This is a quasi-meme. If you have Netflix, go to your queue and look in the “Genre” column for documentaries. Pick 5 and post them. It’s okay if you post less than 5, but not more, so we can keep things tidy! Personally I have a lot more than 5, I love documentaries. That’s why I’m forcing this meme upon you - so I can see what documentaries I might have missed and would want to add to my queue. If you don’t have Netflix, find 5 and post them. You can post as a comment to this entry, or as an entry in your own journal.

Here’s my 5:

• Helvetica
• My Kid Could Paint That
• Tupperware!: American Experience
• Southern Comfort
• 30 Years of National Geographic Specials

Well, a few people asked me questions. So I have answers!

What is your waist measurement (if that’s not too personal)? It’s *very* pretty.

Right now I honestly don’t know! When I started wearing corsets, I think I was wearing 32″ and probably 35″ natural. Over time I got down to wearing a 24″ but with much more reduction, so probably 28-30″ natural. I’ve probably gone back up, I don’t think I can wear my 26″ anymore, or even my 28″, but I am working on bringing it back down because I miss wearing corsets. I have them in my closet and I see them all the time, so it’s a good motivator! (I can’t afford to buy one that would fit the shape I am now.)

Buttsechs?

On occasion, under specific circumstances.

You posted a lot about your recent diagnosis of permanent hearing loss and that you’ve been reclassified at school. How has that affected your classes and friendships at school?

It’s funny…most of my friends are really happy for me, and at least one of my hearing friends is jealous! Pretty much every time I told somebody, they said “oh congratulations!” or something to that effect. It doesn’t affect my classes or friendships at all since everything is in ASL all the time anyway. In fact, school is the only place having a hearing loss has absolutely no effect whatsoever! Outside of school I’m constantly asking people to repeat themselves, etc - but school is no problem at all. My friends all seem to be pretty much happy for me, though…it’s cute. One of my friends even gave me a big hug when I told him about it.

what’s your favorite food?

Peanut butter all the way. No matter what form it’s in, I love peanut butter. Cookies, cakes, candies, ice cream, pies, soup, main dish, sandwiches…I love peanut butter!

That question meme has rolled around again. I usually get very few questions when I post it, but I’ve been reading answers my friends have posted and they are usually interesting, so I want to give others an opportunity to ask me stuff. So go ahead, leave a comment!

Stolen from Jessi - thanks girl!

      

1. Have you ever cried during a tattoo? Definitely. My first tattoo was absolutely awful, I had never experienced pain like that before and I was in tears most of the time!
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I stole this from sajego because I am tired and silly. The instructions are: Go to Google Images, search for and post an image off the first page for each answer.
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I often complain (to myself) that I never get tagged for memes, so since duckus tagged me, I better answer the call!

1. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
2. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them each a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

And the facts are…
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Colleen was kind enough to interview me when I commented on her interview post! If you want me to interview you, just leave a comment and let me know.

1. Why did you want a tattoo, and how did you decide on the design?
I think I have always wanted to decorate myself. I would actually get a lot more tattoos if it didn’t cost so much! It took me a long time to decide on my design, and the reason I got the one I did is because I played stringed instruments growing up. I played violin as a kid and double bass as a teenager, and the f-holes from Le Violon d’Ingres called to me. I also especially like that it’s integrated into my body as a whole, not tacked on as an afterthought. After I chose the design, I waited close to a year before actually getting it done.

2. You mention that you want approval on your about me page of your blog. Do you feel that you’re seeking approval when you blog? And if so, by whom?
I think I am always seeking approval, but I blog as much for myself as for anyone else. I enjoy having a record of my thoughts, and I keep up with my blog far more than I ever did with the diaries I had as a kid. That’s probably why I obsessively back up my database - I’m afraid of losing what I’ve written! However, I do love the praise I get sometimes about my quicklinks posts…I never tire of hearing that people like those. I do need to post more good links though, I haven’t been doing that much lately.

3. If you could move anywhere in the world, where would you live?
If money was truly no object, I think I would like to live in Japan. With a ton of cash I wouldn’t need to worry about things that might be culture shock - I could hire somebody to do that stuff for me! And living in the land of Hello Kitty and all things kawaii would just be fantastic. In terms of realistic places to live, I’d probably like Toronto. I’ve only been there once, but it was very attractive to me - there were outdoor activities in the heart of the city, and all kinds of fun stuff around. And of course there’s the bonus of being able to get married, minus the linguistic difficulty of finding a different profession.

4. Who do you miss most in your life?
My friends. I mean that in a very general sense, because I have gone through “cycles” with friends, people who have come into my life and left again. I don’t think I have any lifelong friends that I’m still in contact with; the closest it might come is a girl I knew in high school who I still e-mail on occasion, though we weren’t ever really best friends. But I have had people in my life who meant a great deal to me, and I have lost touch with them, and that makes me sad sometimes. In fact, my really good friends, my best friends, are all people I’ve met online and some of whom I’ve never even met.

5. Do you have any regrets?
I do regret an affair I had a couple of years into my relationship with my wife. We separated temporarily, and fortunately she took me back, because I’ve never loved anyone so much in my entire life. But that affair caused a lot of heartache over the following few years and I don’t think we’ll ever get over it completely…not for a long time anyway. She knows I’ll never do it again - and I won’t - but the pain will take a long time to wash away. (I almost said I regretted not finishing college the first time around, but I truly love my job and my life wouldn’t have taken this path if I hadn’t dropped out when I did…so I’m not sure I really regret that anymore.)

Not that I need to generate extra content, but I’m going to do that question month thing. You are welcome to ask me questions. I may or may not acknowledge them, I may or may not answer, it may or may not be public…it may or may not be the truth! I reserve the right not to answer any questions that might incriminate me. Mostly I just want to see what people ask me even though I am scared to.

Anonymous comments are enabled and all comments are screened. If you post anonymously and want a response, give me a way to contact you - use a temporary SpamBob.net account if you need to.

(Comments are turned off here at Amanita.net; go to this LiveJournal entry.)

I feel like making up a meme-thing. Pick a letter, and tell me five places in the world you would like to visit, and why. It’s okay to post in the comments, or in your own blog - leave a comment and let me know where you’ve posted! My letter is S.

• San Juan, Puerto Rico - I actually have already been here (in October 2004), but I want to go back. We were only there for a few days, and there are so many things I want to see. We had fun getting around by bus and I loved the old city - I wish we’d had more time, so I want to go back.
• Sapporo, Japan - Okay, so I wanted to put Japan, but that doesn’t start with S. Sapporo is the youngest city in Japan, having been established in the mid-19th century. It’s somewhat isolated from the rest of Japan because it’s all the way north on Hokkaido, but it is presumably very similar to the rest of the country - which is very homogenous anyway.
• Stratford-upon-Avon, England - The area is beautiful, but a real draw for me is that this is the home of the Royal Shakespeare Company. When I think Shakespeare, I think RSC - I can’t help it. There is so much to learn in Stratford about the man who will probably always be the greatest playwright in the world.
• St. Petersburg, Russia - Ever since we had a Russian exchange student when I was in high school (she was actually from Kyzyl), I have been interested in Russia. I can still pronounce things written in Cyrillic, but my one year of high school Russian (also an exchange program) is long forgotten. I’ve heard that St. Petersburg is even more beautiful than Moscow, and of course I want to see the Hermitage museum, which I envision to be one of the greatest museums in the world - if I can only see two more museums in my life, I want to see the Louvre and the Hermitage.
• Sobibór, in Poland - This is totally weird of me, but I do want to see concentration camps. You can’t get a more powerful feel for history than that of being right there on-site. As wonderful as the USHMM is, it doesn’t have the bleakness of the real thing. So I’ll just be weird, because that’s a place I want to go.

Given that every time somebody tags people on a meme, but not me, I think to myself “aw, nobody ever tags me,” I figure I better heed sewcute’s command to do this one!

The official meme: Once you have been tagged, you have to write a post with 8 facts/things/habits about yourself and say who tagged you. In the end, you will need to choose the 6 people you tag and list their names. No tag backs.

1. I love watching the soap wash off my body in the shower. I don’t know what it is about this literal cleansing - washing away - process appeals to me, but I like it.
2. I can’t imagine vacationing in a place more than once - there are so many places in the world I want to visit, that I don’t expect to ever have the money to return to them. That said, I have been to Montreal and Niagara Falls (Canadian side) twice, and I will be going to Alaska next year for the second time.
3. If I am not actively interpreting at work, I am sleepy. This means I am sleepy for most of the workday, often regardless of caffeine intake.
4. My favorite type of gum is Orbit Bubblemint. It lasts a long time, it blows pretty good bubbles, and the taste is unique - not quite like regular pink gum, but only slightly minty. Surprisingly, other Orbit flavors - Sweetmint, Cinnamint, etc. - do not blow such good bubbles. Isn’t it all bubble gum regardless of flavor?
5. Sometimes I think I am too nice online, and I should call out more people who deserve to be called out for whining, being bitchy and haughty, etc. But I am so afraid of people disliking me that I just keep my mouth shut. (Note: if you’re reading this, I’m almost definitely not talking about you.)
6. I am such a bad cook that I don’t even bother. Virtually everything I eat is pre-made, even my Diet to Go food, although that is at least fresh. I can make cookies, but that’s about it. I guess if I tried a little harder I might become a better cook, but it doesn’t interest me.
7. I used to do crochet and cross-stitch, but I haven’t picked either up in a very long time - probably at least a year.
8. My favorite candy bar is Reese’s Nutrageous, or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup if that counts. I also like that new “Take Five” candy bar, and the peanut butter Twix. Unfortunately these are all high in fat, so if I am being bad and getting candy at all I get Twizzlers or York patties, or if I’m being really bad I get Three Musketeers. I miss eating candy regularly - can I have my college metabolism again please?
9. Added - bonus #9: I really hate when I cannot remember stuff within minutes of thinking of it. Sometimes I forget what I was saying while I’m in the middle of saying it. I just completely lose it - and it hasn’t been replaced by anything else, I’ve just forgotten. I also meant to post something after I was done with this post, and I can’t remember what it was. Dammit!

And I am tagging the following people, who are under no obligation to actually answer this meme.

1. Halsted
2. eudyptes
3. curvedmetal
4. Nina
5. zaph
6. plantyhamchuk