14 posts tagged “qotd”

When life (or the lack of it) gets to me, I do what I suspect many women do to; I eat. Or, in these days of weight watching, I more likely don't eat, and wish that I could get away with doing so.

I shop, I read, and I knit. And think about eating. I busy myself with minutia, while trying to tackle the issues that are stressing me out, because nobody loves the sucker who keeps making the same mistakes or falling into the same traps.

And perhaps most importantly, I am greatful for a gorgeous kitty cat who always knows when I need a cuddle (even if it is sometimes induced with a cuddly blanket and the occasional cat treat). I'd hate to think he absorbs my negativity, but he certainly helps keep it in check.

People do many different things to cope with stress, loss, and "bumps in the road". How do you handle stress and hard times? 
Submitted by RedlyGal. 

Well, iTunes wanted to export them in reverse order - playing countdown DJ, I'm sure. I was keen enought to strip out the XML tags, but not keen enough to re-order them. So, from bottom to top, here are the 25 most played songs, on my laptop. I have no doubt that I listed those on my Shuffle or Nano would be vastly different.

25. Mileage by Brian Vander Ark
24. Angel by Sarah McLachlan
23. Good Morning Baby by Dan Wilson & Bic Runga
22. Your Winter by Sister Hazel
21. All It Takes by Stellar*

20. One Angel by Stir
19. Without You by Brooke Fraser
18. Give Me Novacaine by Green Day
17. Smile Like You Mean It by The Killers
16. Float by The Feelers

15. Forgiven by Alanis Morissette
14. Sweet Euphoria by Chris Cornell
13. Will You Love Me Tomorrow? by Carole King
12. Something So Strong by Crowded House
11. WWOZ by Better Than Ezra

10. Porcelain by Better Than Ezra
9. This Time Of Year by Better Than Ezra
8. What I Know Now by Dog's Eye View
7. Burned by Better Than Ezra
6. Daylight by Better Than Ezra

5. Our Last Night by Better Than Ezra
4. A Southern Thing by Better Than Ezra
3. Extra Ordinary by Better Than Ezra
2. Sugar by We're Goin' Down by Fall Out Boy
1. Whiplash by Stellar*

 

What are your top 25 most played songs? 
Submitted by Cooxi

 

As I sincerely doubt anyone responsible for my 25th birthday party is reading this (I'm good at burning bridges), I feel safe in declaring that I typically hate surprises. I like plans, being prepared, and in charge. Sure, it was nice to see all my friends, play twister, eat cake (OK, I loved the Elmo cake) and do other dorky party things. But it was really, not what I had in mind - as anyone who had been listening to me declare that I didn't want a party during the previous month should well have known.

Now, I'm human, so I'll certainly tolerate surprise gifts, happiness, fun, and good news. However, if it unsettles the order of my world, I will likely frown and scowl, before moving on to the appropriate social response. But if you get me on a talk show to talk about something serious, and I find out I'm really there for makeover? Know that I consider that worthy of punishment.

Do you like surprises?

 

My first pet was a cat, Misty. Every week I would scour the "Livestock" column in the local newspaper (if you can call the one or two sheet rag that was the Dannevirke Evening Post a newspaper) for a likely pet. The youngest of 7 siblings, I'd seen a lot of pets come and go, and I wanted my own. After what seems like years of pointing out all of the lovely cats going free to good homes (and we surely had one of those - after all, it had me), my mother finally caved. I couldn't believe it. It worked!

We hopped in the car, and drove off somewhere, and I selected the cutest of the fluffy kittens, and went home, prepared to be loved. Yeah, what a joke. Turns out that fluffy kitten was a snobby little bitch. Other than the odd certificate for pet day (oh so hard to win when you go to a small country school), really ally Misty gave me was scratches and haughy looks.

Still, I was suitably distraught when she disappeared on day (probably running my my attempts to be her friend). She was gone a week, all the roads were checked, but she was not to be found. And then one day she was on the side of the road, hit by a car. Obviously coming home. Sad, sad.

And these days I have Maddy. A more affectionate cat one would not imagine. He's adorable, and so adored. And so I forgive him when he scratches me now and then. If a cat can have puppy-dog-eyes, it's my Maddy. I've told stories about Maddy before, so maybe I'll resurrect those again one day.

Dogs have been apart of my life, too, though never as my own, but coming into the home as passed on my siblings who moved on. There was Jack, a terrier who was my sister's. He was a funny thing (and prey to Misty), who my Dad delighted in. He would hang out in the shed with Dad, standing on his hind legs, watching the goings on at the workbench. :-)

But Snoopy took the cake (figuratively and literally). Snoopy was left to us by my brother Simon, when I was 5 or 6, I think. A corgi-foxy cross (complete with wagging tail so strange on a corgi), she was full of life. And lived for a really long time. I have some cute photos of her, that I will have to scan and post one day. She was so protective. I miss her.

 How many pets have you owned in your lifetime? Tell us about them.
Submitted by jennajellopy.vox.com.

Soda? Cola? Pop? What do you say? Any other regional words that set you apart?
Question submitted by Gladys.

That would be Fizzy Drink. And I'm sure there are hundreds of regional words that set this New Zealander apart from most of the people responding to the QOTD, and in fact other New Zealanders in different provinces! 

 

What's the strongest association you have between a scent and a memory?

A certain cologne, a certain person, and a certain activity.

Oh, and sea air and playdo remind me of my childhood.

What are your three favorite album covers of all-time? Any honorable mentions?

Question submitted by Tamara

 Call me lazy. Call me prepared. Below is a straight revamped copy of a (now unavailable elsewhere) response to a meme posted back in 2002. I'm sure I've spotted album covers which have had some impace on me in the intervening years, but these are still valid, too.

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To be honest, I don't much judge music by their covers (unlike books, in which case I am incredibly judgmental). Anyway, as a consequence, I don't pay that much attention to album covers. Kinda weird for an artlover, heh. And if along the way I've spotted some beauties, I've forgotten about them now. Thus, as I attempt this that week's Top 5 from Scotty's Cowbell Chronicles, I rifled through my minimalist collection and picked out those that caught my eye, at least momentarily.

Top 5 Album Covers

Underneath by The Verve Pipe. Art direction by Brett Kilroe and Frank Harkins, photography by James R. Minchin III.  I've seen several CD covers with similar pictures to this since the release of Underneath in 2001. None of them have had that brilliant blue that I love, the depth of colour. The guys are at the end of the road well travelled, and it's been uphill. I actually have this image as my desktop, I like it that much! What's totally cool about the photo is the knowledge that it was taken above the clouds in Topanga Canyon. They're way above, and yet the album is entitled Underneath. Yeah.

 

Well, this is Pacifier by Pacifier (who have since sensibly dismissed the fear of offending any one in a post September 11 world, and reverted to their much favoured moniker, Shihad), from 2002. Art direction by Doug Erb, photography by Stephen Oxenbury. What can I say? It's red raw, and it rocks. Rather like the music, in fact. The silhouette of Jon (complete with twig-like arms) with a touch of snakeskin is pretty groovy, too. I like red.

 

Broadcast is an album from Strawpeople, a production, mixing effort of Paul Casserly and Mark Tierney. The vocal input on Stephanie Tauevihi, Fiona McDonald and a handful of other wonderful New Zealanders made this one of the more innovative albums of 1994. A fantastic blend of styles, this album is still one of my favourites, and still gets a regular outing, despite being on cassette! The design is by Wayne Conway and the photogrpahy by Alistair Guthrie and Wayne Conway, and the Strawpeople. If you look closely, you'll see that the picture is made up of lots of the same image. I like it.

 

 

To Bring You My Love, by PJ Harvey, circa 1995. The photography is by Valerie Phillips (from a film by Maria Mochnacz), and the art is by Cally. I'm not sure why I picked this one, except to say that it's PJ Harvey. She looks kinda dead, pale yet glamorous, adrift in the water. Don't ask me to describe her music.

 

When I originally posted this entry, the top five was rounded out with a mention of Roll from The Brainchilds. At the time I had included a scan of the cassette cover, but that image was lost in a long ago server shuffle, and I can't (easily) find a copy online. Sure, I could scan it again, but I did mention that you call me lazy, right? Anyway, the cover concept and artwork is by Elizabeth Thomson, the design by Mission Hali, the cover photography from the Electron Microscope facility at Victoria University and the band photography by Jamie Lean. I've always found this cover fascinating. It's some thing magnified a whole hell of a lot, and there they are, trying to roll it. Maybe there's some hidden message about the insignificance of man, our place in the world, how small things can be big problems. Whatever, I just think it's clever! The music is a pretty nice blend of ballads and uniquely kiwi quirky pop (that still gets the odd play now and then).

When did you first realize that you were an individual? Was it a positive or negative experience?

Question submitted by George.

I was seven, sitting in a church with my mother and the rest of the congregation. Waiting to partake of my First Reconciliation, after weeks of Sunday School lessons (and two years of Catholic primary school before being transplanted in the middle of nowhere).

When I turned to my mother and said that I didn't want to do it, that I didn't feel right about it, it was no doubt a shock for her, coming from the youngest of her seven children. But she listened, she considered my feelings, and accepted my right to choose my own religious path. Weighty stuff for a kid, but hugely empowering.

I'd say that was positive.

 

 

What was your most memorable or favorite school field trip?

I went on a grand total of two school trips. The first, after much persuasion from a mother disturbed by my complete lack of interest in fraternising with my few classmaes, in Form Two (the last year of primary school, aged 12). I say persausion, but really my mother chaperoned, so I had no choice.

 We ventured from the tiny speck that Matamau would be on the map if it was worthy, to Wellington, our fair and windy capital city. We toured a television studio, a car factory, a Coke bottling factory, and a few other things I can't recall. I do recall being stuck in a stupid little cabin with the two other girls my age in my class, as we all pondered what a lame trip it was.

My second school trip was infinitely more interesting as my art class of about 7 took a mini-bus to Wellington again, in Sixth Form. We visited galleries with the eccentric art teacher I would soon come to hate as she stiffled any created endeavours which did not meet her standards, before branching of to shop for music and other non-school related activities. We learnt nothing which improved our grades, but had considerable fun.

What's the most recent vivid dream or nightmare that you remember?

Hrm. Struggling for a G rated response, here! ;-)

I don't have them so often now, but when I was younger I used to have nightmares frequently. Something to break up the monotony of sleep-walking and talking, I imagine. I'd wake up screaming, much to the delight of my family. These days I'm more likely to "wake up" and be unable to move, or sense "something" in the room. Lots of fun.

The night before last, in a cold medication induced sleep, I dreamt of a growth on the back of my tongue, making it difficult to breath and speak. I eventually made it to the doctor's office, whereupon a horrible nurse proceeded to hack the growth off with a pair of nail scissors. And yes, I did look at my tongue in the mirror upon waking!

Probably my most disturbing dream however, and one which I still recall vividly involves me in a house with walls semi-opaque glass brick. It's darkened, and I'm moving through hallways searching for an exit. I have a feeling of being followed and watch, and catch glimpses of a shadow through the walls, getting closer but no more distinct. No one answers my questioning shouts, and I am running, knowing I won't be able get away. And then I wake up.