Eugenious

So, there’s this 8 Things Meme traveling around the blogosphere — a lower-stakes chain letter, in essence, with no dismemberment or bankruptcy as a consequence of inaction. Eric brought it to my attention, and, since then, I’ve seen it on quite a few blogs. I don’t think I’ll be tagged by anyone anytime soon, since, well, I think it’s just my immediate family that reads my detailed musings about my toddler, and none of you have a blog that I know about. So I’m going to tell you about myself, untagged though I may be.

1. Although Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was perhaps the worst movie I’ve ever seen — the only movie I remember thinking I should just walk out of — I’ve gotta admit that being called “ABSOLUTELY the most living version of Lara Croft I know” feels like a croissant fresh from the oven — warm, yummy, and just a little flaky (Thanks, Mac!). Yeah, no double-Ds or mile-long legs here, but Lara is smart, strong, and sexy, everything I’ve always wanted to be in a pistol-packin’ video game heroine.
2. I started my first quilt in 1992. My goal was to have it finished by 1997. I designed it and bought fabric, knowing absolutely nothing about quilting. I still know nothing about quilting. I cut, pieced, and hand sewed maybe nine squares for that quilt in the attic of Mizpah Springs Hut; those squares have seen many years of dusty closets. The dark green and dark purple fabrics are great, and I’ll have nine nice pillows someday. As for my wedding quilt, I just gave all of the squares to Aunt Sheila, who offered to put them together for me (Hallelujah!). She said to Mom, “Julie does know that it might take me a while, right?” I got married in 2001; you don’t know “a while” until you come talk to me and my amazing powers of procrastination. I have so many crafts and projects running around in my head (and in my closet, my garage, on my drawing table . . . ).
3. I’ve never read Catcher in the Rye, Don Quixote, The Jungle, Moby Dick, any of Mark Twain’s novels, anything by Leo Tolstoy, Edith Wharton, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Fyodor Dostoevsky, James Joyce, or, undoubtedly, many other authors who’ve written classic works of literature. That’s not to mention the countless books in the environmental canon I’ve still to read: Arctic Dreams, each and every sentence of Walden and A Sand County Almanac, anything by E.O. Wilson, David Quammen, Peter Singer, Al Gore, David Suzuki, Jared Diamond, Rick Bass, or Robert Michael Pyle, for the short list. Upon re-reading these lists, I’m surprised rogue lightning hasn’t struck me down. Educated? Who am I fooling?
4. I have run three marathons — Marine Corps, Big Sur, and Avenue of the Giants — all embarrassingly slowly. Of course, that was before I was bionic. I’ll run a sub-four hour marathon in this lifetime, but I’ll never qualify for Boston.
5. I’ve visited 45 of our 50 states. I still have Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Michigan to go. Just picked up Alaska this month! Our friend, Amy, made it to all 50 some time in the last couple of years. I’ve also visited twelve countries: Canada, Mexico, England, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Portugal, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand. That leaves just 181 for me to visit. Chile, Peru, Spain, Scotland, all of Scandinavia, and Tanzania, you’re next! And I’ll be 77 by that time.
6. While I think that parenting is the most important job I’ll ever do, I’m still embarrassed to say “I’m a Mom” when I’m asked what I do.
7. I have wanted to get a Ph.D. in Geography with a paleoecology focus since 1998. I don’t want to be a professor, so what am I going to do with a Geography Ph.D.?
8. I’ve never really understood the appeal of live music, which is why I don’t go to many concerts. Oh, I’ll buy tickets for Ani or the Indigo Girls if they’re in town. I also happen to be a big fan of the Clumsy Lovers, I’ll follow Laura Kemp around like a puppy, and I’ll even try a new band like the Weepies if they’re recommended. But, in general, it just seems so expensive and temporary to see a concert when I could buy the CD and listen to it again and again and again and again.

This entry was posted in the categories Julie by julie on Wednesday, 26 September 2007, 1:26. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.