Meme! Meme!

Gracias, Aunti Val. I was hoping someone would give me an excuse to fill this one out...
*grin*


1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Don't think so. My middle name would have been my first name, had we not been on our way to Bolivia when I was born, though. It's a male name there... Mom's right. I probably would have hated it had she not switched them, but I love my middle name now and would be glad to be called by it.
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Recently. (What? You want details? Hah!)
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING
Not unless I'm doing caligraphy, then I'm such a perfectionist that I'll usually like only one or two letters on the page.
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Smoked turkey breast.
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Yes, tres. (That's three in Spanish... oh, yeah, you watched Sesame Street as a kid, eh? sorry for insulting your intelligence.)
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
I think so, but then if I was another person I might annoy me more than I would if I were me, so really it's a rather pointless question.
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
*silence*
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
No.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
The concept sounds fun, but I'd fear getting twisted up in the cord, which would likely snap me in two, so I'd rather do something where an inadvertant hanging seems less possible. I want wings.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
I guess Api qualifies. Its the comfort food I always forget I have. I also love Bolivian baby food wich has a lovely creamy malty taste.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Not usually.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
Um... I'm not sure. Get back to me on that one.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Coffee...STRONG coffee.
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Expression.
15. RED OR PINK?
Deep red.
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
Let's just say if I could jump off this ship and land on one without quite so many holes I'd be very grateful.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
It depends on my mood.
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO LINK THIS BACK TO YOU?
Do what seems best.
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS (Or Kilt) AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
*guilt* shiny red pajama pants.
20. WHAT WAS The LAST THING YOU ATE?
Uh... I forget. Did I eat anything since lunch yesterday?
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Kid noise.
22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Red? Green? Blue? Clear ... wait, that's not a crayon ... but, really, I'd rather be shimmery or translucent.
23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Fresh baked bread, cinnamon, coffee...
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
DH--who reported he experienced a 4.3 earthquake last night in his 11th(?) floor room in a California hotel. (I'd not like being so high up in a large building during an earthquake, myself.) He'll be home tonight.
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO LINKED THIS TO YOU?
Of course.
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Um. I guess soccer, because that's what Munchkin plays. Besides, I understand the game and don't feel the players are about to kill one another!
27. HAIR COLOR?
Brown.
28. EYE COLOR?
I refuse to choose.
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Glasses. I'll have to try contacts one day, though.
30. FAVORITE FOOD(S)?
Depends. I love this new nutty salad with fruit and balsamic dressing--hmmm ... oh--yummy butter cookies, pancakes, chocolate, coffee, interesting oriental noodle dishes, my Aunt B.'s cooking, a whole bunch of Bolivian dishes.
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings.
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Some lame show on TCM. I wish I'd gone to bed.
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
It's all swirly and antiquey. Mostly a pale, washed out greenish brownish color.
34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Can't choose. Both have their benefits and miseries. Ideal weather? Slightly cool, fresh air and green space. Well, weather is easier to enjoy with a good location...
35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Hugs and snuggles!
36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
? I simply can't choose.
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
You, of course. You're reading this.
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND
Anyone who has never seen this meme.
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
None, actually. How strange!
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Don't have one. Ugly things, mouse pads...
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT?
Nothing.
42. FAVORITE SOUND?
Water, wind in trees, distant crickets, bird song.
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
I prefer my stones non-rolling, actually. Covered with moss is fine. And I'm not fond of beetles in any form. (Ok, I love Aunt Val's answer to this one, so I'm borrowing it. Completely unoriginal, I know.)
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Where? Home is where the heart is, don't you know that?
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Mmmm... just let me know if you spot one, because my mind is totally blank here.
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Michigan
47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
Everyone's of course! Do let me know if you post this because I enjoy reading about people.

This blog is now rated...

This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:
pain (2x) steal (1x)

Politics Quiz

You are a Social Liberal (61% permissive) and an... Economic Conservative (68% permissive) You are best described as a: Libertarian (68e/61s) Link: The Politics Test on OkCupid Free Online Dating Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

Hahaha! a quiz whose answer I agree with

What Be Your Nerd Type? Your Result: Literature Nerd Does sitting by a nice cozy fire, with a cup of hot tea/chocolate, and a book you can read for hours even when your eyes grow red and dry and you look sort of scary sitting there with your insomniac appearance? Then you fit this category perfectly! You love the power of the written word and it's eloquence; and you may like to read/write poetry or novels. You contribute to the smart people of today's society, however you can probably be overly-critical of works. It's okay. I understand.
Drama Nerd
Musician
Science/Math Nerd
Social Nerd
Artistic Nerd
Gamer/Computer Nerd
Anime Nerd
What Be Your Nerd Type? Quizzes for MySpace

And here I thought there was no other way to talk!

What American accent do you have? Your Result: North Central   "North Central" is what professional linguists call the Minnesota accent. If you saw "Fargo" you probably didn't think the characters sounded very out of the ordinary. Outsiders probably mistake you for a Canadian a lot.
The West
The Midland
Boston
The Inland North
Philadelphia
The South
The Northeast
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

One Word

A meme caught from Tina. (Apparently Val caught it too.) If you catch it, feel free to reply below so I can read yours.

1. Where is your cell phone?
shelf

2. Relationship?
within

3. Your hair?
predictable

4. Work?
Unavoidable

5. Your sister?
Borrowed

6. Your favorite thing?
Joy

7. Your dream last night?
Intellectual

8. Your favorite drink?
coffee

9. Your dream car?
clean

10. The room you’re in?
untidy

11. Your shoes?
boots

12. Your fears?
survivable

13. What do you want to be in 10 years?
rejoicing

14. Who did you hang out with this weekend?
family

15. What you’re not good at?
friendship

16. Muffin?
nut

17. One of your wish list items?
authorship

18. Where you grew up?
Bolivia

19. The last thing you did?
groceries

20. What are you wearing?
fabric

21. What aren’t you wearing?
crown

22. Your pet
dead

23. Your computer?
fascinating

24. Your life?
intense

25. Your mood?
endurance

26. Missing?
routine

27. What are you thinking about right now?
distractions

28. Your car?
white

29. Your kitchen?
full

30. Your summer?
incoming

31. Your favorite color?
darker

32. When is the last time you laughed?
shopping

33. Last time you cried?
night

34. School?
children

35. Love
chosen

Since I got scolded...

8 things that might be interesting about me, but you asked for it, Hanna.

1. One night, as a child, my parents woke me to see a lunar eclipse. What I remember, though, is the fearful clamour that arose when the Quechua (among whom we were living at the time) realised what was happening. They thought the moon was leaving or dying and tried to call her back with bells, yelling, screaming and any other noise they could come up with.

2. My favorite memories have to do with river banks. They can be so peaceful, offering a chance to relax with friends. But we also went down to the river after the rain came in the mountains to watch the water push huge rocks downstream.

3. I'm afraid of being in deep water, because I get asthma symptoms for some reason and can't breathe as easily. If anyone ever tried to dunk me, I'd probably panic and drown from surprise.

4. I think clouds are a worthy subject for a complete art series. If I felt I could be good enough, I'd paint clouds for a living. They are always unique and beautiful, and can show so many, many moods.

5. Rainbows don't have pots of gold at the end. *sigh*

6. I love turbulence in airplanes. This does not mean that I would like to crash in one, but I'd probably be the last person to get concerned ... unless the pilot came running out of the cockpit with a parachute. Small airplanes are better, because it feels more like you're flying.

7. I read Hanna's little commentary on having an international family and her teacher's reaction. I think I'll save it, because it's very good. (Going through Grandma's papers brought up some interesting results! *grin*)

8. Trees can't help but be mesmerizing.

Better, Hanna?

8 Random Facts About Me

I've been tagged...by Aunt Val, who is far more interesting than I am.

The Rules

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

Fact # 1 - I am currently baking chicken for supper.
Habit # 2 - I am compulsive about checking email throughout the day, and am only grateful that I no longer hover waiting for new messages to appear as if waiting to win the lottery.
Fact # 3 - Quizzes and memes are fascinating and hard to resist. Yes, this is an opinion ... sortof.
Fact # 4 - I can't think of eight people to tag, so I'm not going to exert the mental muscles to try. This could be a symptom of greater psychological problems, or not.
Habit # 5 - Watching people and trying to figure out their stories.
Fact # 6 - Our knee-deep grass got mowed today by the property owner, who lives up north.
Habit # 7 - Getting completely worn out. Whether this is a habit or a natural response to having three children is yet to be determined.
Fact # 8 - You can give people eight facts about yourself, and they may have learned nothing about you.

There. If you feel like responding as if I had listed you here in the obligatory list of eight people who must follow up due to guilt or interest, then do so and leave me a nice comment letting me know you made the decision for me as I hoped you would. Oh, and I said I'd tag Hanna, so I will.

Ok, allergy meds may be helping the brain fog, but I'm done thinking now.

What happens when you take online tests...

Congratulations, Karen!
Your IQ score is 131 (- I don't think that's accurate.)

This number is based on a scientific formula that compares how many questions you answered correctly on the Classic IQ Test relative to others.

The part below interested me, though. Always good to learn more about what I'm good at, so I can use it to learn better.

Your Intellectual Type is Visual Mathematician. This means you are gifted at spotting patterns — both in pictures and in numbers. These talents combined with your overall high intelligence make you good at understanding the big picture, which is why people trust your instincts and turn to you for direction — especially in the workplace. And that's just some of what we know about you from your test results.

And this is probably why I enjoy logic problems. *grin*

Oh, Mom, I found where to buy a logic puzzle magazine. Would you like me to get you a copy?

Just because I've been thinking about cars recently...

They're talking about totalling the car again...

Ok, here's the thing. If you want to buy insurance don't believe Farmer's commercials. Apparently it only applies if you're calling in the lawyers. We finally had to threaten to call a lawyer since they've done almost nothing about our car. The car shop said they finally sent someone to take a look at it yesterday! Wow. Two weeks till first look. That's speed! *sarcasm alert*

So...when I saw this quiz on a friend's blog I figured it fit the situation. Woohoo, a Mazda RX-8...yeah...a car...a RED car...red is good. I like red. *grin*

I'm a Mazda RX-8!

You're sporty, yet practical, and you have a style of your own. You like to have fun, and you like to bring friends along for the ride, but when it comes time for everyday chores, you're willing to do your part.

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

Christmassy stuff...

I found this over at Val's world, and being as I'm killing time for no particular reason, I thought I'd play. If you want to play too, mention it in comments so we can come and read about your Christmas favorites as well!

Your Name:Karen (and yes, I copied most of the above from my Deah Auntie Val.*said with an English accent*)

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Both! Together! In seperate glasses...though... hmmm...that might be a cool combo! *note to self--mix chocolate milk and eggnog sometime*
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Wrap... Santa? Hahaha! I do not have a red, fur-edged coat nor a rotund belly! And gifts FOR me are now wrapped and stowed within the in-laws' house to ward off the natural tendency my DH seems to have bestowed on my children to give me everything too early.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? white!!! Possibility of some blue lights also, we'll see.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No.
5. When do you put your decorations up? Depending on when I get the Christmas energy surge.... sometime after Thanksgiving.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish? uh... I like eggnog and chocolate and cookies and hot cocoa and turkey and cookies and pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes and coffee and cookies and...uh...a dish? Um, I've got these cool, blue, glass plates.
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child: Sitting on Mom's dresser handling her cool Christmas candles and admiring the tinsel tree outlined on the wall. AND watching my grandpa open presents VERY slowly with a pocket knife, cutting each piece of tape and gently folding the paper before glancing at the gift then reading every label on the container, even if it was obviously not an original box before opening it and finally revealing the present.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I have ALWAYS known...dadadadum! Yeah, though I may not be normal, my idiosyncrasies have not yet been traced to my lack of belief in Santa.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? When else would you open gifts? AHA! Thank you Val! Now I have to find historic data on this Christmas custom and prove to my DH that I'm not crazy for thinking this is a good way to do things.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Lights, ribbons a ribbon "star" and fake roses all over.
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? I have not yet become a dread-snow-person. Thankfully, I've only had good experiences driving in it too. My only qualifier on the beauty of snow is that it's absolutely nasty once it's been driven over a few too many times with salt and sand, etc.
12. Can you ice skate? Sorta. I've managed to balance and move without falling down.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? mmm it would have to be books, though nothing really jumps out at me here, I'm just too forgetful.
14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Family and friends and an excuse to be nice to strangers without them looking at me cross-eyed!
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Uh. Family and friend time.
17. What tops your tree? ribbon bow-like thingy (it's circular with many loops) and trailing streamers of same ribbon.
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Giving.
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? What's the one that goes gloooo...ooo...ooo.oooo...ooo...ria! *makes note to remember title next time* Uh, maybe something like "Angels We Have Heard on High".
20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? I eat them sometimes. Usually they don't appeal to me. You know those cinnamon ones? Those are YUM! I have never yet met a cinnamon anything that didn't appeal to me.

Hmmm... I'll keep it in mind.

Your Scholastic Strength Is Deep Thinking

You aren't afraid to delve head first into a difficult subject, with mastery as your goal. You are talented at adapting, motivating others, managing resources, and analyzing risk. You should major in: Philosophy Music Theology Art History Foreign language

What Should You Major In?

hahaha!

You Are Creepy

Serial killers would run away from you in a flash.

How Scary Are You?

Who has been keeping an eye on me?

How You Live Your Life

You tend to deprive yourself of things you crave, for your own good. You're laid back and chill, but sometimes you care too much about what others think. You tend to have one best friend you hang with, as opposed to many aquaintences. You tend to dream big, but you worry that your dreams aren't attainable.

How Do You Live Your Life?

hehehe... coffee!

You Are an Iced Coffee

At your best, you are: hyper, modern, and athletic At your worst, you are: cheap and angsty You drink coffee when: you're out with friends Your caffeine addiction level: medium

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

Well, well...it's online!

I read this book years ago, but back then paper and pencil was the way to go. Thanks to K for posting this on her blog where I could find it too! I must say, the gifts part doesn't surprise me.

The Five Love Languages

My primary love language is probably
Words of Affirmation
with a secondary love language being
Quality Time.

Complete set of results

Words of Affirmation:		9
Quality Time:		8
Physical Touch:		7
Acts of Service:		6
Receiving Gifts:		0

Information

Unhappiness in relationships, according to Dr. Gary Chapman, is often due to the fact that we speak different love languages. Sometimes we don't understand our partner's requirements, or even our own. We all have a "love tank" that needs to be filled in order for us to express love to others, but there are different means by which our tank can be filled, and there are different ways that we can express love to others.

Take the quiz

Another quiz!

What ancient civilization fits me best?

Incas

You scored 80% for Education, 35% for Religion, 36% for Military Might, and 38% for Decentralization!

Mysteriously, this vanished people were enlightened and educated to a magnificent level. Scientific, artistic, with a vast understanding of the stars and astrology, the Incas of Peru were the first great science society in the Americas. We speculate a society of great thinkers and curious scientists. To value knowledge, art, and culture above all things would make for the best Incan society had to offer. You belong here because you think these things make for immortality, and you might just be right.

(Well, I don't think they make for immortality, but I am fascinated with the Incas, so I'll not object to the quiz results.)


The Ancient Civilization for you Test

What philosophy do I follow?

You scored as Divine Command. Your life is directed by Divine Command: Your god and religion give you meaning and direction. Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations. --King James Version of the Bible My Thoughts... (I found this test interesting as it gave me a glimpse into a secular view of faith. I suppose I take what I believe a little too much for granted. While I am aware that people would answer many of the questions differently, I find I hate to even entertain the thought in regards to a couple of them. The matter-of-fact self-centered view of the world is so... WRONG! *shudder* I know I naturally respond selfishly in many situations, but I also recongnize that this is a part of my mindset that must be fought against. To just give in and say that's actually a good thing!!!... words fail me in reporting my response to the concept... I found the test very cliched, also. This is how a religious person looks to the world, yet the actual belief was irrelevant to the test. I suppose the point of the test, identifying my philosophy vs. identifying my beliefs, has much to do with it. Eh, maybe I analyze too much. *shrug*) The Percentages... More info at Arocoun's Wikipedia User Page... Divine Command 100% Existentialism 75% Kantianism 65% Utilitarianism 55% Hedonism 25% Justice (Fairness) 25% Apathy 20% Strong Egoism 15% Nihilism 5% What philosophy do you follow? (v1.03) created with QuizFarm.com

Oh, joy! I've been tagged... again. :P

my link
And that ol' search thing Tina recommended on Google don't work! (or I used it wrong...)

My joy is in the LORD, and that makes all the difference.

******************************************************

THE SEARCH FOR JOY

Search your blog for the word “joy” used in the context of “happiness.” If you cannot find the word in your weblog, you may use any of the select list of synonyms below.

joy — amusement, bliss, cheer, comfort, delectation, delight, ecstasy, elation, exaltation, exultation, exulting, felicity, gaiety, gladness, glee, good humor, gratification, happiness, hilarity, humor, jubilance, liveliness, merriment, mirth, pleasure, rapture, regalement, rejoicing, revelry, satisfaction, wonder

If you’ve found the word and it was not used facetiously or sarcastically, good for you. All you need to do is link to your earlier entry, and write a few words about that joyous moment. If, however, you have no joy (whole words only) in your weblog, you must dig deep in your soul and find something wonderful in your life right now. One little thing that fills you with warmth, that bubbles you over with quiet happiness, or tickles you with its good-hearted hilarity, or makes you glad you just took a breath, and are getting ready to take another. It doesn’t have to be anything big. A smile someone gave you; your cat on your shoulder; the way the light angles through your window and casts rainbows on your floor. All it has to be is something genuine, something real, something that matters to you.

Because we all need joy in our lives, and need to take the time — from time to time — to recognize it. And sometimes, we need to pass it on.

Even if we’re a big pain in the ass when we do.

When you’ve dealt with your own joy, pass the quest on to five other bloggers.

Oh, well...
The Hermit
Hinata

I've been Tagged...

Okay, Aunt Val. Thanks! (I think)

The deal is as follows:
1. Delve into your blog archive.

2. Find your 23rd post (or closest to).

3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).

4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions. Ponder it for meaning, subtext or hidden agendas...

5. Tag five people to do the same.


Ooooh, this is one of my favorite posts! The fifth sentence (speaking relatively because I tend to maintain a conversational style full of fragments) is: "Have you ever run out of peanut butter in your home?"

Ah, meaning, subtext and hidden agendas... oh, my! Well, I don't depend as much on peanut butter as I did at the time. I do have a massive container of Jif Peanut Butter in my cupboard, though, just in case. If peanut butter ever has a hidden agenda, I sure hope I figure it out in time.

Now I just need to think of five people who actually read my blog who haven't already been tagged. This is monstrously unfair! Aunt Val and I have the same friends!

As a start... I'll tag...

The Hermit
Hinata

I'm sure I can find more people to send here and be entrapped...
Ok, Debbie, you're tagged... but I lost your blog link in my computer crash, I think.