Friday, November 08, 2002

Poem For the Day

Translated from the Japanese, from Yosano Akiko's adaptation of an 8th century "tangled hair" poem:

Everybody tells me
My hair is too long.
I leave it
As you saw it last
Disheveled by your hands.


This Week's Survey...can't remember whose page I first saw it on.

1.What's on your bedside table?

An alarm clock, a locking wooden box filled with different Tarot decks, a little wooden chest of drawers full of bead necklaces, a little shrine to Guan-Yin.

2. What's the geekiest part of your music collection?

Oh, where to start? Barry Manilow and Neil Diamond? The Village People and the Bee Gees? William Shatner's The Transformed Man? Four different Evita cast albums? The Carpenters? The Streisand boxed set? The complete oeuvre of Peter, Paul and Mary? Nearly a complete set of "Have A Nice Day," the '70s collection? I'm not sure which is the non-geekiest part!

3. What do you eat when you raid the fridge at night?

Something salty -- nuts, pretzels -- immediately followed by chocolate.

4. What is your secret guaranteed weeping film?

Field of Dreams. I am a total sucker for male weepies.

5. If you could have plastic surgery, what would you have done?

Nothing. Never.

6. Do you have a completely irrational fear?

I have nightmares about drowning -- both myself and members of my family. I wake up near-hysterical.

7. What is the little physical habit that gives away your insecure moments?

I laugh too much.

8. Do you ever have to beg?

When I'm in an irrational fan mode, I will beg frantically for screen captures, fanfic, gossip, anything. But I never beg for anything serious, except maybe in bed. :)

9. Do you have too many love interests?

Can there be too many?

10. Do you know anyone famous?

I've interviewed a number of famous people and grew up with a couple who are now mildly famous. But there's no one Entertainment Weekly would be calling me for dirt about.

11. Describe your bed.

Queen size, shared with my husband, same gray comforter we've had since before we got married, no headboard, blue or purple sheets most of the time, sometimes some stuffed manta rays tossed on the bed when the cats haven't planted themselves there, across from the little TV in our bedroom in case we want to watch something in bed which we rarely do because the kids' rooms are next door.

12. Spontaneous or plan?

On an hour to hour basis, spontaneous, but when it comes to a week or month, definitely plan -- having kids makes it impossible to be otherwise.

13. Who should play you in a movie about your life?

If Gilda Radner were alive, I'd say her. I can't think of anyone who's close to my age, my height and my personality.

14. Do you know how to play poker?
Yes. Played with my father and kids earlier. I have never played for more than pennies though.

15. What do you carry with you at all times?
My purse, which contains my wallet, a pen, sunglasses, Advil, all those little scanner thingies for the grocery store etc., business cards, my cell phone, crayons and a deck of Tarot cards that doubles as playing cards when the kids are bored.

16. How do you drive?

Nervously. I tend to be slow and cautious, especially when the kids are with me. I'd much rather someone else drive.

17. What do you miss most about being little?

Not much. Not worrying about money, I suppose, though then I worried about all the things I couldn't get because I had no money anyway. I did not enjoy the way kids treated kids, nor the way adults treated kids, and I wouldn't relive being a teenager in the '80s again for anything.

18. Are you happy with your given name?

My last name is much to common (though taking my husband's would not help matter as his is too). My first name is all right.

Not the one I'd Mary Sue myself, but passable.

19. What color is your bedroom?

My childhood bedroom was neon green. Now it's grays, blues and purples.

20. What was the last song you were listening to?

Pink Floyd, "Learning To Fly"

21. Have you ever been in a school play?

Many, starting with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in third grade. Did lots of theater but couldn't sing, so I did tech all through college and grad school.

22. Have you ever been in love?

God yes.

23. Do you like yourself and believe in yourself?

Mostly. More the former than the latter; I'm a slacker, I need to do something about that.

24. Have you ever done any illegal drugs?

Never. I'm an unreformed hippie except for that -- in terms of drugs I'm a real nerd.

25. Do you think you're cute?

Sometimes. I was cuter when I was younger and could get away with more.

26. Do you consider yourself to be a nice person?

Yes, though I can also be a terrible bitch. Someone did something horrible to my family last year that affected one of my kids, and I disovered just how awful I am capable of being -- I never before had fantasies about someone dying violently and brutally before. I don't think it's that unusual to react that strongly when one's children are involved, however. I can be very sweet, but I can also be incredibly selfish and heartless.

27. What's today's quote of the day?

"I want to be a comfort to my friends in times of tragedy, I want to celebrate with them in triumph, and all the times in between, I just want to be able to look them in the eye." -- Josh Lyman, The West Wing

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