Waaaay overdue!!!

Speluncae Gratias...an award/meme from our favorite club-wielding Cavey:

Now here's the deal - you must divulge 10 truths about yourself, and then pass the award along to 7 others. I tag you ALL if you're reading this and especially if you're on the blogroll. I've been so swamped I've not had a chance to catch up with all of you in weeks!!! Which leads me to....

TEN TRUE THINGS ABOUT ME:

1. I am, always have been, and always will be a horrible procrastinator. Why? I don't know. I hate it. But I think much of it has to do with having always been a "gifted" kid who didn't have to try or study much in school. Had I done so, I'd have taken over the world by now. Law school made me "average" - but I had one baby going in and was pregnant with the next one on the way out, had a 110 mile r/t commute from Irvine to LA each day, and I learned to accept it. And I was in the minority of people in my class who passed the Bar the first time out - 1997 was a brutal passage rate year. The other major thing is that I do my best written work under pressure. So it always works out. But I hate it all the same. The stress isn't worth it. Yet I still do it.

2. I don't make friends with other women easily. Now, don't get me wrong. I am a very social person, not one of those loner types who sits off in a corner feeling either above or beneath her company. It's just that a) I don't like all the typical female drama/gossip/cattiness, and tend to avoid those who engage in it; b) I don't like women who have an "agenda" and think it would be cool to be my friend because of what I do, how much money they think I have (snort!), and/or who I know; and c) referring back to points a) and b), I seem to piss other women off because of their own insecurities and jealousy. And I don't get that - really. On the surface, I'm a slightly chunky 41 year old mother of three, never could be accused of being a stunner, but I still turn heads here and there, from what the Beloved tells me. But I've never cared much about that stuff, so long as the Beloved still likes me. :) As for what really matters, I'm pretty down to earth (honestly, what you see written here is pretty much what you get, save the pen names to protect the kids' anonymity). I am equally comfortable hanging out with my cleaning lady (who has become one of my closest friends since I moved to NY) for drinks as I am with my local elected governmental official friends and those who fund their efforts. I just like women who are comfortable in their own skin, and who don't feel the need to compete with me about husbands/ money/looks/weight, join self help groups or book clubs, or - Lord help us - watch Oprah to figure out what their purpose in life is. I think the fact that I'm a lawyer makes other women feel threatened in some way, or incomplete in themselves. It's very odd.

3. People find me intimidating. Now, this is both a good and a bad thing. I think it's laughable, because I really am not like that at all. The Beloved says I am like a tame and occasionally frightened little rabbit on the inside, but I have scary eyebrows and sharp cruel fangs on the outside. But for professional purposes, it's good to instill fear in other lawyers, and to be looked at as a voice of reason as well as authority (especially as a woman lawyer). Personally, it's good because people don't generally want to mess with me, but bad because they tend to shy away from me because they're afraid of what I might be thinking about them or say to them. Apparently I have a very serious expression, even when I'm thinking happy thoughts, unless I'm actually laughing out loud about something. The kids occasionally think I'm angry at them when I may just be pondering all the crap I have to do, but haven't, because I've been procrastinating...but they're learning that it's my usual Mommy is thinking face.

Finally, this whole intimidating thing doesn't do me any favors with other females in my life (see #2). See? It's a lonely world for freaks like me.

But as a consolation, little kids and babies LOVE ME. I have some sort of magical calming power with upset little ones. They know I like them and want them to be happy, and they respond in kind. The Beloved is even better with the wee ones, but I've got some game.

4. I'm a terrible packrat. I have clothes in three of the six bedrooms' closets. I have expensive designer shoes that haven't fit since I had preeclampsia during my first pregnancy and gained a half size and went from a narrow to a wide foot. I figured the Princess might wear them someday. Same goes for those Size 28 Guess button-fly jeans. She just snorts and laughs. I've procrastinated about having a garage sale to get rid of all sorts of crap since we got here in 2004. Shocker, eh?

5. I have man hands and hobbit feet. Further to #4, I blame my good German and Irish immigrant forebears. I have thick, sturdy fingers and my once svelte size 8 AA's were stretched and swollen beyond recognition (courtesy of the Princess) to 8.5 D's. I thank the Lord every day that they didn't get bigger with Therese or The Boy. I'd have to buy the boxes and throw away the shoes.

6. I spend way too much time on the computer/Blackberry. Self-evident, really. Not to the point where I'm not around the kids, of course, but I think back 10-15 years and I'm disgusted with how much time we (as a culture) DON'T spend with our families and friends because work and leisure time alike find us pasted to these freakin' machines. I watch virtually no television, other than PBS kids' shows with the baby in the mornings

7. I would love to live in either England or Italy. Maybe just for a few years. Maybe forever. I've spent a few weeks in each lovely country and felt more at home in the landscapes and lifestyles there than here. (We've always preferred to rent a villa or stay in an off-the-beaten-path B&B so we can plan our own days and experience the neighborhoods more so than the major tourist attractions.) I love the USA, but I could use a break. At least until 2012 or - gasp - 2016.

8. I have been to 11 U2 concerts. I may have mentioned this before...but just thought I'd throw that in.

9. I bake when I'm stressed out. Hence the chunky bits....bread, cookies, complex meals...that, or some solitaire, compulsive laundry loads and folding/matching socks - whatever mindless activity that will take my mind off of what's bugging me.

10. It took me an hour to come up with this!!! See, I told you I'm kinda boring and low key...

Now all of you have at it - you wouldn"t be on the blogroll unless I like ya!

Blog Holiday Potluck

All right - tonight we officially have our first snow here in the middle of nowhere, NY. Thanksgiving is coming up, then Advent, then Christmas...it's on! So, in the spirit of camaraderie and to provide some variety in all of our holiday menus, I propose a blog holiday potluck recipe exchange. Consider it a meme. And if you're reading this, you're tagged!


I've posted a new favorite (and easy) pork roast recipe over at my Brookside Bistro blog, and I invite you all to click on over and add a favorite holiday recipe to the comments (you can do it here, too). I'll post them all individually with backlinks to your blog.


C'mon...it'll be fun! Or would you rather watch the news?


;-)

P.S. Guys, favorite beer brands don't count. Talk to your brides, your moms, your parishioners - they'll hook you up!

Me and My First Baby meme

For all you mommies out there...feel free to have at it!

1. Were you married at the time? Yes - 11 months

2. What were your reactions when you found out you were pregnant/approved? Very pleasantly surprised, then elated, then overjoyed

3. How old were you? 25 throughout

4. How did you find out you were pregnant? Home test

5. Who did you tell first? My Beloved, of course - I have never seen someone blush from the neck up before. It was adorable. Once I was sure he wasn't suffering an aneurysm

6. Did you want to find out the sex? Oh yes

7. Due date/Expected arrival date: 2/28

8. Did you deliver/meet your child early or late? Induced 2 weeks early due to pre-eclampsia

9. Did you have morning sickness/anxiety? Only a little queasiness for a short time (the only throwing up was the result of ill-advised guzzling some diet grapefruit soda because I was out of ginger ale). Unlike many expectant women, I am actually at my nicest, happiest, and calmest when pregnant. No hormonal moody stuff, which I think some women take way too much advantage of. Same thing with cravings and overeating. Of all times to be selfish and unreasonable...I mean, you've got the miracle of life growing inside you! How does that entitle you to be awful to other people or become a glutton? But I guess I'm in the minority on that one.

10. What did you crave? Tuna on wheat sandwiches throughout, apple pie with vanilla ice cream at the very end. (Kid #2 was carne asada burritos, just the meat, with sour cream added, chocolate milkshakes, and fresh strawberries - all of which were in perpetual supply in Southern California, thank goodness)

11. Who irritated you the most? See #9. Generally, any stranger under the age of 80 who grabs your belly needs to be slapped, however.

12. What was your first child’s sex? Girly-girl

13. How many pounds did you gain throughout the pregnancy? Unfair. I gained 30 in the first 7.5 months, then in the last 6 weeks when the pre-eclampsia hit, I gained at least another 30 of pure fluid retention. I stopped looking at the scale after awhile. Fortunately most of the water gain came right off. The rest took awhile.

14. Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? Pre-eclampsia (fluid retention, high blood pressure, horribly swollen hands, legs, and feet)

15. Where did you give birth? Hospital

16. How many hours were you in labour? 36!!! (Induced at 7 pm, gave birth at 7 am 2 days later.)

17. Who drove you to the hospital? The Beloved

18. Who watched/went with you? Same

19. Was it vaginal or c-section? The former

20. Did you take medicine to ease the pain/self medicate to calm your nerves? Oh yeah - epidural followed by morphine. I am not a pain person, I have no shame and absolutely no desire to prove how tough and she-womanly I am where there's meds to be had. I'm tough enough in other ways.

21. How much did your child weigh? 6 lbs 14 oz.

22. What did you name him/her? Due to my privacy policy when it comes to my kids and the 'net, I will only say it is a lovely, classical, Old Testament name that I picked when I was 7. When the Beloved and I were engaged and in preliminary childbearing negotiations, I told him I already had a name picked for a girl. He said that was too bad, because he had a name that he'd chosen long ago, and I'd have to either pick that, or we'd have to have more than one girl (duh!). I pulled the "if I'm carrying the kid, I'm naming her" card, so he'd better let me know what name he thought his second daughter might be allowed to have. Turns out it was the same name I'd always wanted. (Awwwww!!!)

23. How old is your first child today? 14 and fabulous

Award season is underway...

...and our dear Angela has given me the following:...with a sneaky embedded tag for the awardees, as follows:

First you must answer the questions below with ONE word answers as all the awardees must also do. After that follow the directions on the bottom of the post.

1. Where is your cell phone? briefcase

2. Where is your significant other? work

3. Your hair color? undecided

4. Your mother? IL

5. Your father? AZ

6. Your favorite thing? dessert

7. Your dream last night? sad

8. Your dream/goal? retirement

9. The room you're in? boudoir

10. Your hobby? blog

11. Your fear? rejection

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? home

13. Where were you last night? Wegman's

14. What you're not? complacent

15. One of your wish-list items? roof

16. Where you grew up? suburbs

17. The last thing you did? child-related

18. What are you wearing? jammies

19. Your TV? 52"

20 Your pet? recovering

21. Your computer? laptop

22. Your mood? exhausted

23. Missing someone? You?

24. Your car? Volvo

25. Something you're not wearing? makeup

26. Favorite store? H&M

27. Your summer? fading

28. Love someone? sure

29. Your favorite color? red

30. When is the last time you laughed? today

31. Last time you cried? Sunday

Now, for you recipients of this award, here's the deal:

* Display your award.

* Link back to the person who gave you the award.

* Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

* Put links to those blogs on yours.

* Leave a message on the blogs of the people you've nominated.

* Enjoy your award!

I award:

1. The highly entertaining Larry

2. My dear Clam

3. Digi....

4. ...and Karen, my CA transplant homies

5. Jackie, because she needs to get back to work on such things

6. Dymphna - it will be well-thought-out

7. [tie] Joe and Cathy....to tempt them back into the blogging fold.

Hee hee! Enjoy!

Ten Things I'd Like to See in Action: A Meme

Courtesy of MSgt. Cavey....

1. His Excellency Erik Richtsteig, Bishop of Rochester (Sorry Tara, but don't be greedy!)

2. Digi, arguing a career-making case in the Riverside County Courthouse, taking a dramatic pause, looking Heavenward for inspiration...and cracking up because of something she sees hanging from the ceiling. (Long story...)

3. Dinnertime at Jackie's...or better yet, the Parkes home!

4. A wedding photo of Kasia & The Canuck

5. Karen, at the investiture - oops - installment of Father Joan in Rochester. ("Go ahead. Make my day!")

6. A serious, knock-down, drag-out catfight between Condi Rice and Michelle Obama. Intellectually and physically, Condi SO wins!(Vincenzo, I rely on you to make this virtually happen!)

UPDATE: The prompt, talented, and ever-intrepid Vincenzo comes through!!!

7. The Beloved, holding that long-promised 9-figure winning Powerball ticket in his hand

8. Me, looking down at my hospital wristband and the matching one on the sleeping newborn in my arms, sometime in 2009. (Prayers for that one, please...so far, not so good!)

9. The downfall of OPEC

10. The return, open practice, and "coolness" of traditional Christian morality - and hence, the restoration of the traditional family...as led by real, MANLY men - in American culture

AND....I have one more:

11. The return of Ma Beck to her blog! (We miss you!!!)

All are encouraged to participate, but those linked by my wretched attempts at humor, you're TAGGED!

One Word Meme

Just as I'm shutting down for the night...figgered I better do this before there's no one left to tag (thanks for that, Stephanie!) ;-)

I have faithfully answered all with one word, then added the appropriate disclaimers afterwards. (Ummmm......hel-lo......lawyer!)

1. Where is your cell phone? (Dunno...) [purse or car?]

2. Your significant other? Beloved!

3. Your hair? Unkempt [it's bedtime]

4. Your mother? Maddening [among other things]

5. Your father? Saddening [it rhymed!]

6. Your favorite things? Family [not fair to say "thingS" in a one-word meme, duh!]

7. Your dream last night? Sunburn [Jack the Cat must've stepped on the electric blanket controller thingie under the bed - yuck!]

8. Your favorite drink? Yes.

9. Your dream/goal? Uberwealth

10. The room you’re in? Bed.

11. Your church? Where?!? [Still looking...]

12. Your fear? Regicide. [We are masters of our own benevolent dictatorship here, and I am the Queen. But seriously, RIP, Romanovs]

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Home [wherever that may be]

14. Where were you last night? North [Renaissance Festival]

15. What you’re not? Satisfied

16. Muffins? Carbohydrates. [Damned diet!]

17. One of your wish list items? Villa [several potential locales...]

18. Where you grew up? Suburbs

19. The last thing you did? Ablutions

20. What are you wearing? Jammies

21. Your TV? As-yet-unmounted

22. Your pets? Numerous

23. Your computer? Annoying [laptop battery gets too hot]

24. Your life? WIP [work-in-progress]

25. Your mood? Contemplative

26. Missing someone? Depends [My late grandma, as she was until about age 85 and could still play cards for hours; dad...]

27. Your car? Volvo

28. Something you’re not wearing? Prada

29. Favorite store? Amazon [has darn near everything!]

30. Your Summer? Abbreviated [too many snow days for the kids]

31. Like (love) someone? 'Course...

32. Your favorite color? Red

33. Last time you laughed? Orthometer [I've laughed many times since then, but the best was reading of Fr.'s Exorcist ringtone today - LMAO!]

34. Last time you cried? Today [listening to 911 call by the grandma of one of little girls murdered in OK after she found them shot to death in a ditch - sheer horror]

35. Who will re-post this? Jackie [if she ever returns from Monte Carlo]

5 Critically Named Movies I Detest Meme

From Karen...and here you go!

1. Schindler's List - Wanted to shoot myself to get it overwith. No, I am not an anti-Semite or Holocaust denier. I just don't like being so heavy-handedly delivered a message, emotionally manipulated by a little girl in a pink dress, and all that. I get it. I always have. It makes me sick. Interestingly, the beloved ran out in the middle of this one and got terribly sick - I was shocked at the thought of him being overwrought and sat there trying to decide if I should go check on him, but it turned out to be bad shrimp cocktail.

2. 2001: A Space Odyssey. I'm with you Karen - blech!

3. Bringing Up Baby - I love Katharine, I just found her whiny-wacky schtick to be a bit much

4. Saving Private Ryan - Like Schindler's List, I don't need to be beaten over the head with survivor's guilt, and then there's the gore factor in the opening scene, the stabbing scene...just too much. Sure, good filmmaking, whatever, but not for me.

5. Pulp Fiction - I just flat out missed the point of this one - HATED it.

TAG: MOTL, Adrienne, WSNS, AA, and of course...MA!

I am an April Fool for a meme!

...it's been awhile!

From Whitestoneneameseeker...here we go!

Rules:

1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.

2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.

3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

What was I doing 10 years ago?

Working part time as a lawyer and staying home as much as possible to play with my young baby. Pretty much exactly what I'm doing now! I had just been admitted to the CA Bar, which I took 7 months pregnant. Still not sure how I managed it, but thanks again, St. Jude, for prayers answered!

Five things on my to do list:

1. Clean out the attic, basement, and closets and have a HUGE yard sale!

2. Settle a few of my older cases so I am not freaking out about paying my exorbitant NY property taxes, PLUS my student loans, PLUS kid tuition deposit for the local quasi-Catholic high school, which is twice as expensive as the quasi-Catholic Jr. High she attends now....PLUS....a lot of other stuff that is converging on the family budget this month.

3. Exercise (outside) more now that it's above 40* ...every other day, anyway.

4. Pray that I get the full-time teaching job at the college so I can work a more normal schedule (15 hours of class, 10 hours of office/grading time...yay!). Summers off...consulting and doing project/trial work for my full time atty friends....ideal! (All additional prayer support greatly appreciated on this one!)

5. Become (and stay!) enceinte within the next year...wouldn't it be loverly? My little guy needs a buddy close in age to him. The girls will be adults and out of the house when he is in early grade school. I feel kinda bad for him, and, well, I ADORE having a little baby in the house again...so why not?

Favorite Snacks:

Rice pudding, Oreos dipped in milk (yummmm...), Cadbury anything, Walkers Shortbread

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

Annoy people. Really. People would be annoyed a) that I had that much money , b) that they did not have said money c) that I did not give some of that money to them d) that I set up a huge charitable foundation and gave my money to causes and people I care about, of which and of whom they did not approve...fortunately, I have gotten to the point in my life where I care very little about what the "theys" in life think about me. And I enjoy being annoying to people like that. :)

Seriously, I would ensure that the beloved, me, and my children had large, meticulously planned, well-supervised and maintained trust funds. I would then buy chunks of real estate in places I like to travel (villa in Tuscany, flat in London, apt in Manhattan, beach house in LaJolla and/or the South of France...or maybe Santorini....) and split my time among them, seeing as much of the world as possible. And always fly first class! (No private jet, just being able to get a ticket whenever i feel like leaving would be fine). I'd probably also want to design and build my own estate-type house somewhere. And I was not kidding about the foundation. I would do all sorts of philanthropic work and give away a lot of money - as I have mentioned, I love the act of giving far more than receiving - and do a good deal of it in an anonymous way.

Three of my bad habits:

1. Eating whatever I feel like eating (occasional gluttony)

2. Cussing. WORST habit of all.

3. Handbags and shoes. For some it's the ponies, others the ganja....the smell of leather is like legal crack to me! I am horrible, but not nearly as bad as a lot of women I know. I am very selective, but have crazily expensive taste. Fortunately, pre-eclampsia pregnancies and resultant swelling have widened my feet from 8(N) to 8.5(W), so it's harder to go wild on the shoes. Whatever I wear for more than a few hours at some social function has to be COMFY. I have worn mostly Birks, Uggs, and Crocs since moving to NY. But I do have a big collection of "others" that gets added to several times a year.

Five places I have lived:

Woodstock, IL (and Palatine, later on...)
Scottsdale (and Cave Creek), AZ
Irvine, CA
San Diego, CA
Finger Lakes, NY

Five jobs I have had:

Drugstore clerk
Ice Cream Truck Driver (FUN!!!)
Dental assistant/office manager
Lawyer
Professor

Now...I tag 5 of the more prolific of my blogpals: Ma Beck, MOTL, Gem, Digi, and Angela M., because I know that they will find more far-reaching friends to tag and thus keep les bontemps roulez-ing!

Middle Name meme...

...OK, AA & Mother (ANN! A is for Amateur! LOL!!!) here you go:

1. You have to post the rules before you give your answers.
2. You must list one fact about yourself beginning with each letter of your middle name.
(If you don't have a middle name, use your maiden name or your mother's maiden name).
3. At the end of your blog post, you need to tag one person for each letter
of your middle name.



M adly in love with my husband. Even though he snores. Loudly. A lot.

A lways available - for friends, colleagues, family who need a friendly ear to listen to tragedies and triumphs, who want (mostly) solicited advice, or who want to share a good laugh. Especially the last part.

R elentless - one of my best and worst traits, depending on the situation and who you ask.

G regarious - imagine that!

A mbivalent - about a number of things, mostly to do with juggling the mom, lawyer, and teaching gigs. The first one will always be my top priority, but the other two are about to present a crossroads and I can't decide which path to take. (Maybe a future post on this one...)

R eserved - I am actually rather shy in large/unfamiliar groups. But that's only until you get to know me. Then...look out.

E asy going - most of the time (see below)

T emperamental - I say this in the interests of full disclosure, justice and fairness, and only if you hit the RED ZONE

I tag the first 8 people on my blogroll who have not already done this one. You know who you are....

Lenten meme

1. What's been your best Lenten-effort-idea ever?

40 days, 40 minutes of prayer each day, and 40 minutes of exercise each day. Body & Soul

2. And your worst?

Avoiding Sugar.

3. What good Lenten advice would you share?

Be an example not by showing the suffering on your face, but by relishing the challenges and following through on what you set yourself to accomplish.

4. And what will feature this year?

I am going to try my 40-40-40 regimen again this year. (See #1)

Tagging anyone who did not succeed in their Lenten regimen last year!

Saint meme

1. First Saint you "met"? St. Bernadette, via "Song of Bernadette" on the weekly "Family Classics" movie program hosted by Frazier Thomas, WGN-Chicago.
2. Favorite Saint(s)? Maria Goretti, Gianna Molla, Bl. Teresa of Calcutta, Margaret Clitherow, Catherine of Sweden, Catherine of Siena, Therese of Lisieux, Bl. Andre Bessette, Thomas More, John Fisher (all the English martyrs, really), Jude (thank you for favors granted!), Francis of Assissi
3. Patron saint for the year? St. John of Avila
4. Favorite book by a saint? Story of a Soul
5. Saint book you are reading now? Well...not quite a saint book, but Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton
6. Favorite movie of a saint? Song of Bernadette was my first and is still is a sentimental favorite, sappy or no.
7. Favorite Autobiography/Biography of a saint? Story of a Soul
8. Favorite novel/book of a saint? I enjoyed "Pillars of the Earth" which touched on Thomas a Becket but was a novel.
9. Saint (besides your favorites) you'd want to meet? Mary Magdalene? That's a tough one because there are so many.
10. Saint you look to for help? Jude. He is going to run in the other direction if/when I get to heaven.
11.Favorite saint quote?
“Christ has no body now but yours
No hands, no feet on earth but yours
Yours are the eyes through which He looks with compassion on this world
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”
- St. Teresa of Avila
12. Favorite Holy Card? Gianna and Therese are tied.
13. Favorite story of a saint? Margaret Clitherow's good naturedness even as she awaited death by pressing, conversion of St. Augustine
14. If you could go anywhere on a pilgrimage to a saint's homeland, where would it be? Poland (Krakow and the Jagellonian for JPII and also for St. Faustina)
15. Any Blesseds or Venerables that you would like to become canonized? SoG's Fulton Sheen and John Paul II - both have converted so many hearts and minds, and Bl. Andre Bessette, who is on par with Therese for his beautiful humility and simplicity

I tag anyone who has a saint image on their blog! (Except dear Angela M., who tagged me with this one)

Because I love Jesus...

...and because Fr. R. over at Orthometer gets due deference....my response to the "no-name meme" is as follows:

1. Do you wear a name tag at work? No! In order to ensure this would never be the case, I pay monthly law school loan installments that exceed most peoples' mortgage payments

2. What kind of car do you drive? A distinguished (ok OLD!) BMW 740 and/or Volvo XC wagon

3. What do you order when you go to Taco Bell? One bean burrito, sans onion, sour cream added and one of those fried caramel apple pandita (?) things

4. Have you ever had a garage sale? Yes, it was expected in military housing

5. What color is your iPod? U2 special edition, baby! (Red & black)

6. What kind of dog do you have? Golden Retard and Yellow Labradork (well meaning, gentle and sweet but stoo-pid..."no, WE did not get into the garbage that's all over the kitchen...it was the baby....yeah, that's the ticket....oh crap! He can't walk yet?!?")

7. What's for dinner tonight? Ask my husband...he has it "all planned out" (YAY!)

8. What is the last alcoholic beverage you had? Chianti -- Ruffino, I think?

9. Stupidest thing you ever did with your cell phone? Got into a text war with some stupid skanky teenaged girl who was sure I was her boyfriend, then her boyfriend's new girlfriend, and then I had my Assistant DA friend end it all....awesome....

10. Last time you were sick? Oy. The September "back to school cold" that the kids always get. I know it is only a matter of time before the January version hits.

11. How long is your hair? Collarbone-ish

12. Are you happy right now? Sure. Ask me again later -- I will get my weathervane out.

13. What did you say last? "Oooh! Do you see the kitty cat? The bad, bad kitty cat cat cat?" (Hey -- I have an infant!!!)

14. Who came over last? Aside from the mailman? I think my husband's cousins right after Christmas. (Pathetic, I know...)

15. Do you drink beer? Yes, the darker the better out of respect to my German & Irish forebears.

16. Have your brothers or sisters ever told you that you were adopted? I honestly can't recall...but I was always told that I look so much like my dad, it would never have worked. (FYI, Dad was VERY PRETTY)

17. What is your favorite key chain on your keys? Little leather sandal that says "Assissi" from our trip there a few years ago.

18. What did you get for graduation? HS: matched luggage (a.k.a., get the he** out!); college: mom's used Nissan Sentra; law school: bought myself a Coach briefcase -- also got some flowers from my lawyer uncle.

19. Whats in your pocket? Yoga pants have no pockets

20. Who introduced you to Dane Cook? SNL. Not a fan.

21. Has someone ever made you a Build-A-Bear? No. But I have spent stupid sums of money on a few "$12" bears that somehow required $80 worth of accessories. Each. That place is tied for "#1 Most Evil Parent Trap "with Chuck-E-Cheese...

22. What DVD is in your DVD player? Into Great Silence, which I finally watched last night (or maybe Bear in the Big Blue House by now)

23. What's something fun you did today? Stayed home with the baby instead of doing an arbitration brief. Priorities.

24. Who is/was the principal of your high school? Tom Howard.

25. Has your house ever been TP'd? Here, no. Growing up, yes (sports event related)

26.What do you think of when you hear the word "meow"? "Bad, bad kitty cat cat cat"

27. What are you listening to right now? The Baroque classical channel on XM Radio

28. Drinking? Nothing. Yet.

29. What is your favorite aisle at Wal-Mart? Heebie-jeebies aside...I only go there for baby formula in emergencies (you'd have to see our rural upstate WalMart clientele to fully appreciate that it is not merely snobbery, but public health and safety issues that send me to Target)

30. When is your mom's birthday? December 24

31. When is your birthday? March 23 (Easter!)

32. What's the area code for your cell phone? 619 (old habits die hard...)

33. Where did you buy the shirt you're wearing now? Margaritaville (online)

34. Is there anything hanging from your rear view mirror? College faculty parking permit

35. How many states in the US have you been to? All but 7 (I've been to Alaska and Hawaii, but not places like the Dakotas, for example)

36. What kind of milk do you drink? 1%

37. What are you going to do after this? Find out what the beloved is making for dinner - now I am hungry after doing this

38. Who was the last person you went shopping with? My 13 year old

39. What is your favorite fruit? You can't beat the versatility of the banana (again with the hungry...)

40. What about your favorite dessert? Oooh. Tough one. Up until recently, there'd have to be chocolate involved, but at the moment, I'd have to say warm apple pie and vanilla ice cream

41. What is something you need to go shopping for? A new vehicle. Not sure what yet.

42. Do you have the same name as one of your relatives? Middle name is for mom, first name is all my own.

43. What kind of car does one of your siblings drive? Distinguished (OLD!) BMW 5-series.

44. Do you like pickles? Yes, but not the sweet ones.

45. How about olives? As long as they are not out of a can.

46. What is your favorite kind of gum? Orbit sweet mint (only occasionally, and NEVER in church!)

47. What is your favorite kind of juice? Freshly squeezed orange. Preferably mixed with moderately priced champagne.

48. Do you have any tan lines? Ummmm....hello. January. Upstate NY. (Maybe if I ski this season, I will have them from my sunglasses?)

49. What hospital were you born in? Dude, I was born at Woodstock! (OK...the one in Illinois...1968)

Christmas FAQ's (my first meme!)

Slowly getting into the ins and outs of the blogging thing, and lo and behold...it's all about MEme:
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both - AND...my mother's cloth gift bags (she gets Christmas fabric on sale after the big day and makes bags to use/recycle every year. Handy for odd shapes and sizes, and there's kitsch factor involved when you get one of 'em

2. Real tree or artificial? Real -- love the smell, hate the mess, enjoy the drive and slog up into the hills to pick it out and cut it down, too.

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the second Sunday unless the weather prevents the cutting.

4. When do you take the tree down? After Epiphany.

5. Do you like eggnog? Oh yeah...the real stuff with bourbon or brandy! (Not the "egg-nausea" thick crap from the store)

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Two stand out -- my grandma (she died at 90 in March, God rest her soul) used to buy me a Christmas ornament every year. I have them going back to 1980. Second, a little camel hair coat with a rabbit fur collar when I was about 9 (I learned much later that this was my struggling single mom's revenge for my dad buying his wife and stepdaughter full length mink and rabbit fur coats...but not paying his child support)

7. Do you have a Nativity scene? I have 5! Waterford, large ceramic (from Sam's Club - very pretty!), Spanish terra-cotta, wooden blocks for the kids, and a little Mexican painted terra-cotta set, muy folklorico.

8. Hardest person to buy for? Mom. Her birthday is Christmas Eve, she is picky, we must differentiate between the birthday and Christmas, so the pressure is intense.

9. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Identical things (sweaters, Barbies, etc.) to the evil stepsister. Especially when we got the same Barbie, but she got all the accessories, house, car, airplane, etc. I just got the Barbie and was not allowed to touch the other stuff during subsequent custodial visits.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Both...but let's face it, I haven't even sent out birth announcements yet!

11. Favorite Christmas Movie? "A Christmas Story" (I actually saw it in the theater!), and "It's a Wonderful Life"

12. When do you start shopping for Christmas? A bit here and there after Halloween

13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Does returning a winter coat I received from the evil stepmother to help pay my electric bill count?

14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Everything. OK, if I have to pick one seasonal thing, it's those Bahlsen dark-chocolate covered gingerbread cookies. Wow!

15. Clear lights or colored on the tree? I like clear, the family likes colored, so I lose.

16. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night ("Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!" = good stuff)

17. Stay at home or travel on Christmas? Home. Back in our military days, we used to haul ourselves across the country with cheap flights on Christmas Day to visit inlaws and show off the grandkids, but no more. I love my house, it was built for entertaining (by wealthier people than we will ever be back in the 1920's...servant's rooms and all), and contrary to public policy and child labor laws in many states, I have conscripts (ages 13 and 10, upon whom I have graciously bestowed my DNA) who become servants and sleep up on the third floor when the house is full. Living the dream....

18. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Yes, if pressed

19. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star was a casualty in our new dog vs. cat tree-toppling atrocity 4 years ago, so currently we have a fiber-optic winged angel who has stopped lighting up. Annoying.

20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Back to the Mom thing. We had to watch her open her birthday presents on the 24th, but wait until the 25th to open ours. So now that I am free of maternal tyranny, I have instituted a more benevolent dictatorial custom of my own -- we give gifts to each other the night before, and wait until morning for "Santa" presents and stockings.

21. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Malls. And about 90% of the secular-maniac people I know talking about all horribly expensive crap they are getting for their kids -- PDA's, cell phones, Wii's, iPods to replace the "outdated" one they got last year...ridiculous. (When I was 13 I was happy to get crazy stuff like a few sweaters, some perfume and maybe a new U2 album...)