earthshadows

1. What have you learned today?
that even though i enjoy wielding the power to give detentions, when i actually do give one, i sort of do not enjoy the power anymore.

2. Why should you be picked to judge a contest?
because i am ridiculously positive in those sort of situations and would say “how nice!” and things of that nature and everyone would feel warm and fuzzy inside. which actually would probably make me a really bad and indecisive judge.

3. Under what circumstances might you be inclined to shout “avert!” at the top of your lungs?
when i’m with erin.

4. Do you sing along when you see a band perform?
i just sing other words to different tunes; it sounds like when two radio stations are coming in on the same signal.

5. What surprises you?
anytime i’m surprised. and anytime peter shelley acts like mister rogers.

7. How do you shower?
the old fashioned way. then i sit down and pretend it’s raining the warmest rain ever until the water gets cold. so i stand up for one final rinse before it’s too cold, and i’m out like a liger.

8. What would you rather be doing right now?
taking a walk around fort funston, drinking a beer, and convincing someone to run around in the ocean with me before taking a nap in the car before never never never having to go home to california and getting to go home to oregon.

9. What kind of towels do you prefer?
the bigger the better. probably because all of mine are really really small. like, barely wrap around me small. which means my roommate might get a nice show once in awhile.

10. What is best rumor you’ve ever heard about yourself?
hahaha. there was a great one at band camp about how i’d had sex in the lake with this trombone player. when i heard it, i was like “um, aren’t there leeches in the lake?” i bet they all thought i was into that sort of thing.

11. Three things you’d like to have happen in the next three years:
i. hot air balloon ride
ii. a road trip to yellowstone
iii. actually having all of my holiday cards written before the holidays

12. How do you read a map?
with great clarity.

13. When was the last time you underestimated someone?
when i gave my student assistants the lowdown on how to deliver passes. and i felt awful refreshing their memories, so i did my now infamous “here’s how to dance in a club to get the ladies” dance to try and make up for it. but then they proceeded to let me down.

14. What have you created lately?
fond memories {one involving the lunar eclipse!}, many documents pertaining to descriptive language, a stated belief system, simple thesis statements, conversations, inopportune naps

15. Pretend you’re falling out of a second story window: how will you survive?

superman.

16. Where do you invite people?
to go hiking and then pretend we’re on the oregon trail. allegra invites people ROLLER SKATING. she wins.

17. What held you back the last time you flaked on someone?
my overbooking of myself and my underestimating how much time everything was going to take. but i don’t really flake. i more scale back on plans.

18. If you were a gardener, what would you grow?
tomatoes and snapdragons! damn snail that ate my one tomato…i’ll grow a million. you’ll see.

19. There is one word that describes your world. What is it?
hopeful.

20. Who are you happy to have in your life?
taking back sunday and brand new; even if they’re just in recorded form.

21. Worse place you’ve had a mosquito bite:
the crook of my elbow.

22. In one sentence, describe your idea of the afterlife:
the afterlife is exactly how you hope it will be and without expectation.

23. Are you afraid of the ocean? Why or why not?
only a little bit. it’s sort of monsterish in its ability to eat people alive. i think the ocean is male. is it masculine in other languages?

24. What is the worst gift you’ve ever received?
low-fat soup.

25. You’re cold. What happens next?
there are hoodies and blankets and phone calls. and hopefully a bonfire! with mittens. not being burned. just being worn. by the masses.

26. How would your life be different if you grew up with your best friend’s parents as your own?
i’d know a lot about divorce and the guilt that comes with it, to be sure. and i probably would not have been pushed to be a musical person, which is a bit sad to consider. but i’d be really well informed about gambling.

27. Top three best sounds from today:

i. the kids going to class while i fell asleep during naptime…or lunchtime

ii. the fire alarm

iii. rain on my window–obviously.

28. Favorite month:

november

29. Favorite memory this year:
the entire twenty four hours that were january 1: hot tubbing, warm sleeping, running, a day-party full of people i haven’t seen in a long time and people i see often and fun conversation and a feeling of complete satisfaction, bowling, dinner, happy.

30. When you were 14, what did you think being an adult would be like?
i thought going to the grocery store would be one of my favorite tasks; as it turns out, i was so very wrong. i also for some reason thought i’d have a lot of free time. and i thought i’d think more. instead there’s this whole living deal to sort out. which has really gotten in the way of all that time and thinking.

31. Do you often wear weather appropriate clothing?
i often seem to miss the “it’s raining” memo.

32. Your motto:
bring. it. on. (in 2008.)

Originally publishes: February 28 2004