Wednesday 23 March 2005

Another annoying survey

My daughters insist on sending me these stupd things every so often. I thought I'd post the latest one here. You might learn something about me that you never knew before!

What would your answers to be in each of these categories????

Thirteen random things that I like:
1. not listening to traffic noises when I'm trying to go to sleep
2. not hearing traffic noises when I first wake up
3. watching wildlife (of the 4 legged or winged variety, NOT the human kind)
4. knitting anything anywhere anytime
5. learning about other cultures
6. learning new languages or even a few words in an unfamiliar language
7. having creative ideas and creating new things
8. handling and smelling new yarns
9. the scent of a man
10. the scent of old books
11. reading pretty much anything anywhere anytime
12. watching clouds moving across the sky
13. intellectually stimulating conversations

Twelve movies that I liked:
1. Godfather I
2. Carlito's Way
3. Insomnia
4. The Milagros Beanfield Wars
5. Papillon
6. Dr Zhivago
7. Two Mules for Sister Sara
8. We're No Angels
9. Truly, Madly, Deeply
10. Com Agua Por Chocolat
11. Planet of the Apes (the original)
12. The Village

Eleven Bands/Artists that I enjoy listening to:
1. Johnny Cash
2. Willy Nelson
3. Waylon Jennings
4. Kris Kristofferson
5. The Highwaymen (Johnny, Willy, Waylon & Kris)
6. George Jones
7. Ron Hynes
8. Blu Hopkins
9. Marcel Gagnon
10. Chris de Burgh
11. Ian & Sylvia Tyson (before they split up -- that's going back a long ways -- they were an incredible Canadian duo!)

Ten books/magazines that I enjoy:
1. The Milagros Beanfield Wars
2. Papillon
3. Com Agua Por Chocolat
4. Les Miserables
5. Best Loved Poems of the American People (I don't have this book anymore but still wish I did)
6. Knitting Traditional Guernsey Sweaters
7. Anna Burda magazine (German or English edition)
8. National Geographic magazine
9. pretty much any ethnic recipe book or magazine
10. pretty much any craft magazine

Nine friends:
1. S. (cuz we go way back to before grade 1 and our friendship totally transcends time and space)
2. Too many too important to pick out only 8

Eight foods/drinks:
1. Cold clear water, straight up
2. Hot strong fresh black coffee
3. Hot strong fresh black coffee with a shot of something high-proof in it (and maybe some whipped cream and real shaved bitter chocolate on top)
4. a pint of absolutely ice cold beer (lately -- Sleeman's)
5. freshly brewed Earl Grey tea
6. real English-style fish & chips (haven't had any since last summer and I'm feeling totally bereft about this!)
7. spanakopita (made my way, like a casserole -- I made some last weekend.)
8. home-made vegetable soup served with home-made bread for dipping in the hot soup

Seven items worn daily:
1. glasses
2. earrings
3. rings
4. some kind of pony tail holder
5. jeans
6. some kind of teeshirt or top
7. hand lotion

Six things that annoy me:
1. socks
2. underwear
3. whiney people
4. people being noisy when I'm trying to be quiet
5. rap music
6. people who don't put things back where they got them from in the first place

Five things I touch daily:
1. my glasses
2. my hairbrush
3. my toothbrush
4. my feather pillow
5. a pen or writing implement

Four TV shows:
1. Coronation Street
2. The News
3. Star Trek (any incarnation, version, re-run, etc)
4. Iron Chef

Three Celebrities I have had a secret crush on:
1. Al Pacino
2. Edward James Olmas
3. Gordon Tootoosis

Two nicknames:
1 & 2. Like I'm going to tell you! Ha! Like I'm going to tell you! Ha!

One person of the opposite sex I could spend the rest of my life with:
1. Me but of the opposite sex!

Tuesday 22 March 2005

A new link ...

... or is that the missing link? Check out "My favourite cousin's photoblog" -- click on the link, bottom right. There's a new photo every few days. (Can you tell I've been taking a Primatology course this past semester???)

Friday 18 March 2005

ANSWERS to yesterday's St Patty's Day Quiz

As promised . . .

1 (a) St Patrick was a Christian missionary (but he did spend time in a French monastery before returning to Ireland to convert the Irish pagans).

2 (b) St Patrick also drove the snakes out of Ireland (which is usually interpreted to mean he drove paganism out of Ireland).

3 (c) St Patrick used the shamrock to demonstrate the concept of the Holy Trinity (apparently he found those pagan Irish a bit thick ...)

4 (a) 'Tis said St Patrick is buried at Downpatrick, County Down, Ireland (There is no such place as "Patrickborough". NOTE: there's been considerable discussion about the lad's final resting place, and 'tis been suggested he was actually buried a dozen or so kilometers away from Downpatrick ... in a barn instead of a church.)

5 (b) St Patrick also brought the Roman alphabet and Latin literature to Ireland (the Celtic harp and countless recipes for cooking cabbage or kale probably preceded him by many generations).

6 (b) False. Young St Patrick was probably a Welshman, captured by a group of Irish raiders and taken to Ireland as a slave.

7 (c) St Patrick's Day commemorates the day St Patrick died (reported to be March 17, 461 AD).

8 (b) St Patrick is thought to have driven the snakes out of Ireland by banging on a drum (and I can't help but wonder if this is a euphamism for overly exuberant preaching). BY THE WAY, Question #8 pretty much gave you the answer to Question #2 ... did you notice?

9 (c) The colour green represents the colour of spring and the shamrock (although I'm all for associating it with green Irish beer, as I "tipped a few pints" of the stuff myself last night!)

10 (a) You're supposed to give them a pinch (but next year be a sport and buy them a beer after you pinch them, okay?)

May your hangover wear off quickly! Erin Go Braugh!

Thursday 17 March 2005

HAPPY ST PATTY'S DAY!

I must have too much time on my hands today, 'cuz I came up with a St Patty's Day Quiz -- and I haven't even had a (green) beer yet! See how many answers YOU know ...

1. St Patrick was a:
(a) Christian missionary
(b) botanist
(c) French monk

2. In addition to that, St Patrick is also said to have:
(a) discovered the medicinal properties of the clover leaf
(b) driven the snakes out of Ireland
(c) been a very talented harpist

3. Legend has it that St Patrick used the shamrock to represent:
(a) the coming of spring and reincarnation
(b) good luck
(c) the Holy Trinity

4. St Patrick is said to be buried at:
(a) Downpatrick, County Down, Ireland
(b) St Patrick's Cathedral, New York
(c) Patrickburough, County Derry

5. St Patrick is also credited with bringing ________ to Ireland:
(a) the recipe for corned beef and cabbage
(b) the Roman alphabet and Latin literature
(c) the Celtic harp

6. St Patrick was born in Ireland.
(a) true
(b) false

7. What day does St Patrick's Day comemorate?
(a) the day St Patrick was born
(b) the day St Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland
(c) the day St Patrick died

8. How did St Patrick drive snakes out of Ireland?
(a) by playing a flute
(b) by banging a drum
(c) by feeding them shamrocks

9. Why is the colour green associated with St Patrick's Day?
(a) green represents the grain used to make Irish beer
(b) St Patrick wore a green hat
(c) green is the colour of spring and the shamrock

10. What should you do to someone who is not wearing green on St Patrick's Day?
(a) give them a pinch to remind them
(b) buy them a beer to quench their thirst
(c) cook them a potato to remind them

Well? How did you do? Oh -- you don't know for sure 'cuz I didn't give you the answers? Drop by tomorrow to find out!

Sunday 13 March 2005

As soon as I sign in to my blog . . .

. . . I can't think of a single brilliant thing to say! I think, gee, I haven't blogged in ages, and I really should write something, so I sign in and promptly go blank. Do you ever have that prob?

Its a BEE-YOO-TEEFUL sunny day here. Wish I was outside enjoying it instead of sitting in the campus library doing research! (Really, that's what I am doing. Honest!) What are you doing this weekend???

Monday 7 March 2005

WHERE THE HECK DID FEBRUARY GO???

We're practically a week into March already. How did that happen when I wasn't looking?

Less than 6 weeks to semester end, and I still don't know where I'm going or what I'm doing after that! Did you know I used to think I was a fairly spontaneous person? I've come to realize I don't really like the whole spontaneous thing very much -- its very disturbing not knowing where I'm going or what I'm doing over the summer. In fact, its so disturbing, I'm thinking seriously about doing a major shift left. (Stay tuned . . .)

On a brighter note, the weather has turned spring-like here, and I have HAPPY TOES once again! (No socks, back in the Berkenstocks ...) How are your toes?