Sara's LiveJournal

I ate pickles and Colby Jack cheese for dinner last night. Not combined in any way, of course. Chunks of cheese and sliced kosher dill and Polish dill pickles, with bread and butter slices mixed in. Just thought I'd share.

We have this new workplace prepared-ness initiative going on - and it's so annoying, I'm beginning to wish the safety committee, which started out as a group of very nice, very sincere, very ... concerned individuals, would just leave my fate to happenstance and back off. Instead of people having common sense, we now have detailed, step-by-step instructions for every foreseeable disaster scenario. For example:

If there is a bomb threat received via phone, we have a checklist that we are supposed to keep next to the phone with a bunch of friendly questions to ask the caller, and endless checkboxes to check for various qualities.

- Exact wording of threat - okay, Mr. Bomberman (no, not the game)? Could you please repeat that last part? You know, the part where you said you were a psychopath and had a bomb?

- When is the bomb going to explode? - You know, so I can get the hell out of the building and stop talking to a crazy bomber-person on the phone?

- Where is the bomb? - 3 paces to the left, stop, use the sun to navigate 25 degrees north-northwest, 97 paces north, you'll find shovel. Start digging. Carefully.

- What does it look like? - It looks like a bomb, you idiot!

- What kind of bomb is it? - The kind that showers sparkly little envelope confetti bits on everyone. Shaped like unicorns and fairies. Duh. It's a bomb. Evacuate.

- What will cause it to explode? - Perhaps if the bomber is annoyed by far too many questions, he/she will demonstrate for us just what causes it to explode.

- Did you place the bomb? - Or ... are you just some poor minion of the bomber?

- Why? - Why do we care why? There's a bomb. There really isn't any good reason to do that.

- What is your address? Name? - Why would they give me that?

- Can we help you? - Uh ... no? How about getting out of the building and ensuring my own personal safety and NOT trying to play amateur psychologist to a bomber?

Does the caller's voice sound: slurred, distinct (in what way?), lisp (is the bomber ... gay? Gasp!), cracking voice, normal (really, how do you sound "normal"?), accent (it was a furriner! I heard the accent!), ragged (a bit speculative, don't you think?)

And, my favorite part: Background noises/sounds. Because after the exhaustive interview aforementioned, if you haven't blown up yet, there are still more check boxes to mess with. Do you hear street noise? Static? Voices/Talking (vague much?), factory machinery (ah, a disgruntled laid-off factory worker?), PA system ("Would the mad bomber please report to the office? Mad bomber, please report to the office."), music (what kind of self-respecting bomber listens to Burt Bacharach?), weather (weather happens.), cell phone (the mad bomber has the OC theme song as a ringtone?), office sounds (ah, is that the sound of endlessly shuffling papers I hear in the background through my panic?), restaurant sounds (order up! 3 eggs over easy, wheat toast, and grits!), wildlife sounds (Is that the distinct mating cry of the rare double crested, blue-nosed whooping deer I hear? Those are only found in a very specific region of the US ...)

- and my favorite of all ... Do you hear crockery? They asked if we can hear crockery. What exactly does crockery sound like when it is sitting still? There could very well be crockery present, but it could be silent crockery. Then what? I know they're asking about clanking dish-sounds, but ... seriously? Do you hear crockery? I think I do ... it's just sitting there in my cabinents, lurking, waitin for the right time.

Enough of my ramblings. Must go press my ear to the cabinets to make sure the bowls and plates aren't plotting a revolution in there.

I forgot to post the part about WHY I chose these songs as favorite songs from movies ... here you go!

1. Introduction - Danny Elfman's gorgeous score for Edward Scissorhands, another favorite movie of mine.
2. Neverending Story – Limahl - Who doesn't love the Neverending Story? This movie is a huge part of my childhood internal mythology. I wanted to be friends with Atreyu. And possibly his storybook girlfriend. When I was ten, I thought I was so much more fun to hang with than the Childlike Empress.
3. Theme from "Willow" - How much did I love that sarcastic Madmartigan? And what a freakin' cool name.
4. Boogie on the Beach - Red Elvises - This is from "Six-String Samurai", a weird movie I saw wtih friends in college. This marked the beginning of my love affair with the Red Elvises. They even have a song called "Mamacita". For my mom. Of course. :-)
5. Goodnight Moon – Shivaree - As far as I'm concerned, this song was the best thing about Kill Bill. And I liked both movies.
6. As The World Falls Down – David Bowie - This is the song he sings as the Goblin King while dancing with Sarah at the masquerade ball. It was all based on the music box in her bedroom, and the dress - oh, how I've always wanted that dress!
7. Presenting the Hook – from Hook - Hook is one of my all-time favorite movies, and as a sequel to Peter Pan (the book, not the Disney version) it was perfect and took every minor detail into consideration. Captain Hook's theme song is in this track somewhere, and I love it.
8. 500 Miles – The Proclaimers - from Benny and Joon. Johnny Depp's character was so cool, and I just can't get enough of those Proclaimin' Scotsmen walking 500 miles just for me!
9. The Council of Elrond – Enya - Gorgeous music from Lord of the Rings soundtrack. I love it when a song from the movie is included as part of the soundtrack. LOTR did a fantastic job of this with the Enya tracks, the Annie Lennox Into the West track, and with the Emiliana Torrini Gollum's Song.
10. Like A Friend – Pulp - This song was well worth the price of paying for a ticket to see the Gwynneth Paltrow version of Great Expectations.
11. Not In Nottingham – Roger Miller - "Every town, has it's ups and downs. Sometimes the ups outnumber the downs, but not in Nottingham" - the little raccoon brothers in their striped jail uniforms made me cry when I was little. Them and the bunny family in jail. In general, I just love the Disney Robin Hood movie. "Criminently, Nusty! Put that pea shooter down!"
12. Into the West – Annie Lennox - See #9. I love it when song releases are integrated into the body of the soundtrack.
13. Flight of Dragons - This movie was one of my childhood obsessions. Cool dragons, a knight, a princess, an ordinary guy trapped in a dragon's body, evil sorcerer, good sorcerers, what more could a '80s kid want?
14. Day-O – Harry Belafonte - One of the best things about Beetlejuice. The dinner party gone awry.
15. The World Is Not Enough – Garbage - I have a weakness for Bond songs, and this one is one of my favorites.
16. Cuban Pete – Jim Carrey - I love "dancing in the street" scenes for some reason, and Cuban Pete made me very happy. The movie was silly, but it was worth it for me because of this song and the scene it comes from.
17. Han Solo and Princess Leia: Love Theme - One of my favorite love themes from any movie ever. The melody makes me think of love. If I ever get married, this is a candidate for first dance music. Uber-geek? Yes.
18. Desperado – Los Lobos with Antonio Banderas - Desperado rocks, and Antonio Banderas was hot in that movie, especially since he did his own singing and it was pretty cool. This is good music for getting things done. Doing dishes, vaccuuming, etc.
19. These Are Dark Days – Anne Dudley - This is from the 10th Kingdom, a miniseries that was really, really neat. My favorite character was Wolf. To find out about it, you should watch it.
20. Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World – Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - I first heard this track in the movie Finding Forrester, which was just kind of okay, but I LOVED this version of the song(s).
21. I Want To Spend My Lifetime Loving You – Tina Arena and Mark Anthony - I really liked the movie Zorro, and I didn't expect to. To me, it kind of threw back to the cool action movies that didn't take themselves too seriously, like Indiana Jones, Big Trouble in Little China, Adventures in Babysitting, The Goonies, and things like that. It was an adventure movie, and proud of it, and wasn't above a healthy dose of suspension of disbelief. That said, I've always really liked Tina Arena's voice.
22. That's Another Story - Just a little bonus. From The Neverending Story.

1. Introduction
2. Neverending Story – Limahl
3. Theme from "Willow"
4. Boogie on the Beach - Red Elvises
5. Goodnight Moon – Shivaree
6. As The World Falls Down – David Bowie
7. Presenting the Hook – from Hook
8. 500 Miles – The Proclaimers
9. The Council of Elrond – Enya
10. Like A Friend – Pulp
11. Not In Nottingham – Roger Miller
12. Into the West – Annie Lennox
13. Flight of Dragons
14. Day-O – Harry Belafonte
15. The World Is Not Enough – Garbage
16. Cuban Pete – Jim Carrey
17. Han Solo and Princess Leia: Love Theme
18. Desperado – Los Lobos with Antonio Banderas
19. These Are Dark Days – Anne Dudley
20. Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World – Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
21. I Want To Spend My Lifetime Loving You – Tina Arena and Mark Anthony
22. That's Another Story

... by Mamacita, of Weekly Scheiss fame, who is, coincidentally, not only called Mamacita, but also my actual mother as well! Okay, mom, I'm doing what you told me. Here is my Mixmania theme: Songs I like that are from movies.

This was unceremoniously borrowed from my friend arborsomnians' livejournal ...

You are The Star

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Star is one of the great cards of faith, dreams realised

The Star is a card that looks to the future. It does not predict any immediate or powerful change, but it does predict hope and healing. This card suggests clarity of vision, spiritual insight. And, most importantly, that unexpected help will be coming, with water to quench your thirst, with a guiding light to the future. They might say you're a dreamer, but you're not the only one.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

I took a little test I got off of my friend Erithe's livejournal. I scored rather well, if I do say so myself. And, I promise I didn't cheat. The link to the site is: http://www.okcupid.com/tests/take?testid=14457200288064322170.

English Genius You scored 92% Beginner, 100% Intermediate, 100% Advanced, and 100% Expert!

You did so extremely well, even I can't find a word to describe your excellence! You have the uncommon intelligence necessary to understand things that most people don't. You have an extensive vocabulary, and you're not afraid to use it properly! Way to go! Thank you so much for taking my test. I hope you enjoyed it! For the complete Answer Key, visit my blog: http://shortredhead78.blogspot.com/.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 0% on Beginner You scored higher than 99% on Intermediate You scored higher than 99% on Advanced You scored higher than 99% on Expert

1. I love cereal but hate milk. I even eat Corn Flakes dry.

2. My favorite food is cheese. I especially like feta, sharp cheddar, and parmesean.

3. I was once chased up a Tuscan hill by a herd of sheep. (There's a study abroad experience to remember forever!)

4. For some strange reason, I'm obsessed with weird factoids about wildlife, especially rare, and potentially extinct wildlife. (Example: I regularly google the Thylacine, sometimes called the Tasmanian Tiger to see if anyone has found a living one yet. They were declared officially extinct when Benjamin, the last Thylacine, died in a zoo Sept. 7, 1936. It's a really cool, weird animal - a marsupial wolf, basically. There are all kinds of reports of Thylacine sightings, and lots of people think there could still be some alive in the wild.)

5.  I have a tendency to fall asleep pretty much whenever I lie down or even lean back in a comfy chair. I frequently have to re-watch TV shows or movies to catch the parts I missed.

6. Nearly everything in my apartment is second-hand. Most of my wall decorations in my living room, including my clock, came from the home of an uncle who passed away. My dining room table is from him as well. My couch was a gift from a friend, my bookshelves are from my parents, the Pier One chest that doubles as a coffee table was free from a friend who was moving and didn't want it. An enormous Asian-themed painting was free from the mother of a friend who was redecorating and no longer wanted it. Several other paintings in my apartment came from the same person. Several decorative items were gifts or were purchased at flea markets and yard sales. My lamp was a donation from a friend who simply didn't want to move it. The TV in my room was another such gift, and the TV in my living room was from a friend who was getting ready to attend law school and didn't want the distraction of a television. My playstation was left by a previous roomate, my DVD player was a gift from my parents, my stereo was from the same deceased uncle. I've never bought a pot or pan in my life - all were left to me by previous roomates who were buying new stuff and moving out to get married.

This little profile thing was stolen from my friend Arbor Somnians' livejournal. I hadn't updated in a long while, so I thought I'd do the profile thing and put it on my LJ. Color coded purpley-blue for me, red for the Valentine kitty, and pink for the Kahlan Kitten. (Arbor Somnians did the profile for herself and for her kitty as well, so I followed suit.)

Just a couple of really weird associations in the profile: Hermit? Why am I a stinkin' Hermit? And how in the world did I get numerologically connected to Freemasonry? I don't even know anyone who freemasons. And, I'm certainly not a hermit. Withdrawal is not my thing, or is listening to any sort of inner voice. Thoughtful temperance? No thanks! And seriously, I get the Rune of Death? Overtaken by despair? Sheesh. Apparently I have nothing to look forward to. Like, ever.

I do think it's cute that Kahlan Kitten's associations include Beast and Ear - as she is a nutty little beast with an ear-smushing fetish. And my Valentine got the Sign of the Hermit as well. At least when I go off and live in a cave in the wilderness, I'll still have a cat for company. Very comforting.


For Me

Public Name: Sara
Birth Name: Sara Elizabeth Goodwin
Nickname: My parents call me "princess" sometimes.
Birthdate: 06/15/1978

Tarot Card
(Equivalent of "6/15/1978")
The Hermit: Withdrawal from events and relationship to introspect and gather strength. Seeking the inner voice or calling upon vision from within. A need of understanding and advice, or a wise man who will offer knowing guidance. Personal experience and thoughtful temperance.

Rune
(Equivalent of "Sara Elizabeth Goodwin")
Nyd represents many things, most of them unpleasant - heed it well. Constraint, delay, loss, need, and sorrow are all frequently seen in this rune. Nyd speaks most strongly of pause, the hallmark of the both the timid and the patient, and is often interpreted as foretelling a delay in the effect of other runes that it accompanies. Fortunately, even where there is misery and danger there are valuable lessons to be learned - the trick is to learn them before you are overtaken by despair.

Birth Mates
(Equivalents of "6/15/1978")

Billy Joel, Charlie Chaplin, Fiona Apple, Ice Cube, Leo Tolstoy, Napoleon Bonaparte, OJ Simpson, Robert Redford, Tom Hanks

Public Role
(Equivalents of "Sara")

Words that embody your presence are "Angel, Art, Candle, Greed, Mate, Pagan, Rat, Sable".

Words that embody the people or things that you interact with are "Crucifix, Harvest, Outside, Passion, Saturn, Tolerance".

Words that embody things that you may be a part of are "Freemasonry".

Words that embody people or things in your periphery are "Astronaut, Butterfly, Electricity, Enthusiasm, Transformation".

Private Persona
(Equivalents of "princess")

Words that embody your presence are "Mercury, Satellite, Splendor".

Words that embody people or things in your periphery are "Attraction, Blue, Cube, Cup, Encyclopedia, Fall, Film, Food, Fulfillment, Gamble, Hard, Industry, Line, Luxury, Mathematics, Mind, Pact, Pain, Poverty, Rage, Revelation, Stonehenge, Television, Toe, Unknown".


For Valentine

Public Name: Valentine
Nickname: Val, Kitty
Birth Name: Valentine the Destroyer
Birthdate: 6//2002

Tarot Card
(Equivalent of "6//2002")
The Hermit: Withdrawal from events and relationship to introspect and gather strength. Seeking the inner voice or calling upon vision from within. A need of understanding and advice, or a wise man who will offer knowing guidance. Personal experience and thoughtful temperance.This particular birthdate indicates a very pure instance of this card.

Rune
(Equivalent of "Valentine the Destroyer")
Wunjo is the rune of Joy. Since joy is least frequently a solitary emotion, this rune often represents mutual or communal bliss. Wunjo is also seen as a rune of the gods and a rune of perfection, carrying with it the elation that blazes from the creation of a perfect work - perhaps this is the true joy of the gods, that they can create perfection. That aside, this rune does not focus on the struggle for perfection or on our inevitable imperfections, but rather on a job well done and the satisfaction that comes from it.

Public Role
(Equivalents of "Valentine")

Words that embody your presence are "Mercenary, Oyster".

Words that embody people or things in your periphery are "Asia, Axe, Baby, Beer, Bread, Chemistry, Computer, Day, Fact, Fascination, Fear, Fortress, Gin, Illuminati, Illusion, Lace, Peace, Perfection, Periphery, Question, Security, Slaughter, Strength, Web".

Private Persona
(Equivalents of "Val, Kitty")

Words that embody your presence are "Chemistry, Fortress, Illuminati, Periphery, Question, Security".

Words that embody the people or things that you interact with are "Lace".

Words that embody things that may be a part of you are "Facade, Jade".

Words that embody people or things in your periphery are "Asia, Axe, Baby, Beer, Bread, Computer, Day, Fact, Fascination, Fear, Gin, Illusion, Mercenary, Oyster, Peace, Perfection, Slaughter, Strength, Web".


For Kahlan

Public Name: Kahlan
Nickname: little girl
Birth Name: Kahlan Kitten
Birthdate: 5//2006

Tarot Card
(Equivalent of "5//2006")
The Hanged Man: Pausing to reflect. Surrendering to an experience. Adjusting to new ideas through sacrifice. Opening oneself to intuition and enhanced awareness. Letting go of past patterns and growing beyond them. Inner peace, faith, and serenity.This particular birthdate indicates a very pure instance of this card.

Rune
(Equivalent of "Kahlan Kitten")
Eoh refers to the Yew tree. The Yew does not go dormant and therefore represents endurance. Even the wood of the tree is strong, resilient, and pliable - the Yew bends, but does not break. The evergreen nature of the Yew is present even in the rune itself, as it cannot be changed even by reversal. This rune is historically symbolic of death, but, as in the Tarot and as suggested by the nature of the Yew tree itself, death is seen only as a transmutation of something eternal and unchanging - the spirit.

Public Role
(Equivalents of "Kahlan")

Words that embody your presence are "Beast, Defiance, Judge, Luck, Mink, Omen, Radio, Rock, Seer, Time".

Words that embody the people or things that you interact with are "Aurora, Beauty, Bitter, Chariot, Cocktail, Craving, Cross, Dazzle, Energy, Jury, Melody, Messiah, Occult, Pinnacle, Tantra, Tarot, Vassal, Vixen, Weapon".

Words that embody people or things in your periphery are "Authority, Compulsion, Intimidation, Sterility".

Private Persona
(Equivalents of "little girl")

Words that embody your presence are "Fertility, Immunity, Ingenuity, Profanity, Pursuit, Sculptor, Technology, Virility".

Words that embody things that may be a part of you are "Cat, Ear, Leg".

Words that embody people or things in your periphery are "Ballet, Bliss, Book, Cage, Chance, Charm, Cold, Community, Cyan, Devil, Door, Earth, Ebony, Elegance, Fame, Finance, Flood, Funk, Gasp, Gem, Giraffe, Grace, Hate, Heart, Heat, Infinity, Kaleidoscope, Leap, Linguistics, Magenta, Misadventure, Mist, Monolith, Pearl, Platinum, Pope, Pride, Puzzle, Rabbit, Retribution, Riddle, Rum, Sea, Ship, Staff, Stage, Steel, Strategy, Temptation, Trance, Ugliness, Voyeur, Wife".

I forgot to log into my oldest Hotmail account for the alotted 30 days, and they deleted the account, along with all of the stuff I had saved in there from back to 1998. Most of the stuff lost isn't that big of a deal, but there are a few things in there that I would really love to have back. So, I emailed the all-powerful tech support staff at Hotmail with my problem, asking if they could please reinstate my account and give me my messages back. I have enough friends who work in IT to know that no information is ever truly "gone".

I received an utterly unhelpful and more than slightly offensively worded message in return. Because they will not do as I ask, I have decided to use them ruthlessly as entertainment fodder since no other good can possibly come of the situation.

Behold, my correspondence with MSN Hotmail tech support, in all it's incredible gall and glory!

Me to  Hotmail Support:

My account was deleted due to inactivity - I was on vacation for awhile and did not check this account while I was away. There were many files in this account that I was storing and they were very important to me. Please, please tell me it is possible to retrieve my messages and folders that I previously had. If I can't have them back, I will  have to just delete my account and cease using hotmail. I had no idea that my account would be deleted like this. Please get me my messages back. There was a novel in there, chapter by chapter, and all of the editing that took place over a period of three years.

Hotmail Support to me:

Hello Sara,

Thank  you for writing to MSN Hotmail Technical Support. My name is Lory and I gather that all of your messages and folders in your sagoodwi@hotmail.com account were deleted and you want to retrieve it.

I understand the importance of this matter to you and I apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused you. Please allow me to assist you. 

After examining your account, it seems that you did not sign in for a period of 30 days recently. Accounts that are not accessed at least one time every 30 days become inactive. After an account becomes inactive, all the messages, the folders, and the contacts are deleted. However, the account name is still reserved. If the account stays inactive for an additional 90 days, the account name is permanently deleted.

We are sorry to inform you that we were not able to restore the e-mail messages that were lost because of account inactivity.

You are a valuable customer to MSN and we are glad to give you consistent and effective service. 

Thank you for using MSN Hotmail.

Sincerely,

 Lory A.
MSN Hotmail Technical Support

Me to MSN Hotmail Suppot:

Dear MSN tech support,

Are you serious? You send me an email telling me that I'm a valuable customer and that you're glad to provide consistent and effective service when there has been no success with my request? That's presuming quite a lot, don't you think? The first presumption would be that you helped me in any way, because you did not. The second would be that the service was 'effective'. There was no service provided, and the attempt made was certainly not effective. If it had been effective, I would have my folders and messages back.

I cannot honestly say that I believe that my information is truly, irretrievably gone. Microsoft is a big corporation and employs the best computer experts. Surely someone there has the ability to retrieve my lost information. My email provider at Indiana University has the ability to retrieve lost messages, and if a college can do that, I refuse to believe that Microsoft cannot.

Thanks for nothing, MSN Hotmail. In the future, you might want to screen your emails so that phrases that imply that you were helpful in any way do not make their way into emails where you are telling someone that you refuse to help them. If I were truly 'valuable' to you, as you have said, I believe that I would have my messages back by now.

P.S. - I have been a Hotmail user since 1998. I have made one request of you in all of that time, and it has been denied. Due to the insipid, glib wording used in the email response to my only problem in eight years, I have decided not only to post the entire email conversation on my blog to show the stupidity of the situation, but also to purchase a MacIntosh for my next computer, run it on Linux, and use Gmail and Yahoo for my email providers. When my Yahoo account had problems, someone in their tech department helped me and solved the problem instead of sending a message implying that help occurred when it clearly did not.

 Sincerely,

 Sara Goodwin, dissatisfied MSN Hotmail customer

Jerks.

created by WildOnyx
You scored as Mermaid.
Mermaid: Mermaids are also known as Sirens. These creatures were beautiful women who tricked sailors into becoming completely entranced by their haunting voices and found death soon after. Not all stories of Mermaids are about gentle loving sea people. They are mystical, magical, and extremely dangerous. They have a way about them that brings anyone they are around to seem enchanted. They are very mysterious creatures and to meet one... Would mean certain Death. Let the song of the Sea fill your soul, for you are a Mermaid.
Mermaid 75% Dragon 67% Angel 50% Demon 33% WereWolf 33% Faerie 25%

The following entry is inspired by my mom's blog  where she posted about foods she doesn't like.


The untouchable foodstuffs in my world:

1.) Tomatoes - Too watery. The texture of them offends, from the skin to the seedy, watery innards. Blech. I like tomato products - pasta sauce, ketchup, etc., but not the Red Non-Fruit, as I like to call it.
2.) Melons - I just dislike the taste and the aftertaste. The only exception is watermelon-flavored candy substances. Concentrated, the flavor is fine. In melon-form, it's too watery.
3.) Cottage cheese - Texture, texture, texture! I can't eat it without a barf reflex. Whose cottage was it left in to rot, anyway?
4.) Sauerkraut - Good lord, is there anything the Germans won't eat? Bleechh. It seriously means 'sour cabbage' as in 'cabbage past its prime.'
5.) Milk - I like it in things, just not by itself. I'm physically incapable of swallowing plain milk. My throat constricts and wants to puke it up.
6.) Any beef that isn't my mom's Spanish hamburger - Steak makes me feel sick. It's too 'carcassy'.
7.) Seafood - I can't bear the smell. Everyone says that good seafood doesn't have that 'fishy' smell, but they're liars. I can ALWAYS smell it. It smells fishy because it IS FISH. And I don't like fish. Or mollusks. Or seabugs. If it has a thorax and/or an exoskeleton, I'm out.
8.) Celery - People say it has no taste, but I disagree. I find it has the ability to ruin any salad it touches. Refreshing lettuce and cheese and french dressing ... interrupted by bitter taste of celery. Ick. And, it has veins. Gross.
9.) Mayonnaise - Nasty. Just nasty. And screw you, Burger King for always trying to sneak mayo onto everything. Even when you specifically ask for NO MAYO! What, are they owned by Canadians or something? :-)

Things I eat that others find odd or repulsive:

1.) Non-burgers - I eat 'hamburgers' or 'cheeseburgers' or 'hotdogs' without the actual meat on them. I order meatless burgers at McDonalds, which they even have a button for on their register. Ketchup, mustard, pickle, onion, and cheese sandwiches on buns. I enjoy them, but others find this disgusting.
2.) Peas - I have loved peas since I was a baby. I still love them.
3.) Garlic - I love garlic. In pasta, on bread, in beans and rice, etc. I have never had any concern about garlic breath because to me, it's a pleasant smell.
4.) Dry cereal - Specifically, Corn Flakes with no milk*.
5.) Ketchup on Thanksgiving turkey - I only eat turkey at Thanksgiving, and I only like it with ketchup on it.
6.) Ketchup on baked potatoes or potato skins - For some reason, people find this offensive, but I don't get it. Potatoes are like big french fries, and it's okay to put ketchup on fries. What gives?
7.) Balsalmic vinegar - I crave it like there's a vitamin deficiency or something. I love it. I put it on all things rice-y or bean-y. And, I love to marinate onions in it and grill them. Mmm!
8.) Apricot nectar - I can guzzle a gallon of it in 24 hours. I can't even keep it in the house, I love it so much. It's better than candy, better than most other drinks or foods.

Things others eat that I find odd or repulsive:

1.) Wheaties and cheese - My mom sometimes sits at the kitchen table, reading a book and eating dry Wheaties with slices of cheese on top. Blech.
2.) Steamed fish and/or Brussels sprouts - My dad used to prepare fish and Brussels sprouts in the steamer and a wall of stink would slap you in the face upon entering the house.
3.) Calamari - My brother eats it and it gives me the shivers. Squidlets!
4.) Sushi - I can't do it. I just can't. Raw fish? I don't even like it cooked!
5.) Mayonnaise mixed with ketchup on french fries -My friend Laura does this at Steak and Shake, and I can't watch.
6.) Too-old leftovers - A certain friend whose name rhymes with ... Nathen ... will eat anything leftover several days after it's been in the fridge.
7.) Fishsticks - My roomate sometimes cooks them, and the smell just - knocks me on my ass. But, that's pretty much his only roomate-ly fault. :-)
8.) Mixing things all together - My grandmothers both do this. If there are mashed potatoes on the plate, the green beans get mixed in, and the gravy gets all touch-feely with the other items on the plate ... the carnage is terrible.




*see above "the untochable foodstuffs in my world" section.

Here are my results from the How Open-Minded Are You? Quiz ...

You Are 60% Open Minded

You are a very open minded person, but you're also well grounded. Tolerant and flexible, you appreciate most lifestyles and viewpoints. But you also know where you stand firm, and you can draw that line. You're open to considering every possibility - but in the end, you stand true to yourself.

http://www.blogthings.com/howopenmindedareyouquiz

My parents have recently been the victims of a wandering mama-cat who gave birth beneath their shrubberies. I love cats. I am definitely a cat person. But, this mama-cat is the most unpleasant feline I have ever had the misfortune to encounter. She isn't scared of humans. She'll stand right next to you. But, if you try to pet her, she'll snipe at your hand. I tried to feed her lunchmeat, and she swiped it out of my hand with one paw, then sniped at my hand with the other, as if to say, "There! That'll teach you to offer me lunchmeat!" The babies were the cutest little fluffy things ever, but no one could touch them, lest the mean mom cat attack your ankles where you stood. I decided to rescue the babies and take them to the animal shelter in my town where they could at least stand a chance of being adopted. The shelter in my parents' town charges money to drop off animals. That just seems wrong. Especially when you're trying to do the right thing by a litter of randoms and their psycotic mom cat. She was not OUR cat. She was just a cat who decided that our shrubs looked like an awesome place to drop a litter. And, she didn't treat my parents' geriatric cat Ed with even the slightest bit of respect. She ate his food, sniped at him when he tried to use his own bowl, and generally tyrranized the deck that is his haven of safety. I am glad she moved the babies to the deck because it was safer for them, but she also didn't teach her babies how to dig and then poo, so they crapped all over the deck and the swing ... at least she could have showed them how to dig in a flowerpot or something, right? She also nursed them in a strange, half-upright position. She'd lean against the side of the house and kind of flop one leg out for access. Very classy, momcat.

Anyway, my friends Monte and Erin came with me to catch the baby kitties. My big plan was to toss bologna into the cat carrier, wait for them to descend upon it like the cute little mini-buzzards they were, and then slam the hatch. However, there was only one kitten left. In the dead of night, something did away with the rest of the litter. We're guessing it was coyotes or dogs or even a possum or something. There are no remains, so I'm telling myself they struck out on their own to make their fortune and get away from their mean mama-cat. The remaining baby was caught with the bologna/slam the hatch method by my friends. Erin managed the meat-placement, and Monte slammed the hatch, trapping the feral little thing. The kitten had never been touched by humans, and was accustomed to pooping on a porch swing. And, she was coming home with me. Joy.

I didn't intend to keep her. I already have a cat, the Valentine-kitty, and I wasn't sure how much he'd want a feral little sister with potential to be a random pooper. I was going to keep her in my bathroom overnight and take her to the shelter the next day, but Monte was quite taken with her, and the minute I got her home, my roomate Chris opened the carrier to let her out in the apartment. My roomate and my friends were entranced with her and I was having buyer's remorse. Valentine made his feelings on the matter very clear.

Me: "Valentine, what do you think of the kitten?"
Valentine: "HISSS!"
Me: "Val, she's just a baby. Give her a chance ..."
Valentine: "HISSSS!"

Valentine has a wussy hiss. He sounds like a little bit of air got released from a balloon. And, he has no follow-through. The hiss is all he's got. This is the cat who can't manage to do any damage to a chicken tender. He licks it soggy, then looks up at me like I'm going to chew it for him or something. And, when my former roomate and her cats Spike and Scout were still around, there was a mouse situation that saw me standing up on the futon shrieking, "Ew! A mouse! Get it Spikey! Get it!" Spike was all about catching that mouse. He was on-task. Val? He was up on the futon with me. "Ew! A mouse! Get it Spikey!" So, Valentine is definitely a lover, not a fighter. Such a lover, in fact, that even though he was pissed about the kitten, he still wanted me to love on him. He hopped up on my bed next to me and rubbed his head against my hand ... and hissed. Then, he rolled over so I could pet his belly, and he hissed again. He was like, "HISSS! Yeah, I hate that little kitten! She sucks! And you suck for bringing her here .... ahh, could you get the right ear now? Yes, yes, that's good. I mean, HISSSS! that's right, lady, HISSS! You heard me, I'm upset about this. Oh, could you rub my belly now, please?"

So, Monte pretty much gentled the kitten all on his own. Between him and my other friend Nathen and Erin and Chris and a little bit of me, we got the kitty accustomed to being held in about 2 days. She still won't come up to you for lovin', but she loves to play with the Forbidden Feather (It's forbidden because back in the day, Spike would play with it until he panted like a dog and foamed at the mouth with exhaustion. If he could see it, he had to play with it, even if he made himself sick. So, we had to hide it away and get it out for special occasions. Thus, the Forbidden Feather.) and if you can pick her up, she immediately snuggles.

I took her to the vet a couple days ago, and while the vet was examining her, she noticed that there was something odd about the kitten's feet. I thought she might be polydactyl because her paws seem wide and there is a little protrusion up her leg. It turns out that she's the opposite of polydactyl. She's missing some toes. Her paws seem bigger because there is extra skin where toes should be. I asked the vet if she was born that way, and she replied, "No, something ate them." Something ATE them? Well, I guess that explains why she's not terribly worried about fearing Valentine. He can't possibly be as scary as whatever ate her toes. The vet says she should be okay, but may limp a bit. She also has a cutaneous horn on one of her pawpads. What a horrible word! Cutaneous horn. Blech! Oh, well, she's still cute. But, after hearing about her devoured toes and how much she NEEEEEDS me, I have decided to keep her. Yup, she's officially my kitten. And, by extension, Val's new little sister, whether he likes it or not. And right now, he doesn't like it one bit.

Here is an example of a "conversation" between Valentine and the kitten, who has been named Kahlan by my roomate Chris, after his favorite character from the Terry Goodkind Sword of Truth novels. Yep, she's named and she's been to the vet. She's named and money has been spent on her. Totally keeping her. Anyway, here is the "conversation" the kitties had last night:

Valentine: "Hey! You! Kitten! I HISSED at you! Aren't you scared?"
Kitten: "Can I sniff you?"
Valentine: "No! Didn't you hear me hissing?"
Kitten: "Ooh! Tail! Can I chase it?"
Valentine: "Stop it! Stop sniffing me! Stop playing with my toys!"
Kitten: "Why? What are you going to do about it?"
Valentine: "Uhh ... hiss? Again?"
Kitten: "Can I sniff you?"

So far, so good. Today is the first day she's been out and about the house with Valentine on their own, without human supervision. I'm not too worried, since he can't even damage a piece of bologna, but if he did go after her, all she has to do is hide under any piece of furniture. Val's butt is too ... bulbous to fit underneath the bookcases. If I can get her to hold still for a blue second, I'll take her picture and post it. Right now, she's pretty wiggly in a very cute way.

Okay, I borrowed the quiz from Erithe's blog, and I'm now terribly concerned that I came up Christianity, but my next-closest religion on the list is Satanism? What the heck? The quiz is obviously flawed. Sheesh! I'm creeped out now.

created by callalily19
You scored as Christianity.
Your views are most similar to those of Christianity. Do more research on Christianity and possibly consider being baptized and accepting Jesus, if you aren't already Christian. Christianity is the second of the Abrahamic faiths; it follows Judaism and is followed by Islam. It differs in its belief of Jesus, as not a prophet nor historical figure, but as God in human form. The Holy Trinity is the concept that God takes three forms: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Ghost (sometimes called Holy Spirit). Jesus taught the idea of instead of seeking revenge, one should love his or her neighbors and enemies. Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross to save humankind and forgive people's sins.
Christianity 67% Satanism 67% Buddhism 54% Islam 46% Judaism 46% Hinduism 46% agnosticism 46% Paganism 38% atheism 21%

The Keys to Your Heart



You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free.

In love, you feel the most alive when your partner is patient and never willing to give up on you.

You'd like to your lover to think you are stylish and alluring.

You would be forced to break up with someone who was insecure and in constant need of reassurance.

Your ideal relationship is open. Both of you can talk about everything... no secrets.

Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.

You think of marriage something you've always wanted... though you haven't really thought about it.

In this moment, you think of love as something you can get or discard anytime. You're feeling self centered.

http://www.blogthings.com/keystoyourheartquiz/

Your Life Path Number is 1



Your purpose in life is to lead others.

You have great drive and determination. Nothing is going to stand in your way.
You seek out challenges and the spotlight. You'll take all the work - and all the glory.
Status and success are important to you. You demand the best from everyone and everything.

In love, you tend to take a protective role. You enjoy being the provider in relationships.

You expect others to be like you, and as a result, you are often disappointed.
A little selfish and vain, you always put yourself first.
Remember, everyone already knows you're great - you don't need to remind them!

http://www.blogthings.com/whatisyourlifepathnumberquiz/outcome.php

You Are Rain



http://www.blogthings.com/whattypeofweatherareyouquiz/


You can be warm and sexy. Or cold and unwelcoming.
Either way, you slowly bring out the beauty around you.

You are best known for: your touch

Your dominant state: changing

Sara's Top Ten Books and Why I Like Them

This post was inspired by the book discussion in the comments of my friend arborsomnians' journal. She was talking about a book she is reading on the recommendation of a friend, and in the comments, she and some friends are discussing particular series and why they like them and why tastes might change, etc. It made me want to do a top ten books list and post about why I like the books I like. In my top ten list, I consider series as one book. To me, a series is one story with several volumes, so I don't break up series in my list. These are not in order of importance. I consider them all equally important to me. They are simply the ten that made the top ten cut.

1.) The Rulers of Hylor Trilogy by Cherry Wilder.

The first book is A Princess of the Chameln, the second is Yorath the Wolf, and the third is The Summer's King. There is a fourth book that I just discoved the existence of, called Wanderer. I can't wait to get ahold of it a read it as well. Because Cherry Wilder died before she finished the fourth book, it was co-written by Katya Reimann(sp?) I love these books because there is an ensemble of characters so well fleshed-out that even the minor recurring characters can do or say something to rip your heart out. Each of these books could stand alone, but together, they provide a complete, sweeping story arc, which I love. The Summer's King made me bawl for days. It was one of those books that, after I had read it, my world seemed different somehow. Things could never go back to the way they were before I read it, and that realization was at once wonderful and kind of sad.

2.) The Kingdom series by Cynthia Voight.

The first book is Jackaroo, the second is On Fortune's Wheel, the third is The Wings of a Falcon, and the fourth is Elske. This series is loosely connected in some of the most fascinating ways ... I've read and re-read the series just because every time I read it, I find more connections that I didn't notice before. The themes explored in the books are much deeper than one would expect from a series labeled as 'young adult'. Some of the themes are dark - so dark, that when I first read them in high school and college, I was a little bit shocked in places. The books are set in a made-up world, but I would not call this a fantasy series. There is no magic, no dragons or fantastical beasts. It is a very interesting quasi-historical world, and I find it fascinating. But, not more fascinating than the character of Griff in The Wings of a Falcon. I think I might have been just a little bit in love with him. Especially after reading On Fortune's Wheel where I thought I was just crazy about the character of Orien. The third book blew me away. And made me happy and sad at the same time. If anyone has read these books and wants to discuss them, let me know. It would make my day. The first one is good. The second is ten times as good. The third one surpassed all expectations. The fourth one I'm still not sure about. I liked it, but I need to re-read to truly make up my mind.

3.) An Acceptable Time, by Madeleine L'Engle.

Everyone tells you to read A Wrinkle In Time when you're in junior high. I did, and it was good, but I didn't really feel a desire to read the other books in the series until I was a junior in high school.  Once I started reading, I didn't stop until I had read everything by L'Engle my mother had in the house, which I'm pretty sure is pretty much everything she ever wrote. 

Madeline L'Engle's books are separated into two categories; the chronos books and the kairos books. Chronos deals primarily with the Austin family and their circle of acquaintances and friends. These books are realistic and do not generally possess the threads of fantasy and science fiction present in the Kairos books. The Murry-O'Keefe family are the basis for most of the Kairos stories, and science fiction abounds. What makes these books all so very interesting is that the Austins and the Murry-O'Keefes know each other. So, the reader has knowledge of all of the adventures of the Murry-O'Keefes, while (most of) the characters have no idea that their friends and neighbors have been to other planets, been back in time, etc.

I like all of the books, but above all of the rest, I loved An Acceptable Time. If you've ever wondered how to combine time travel, fantasy, and history into one amazing story, read the book. It involves Druids, sacrifice, romance, and some pretty intense character development. My favorite thing about this book is probably the very thing a lot of people liked the least. My favorite character Madeleine L'Engle has ever created is Zachary Grey. When I read about him, I truly want him to find happiness and redemption.

4.) Amy's Eyes by Richard Kennedy

This is a weird one. I found this book by utter accident in a bookstore when I was in high school. I was at the outlet mall in Edinburgh, Indiana with my parents, brother, and grandmother, and I was sitting on the floor, perusing the shelves in the young adult section. I found a pretty, sky-blue hardback book with intriguing cover art, so I opened it and started reading, and was hooked. This story is a strange fairy tale. An oddball Mother Goose tale. Some kind of missing link between fairy tale and modern fantasy. It's implausible, unbelievable, and strange, and I love it all the more because of those things and despite them. Orphan girl, sailor doll, doll comes to life, high-sea adventures, talking animals, The Bad Sister, Greensleeves, button-eyes removed from (living?!!?) doll and placed in a bottle and lowered into the sea to search for treasure? The more I read it, the more I love it. For all its strangeness, the characters seem real. I cried my eyes out in parts. (No pun intended!)

5.) The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay

This trilogy is truly one long story separated into three volumes. The first one is The Summer Tree, the second is The Wandering Fire, and the third is The Darkest Road. These books are the only series involving people from modern times getting 'sucked' into a fantasy world that I love. (Apart from the Narnia books, and possibly an upcoming novel called 'Believe' by a soon-to-be famous author ... ) The Fionavar Tapestry has incredibly resonant characters who quickly took root in my heart. I wanted their lives to be good. I wanted good things for these people, I really did. Arthurian Legend is woven into these stories so expertly and sometimes so discreetly that I was amazed at what could be done when an existing legend is applied to new characters. It's difficult to describle without giving away too much, but there is an oddly religious element to these books as well.

6.) The Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends Series

Chronicles: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night, and Dragons of Spring Dawning
Legends: Time of the Twins, War of the Twins, Test of the Twins
Other: Dragons of Summer Flame

These books were my introduction into the fantasy genre. I know they are not considered to be on the same level as LOTR or Guy Gavriel Kay, or other fantasy greats. I know they were based off of role-playing games. I don't care. It was a darned good story, the writing was such that I cared about the characters, even the ones whose behavior dictated that they didn't necessarily deserve much concern. I cried my eyes out while reading Dragons of Winter Night in study hall my senior year of high school. I won't tell you why because you should read it for yourself. The relationship between Caramon and Raistlin Majere intrigued me. I felt hurt for both of them when the injured one another unintentionally and otherwise. I wanted them to work things out. I wanted Raistlin to finally understand how much his brother cared, and I wanted Caramon to be able to better express his caring. I loved Tasslehoff Burrfoot, as annoying as he was. And, I think the sight of a white feather, falling gently to the ground, could move me to tears.

7.) The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon

Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, and The Fiery Cross.

So far, I've read the first three. I love the character of Jamie Fraser so much that I'm actually scared to read the next books in the series for fear that something might happen to him. There, I've said it. I can't bring myself to read the other books in one of my favorite series because I'm scared she might harm my Jamie. He's been through quite enough in the first three books, and I'm just too nervous to continue. That said, this series is a romance series, but don't let that label fool you. These are really, really good romance novels. They are also excellent historical fiction. The incredible amount of research the author must have done boggles the mind. Thirdly, this series is also a fantasy adventure involving hot Scotsmen, Stonehenge, witches, time travel, and hot Scotsmen. Did I mention that Jamie is one heck of a hot Scotsman? Whew! These books are so good, the characters so vivid, the historical setting so interesting and educational, and the fantasy aspect so thrilling, that it's hard to put them down once you pick them up. And, it's harder to pick them back up after putting them down, if that makes any sense. I feel like making pre-emptive protest t-shirts emblazoned with, "The Jamie Fraser Must Live Society". One cautionary note: some pretty terrible things happen in one of the books. Dark stuff. It is dealt with, I believe, appropriately, but it is still kind of disturbing.

8.) Tigana, by Guy Gavriel Kay

The concept of this book is what draws me. The concept and the symbolism. And the characters. The most fascinating character in this book for me is the main antagonist, King Branin of Ygrath. He has done terrible things. Unspeakable (you'll get that joke if you read the book) things. But, he loves and loves deeply. Everything this man has done, good or bad, has been for some kind of love, be it parental, romantic, or otherwise. He's a bad man with a good heart, and it's a fascinating read. I have a feeling that what I wanted for the ending of this book was not justice, but I was all right with that. The themes of what constitutes patriotism, definition of a nation, etc. are also present throughout.

9.) The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

My favorite book of the Chronicles of Narnia is The Horse and His Boy. Not the usual favorite, but definitely my favorite. I like the characters and the fact that it is set during the reign of Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, but not necessarily about them. I love the desert-y-ness of it as well.

10.) The Trixie Belden Mystery Series, by Julie Campbell and Kathryn Kenny

This series shaped my world in many ways from the time I was 10 until the present day. To the casual observer, it would seem that these books are some sort of Nancy Drew-esque mystery knockoffs, but they're not. The Trixie Universe is so much more than that. The characters all had distinct personalities, for better or for worse. No one was saintly-good. Even the heroes and heroines had faults. The ensemble cast was always consistent. There are umpteen characters who show up from book to book and they come back in later books as well. There is a continuity to the series that was missing in other similar series. Story arcs sometimes took two or three books to resolve. It wasn't all about the mystery, but also about the characters. It's actually kind of creepy how much knowledge I gleaned from reading those books as a child. I learned about the history of Tucson, Arizona, about the Navajo culture, about horses and how to ride and care for them, the history of the Upstate New York region, with all of its Dutch influence, vocabulary words, outdoor survival tactics, and quite a bit about Shakespeare and Washington Irving. My favorite characters were always Trixie and Jim.