double your meme-sure

Mrs. Figby just tagged me for a meme, or actually, two.

First, The Middle Name Meme:

Rules: You must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have. When you are tagged, you need to write your own blog post containing your own middle name game facts. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged and to read your blog.

F: Freight Train: The mode of travel my now-husband and I chose after college on a cross-country trip. We started in Montana and traveled west to Bend, Oregon. Incredible trip, great scenery, and I was too young and stupid to be scared by the toothless hobo and his 13 year old sidekick (ack!) who offered to let us share their boxcar. Fortunately, I had judgement and we politely declined and stuck to our grain hopper.

R: Rahs. The embarrassing name given to those, like me, who were cheerleaders in our tiny highschool. Sometimes it was repeated, and we were "rah-rahs." (Hey, we were cool! We wore purple leg warmers!)

A: The letter of the first name of some of the most important and beloved people in my life.

N: New Haven. My birthplace and residence until the age of 6. A city I will always champion, even though when I attended college there I was afraid to walk around alone at night, Alex's house was robbed 12 times, and another boyfriend befriended a homeless person who ended up propositioning me one afternoon. It was the 80's, crack epidemic, anyone?

C: Complementary medicine and chronic illness. We call it alternative medicine in this part of the world, but at least in England, it's complementary. I prefer this term, because I don't think an alternative to traditional western medicine has to work alone -- you can use them simultaneously, which I do. I don't think I'd be as strong as I am now without my own experiences with homeopathy, reiki, acupuncture, to name a few. After my own bouts with chronic illness, I will always recommend having an open mind about it.

E: Ethiopia!!!! The birthplace of my wonderful boys. The site of an experience that now seems like it TOTALLY happened to someone else. Except that now we have two other small people in the house.

S: Satanist. I met one in New Haven (and I champion this place why?). He was the president of the New Haven chapter. I learned this while reading the local free paper, because he was meeting with the leader of the National chapter, in New Haven. And I had only a month or so before run into him on the street in front of my college while trying to decide what to do with the bat I had found in my bathroom that afternoon. The bat was in a cardboard box amongst the bushes around the building and the pitch of its cry was so high, passers-by could hear it over the traffic. The Satanist (mind you, I didn't know he was one, yet), offered to take it to one of the professors of the university who famously specialized in bats, among other things. He did. Running into the Satanist again, a few weeks later (I still didn't know he was a follower of Lucifer), I discovered that the professor pronounced the bat very sick, but not rabid, and the Satanist was bummed and brought it home to die. He buried it. He said he was disappointed that there wouldn't be a newspaper article entitled "New Haven Satanist Saves Bat." Really, he said that. I didn't believe he was a Satanist until I read said newspaper. Whew. That was a long letter "S." "S" is also for "Sorry." For going on. So long.

Meme #2. This meme consists of ten questions to be answered.

1. If you could have super powers what would they be and what would you do with them? (Please feel free to be selfish, you do not have to save the world!)

Definitely to go back in time. I wouldn't be able to change history, I could only spectate, but boy would that be interesting! I could go anywhere, anytime, and come back at will. I would be able to understand the language spoken in whatever country I landed in. Is this geeky?

2. Were you to find your self stranded on an island with a CD player…it could happen…what would your top 10 blogger island discs be?

Cat Stevens "Footsteps in the Dark," Ella Fitzgerald sings Cole Porter, Lucinda Williams "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road," A Billy Holiday compilation, Flaming Lips "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots," Gigi/Abyssina Infinite "Zion Roots," The Waterboys "Fisherman's Blues," Beatles Compilation of some sort, B-52's mix my sister made me, World Mix Alex made me.

3. If you were a smell what would it be?

Jasmine tea...

4. What bird would you most like to be?

Chickadee -- small and strong, sings a lot, tolerates all weather, stands up to the jays.

5. If you were a bird who’s head would you poo on?

Mrs. Figby already pooped on Dick Cheney's head, so maybe I'd poop on George's head. I might have to stand in line.

6. Are there any foods that your body craves?

Chocolate chip cookies and apples.

7. What’s your favorite time of year?

Summer. I love sand, ocean, and salt air at a dry (hate humidity) 80 degrees.

8. What’s your favorite time of day?

After the kids are in bed, I've done my ablutions and am reading in bed with Alex. Also have grown to love the time when I put Lire down for a midday nap. It's peaceful, and he's so sweet to watch sleep.

9. If a rest is as good as a change which would you choose?

Well, I love change to shake things up, but I've had A LOT of that lately, so I'm opting for rest these days. I love to sit and stare out the window.

10. If you could have a dinner party and invite any 5 people from the past or present who would they be? (Living or deceased.)

This is like the 10 cd's question. Ok. My deceased Italian grandmother, Nana, who would cook a killer dinner and would LOVE to do it. Plus she'd be so happy to see me, which would feel GREAT. Next, for some reason, Chris Rock comes to mind. He's funny, but because my grandmother would be there, he'd tow the line with the f-word a bit. She would think he was hilarious, though "so bad!" Third guest would be Thich Nhat Han, the Vietnamese Zen Buddhist. He would love Nana, too, and I think I need some of his flower lecturing. Ellen Degeneres -- I don't know how you all feel, but she I think she's great. And funny. And then maybe Nina Simone could play piano and sing after we all dined together.

Now to tag. Seven letters in my middle name, seven bloggers to inflict. How about: New Flower; Fully Operational Battle Station; Babyssinia; Magic and Mayhem; PCOS Baby; Jesus was not a Republican; and An Aussieopian Family?

Comments

[fully operational battle station]

Thanks Erin. Thanks for nothing.

Kidding. I loved your answers. I wish we were neighbors.

Jamie

[leisa]

That was fun, I think I tagged some that you had already tagged. I got a bit confused after all that typing.

[abebech]

I'm working on it!