43 posts tagged “qotd”
If you knew you were about to lose your voice permanently, what is the last thing you would want to say?
Submitted by exer.
When I first read this question, the first thought that popped in my head is that I would want to tell everyone I loved them. But I realized that I don't really need to speak the words to express that sentiment. I show it in so many other ways, that the spoken words become redundant. And honestly, not talking would almost be a gift, given how much it stresses me out.
Were this situation to present itself, I would want my last audible utterances to be a song, a prayer, and a long, loud, contagious laugh.
Besides yours, who do you think deserves "The Best Mother in the World" award?
Submitted by Connie.
All these moms and more.... basically every mother who takes part in the sacred duty that is motherhood. We are all guilty of mistakes; we are all imperfect; we have all lost our patience; we sometimes wish we could rewind and do things over. But we are also all the proud co-creators of these miraculous little beings. We love them fiercely and without question. Our children are our hearts walking around outside our bodies. Our children are us in being, spirit, and personality... the good and the bad. And every single one of us is the best mom in the world. Just ask our kids....
What are you most sensitive about?
Sadly, I'm very sensitive about my weight. I know it makes very little sense because I'm not overweight by any means. I only weigh a few more pounds than I did in high school and am very lucky in that I don't really have to do much to stay that way. Sure, some of it's flabbier than it used to be, but I can still fit in my size 6's and look halfway decent, so I should be grateful. Honestly though, I forget that I'm skinny by most standards. The way I look in my mind doesn't match what others see. In my head, I'm the smart and funny chubby girl.
It's my mother's fault completely. And my sister's. Well, not really (but really). They are those kind of people who lament how skinny they are. "Oh no! My size 2's are getting baggy!" wasn't an uncommon thing to hear growing up. Mom didn't diet - quite the contrary. She would stock up on avocadoes, half and half, and pound cake, trying to bulk up. She is just very naturally petite and adorable. Linz isn't quite petite at 6' tall (sorry, 5'11.75") but she has the same light speed metabolism. The girl eats like a frat boy... pizza, pop tarts, cheetos... but struggles to gain weight.
Neither of them is gloating about it. They are actually very sensitive about it too. Linz has visited her doctor several time to figure out why she loses weight without trying, and gets frustrated when the nurses are quick to say "Oh dear, I wish I had your problem! Poor you!". She feels summarily dismissed and like no one takes her seriously. Everyone assumes she has an eating disorder or is a model. She's even starting to take it personally when people comment on her baby daughter saying "What a tiny little thing!". Of course, with our tendency towards black humor, she's less inclined to actually get defensive and much more likely to say "One can never start the binge/purge cycle too early if you want to be on the pages of Vogue."
Mom's metabolism has actually slowed down considerably. She whines and complains about being a massive size SIX now, but I remind her that all she ever wanted was a butt and she finally got one. While she was in the hospital for her aneurysm, she dropped down to 80 pounds (and she's 5'7"). She looked more like she was coming home from Auschwitz than Shreveport, and I think it was enough of a scare that her body decided that maybe it would go ahead and hang on to some of those calories.... just in case.
I love that Mom is finally normal shaped now, and I have to remind myself that I am too. So I won't fit into a size two, so my stomach will never be used as an implement of washing clothes, so I weigh more than my mom did when she was 9 months pregnant with me. I will remind myself constantly that *I AM NORMAL* and they are not. I won't obsessively do situps or try to starve myself. And I will avoid the scale at all costs, preferring to track my weight by the assurance that I don't need to buy a bigger size of clothes. I will not be sensitive about my weight. But let's not talk about it, just in case.....
What have you lost that you wish you still had?
Submitted by gunderson bee.
I wish I still had my Grampsy. I know that's probably not the right answer. I'm supposed to say I wish I still had my ipod that was stolen, or that red shirt I accidentally threw away, or my other brown flip flop. But I read the question, and the first thing that popped into my head was "Grampsy."
He was my mom's father. He was an amazing person who lived an amazing life. He and my grandmother were missionaries in Nicaragua and throughout Central America while my mom and aunts were growing up. He was smart, funny, generous to a fault, and the only real father I ever knew. My dad was busy being a rock musician, and I should have grown up without a father figure. But Grampsy was a better dad to me than I could have ever asked for.
My Grampsy taught me how to throw a baseball and a football. He built me a box kite out of bamboo when I was 10. It was so well made that it nearly pulled me off of the ground. Grampsy answered every single question I ever asked, with an astounding amount of patience. I was always quizzing him on how things were made and he would describe these magical factories with impossible seeming assembly lines. If he didn't know the answer, he would make it up. I didn't realize this until probably a few years ago.
He taught me about airplanes, classical music, and Christianity. The good kind of Christianity where you love everyone because that's what God would do. Not the judgemental Christianity that most people think of. He had a tremendous faith and it is his greatest legacy. He played the viola beautifully and I still can't hear a violin or viola without crying just a little. He was strong and stable and serious; but he had a weak spot for his grandchildren and we brought out the little kid in him. He built us sandboxes, indian wrestled with us, drew pictures on command, and told the best bedtime stories. Everyone loved him, even those who weren't related to him. The neighborhood kids would all come by to get their bicycle tires aired up. He continued his ministry to "those whose hearts speak Spanish" as long as his body would let him. He would have happily given his last penny to help someone less fortunate than him. He was left-handed, and always always ALWAYS had a pen in his shirt pocket.
When my dad died in 1994, he was the only adult to distract Lindsay and I completely. He took us outside to build snowmen, then took us ice skating. A year later he was diagnosed with colon cancer. He missed my high school graduation because he was having surgery, but he and my grandma sent flowers. I insisted on carrying a flower from that bouquet instead of the standard red rose issued to all the other senior girls.
The cancer kept spreading. To his stomach, liver, everywhere. I got to go to chemo with him and he laughed, calling it "smurf juice". He was dying, but he wasn't sad about it. He knew he'd lived life well, and preferred to die early before the dementia of old age set in. I visited him for spring break 2 months before he died. I was 18 and Linz was 14. He took us to Celebration Station... one of those places with pizza and video games. He must have spent $200 on the outing. We played every single game in there at least twice. He was happy and laughing and it was one of the best times we had together. He knew then that it would be our last big outing, even if Linz and I hadn't figured it out by that time.
He finally passed away on May 7, 1996. I wasn't done with him. I still needed him. I can honestly say that there is not a day that goes by that I don't miss him. The pain is as fresh as if he'd died yesterday. I hate that he never got to know my children, or any of his other great-grandchildren. I hate that there are like 12 more drugs available to treat colon cancer that came on the market soon after he died. Back then there were only 2. I hate that he won't be able to walk me down the aisle at my wedding. I miss him and wish he were around to share all the highs and lows with.
But I do know that he lives on through me. I've got his love of photography, his faith, his musical ability. I've taught the girls all the silly songs he sang to me and they are known collectively as "Grampsy's Songs". I have peace knowing that he is happy and has probably called in a few guardian angel favors on my behalf. I think of him everytim I hear Vivaldi, sermons or hymns in Spanish, Prairie Home Companion, or the buzz of an airplane. I still miss him everyday and I wish I still had him.
What indulgence always makes your grocery list?
Avocadoes. I find it exceedingly difficult to live without avocadoes. Luckily they are pretty affordable here in Texas, so it's an affordable indulgence. One day I'll go visit my BFF April in the wonderful land of avocado trees (AKA California) and I will kidnap her avocado tree from her front yard, smuggling it across the country under my shirt. Shhhhh, don't tell.
What do you bring most to a friendship?
Loyalty. It's the trait most native to my personality, and often my biggest downfall. It endears me to people, but also gets me hurt quite a bit. I wish I could turn it off, or tone it down, or protect myself from it. But if I did, then I wouldn't be me.
What do you do when you find yourself with nothing to do?
Submitted by Cassie.
Panic. Because I always want some free time and have so much planned with it. So I try to overplan it and do too much, which overwhelms me, which frustrates me, which ends up with me taking a big ol' nap, which is probably what I needed in the first place.
What's your morning beverage of choice? Coffee, tea, juice? Homemade or store-bought?
Diet Coke. But not just any Diet Coke. Because, you see, there is a taste difference among Diet Cokes. Several factors can influence the taste of a Diet Coke. Including, but not limited to:
- Original source of Diet Coke (fountain, can, bottle)
- Composition of Diet Coke receptacle (plastic cup, glass, styrofoam, direct from source)
- Size, shape, quantity of ice (if applicable)
- Straw girth (seriously, it makes a difference)
The preferred method of Diet Coke ingestion is fountain Diet Coke, in a styrofoam cup, with lots of teeny tiny ice chips, and a wide straw. Sonic serves this precise configuration in a 44 oz slice of caffeinated heaven called the "Route 44 Diet Coke". It's what angels drink.
Next runner up is an insulated plastic cup, with square ice cubes, and diet coke from a plastic bottle. Straw girth is not applicable.
Almost never acceptable is Diet Coke consumed directly from a plastic bottle. It is never cold enough. Adequate temperature is imperative. In a pinch though, Diet Coke from a very cold can is perfection. Only occasionally though. And a teeny tiny straw can ruin even the most delicious configuration. I dont' know why, but it affects the chemical structure some how. And don't get me started on the differences in fountains..... A Diet Coke from McDonald's is completely different from one at Jack in the Box.
For the record.... yes, I know I have issues. And no, I don't particularly care. Beyond my morning Diet Coke, I primarily drink water or green tea. Diet Coke is my one "unhealthy" indulgence, and I'd wager that it's a lot healthier than some of the other caffeine options (I'm looking at you, Starbucks Addicts Anonymous.
What is the worst city you've ever been to and why?
Submitted by Soup.
Hands down, Shreveport, Louisiana. Don't get me wrong. I think it is a beautiful city with great culture, shopping, and history. But it's where my mom was held at gunpoint and nearly kidnapped. And it's where 3 months later she nearly died from a brain aneurysm. In retrospect, it was a blessing that she was in Shreveport b/c her neurosurgeon was just completely kickass and she would not have done as well in another doctor's care. But still. Bad memories of that place....
What was the best blog post you wrote this year? What was the best post or blog you read?
I've been trying to figure this out for awhile. The easy answer is that I like all of them. It's because of my blog that I'm where I am today. I remember sending Ron the link to my blog in maybe the second email I sent him. About .07 seconds after hitting send I smacked myself on the forehead and said "What the hell were you thinking?" and expected to never hear from him again. However, he claims that it was my writings here that really intrigued him. Basically, I snagged Ron with all my $5 words and rampant sarcasm. Who knew that would even be possible?
So the diplomatic answer is that I love ALL of my blogs. It reminds me of when my sister and I would fight when we were younger. We'd inevitably accuse mom of loving daughter more than the other. She'd respond with "I love you both the same. That's like asking me to pick which leg is my favorite. I need both to walk." Linz and I, being very wry and sarcastic at the ripe ages of 12 and 8 would respond "Well I would pick my right leg. My left one has a funny scar on it."
Ahem. (Can we tell Ashley needs to get back on her meds after a holiday break from them?)
In no particular order, I like the following:
First Date Because, well duh.
09-10-01 Because I think it's a pretty decent piece of writing, if I do say so myself.
March 14, 2006 and Peace and Before and After because they are all about my mom and her aneurysm. I think most of the writing I've done in the past year is about that event and the more I write, the more it helps me make sense of what happened and how that one 15 mm piece of artery could change so many lives.
Story Time Because it's such an accurate picture of my girls and how they are with me and each other. Even though I just dropped them of at Grandma's 2 hours ago, reading this makes me miss them already.
The Official Cruise Recap/Novel Because I'm really lucky to have such badass friends, even if I only get to see them sporadically. Like once every 5 years sporadically.
On Being Alone Because it's funny how much I don't miss it. Now I have all the good parts of being alone, but with the added bonus that I've got a smart, funny, sexy person (who is not me) to share it all with and who also teaches how to broaden my cultural horizons. (By reading Wonder Woman comics and watching Smallville on DVD, but hey.... culture is culture, right?)
As far as the best blog post that I read, hands down it would be the piece Heather Armstrong wrote about her depression (here) and her husband Jon's response on how he handles it (here). I didn't think anything could top Heather's insight, but then I read Jon's. I had never given much thought as to how my depression can effect those around me, but now that I'm living with someone who has the same mental "blessings" that I do, it gave me a new appreciation for what it's like to live with me and a perspective on how I can make that easier.
I'm working on my resolutions right now, because I know you're dying to know what they are. But first I have to do a tally of how I did with 2007's resolutions. I'm keeping score and it's not pretty.
Love you bitches!
