a meme

Julia at Sometimes Lucid tagged me for a photo meme that sounded familiar...when I realized that I'd done it before. However, as I was searching through my draft posts before this discovery, I ran across a meme that I never published. Back in October, Marinka - yes, that Marinka - tagged me for a meme, to write six odd things about myself. So, five months later...here it is!


Me: Hey, I've been tagged by Motherhood in NYC! How cool!

Husband: Huh?

Me: It's a blog thing. I have to write six odd things about me. It's called a meme.

Husband: Sounds like a scam.

Me: How is that a scam?

Husband: Because they are trying to get personal information out of you.

Me: Yah, maybe Marinka is actually the Pink Panther of the blogsphere, and she's covertly gathering random clues that will help her uncover the secret hiding place of the 20 carat diamond we have hidden in the house.

Husband: Ok, ok. Then, where I come from, that's called smear the queer.

Me: I'm totally going to blog about this conversation.


1. I've been a huge fan of the reality show, Survivor, since the first season. I've even tried to get on the show more than once (before I had kids, now I feel like I live the show every day). I think Mark Burnett is a genius, coming up with a new twist for every season. And don't even get me started on Jeff Probst...yum. Greatest show ever.

2. I don't mind small talk with people I've just met, but I can't stand small talk with good friends. I like to get right into the good stuff. Sometimes I don't even start a conversation with a good friend, with "hello", I start with "so...".

3. When getting ready to go to bed, I like to lay everything out in the bathroom. Toothbrush with paste on it - check. Contact lens case with solution in it - check. Facial soap and moisturizer - check. After everything is all lined up and ready to go, then I execute the actual bedtime routine. Weird. I know.

4. I'm horribly nearsighted. I can't see a thing without my contacts or glasses. I've thought about getting lasix surgery. I've had plenty of friends who've done it, and love it. But, I'd really miss the "break" of being somewhat blind. I really enjoy taking off my contacts at night and being able to sort of turn off, without even closing my eyes.

5. I adore music. This, in itself is not odd, I realize. The part that verges on odd, is probably this... I often think that my life should have a soundtrack. I could probably find just the right song to go along with almost every post I write in my blog. I could (and have) sing karaoke all night long - with or without an audience. I love making up songs in everyday interactions with my kids, and they often sing back their responses to me.

It goes something like this...sort of to the tune of I'm a little tea pot.

Me: "We've gotta get out the door, we've gotta get to the store."

Kids: "No Mommy, No. We don't want to go."

6. I sometimes have a difficult time fighting for something for myself, but give me a good cause, or an injustice caused to someone else - and I will passionately pursue the greater good, usually at all costs. One astrology book describes my strengths as protective, generous and fearless; and my weaknesses as unrealistic, unyielding and self-sacrificing. I think that's pretty accurate.

If you want to do this fun meme, consider youself tagged. You have up to 6 months to post it.

C is for...

I saw this fun meme on Melissa's blog, Taking What is Left, where you list ten things you love that start with a certain letter, so I asked her to assign me a letter. She chose "C", because she was eating a cookie. Shoot, that was going to be one of my favorite things that start with C.

Ok, so here are 10 other things that I love that start with C:

1. Christmas. Come on. You know that had to be #1. It's Christmas Eve for goodness sake. I love Christmas. Not as much as I love Halloween, but it's a very close second. I think I love Christmas eve even better than Christmas day. The getting together with family for a nice dinner. The Christmas lights. The tree filled with decorations and beautifully wrapped presents underneath. Making cookies and leaving them out for Santa. Watching the kid's anticipation of what the next morning will bring. For me, it's one of those times where the journey is even better than the destination.

2. Curry. Every Christmas day, we go over to my sister's house. Her husband and his family make the yummiest Indian food for Christmas dinner. We call it Curry Christmas. All the cousins play together while the smell of wonderful Indian spices simmer in the air.

3. California. I love living in California. I could spend my life just exploring California's natural beauty. The beaches, the mountains, the desserts. Almost any climate you are looking for, you can find it somewhere in California.

4. Camping. One of my favorite things to do in California...is camping! I adore camping. Getting out in the wilderness. Pitching a tent (although now that we have kids, we have a small RV for our outdoor adventures). Taking hikes. Roasting marshmallows on the campfire. Getting dirty and not worrying about it. Staying up late and talking or just staring at the stars.

5. Cabins. We usually take a trip to the snow every year, and stay in a cabin. I love a good, sort of rustic cabin, preferably decorated with campy looking pictures depicting bears or moose. There is nothing better than a sitting in a warm cabin, in front of a roaring fire, sipping hot cocoa and watching the snow fall.

6. Cable Cars. I think it's so cool that they still have cable cars traversing the hills of San Francisco. Except when I'm driving up California Street trying to get somewhere, and I'm stuck behind one. I don't love them then.

7. Cafes. I don't really drink coffee, but I love the smell of it. There's something comforting about sitting in a cafe, drinking a hot beverage and reading a paper or chatting with a friend. This is a very rare occurrence, so when it happens, it's even more special.

8. Hot Cocoa. My hot beverage of choice is a hot cocoa. Peet's is my favorite. Especially around the holidays when they serve their Peppermint Hot Cocoa. Warms the soul.

9. Calendars. That one sounds weird. Who loves calendars? I like making a photo calendar every year, using pictures from every month of the prior year. I love reminiscing every time I turn the calendar to the next month, thinking about what we were doing that same month the prior year. It also reminds me of how fast the kids are growing, and how precious time is.

10. Calm. This seems to be in short supply in my life these days. The craziness of life usually has me spinning around in circles. That is one of the reasons that I love blogging. It's a way to find calm in my life. Writing and reading other's blogs brings me calm, and laughter, and somehow, understanding.

When I first started writing this meme, I didn't think I was going to be able to think of ten things that I loved that started with C. It turns out, I had to par down the list, because I thought of way more than ten. This ended up kind of being my Thankful Thursday reflection for this week.

If you are interested in doing this meme too, just leave me a comment and I'll assign you a letter!