Monday, January 14, 2008

Tagged!

Each day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie the ribbons. ~ Ruth Ann Schabacker

Diana tagged me yesterday for a seven things post ... sneaky wench.

I think I've done this before, but it's been a LONG time, so I decided to do it again. First off, let's get this part out of the way:

The rules:

Link to the person who tagged you;
Leave a comment on their blog so that their readers can visit yours;
Post the rules on your blog;
Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog;
Tag 7 random people at the end of your post;
Include links to their blogs;
Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Now, on to the really important stuff...


1. I have NO fear of spiders. In fact, one fell off the bit of firewood I carried inside today and I picked him up and put him on the unfinished side of my basement. I didn't want to put him outside, cuz he would die. He might still... I don't know how much food he'll find in the basement, but at least he has a chance. Truthfully, I prefer that the creatures with more than four legs live outside (and will scoop and relocate), but in the winter--what's a girl to do?

2. If I could have any pet, I would choose a rat. I love rats. Rats are one of the best pets EVAH. They bond to you. They come when you call. You can potty train them. They're wicked smart. They're cute. No, really... stop laughing. I loved my rats: Pouncequick and Roofshadow. Good boys. The only bad part is that they don't live very long.

3. I find weeding cathartic. Really. I'm a compulsive weeder. My neighbors love me. If I'm visiting someone, I can't just talk. I have to weed. I can't NOT weed. if you want to torture me, forget the rubber hose. Just put me in a garden full of weeds and tie my hands.

4. I get up, without an alarm, sometime between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. every day. Sometimes, I make myself "sleep in" (aka stay in bed) until 4:30 or 5 a.m. on the weekends. Of course, this means that I'm ready for bed by 8 p.m. Sometimes, I can manage to stay awake until 9, but by then I'm so low on brain juice I'm all but incoherent.

5. I chew on the ragged skin around my fingernails, and have for as long as I can remember. I took a two-year vacation from it when I had braces, because I couldn't get to the skin with my teeth, but started right back up with the braces came off. I've tried to break the habit, but I can't. It's the only thing I've ever done that I can't stop doing. Except, yanno, breathing. And eating.

6. I collected and showed plastic model horses for several years. Breyers mostly, but I also showed other brands as well. I did quite well at it, but stopped when the cost became prohibitive. I still have most of my horses, photos, tack and other supplies.

7. I had the lead role in my senior high school drama production. The play was "Get Bill Shakespeare Off The Stage" and included some great lines like, "TB or not TB, that is the congestion. Consumption be done about it? Of cough, of cough, but not for lung." or "Out, out, damn Spot! Out, out I say. The living room's not where a dog should play!"

I also messed up a line in a way I'll never forget. I played a teacher, and was counseling a student who was having boy problems with a kid named Roy. I was supposed to say, "I had A Roy once myself." instead, it came out, "I had Roy once myself."

Best memory of doing the play? Getting to say "Bastard" on stage when I told Roy off, and getting a standing ovation on opening night for that scene. Ah... the good old days.

I'm not tagging anyone, but if you'd like to play, please do -- and then leave me a comment so I can come see.

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I got BOOKS in the mail yesterday!! And presents! Life is good.

One of the coolest parts about having a reviews site is getting books before they are released. I have THREE!! I'm doing a happy dance because they are books I've been dying to read (and I shamelessly begged very professionally requested them from their respective authors, who then took pity on me sent them to me for a review.

I also spent most of my B&N gift cards on ALL of Lyndsay Sands Argeneau series because I read "The Accidental Vampire" and fell in love with her writing and the entire premise. **sigh**

For PRESENTS, my very, very good friend Kathy out in Minnesota sent me stuff from Ninth Moon! I've died and gone to heaven.

So, despite the twelve feet inches of snow we got yesterday, all-in-all I can't complain.

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Your Daily Dakota:

Since she loves to play with my bunny slippers AND DD's fuzzy red pillow, we decided to get her a big hunking fuzzy toy of her very own. She loves it! See? Death to the giant blue bug!! (Sorry it's blurry... action shots, you know):






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Another random quiz (I have to put that disclaimer because I SO did not choose this one!!):

Your Drag Queen Name Is:

Sugar Snatch


Um... oh... well...

I'm not touching that one.

13 comments:

Allie Boniface said...

Isn't it funny about these memes...I got tagged too, by someone completely different :)

Ceri Hebert said...

I'm Miss Understood. That's with Cerian. I won't say what I got with just Ceri.

I still have lots of Breyers but I never understood the whole showing them part. I just played with mine (when I was a kid-not now, now they're collectors items)

As for #3 I should send you to my mom's house. She loves her gardens but she's getting to the point where she can't take care of them like she wants to.

Sarita Leone said...

Thanks for the first giggle of the day. I sooo needed it. That's quite a name generator, isn't it? Too funny.

groovyoldlady said...

I'll stick with my own name, thankyouverymuch!

I had a friend whose dog had a little stuffed bear that he sleeped with. Whenever he got stressed he'd go get his "Bubbuh" and carry it in his mouth like a bird dog (Maybe he was a bird dog. I can't recall.) At any rate, he never chewed it, just loved on it. It was so sweet!

On the other hand, I'm picturing your home scattered with bits of fluff and slobbery blue fur. Hope you have a stellar vacuum!

groovyoldlady said...

Did I really just write "that he sleeped with"? I definitely need more coffee!

Diana Castilleja said...

Thanks for playing Marianne!

I loved your list. I cringed at spiders, but that goes back to when I was a weeee little girl. :) Nothing like waking up with one crawling up your leg. Boo! LOL

And good grief! Seriously... 3 am... Ugh....

I'm going to enjoy having you on the blogroll. :)

Melissa McClone said...

Spiders and rats, huh? BEtter you than me!

Have fun with all your new books!!!!

Anonymous said...

Wow! You really hit the jackpot yesterday in the mail!

Love the Dakota pictures! Her new toy is almost as big as she is! :)

I'm Helena Handbasket. *g*

Nina Pierce said...

I scooted over from Emma's blog. Quite a list, Marianne. Bugs don't bother me (but if they come into my domain, they're shoe jam!) and I'd rather have hamsters than rats. I too love acting. Nothing like the applause after a good performance.

Judy said...

Since you like being tagged soooooo much....here ya go:
http://jhthomas.blogspot.com/2008/01/roar-for-powerful-words.html

Brandy said...

You put the spider in your basement? Um, ewwwww! I would have put him back outside.
I love the Lysnsay Sands vampire books! Vampires are Forever is due out at the end of the month. *g* (And then another next month. *G*)

Dakota looks so cute with her very own smooshy.

Can I say I cracked up laughing at the quiz for today!? I came up with Lotta Estrogen. *g* Why yes, yes I do. *g*

Have a good evening, what's left of it before you head to bed!

Jen said...

Sounds like a happy day around the Arkins house!

Looks like Dakota is feeling better, too.

Dru said...

That's me, your #4. The only difference is I have to go to bed after 10 or I'll wake up at 2am.

I hate spiders, despite that fact that I had a pet spider who I named America.

I love getting books. It's like the world has opened up. Have fun with your reading.

How are hubby and Dakota feeling?

Oh I see by the way Dakota is playing with his new toy, he must be doing better.

My Drag Queen Name is Helena Handbasket. Very interesting.