When people email me these “tell things about yourself” list thingies, I tend to not do them since the person sending me the email usually knows me pretty well already. But this time is different. I got tagged online from a reader (Hi, Plenipotentiary!) who started reading us during the LOLcat days. So she really doesn’t know me that well but she thinks we have lots in common. That’s a total compliment since I just read her eight things (actually seven, but I won’t hold it against her) and she’s about 1,000 times smarter and cooler than me. Also, I think she can kick my butt.

So just so she won’t come to Alabama and do that very thing, here are my eight things:

1. I am left handed and secretly want my little girl to be left handed also. I know this is a silly thing to wish for and it will be fine if she is not but until she proves otherwise, I want her to be a lefty. Until my nephew, Sam, came along I was the only lefty in my family. Believe me, Sam will NEVER be without left-handed scissors for as long as I live.

2. I love to take showers. Right now it’s the only time when I am guaranteed 10 minutes to myself but I loved them even before I had kids. It’s where I have my best ideas and the ideas that usually turn out to be the most outstanding art projects. I recently read that the water from the shower hitting your skin actually stimulates your brain cells firing. If that’s the case, I’m thinking I need to have a portable shower build just for me to carry around and have those great brainstorms!

3. I’ve had the same best friend since the seventh grade and I talk to her almost every day. We’ve been through a dozen boyfriends (most of them hers and never the same one for both of us, Thank God!), a husband and two kids (mine), sharing the same living space in college (almost didn’t survive that one), and more phone time logged between the two of us that a few small countries combined (usually to talk over the previously mentioned boys). Except for my husband, I’m pretty sure that no one knows me better. So if something isn’t covered here in my eight things that you want to know about me, drop her a line, she can probably answer your question.

4. In the past few years I’ve developed a phobia about poisonous spiders. Right after Eli was born, during all the sleep deprivation, a friend had to have her house sprayed for brown recluses, and that’s when I started to have a problem. We have both brown recluses and black widows living in our yard. This past week I got a gander at a brown recluse laying an egg sack on Eli’s playset and I’ve barely been able to let him go outside to play. I know they aren’t smart enough to lie in wait and jump on me when I least expect it, but somehow I still feel like that’s what’s going to happen.

5. While I was in high school I met Bill Clinton. This was when he was governor of Arkansas and he spoke at Governor’s School the year I attended. He did a lot for education in Arkansas and I think I managed to go to college on no fewer than five of the scholarship programs he set up while he was governor. Thanks, Bill!

6. I often dream about attending U2 concerts. I’m not sure why this is. Yes, I love the band, but I would think I would dream about talking to them or hanging out or something. But no, I attend concerts and usually end up in fights over the good seats. Although once I dreamed Bono sent me on a mission. I don’t really remember what the mission entailed but it was going to help a lot of people.

7. My two favorite things to read are romance novels and National Geographic magazine. Both are like popcorn to me. I get one and have to finish the whole thing in one sitting. The funny thing is, I’ve only had a NG subscription for about the past three years and I’ve been reading romance novels almost half my life.

8. I wanted to be a fashion designer when I was little. Now I’m a graphic designer. I still want to learn to sew, though. I guess there’s still time to make it big. Think Tim Gunn will have me?

I made it! There are my eight things. I told Stephen last night I wouldn’t be able to think of eight. Not only did I manage it but I think it’s stuff that most people actually don’t know about me.

I’ve been quiet here lately due to work, preparation for the yearly interactive fiction competition, and Kingdom Hearts. Since I’m not writing anything here, the least I can do is offer an interesting link, even if by “interesting” I mean “something that only Geof and I are likely to care about”. When Physics, Economics, and Reality Collide is a detailed look at what it would take to get cheap orbital access, “cheap” here being defined as $1000 per pound launched into low-Earth orbit.

(Link courtesy of the inestimable James Nicoll)

This is my first attempt at making a Bento Box. I think it might be a little bit rednecked together but I think it turned out ok.

Box Wrapped in Napkin

Open Box

Top left: Pea pods and apple slices.
Top Right: Pea pod dip (white circle), pea pods, lobster cheese spreader, square of extra dark Ghirardelli chocolate.
Bottom (from left to right, bottom layer): crackers, sandwich of chicken, cheese and spicy mustard, crackers.
Bottom (from left to right, top layer): laughing cow cheese squares, crystal light blueberry white tea.

It’s never too early to start reading in bed.

The upright sleeping position adopted this week due to massive amounts of snot.

What Liza thinks of Rick and Jessica’s shower.

It’s never too early to start sitting around with your belly hanging out watching TV.

Eli and Josh, conjoined twins separated at birth, but somehow still managing to share the same brain.

I promised Vika a while ago that I would photograph the cows that live right over the hill from us (about a 1/2 mile) so she could see just how rural it is around here.

This is one of three herds that live within a mile of our house. Also this week, I’m going to attempt to photograph the cotton fields and the gin that’s about a 1/2 mile in the other direction from our house. Yeah, rural Alabama!

This past week I got the crafty bug and had to make a few things.

First up: A baby shower card for Rick and Jessica, well really it is for Jessica because of what it says but I’m guessing Rick will get to change his share of diapers too. It’s made with an image from a piece of gift wrap that I bought while in Boston, as well as some found ribbons and a few other saved paper scraps and fastened together with two silver eyelets.

Next: A book mark made especially for Lana Bob!. I couldn’t resist the Donna Reid dress — for what ever reason, it screamed Lana Bob!’s name when I saw it again. The dress is from a piece of paper I bought when we went to New York a couple of years ago and I edged it with black ink to make it stand out. That’s laid on top of a piece of stamp paper. The fastener at the top says “wisdom”. I like how it looks like the button is the head on the dress, maybe wisdom is filling the head of the paper doll?

The back is a saying dreamed up by Stephen to go with the dress since the paper doll is holding an envelope. More stamp paper nad some purple tie dyed paper as well.

I’m pretty pleased with the way the two pieces turned out. I wish I had time to make a few more but alas, kids in the way.

My previous post seems to have generated a lot of discussion. (Very cool!) I am interested in people’s opinions and certainly don’t want the discussion to stop. Feel free to keep posting on the previous entry or on this one. My only request is that everyone be respectful of opinions that differ from your own.

Vika thanks for the links you provided and I also didn’t know you had a blog. (Stupid of me, I know. Forgive me?) And I have not forgotten that I promised you cows. It’s starting to get cooler here so I might see them out of the shade soon and when I do, I’ll snap you a photo.

I had forgotten that older ladies love to handle babies. They would do it with Eli when I went places with him and it is no different with Liza. An older lady will see Liza in her car seat and gush about what a sweet baby she is (this I appreciate) and then they follow it up with a touch on her foot, arm, hand, or forehead (this I do not appreciate).

I and my baby do not want your germs. I try very hard to not be a germaphobe. I know that my kids will catch colds. But please work with me here to keep the touching to a minimum since she is still only four months old.

I was out shopping with Liza on Thursday and Friday and no less than 10 women had to touch her. I know that she’s cute but she isn’t the fountain of youth and she isn’t a genie to grant you wishes if you rub her belly.

Liza has had the worst cold this weekend that either of my children have ever had and I blame you, sweet old lady in the the grocery store.

By now you’ve surely seen lolcats.

Perhaps you’ve seen PostSecret.

But have you seen lolsecretz? If you’re familiar with the lolrus saga, you should definitely look at this one.