jaysaint Getting it all down on paper…

1. You have $10 and need to buy snacks at a gas station; what do you buy?

salt & vinegar chips, pickle, bottle of water, York Peppermint Patty, maybe a Zinger

2. If you had to be reincarnated as some sort of sea dwelling creature, what would you be?

Imagining that I am a sea-dwelling creature was the best way (aside from drugs)to cure my insomnia. I can’t explain why. But I am always an ameoba.

3. Who’s your favorite redhead?

My friend Kellee

4. What do you order when you’re at a pancake house?

Either chocolate chip pancakes or lingonberry crepes — both with hash browns.

5. Do you own any… naughty toys?

Yes

6. Have you made out with anyone on your friend’s list?

No

7. Describe your favorite pair of underwear:

lemon yellow boy shorts with pink lace trim

8. Describe the last time you were injured:

I gave myself a paper cut opening the mail tonight. I rarely get hurt.

9. Are there any odd things that make you feel comfortable.

being alone, books, making lists

11. Tell me a weird story from your high school years:

I was the mascot for the Cincinnati Bengals

12. What is the wallpaper on your cell phone?

I don’t have a cell phone.

13. Soda?:

ginger beer

14. Flavor of pudding?:

chocolate only

15. What type of shirt are you wearing?

I’m wearing a white sleeveless pullover with a detailed scoop neck.

16. Prescription medication?:

I have allergy medicine I don’t take. I also have an emergency supply of Ambien (prescribed to me) and Xanax (not prescribed to me).

17. If you could use only one form of transportation for the rest of your life what would it be?

water taxi

18. How many people are on your friends list?

18

19. How many people on your list do you know in real life?

9

20. What are you listening to right now?

The movie ‘The Woodsman’

21. Most recent movie you watched?

The last movie I watched (since ‘The Woodsman’ isn’t over yet) was ‘Chronicles of Narnia.’

22. Name 5 things you have with you at all times:

book, lipstick, iPod, tissues, subway card

23. Would you rather give or receive a foot massage?

Um, receive.

24. Name a teacher you had the hots for:

I didn’t really. I had a small crush on my anthropology professor in college, but I was really forcing it because I wanted to have a crush on a professor.

25. What is a saying that you use a lot?

This week: XYZ can suck it.

26. What’s one piece of advice that you think should be passed on to every child?

If you do not learn to enjoy reading for pleasure, you will live a poorer life. (stolen from DocBrite)

I truly am grateful for my even-keeled disposition. I take no more credit for it than I do my eye color. My calm can be amazing. And I’m so lucky for that. And I keep trying to remind myself of that when I feel overtaxed or depended on by a needy friend who perceives my reservoirs to be bottomless. But sometimes the unworthy impulse to lash out can be strong.

On a cheerier note, we had an all-out-fabulous time tonight meeting Daniel, Rachel, John, Alex and Molly for dinner at Ariana Afghan Kabob House. I’ve never had Afghan food before and it was absolutely fantastic. Our waiter — Raffi — offered to surprise me. I will never pass up an offer like that. So I got a medley of extravagently seasoned veggies — pumpkin, spinach and eggplant. Then throw in a salad with tangy yogurt and a big bowl of brown rice. I could eat like that every day. It was one of those great dinners where we laughed and laughed and everyone talked a lot.

Daniel and Rachel are now back at Newark airport, checking in for their flight to Asia. So exciting. Going to Hawaii has really re-ignited my desire to be on the road. I’m trying to line up a trip to Englad asap.

Happy Christmas Everybody!

We have a lovely day planned. We’re going to go see The Chronicles of Narnia and then walk down 5th Avenue to admire all the shop windows. That will put us in Central Park at the end of our walk and we’ll take a stroll there before heading home.

Last night I boiled a huge mess of shrimp so that today we can eat pounds and pounds of shrimp cocktail, which is a big favorite around here.

It’s just me and Damon, and I love it.

Ah, the weekend. I do know that it’s Christmas weekend, but that’s getting only nominal acknowledgement around the house. We are burned out upon burned out. So this will be a lovely three-day sitting-on-our-behinds type of weekend. There may be gay cowboys on the menu for tomorrow. And it’s always a pleasure to be able to say that.

Right now we’re hunkered down with disc five of ‘Lost’ season one. I know this makes me the last one on the bandwagon, but I’m so in love with this show. I want to make out with every single person in the cast. I want to crash land in Hawaii.

And the New York transit strike of 2005 has come to a close.

It’s been interesting to watch. Working up to the strike and during the first day the city seemed sort of divided. By the second day most New Yorkers seemed to be turning against the union. It felt particularly manipulative to shut down the city when it was so freaking cold and this close to Christmas. I know that yesterday after standing outside in the dark for nearly an hour trying to make my way home I was enraged. But now workers will be back at the switch while the negotiations continue. So I’ll get in at least one normal day at work. I couldn’t face it, and worked from home today.

So here’s a vignette from my first week at Redbook…

I got an email that said, basically:

Hey Everybody, it’s that time of year again! We’re throwing open our cosmetics sample closet and everything is $1. All proceeds go to a charity that pairs women writers with teenage girls who need mentors. Bring singles to the conference room at 2:30
— The Beauty Babes

So at 2:30 I wandered into our little conference room and it was PACKED — table, floor, everywhere — with high-end beauty products. Everything from fancy Japanese shampoos to false eyelashes to fancy lotions. It was unbelievable. I bought 18 things. I meant to go to an even 20, but got a little too overwhelmed.

So I said to the Beauty editor, “How often do you do this???” And she said, “Oh, just once a year.” And I said, “My timing is fantastic.” And she said, “Well, we practice an open-closet policy. So if you ever need anything or are just craving some beauty, come on by and take what you want.”

AOL can suck it.