First, thank you to CoffeeBlue for nominating me for a blog award. What a nice way to introduce yourself as a reader...and turn me on to new blogs! I will confess I suck at these whole blog awards things.* But I like answering questions, so here goes:
1. What is your least favorite chore?
I think I must say cleaning mini-blinds, which is how I got into the whole Whacked Head with the Fan Incident of 2012. But more routinely, I fucking HATE cleaning baby bottles. Really. I think I hate it more than dealing with poop on cloth diapers, because it takes longer on a daily basis, though that might be a toss up. I hate them slightly less now that they contain breastmilk and not Neocate, but the job still sucks, and I should probably pay LG to do it, if I thought she would do a decent job.
2. What is your favorite book?
Oh, you know I'm an English professor right? I don't think I have a favorite book. Or I have multiple favorites. Or something. I just love books. So I'll change your question (sorry!). Some books I've read recently that I would recommend:
A.M. Homes May We Be Forgiven (I haven't finished this, but, holy shit, if I'm going to read things I will never teach, I love Homes [although her famous one with Alice in the title I couldn't make it through the first couple pages--sorry!]); John D'Agata and Jim Fingal, The Lifespan of a Fact (might be the best book of creative nonfiction I have ever read); Olena Kalytiak Davis, And Her Soul Out Of Nothing (poems...my students for next semester will apparently be seeing many of Davis's poems if I ever get around to making a syllabus. ahem). Other stuff on my shelves: Carole Maso, AVA; Cheryl Strayed, Wild; Arielle Greenberg and Rachel Zucker, Home/Birth: A Poemic; T.C. Boyle, The Women; Marcia Aldrich, Companion to an Untold Story; Christine Sneed, Portrait of a Few of the People I've Made Cry. And I'll add The Secret History, Mrs. Dalloway, and The Things They Carried for good measure.
3. If you could wake up tomorrow and magically be successful at a new career, what would it be?
Does it have to be a job that one has actual knowledge about? Because I think I would make a damn good reproductive endocrinologist (if I didn't have to go to med school and actually do IVF and stuff on people). But really, and this should not surprise anyone who reads this blog, I would like to be Dr. Gorgeous in my next life. More seriously, when I thought I wasn't going to get tenure my plan was to go to school to study Library and Info Science (which is probably called something else these days). I could also be a yoga teacher.
4. If you had to live in a US state other than the one you live now (or other than the country you live in now), which would it be and why?
Four seasons (with snow) is a basic living requirement for me. Other than that, I don't have many affinities for particular states, though I would prefer never to live in the South again. I also require a decent public library, a health food store (can't I live closer than an hour away to a Whole Foods or a Trader Joes?!), NPR, and at least one coffee shop. My first job involved none of the above.
5. What are the name(s) of your childhood pets (if you didn't have any, what about your favorite doll or toy)?
I had a dog named Boo and a doll named Rose (named after Rose Wilder Lane, I'm sure).
6. If vacationing on the moon became a thing, would you want to go? (why or why not)
Probably not. I'm a homebody. The moon is far.
7. If you had to pick one food/drink item that you loved, to give up for a year, which would it be (eg, ice cream, coffee, alcohol, pizza)?
Oh, that is just a mean question. The easiest for me to give up would be alcohol (been there, done that); I've also gone that long without coffee; things that have the wheat/dairy combo (pizza!!!!) are much harder to do but much better for me. The part of me that was a pseudo-anorexic really should not do elim diets of any kind. See 2010-2011.
8. What is one of your favorite holiday traditions?
Don't really have one. I like making latkes with LG for Hanukkah, but it's not like a Big Deal or anything. When I was a kid I loved that I got to drink out of a wine glass on Rosh Hashanah; I let LG do the same thing.
9. What is one thing little kid you always wanted for your birthday (or other holiday) that you never got?
Oh, this is a sad silly story. So I desperately wanted a stuffed pig when I was around 8, because I loved Charlotte's Web. And my father bought me a stuffed bunny. A little bitty thing which was for some inexplicable reason pink. And I cut the tail off and the ears off and tried to make it into a pig. My father had a knack for buying me gifts that were like the opposite of what I wanted (i.e. if I said I hated the color yellow, he'd get me a bunch of yellow clothes) even though he loved buying gifts as a mode of parenting. And then my grad school boyfriend bought me a little pink pig that was wearing a t-shirt with the logo from his alma mater, which is now what LG and I use to throw at bugs crawling on her ceiling. You asked.
10. Horror movie, comedy, or drama?
Depends. Although I would say never horror movie (unless we're talking Silence of the Lambs psycho drama horror) but perhaps sci fi. Drama is my preferred genre in general, though I haven't really been able to watch A MOVIE in forever; they're just too long.
11. Beach, mountains, or amusement park?
Beach. Although the last time I went to the shore (LG was maybe 4?) I got one of those inexplicable instant rashes from the sun and sat around itching and generally miserable.
* This particular award goes to writers with small followings. I think mostly I don't read blogs with small followings. But I also don't think that's necessarily indicative of one's readership (i.e. I don't "follow" ANY blogs but I read a ton...and I know personally I have MANY more page views than I have "followers"...one has to do with reading habits, the other with jumping through blogger's hoops). So I'll put some questions out there that I'd love for some of my readers to respond to, and if you choose to do so on your blog, please leave a comment here letting me know and I'll put up a linkie thing (now that I know how to do linkie things) and other folks will stop by to read, and that's always a good thing. Or if you don't have a blog, feel free to comment here w/ your answers.
Some stuff I would like to know about the people who read here:
1. Favorite childhood TV show.
2. Stuff you like to read.
3. Favorite meal that you would cook.
4. Favorite meal that you'd eat at a restaurant.
5. Describe your house. Either current or childhood.
6. Who was your favorite teacher and why?
7. Favorite class you took in college (okay, I'm lame, but I'd still like to know).
8. Favorite time of day. And/or year.
9. If you could save any object from a home fire--other than family photos or laptop--what would it be?
10. Why do you read blogs?
11. What do you want to know about me? Answer it for yourself...
1. What is your least favorite chore?
I think I must say cleaning mini-blinds, which is how I got into the whole Whacked Head with the Fan Incident of 2012. But more routinely, I fucking HATE cleaning baby bottles. Really. I think I hate it more than dealing with poop on cloth diapers, because it takes longer on a daily basis, though that might be a toss up. I hate them slightly less now that they contain breastmilk and not Neocate, but the job still sucks, and I should probably pay LG to do it, if I thought she would do a decent job.
2. What is your favorite book?
Oh, you know I'm an English professor right? I don't think I have a favorite book. Or I have multiple favorites. Or something. I just love books. So I'll change your question (sorry!). Some books I've read recently that I would recommend:
A.M. Homes May We Be Forgiven (I haven't finished this, but, holy shit, if I'm going to read things I will never teach, I love Homes [although her famous one with Alice in the title I couldn't make it through the first couple pages--sorry!]); John D'Agata and Jim Fingal, The Lifespan of a Fact (might be the best book of creative nonfiction I have ever read); Olena Kalytiak Davis, And Her Soul Out Of Nothing (poems...my students for next semester will apparently be seeing many of Davis's poems if I ever get around to making a syllabus. ahem). Other stuff on my shelves: Carole Maso, AVA; Cheryl Strayed, Wild; Arielle Greenberg and Rachel Zucker, Home/Birth: A Poemic; T.C. Boyle, The Women; Marcia Aldrich, Companion to an Untold Story; Christine Sneed, Portrait of a Few of the People I've Made Cry. And I'll add The Secret History, Mrs. Dalloway, and The Things They Carried for good measure.
3. If you could wake up tomorrow and magically be successful at a new career, what would it be?
Does it have to be a job that one has actual knowledge about? Because I think I would make a damn good reproductive endocrinologist (if I didn't have to go to med school and actually do IVF and stuff on people). But really, and this should not surprise anyone who reads this blog, I would like to be Dr. Gorgeous in my next life. More seriously, when I thought I wasn't going to get tenure my plan was to go to school to study Library and Info Science (which is probably called something else these days). I could also be a yoga teacher.
4. If you had to live in a US state other than the one you live now (or other than the country you live in now), which would it be and why?
Four seasons (with snow) is a basic living requirement for me. Other than that, I don't have many affinities for particular states, though I would prefer never to live in the South again. I also require a decent public library, a health food store (can't I live closer than an hour away to a Whole Foods or a Trader Joes?!), NPR, and at least one coffee shop. My first job involved none of the above.
5. What are the name(s) of your childhood pets (if you didn't have any, what about your favorite doll or toy)?
I had a dog named Boo and a doll named Rose (named after Rose Wilder Lane, I'm sure).
6. If vacationing on the moon became a thing, would you want to go? (why or why not)
Probably not. I'm a homebody. The moon is far.
7. If you had to pick one food/drink item that you loved, to give up for a year, which would it be (eg, ice cream, coffee, alcohol, pizza)?
Oh, that is just a mean question. The easiest for me to give up would be alcohol (been there, done that); I've also gone that long without coffee; things that have the wheat/dairy combo (pizza!!!!) are much harder to do but much better for me. The part of me that was a pseudo-anorexic really should not do elim diets of any kind. See 2010-2011.
8. What is one of your favorite holiday traditions?
Don't really have one. I like making latkes with LG for Hanukkah, but it's not like a Big Deal or anything. When I was a kid I loved that I got to drink out of a wine glass on Rosh Hashanah; I let LG do the same thing.
9. What is one thing little kid you always wanted for your birthday (or other holiday) that you never got?
Oh, this is a sad silly story. So I desperately wanted a stuffed pig when I was around 8, because I loved Charlotte's Web. And my father bought me a stuffed bunny. A little bitty thing which was for some inexplicable reason pink. And I cut the tail off and the ears off and tried to make it into a pig. My father had a knack for buying me gifts that were like the opposite of what I wanted (i.e. if I said I hated the color yellow, he'd get me a bunch of yellow clothes) even though he loved buying gifts as a mode of parenting. And then my grad school boyfriend bought me a little pink pig that was wearing a t-shirt with the logo from his alma mater, which is now what LG and I use to throw at bugs crawling on her ceiling. You asked.
10. Horror movie, comedy, or drama?
Depends. Although I would say never horror movie (unless we're talking Silence of the Lambs psycho drama horror) but perhaps sci fi. Drama is my preferred genre in general, though I haven't really been able to watch A MOVIE in forever; they're just too long.
11. Beach, mountains, or amusement park?
Beach. Although the last time I went to the shore (LG was maybe 4?) I got one of those inexplicable instant rashes from the sun and sat around itching and generally miserable.
* This particular award goes to writers with small followings. I think mostly I don't read blogs with small followings. But I also don't think that's necessarily indicative of one's readership (i.e. I don't "follow" ANY blogs but I read a ton...and I know personally I have MANY more page views than I have "followers"...one has to do with reading habits, the other with jumping through blogger's hoops). So I'll put some questions out there that I'd love for some of my readers to respond to, and if you choose to do so on your blog, please leave a comment here letting me know and I'll put up a linkie thing (now that I know how to do linkie things) and other folks will stop by to read, and that's always a good thing. Or if you don't have a blog, feel free to comment here w/ your answers.
Some stuff I would like to know about the people who read here:
1. Favorite childhood TV show.
2. Stuff you like to read.
3. Favorite meal that you would cook.
4. Favorite meal that you'd eat at a restaurant.
5. Describe your house. Either current or childhood.
6. Who was your favorite teacher and why?
7. Favorite class you took in college (okay, I'm lame, but I'd still like to know).
8. Favorite time of day. And/or year.
9. If you could save any object from a home fire--other than family photos or laptop--what would it be?
10. Why do you read blogs?
11. What do you want to know about me? Answer it for yourself...
Long-time reader and sometime commenter. . . I like answering questions, too, so here are my answers to your questions.
ReplyDelete1. Favorite childhood TV show. I loved Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood and Sesame Street, typical kids' stuff
2. Stuff you like to read. I love, love, love to read (though I seldom have time to these days). My favorite genres are crime/legal thrillers, chick lit, and interesting non-fiction.
3. Favorite meal that you would cook. Green chile chicken enchiladas with genuine Hatch green chile.
4. Favorite meal that you'd eat at a restaurant. Same as above
5. Describe your house. Either current or childhood. Our current house is a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom single-level home in a suburban-ish area of Phoenix, AZ.
6. Who was your favorite teacher and why? My third grade teacher, Mrs. Hill, because she let us do really cool things in her class, like eating cooked wheat and going on rock-finding expeditions.
7. Favorite class you took in college (okay, I'm lame, but I'd still like to know). Abnormal psychology. (I was a psych major, so I took lots of psych classes.)
8. Favorite time of day. And/or year. I love fall, and nowadays my favorite time of day is early mornings. (As a former night owl, I can't believe I just admitted this.)
9. If you could save any object from a home fire--other than family photos or laptop--what would it be? The small box that contains my sons' teeny-tiny hospital braces and other birth-related items.
10. Why do you read blogs? I am curious about other people (in a good way) and like to connect and/or be entertained.
11. What do you want to know about me? Where did you grow up? Do you have siblings?
S...thanks for your answers comment! I grew up in Illinois. I've got one of each, as far as siblings go.
ReplyDeleteJust picking one question to answer, my favorite high school teacher was the man who taught sophomore composition. He was famous for being extremely tough, but he was also kind and funny. We had weekly grammar and vocab tests (I think we covered all the vocab I would later see on the SATs), and it was nearly impossible to get 100% on an essay, because he docked for every misplaced comma, etc. (I DID eventually get a perfect 100%, though!) I'm a fiction editor now, so I think it's fair to say he (and, later, some awesome professors at college) taught me well!
ReplyDelete1. Favorite childhood TV show.
ReplyDeleteFirst Captain Kangaroo then Star Trek (original)
2. Stuff you like to read.
Sci-fi & fantasy but nothing gorey (mom-hormones don't allow me to go too far into the dark side)
3. Favorite meal that you would cook.
Thanksgiving dinner and all the fixins.
4. Favorite meal that you'd eat at a restaurant.
Thai curry and gluten free cheese cake for dessert.
5. Describe your house. Either current or childhood.
Multi-story, openish floor plan allowing for chasing and running about for fun, and a designated playroom.
6. Who was your favorite teacher and why? HS - Mr. Smith's shop class! Loved the power tools, drafting and building actual stuff.
7. Favorite class you took in college (okay, I'm lame, but I'd still like to know).
Grapes and Wines of the World
8. Favorite time of day. And/or year.
The time when me and my kids are home for the night and can eat, kick back and chill. Year - spring.
9. If you could save any object from a home fire--other than family photos or laptop--what would it be?
My photos.
10. Why do you read blogs?
The connection and commaraderie with a person and being able to identify with him/her, and letting them know they are not alone in the world
11. What do you want to know about me? Answer it for yourself...
Are you finally happy and able to enjoy the now as well as the next 40 years?
---ST
I'll delurk (finally--I meant to when you asked for it months ago but then got busy and forgot). Sorry for being a rare commenter. I do enjoy reading your blog, though, as a fellow academic and mother of young children (with an IF past).
ReplyDelete1. Favorite childhood TV show: The Brady Bunch. I've seen every episode and so desperately wanted to be part of a big, loving family. If I could have traded lives with fictional Cindy, I would have.
2. I read everything I can get my hands on. I try to keep up with new literary fiction (just started Franzen's Freedom last night...not new anymore, but I'm just catching up), but also like nonfiction and biography when it's well done.
3. Favorite meal: I like making pasta dishes (homemade ravioli or lasagna, for ex). It feels good to make and to eat.
4. Indian food. I love it and am not great at cooking it.
5. Current house is a townhouse (end unit), lots of light, not too big but not too small. I wish we had a better yard for the kids to play in. I also wish we had a house with more character (I picture myself living in a warm and light-filled Victorian).
6. Favorite teacher: He was a kindly old professor who pulled me aside and told me that I was doing something special and that he wanted to work with me one on one. He saw something in me that I hadn't seen in myself. Until then, I was just a "normal" student who thought she wasn't all that good at anything. He showed me otherwise. He was the reason I went to graduate school. He instilled in me a sense of intellectual exploration that I've tried to give to other students as payback.
7. I loved an upper-level American Studies class that focused on New York City. We covered history, politics, architecture, culture, literature, and music. It was so much fun!
8. I really like morning. In the morning, the day is still full of possibility and promise.
9. I have a little wooden box in which I keep my prayers. I'm not religious, but I write things down on scraps of paper and keep them there. If I lost it or it was destroyed, I think I would worry that my hopes and dreams might be lost.
10. I like seeing how other people approach some of the same problems and life circumstances that I struggle with.
11. Do you wish you had more readers? Or more interaction with readers? I ask because I sometimes wish I could go to coffee with my favorite blog writers, even though it's impossible because we live far away. Well, and because people might be different in person than they are online. Do you agree? Have you made IRL friends via blog reading or writing?
Thanks--this was fun.