AliBlog

Five Things

Here in blog-la land, five is the new four. Before that, four was the new seven. Good thing, too, because lately I only have the energy to post lists, photos and links to other blogs. Seriously. Tammy tagged me for this nearly a week ago, and it's taken me that long to make these simple lists.

Five items in my freezer:

1. Milk-jug ice blocks.
2. Beer mugs.
3. Venison sausage.
4. Freezer pops.
5. Mommy's milk. (I know. I know. I put it last, because you're all tired of hearing about it.)

Five items in the closet (all broken, damaged, chipped or unused):

1. Marble chess board.
2. Wooden poker chips.
3. Sandstone hieroglyphic art.
4. 8-pound hand weights.
5. Camcorder.

Five items in the car:

1. A very warm bottle of water.
2. A bag of clothes for Goodwill.
3. A chocolate-covered car seat.
4. The great grabber toy.
5. A mouse trap.

Five items in my backpack diaper bag

1. Lip Gloss.
2. Chap Stick.
3. Lanolin.
4. Expired coupons.
5. Diapers.

Five People I am tagging (y'all know I like to tag non-bloggers for these things, right? It doesn't really perpetuate the meme - but it gives my non-blogger friends a chance to play. Answer in the comments. Others are welcome to play as well):

1. Erika
2. Kristy
3. Marcy
4. Susan
5. Mich

Distraction from the Obvious

Becky tagged me for this meme, but she didn't follow the rules so I don't think I have to either. Instead, I'm going to answer this survey that Mich sent in the mail, which I've also seen as a meme on other blogs. Feel free to pick a category and provide your answers in the comments section if you're so inclined.

Four Jobs you have had in your life:
1) Waitress
2) Bartender
3) Copywriter
4) Editor

Four Movies you watch over and over:
1) Finding Nemo
2) Kermit: the Swamp Years
3) Madagascar
4) Shrek

Four Places you have lived:
1) Biloxi, MS
2) Princeton, NC
3) Tucson, AZ
4) Troy, IL

Four TV Shows you love to watch:
1) Lost
2) Austin City Limits
3) Grey's Anatomy
4) Celebrity Poker Showdown

Four Places you have been on Vacation:
1)   Arcadia, Michigan
2)   Chokoloskee, Florida
3)   Lookout Mountain, GA
4)   Savannah, GA

Four Web sites you visit (almost) daily:
1) Sarah and the Goon Squad
2) Ambivablog
3) Better Living: Thoughts from Mark Daniels
4) True Ancestor

Four of my favorite foods:
1)   Burritos
2)   Shrimp Cocktail
3)   Lasagna
4)   Brownies

Four Places I would rather be right now:
1) "Out front" on Lake Michigan
2) Any dusky bar in Athens, OH
3) Any quiet restaurant in Savannah, GA
4) In front of a campfire in some remote corner of the Catalina Foothills, AZ

Four friends I think will respond:
1) Sarah
2) Beau
3) Karen
4) Kelly

Four kinds of vehicles you've had:
1) Isuzu Trooper
2) Toyota Camry
3) Nissan Sentra
4) Hyundai Elantra

Another Me-me-me-me-meme

Turns out I was tagged by amba on Friday for this 7x7 game. Complying seems like a good way to get over my holiday blogging lull.

My task? To provide seven answers to each of the following seven prompts:

1. Seven things to do before I die
2. Seven things I cannot do
3. Seven things that attract me to (…)
4. Seven things I say most often
5. Seven books (or series) that I love
6. Seven movies I watch over and over again (or would if I had time)
7. Seven people I want to join in, too.

Seven things to do before I die:

1. Raise at least two well-adjusted and well-rounded children.
2. Receive a PhD.
3. Write a screen play.
4. Run a half marathon.
5. Refinish the basement and remodel the rest of this house.
6. Publish a short story.
7. Learn to garden.

Seven things I cannot do:

1. Speak a second language.
2. Apply makeup.
3. Keep my shoes clean/unscuffed.
4. Dance.
5. Resist kissing the foreheads of babies and toddlers.
6. Return library books on time.
7. Touch my toes (even when I'm not pregnant).

Seven things that attract me to the holidays:

1. Time with family.
2. Vacation time.
3. Photos in the mail.
4. Christmas decorations.
5. Cookies.
6. Giving gifts to children.
7. Receiving the gifts of love and grace.

Seven things I say most often:

1. This? Or this?
2. For cryin' out loud. 
3. Sh!t.
4. Who does Robey love?
5. Listen.
6. Thank you.
7. I love you.

Seven books (or series) that I love:

1. Lost (TV)
2. Judging Amy (TV)
3. Prodigal Summer (Kingsolver)
4. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Smith)
5. Adventures in the Screen Trade Series (William Goldman)
6. Harry Potter Series (Rowling)
7. The Dark Tower Series (King)

Seven movies I watch over and over again (or would if I had time):

1. "State & Main"
2. "The Wizard of Oz"
3. "Men with Guns"
4. "Almost Famous"
5. "The Big Chill"
6. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"
7. "The Usual Suspects"

Seven people I want to join in, too:

Are there even seven bloggers still reading this? I didn't think so ...

One of those survey thingys

Holy Toledo, this one's long. Sarah made me do it. I'm tagging Mich, because I think she's blogging in secret out there & just not telling us all about it. Answer these questions on your blog, and I'll come find ya, Baby Doll.

1. Legal First name? Alison.
2. Were you named after anyone? No.
3. Do you wish on stars? If I'm feeling lucky.
4. When did you last cry? Last week.
5. What is your favorite lunch meat? Roast Beef.
6. What is your birth date? January 25.
7. Whats your most embarrassing CD? If I Were a Carpenter (Various Artists).
8. If you were another person, would you be friends with you? Not only would I be friends with me, I'd read my blog and leave comments often, like any good friend would do.
9. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Sarcasm uses me.
10. What are your nicknames? Ali, Al, Wal, Tiffer, Katrina McGhee, Mrs. Rutabaga Head, Princess Charmed Life, Alison Good Wife ... there's more.
11. Would you bungee jump? Probably.
12. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Nah.
13. Do you think that you are strong? I can do more pushups than Jen.
14. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Chocolate chip cookie dough.
15. Shoe Size? 8.
16. Red or pink? Pink.
17. What is your least favorite thing about yourself? Shyness.
18. Who do you miss most? Bridget.
19. What color pants and shoes are you wearing? Black sweat pants, stocking feet.
20. What are you listening to right now? Folk Alley
21. What did you eat for breakfast? Cereal with fresh strawberries.
22. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Sepia.
23. What is the weather like right now? Gorgeous, sunny, fall-like.
24. Last person you talked to on the phone? My mom.
25.The first things you notice about the opposite sex? Attitude.
26. Do you like the person who sent this to you? I've liked her since I was six.
27. Favorite Drink? Apple cider. Hot or cold.
28. Hair Color? Brown.
29. Do you wear contacts? No, glasses at the computer and while watching TV only.
30. Favorite Food? Burritos.
31. Last Movie You Watched? A Love Song for Bobby Long. (Watch it. It's a love song for New Orleans.)
32. Favorite Day Of The Year? The first day of vacation.
33. Scary Movies Or Happy Endings? Happy, unpredictable endings.
34. Summer Or Winter? Summer.
35. Hugs OR Kisses? Hugs.
36. What Is Your Favorite Dessert? Baklava.
37. Living Arrangements? With my husband and son in the house I grew up in.
38. What Books Are You Reading? See the reading list on my About Page.
39. What's On Your Mouse Pad? A mouse.
40.What Did You Watch Last night on TV? ER.
41. Favorite Smells? Rain. Fresh baked cookies. Flavored coffee.
42. Favorite junk food? Chocolate.
43. Rolling Stones or Beatles? Beatles.
44. What's the farthest you've been from home? Death Valley, I think.

Since I Have Your Attention

OMG. I just realized I am that boastful stranger on the plane.

We all are.

And by we, I mean bloggers.

No, it wasn't my conversation recorded in that post about airplane yakkers. But it may as well have been. While I would never so smugly force myself on a stranger in an airplane, here on the Web I'm not afraid to say ...

Hi. I'm Alison. As long as you're here seated in my row of the blogosphere, let me show you the latest photos of my son. And here's what we did on vacation last month. Oh, and did I tell you about the book I'm reading? And you wouldn't believe who we saw at the reunion. And have I mentioned my theories on the deconstruction of religious cliches? Oh - did you see what Sarah said on her blog today? Have you heard enough stories about my college years? Have I updated you on my Basement Treasures Campaign? Hey, you're welcome to comment any time. Please do, but I'm just going to change the subject here real fast before you have time to get that posted, okay? Now, where was I? Oh yes, my cousin - she had a baby. He's beautiful. And did you know my son Robey likes to pretend that he's reading? He does it everyday. Isn't that cute? Yes, and next month I'll be traveling to NC again for work. Oh, and you really should read this great article about writing online. What's that? Um, are you still here?

*looks around*

Hmmm ... she must have changed seats ... or - I mean - shoot, she's already clicked through to the next blog.

*hollers across plane*

Okay, well bye for now. Nice talking to you. Leave a comment next time, okay?

The Latest Party Game

Blog interviews are making their rounds. Last week at True Ancestor's blog, David invented the word blogflogging, and now he's invited others to partake in the latest blogfloggery - the interview game. Sounds fun, right? Here are his questions with my answers (I'm trying to do this quickly, to make it seem spontaneous as if it were a real interview where I wouldn't really have lots of time to think about my answers):

1. What is the most dangerous (as in life-threatening) thing you've ever done, voluntarily? Hang Gliding. The national injury stats may say otherwise, but I knew a good pilot who died doing it, and Jeromy could have died when he flew into the face of a mountain in Arizona, so I think it's dangerous. I trained on a small hill and took a few tandem flights at Lookout Mountain in Georgia, but I've never actually flown a glider in the air all by myself.
2. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Physically, I'd remove the varicose veins on my legs. Mentally, I wish I had the ability to learn foreign languages. Emotionally, I'd like to be less shy about starting conversations with strangers.
3. What is the hardest you've ever laughed in your life, and why? I'd like to say it was one giggle fit or another that Robey and I shared when he was a toddler. You know, one of those contagious moments of laughter that just keeps feeding on itself for no reason at all, but I can't think of one in particular. This is hard - to think of an exact moment. I laugh at lot when I read. Sarah's old letters made me laugh pretty hard recently. The letter Mich wrote for Jeromy's 30th birthday memory book (which I'll have to republish here sometime) definitely sent me to my knees. And another time, something she wrote about a bladder infection threw me into fits. John Irving novels have great comedic scenes that build and build and build until you're laughing so hard you just can't read anymore. In college, I remember a few substance-induced waves of laughter that seemed to last for days. In NC there was a guy at work who made us all laugh at lunch everyday. Now he's practically an executive. And I always laugh - hard - at comedy clubs, where I've found the opening acts are typically funnier than the headliners. I don't know what it means that I can't remember one particular moment - either I've laughed too much or not enough in this life.
4. What are the qualities of the most and least favorite people in your life? Without naming names, my least favorite people are loud, obnoxious, pushy and have no sense of how their words and actions affect others. My most favorite people are smart, creative, well-spoken and free-spirited.
5. If you could live anywhere on earth, where would you live? Right here. Though I haven't seen much of the world, really. Just lots of the United States. When Jeromy separated from the military last year, we had this choice. Since I telecommute, we could have moved anywhere. And we chose to live near family. We felt a strong pull to live in Athens, Ohio where I attended college and where the townsfolk are smart, creative, well-spoken and free-spirited - but the hometown won out (not that we don't know any smart, creative, well-spoken and free-spirited people here too - we do). Someday, I'd like to have more land and a two-story house, but as long as I'm a mom, I can't see myself living more than 5 miles away from the grandmothers - our excellent God-given babysitters.

Now, if you want to play, I get to ask the questions. Leave a comment below asking to be interviewed, and I'll send new questions that you can either answer on your blog or - if you don't have a blog - you can post them here.

The Cube-alysis

I'm late to this game but couldn't resist the invitation to psychoanalyze myself. If you want to play, go read amba's post about the cube. It's easy: you envision a simple scene, then read the key to determine what your scene reveals about you.

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If you're going to play, don't read my results below until you've thought up your own scene -- otherwise your results may be skewed.

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My scene built itself sequentially and quite illogically, with Midwestern trees and flowers planted right in the middle of a dry, Saharan desert. This could mean I'm transplanted, idealistic, or out of touch. Or maybe that I don't fit in.

What's most disturbing is that I put myself into the scene. I was sitting there in the sand looking at this small, blue, metallic cube from the very beginning. Since I am the cube, I take this to mean I'm too self absorbed (as most bloggers are, I suppose) but also that I see myself as just one small, shiny person in a large, large world.

The ladder and horse to my right were both solid, brown and rugged -- fitting as I see both my husband and my work in this way (though the aforementioned tree showed up only because the ladder needed something to prop itself up against -- hmmm).

The storm was approaching slowly from the right as well but was not especially threatening, which is good. I can handle stress at work and at home.

The flowers -- begonias and impatiens -- were behind me, and the horizon -- in front of me -- was wide, open, vast and empty. This could mean I'm not paying enough attention to my most important relationships. Or it could mean I'm hoping to lead my friends and family into the beautiful, unknown desert of our future. Probably a little bit of both, but I'll hope for the latter and be mindful of the former.

What's most fascinating to me about this exercise is that the actual objects -- the cube, desert, ladder, horse, storm and flowers have nothing to do with the real results. I'm not certain, but I think it could work just as well if you told people to envision a sphere in a large parking lot, then a hubcap, a dog, an approaching car and a series of grid lines instead (okay, these objects don't offer as many options symbolically, but you get my point).

Maybe I'll try it with a few variations on unsuspecting friends and see what happens. Or maybe I'll buy amba's book and learn all the inside details.