An Interview – Lydia Style

I don’t do these meme things, very often. I saw this post at Duchess Jane and knew she’d ask great questions. As usual, I was right.

1.) If you were set for life with money and never had to work for a living again in order to keep the lifestyle you currently have, what would you do? Would you work, and where? If not, what would you do with your free time?

I would definitely not work at a traditional job. I’m one of those people that can always find something to do. I’d read a lot of books and watch a lot of movies, for sure. I’d also craft a lot. I’m not sure if I’d ever want to turn that into a business, because I’m afraid it would take the enjoyment out of it. I really do like making things for others, though. I’d make gifts for my family and friends. I’d make warm baby quilts for charities and warm adult quilts for charities, too. Nothing makes someone feel better about their life more than a pretty, warm blanket, I think. If you’re down and out but have a pretty blanket to keep you warm, I think you’re good to go in the right direction. These are just a few things. I’d love to travel, too, of course, but that would mean I’m an set for money with a capital S.

2.) God decides to punish you by taking away all of your sports. You will get a season pass to watch a sport on TV, but your only two choices are the Minnesota Vikings football season or the Colorado Rockies baseball season. Which do you choose?

Oh, the horror! It might be a true tragedy – a fate worse than death, right? I’d definitely choose the Minnesota Vikings football season. Baseball lost me with the strike and the McGwire/Sosa homerun race. I don’t particularly like the Vikings, but football is my thing.

3.) Do you sing in your car when you are alone? Do you sing in your car when other people are with you? What is your favorite car sing-along song?

I always sing in the car, much to the chagrin of my fellow passengers. I’m sure it’s humorous to other drivers when I’m in there alone, because that’s usually when I really belt it out – complete with Celine Dion fist pumps. The Fiancee and I like to sing Jackson. He does Johnny’s part and I do June’s. Alone, I love belting out sappy-ass ballads or Britney Spears songs. It’s a guilty pleasure.

4.) In planning a wedding, what kind of advice would you give on how to balance your wants and needs with the expectations of others (your family, your fiance, your in-laws, etc.)?

I’ve found this to be really hard. My wants and needs don’t always match The Fiancee’s or our families’. So far, I’ve tried to pick my battles. I’m not sure that the guest list battle is really over, but we’ve all tried to reach a happy medium, and I think that’s the best anyone can hope for. The Fiancee has been very lovable about it all and listed his three Must Haves. That helps. I need to list my Must Haves and I need to get my parents to do that, too. The Fiancee has been through this once, before, so his family isn’t as into the planning of it all. That takes out one set of wants and needs, which makes it a little easier.

All of that nonsense was to say that my advice would be to start out with a unified front of what you and your fiancée really wants (because that’s what really matters). If someone else is helping with the expense of the wedding, find out their ideas. Then, hash out what fits and what doesn’t. Finally, pick your battles and have in mind each person’s Must Haves. Usually, this approach will work. Listen to other people’s suggestions as far as recommendations of vendors, and such, but their opinion is just that when it comes to what you “should” do. Just because Great Aunt Patsy thinks you should wear a white gown with a cathedral-length veil doesn’t mean you should.

5.) Do you think the guy from Twilight is hot or are you as puzzled as I am?

I am just as puzzled as you are. I think that’s why I didn’t really enjoy the film. I would have cast a completely different Edward. I’m not sure who, because I’m not up on my 17-year old looking actors. If I’d had to cast what’s-his-name, I would have made damn sure that the hair and makeup didn’t make him look like an idiot. I highly doubt that the Edward of the book and of my reader’s mind would have styled his hair like a windblown Wookie. In fact, I completely disagree with this post at Best Week Ever and think he looks better with short hair! He also would have had many more emotions than brooding. I would have also cast someone with much more sparkly skin (because that part totally let me down).

Bored and looking for ways to pass your day? Care to play along?
1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Listed Recap

So, wow. It’s been since September 18th that I wrote a real post. That was my cousin’s 29th birthday and one of my best friend’s 28th birthday. What all has happened since then?

• I took the last day at my old job as a vacation day. Way to go out on top!
• I started a new job. I’m in a cubicle. I have to listen to the crappy local radio station. Other than that? It’s a pretty sweet gig.
• The co-ed softball season wrapped up. The Master Batters won a few games, even! We definitely won the best team name contest that we held, judged and congratulated ourselves on. The Boyfriend (because that was back then) and I made some kick-ass team shirts.
• My sister and her two sons moved home from Oklahoma. The oldest son was cute in his tuxedo at a wedding and the youngest was as butterbally, stinkpotty cute as ever. Later on, her husband would join her as a newly ex-Army veteran.
• After only two weeks on the job. I took six days of vacation and went to Mexico. It was really great – both to be gone from work and everyday life and experiencing new things and places. #1 best food? Ceviche. Seriously. You can see pictures of our trip in my Flickr set.
• Halloween happened. I made my Little Red Riding Hood (scary, non-scary) costume. I also made The Boyfriend’s and the Best Friend’s Husband’s siamese twin costume (of which no good pictures exist but this one and it doesn’t show the awesome craftiness of sewn-together shirts).
• November came and so did an aborted camping trip because of a fire ban.
• I have crafted up a storm. I cannot reveal anything, here, because handmade Christmas gifts abound!
• The Boyfriend, The Best Friend and The Best Friend’s Husband and I stood out in the cold, rainy day to tailgate a football game that, ultimately, turned into a crapfest (UK vs. Vanderbilt). I did pull out the gutsiness to tell the Negative Nelly football analyst guy behind us to STFU, but nicely.
• The UK basketball season began! It started off shitty, though. It’s gotten better.
• I saw Twilight and made The Boyfriend see it, too. I think he thought the squealing teenage girls were more entertaining than the movie.
• The Boyfriend and I became The Fiancee and I – more on that in the coming days. You’ll get tired of it. Seriously.
• Thanksgiving and the long weekend came and went and involved thankfulness, happiness, stuffed-ness, craftiness and laziness abounded.

That’s about all that happened that won’t get covered in the following few posts. Now, you know what I’ve been doing all this time that I haven’t been posting.

Any questions?

It’s My Birthday

Send me birthday wishes, betches!

If not, I’ll give you this look:

Or, I’ll make you play Ring Around the Rosy with me (of course, I’m the giant one):

Or, I’ll squint my eyes really hard and make your head explode:

If you don’t feel like wishing me a happy birthday, you could always just shower me with presents. I won’t even mind the Christmas wrapping paper. It can be Christmas in July!

However, if you do give me birthday wishes, I’ll be so happy and love you forever and facelick you.

Ok, maybe that will scare you away from it. How about just a tongue stuck out and a peace sign, instead?

Thanks are in order to Elizabeth, from whose Flickr account I purloined most of these pictures!

WWMD

Over at Ok, Where Was I? there is lots of discussion of hillbillity and the differing degrees to which we find ourselves following in our hillbilly family footsteps. Now, I’m not proud that my state seems the poster child for all things hillbilly, but I will say that Kentucky has GOT to have more hillbillies than Iowa. Does Iowa even have hills?

Today’s post involves the crap we have in our house that would have Martha Stewart keeling over in her smart Manolos. Since I found some great pictures, today, I thought I’d join in on WWMD:

Here are some pictures of my “before” house. It made me want to vomit. I hate to think of the horror that Martha would find herself gagging on.

This is my kitchen, pre-year-long-move-in-makeover. Unfortunately, I have no closeups of the teapot wallpaper or detail of the grease-encrusted cabinet faces. Nor do I have good photographic proof of the blue linoleum stamped to look like cobblestone that graced the floor. As a matter of fact, if one were to smash the tile that currently graces the floor, you could see said linoleum. Please, don’t do that, though, I’d have to break you. Notice, please, the large trash can in residence. Nice!

Can you believe people lived here? I mean, there’s gray carpet. There’s a room meant to have a chair rail but with a flowery border, instead, separating the painted bottom third of the room from the tiny floral wallpapered upper third.

This picture is especially dear to me. Don’t you love the carpeted staircase? How precious are the tri-colored walls? That blue covered (and still does, if we’re keeping it real) the second story. One day, I found a can of it, marked at $0.25 per gallon. No wonder it’s on every single surface imaginable. Also, isn’t the attempted crackle paint lovely? (Not that it’s been repainted, yet, four years later.)

You see, Martha would absolutely die in my house’s former glory. I’m sure she would, now, since it’s currently the biggest wreck it’s ever been.

So, there you have it. Hillbilly decorating. ‘Round here, we call ‘em rednecks, though.

A Letter To Me

I’ve had some issues with Brad Paisley songs in the past, and I know I’m not alone. However, I keep hearing his “Letter to Me” on the radio, and I like it. Here are the lyrics and here is a video (because Brad Paisley is worth watching – he’s got a cute grin). If you haven’t heard it and are too ornery to read the lyrics, it’s about an adult who thinks about what he would write if he could send a letter back in time to himself at age 17. It’s got some sweet and funny lines, but the PS gets me every single time. I know it’s coming, and every single time I hear it I choke up.

Listening to it, yesterday, on the ride home made me wonder what I would like to tell myself at age 17. In 10 years, what kind of perspective have I gained? Here are some things:

• Stop stressing out so much about getting into college. You aren’t conceited about your grades, but you know they are good – you’re going to be valedictorian. If you can’t get into college, who can? Relax and enjoy it.
• Take your sister and her friends to lunch, more often. Remember how you always wanted seniors to take you? She does, too, and her friends will think you’re awesome. Be nice and do it.
• Have the guts to ask that policeman what he’s implying when he stops you for no good reason other than the person who is riding in the car with you. You know he’s implying something that is racist and just plain wrong. Call him on it. What’s he going to arrest you for? Stand up for yourself and stand up for your boyfriend.
• Pay attention to that Valentine candygram you get. It will be important to you, later.
• Talk to your dad. You’re right about it, but you should remember that it’s just as hard for him as it is for you.
• You aren’t as fat or as ugly or as dorky as you think you are. Trust me on this.
• My PS would be exactly the same as Mr. Paisley’s, take out “Rita” and insert “Carol.”

What would you write to your 17-year old self?