summer? Being able to sit out on my screened porch.
7. Which childhood dream of yours did you fulfill? I don’t think I had any. I was a totally prosaic child.
8. What historical figure do you wish you could go back in time and meet? Gloriana.
9. What three words can describe you well? Old. Depressed. Angry.
10. Did you play a sport in school? Basketball, swimming.
11. What's the last thing you bought for yourself? Books
12. Are there places you do or don't shop/patronize because of your political beliefs? No.
13. Do you like your name? If not, what do you wish your name was? Yes. It was my grandmother’s.
14. What popular phrase or saying really gets on your nerves? ‘Like’. Inserted without thought.
15. You find a hundred-dollar bill in your mailbox. What will you do with it? Give it to our local food bank.
Better late than never. I really enjoyed this post and the answers. Although I assume you have seen the warnings about answering these memes in Facebook, etc, where evil souls are setting traps to get your passwords.
MaryG--I'd be surprised if anyone uses anything personal as passwords anymore. I certainly don't. And these ask mostly fleeting things. (Although I love the idea of RedAngryHummus as a password...for anyone!)
DeleteThank you for thinking of me on the QEW (which my old GPS used to quaintly call CUE)! How I miss my NotL and Bench wines. I haven't had a cab franc or a petit verdot in years. Damnable pandemic.
I love your name also. I'd like it, too, for my own.
When you say Gloriana, may I assume you are speaking of Elizabeth I? If not, enlighten me. I'm interested.
It's hard for me to accept that you didn't have any dreams for your future self when you were a child. Perhaps your childhood was just that satisfying; you felt that you'd grow up to be whatever you were meant to. There is something quite sweet about that.
If you are feeling old, depressed, and angry, I hate that for you. I do hope you are taking steps to get to a place where you don't feel that way anymore. I want so much more for you, my dear friend. XO
That is a great password. If I could remember it. Yes, Elizabeth I. That whole era would be fascinating to visit. Not sure, I guess, what the childhood dream query entails. I always knew I would be a teacher - I just accepted that as reality. I tried, from about age eleven, to prepare - public speaking, reading, school subjects in line with Type A certificate. My aunt was a teacher and my mother a lecturer at our local university, so I knew what I needed to learn.
ReplyDeleteI sent the blog an email about the last comment. Family event triggering the impotent rage.
Mary--I'll look for your email. Thank you for writing.
DeleteYou were a very directed and determined little girl! I always dreamed of being a teacher. No one in my family was, and I was very charmed by the whole idea of having my own classroom, my own desk, writing on the board, even grading papers. (That last one--I was so young and stupid! Ha ha!) Mine was a dream before it was a goal. Yours, it sounds, was always a goal.
Oh yes, grading papers. When my kids were babies I worked for a teacher of English as a marker. The school board ran a Grade 13 school (the fifth year of high school, now extinct). I would get 60+ essays at once and a very short turn around. Yeah!
ReplyDeleteWe made it, eh?
Mary--Yes, we did. I was dumb enough to assign all 70+ of my honors students their essays at once. Grading them meant extensive correction and commenting. UGH. It seemed to take forever, and they used to lament about their "bloody/bleeding" papers. I switched to purple ink at one point, but they actually wanted me to go back to red! Even though I tried to balance out by writing positive comments galore, they (like so many of us) focused only on the negative and the final mark.
DeleteThe satisfaction of giving a multiple choice final exam and sending those through the scanner to be machine-graded in less than a minute was dizzying and almost orgasmic at the end of the year.
1. Favourite Colour?
ReplyDeleteIt’s a tie: Dark Teal & Burgundy.
2. Reading?
Heather Cox Richardson’s daily history/politics essays.
3. Streaming/Watching?
Telenovela Perdonar el pasado (= Forgiving the past.)
4. Wine?
Always.
5. Latest Food Obsession?
Anything homemade I can take to work for the days when I have to be there for 14 hours.
6. What will you miss about summer?
Nothing, since it was hotter than hell and I didn’t get a vacation.
7. Which childhood dream of yours did you fulfill?
Living abroad.
8. What historical figure do you wish you could go back in time and meet?
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz.
9. What three words can describe you well?
Intuitive, Caring, Funny
10. Did you play a sport in school?
Nope. Outside of school: Swimming (didn’t like). Water ballet (loved.)
11. What's the last thing you bought for yourself?
A purse organizer.
12. Are there places you do or don't shop/patronize because of your political beliefs?
I try.
13. Do you like your name? If not, what do you wish your name was?
It’s OK, but I would definitely have spelled it with a “K.” If I could have chosen it myself: Olivia.
14. What popular phrase or saying really gets on your nerves?
“OK Boomer” - Especially in the context of technology. I resent the assumption that all Boomers are technologically clueless. We come in many flavours, and while many Boomers don’t know our way around a computer, a lot of us invented the stuff this generation is using today. As for political views, I also highly resent the assumption that we are all followers of The Previous Guy.
15. You find a hundred dollar bill in your mailbox. What will you do with it?
I would do the same as you. ;-)
Ortizzle--Great to see you here. That means that you took a little break, and I'm flattered that you chose to spend some time with me. XO
DeleteI purposely buy purses with no interior pockets. I like to dump everything in the center and dig around. If there are pockets, I have to try and recall which pocket I put stuff in, and it drives me nuts. But then, I don't carry much in my purse at all. I wish I didn't even have one.
I know how you love your telenovelas. I like when you tell us the names. They're wonderful, and they seem way better than the soap operas and primetime dramas that play on US television. Sometimes, I flip around the TV at night and land on UNIMAS or another Spanish-speaking channel, and I love watching the show for a few minutes, no matter what. It's very engaging.
I agree about the dismissive "OK Boomer" when it comes to tech, esp. computers. Of course, most of the teen/twentysomethings do all cyberstuff on their phones now, so their engagement is different. I've not really run into young people thinking I'm a supporter of tfg because of my age, however; perhaps it's more common for you because you're in TX. I could see that.
I'm off now to read about Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. I hate knowing that you're working 14 hours at that place.
Ortizzle - I LOVE Heather Cox Richardson! Such a lovely voice of sanity (and occasional alarm, and often calm).
DeleteI'm intrigued by the purse organizer. Although these days I just carry my phone into stores (it has one of those credit card holders on the back) I still like to have a nice big bag for "extra" junk.
Nance - The purse organizer: lol. I have to carry around a ton of stuff in my purse and I hate having to dig around to find things. The organizer I bought actually has open pockets without a zipper (except for one section in the middle where I dump all my pens and pencils.) The surrounding pockets of the insert are open at the top and only contain one item each that I can easily see: cell phone, clip-on sunglasses for driving (intermittent glare in the mornings), small bottle of aspirin, small bottle of Tums, emergency COVID face mask, mini folding hair brush, lanyard with uni ID and office keys... When I am finally retired, I could probably pare it down for sure.
DeleteThe 14 hours: major re-scheduling issues at the beginning of the semester. I was supposed to be teaching from 9-12 MWF and ended up keeping the class at 9 a.m. but having to take the other 2 classes in the evening due to under-enrollment issues that forced us to cancel my 10-12 intensive course (among others due to students registering so late!) This means I have to leave home at 7 in case there is a major freeway accident) and stay there all day for 2 more classes from 5:30-8:30. The commute is 45 mins. to an hour *one way* if traffic isn't bad. I am just not prepared to go back home during the day since it means 4 hours on the road total, to say nothing of the toll road fees. This has been the semester from hell in so many ways. I am preparing the spring schedule now for all the Lower Level Spanish courses, and I can tell you *I* will not be the sacrificial lamb in the spring. Somebody who lives in Arlington and not far north Dallas can have the pleasure. ;-)
P.S. - My brain is so fried this semester. The telenovela is actually *Vencer* el pasado which is "Overcoming the past." Hmmm... maybe a Freudian slip... :-D
DeleteBug - I have been reading HCR for about a year now. Even when the news is depressing (which it has been lately for sure), she manages to pull out a few nuggets of hope. Her reports should be mandatory for high school and college students of history/political science. And yet, here I am in Texas where history is being re-written and white-washed by the minority Republican party. The Blues are in the majority now, but the rural Reds are in charge due to gerrymandering, voter suppression, etc. *sigh*
DeleteOrtizzle--When I was working, I carried a huge pink beach bag that carried all my detritus like that. It was like a diaper bag but for teachers: pens, pencils, a bit of cash, notebooks, granola and chocolate bars, spare nylons and knee-his, all the stuff needed to sustain life (like your items) just in case along with gradebook, student work, textbook, etc. I hauled that thing around for most of my career. It gave me great pleasure to retire it to the trash.
DeleteI'm sorry for your commute, especially on your late days. How exhausting!
1. Favourite Colour? Teal
ReplyDelete2. Reading? Less by Andrew Sean Greer
3. Streaming/Watching? Psych
4. Wine? Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Noir
5. Latest Food Obsession? Chili-flavored pistachios
6. What will you miss about summer? Rose bushes in bloom
7. Which childhood dream of yours did you fulfill? I'm a writer with people who actually read my words
8. What historical figure do you wish you could go back in time and meet? Amelie Earhart
9. What three words can describe you well? Creative, organized, friendly
10. Did you play a sport in school? Hell no!
11. What's the last thing you bought for yourself? Some hair elastics made specifically for thick hair
12. Are there places you do or don't shop/patronize because of your political beliefs? Yes. Hobby Lobby for one
13. Do you like your name? If not, what do you wish your name was? I like my names, both my legal one and my nickname
14. What popular phrase or saying really gets on your nerves? Ditto yours: It is what it is
15. You find a hundred dollar bill in your mailbox. What will you do with it? Give it the local food bank
Ally--Amelia Earhart is a good one! I'd have a lot of questions for her. I read a lot about her when I was a kid, and she was a favourite Unsolved Mystery term paper topic for my Junior Regulars years ago.
DeleteChili-flavoured pistachios sound like good nibblies with a glass of sauv blanc, icy cold. I find I'm drinking more red now that the heat of summer is past. We're pulling the boat out this weekend, so I know summer really is over.
I'm a big no on Hobby Lobby as well, along with Chick-fil-A, Walmart, ATT, and some local places in our area that I know are owned and run by tfg sympathizers or who are not LGBTQ+ friendly. I feel that it's important.
Glad you're back.