mailbag! or the post in which meg discovers that no one really cares and all her traffic is actually coming from people searching for “emotionally distant” and “the other guy from Wham!”
I’ll be honest with you, chickens.
This girl is tired.
And when this girl gets tired, (which she really should be more often, given that she barely sleeps, yet spends her days fidgeting and futzing about like a wind up toy… but the caffeine! oh the caffeine makes us a real girl! a real girl!) she loses track of what she means to say.
This turns every blog post I write into one of the following three things:
a) Mental tapioca
b) Mental Ikea Playroom Balls
c) Mental cord tangles behind the television set
You think that sounds good, but what I really mean is:
a) Mushy
b) Random
c) Chaotic
And while those may be the three most accurate descriptors EVER for me as an individual, I’d rather my blog not be quite so… like that.
SO.
SOMETHING ELSE FOR A MOMENT!
QUESTIONS!
Do you have any? Any at all?
About me?
About anything?
About what’s on my iPod?
About my favourite cheeses?
Be specific.
I pledge to answer them as best I can if you leave them in the comments of this post.
GO!
June 20th, 2007 at 11:50 am
uh Meg, the last time you did this you didnt answer my questions and i think i’ve asked other questions since that you’ve ignored as well….
i’m having a brain fart right now but think i asked you what your job is - i knew then and i know now thats its some form of writing but what? Stories for a publishing firm? Well what then??? I asked you if you’ve ever asked the Dr. to send you for a liver function test (re your tiredness)
and you didnt respond. I asked you what kind of cheese you liked and i told you mine had carmelized onions in it. I asked you to explain what the heck a FACEBOOK is but got no response. No new questions; just the same old ones thanks.
June 20th, 2007 at 11:56 am
Best concert and why?
June 20th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
Haha! Mari! I can feel the frustration from here! Bad Meg! Here you go:
1. I write for a company in Vancouver. And that is actually absolutely all I can tell you about that. I know it seems evasive, but it’s contractual.:-) That’s likely why I avoided answering that one, but that’s my best effort for you.
2. I’d had my liver tested twice, both times during a full battery of tests on my whole messed-up body. My liver function is pretty damn good. Everything else is a gong show, but that does fine.
3. I swear I answered the cheese question, but here goes: I love Parmesano Reggiano, goat cheese with lots of pepper in it, asiago, Dubliner cheese, aged cheddar, blue cheese, Havarti, Gouda, Edam, and Bocconcini!
4. Facebook… it’s basically a social networking site where you can set up a profile and collect “friends” and set up groups with other people according to your interests. Some people like to collect “friends” (link to others’ profiles from their own) according to shared interests, some only like to people they actually know in real life. My friends include people I know in “real life” (let’s put that in quotes, on second thought) and people who read my blog.
The reason it’s such a phenomenon is because SO MANY PEOPLE in their 20’s and 30’s have signed up, so you can use their search function to see if folks you haven’t seen in forever are on there. I found people I used to work at Starbucks with, people I went to school with, people I used to have crushes on… it’s hilarious. You can send messages to them and reconnect with them if you want, or add them as a friend and check out the photos and info they add to their profiles. You can also refuse to accept people as a friend, and then they can’t view your profile.
There we go!
June 20th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
Terra — best concert ever was actually U2, which is SUCH A CLICHE ANSWER, but honestly? It was the full magical major stadium experience, and they did it up right. And I’ve been listening to U2 on and off since I was a teenager, so it was kind of a major life experience. My friend Michelle’s hubby Brent actually cried! Awesome.
June 20th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
I’m curious as to your opinion on beards. I think they’re coming back into style.
June 20th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
See, that’s an interesting question. I grew up with a dad who ALWAYS had a mustache, and so facial hair on adult males (read, not my age or within my crush range) could have facial hair or not, rather acceptably.
As to guys my age, I was a rabid anti-facial hair person when I was younger. I DESPISED it… goatees, stubble, soul patches, sideburns, etc.
Now I think goatees really flatter some facial shapes, as long as they’re not overly weird or gnarly (not groomed.) I love stubble on boy faces, and I don’t even mind a good soul patch now and then.
Odd sideburns got a little tired for me in the late 90’s and early 00’s. I’m still not quite okay with those, or any novelty hair, really.
It really has everything to do with the guy, though — if his facial hair is a pretentious statement or overly quirky in a really studied kind of way, I generally just want to roll my eyes.
If he’s got the cojones and sense of humour to pull it off, though, almost anything can be okay.
Good facial hair:
http://barefoot.provocateuse.com/images/photos/ryan_reynolds_01.jpg
http://z.about.com/d/movies/1/0/i/s/8/poseidon05100613.jpg
http://www.mysticgames.com/famouspeople/pictures/EddieVedder.jpg
June 20th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
Yesterday I pleaded with the masses for their questions too. It’s a good route to go, in search of inspiration.
Here are a few to get you going:
1. If you could be your dream weight for the rest of your life but would be unable to actually eat (you’d have to take ALL of your meals in pill-form) would you go for it?
2. Do you have plans for your eventual wedding? Colour schemes, centerpieces, etc?
3. Do your full-bottom undies or thongs?
June 20th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Oops, typo above. The final question should read: “Do you wear…”
June 20th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Since you worked at Starbucks and obviously love coffee I would like to know what Starbuck’s drink you recommend for someone who is not a huge coffee drinker. I’m just breaking in and can’t handle a whole cup without getting the jitters but I do like the taste when blended with lots of milk. Strangely enough I can drink a whole pot of tea no problem. So to a novice like myself what would you suggest?
June 20th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
1. Nope. I’m overweight, and while that catches me a fair amount of hell from men (and women!) and is something I struggle with because of my condition (and laziness), I cannot imagine a life without cooking, eating, and experiencing flavours. I would totally give up, say, bananas, though.
2. Ha! I’ve been surrounded by wedding stuff since I was very little, and I’ve helped dozens of friends with their wedding plans. So, yes, I have a ton of opinions, but I think those are flexible according to the person I’m with. I want him to have his wishes and tastes reflected in how we celebrate that day as much as my own.
That said, I like things to look pretty classy and simple — I’m not a frilly, over-the-top kind of person when it comes to celebrations. I like lots of white, and simple floral arrangements with either a fairly natural shape or a modernist shape (i.e. a spazzy explosion of peonies and freesia and greenery, OR a simple circle of gardenias in a glass bowl or a square glass vase with upright Calla lilies. I like dresses that have classic shapes and less fuss than jazz.
I’d love to get married barefoot on a beach in a modified sundress, or in a church with a simple ballerina-style dress (strapless, full skirt).
The most important thing is the giant BBQ at the end of it all where everyone relaxes and dances and has fun.
3. Ha! Both. Depends on the day.
June 20th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
Hmmm. I’d get a half-caf grande latte with half-sweet vanilla. A bit sweeter with a good amount of coffee flavour, but less caffeine and jolt.
You can do it iced or not, too!
Most of my non-coffee friends really love Caramel Macchiatos, too.
June 20th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
Why do you hate brie when it is oh so lovely?
June 20th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Three words: food poisoning incident.
June 20th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
Oh, ok. Understood.
Too bad for you and brie, though.
June 20th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
It’s okay. I’ve never missed it.
June 20th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
Ah, we have the same wedding concept. Especially the BBQ/fun thing afterwards. People will dance! And they will like it!
I have many questions.
1. Do your legs get smooth when you shave? I mean, really smooth. I use gel and a four razor head shaver and there is still little stubbles. And I am blonde! With baby fine hair! Is this only me or does it happen to you too? Assuming, of course, that you shave your legs. Because I? Hate it, and don’t do it in the winter.
2. Have you ever had braces?
3. Favorite childhood novel?
4. Favorite fast food restaurant?
5. Coke or Pepsi?
6. Why don’t Harry Potters friends beleive him yet again in the last book? I mean, geeze morons, every time something big is going down Harry knows all about it but you blow him off. Why are Harry’s friends still so damn clueless? Also, is Snape really evil or is it just a plot twist?
7. Name a netflix show you would recomend.
8. Have you ever tried onlione dating?
9. I ate a healthy lunch instead of gorging on un-healthy fast food and now I am sad because my belly wanted nacho cheese. Did I make the right choice?
10. Why are you so adorable?
June 20th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
1. I have dark hair, but not a ton of it. I do shave, and they stay pretty damn smooth for a couple of days, and then it starts to sneak back in. I use one of those four blade things, too, but no gels or whatnot. I’d wax, but I can’t stand waiting in-between.
2. No. My teeth are super crooked. Meh. That’s why I rarely smile with teeth in photos.
3. War and Peace?
4. Gosh… Jack in the Box, I think.
5. Either. I have no preference!
6. I’ve never read a Harry Potter book or seen a Harry Potter movie. It’s a full blackout/boycott.
7. Hmmm… I’d say you should get your hands on anything with Ricky Gervais in it.
8. I’ve met people off the internet (Eric! Patia! Scott! And more…), and I’ve put up profiles on a couple dating sites out of curiosity, but I was never impressed with the caliber of the response at all. So no, never been on a date as a result of an online dating site. I’m pretty negative about them, generally. Esp. eHarmony.
9. Hmmm. It’s a tough call. Tell your belly you can have nacho fun tomorrow. It’s all about balance!
10. Ha! Ask my parents… it’s their genetic fault. If that WERE EVEN TRUE.
June 20th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
The problem with mental Ikea play balls? They get loaded with mental germs and mental snot from all the mental children that play with them, and then you either get mentally sick or, well, ewww anyway.
As for how you should change your blog, I say: Don’t ever change.
June 20th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
Follow Up:
1. Are you using soap or just dry? I must try something new.
3. Island of the Blue Dolpins? Little House on the prairie? Cat in the hat? Sheesh! War and Peace indeed
6. Why?
June 20th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
It’s not going to change, A.D….
And Eris:
1. Water and the “moisturizing strip” — but if my legs are super dry, I’ll use baby oil.
3. I read most kids books when I was SUPER little… I don’t really remember? I liked Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss and Louisa May Alcott and LM Montgomery.
6. Any time I’ve tried, I find it eye-scrapingly boring or obvious. I was never really one for fantasy stuff, though… Lord of the Rings excluded (the books, not the movies… I haven’t seen those, either.) And I wish kids would branch out a little more from what’s popular into the classics that might be getting sidelined for the never-ending saga of Harry.
June 20th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
I have no questions at the moment (it’s very late in Malta), but let me give you a virtual high-five for being in the (small but feisty) Harry Potter Blows Chunks Camp.
I’ve tried to read the first book twice, and have seen all the movies, and they’re just kind of tedious. More importantly, they’re profoundly unoriginal–why don’t more people call J. K. Rawling to the carpet for being so totally derivative?
June 20th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
I always get in trouble for it — people are like STOP BEING SO NEGATIVE and CHILDREN ARE READING and WHERE IS YOUR CHILDLIKE SOUL and IT’S JUST A BOOK SERIES and HAVE FUN FOR ONCE.
Haha!
a) I’m NOT negative, I have high standards for what kids deserve; b) Children should be reading a BUNCH of different styles and genres. The more mania you build around ONE book, the less interest you build in other books. And it’s a freakin’ industry, people, hello — Rowling doesn’t give them away out of the goodness of her heart (nor should she, but let’s chill out); c) Have you met me? I AM A CHILD; d) EXACTLY — not a life obsession LIKE YOU’VE MADE IT; and e) I DO.
My roommate is SO rolling her eyes at me right now.
“Why do you care?”
“I JUST DO.”
June 20th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
On the derivative tip, though… many, many books and movies are, so I’ve never wanted to use that argument. Hell, my writing is derivative of the ramblings of mental patients, but I don’t want anyone pointing that out to me. ;-)
But yes… I don’t think it’s really as magical as everyone else seems to think it is.
June 20th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
Have you ever been to New Orleans and aren’t muffalettas pretty much the best things on earth?
June 20th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
Do you have any current favorite reads?
What is your favorite restaurant dessert? Do you ever save room for it?
Any 80s music on your ipod or have you managed to stay current?
Do you answer emails or prefer comments?
June 20th, 2007 at 6:17 pm
Hi Corrie! I am going to respond to your email, promise:).
Current favourite read: Bambi vs. Godzilla (David Mamet)
I’m totally not a dessert girl! Isn’t that weird? I really, really like salt. They don’t usually make a lot of salty desserts. But I do like sorbets and things with espresso in them. I rarely save room for it, though. I just eat the salty stuff until I’m full. :-)
Oy! I totally have 80’s on my iPod! A bit of AC/DC, a bit of Level 42, a bit of Wham!, and “Easy Lover”.
I do answer emails! Mostly! But I do like comments, too.
June 20th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
Mike, never been, no. But the sandwiches rock, of course.
June 20th, 2007 at 7:20 pm
1. Did you get my email about The Perfume Shoppe in Sinclair Centre? I sent it about three weeks ago, but from an email address that your spamcatcher might not know.
2. And, will you please give a big howdy to all my old writer friends there at the secret Vancouver company. ;-)
June 20th, 2007 at 8:31 pm
I know writing is your main love, and I think you’ve said before that you’d like to write a book someday –
so my question is, what would your first book be about?
June 20th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
1. What is your favorite drink?
2. What is your favorite photograph and why?
3. If you walked out your front door, got the the street, turned right, went 3 blocks, turned right again, went 8 bocks turned left and went one block, where would you be?
June 20th, 2007 at 10:25 pm
Lillie, I think my first book would probably be about how neurotic I was about putting out my first book. That is a LOT of material.
Now to Gail:
1. Coffee, or shhhhhh. (Microbrews.)
2. Ah, it’s of my parents, and I can’t find it. A photobooth one of my mom holding my brother, and my dad alone. It’s beautiful and young and scared and hopeful.
3. I would be about that far from where I live. :-)
June 20th, 2007 at 10:37 pm
1) Do you have any tattoos?
2) Where did you have the best night’s sleep of your life?
3) What’s your earliest childhood memory?
4) If you could spend a week anywhere in the world, where would it be?
5) Walking on sand or walking on grass?
June 21st, 2007 at 12:20 am
From My recollection one of the first things Meaghan read was “Pilgrims Progress”, shortly before “War and Peace”. Most children’s books were read too quickly to maintain her interest. one of the few things she didn’t figure out on her own when she started reading at age two and a half was the hyphen. The word I remember her mispronouncing was upholstery- She said “ufolstry”. She wrote longer stories at age 7 than people were writing for the 10 year old readership. And her biggest frustration at that age was that her hands would get tired holding the pencil, and she wasn’t allowed to stay up late to write. I think I’ve related before that we had to hide magazines and newspapers on the top shelf of the front hall closet when she was 3 years old. She was an interesting and lovable person.
June 21st, 2007 at 6:18 am
Awwww, my mom.
Eliot:
1. Nope, not a one.
2. I have NO idea… probably a hotel room? Hotel beds are magical. Or, conversely, outside under the stars at camp. Once you get there, you sleep hard.
3. Hmmm… probably sitting in my crib. I can remember further back than most people I know, actually. Either that, or my parents left me in my crib until I was 10.
4. Right now? I’d love to be staying at the Hotel Del Coronado in Coronado, CA.
5. Sand! Always sand.
June 21st, 2007 at 7:33 am
Ha Meg… funny
3. I would be about that far from where I live. :-)
I didn’t want an address! lol. Would you be in front of a park, on a residential street in front of houses, in front of starbucks. That sort of thing.
*new question* What’s the most memorable date you’ve ever been on?
June 21st, 2007 at 7:37 am
Ah, that would be the one where I went to the hockey game with a guy, and the only thing he seemed to notice about me or the game was how small my hands were.
“They’re SO small.”
“Okay, yeah, a little small.”
“Seriously, it’s like on the cusp of a deformity.”
“Thanks.”
June 21st, 2007 at 9:19 am
Best mascara you’ve ever bought? I desperately need some good suggestions.
June 21st, 2007 at 9:25 am
Hmmm… right now, I am using L’Oreal Volume Shocking (I wanted to try the whole basecoat thing, but I’m not a huge fan… I just use the mascara part of it.) It gives nice volume and colour, since my lashes are long enough already.
The best mascara I ever used was Christian Dior Diorshow, though… and it COSTS MUCH TOO MUCH.
June 21st, 2007 at 9:41 am
1. how do you do it? the amazing writing, i mean…even about simple day-to-day stuff; even when you are writing about a cup of coffee or a commute on the bus, it is brilliant!
2. how do you feel about macaroons?
June 21st, 2007 at 9:50 am
1. Okay… you are WAY too sweet to me, missy. I just babble and post. The quality can often be dubious. But I think the secret to blogging is just to blog endlessly — then the law of averages hopefully guarantees that a little bit of it won’t suck.
2. Love. But only the chocolate ones.
June 21st, 2007 at 10:06 am
Guess my last comment wasn’t PG ;) Sorry. :)
June 21st, 2007 at 10:20 am
No worries, hon… but I do have parents:). And they could have fragile hearts. :)
June 21st, 2007 at 10:31 am
You have to admit it was funny though… and would have been an excellent response. :)
June 21st, 2007 at 10:34 am
I’ll make sure I say it next time:).
June 21st, 2007 at 10:39 am
I actually thought of more questions!
What are your favorite blogs to read and why?
Where is your favorite spot in your house?
What was your best vacation memory?
June 21st, 2007 at 10:51 am
Gosh… my favourite blogs are in my “Sweet Reads” link at the top of the page. They’re really different, all of them. Some are personal journals, some just showplaces for writing, some practically just photos… and each one appeals to me on some level that makes it a place to stop by, at least now and then.
My favourite spot in my house is my sweet, sweet deck. We love our deck. We sit out there all the time.
I think my best vacation memories are from my childhood — our family trips to Cannon Beach, OR. So carefree! And I love the ocean.