Wake up!

Woke up with a jolt this morning when T noticed that the alarm hadn't gone off. I guess it can't go off if no one has turned it on. Oops. Blame that one on watching TV in bed which threw off my bedtime routine a bit. I did, however, manage to set the coffee pot to brew at precisely the same time that the alarm was supposed to have gone off. Hah, priorities.
The tooth fairy brought major cash last night to M.A., who finally lost her grey front tooth last night with a little tug from me. The nerve was declared "dead" by the dentist almost three years ago, when M.R. decided to ride her little sister like a horse after her eighth birthday party, at which point said tooth met hardwood floor. The dentist thought it was likely to fall out due to the damage. It held on for nearly three years. A Sacajawea and a five dollar bill were the booty for this special tooth — destined to a place of honor in toothland.
Finally, with a little egging-on from fellow blogger and friend at Eating Rice, here's a survey to help me fill my NaBloPoMo requirement for today:


1. What is your occupation? I am a Graphic Designer for a national lefty political newspaper and the Art Director for a quarterly political youth magazine.

2. What color are your socks right now? Black.

3. What are you listening to right now? I'm listening to the phone conference meeting going on in the other room, that I am thankfully not required to attend. Some tunes would be nice though, so I think I'll put my headphones on and set my iTunes to shuffle.

4. What was the last thing that you ate? I just ate a Maurice Lenell cookie, taken from the big bowl on our office table.

5. Can you drive a stick shift? Yes indeed. My first car was a Ford Escort with manual tranmission, and if I weren't so lazy, I'd still drive one. (A manual trans., not the Escort).

6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? T, to say I was sorry about the stressful morning and wish a more peaceful day for us both.


7. Do you like the person who sent this meme to you? Uh huh, which is why we're friends.


8. How old are you today? Thirty-freakin-five. Meh.

9. Favorite drink? Lately it's been coffee, but red wine is coming in a close second. Just picked up a bottle to share with my sweetie tonight, but shhhhhh, don't tell!

10. What is your favorite sport to watch? men's college basketball

11. Have you ever dyed your hair? I have been dying my hair since I was about 16. I dyed it various shades or red/auburn for a decade, but have been doing dark brown for the last couple of years. I'm tempted to go red again...feeling a little saucy these days.

12. Pets? For the first time in a very long time, I am pet-free. T discovered that she's got a severe allergy, so we handed our cat off to my ex.

13. Favorite food? Sushi. If I had to eat only one food for the rest of my life, I'd be good with a selection of Maki rolls.
14. What was the last movie you watched? 'The Village'. It's an interesting statement on the psycology of grief and what legnths people will go to preserve their traditions in order to placate their fears.

15. What’s your favorite day of the week? Thursday. It means the rushed part of my week is over. (keeping A's answer)

16. How do you vent anger? On good days:Take a deep breathe, realize that I am responsible for choosing how I react to things that anger me, and try to choose a different response. On bad days: Yell and scream, grit my teeth and finally realize that I need some solitude and usually find a way to retreat. Try to come back, apologize and talk calmly about things from a more rational point of view once I've calmed down.

17. What was your favorite toy as a child? I'm not sure. I think I've blocked out a lot of childhood memories. I remember having an Atari, a Spirograph, a magic set, lots of Barbies — but I don't recall feeling particularly attached to anything.

18. What is your favorite season? Summer. Which is why I'm fighting the blues right now. It's freezing!

19. Hugs or kisses? Hugs in the morning when I wake up, kisses goodbye for the day, more of both when we return at the end of the day, and more of both when it's bedtime again.

20. Cherries or Blueberries? I love cherries. And blueberries. Particulary picking them myself in Michigan. Mmmmmm.

21. Do you want your friends to try this meme? Nah, it's all good.

22. Who is most likely to respond? No response is really necessary.

23. Who is least likely to respond? The folks who stumble on this blog after doing various google searches.

24. Living arrangements? I live in my three-bedroom apartment with my partner and our 3 collective girls.

25. When was the last time you cried? Monday, November 12, I think.

26. What is on the floor of your closet? Shoes.

27. Who is the friend you have known the longest that you are sending this to? Oddly, the friends I've known the longest don't read my blog. Should I be offended?

28. What did you do last night? Got home in time to take M.R. to her basketball practice, but T took her instead while I got M.A. and J bathed. After picking up M.R. from practice, I ran a hot bath with geranium oil and lit candles for T (her first in years) and tried to get the kids settled and in bed. Watched a bit of Grey's Anatomy and ER, then fell asleep around ten, without turing on the alarm clock.

29. Favorite smell? Amber, Vanilla and Geranium. A a ton more yummy smells.

30. What inspires you? People with integrity. Art that provokes deep thoughts and questions. People who offer their lives in service to others. People who seek to be the change that they seek.

31. What are you afraid of? I have a fear of being abandoned, physically, but even more so, emotionally.

32. Plain, cheese or spicy burgers? Cheezeborger, cheezeborger, cheezeborger!

33. Favorite dog breed? I'm not particularly a dog person, but there are some that I've grown fond of. I generally like larger breeds (akitas, labs, sheepdogs) and can't stand little yappy dogs.

34. How many states have you lived in? 5, if you count a month in Hawaii when I was a baby.

35. Favorite holiday? Holy Thursday: foot-washing, benediction, singing in Latin as we process around the church, and visiting the Altar of Repose late into the night. Call me crazy, but the smorgasboard of emotion on that night, the first night of the Triduum, is as good as it gets for me, spiritually.