New Year’s Meme

I know this is Friday and I usually have a Friday Feature... But, consider MEMEs my Friday Feature, which gives me a chance to catch up on them; I've been tagged by quite a few of late. Starting with that Heretic over at … well … at the Heretic’s Place (Kathleen is her street name but we know her as the “heretic”), who tagged me a while ago with this New Year’s meme. Way back in early December, 2007, Terry at Coffee Writer tagged me with the five-random-facts meme and shortly after Mel at Monday Morning Power wanted to know some weird facts about me (seven weird facts meme). With January already nearly over, I thought I had better deal with all these. Hmmm… if this is the way my whole year is going to be, well, I’m in for quite a ride. That’s okay. I like rides. The crazier the better…

So, in the interest of expediency and efficiency (for me, anyway! One of my resolutions, Mel!…) I’ve decided to combine the three memes into one. I’ll still post separate links to selected candidates to carry on the meme, though. Otherwise, it might get very confusing for you. And, as much as that might amuse me, I wouldn’t wish it on you. Really. I’ll post my response first, then the rules and candidates for each meme after. So, please read to the end, folks!

These twenty questions provided for me by Kathleen serve as more than seven and more than five weird and random facts about me:

1. What color do you like most?
I am partial to blue-green, the shade I’d call ocean teal. I find the interplay of this mix soothing and inspiring, intellectually pleasing, and bracing for my soul and muse.

2. What in life do you fear the most?
Not living to the fullest. Losing my passion, my dreams or my ability to live my dreams and share them with my beloved.

3. Where is the place that you most want to go?
Today?...Paris, France. I long to stroll along the Seine on the Rive Gauche, smell the river and acacia trees and browse the bouquinists and artwork… stop in at a Patisserie and eat the most fattening pastry there… lunch for three hours at a café in the Mouffe of the Latin Quarter…argue world politics with a Parisian…be transported by the exquisite stain glass rose windows of Sainte Chapelle …feel the fragrant Paris breeze, carrying with it the hypnotic notes of Charles Tatou’s “La Mer”…

4. Which part of you do you hate the most?
What’s there to hate? Okay… the part that I dislike the most is what I unintentionally and invariably do to others because I am at times too impatient and ultimately inconsiderate.

5. When you encounter a sad moment, what do you do?
Is this a trick question? I get sad. Then I get mad. Then I get even…Okay, okay…depending on how sad the situation is, I probably have a good cry, then I get determined and do something for the person or circumstance. I am an action-oriented person. If I can do something I will. I am most pathetic when I feel helpless to do anything.

6. What are you most afraid to lose?
My sense of humor, optimism, and faith. Without these, I would not have the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.

7. Name the five traits you most admire in a person.
Honour. Integrity. Compassion. Wisdom. Gentleness.

8. If you meet someone you love, do you confess it or do you observe from afar?
Neither. I’m a scientist; I study, up close. Up close and personal. Oh, and good scientists always get a sample…

9. List three good points of the person who tagged you.
Kathleen is a very creative person and imaginative writer. I admire her courage and forthrightness in sharing her honesty and opinions about a diversity of issues.

10. What do you require from your other half?
I don’t require these but find them rather indispensible in any close and long-lasting relationship: honesty, compassion, forgiveness, honor, and tenderness.

11. What is the moment you most regret?
When I hurt the feelings of a close friend by being an inconsiderate bully and self-important tyrant. I’m sorry, so sorry…

12. Which type of person do you hate the most?
Is this another trick question? Obviously someone who is normally like what I behaved like in number 11.

13. What is your ambition?
It has changed over the years. When I was five I wanted to be an actress. Then a few years later, I realized that the director has so much more fun and creative control. After several iterations of wanting to be a fireman, professional tennis player, racecar driver, lawyer, and drummer in a rock and roll band… I settled down to “save the environment” and became an environmental consultant. My current ambition is to share stories that I feel can make a difference to our evolving culture and peoples.

14. What is the thing that will make you think someone is bad?
Okay, I’ve decided that these are ALL trick questions…coercing us to make a black & white choice when shades of gray are so much more interesting. No one is totally bad. But, what makes me recoil from a person is when I sense attempted deception (particularly the syrupy façade of niceties) to hide greed and the lust for power at the obvious expense of others. Those who purposely hurt others (whether person, animal, or plant, etc.) are themselves hurting and need our compassion.

15. If you had one wish what would you wish for?
See? I told you! (Now, if I was smart I’d say I’d wish for ten thousand more wishes!) But, seriously, I can do this one. I’d wish that each living thing on this planet Earth realizes his/hers/its full potential, has at least one glimpse of glory, unadulterated happiness and fulfillment, and shares at least a moment of true ecstatic love.

16. How could you celebrate the New Year?
The way I did, with close friends and family and kissing my loved one full on the mouth as the midnight hour struck.

17. Name one part of your body your lover tells you he or she adores.
Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? Do I need to tell everyone? Gosh!

18. Do you have a New Year’s resolution?
Yes, actually. Two: 1) to manage my time better and become more proficient; and 2) to use my time better and get more efficient. I tend to repeat myself…I tend to repeat myself…

19. If your better half is cheating on you, will you forgive him or her?
Well, okay…eventually. Yes. Of course. Because I know him and the nature of our relationship, I’d be bound to forgive him. Forgiveness comes with understanding. And I know in my heart of hearts that he is a beautiful soul.

20. What keeps you awake at night?
Nothing. I am a very sound sleeper and don’t remember my dreams. In fact, it ticks me off that my husband can relate all these neat science-fiction dreams he’s had when I’m the writer!

So, here are the rules and candidates for the three memes:

1) Kathleen’s New Year’s Meme:
Here are the rules: remove one question from the list and add your own. Answer the twenty questions then tag 8 people and list them at the end of the post. It’s always nice to notify them too (though most of you have some kind of notification scheme going on already, don’t you? (e.g., technorati). I choose: Bob; Josh; Melly; Terry; Deborah; Sarah.

2) Terry’s Five Random Facts Meme:
The rules are simple. Cite and link to your source (me), then enjoy writing about five random facts about yourself then tag five other people and let them know. I choose: Manchild; Theresa; Marlive; Catherine; and Tristran.

3) Mel’s Seven Weird Things About Me Meme:
Same goes for this one, except it’s seven facts (and they have to be weird, though your definition of weird and anyone else’s may vary considerably), cite and link to your source (me, again) then tag some victim—er candidates to spread more weirdness. My choice: Joanne; Dan; Pete; Laurie; DrowseyMonkey; Franscud; Kathleen.

Okay, I'm done. Now go and play!... Wait!...

That Monday Morning Mel over there gave me the most wonderful award: Bloggers of the World! Thanks, Mel! I am honored.

You Make Me Smile! And 8 Random Facts

That great gal over at Climate of Our Future says I make her smile! :) Thanks for the award, Deborah. Now YOU made ME smile! I, in turn nominate the following people for the SMILE award! You all make me smile for different reasons, all wonderful: you're fun, charming, hilarious & sometimes ridiculous, satirical, clever, sweet and entertaining:

Jean-Luc, Karen, Rino, Melanie, and Mimi.



Mark over at Brain Broadcast also tagged me with the 8 random facts meme. So here goes:

1. I play a mean set of drums. When I was a kid I used to think that I'd be a fireman (I just loved the hats) and a singer/drummer in a rock and roll band. Well, I didn't go for the fire and brimstone career (opting for a career in environmental sciences with a sideline in writing) but I do play the drums with an ad hock band. We won't be cutting any CDs but it's great fun.
2. My husband and I first met on a blind date. Well, not really...when we did meet (on a blind date through a dating agency) we found out that we'd actually met earlier at an environmental trade show. Neither of us had been overly impressed with the other: he thought I was cute but very disorganized and I thought he was a bit of a nerd and too quiet. When we met on the date, we both had to laugh about it and it went from there... :)


3. I'm a cat-person. No, not like catwoman...I guess, I prefer cats to dogs for company. I find them more complicated, complex, unpredictable if not more dangerous, and downright more interesting. Despite this, I find that with every cat I've owned (okay, we co-own each other), I've tried to turn them into a dog. I did so enjoy dressing up my dog in clothes and taking his picture when I was a kid...some habits die hard, I guess.


4. I grew up with five languages in my house and didn't learn English until I went to school. That might explain a lot about why I'm still poor at spelling and make up words (which is okay since I write science-fiction!). My father spoke Romanian with us (so we would inherit his language) even though my parents spoke German to each other (my mother's native tongue); my brother and sister and I spoke French with our friends in the French neighbourhood that we lived in. I only learned English out of need when we were sent to an English Protestant school.


5. I enjoy cycling. The terrain where I live is ideal for it, being flat country roads under mostly sunny skies. I'd love to do more touring and have a desire someday to ride across Canada, tour Italy, France and Great Britain. It's an excellent way to see any country.


6. I switched out of my university program on registration day. Not only that but I switched out from fine arts into science. I was enrolled and received an early registration for fine arts courses (I was initially intending to become a commercial artist) when the environmentalist bug bit me and told me to go into science where I could make a difference. It was a scramble but I managed to get all the courses I needed for the core biology program. All my electives were...you guessed it...in the arts, though!
7. I hate liver. It's one of the few foods I dislike but there you go. I'll even eat raw oysters. But liver has an awful smell that I can't get past my nose. A good friend thought she could get me to like it by drenching it in butter and garlic. It almost worked. My husband likes liver so everytime he goes out of town, he orders it (because it sure isn't being cooked in MY house!)
8. I met Ray Bradbury. It was at a writer's conference in Palm Springs and I'd gone solely to meet him. When I came face to face with him all I could get out was "You're my hero!" to which he laughed rather uneasily and said something self-efacing. It was worth the trip to hear his rowsing and inspirational speach about writing.

Oh, and because I believe in the baker's dozen, here is one more random fact about me (and it serves as a segway to a joke I just love): I'm an environmental consultant. Here's the joke:
A consultant, driving along a country road, stops to let a bunch of sheep cross the road. When he sees the shepherd, he asks him, "You have a lot of sheep there; If I can tell you exactly how many sheep you have would you give me one?"
The shepherd shrugs and answers with a quizzical smile, "Sure."
The consultant gets out his laptop and downloads his satellite imagery, google earth and a bunch of other software then proceeds to calculate this and that. After much deliberation and the shepherd patiently waiting, the consultant looks up and says proudly, "You have exactly 328 sheep."
The shepherd looks amazed. "Wow."
The consultant says, "So, can I have my sheep?"
"Sure," the shepherd answers. "By the way, if I can tell you what you do for a living can I have my sheep back?" The consultant agrees. "You're a consultant," says the shepherd.
The consultant is amazed. "WOW! How did you know that?"
"First, you came here uninvited, then you told me something I already knew, using fancy technological equipment when all you needed was your eyes." Then he added, "So, can I have my dog back?"
(chuckle...chuckle...)
Here are five people I tag for the random fact meme: Bob, Ilker, Charlotte, Kitem, and Your Translator.