21 posts tagged “qotd”
Who are the last five people you called on your cell phone?
My husband and I are the only two people on the planet who don't have cell phones. We used to, but we decided we didn't need them anymore and we've never looked back. People ask us all the time how we "live without them." This is seriously ridiculous. As Jared points out, people lived for thousands of years without cell phones. Why are they so vital to life now?
Now that we have a baby on the way, we acknowledge that it will probably be more convenient to have one. But we're also looking into good old fashioned pagers, just to be able to get a hold of each other. We'll see what happens.
What is the most interesting class you have ever taken?
Submitted by Melissa.
I'm actually in a class right now that ends on Thursday. It's US History from 1492 until the present, although we only made it through the 70's. I've really enjoyed this class and found it incredibly interesting. The main reason, I think, has been my professor's obvious passion and the fact that I'm old enough now to realize how well-founded that passion is. I tried taking this class a few other times, right out of high school, and never gave a crap about any of it. Now that I'm just taking the class for fun, I've gotten a kick out of all of it. It doesn't hurt that our text book is A People's History of the United States, which suits my left-leaning sensibilities perfectly.
Who is your Alert In Case Of Emergency person?
what the hell kind of question is this? it's my husband, or my mom, but who cares? are you planning on murdering me and aren't sure who to break the news to? seriously lame, vox. pull it together.
What are your three favorite snacks?
Submitted by Sunscreem.
I am a very snacky person, so this is tough. Here are a few of my favorites, in either no order at all or some sort of reverse order. You decide.
a. Air-popped popcorn with melted butter and salt.
xi. Things with peanut butter on them. Toast, bagels, celery, my fingers. Whatever.
1. Cookies.
And all of these snacks need a big frosty glass of milk.
Show us a photobooth photo.
One? Never. Here are my cheesy self portraits using photobooth pop art.
What's a leap of faith to you? Have you ever taken one?
I know I've mentioned this before so I'll make it quick:
When I was eighteen I hopped on a greyhound bus to meet a guy I had met in an AOL chatroom. We'd spoken on the phone and emailed for a few months, and decided to meet in person. So I took an eight-hour dirty bus ride to the middle of nowhere and fell deeply in love.
Then about seven months later, we took another leap of faith and he moved 240 miles down to live with me. About four and a half years later we were married.
It's hard to remember now since everything turned out so perfectly in the end, but it took a lot of faith in him and in myself to make it all happen.
Who was your best (or worst) elementary school teacher?
Submitted by Minnow.
I was a fairly smart child, but I never did homework. Most of my elementary school teachers couldn't be bothered to hold me accountable for incomplete work, and no one at home was going to either. It wasn't that I couldn't do the assignments, or that I really didn't want to. It was just that once I left school, it completely left my mind, and I went home to read books or watch Nickelodeon or play hide and seek in the street with the neighbors and my sisters. Despite how lovely that sounds, I had a horrible, terrible childhood, hiding under the bed from an abusive step-dad and worrying about my alcoholic mother. So homework was really the last thing on my mind, and the books and tv and playing were my escape.
Then I entered fifth grade, and Ms. Frankel's class. She figured me out pretty quickly. She knew I was smart, and it frustrated her that I didn't "live up to my potential," which was always a favorite phrase come report card time. But rather than casting blame on my completely absent mother or lazy me, she found a solution. She invited me to stay after class every day, however long I needed to, to get my homework done before I went home. We lived close enough to school that I walked home each day, and since there was no one home anyways I didn't need to rush.
Rather than seeing this as a punishment, which I probably could have, I remember feeling so strange, that this woman would take time out of her day to help me. And that year I spent most afternoons in her classroom after everyone else had gone home. She would grade papers at her desk or tidy up the room while I sat and worked on my math or reading or social studies. It was the perfect, quiet environment I needed, and it was wonderful.
I think it took me awhile to realize how amazing that woman was, for just this simple little thing she did. But as soon as I started taking Child Development classes in college and needed to do an observation of a classroom, hers is the one I thought of first. And she's still there, in the same classroom, and I felt so at home, ten years later. I tried really hard to tell her how special I thought she was, and how she was the reason I wanted to teach fifth grade. But I found that my ten-year-old self took over, and I was just in awe of her. I guess I managed to act like an adult and get my observation done, but I couldn't really get my "thank you" out. I suppose this will have to do.
How do you take your tea or coffee?
Submitted by Vasquez.
I don't. I've never been able to drink coffee, as much as I've tried.
I'd love to have the caffeine, but seriously? I find it repulsive. I've
tried every different coffee drink I could find, and most times I can
barely swallow a sip. One time I thought I had found it: I drank almost
half of some Mint Mocha Frappuccino thingy. Then? I went and threw up.
At work.
Totally not worth it.
As for tea, I will drink the occasional cuppa, usually no sugar or cream or anything. I like minty teas, and lemony and fruity ones. But I really don't drink it on a regular basis. The only things I drink daily are water, milk, and Diet Pepsi.
What are your top 5 books of 2006?
In no particular order, here's some books I read this year that I enjoyed:
What books did you love as a child?
Submitted by hearts.
Wow, what a question. It made me wistful just reading it, and as I think of which books to write about I've got this silly feeling in my stomach. I feel I have to convey to you how important these books are, and how they made me feel as a child, and make you go, "Ah, yes. I loved those books too. I can see why you are so clever and lovely, wordsisfun!"
But I feel that any real attempt to do that would somehow fall short, so instead I'll just be plain and simple and hope it happens anyways.
So, in no particular order, I present Books Katie Loved as a Child:
I used to go in to the library at recess in first and second grade and just devour these books.
Strangely, I can't really think of any more books. It was in junior high that I really began reading like I do now, and I consider myself past childhood at that point.
Recently a friend of mine asked for some book recommendations for his fourth-grader. I spent like three hours at work compiling this fantastic list of books he should read. If I had that list, most of it would be posted here. But I don't, and I can't remember everything I put on it. Anyways, they made him read every day all quarter from this fantastic list, and his grades went from a C/D average to a B+ average. When they told me this I almost cried. I can't tell people enough how important it is to teach your children to love books and to find books that they so desperately need to keep reading that they take them to the bathroom, and in the car, and to bed, and to the dinner table.
But you probably already know that. So I'm going to stop with the sermon and go see what you read as a child!
Edited to add: I totally forgot about The Secret Garden, Heidi, Anne of Green Gables, and all the other classics I used to read. Ooo, and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Also, Shel Silverstein.
