11 Things About Me

Bonus picture!  Snow fun!

Lisa from the O'Gs has tagged me!

While I won't follow all the rules (that's just the way I roll), I'm still going to answer all the questions.  Because it's more fun than researching the board members of CSX.  (Yes, that is what I'm supposed to be doing right now.  My life is so glamorous.)

So here are my answers to eleven questions.

With thanks to the ixesn for the picture

1. If you had to leave the U.S. and move to another country, where would you move to and why?
My first thought is Canada, because I speak the language, it's near to our friends and family, and it has universal healthcare.  But, if I COULD move to any other country, versus HAD to, it would probably be the Czech Republic.  I don't know why it draws me so strongly, but shortly before M and I started dating I actually nearly picked up my little life and just hopped a plane to Prague.  For good.  It still has its appeal!

2. Are you an adventurous eater? I.e. do you like trying new foods?
Oh yes.  So long as it's vegetarian and I'm not allergic to it (no Swiss type cheeses), I'll give it a try.  I LOVE trying new foods!

3. What’s your favorite animal?
Ask anyone who ever saw my bedroom when I was a teenager.  Gorillas.  When I was pregnant with the girls, I finally decided it was time to go through my stuffed gorilla collection and let it go.  I kept the best ones for the kids, a few with serious sentimental value for myself, and donated the rest.  I had well over 100 stuffed gorillas.

That's a fully boned Tudor style corset for my
Countess Bathory costume.

4. What was your first job?
I started babysitting as a pre-teen, but I'm not sure that counts.  The first non-family-friend, non-childcare job I ever had was sewing historically accurate cloaks for Maison Rive, a clothier who specialized in the Society for Creative Anachronism crew.  I made almost nothing, and I was paid in coin.  Seriously.  Because that's historically accurate.  My boss, Lady Alizonde de Breguerf, was a known "authenticity nazi," which meant that a lot of my wages went into my own historically accurate clothing, but I learned a TON about Renaissance clothing construction, among other things, and I got to go to a lot of really fun events.  Despite the lousy pay and the absurd conditions (really- hand sewing wool cloaks in a tiny, airless apartment in the middle of August), I loved it.

5. Would you renew your vows complete with another wedding?

I would do this again in a heartbeat.

Absolutely.  M and I have discussed it quite a bit.  You see, our anniversary is sort of also the anniversary of M beating brain cancer, so it feels like a big deal.  Lucky M, he gets three brain-cancer-ass-kicking-aversaries: his birthday, our anniversary, and the Fourth of July (the day we got engaged and the day before his seizure and diagnosis).  We've considered having a vow renewal and complete gigantic party- or maybe even a destination kind of wedding thing- for either our fifth or our tenth.  It doesn't look like our fifth will be very realistic, what with having two three year olds and an almost one year old at that point, but the tenth might be the way to go.  Ten years of marriage is nothing to sneeze at.  And neither is ten years of astrocytoma survival!

6. What one talent do you wish you had?
I wish I was better at the piano.  I've always loved it, but it isn't something I'm just naturally awesome at.  Not to toot my own horn, but I'm awesome at an awful lot of things.

Caught in the act at a B&B

7. Do you let your kids jump on the bed?
Nope.  Their beds are just plain not up to it.  DD's bed is actually held together with duct tape at this point (really).  Our bed I let them "dance" on, which is basically jumping, and if I'm tired or I'm okay with them goofing off when they should be sleeping, I let them get away with it in their rooms.  But officially?  Not allowed.

8. What’s your favorite salad dressing?
Annie's Goddess Dressing, Annie's Artichoke Parmesan, and Annie's Shitake Miso.  Unfortunately, I can't eat salad dressing right now.  Fortunately for me, I don't have to.  We have a local shop that is AMAZING- Old Town Oil.  I've picked up bottles of their Fig Balsamic and their Black Currant Balsamic, and that vinegar alone is ALL YOU NEED.  Seriously.  So freakin' awesome.  Pricey for salad dressing, but then... you don't need a lot.  And it is the best. vinegar. ever.

9. Do you recycle?
Yes, I try.  Unfortunately, the recycling system in Chicago is incredibly corrupt.  How do I know?  I used to work as a VISTA in the CHA Recycling Buyback program.  Sadly, the program is no more.  However the recycling system in the city hasn't changed much.  What happens when the corner of the dump designated for "blue bags" and other assorted recycling is full?  The trucks just dump the rest.  Seriously.  Most of the stuff that you think is "recycled" in Chicago is just landfilled.  It sucks.

From Nicholas C. of Yelp

10. What do you like on your ice cream?
Margie's hot fudge.  If you are ever in Chicago, go to Margie's.  You can thank me when you come out of the raspberry hot fudge induced coma.

11. Are you left or right handed?
I'm vaguely ambidextrous.  I write with my right hand, I eat with my left, I can sort of swap for a lot of things. I would like for my kids to be ambidextrous as well, but so far... I think they might actually just be lefties.



...and now, back to my research!  Happy afternoon, all!