Out and Back

Hump Be A Lady

Today's Wednesday Mind Hump has a Lady Luck theme.  Thanks to rfduck at Blogdrive Insanity as always for this week's hump!

1. What's the luckiest thing that's ever happened to you?
I feel like a lot of lucky things have happened to me.... I got in a terrible car wreck when I was 22 that I was able to walk away from, I met and married my husband, the universe has blessed me with a great family and great friends... I'm just lucky in general.

2. Is there something you just cannot seem to have luck with?
I think we all have days when the universe just can't seem to throw us a bone, but it's hard to point to one area of my life specifically.  I have good luck days and bad luck days, but if I had to pick something I'd say I don't have a lot of luck with my car... the air conditioning went on the fritz not long after I got it and it has taken I don't know how many trips to I don't know how many mechanics to get it fixed.  Every mechanic that looked at it identified a different problem!  Also, it's had the driver's side mirror ripped off twice (once by a snowplow and once when it got sideswiped by a drunk) and in February it was broken into.

3.  Do you do any gambling?  If so, what kind?
I like the penny slots and baccarat.  I can understand blackjack but I'm not confident enough to play... all I know is don't hit on 19!

4.  Let's see how lucky you really are.  Pick a number between one and twelve (1 and 12).  If you guess the lucky number, you get an extra special comment on your blog.
I'll have to go with my perennial lucky number, 7.

Wednesday Mind Hump, Veggie style

Wow, it's Wednesday already and time for this week's installment of the Wednesday Mind Hump, brought to you as always by the fun folks at BlogDrive Insanity.  This week we visit the wide world of vegetables.

1. What is your favorite veggie?
I love parsnips and turnips, as well as okra.  (Yes, I am weird.)

2. Are there any veggies you don't eat?
I like most vegetables, but like a lot of people, I don't think brussel sprouts are all that.  I'm also not wild about beets.

3. Which veggie do you think has the funniest name?
That's easy: bok choy.  Kale is kind of funny, too.  Kale sounds more like the name of a member of the latest boy band or something.

4. If you're a vegetarian, why are you and do you like it?  If you're not a vegetarian, would you ever want to become one?
I'm not a vegetarian, but I definitely have vegetarian tendencies.  I don't eat meat very often, and when I do it's usually chicken or fish.  I can't stand veal.  I own several vegetarian cookbooks and like trying out the recipes in them.  Still, though, there's something about a delicious filet mignon that is awfully hard to resist..........

Hump Day Goof-Off

BlogdriveInsanity has come up with another delicious installment of the Wednesday Mind Hump.  For your reading pleasure this Wednesday, we have goofing off in all its glory.  (It is International Goof Off Day, after all.  Who knew?)

1. What's your favorite way to goof off?
Gosh... so much goofing, so little time. I like to shop, check email, go for a drive, listen to tunes (my iPod is my trusty goofing off sidekick), surf the web, take a walk....

2.  How much goofing off do you do on an average day?
I like to intersperse a few minutes of goofing off throughout the day, so it probably adds up to 30 minutes to an hour or so each day, broken down into manageable chunks.  I goof off more on weekends.  (And I don't consider watching TV or a movie to be goofing off -- I view my TV/movie time as vital mental exercise.)

3.  If you got paid to blog, how would you goof off and not do your job?
Hmm..... I would probably just surf the internet looking for things to blog about, but then not actually blog about them.  In all seriousness, I would probably do all the little avoidance tricks that I normally do when I'm trying to make myself write: load or unload the dishwasher, do a load of laundry, make the bed, organize my desk, play with the cats, check email, return phone calls, etc.

Erin Go Hump!

It's time for the St. Paddy's Day edition of the Wednesday Mind Hump, brought to you as always by those crazy kids over at BlogDrive Insanity.

1.  What is your favorite Lucky Charms marshmallow shape?  And do you ever eat the cereal part of it too?

I LOVED Lucky Charms when I was a kid... a teenager... a twentysomething.  Not only did I enjoy the marshmallows, but I loved the cereal part, too.  I think my favorite marshmallow was the purple horseshoe.  I remember when those were introduced, I begged my mother to run out and buy me a box with those brand new purple horseshoes!  I liked the orange stars and blue diamonds, too.

2.  How do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

I usually find something green to wear (I don't own much that's green -- it's typically not a good color on me) and I've been known to celebrate with a nice pint of Guinness in the comfort of my own home.  When I was a child, my mom would serve corned beef and cabbage and she would put a little green food coloring in my milk.

3.  What's your favorite Irish or Celtic song or artist?

The Commitments is one of my favorite movies, so I'd have to say the band in that movie is my favorite, even though they only exist in the movie.  I also love U2.

The last question comes from famous Irish comic Jerry O'Seinfeld.
4.  Corned beef - ya got beef, but where's the corn?  What is the deal?

I've always wondered about this, too.  The best answer to this question is with another question: Grape Nuts - no grapes, no nuts!  What is the deal?  Actually, the "corned" in corned beef refers to how it is cured... rubbed with big chunks of salt.  You can read more about it here.

Wednesday Mind Hump - Girl Power Edition

In honor of International Women's Day, rfduck over at BlogdriveInsanity has come up with a female-centric Wednesday Mind Hump!

1. Name five of your favorite women.

Only five? Yeesh...
1. My mom, Benita.
2. My colleague, Stacey.
3. My fellow blogger, Colleen.
4. My dear friend, Liz.
5. My "other" mom, Andrea.

2. Name five of your favorite famous women.

1. Margaret Cho - standup comedienne extraordinaire!
2. Jennifer Jason Leigh - hands down my favorite actress!
3. Jo Dee Messina - my favorite country singer and all-around one of my favorite female musicians!
4. Madeleine Albright - former Secretary of State and an icon for women everywhere.
5. Molly Ivins - survivor, political columnist, and fellow liberal.

3. What's the best thing about being a woman?

Boobs! (No, just kidding.)  The power to bring life into the world... the ability to be both strong and vulnerable... the ability to "do it all," from working full-time to cooking a fantastic dinner... the power to turn men to mush with a glance or a toss of the hair... the fact that femininity comes in many forms, and that it's every woman's choice to decide who she wants to be for a day, a week, or a lifetime.  Oh, and I love lipstick, too. :-)

Humpin' Around

It's time for the Wednesday Mind Hump.  This week's Hump, brought to you as always by BlogdriveInsanity, has a piggy theme.

1. Who's the better pig -- Babe or Wilbur?
I'm partial to Babe, personally.  I mean, Wilbur needed a spider to keep him from being made into bacon, and Babe just refused to hear that "pigs don't have a purpose," and discovered his own aptitude for sheep-herding.  Plus, I just think Babe's cuter.

2.  What's your favorite pork-related food, if you eat pork?
Bacon, bacon, bacon!  Ham, sometimes, too (deli sliced ham on a white pizza is delicious.)  Pork tenderloin is also good.  I don't eat pork (or any meat) terribly often, but I enjoy it when I do.  I don't care for pork chops or spareribs, though.

3.  When you want to get a pig's attention, you yell "SOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEE!"  What should we yell to get your attention?
SHOOOOOOE SAAAAAAALE! :-)

4. Random, non-pig question: Do you watch American Idol?
I didn't watch it the first season, but I've been a pretty faithful viewer ever since.  (I did stop watching in season 3 when Latoya London was voted off... I thought the final should have been between her and Fantasia.)

Wednesday Mind Hump #3

It's that time of the week again.... time for another Wednesday Mind Hump courtesy of the fun folks over at BlogdriveInsanity!  Today we have a Washington themed Hump:

1. Name five famous Georges:

George W. Bush (infamous, depending on your politics)
George Washington
Curious George
George Romero
George Grosz

2. How many one-dollar bills do you have in your wallet or purse right now?

Six.  I broke a ten to buy lunch yesterday and the cashier gave me my change all in ones.

3. Ever been to Washington, D.C.?  How about Washington State?  Tell us a little about your trip to either of those places.  And if you haven't been to either place, tell me what Washington, D.C. monument, institution, or tourist attraction you most want to see if you ever go there.

I have been to Washington, D.C. several times, and I grew up in Washington State, so I've had a fair amount of exposure to both places.  Seattle was my hometown until I left for college on the other side of the state, in the lovely Walla Walla valley.  One of the most interesting things about Washington State, I think, is the varied climate.  In the Seattle/Puget Sound area, the climate is very mild and damp, with lots of lush, verdant green.  Moving east, you hit the Cascade range with its snow and great skiing, and then as you come down the other side and head into eastern Washington, it's arid and desert-like.  I miss Walla Walla's dry, hot summers, believe it or not.  As a friend once said, during a Walla Walla summer you can sleep outside on your front lawn without a blanket and be perfectly comfortable.  It gets as hot here in Allentown, but it's more humid.  Guess there's some truth to that comment, "It's not the heat, it's the humidity."  Washington also has one of the most rugged and beautiful coastlines I've ever seen.

My favorite place to visit in Washington, D.C. is the National Museum of Women in the Arts.  It is an amazing museum with a wide array of works by women artists in its permanent collection as well as plenty of interesting rotating exhibitions.  It is also, I think, one of the most beautiful spaces in Washington, D.C.  My favorite neighborhood to visit in D.C. is the Dupont Circle area.  There are lots of unique shops and cafes to visit, and you can find cuisine from almost any country right on one street.  My other favorite thing to do in D.C. is to get around on the Metro.  It is so clean and efficient, and I love those loooooooooong escalators at some of the stations.

Wednesday Mind Hump #2

It's Wednesday once again, and that means another Wednesday Mind Hump courtesy of BlogdriveInsanity!  This week's Hump has a Valentine's theme...

1. Valentine's Day - love it, like it, tolerate it or hate it?

I tolerate Valentine's Day.  Even though I'm part of a couple, a part of me resents the unfair and unnecessary pressure that V-Day puts on singles.  It's kind of a divisive day... and the crass commercialism bugs me a little bit, too.  It's basically a holiday for greeting card companies and florists.  On the other hand though, my hubby brought me some lovely flowers yesterday, and I'm down with any holiday that openly advocates eating chocolate!

2.  Who or what is on your "love list" right now?

Well, the obvious answers are my husband, my cats, my family and my friends.  I'm also really loving my new therapist right now.  I watched Batman Begins last night and loved that.  I also love coffee, sunshine, and good music on the radio.

3.  What does your own personal candy heart say?

Yeah, baby.

4.  Will you be my valentine next year? (asks rfduck the music-loving mememeister...)

Oh, I suppose... one can never have too many valentines!

Wednesday Mind Hump

Found this meme today and it sounded like fun.... here's the Wednesday Mind Hump!

1.  What album or artist in your music collection lets you express your rebel side? 

I think most of my regular readers know that I love the Rolling Stones.  I feel especially rebellious when I listen to them, despite the fact that they have softened some with age.  "Honky Tonk Women" gets me all riled up and rebellious.  Green Day's album "American Idiot" also makes me feel rebellious, particularly the title track as well as "Holiday."

2.  What's your favorite rebel song - "Rebel Yell" by Billy Idol, "Rebel Rouser" by Duane Eddy, "Rebel Rebel" by David Bowie, or "She's A Rebel" by Green Day?

It's a toss-up between "Rebel Yell" and "Rebel Rebel."  Who would win in a cage fight, Billy Idol or David Bowie?

3.  What's the most rebellious thing you've ever done?  If you don't want to answer that, tell us who your favorite rebel is, actor or musician.

I consider just getting out of bed every morning an act of unbridled rebellion.  I am forever sticking it to the man!  My favorite rebel is probably the actor/musician Jack Black.  (Speaking of sticking it to the man.... anyone seen School of Rock?)  I admire Jack's ability to just do his thing without a care in the world.  He is a fun rebel.  Another Rebellious Jack I admire is Jack White of the White Stripes... he defies categorization and that in and of itself is rebellious.

I found the Wednesday Mind Hump here.  Feel free to play along!