Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Bling and a Meme


Look at that; isn't she a beauty? Mama Smurf over at My Life gave this to me, and this is actually how she put it:
"...cuz I have a soft spot for a gal that tells it like it is. And I just have a soft spot for this chic in general. Life has dealt her some pretty low blows but she always comes out pointing at the shiny spot on a rusty old dilapidated Lincoln."

So of course there are rules, the first being that I have to tell you all ten honest things about me. Like her, my life is pretty much an open book so this might be a little bit difficult, but here goes.

1. I recently found out that there are several people in my real day-to-day life who read my blog. Including a couple of family members and a co-worker (Hi, Amber!). The honesty part of this is that now I am finding myself censoring a little bit more than I normally would for fear of hurting someone's feelings or maybe giving them some insight into me that I really don't want them to have. At the same time, I don't want them to stop reading, so there is a conundrum for sure there.

2. I hate those holiday letters I get in the mail from people every year. I find them pretentious and usually based on a small grain of truth, with a large helping of "let's twist this around to make us look as good as possible" thrown in. I know that the intentions are good, or at least I like to assume they are because I believe that most people ARE well-intended, but please. Also, it is offensive to me that they are addressed, "Dear Friends and Family..." At least take the time to write my name at the top, okay? Whenever I get them, I feel like mooing, just one more cow in the cattle drive of life.

3. I have all of these great plans for Christmas dinner, right? I think I mentioned something about prime rib? All that is well and good, and I love to cook, but I have the slightest bit of a problem focusing. In that I inevitably burn to a crisp two out of five sheets of cookies, usually because I am reading. I also habitually burn grilled cheese sandwiches because I am, you know, reading. And forget they are cooking. At one point, I was cursing my seeming inability to make a golden-brown grilled cheese and Eli said, "That's okay, mom, I LIKE the taste of burned!"

4. Sometimes the fact that I have these four kids is truly the only reason I get up in the mornings. I don't want to kill myself, nor do I want to die in some freak accident, but there are some days when it just seems like too much effort. Another conundrum is that one of my biggest fears-the kind that wakes me up in the middle of the night sweating-is dying while my kids are young, when they still need me so much. Is it any wonder I sound so crazy half of the time?

5. I like the smell of roses, but I hate the smell of rose perfume. It reminds me of those scary ladies at church with their powdery, wrinkled skin and their long, gnarled fingers that seemed like they were going to claw my eyes out instead of pinching my cheeks. It smells like death to me, and even though I have mostly gotten over my fear of those ladies, the smell still freaks me out, big time.

6. I don't think I would mind living above a mortuary because I don't think that dead bodies are scary at all. They are just there. However, there is a bell that rings, really loudly, every time someone brings a body in, day or night. I can hear that bell both at my house AND at the office if it is quiet and it makes me flinch every time.

7. I love to read almost more than anything. We will rent movies or get our Netflix ones, and they will sometimes be ones I really thought I wanted to see, but I always end up reading through most of the movie. and then I annoy the shit out of the kids by saying, "Now, why is so and so doing that?" "Who is that person?" I don't know why I do this, but I always have. One time in third grade I got grounded for reading too much, I kid you not. My mom said I could watch TV instead-which even then made no sense to me whatsoever.


8. I have a hard time spending money. I mean, beyond the obvious in that I never have a lot TO spend. There is part of me that is really, really tight-fisted; I am sure that there is some psychological explanation for it that has to do with the feast-or-famine mentality, but I just know that even if I HAVE it, it is like pulling teeth to get me to part with it. However (another conundrum), I am generous and like to buy things for other people; maybe it is just spending money on things for myself that I have a hard time with.


9. I really don't like to gamble. One time I spent something like 4 hours playing the PENNY slots at a reservation with my then-mother -in-law. I think that has something to do with #8 up there. Plus all of the lights and the smoke and the odd people that come out of the woodwork bother me some.


10. It has never once occurred to me to censor what the kids have read. I don't actually own any "bad" books" other than my Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb ones (and the ones that are really sexy get given back to Jacquie as soon as I am done with them, usually), but even so, I am sure they have read some that are not really very appropriate. At the same time, one of the biggest advantages I have seen to this is that they have read things far beyond their years and have been exposed to all sorts of new things. For instance, on my (one of my) shelf I have a book by Annie Dillard sitting next to The Writer's Presence (a college textbook) which is right by the book of essays by Barbara Kingsolver which is underneath Steinbeck. Eli has read Hemingway, and all of them know who George Eliot and Georgia O'Keefe are. I don't think that can ever be a bad thing.


So there you go. Not very exciting, is it? And I know I am supposed to pass this on to other Bloggers, but you know, I am just not going to. Take it if you want it, because I think they are fun to do, and pass it on if you want to. I would love to see some of you tell me one honest thing about yourself in the comment sections, but if not? Meh, whatever.

18 comments:

The Tutugirl said...

I used to get in trouble for reading too much at school. They used to find me with a book stuck open inside my desk, and I'd be reading while the teacher was giving a lecture on something else.

TnAHurst said...

I really wish that you could be completly candid as if I'm not reading your blog! I would never hold anything against you. A truth about me is that I try to not be but I think I'm obsessive compulsive about things that I've always done and I hate it when they're done differently! I gripe at my family and my bro/sis for doing them the "wrong" way!

April said...

Is there a secret truth I have yet to reveal to you? Probably, but I'm hard-pressed to think of one.
Okay, it's not really anything deep or dark, but I hate the fact that I use smiley faces and exclamation marks way too often.

FreedomFirst said...

Hmm. I'm not sure there are many honest things left to tell you about myself, since I've done so many surveys. I'll have to hope you haven't read them all.

Oh, here's one I don't think I've ever mentioned. I hate the letter "G". And all names that begin with it. Especially the one that happens to be my last name, lol. And I've always hated it, since I was little; it's not some psychological rebellion against my marriage. I just don't like that letter or the sound it makes.

Mama Smurf said...

I can relate to almost every one of these on your list. Almost.

I feel the same way about sensoring my kids' reading material. When I was somewhere between the ages of 10 and 12 my mom gave me the book that made me forever addicted to reading "Flowers in the Attic". SO not appropriate for a pre-teenage adolescent. I also got grounded cuz she caught me under my sheets with a flash light at 3am on a school night reading it. I just could not put it down.

I think that was my mom's way of introducing me to the birds and the bees. Her short cut version of "the talk."

Anonymous said...

I think I'm jealous. Between work and hiking and blogging and everything else, reading is one of things I so rarely seem to get to do anymore...

Julie@My5monkeys said...

I'm pretty honest on my blog too. I can be very thifty at times and there are times when I can spend money. Just depends on money wise. My kids all have 7 letters. They all have middle names.

Martin said...

I've never written a word of truth in my life.

goin-crazy said...

Hmmm...honest things about me??

I love car accidents and chaos. I want to stop and look and watch. I don't care how gross it is.

I used to watch Faces of Death all the time...so morbid and gross.

I love pumping gas because I love the smell.

When I was pregnant, I loved the smell of bleach and would sit by the pool forever just so I could sniff it. I also had cravings to eat dirt.

I hate the smell of hotels.

I read the same book over and over again. Sometimes, I have already read them 12-15 times and I still read them.

I am done now. That is enough craziness.

Unknown said...

Oh thank you so much for sharing you! I just love this and love that I'm not the only one who can't stand the smell of rose perfume. Ugh!

Great great post just wiish we could meet...
G

Anonymous said...

Great list! With lots of groovy insight. I hope your day has gone well.

Tara R. said...

I got tagged for this one too. I need to ponder to some up with something new. I have a couple co-workers who read my blog... kinda creeps me out, but don't know how to get them to stop.

won said...

Sometimes, I just want to quit....

Ms Crazy Princess said...

Good post!! I enjoy reading your blog.
Let's see.. a truth for me? Hmm.. I am spoiled, I always have been.. I want my way and I will get it no matter what, fair or not.. I am still like this. And if I am told no, I turn into that little girl and sit and pout. Seriously. The BF has even commented on how if he tells me no, I pout until I get my way.. or whine about it. Yeah. Kinda embarrassing. I don't admit it much.

Last Place Finisher said...

I apologize in advance, but whenever I see these "list type" posts -- the one's that are well written -- I feel compelled to respond. It's like getting drawn into a conversation:
1. Yeah, I also get concerned that the people closest to me are going to find out what I'm really thinking.
2. I used to write a holiday letter. I shamelessly lied about the year to make the letter sound funny.
3. I love to cook Xmas dinner, but after being on my feet for a few hours my back hurts.
4. If I had four kids, I'd stay in bed.
5. I love taking pictures of roses.
6. I dated a girl who lived above a her uncle's mortuary. She even worked there. It was very quiet apartment by New York City standards.
7. I love to read and hate to read. There are so many brilliant writers to admire. So many blog writers who are just plain interesting to read. But it's torture to be required to read bad writing (feeling tortured yet?).
8. Wouldn't it be great to feel so financially secure that the thought of spending money isn't an issue. Not that I would spend recklessly, not that my spending habits would change, I just wouldn't think about it.
9. I don't gamble. I have a math degree.....
10. I'm more concerned with what my kids see than what they read.

Your ten items were exciting. So exciting that I was motivated to write this lengthy reply.

Thanks for the glimpse into who you are.

Momo Fali said...

I bet you would be surprised as to how many women relate to #4. Both parts.

Jennifer said...

Congrats on your cool award!

I had to laugh b/c I'm notorious for burning grilled chees and cookies too!

And I totally agree about the rose perfume--ew!

If you're looking for a good movie for your Netflix queue--Grey Gardens! Check it out!!

justme said...

Congrats on the Bling, girl :0) And great list...

Something honest about me? Okay, I blog mostly for myself, but to be honest, I would be sad if no one read my blog and I love comments and I love seeing who comes to my blog and I hope I can gain a 'following'...