Sunday, June 13, 2010

A Meme


This was a recent sunrise on Queens Creek. They're really incredible this time of year - sunsets too. Another thing that's incredible is the length of this post.

Pueblo Girl has tagged me for a meme.

Three years ago, that sentence would have made no sense to me, and to this day I'm not sure I can explain what a meme is, but loosely translated, blogger Pueblo Girl has asked me to answer ten questions. Then I ask some questions and tag others. Let's begin.

Here are her questions:

1. What music/tribe defined you as a teenager?
While most of my friends were into rock, my favorite was funk and disco.

Tribe? Well, the Pamunky and Mattaponi Indians were nearby, but there was never any interaction with them. The family clan influenced me, obviously, but the people I chose to hang out with were often the underdogs, the athletes (of the same underdog vintage), or the seriously funny (ha ha) people.

2. Urban or rural?
As long as I have access to the internet, rural. Even without it, rural, although I might fuss a bit and stomp my foot--but only once.

3. How old do you feel inside? And how different is this to your real age? Most days I feel about 18 inside. On the long days when I have to commute to work while simultaneously tending to my family's needs, I feel like I'm 88 trying to climb Mt. Everest blindfolded. 18 is about 27 years from my real age, and now I must go cry.

4. Worst relative story, please.
After I stop crying about my age, I'll share a story from Dysfunction Junction, which by the way could be the name of a whole new blog filled with stories that you wouldn't believe. But to answer the question, my uncle, who lived next door to us, suffered from schizophrenia (really). Growing up with a close family member who struggled with mental illness was unusually difficult to say the least, and I've been meaning to write about all that happened. That story alone would fill a book and make a great movie--a sad, tragic, bittersweet movie much like A Beautiful Mind.

Aside from that, I'd probably have to choose my father singing Elvis's, "You Ain't Nothin' But a Hound Dog," in Goodfellas Restaurant right before he tripped over something and fell. (They were jam packed and we had to wait in the bar area for quite some time until we could be seated for dinner. No doubt this contributed to both the singing and the tripping.)

Or, it might be when we were vacationing in the Outer Banks and my mother showed up to the supper table wearing nothing but her bra. We had a guest there. At the table. Bra. At the table. Guest.

Excuse me while I resume my crying spell.

5. What are you reading at the moment?
Aside from the instructions on the various boxes of ant killer sent to me by the wonderful folks at Terro, I'm trying to decipher a contract that was due to be signed last week. If anyone speaks the ancient language of Contracts, please let me know.

When I can focus, which is never rarely, I am plodding through Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Love in the Time of Cholera, sent to me by one of my best college amigos, Sam H.

6. Who/what pushed /inspired you to start blogging?
I knew no more about blogging than your average ground hog, but one day back in 2007 I was searching for "the world's best chocolate cake" for my daughter's birthday and stumbled upon the Pioneer Woman's site. I became hooked. Through her comment section I got to know a wonderful woman named tj, who convinced me to start my own blog. Another friend Kathy taught me how to upload photos, and the rest is a mystery history.

7. Are you a learner or a teacher? Yes. However if we're talking about technology, then neither applies.

8. What is your pet hate? Assuming this is different from a pet peeve, I'd say litter boxes, hairballs, tumbleweeds of fur, fleas, ticks and spending way too much money on cat food. Pet peeves are many but rarely debilitating because in the scheme of Life they are just ants invasive insects that one must accept and endure.

9. Your word is law. What is your first decree?
I hereby declare that every citizen of this planet shall be helpful, tolerant, accepting and appreciative of other people and their differences; that we all take responsibility for conserving and preserving the planet's natural beauty and resources and not try to pave it over one strip mall at a time; and that CBW never has to work in a 9 to 5 office environment again but still can make ends meet doing things she loves, such as taking pictures and writing silly little blog posts. The End.

(Is that asking too much?)

10. Swanky bars or sawdust on the floor affairs?
Although I can navigate both, I much prefer the sawdust on the floor affairs, because they remind me of my kitchen floor home. Given that I'm preaching about tolerance, however, I'll happily take whatever is thrown my way and adjust accordingly.

Now I'm supposed to ask questions and tag people, but I'm going to bend the rules a little. Instead of 10 questions, I'll ask 5; and instead of tagging specific bloggers, I'll tag you, my three two readers. If you feel like answering, leave a comment.

My Questions:
1. If you could change one thing about your life at the moment, what would that be?
2. Of all the places you've traveled to, what destination was your favorite and why?
3. Do you exercise? How often and what do you do?
4. Complete this sentence: I'm sorry for the time I ...
5. What is your favorite meal and who prepares it?
6. Pueblo Girl's questions are incredibly clever and she has a gift with words, my personal favorite in this series of questions being "sawdust on the floor affairs."

Thank you, Pueblo Girl, for the meme, and thank you to anyone who has waded this far through this post. You both deserve a medal.

15 comments:

foolery said...

I'm packing an entire suitcase full of sawdust for July. Now that I know you prefer it, it makes even more sense.

And to answer your question, Yes I am drinking wine but No, that's not why.

Mathews Mark said...

answers to questions 1. better coffee 2.Mathews court house it only takes 2 dollars worth of gas to get there 3.sorry for over charging you for your wine last week HE HE !!4. chasing women around the apartment (just havn't caught one yet.5. 7/11 coffee!!

Mathews Mark said...

think I got 3 and 4 mixed up (need more coffee) sorry I have a really weird ghost story that happen to me this week end I will blog about it later today or tomorrow if you want. MM

Occasional Kate said...

Oh boy I love surveys! (survies? scurvy? scurry? chicks and ducks and geese better scurry, when I take you out in the surrey... with the fringe on top!)

Ahem... sorry about that! :-)

1. If you could change one thing about your life at the moment, what would that be? *** To find motivation, energy, and positive thoughts.

2. Of all the places you've traveled to, what destination was your favorite and why? *** I loved Las Vegas when we went there the first time. It was just like the descriptions in books, tv and movies. It's a very entertaining place and I don't see how a tourist could ever be bored there!

3. Do you exercise? How often and what do you do? *** I go to a personal trainer 3x a week for weight lifting, but usually it's more of a gab-fest.

4. Complete this sentence: I'm sorry for the time I ... *** Didn't keep in touch with old friends. It's hard to renew friendships when they've been neglected.

5. What is your favorite meal and who prepares it? *** When I was a kid, our neighbor Miss Frances made the best food, period. She never cooked anything I didn't like. Her crabcakes were always wonderful, and I doubt she ever wrote down a recipe for them. She was a wonderful woman and as much as I hate to admit this, I took that for granted. If I could have her back for even one day, it would mean the world to me. She and her family treated me like I was one of theirs and I wish I had told her how much that did for me.

Ugh... I guess crabcakes make me cry! :-)

Pueblo girl said...

"Tumbleweeds of fur" - priceless. I am so never going to have a white angora cat again.

Thanks for taking part. Loved your answers.

Do I exercise? Well, the dog and my partner are currently exercising my patience - does that count?

Ann Marie said...

1. If you could change one thing about your life at the moment, what would that be? I would not be living in this town next to this person wondering how I got here.
2. Of all the places you've traveled to, what destination was your favorite and why? Anywhere but here... probably anywhere that the sister person is...
3. Do you exercise? How often and what do you do? Yes... lots.. daily most of the time. I walk tons and the list is so long on the crap that I do it isn't worth typing out.. and look i am still fat.. nice.
4. Complete this sentence: I'm sorry for the time I ... moved back to Mathews just not sorry for meeting my therapist who I love very very much and who needs to make me an appointment.. thank you.
5. What is your favorite meal and who prepares it? Meal... hmmmm I just don't know about this one. oh wait.. Fried Chicken and the works.. Aunt Ann!

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

HOLY COW. I just realized that every link to Pueblo Girl's blog was WRONG. The correct web address is www.pueblogwoman.blogspot.com. Sorry about that!

Mathews Mark - Bring on the stories - we love a good ghost story here. If you want to e-mail it to me, I can do it as a post if you want, but it will have to wait until Tuesday because I already have a long-overdue topic for tomorrow. Otherwise, just leave it here in the comments and I can perhaps cut and paste it into a post later on.

I thought you moved away from the ghosts?

Thanks, everyone, for reading and commenting.

deborah said...

My meme was 80 when she passed away.

I also have tumbleweeds of fur in multiple colors. With 3 dogs and 2 cats in the house, I 'could' sweep a lot.

If you could change one thing about your life at the moment, I wouldn't have this ridiculous panic/anxiety disorder that haunts me.

Of all the places I've traveled to my favorite destination was to the Grand Canyon. We (my great grandmother and some of her relatives) drove up from Phoenix in an old 'woody' station wagon and camped in a 1910? tent camper that had no heat. Coldest and hottest day of my life. (This was way back when I had a life)

Do you (choke cough choke) exercise? I walk the dogs and watch others exercise. Bicycle path at the end of my block...see lots of shiny spandex.

I'm sorry for the time I've spent regretting how much I've missed by having this disorder.

My favorite meal and who prepares it is...anything that I don't have to clean up after or go to the grocery store for the stuff to prepare it. Oh Starbucks decaf coffee is a special treat...

CBW, I love love love your sunset/sunrise photos..will you ever sell them?

I can send sawdust.

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

Deborah - Grand Canyon is high on my list of favorites too. And yes, I'll sell just about anything anyone wants to buy, up to and including some relatives. Thus far, however, I've not ventured into making copies of the photos, but it's on my very long list of things to investigate when I have the time.

There's nothing like spending a hot, sweltering Sunday swimming in salt water, which is what I've just done. It's very, very refreshing and soothes the soul.

deborah said...

I will exchange relatives (no returns please) but prefer not to add anyone else to this weird bunch:)

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

Deborah - I see your weird bunch and raise you. Hopefully you're coming to Blog Fest (forgive me, but it's been so long since I've been able to focus on Blog Fest I cannot recall who is and who isn't coming), but anyway hopefully you'll come for that and can see first hand some of the characters runnin' around here. It does make life more interesting though and not just a little funny.

Speaking of Blog Fest, although I promised a post on that about a week ago before my internet went out, I hope to have some details and/or info in "the near future" which translates into the next week or two. But it's definitely on, and if people need a place to stay, let me know. My house is available and we now have another potential place to stay for *free* thanks to a reader with a place down Peary.

Blog Fest'll be here before you know it.

(Note to self: CBW? You need to focus on Blog Fest.)

Country Girl said...

She wore a bra to the table, with a guest present? Oh Lord have mercy.

Loved your answers to these questions, CBW. I got into blogging the same way. I stumbled upon Pioneer Woman's site and had been reading her regularly for about a year when I decided I could do this too, just to share some photos.

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

Kate-Now with high speed I can read PW more often. I had to give it up there after a while due to the heavy heft of the photos that load on her page.

Also: Even in the COMMENTS I've messed up Pueblo Girl's web address. I corrected the links in the post, but it's www.pueblowoman.blogspot.com.

There is a reason I had to quit accounting, and it has to do with no attention to detail, but I do have every good intention. Just not to details.

Meg McCormick said...

1. If you could change one thing about your life at the moment, what would that be? Are we talking about changeable things or fantasy things? The fantasy thing is that right after I win the lottery, I would quit work and focus on running a household, and blogging. The real thing is that I would lose 15 more pounds. I'm working on it.

2. Of all the places you've traveled to, what destination was your favorite and why? I love our beach week on the Outer Banks because it involves friends and family and no schedules. But for me, I'd have to say my aunt's cabin on the ridge above what was my grandma's farm is pretty swell, too. Talk about your blood pressure going down. So quiet and relaxing.

3. Do you exercise? How often and what do you do? Just started - am trying to do 10 mins on the treadmill followed by 10 mins of circuit training. In my basement, dubbed "the ghetto gym."

4. Complete this sentence: I'm sorry for the time I ... ...Didn't say "I love you" as much as I should have.

5. What is your favorite meal and who prepares it? Oh gosh. Probably, my aunt's Thanksgiving dinner. The whole spread is just the best. Short of that, my favorite meal is anything prepared by Baja Fresh.

Unknown said...

1. Bikini body

2. Cabo San Lucas

3. I walk to the refrigerator often...is that exercise?

4.I'm sorry for the time I ...put the potato in my dad's exhaust pipe.

5. I love tacos...really anthing Mexican.