The meme stops here

Okay, random facts time. Let’s get this over with.

Note: I am not tagging anyone as a result of being tagged by two people to do this meme. From the comments I received, it sounds as if that would put us all in therapy. And we don’t want that again, do we?

So here it is: 15 random facts about me, by popular demand. I must say these are pretty pedestrian questions. If you only knew what you could have asked! (And what I would have declined to answer.)

1. If chocolate was suddenly wiped off the face of the earth and you had no way of ever, ever savoring it again, what would you do?

I think I would have a little cry (trust me, that would be tough) and then switch to white wine. Cheap German stuff is fine.

2. Would it be legal?

I’ve been the legal drinking age for quite some time. In fact I was grandfathered in when Ohio changed the legal drinking age to 21, and it drove my lush of a college roommate crazy that I didn’t drink alcohol at all.

3. Aside from chocolate, is there any other foody, beveragey type that you go crazy for?

I’ve already mentioned the wine. So for this one, let’s say big honking tiger shrimp, preferably beached in some fettucine alfredo.

4. Where is the furthest you’ve traveled to?

North: a half hour north of Escanaba, Michigan.
East: Brussels, Belgium. (To fly home from Paris.)
South: Freeport, the Bahamas.
West: Phoenix, Arizona.

5. Share a picture of yourself that you love! (anytime, anyplace)

This predates the digital camera, so you’ll have to wait for it while I take a picture of a print. It will be from a photo shoot my husband did when I was in labor with Jack, in 2004. This would be a digital picture of a black and white print, though, so maybe you’ll just have to use your imagination.

6. Then share one that you don’t love!

I don’t know which one this will be yet. But don’t hold your breath.

7. What was the first item you knit?

I knit this wonderful garter stitch scarf for myself in the summer of 2005. Four skeins of German superwash something or other, plus fringe. I wanted it to be as long as the Doctor Who (Tom Baker) scarf. With the little leftover yarn I learned to purl, and made a tiny scarf for my daughter.

8. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A professional baseball player. And God bless them, no one ever rained on that parade, they let me figure it out for myself. I am truly gender blind when it comes to some things. It took me many years before I noticed there weren’t any girls out there.

9. As an adult, what do you want to be when you grow up?

I want to raise animals, and spin, dye, and sell their yarn. Sheep, llamas, alpacas, Samoyeds, Newfoundlands, Collies, whatever.

10. What was the first movie you saw in the theatre?

Bambi? Wait, I have to go ask my mother. I’ll be right back. But I remember watching Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid at the drive-in with my parents. There was also the time we went to see Charlotte’s Web at the same drive-in and I turned around to see Moonraker. (Note: Mom doesn’t remember the movie either. She did remember Charlotte’s Web, though.)

11. What’s your pron star name? (first pet’s name + street you grew up on = pron name)

Boots Southampton. Veddy English don’t you think? Makes me think of this.

12. What TV or movie character do you feel is closest to you?

Marge Simpson.

13. Or do you strive to be most like?

Laura Holt, please!

14. Will this get you started?

Yes, thank you.

15. I wanna know…if you had to pick ONE type/brand of chocolate, what would it be?

My favorite is Ritter Sport Dark Chocolate with Marzipan. But I am such a sucker for anything with Special Dark on the label. Cocoa, baking chips, kisses filled with cherry cordial, the new Kissables (even though I don’t like Kissables) … you name it. Someday I am going to Hershey, Pennsylvania, and making a total pig of myself.

OK, I get it, I’m it!!

I have been tagged by Ann for 8 random facts, and by Michele for 7 random facts. Does this mean I have to tell everyone 15 things, or should the 8 just include the 7?

And if I’m choosing the facts to present, are they truly random? Sounds like observer effect to me, which is why I’m not going to tag Lisa. She won’t be able to stop with the random facts (she knows too damn much), and she’s on deadline right now about three different ways, so far as I can tell.

How about I answer 7 or 8 questions from commenters? I reserve the right to limit details, but here’s your chance to pry a little and get away with it. Ask away, and I’ll get random on the next post.

Which was going to be Food for Thursday, but NOOOOOOOO.

Iron on Wednesday

Does anyone remember the little verse that told you what day of the week was for washing, for ironing, for mending? I don’t know if Wednesday is really supposed to be ironing day, but it seems like all my ironing must be done today or else.

I got two more vertical sashings sewn on to the T-shirt panels last night, then realized that I had better iron everything I had already done before I did any more, or I was in danger of creating a huge mess. Hand stitching isn’t hard to pick out, but ripping out machine stitching really bites. So I’ll have to iron those.

While I had the sewing machine out, I grabbed two fat quarters and started putting together a reversible drawstring bag for the Hopeful Pages Project. I was so sure I could put together something nice with just two fat quarters and no cutting. If it works out, I’ll post the pattern. I am not really Little Miss Sewing Machine, so it took me at least a month to come up with something so simple that I thought I could do it. (Of course, I haven’t done it yet.) So I have to press the drawstring and the bag fabric before I can go on to the next step.

Tomorrow is the school Mass celebrating all the second graders who have made their First Communion at all the different parishes. I actually remembered to buy lemonade for the reception. But the kids will arrive at this Mass dressed as they were on their First Communion day, and change into regular clothes afterwards. So I have to press his dress shirt and slacks. (And tomorrow I will have to make it through Mass with the Wonder Twins and Big Tom, but that’s a whole other headache, and it doesn’t happen until tomorrow.)

I woke up really early today and got to work on my Harlot-recipe salt and pepper socks while it was still quiet. I am still on the ribbing for the first sock. I am supposed to knit 2 inches and so far I have 1.5 inches according to a red plastic Star Wars ruler, which is the first ruler I could find without leaving the living room.

Tom has been eating like a pig since we got the orders to stuff him. Over the last few days he has had toddler formula, applesauce, instant mashed potatoes, off-brand cheerios, strawberry yogurt, bread, fried eggs, and baked macaroni and cheese. Right now he is making a glorious mess of some honey-flavored Teddy Grahams.

Thanks to everyone for granting me a Stash Emergency Exemption I didn’t even ask for. I do feel much better now. If I don’t make it to September or October or whatever, I won’t beat myself up too much.

Spam Quote of the Day

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Yeah, that’s great design at work. It was tough to click on “Quentin.” Thanks for your recognition of my hours of labor.