Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Majority rules

Perhaps unsurprisingly, of all the comments I got on yesterday's post, very few people said that they did not want to see photos of my injury. And many people said they actively did want to see. So, to the three of you who would probably not cause a huge traffic jam by rubbernecking an accident, please avert your eyes.

Unfortunately I do not have any photos of my leg in all its muddy, bloody glory. I'm a bad blogger, I know, but my self-documenting instincts were overcome by the pain of having so much dirt in my wounds and the need to get it out before I keeled over from the burning.

Anyway, a nice, clean shot from the next day will have to suffice:


Now, since we're already talking about me today, I'm going to go ahead and answer the rest of the questions that you all asked me about myself.

First, JMC asks, What is your favorite restaurant, and what do you typically order there?
Even though I live in a big city and am from a small town, surprisingly, my favorite restaurant is a sushi place in North Carolina. I order a variety of things there, but my main staple is the crunchy shrimp roll. Mmm.

Next, lfar asks, In two words, describe your most important virtues.
I have actually been thinking about my response to this question for awhile, and rather than considering a vast array of traits, I got stuck on two that seem like dealbreakers for me. So I'll go with them: thoughtfulness and intelligence.

Nilsa asks, What are the odds all eligible players will return to UNC in the fall?
Well, since Hansbrough has said he's returning, we only have to worry about Ellington and Lawson. My hope is that Hansbrough's return will convince them to withdraw from the draft. We'll have to see. Fingers crossed!

Hope wants to know, What is one of your favourite movie moments and why?
I struggled with this question because I am really not that into movies. I think I'd have to go with the scene in The Princess Bride when Buttercup pushes Westley and as he rolls down the hill, he yells out, "As... you... wish..." and then she throws herself down the hill after him. It's just so brilliantly hilarious and also true.

Shauna asks, If you only had one day to live, how would you spend it?
This is a fascinating question. I wouldn't want to do anything too stressful; I'd probably just want to relax with Torsten. I'd be happy to lie with him in a field by the ocean. And also I would obviously eat tons of high-calorie food that I've sworn off since Weight Watchers, since I wouldn't have to worry about my health. Plus the obvious stuff like calling my family to say goodbye and having sex. And maybe I'd write some sort of epic blog post too.

Sid wants to know, What was your childhood dream?
I hate to be boring, but I wanted to be a writer from the age of eight. I know, not exactly original. But I really did. And now that's what I do. Although not exactly in the way I dreamed. I don't think I fantasized about writing for public health campaigns. But still.

Rebecca says, Although there are many variables in the when to have a family equation, if you had to select the age you would be when you first become a mom - what is it?
I want to be a relatively young mom. So I'd say 26 or 27.

Poodlegoose asks, If you could pick any career, completely void of repercussions of any sort or disgruntled family members, what would it be?
I love writing and editing, which is what I do. Maybe in a slightly different field? Like literary agency.

Lara has myriad questions. (1) If you were a doughnut, what kind would you be?
I guess I'd be my favorite kind of doughnut, which is custard-filled with chocolate icing. Yummy.
(2) If you could have a drink with one dead famous person of your choosing (but they wouldn't be dead, they'd be randomly alive for purposes of drinking with you), who would you choose?
I don't knooooow. Amelia Earhart, maybe, just so I could find out what happened.
(3) How do you have time to read all the blogs that you read, little missy???
I read them slowly, a couple at a time when I need a break. And I organize my Google Reader into categories so it doesn't feel as overwhelming.
(4) If you had to change your name to something foreign (like Lupe or Annika or something like that), what would you change it to?
Um, actually I really like the name Annika (see my answer to Swistle's question below). So I'll go with that.
(5) What's your favorite zoo animal and why?
Tigers, because I like stripes and they have sweet faces.

Sally wants to know, Is there anything you regret?
No, not really. I am really happy with my life right now, and everything that has happened up until now has gotten me here, so even if it wasn't enjoyable at the time, I don't regret that it happened. My regrets are more about minor things that I could have done for other people and didn't do. Like this, for example.

Banana asks, What location do you think of when someone says to close your eyes and go to your happy place?
I hate to be boring, but I don't ever do that. If I try, I usually think of grass and water and cool sunny days.

RA asks, What are you reading now? Is there a so-called classic book that you had to read but hated?
I am currently reading Fat Girl by Judith Moore. I really like it. And I wasn't forced to read this, but I read Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger thinking I would like it, since I liked Catcher in the Rye, but I couldn't even get through it.

Ami asks, What is your guiltiest pleasure?
I don't feel guilty about much, really. Probably something to eat with lots of calories, since I'm not supposed to indulge in that stuff on Weight Watchers.

L Sass says, Have I asked you about your eighth grade outfit yet? Please describe.
When I was in eighth grade, I had trouble picking clothes because most regular clothes didn't fit me and plus size clothing was still designed only with grannies in mind. So I was pretty much forced to order my clothes from Delia's, which at the time did not have stores, so I did it old school through the catalog. I did once get this white mesh-type dress from Express that fit me by some miracle, and I wore it to a school dance, and I was so, so happy about it.

Swistle has several questions. First, she says, I would like to know some of the baby names you like. But I know that's not something everyone wants to share, in case of SNITCHING!
We have a couple of contenders that we both like that I won't share, but I will tell you two names that I love that Torsten has shot down, much to my chagrin: Shelley and Annika. For boys, I tend to like names that end with N, such as Owen, Simon, and Adrian.

Next, she says, I'd like to know if you're hoping your biological children will inherit your curly hair.
Yes. Yes I am. Particularly if they're girls. I also want them to inherit Torsten's red hair (although it's less red now than it was when he was a kid).

And finally, she asks, Do you like SCENTED things? Like, when you buy laundry detergent, do you get the scented kind or the unscented? Do you like scented fabric softeners, scented soaps, scented drawer liners, etc.?
No, I do not like scented things. I buy unscented everything unless it's not available without a scent, in which case I go for the scent that smells the least like anything discernible.

Cady asks, What is your biggest pet peeve?
I hate it when people don't hold doors for the people behind them. I'm not saying they have to hold the door and let other people go through ahead of them. But please just see if there's someone behind you and avoid slamming the door in their face.

Lara is back with yet another question! This time she asks, Are you a religious person? Feel free to expound upon why or why not.
No, I'm not religious. I wasn't raised in a religious family and I never bought into the idea of organized religion at all, or even the idea of God. I totally understand how and why some people are able to believe in God and follow a particular religion, but it's just not for me. I try to be a good, moral person and that's good enough for me.

Bren J.
asks, How did you end up in DC?
Originally I wanted to move to Chicago after graduation, but my internship there the summer before my senior year of college fell through and I wound up in DC mostly because that's where my sister lived. And I liked it a lot. Also, I had a crisis of idealism my senior year and decided that working in book publishing wasn't noble enough, so I applied my editing skills to the nonprofit world, which is vast in DC.

Emblita asks, Now that you have been to London and liked it so much- would you consider moving there if the opportunity arose?
Yes, we would. We are both EU citizens, so that makes this a real possibility. But who knows if or when the opportunity will arise.

And lastly, Fairy Dog Mother asks, What is your favorite part of Spain to spend time in and why?
I like the little towns in the Pyrenees. Probably because that's the area I know best, because I went there a couple times with my French host family when I was living in Toulouse.

Whew! I think I made it through everyone's questions. In answering all of them, I kept wondering what all of YOU would say in response to these. But asking you to answer all of them would be insane. So instead, I'll ask you this: Please pick one of the questions in this post, any one at all, and answer it in the comments. I am very curious to see what you pick and what you all have to say!

62 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness! You really fell hard! That's kind of impressive :)

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  2. So many great questions!

    Unfortunately, I don't have the time right now to think about any of the more difficult questions (I really love the one about the virtues), so I will go with the one about pet peeves:

    My pet peeve is people who listen to their iPods so loudly that everyone around them gets to "enjoy" their music, too. Or people with really loud, obnoxious cell phone ringtones (I spend a lot of time on trains and, oh brother, does this get on my nerves). Actually, I think my pet peeve is inconsiderate people in general (I also hate having doors slammed in my face). Is it really that hard to take a moment to think about how one's actions might affect others?

    Sorry, this is kind of long!

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  3. Oh, and I hope your leg heals quickly! That looks like it hurt...

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  4. omg! That looks so painful! :( I hope it heals quickly. xoxo

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  5. ok -- OUCH! that looks like it hurt big time. i am feeling your pain. my foot has been killing me since LAST WEEKEND! (as in two weekends ago) ugh.

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  6. Holy shit- ouch.

    I will address the question about living in London- oh, how I would love to. Lately, I have this desire to up and move somewhere crazy. Damn state bar reciprocity problems.

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  7. Wow, that looks seriously painful! I'm so sorry about your fall!

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  8. Ouch! I hope that heals quickly. Is it still hurting a lot?

    I'll answer what is my guiltiest pleasure - milk chocolate filled with caramel. mmmm...yum!

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  9. That wound is magnificent! Good job! If you're going to fall, fall hard, right?

    I love your answers to all of these questions - so fun!

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  10. Oops, I forgot to answer a question.

    If I could have a drink with one dead famous person, it would be Marlene Dietrich, hands down.

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  11. That is a very painful looking injury but may I say that I am more dazzled by your shapely calf?

    Also: what a trooper for answering all those questions!

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  12. OH.MY.GOODNESS that looks horrendous

    gah!

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  13. That looks TERRIBLE! GAH!

    Some baby names that I like are Elena, Greta, James, and Julian.

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  14. AHHHH! That's WAY worse than I pictured it! I hope it's feeling better today. :(

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  15. Wow, it looks like soemthing mauled you! That has got to hurt!!

    The questions are fun!!

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  16. OMG.... ouch!!!!!!!!!!! hope it heals fast! it makes my leg hurt just looking at it. yikes!

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  17. Lawson, Ellington, and Green declared for the draft. Sad news.

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  18. Ouch! That looks like it hurt! I hope you're leg is feeling better today.

    As for a question, I chose this one: If you could pick any career, completely void of repercussions of any sort or disgruntled family members, what would it be?

    I would want to be a teacher, preferable lower elementary school age. I think I would really enjoy it since I love teaching and working with children. Plus, all my friends are teachers, and I've always been jealous that they get summer vacation!

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  19. Good answers. Also- good thing you have shaved your leg recently when you fell! I always seem to get cuts when it's been a while, and then you can't shave for even longer, and you end up looking quite nasty by the time the cut heals.

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  20. Ouch! That looks painful!

    The custard-filled chocolate-iced doughnut is also MY favorite! Why does Google think "doughnut" is misspelled? Donut they like. What's up with that?

    I like the regret question. I also like your regret question answer. I feel the same way. While there are things that at first glance you'd think would be regrettable, like marrying my first husband and not going to a certain college, all those possibly regrettable things got me to where I am now and made me the person I am now, so while I can look back and say that those were, in retrospect, bad choices, I don't regret them. After all, it's the screw-ups that you learn from.

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  22. Holy Leg Scrap Batman!! That is much worse than I thought it would be! Hope it gets feeling better soon!

    xox

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  25. I'm just catching up now! Oh my! That looks painful!

    Hope it gets better soon.
    xx

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  26. holy moses, batman! your leg?! omg honey, that looks awful. i'm so, so sorry, and hope it gets better soon. sooner than soon. STAT, even.

    just remember, neosporin is your friend. :)

    xo, b

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  27. Ooooh, icky leg. That's one helluva scratch. I guess if you're going down, you might as well go down big!

    I want to know what category I fall into in your Google Reader!!! :-)

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  28. Ooo, your leg looks like it hurt! Poor Jess! I don't think the pics are gross.

    I want to be a mom at 32 :)

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  29. Ouuuuuuuuuuuch!!!! You poor thing. :(

    I was a Delia's girl too... I remember ordering stuff the old school catalog way!!

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  30. The question about who'd I like to have a drink with...I'd pick Amelia Earhart too. She's so fascinating.

    And your leg looks so icky, I'm sorry! It's not too bad, though. I didn't gag or anything. Ha!

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  31. awesome! you got a lot of great questions!

    I just have to say that I think I woudl be a strawberry frosted doughnut with colored sprinkles on top. I'm not even sure why, since that's not my favorite! it just feels right.

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  32. Ouch!!! That must have been some fall!

    (5) What's your favorite zoo animal and why?
    There was this giraffe at the Santa Barbara Zoo that had a crooked neck. It's name was Gemina. I am not even joking it was the craziest thing ever. She died last year (from old age, not the crooked neck). Check out her picture - http://www.santabarbarazoo.org/gemina.asp

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  33. Reading your answers = so much fun!

    Also, OUCH! Yowzah.

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  34. SWEET CUT! i hope you take this opportunity to wear skirts, which is TOTALLY what i would do, to show off how badass i am, because HELLO PEOPLE, HAVE YOU SEEN MY LEG?

    i know how much that kind of scrape hurts, though - extra surface area for extra burn! - i did that to my shoulder once, tho not even as bad as you: voila!

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  35. wow. you're dedicated. i can't believe that you actually found the time to answer all those questions. also you american's have custard filled donuts? lucky

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  36. OH MY GOSH! That scrape is ridiculous! Also, may I say that you're looking very skinny? Seriously.

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  37. I'll answer a question. What is your biggest pet peeve? My biggest pet peeve is when traveling on a busy road with many stoplights, cars who ride your bumper, pass you, drive way too fast, only to arrive at the next stop light 3 seconds before you. I swear I'm not 100 years old.

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  38. LOVE the Princess Bride quote. That has to be one of my all time favorite movies. My family can recite the entire rhyming sequence. Ah, bliss!

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  39. Ouch! That looks so painful! Hopefully you're a quick healer.

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  40. Dude! Your leg looks nasty! I can understand a little better why people on the Metro were staring....though that still doesn't make it right!

    I'm going to answer this question:Now that you have been to London and liked it so much- would you consider moving there if the opportunity arose? (Only I'm changing it to Dublin.) The answer is yes I would and yes we did consider it but realized that it would be too far away from my parents if we had kids. So we ended up here where the trip to see my parents costs about the same as if we'd moved to Irl. Hmm.

    Also, I love the name Annika too! It was second in the running and if, Lord have mercy, we should ever have another girl, she just might end up an Annika. :)

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  41. I think I could have gone the rest of the day without seeing that - OUCH! Good thing it is getting a little warmer and you don't have to put stockings on that!

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  42. I just read your last post, but now that I have seen the injury--OUCH EVEN MORE. That is a serious scrape! Hope it's feeling better.

    I fondly recall many awesome fashions from Delias in the 90s. My mom thought most Delias clothes were too "grown up" for me in 8th grade (hence the abundance of Limited Too in my wardrobe), but I savored every single catalog!

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  43. Great responses!

    When I was little I wanted to be a children's fiction author.

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  44. Ouch that looks horribly painful. My deepest sympathies- and I'm feeling less than happy about those people on the metro now.

    I think I'll take a shot at part 1 of Swistle's question- I would like to know some of the baby names you like. But I know that's not something everyone wants to share, in case of SNITCHING!-
    I'm not worried about snitching since I'm Icelandic, my husband's danish and so there aren't all that many of us... and oh so many names.

    I've thought a good deal about baby names both before our first boy, Askur and for future (hopefully a girl!)children. Icelandic names all have meanings, are word-names, stories or Saga connections and therefore you have to choose wisely.
    I've always loved Askur since that was the name of Embla's counterpart in the creation story in the Old Norse religion (they were created out of trees and yes equal!).

    On my future list are more Old Norse inspired names- since they usually excist in both languages and I have read and studied the old norse sagas since I could read. My favorites are:
    Loki - trickster god/boys name
    Snædís - lit. snow fairy/ girls name
    My husband loves Magnus (from Charlemagne) and Dagmar- day maiden and medieval Danish queen.
    But there are so many good names... and so much fun to ponder them all!

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  45. OUCH.

    When I was little I wanted to be a zookeeper or---get this---a "farmer's wife." Not the farmer, but his wife. Because the wife got to wear the apron and collect eggs and feed the chickens.

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  46. Gruesome picture! You really bit the dust, didn't you? Looks very, very tender. Hope you heal quickly.

    And great answers to all the questions folks gave you.

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  47. Youch! That looks painful. Hope you heal up fast!

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  48. holy moly! i'm glad that majority ruled, but i'm also glad i the cut wasn't anything to crazy crazy serious.

    also, i'm learning so much about you!!!!!

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  49. Chocolate covered custard filled is my favorite, too!

    As for the leg... OUCH.

    Oh, and on religion... I saw a great quote on Blogtations this morning. I very much apologize that I don't remember whose blog it came from, but it was this: "The only thing I don't like organized is religion." I heartily agree.

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  50. Wowww... that looks painful. That's a lot of graze. Hope you feel better soon.

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  51. omg! when you said you hurt your leg i was NOT imagining that! wowww. hope you feel better!!!

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  52. that looks like tuna tartar!! horrifying! i'm so sorry.

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  53. Yikes! That's a HORRIBLE battle wound! I was definitely not expecting it to be so big and so painful looking.

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  54. Wow, your leg looks like it hurt a lot. I was definitely imagining much smaller scrapes.

    What location do you think of when someone says to close your eyes and go to your happy place? I don't have my own happy place, but I always imagine the igloo and penguin place that Edward Norton goes to in Fight Club. It seemed like a pretty cool place. :)

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  55. That's awful! Your leg looks terrible!

    Jamie

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  56. Holy crap girl! I have had pavement burn like that before on 3of my limbs (not all at the same time)and I know it hurts. I'm actually suprised I haven't had one since I grew up because my middle name is so NOT Grace!

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  57. Ow Ow Ow!! Damn darlin', that looks painful!

    Hope it's doing better by now!

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