Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Thursday Thirteen #53 -- The Gal Explains It All


ANSWERS TO 13 QUESTIONS
RECENTLY LEFT
IN THIS BLOG'S COMMENTS


1. How was Juno? (Sparky Duck) This is an adorable movie. Funny and sweet, with a very original heroine. I thought it kinda glossed over the emotional issues associated with teen pregnancy and adoption, but then it is a comedy and not An Afternoon Special.

2. Where did you live in Carpentersville? (Greatfullivin) 133 Austin. I stood up for the first time on my own in that house. My family moved when I was a toddler (and yes, of course they took me along!).

3. How do I add you as a "friend" on Shelfari? (Kwizgiver) a. Go to Explore; b. Key in The Gal H; c. When I pop up, click on Request Friendship. Then we'll be connected, shelf to shelf!

4. Do you have shoes strewn all over your living room? (Technically this is from “anonymous,” but I know who it is and she’s in league with my mother -- the same woman who has been trying unsuccessfully to get me to put my shoes away I was old enough to just kick them off and leave them by the front door.) Yes. But it's really very wise and efficient of me. This snow won't last forever, and in no time, it will be 75ยบ and sunny outside and I'll need all those Birkenstock sandals right where I can see them.

5. Why didn’t you name the Cubs as the best thing about your hometown? (Care) This is a perceptive question because, like most right thinking Americans, I consider the Cubs the best thing about living on this planet. However, for that meme I was considering the village I live in as my hometown. (It's less than 30 minutes away from Chicago.)

6. In the Kay Scarpetta series, does Kay know how Marino feels about her? (Malcolm) Yes. But she cares about Marino and needs him professionally so she pretends she doesn't notice so they never have to address it.

8. Do you have to pay extra for delivery from Peapod? (Jenny McB) Yes. $9.95. When you consider that clients pony up about $85/hour for my services, paying $9.95 for grocery delivery is really quite reasonable because it saves me valuable time. (OK, maybe that logic is tortured, but it helps me justify Peapod.)

9. What games do you like to play at Pogo? (Jenny McB) I am completely addicted to Turbo 21, which is not the same as being good at it. I also like Word Whomp and First Class Solitaire.

10. Which TV Mom do you think you would have lasted longer with – Carol Brady or June Cleaver? (Jenny McB) June Cleaver! She not only never actually disciplined the boys, she was forever imploring Ward to go easy on them. I've never been a fan of being told what to do.

10. You mean you're supposed to wash curtains? (Misty Dawn) According to my mother, who knows these things, you are supposed to wash your curtains twice a year. I don't, of course, but I do feel guilty about neglecting this chore. That counts for something, right?

11. Are you on Facebook? (Misty Dawn) No. I think I spend too much time on Blogger. I'm afraid if I went to Facebook, too, I'd never push away from the keyboard!

12. What is your favorite bar? (Gnostic Minx) Monk's Pub on LaSalle & Wells. Burgers, chili, beer and a decent jukebox.

13. Who did you vote for in your first Presidential election? (Book Mama) Jimmy Carter. Funny you ask this, because it's the only vote I wish I could take back. I was very young and very mad at Gerald Ford for pardoning Nixon. With time -- and since watching the silly Clinton impeachment hearings -- I understand that Ford saved us from something awful. It was a brave, patriotic thing he did and I'm sorry I didn't support him.


Bonus 14!
What do you do that people pay you $85/hour? (Susan Helene Gottfried) I'm an ACD/copywriter, and clients pay the advertising agency I work at $85/hour for my services. After subtracting for office space, and computer, and Social Security and benefits, and naturally some profit for themselves, the agency pays me. It's not unlike the hooker/pimp relationship. (Some days it feels more like that than others.)

Leave your link in comments and I'll list you here:

1) Sue lists 13 people who live with thyroid conditions
2) Tink quotes the Dalai Lama
3) Nicholas teaches us how to speak British
4) Pjazzypar's TT is the scourge of evil doers!
5)
Sandee's TT is so cute … or is it?
6) Morgan Leigh's TT is even more random than this one!
7) Joy Is My Goal has a lovely TT for a snowy day (sorry, Joy, but blogger kept timing out on me when I tried to leave a comment)
8) Malcolm's TT is devoted to 13 special Grammy winners
9) Mama Geek makes dinner, or tries to
10) Cricket's Hearth pokes fun at lawyers
11) Jenny McB shares today's menu
12) Sandy Carlson takes a closer look at Valentine's Day
13) Susan Helene Gottfried hands her blog over to The Shapeshifter gang this week, and they report in from sick bay
14) Sharon knows her Cars stuff!
15) Lori lists 13 Valentine gift ideas at $20 or less
16) SusieJ shows us how to create Valentine boxes
17) Book Mama worries, and she's not alone in what concerns her
18) Tasha cleverly gives us 13 reasons why she doesn't have a TT
19) SJ Reidhead fascinates us with her Tombstone TT
20) Adelle gives us 13 tips for banishing boredom
21) Ivan Girl shares her resolutions
22) Xakara helps us expand our vocabularies 
23) Angelie has a dreamy TT
24) Maribeth takes us concertgoing
25) Bloggers has a helpful TT about working at home 
26) Kat's TT is brought to us by the letter B
27) OneLuvGirl tells us about her new place
28) Lisa has a heartfelt and heartbreaking TT about her cat, Katie Scarlett
29) The land of Ross goes green this week
30) Yummy has a musical TT
31) Natalie rhapsodizes about her favorite baseball team
32) Tina doesn't have a TT, but her blog is neat so you should check her out



Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!




In praise of mothers and sons

Jenny McB and her almost-grown son have discussed the signficance of this Presidential election.

Bookmama has explained to her little boy how important it is that for the first time a woman and a man of color have a real chance of being President.

A friend of mine recounted that her son, a high school senior, spent the car ride to Target trying to explain why his friends were really pulling for Ron Paul. She said it was the longest they had spent on one topic in quite some time and she really enjoyed it.

I love these stories! Mothers imparting their social awareness and involvement to their sons, exchanging ideas with them. This is so great.

I wonder, though, how come I haven't heard any similar mother/daughter stories … Anyone have one to share?