So Many Questions (6)

Getting bored of these yet?

One of these days I'll have something new to post or write about. Today is not the day.

51. Which superpower would you choose to have if you had the option, and why? Conversely, which superhero do you find to be the most overrated, and why?

First, in the aspect of choosing a superpower, I don't know if this really counts, but I'd choose flight. I'd adore the chance to soar through the air on my own accord, flitting from place to place, sitting on top of buildings, relaxing on cliffs with no fear of falling to my death. It'd be marvelous. I know I'd love to have wings, if you were wondering if I'd just fly around with my arms flapping or something. No, wings would be so lovely. Birds have this sense of freedom that comes with them, and it's something that I want to feel. Part two of this question - I see Sheldon saying, "and of course, the answer is.." Batman. All he is is a bored rich guy. Bruce Wayne isn't really a superhero, he's a rich man with nothing better to do. Sure, he does nice things, but he's not a superhero in my mind. He's overrated because everyone loves him (I don't see it). Granted, the Batman movie franchise made so much money, gross amounts of money. And yes, I have seen The Dark Knight and enjoyed it, and I have seen the more recent Dark Knight Rises and enjoyed it as well. I couldn't properly form an opinion without knowing something about the character. Personally though, I like Spiderman. :)

52. You have one week to do whatever you want, all expenses paid. What things would you do? Where would you go?

Hell, if money was no object, I'd go shopping in Europe. I'd tour France, I'd see the sights, spend all the money, do all the things, eat all the food, drink all the coffee. I'd stay in an expensive hotel and watch the sun rise over Europe with fancy coffee that costs more than it should.

The other half of me laughs and says I'd love be at home and just buy some things, get bills taken care of, and make my life here a little more comfortable. But expensive coffee in France sounds pretty damn good.

53. If your best friend came to you depressed and upset like you've never seen before, how would you react?

First, I'd be scared. What the hell could be so terrible that it'd cause her to feel this way? Second, I'd do anything she'd want me to - listen to her worries, console her fears, comfort her, etc. Third, I'd feel angry and whoever - or whatever - caused her this distress. I'd want to hurt them back, though I probably never would. I'd want to defend her.

54. In what ways do you sometimes wish to act a better friend, but don't? Why do you find yourself unable to do these things?

When I see this question I think of a couple friends in particular. I've always been desperate to help this one girl in her troubles, but am not sure how to go about it, so I always back down and just listen to her, be her shoulder to cry on, her advice-bearing silent helper. She always asks me for advice but never takes it, so I wonder why she bothers asking in the first place, but I still give it and still care genuinely for her, and her happiness. I worry about her sometimes. I know she can handle herself, but I wish in some ways that I could be more honest with her and tell her what I really think. I don't know if this would make me a better friend, though.

55. You have one hour to come up with the most interesting television show you can and pitch/describe it.

Okay, this one has me stumped. First, I don't have cable, so I don't watch much tv. What I do watch is on Netflix. :/

56. "If someone gains, someone else loses." How much does this reflect life, and how much does it come up short? Reflecting upon this, how could your attitude been different to events in your past?

I think this is relatively accurate. If someone gets a new puppy, someone else had to give (or sell) that puppy to them. That person has now lost a puppy in order for the other person to have it. I guess in my past I never really considered that someone else would have to give for me to have. I was a kid, though, so I don't think it was really important to think about what other people were giving me so much as it was to run around the playground or ride my bike. Yes, this world is full of give and take. It was just not something I really gave much thought to.

57. Would you be a different person today if you had a different childhood? How?

Definitely. Everyone would be different than they are today if they grew up a different way from the way they did. Does that sentence make sense? Not really. Oh well. My point is, if you grow up with two parents, you're going to come out different than if you grew up in a single-parent household. Childhood has a massive effect on your adult life, in my opinion. How many times do people start their answers (or continue conversations) with "When I was a kid..."?

58. Consider some of the parents others had growing up. What type of person would you be if you had those situations?

I can't rightly say. Just because we see one thing doesn't mean that's how someone is within the privacy of their own family. I mean, you could meet someone else's mother, and they could seem cold and distant, and in reality they're the most nurturing person you'd ever meet, she just happens to be shy. I don't know. You get what I'm saying, right?

59. What if your life had been harder or easier? How do you think you'd be different?

If my life was easier growing up, I'm sure I'd be more of a brat than I am now, and fatter than I am now. If it was harder, I'm sure I wouldn't have my patience, honesty, and good nature (right?). I mean, if my family hadn't struggled financially when I was growing up, would I have the value for money that I have now? Probably not. If my family had been living in another country, would I love Campbell River? No, I'd probably not know it existed.

60. Are you happy with your job, life, situation? What parts are good? What parts are bad?

I am happy with my job; it's where I want to be. The good parts are my coworkers, getting to pet dogs and cats all day, snuggling puppies, talking to people, etc. The bad parts go without saying - euthanasia, stupid people making stupid decisions, people without means to support their pets yet they have a new puppy, etc. I'm relatively happy with my life, I have a good job, I have my two cats, I have my best friend(s), I have my family, I have my (relatively) good health. I have means financially to live apart from my parents, I have the money to buy things I want not just what I need, I can provide for my animals without fear. The bad parts I guess are my constant depression, my lack of motivation, etc. Mostly, though, my days are alright, and even though work stresses me out, it's worth it to do something I love and come home to a place I call home, even though we rent it.

 



The sun sets in paradise/So Many Questions (5)

If you DON'T like pop music, DO NOT follow this link. I've currently been obsessed with this song - I'm not sure why. It gets stuck in my head.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRaWnd3LJfs

I also have a new Pomplamoose song to share with you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8j4e6rBx1Y

Okay, while you unreaders are listening to that, I'm going to go put some laundry in.

Also, my blogger is lagging for some reason...

 

***

Oh man, do I love doing chores. I've made a list for myself. Shit just got real.

41. If you were to die today what would you like people to say about you?

First, I doubt if anyone would really miss me, besides maybe my roommate, and it'd make things harder for my coworkers because I'm one of the only people there who's available any day for any shift. But if anyone was to remember me, I'd hope that they'd remember me as a friendly person, not shy or distant (I have much improved through my job). I'd hope that they would say I worked hard and loved my job, that I was valuable in my position, that I was worth keeping around. I'd hope that my friends would remember me as caring and kind, and not as the manic-depressive, pathetic, sad creature that I am. I'd hope that they would be able to see past that. I'd hope I'd be remembered modestly. I certainly don't think anyone would be spray painting my initials around town (years ago three teens took their lives and one, much loved, was painted on every possible surface, I'm not sure why, but they celebrate his birthday every year despite his being gone), but I'd hope to be remembered as a nice person that was generally well-liked...not popular, per se, but liked within my social group.

42. What is your proudest accomplishment?

It depends on what you're talking about. When I was in piano, I was quite proud of usually taking home first place in the February Festival of Performing Arts (in my respective class). Then again, both my brother and sister would do the same, so I don't know if I was truly proud of that, considering it was my good teaching that allowed me to excel. And in fact, I didn't really care for piano anyway. It was an honor, however, to be asked to perform in the honors group at the end of the festival, because they chose one person from each class to perform a piece of their choosing from the festival selection. I think I did that twice. My siblings have done it too. Otherwise, I am proud of finishing high school with relatively good grades; I never feared that I wouldn't graduate, but I wanted to get the best grades I could, and while some areas were lacking, I scored the highest on my English 12 provincial exam of the entire school (for that semester). I was utterly shocked when my beloved English teacher told me - I couldn't believe that I'd ranked so high. I can't remember now if my percentage (in the high nineties, I don't remember the exact number now) was the highest of the school or the highest of the province. I can't remember which the teacher told me. If not the province, definitely the school. I was very happy that day.

43. If you could be anybody, who would you be?

I think about this now and again. I know I'd love to be pretty, skinny, naturally beautiful, naturally liked and attractive. I'd love to be smarter, to be clever, to be classy. I'd love to be someone else. But in the same breath, if I was to be all of those things, I wouldn't be the same, and while I desperately want to better myself, maybe that's all I have to do. Better MYSELF, not change myself entirely. All I'd have to do, really, is lose some weight, learn my body, learn my face, learn how to dress for my shape. It sounds optimistic but the idea of the work involved is daunting. But gradually, I'm getting better, and I know for a fact that a select few people out there believe that I am beautiful, that I am attractive, and don't understand why I don't see it. Perhaps I'm too blocked by my own subconcious. I don't think I'll ever know the real reason why I can't look in the mirror and be satisfied. Some days are better than others, though, and I think I'll continue to get better.

44. What is the most important aspect of your life, and why?

The most important aspect of my life has nothing to do with me. It's another person entirely. I would explain, but I don't feel I need to. She's everything to me, she's my best friend, my sole support system, my only confidence booster. I love her dearly and would be lost without her constance in my life.

45. Where would you travel, if you could go anywhere?

This is kind of cheating, but I'd tour Europe. I want to see all of it, not one specific place. Though there is one spot in Westminster Abbey that I desperately want to visit - William Wordsworth. Though his body is not buried there, there are memorials for so many of my favourite poets in the same area, and I want to see them all.

46. What time period would you like to be born in?

This one's easy. I've always wanted to be part of Queen Elizabeth I's court. She's my idol.

47. What extinct animal would you bring back, if you could?

Tricky! I'm not entirely sure. I'd be more interested in protecting those animals in danger, rather than bringing back one that's already gone. I'd like to save the pandas or the tigers, or elephants. Something that's endangered, something that can be kept safe.

48. What profession would you have chosen, if not your current one?

Easy. I'd be an author. It's my childhood dream (though my first dream was to be a vet, and funny how that worked out!), and I still want to write on the side, but I can't get inspired, and I doubt that I'd ever get published.

49. What book setting would you visit, if you could?

Hobbiton! It sounds so beautiful and the movies made it look exquisate. Other than that, I'd love to go back to the time of Anne Rice's Cry to Heaven, or maybe Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl.

50. Given the chance to give your child only one quality as a person, which would you choose? How about if that choice were unavailable, what would be your second and third choices? Why are these so important to you?

Alright, I can feel this one will be a long one, because if you've read this in the past, you'd know that having a child is another dream of mine; to be pregnant, to have the expectation and fear, to have a little me to nurture and soothe to sleep, to have that exhaustion and joy that comes with motherhood. Anyway, if I could give her one quality, it would be honesty. Too many children hide things, lie to their parents, or steal from stores, etc. If my child could be honest, it'd save a lot of struggle, I think, and she'd be a better person. If honesty was not available, I would give her patience, or kindness. Patience is so important when you're growing up - kids all want to be adults and don't realize that what they have right now is so precious. Be patient, you'll get there. Kindness goes without saying - I'd love a child kind enough to help another child, to love her pet unconditionally, to care for her parents, to take care of herself, so she'll be alright on her own. That's all parents really want, isn't it? For their child to be okay when they're gone?

Alright, I think I'm done for now. Time to go back to my chores (yay!).

 

 

A Heavy Dose of Atmosphere

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIz2K3ArrWk

 

It occurs to me that I haven't really posted much in a while, just answers to those questions I found on StumbleUpon which will take me FOREVER to complete, because I just realized there's over 700 of them. :/ What did I set myself up for?

Anyway, I need to post some pictures I haven't posted yet.

 

I keep playing with this loaner camera we're using. Pheeny looks a little dark in this one, but this is his "please fill my food bowl" face.

Anubunnie watching a cranefly he desperately wants to chase after and probably eat. Phoenix ate one not too long ago - gag.

Take a self-portrait (is that even the right word) with a camera that focuses depending on what you tell it to focus on is not easy. Do you know how many times I had to retake this picture to get it to actually focus on my face and not the cupboard, or the window, or the chairs in the background? That's probably why I look none too pleased.

Another attempt - this time I wanted it to focus on my eye, because I tried something new with the menagerie of makeup I have, and wanted to capture it. See how the camera decided to focus on the eye that is at the side of the frame? SMH. Ah well. I still think this picure is interesting, I guess.

My favourite dog in the world, Timbit (or Timmie, Timmy-ims, Itty-Bitty, the list goes on). This is her "wanna go for a walk?" face.

A new photo of me, with my kitty Phoenix and my cornsnake Stellaluna. Taken by my friend and roommate - work's website updated and I was told to get a new photo of myself with my pet (s). This is the one we chose.

 

 

 

 

 



So Many Questions (4)

31. How do you feel about using humans in medical research?

If we have to use animals, we should use ourselves.

 

32. What does "copy cat" mean to you?

Someone who copies something of someone else's. Or, plagerism (a deep pet peeve of mine).

 

33. What do you think about quasi ghosts?

First, allow me to quickly look that up, because I'm not familiar with the term.

So I understand that a quasi ghost is one that you see when you are awake, therefore excluding dream sequences/visions. So my answer to this question is that I do believe in them; I have seen them before on a few occasions (though mostly when I was a child).

 

34. What does "holds water" mean to you? What is your first memory?

According to the online dictionary, it has to do with an opinion that is wrong. My first memory of something like this....would probably be in school? I'm not sure.

 

35. When did you meet your first boyfriend or girlfriend?

Grade 9.

 

36. Describe your typical day, from wake to sleep.

Wake up, hit snooze at least once, if not twice. Struggle to get out of bed. Stumble down the stairs, feed the cats, stumble back upstairs. Lock self in bathroom for 10 minutes or so to improve appearance, get hair under control, and take care of other morning things. Then I stumble back down the stairs and make lunch for us, and if there's time (depending on the number of snoozes), some breakfast. Then there's 7-8 hours of work. Then home, feed the monsters (cats), feed ourselves, then depending on the day, it's either relax with tea and The Big Bang Theory, or grocery shopping, or walking around somewhere. Then sleep.

 

37. What would be your ideal birthday present, and why?

I really don't know.

 

38. If you could take home any animal from the zoo, which would it be, and what would you do with it?

A tiger, because they're awesome, and I'd keep it as a pet, because they're awesome.

 

39. Think of a loved one that you have lost. If you could ask this person one question, what would you ask, and what do you think they would say?

Both my grandmothers believed they would go to Heaven. I would ask either of them if they arrived there, and if they did, what it was like.

 

40. Where do you think you will be in 5 years?

I feel like I've answered this one before. :/



So Many Questions (3)

21. Did you do something today that you can be proud of?

I went to work...I'm not sure if that counts.

22. What is one thing that you are grateful for today?

The fact that life goes on. Despite long days, silly mistakes, and aching bones, life continues, and I will wake up tomorrow to do it all over again.

23. Did something happen to make you sad?

Part of me wants to say yes, today we euthanized a couple of sweet dogs. The other part of me says no, I am just sad because I am just sad.

24. Who is the one relative that you miss the most?

My gran (mom's mom). We were quite close...rather, she was close with the three of us. I miss her all the time.

25. What would you say to them if you could see them again?

I would tell her I love her, I miss her, that she taught me so much and I was never grateful for it as a child as I should have been. I would ask to hear more stories of her childhood. I would ask to hear more stories of my mom's childhood; my childhood. I would ask her to repeat the stories she's already told, so I could remember them better than I do now.

26. Why is it important to be genuine?

I'm a relatively honest person, or so I like to think. I think if everyone was genuine, the world would have less war and more peace. If everyone told the truth, was honest, was true from the start, things would be a little better. Maybe we'd be more advanced as a race. Because let's face it, we as humans are killing this planet and each other. Why can't everyone just be good?

27. Why do you think wars exist in this world?

Again, I am split on this one. Part of me wants to coyly say, "read what I just wrote for question 26". The other part of me wants to actually answer this question, differently from question 26. I'm going to go with the latter choice, in the interest of content for this post. Anyway, I think that wars exist because first and foremost, men are bored. Let's create jobs for people by employing them in the field of making artillery for war. That's why wars never end - its economically promising. Sick, isn't it, that we make money off people dying (then again, look at funeral homes)? But I'm getting off track here (again). The other reason, besides men being bored and war creating jobs, is that men are simple creatures (in reality, all human beings are), and they get their egos bruised, and HAVE to one-up the competition. Look at America and Russia and nuclear arms, all those years ago. Everyone just wanted to be better than the other. They ended up having to call a truce or the amount of nuclear warfare would have taken out not only the enemy in question, but also the rest of the planet. Ridiculous.

28. Why would we say that someone is "bananas"?

I could go literal here and say, well, they're crazy. Messed up in the head. Fucked up. Retarded. Nuts. But the list goes on, and really I don't think that's what it means. I think it means someone's different enough to be mistaken for one of the terms listed above. I would choose words like unique. Different. Cool. Kooky. Interesting.

29.Why do you think the ability to focus is an important quality?

If you can't focus, you can't relax. That's the way I see it. If you're at work all day, focused hard on so many things at once, you exhaust yourself, and you come home and lie on the couch, or go for a walk, or write useless blog posts that nobody reads. You de-stress from the chaos of the day, from focusing on everything at the same time. You focus on one or two things, or nothing at all, to detox yourself. If you don't focus in the first place, how on earth are you going to relax?

30. Explain why we say, "dead as a doornail".

Perhaps because doornails just hang there, limp, until someone lifts them. That sounds spiritual of me, I'm sorry. I'm going metaphorical, not spiritual, but I don't know how else to explain what I mean. I think that's what a doornail is, right? The thing you use to knock on the door with? Heavy and usually ornate? I don't know, and I'm too lazy to look it up (refer to question 29 regarding detoxing for more on this constant laziness of mine). 

So Many Questions (2)

11. What actor would you hire to play you in your TV movie biography, and why?

I don't think anyone would be interested in watching a biography about my life, but if I had to choose someone that would ensure people would watch it - Zooey Deschanel has been a longtime favourite female actress. Her blue eyes are visually striking! Everything I've seen her in I have enjoyed. Some, more than others. But the point rests. If not Zooey, I would choose Emily Blunt. Again, brunette, blue eyes, silent beauty. She never plays roles where she's obviously intended to be beautiful, but she always is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPKOvaTSGBg

Zooey and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (another fave, drool) in one of my favourite movies, (500) Days of Summer. This is one of my favourite scenes from the movie. "Darling, I don't know how to tell you this, but there's a Chinese family in our bathroom."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnU4dD0IdXg

A scene from Wild Target (a great UK comedy featuring Emily, Bill Nighy, and Rupert Grint) in which the sparks between Emily and Bill's characters start flying. He falls in love with her first, but she admits it first. Goodness do I ever love her in this movie.

12. If you died tomorrow, what would you be most remembered for?

Depends on who's remembering. If it was my roommate and longtime best friend, I really couldn't tell you. So many years of history there. If it was my family, they'd probably regret that I hadn't seen them this weekend - most of them were away at some time or another. If it was my coworkers, some may remember me as a friend, others as just a coworker. My circle of friends would probably remember me as their friend. I don't really have a good idea of how people percieve me, if you hadn't guessed already.

13. Name three people who's lives have been improved by knowing you, and say why.

Again, I don't have a good idea of how people perceive me. I can name one for sure, though it's not really going to be names. My roommate and best friend. In helping me grow and change, I like to think that I have helped her do the same. I like to think that we helped each other a lot throughout our high school days (dark days for most teens). I could go into detail, but I really don't want to explain my life story, haha. Another would be my friend in Ontario. I have never met him, but he's continually saying how important I am to him, and I know for a fact that I've helped pull him back from the abyss a few times now. He's never happier than when he's in a relationship, but because this world is flawed, those end from time to time. I try my best to help him through his troubles. And I guess, because I'm crazy and can't really think of anyone besides these three, I will include my dear friend from the US, who I've been talking to now since I was 18 (that was recently pointed out to me, and I was utterly shocked). We met on Facebook on a fluke; he made a comment on a random post on a page that I happened to "like"; I saw his post and commented attention to him that I agreed with his logic; he saw the comment I posted and decided to be friendly and add me so we could talk a little more. It was a great conversation, one of many. He is still one of my dearest friends, is getting married, and has a child on the way. I am so proud of him and hold him in a special place in my heart. If only we could meet one day for real!

14. If your life was a reality TV show, what would be the hook to draw viewers in?

Oh goodness, I don't know. I don't really have anything extra special that would be different enough to draw people in. I work in a vet clinic? Hah.

15. When was the last time you cried?

This one's easy. Last night, I was getting ready to give my cats dinner, and as they sat nicely in front of their dish, I spotted a massive wolf spider perched between them. I shrieked and my roommate scrambled over to kill it with a box and her foot. It scared me so much I wasn't able to bend down and give the cats their food (much to their displeasure), as that would mean getting closer to that freaky creature. Only when it was thoroughly squished and its curled remains flushed down the toilet was I able to finally give my cats their kibble (they were elated). It scared me so much I burst into tears, and since I hadn't cried in a long time, and I was so tired and stressed, the dam burst and I couldn't stop. :/

16. what is the earliest memory you have of a sibling?

Because my sister was born just under 2 years after I was, I don't have any early memories of her, but I do have memories of the two of us playing before my brother was born. I have a fuzzy memory of being in the hospital when my mother was pregnant with him, and waiting for him to be due. The nurses would only allow her ice chips (I later learned, in my adulthood, that this is because if they have to do an emergency C-section at any time, she will already be fasted), we snuck her grapes and other inconspicuous fruit on our visits. I don't remember my brother being born, I don't remember her coming home with him, but I do remember her in the hospital. I also remember when he was just a wee babe (ah yes, the Irish is coming out), my mom gave him to me to hold and allowed me to bottle-feed him. I have a photo of that, and I cherish it. I don't know why. I would have been no older than five.

17. What is the earliest photograph of yourself that you have that you remember when it was taken?

I remember my first birthday cake (white icing with strawberries) and there are several photos of that.

18. What is the longest you've had a "borrowed" item but not been able to return it because they moved?

I honestly don't know.

19. What did you eat as a child that you can't stand as an adult?

There are a couple things that come to mind: first, black raisins. You know, the ones that come in that little red box? Yes, we had those all the time as children, and god forbid you feed me a raisin now. Another thing is apple juice. I don't really care for it anymore, and we had it all the time as children. Then there's overly-sugared and -milked tea. When we were young, my mom would make us orange pekoe tea and let us put our own milk and sugar in. As children, tea tasted horribly bitter, so we always put in spoonful after spoonful of white sugar and milk. Now if you were to put white sugar in my tea, I'd drink it, but I wouldn't be happy about it. And I don't drink 1% milk anymore; we only buy skim. We drink Twinnings Earl Grey tea with brown sugar and skim milk - a little different than the diabetes-inducing tea of my childhood.

20. What is one thing that happened today that you really want to remember 20 years from now?

The feeling of coming home after work and not being responsible for anything. 20 years from now I assume I will have children, a job, etc. Responsibility all over the place! Right now my only duties are work, sleep, feed the cats, and occasional housework (when I feel like it, and certainly not every day...there's only the two of us, so we can get away with it).



So Many Questions (1)

1. What is your interpretation of one of your recent dreams?

My most recent dream was two nights ago. I dreamt myself and my roommate were seeing some old friends from high school, and one classmate threw herself off a balcony, descending several stories to her messy death. I don't know why I dreamt this, considering I wasn't particuarly good friends with this girl in question, but ironically when I was browsing twitter and facebook the next day I was instantly relieved when I saw a post or two from her. It was like a confirmation that no, she really wasn't dead. Thank goodness. I guess my interpretation is my subconcious worries about people it doesn't even realize it means to worry about? I don't know. I'm not very good at interpretations.

2. What does death teach us about life?

Of course I could go with the classic "that it's precious, and that nothing lasts forever" response. I was sorely tempted. But upon further thought, I'll go with this: life is a mystery. Death is always looming, always constant, always a factor in things that we do. It's a certain luck to get through a day without dying. Considering all the accidents that happen, all the panicked adolescents that shoot up high schools, all the foolish suicide bombers, all the idiots that think it'll be a smart idea to rob a convenience store with a gun, we're all lucky to be alive. Life is precious, but now and again it's questionable. Besides, I am of a belief that when you die, you are reincarnated. Yes, your body rots in the ground. You don't go to Heaven, you don't go to Hell (in my opinion). But your soul...that piece of you that isn't determined by genes or decisions made before you, that carries on to live another life in another body. Comforting, isn't it?

3.When you look at an elderly person's hand, what do you see?

Again, I could go with the classic approach here. But since I had always been fascinated with my grandmother's hands, I will choose my own route. When I looked at her hands, I saw many things - years of wear, wrinkles, manicured fingernails (she always kept them long and tidy), bruises on occaision (older people bruise easily, and my grandmother was always bumping into things, shutting her hands in things, just getting bumps and bruises along the way). I see the years behind her hands, I see the work she did with them as a young girl, I see the pieces she played at the piano when we were children. I was most fascinated when she was playing the piano.

4.What disease known to humankind do you hate most? Explain why.

This one's undisputed. Cancer. I loathe cancer as it took from me a few family members and it kills so many others. I don't know one person who isn't effected by it in some way. I would elaborate, but that's all I feel I need to say about this.

5. What was your last dream about?

See above (number 1).

6. What seemed unusual on your morning commute today?

Today's my day off. Snicker

7. Tell me about an old friend you've lost touch with.

Growing up, I  had few friends, but my best friend moved away to Alberta when we were in grade 3, and I missed him dearly. I still ponder what became of him now and again, but never managed to get in touch with him again. Since then I have evolved and made new friends by the time I hit grade 6, but he was my first best friend.

8. What's your earliest holiday memory?

Birthdays don't count, do they? Because I remember my first birthday cake. As holidays go, I remember getting a bike for one Christmas (my sister and I both recieved our first bike as our Christmas gift, and excitedly raced them around the garage to the glee of our parents - we had already been taught to ride, we simply didn't have bikes of our own). I also remember what I was dressed up as for most halloweens - not the year specifically, just what I was dressed as.

9. What's your favourite charitable cause and why?

I would say the SPCA, but we have a love/hate relationship. They do a lot of good; a hell of a lot of good. But they euthanize for reasons such as "old age", "ringworm", "failed behavioural assessment". So despite all the good things they do for the animals, and the care they have for their wellbeing, the euthanasia is something that's difficult to get over. At least, working where I do, I know that it's painless for the animal, and they don't suffer (as opposed to older, outdated practices for pet control).

10. What do you think your life will be like 10 years from now?

Well, I'll have been to my 10 year high school reunion, I probably will be living somewhere different (though the idea at this moment is unpalatable), I hope I will have gotten somewhere with my life. Hey, maybe I'll be in a lovely house with a dog and a baby (or two!) and my husband. Maybe I'll still be working at the vet clinic, renting townhouses, snuggling my (now older) baby-cat, living with my roommate. Maybe I'll be broke. Maybe I'll be dead! Who knows. That's part of the adventure. I never thought, 2 years ago, that I'd be where I am. So it's all part of this life that I'm trying to make my way through.

Alright, I think that's all I'm going to do for now. Eventually I'll finish this load of questions I found on Stumble-Upon...but there's like 500, and I plan to do some indepth answers for them, so who knows how long it'll take me. 10 at a time seems reasonable.



ALL the cat pictures.

Among other things.

Also, I  may or may not be slightly drunk. Days off are fun.

This is so attractive.

Raspberry frozen yogurt, waffle cone, the ocean, the wind. Perfect.

I am watching Chicago because I had the sudden urge to watch it. I love this movie. <3

"Why don't we paint the town, and all that jazz?"

Another shot of that deliciousness, after we devoured some of it.

Because I'm a crazy cat lady. Pheeny bee the baby-cat. <3

Some beads on a (dirty) glass table. R was making a bracelet and I couldn't resist. They're so pretty; cat hair may have ruined the photo.

Loving this camera (on loan)! Pheeny looks so smart in this one.

Making a no-makeup pouty face.

I wish this photo could be bigger. It's in its prime as my desktop background. It's possibly my favourite picture of my kitty to date.

Because my Nuubie is handsome too, I had to include a shot (or two) of him as well. He's photogenic, but likes to avoid the camera's gaze. Phoenix is easier to get portraits of.

Then I got really bored and took pictures of my book - I'm currently reading 50 shades of grey (because I can't knowingly make fun of it without reading then) and it happened to be on the table, on top of R's beading box.

Extra much bored. Took a picture of my fingers on the windowsill.

Some lilies have been blooming outside our front door - we are greeted with their satisfying aroma every time we come home or leave the house. How lovely!

Pheeny feet!

Alright, that's all my obsessive pictures for now...I would write more but I'm distracted by Chicago and drink. :)

Some experiments in beverage-making

I've been getting creative with alcohol. Making interesting drinks, I mean. I'm by no means a "mixologist" or a bartender, or anything like that. I'm just making new creations with whatever we have in our cupboard and fridge (and freezer, in the case of the vodka). Here's a couple recipes I've come up with on the fly (if there's something similar out there, I intend no offense).

"Watermelon Sunrise"

 Nmed for that pretty orange/pink/yellow color it turns when it's stirred then settled. I quite enjoy it!

1 shot watermelon vodka

1/2 shot raspberry sourpuss (or enough to get the desired color)

Fill glass halfway with melon/mango juice (can use one or the other, or mix two together; I use the melon/mango juice by Sunrype)

Fill remainder of glass with peach cider (for more alcohol taste) or ginger ale (for less alchohol taste). I like the bubbly effect this gives the drink without being too carbonated.

Stir well and garnish with any fruit you choose, I would recommend raspberries for the color. Add ice if desired, stir, and enjoy.

"Fruit Delight" or "Raspberry/Peach Delight" or "Raspberry/Peach with Melon"

I can't decide what to call it.

1 shot watermelon vodka

1/2 shot raspberry sourpuss

1/2 shot tangerine sourpuss

Fill glass halfway with any juice that has peach in it, I used the apple/orange/peach from Sunrype. Could also use watermelon juice here, or something that had watermelon in it, depending on if you want the drink to be more watermelon flavored or peach flavored.

Fill remainder of glass with peach cooler, ginger ale, or tonic water, depending on personal preference. If you use a different juice in the above step, using peach cider here will keep the flavor profile.

I then stir everything, add a piece of fruit to the edge of the glass for a garnish, and add some ice in to keep it cool and refreshing.

"Candy Dream"

Because when you drink this it's like drinking some candy!

1 shot watermelon vodka

1 shot vanilla vodka

1 pieces of any fruit in the bottom (I used pineapple, because that's what we had), let it sit there for a minute before you add the rest. The fruit absorbs some of the vodka flavor, so when you've finished your drink you have these delcious pieces of spiked pineapple! So yummy.

Fill 3/4 of the glass with any orange juice of your choice, I love MinuteMaid.

Raspberry sourpuss to taste, or enough to give you the color you want. You can also use tangerine or whatever sourpuss you want; we just happened to have raspberry.

Ginger ale to finish.

Ice and stir. Enjoy!

Yay, these have been fun. I would have had photos, but they were too yummy, and since I've created these over the past few days and didn't think about posing the recipes before now, so I didn't think to take pictures until now and my current candy drink is over half done. :( Sad panda.

But one of our friends gifted my roommate with her old camera (a major step up from my dinky little Nikon) so we've been taking pictures and doing shenanigans and general tomfoolery.

Here's a couple shots, I am quite proud of one or two in particular.

Seaglass!

I like the tree photo because the sunset is shining on just the top...it looks like a gradient!

Rosehips.

Flowers draped with spiderweb.

One of my personal favourites - the dandelion puff.

Another favourite. A sneak peek of my roomate, holding a tiny crab. We did a few of these photos.

Me holding another crab. Just a wee babe, pinching my finger. I love this picture because you can see my finger is white at the tip where he's pinching! Photo cred to my roommate, RTH.

EDIT/ADDENDUM: So I just noticed after I posed this that this is my 100th entry! Holy cow. Thanks for not reading, un-readers!