14 posts tagged “qotd”
Where do you want to be in ten years?
Submitted by baby3194.
Inspired by AmyH, I'm not looking forward so much as backward:
- 1998 -- In the early part of this year, I was completing sophomore year of of college as a journalism major in Pennsylvania; in the fall, I got on a plane with my boyfriend of two years and headed for England, where we both had a year of study abroad and I was giving myself a shot at studying art history. My mother was married to her fourth husband, and I hadn't spoken to my father in years.
- 1988 -- My parents by this point had divorced. I lived with my mum in a large house on a few acres of land and a lake. My family raised and bred hunting dogs, and we also had a horse and a turtle. My father lived in a suburb of Chicago and had to learn to drive to come out and pick me up for our every-other-weekend visit.
- 1978 -- In a March chill, I was born on the South Side of Chicago to two people too young to know better and held together by religion and parental authority.
When you look at things this way, it's easier to see how futile looking into the future can be.
I don't know how to describe my religious beliefs at this juncture, but I know in my bones that expression is dead-on. In 1978, did my parents know their union was destined to end? In 1988, could I have ever imagined that in the next decade I would see Germany, Austria, Ireland, England, Wales, and France? How different would my choices have been in 1998 and forward if I had known my mother wouldn't live through the decade?
Of course, I look to the future and have hopes and dreams, but looking backwards reminds me to be adaptable and, most importantly, live in the moment I have now.
Note: The year links above go to images from a recent project I completed, which happens to be a reflection on the various addresses of my life and seemed appropriate.
What's the most valuable thing you've ever had stolen?
God, can being emo rub off on someone? I saw this and thought, "My innocence." Cue up the My Chemical Romance, take me out back, and shoot me.
How did you create your username for VOX? What influenced your decision?
Submitted by Strive2Be.
In grad school, I got my first laptop to enable me to do schoolwork on the move: in the library, between classes, on the train, at my various museums, etc. At home, we had a computer network set up in the basement and when my husband added my laptop to that mix, he named it artgeek. For I was at an art school, getting an advanced degree in museum studies and, well, I was pretty geeky about that as well as other things (crafty stuff, books, board games, roleplaying, etc.).
The name has stuck: first an e-mail address for school, then my mum started referring to me as "artgeek" in her blog, then I signed up for vox and a million other services--while always failling to snag an artgeek domain name, unfortunately--and here I am.
Not all that interesting, but this sort of QotD comes up regularly, and I think I've always passed on it before, so for anyone who's ever wondered or been a tidge curious even, now it's out.
What's the worst thing that could happen to you today? Bonus question: How would that thing potentially benefit you?
Honestly, if I really thought long and hard about the worst thing that cold happen today, I wouldn't get out of bed and wouldn't talk to anyone at all. So, let's not go there, shall we?
What do you have, what do you need and what do you want?
Submitted by Miss Scotch.
From the instant I read Miss Scotch's post, I knew I would have to make my own version of this list. I'm glad it got to be a QotD and will, hopefully, inspire others.
What I have:
A job, for the first time in almost a year; despite my fears of circumstances forcing me to take any ole job, I am actually doing work that challenges and inspires me; I am learning things and hopefully making a difference for the better. A brother I'm raising, a sister I'm getting to know, a husband who amazes me with his commitment and love and the world's best in-laws. Supportive, amazing friends, including a morning coffee buddy, people I can cuddle with and a best friend getting married in seven days. A bicycle, an iPod, a gazillion different mechanisms to cut paper. A decent ability to read people. A strong sense of right and wrong. Playfulness and a sense of adventure. A healthy and open attitude toward sex. A wish for people to be more
understanding of one another (remember Atticus' advice, peeps). A suit to get the job in, a dress to wear whilst accepting an award and another to be sexy in, and a bikini I love. Self esteem. Skillz and know-how to make my own web pages, paper, beer, clothes, beauty products and mixed drinks.
What I need:
A way to get to Virginia next weekend. More money coming in than going out. To have my mother's estate and life insurance resolved. Continued space to grieve. A recommendation for a good dentist who accepts payment plans. To trim the cats' claws and take the dog to the groomer's. To complete my thesis. The confidence to sell my crafty makings online and at fairs. To be a good and aware parent. To renew my auto tags. More role models and mentors in parenting and living my dreams. A longer attention span.
What I want:
To lose fifteen more pounds (ten down since June). To do shockingly well at my new job. To raise my brother to be a compassionate, confident young man. To have a respectful and communicative relationship with him, always. To have more patience. To go to Chicago and meet my sister. Another day with everyone I've lost. To make a habit of getting up early and exercising. To forgive my father and maybe have a relationship with him. To be the best friend I can to everyone who has helped me through this year. A tattoo and another piercing. To be surrounded by friends and family this holiday season and cook them an outstanding meal. To live up to my potential, express my creativity and make my mum proud.
What clothing item do you wish could be banned?
Submitted by Mike E.
Repeat after me:
Other people do not exist for my aesthetic pleasure.
Other people do not exist for my aesthetic pleasure.
Other people do not exist for my aesthetic pleasure.
Yes, I did write a big ole rant about this QotD, but I decided it was needlessly angry. Instead, I've whittled it down to it's most enlightened bit, posted above.
If I had been born XY instead, there was a chance I'd be known as Darth. Go ahead and guess what my last name sounds like. ;)What other names did your parents consider for you?
What books did you love as a child?
Submitted by hearts.
- Charlotte's Web
- "There are Rocks in my Socks," said the Ox to the Fox
- The Monster at the End of This Book
Not showing on this list? The Island of Blue Dolphins. I think due to switching schools, I was actually forced to read that book twice, and I loathed it.
What is your favorite board game?
Submitted by I'm Unique.
Because I can sometimes be a bit slow to see patterns and grasp systems, I avoided playing games with the guys for a period of time, but eventually their cajoling won me over and now I've enjoyed countless hours playing things like Puerto Rico, Witch Trial, and Unexploded Cow. In general, the guys have a preference for longer strategy games, prefering light-hearted fair (like the last two games mentioned) either to begin or end a session.
My current fave is Caylus--and not just because I've won it, but also won it with some regularity (the first strategy-type game I can say that about). I think I won two or three games in a row when we were first learning the system and that was a real thrill. I also enjoy Alhambra for it's manageable game length and ability to scale down to a two-player game.
Since we're no longer only a few hours away from that gaming group, my husband and I have taken to teaching my eleven-year-old brother to play more interesting games. Caylus is still a far way off for him, but he's able to grasp a variety of the games in the Cheapass stable (eg, Kill Doctor Lucky and Unexploded Cow), as well as a variety of card games (eg, Shrimpin', Munchkin).
My brother dressed as a supermunchkin this Halloween past.
Edited to add: I went a bit zany, looking around at other's responses to this QotD, hoping to find further gaming info. If you found your way here via a comment I made on your blog, welcome and thanks for popping in! If you like the sort of games I've mentioned above (or any combination therein), I'd love to hear additional recommendations--expecially games that work well for two adults or could be shared with or simplified for a pre-teen.
What are you thankful for?
I don't have a short, upbeat answer for this one. Instead, by way of explanation, I give you a timeline of Thanksgiving memories:
- 1995-earlier
I don't have very strong memories of the holiday growing up, except for one holiday spent in Ohio where my very-briefly-step-grandparents took their turkey apart and fried it. That I was horrified by this makes me believe my family had some holiday traditions for me to hold dear, but they were pretty generic ones at that: oven-roasted turkeys, green bean casserole, cranberries, potatoes. - 1996-1999
While in college, Thanksgiving became a stressful time of exams and being incorporated into generous friends' traditions. I never had enough money to fly home for the short holiday, so I was always bumming rides and finding seats at a wide selection of Thanksgiving feasts. These years taught me that some people profane sweet potatoes with marshmallows, introduced me to pumpkin bread and gave me the decadent Indian feast during my year abroad in the UK. - 2000-2004
The first time I went home with the man who would eventually be my husband, it probably started out feeling like a rehash of my college years: another family, another table, another set of Thanksgiving traditions to learn. Very quickly, however, I was incorporated into those traditions and began to think of them as my own. It wasn't about the food; it was about the stories and memories we shared about the food. Unlike Christmas, it wasn't the frenzy of gifts and associated anxieties; it was just about being a family and having the blessing of being together. - 2005
Last year, my husband and I opted to forgo the log-cabin Thanksgiving described above and visit my mother and brother in Florida. At this point, it had been ten years since I'd shared a Thanksgiving meal with her, and we wanted to do something different. She was all a-twitter, procured a free-range organic turkey for her crazy daughter and replaced her disfunctional stove for her culinary son-in-law. We had a wonderful time together and a great meal. I remember my mother dropping us off at the airport after the weekend and tears rolling down my cheeks as I expressed my appreciation to my husband for making that holiday happen. At the time, this seemed melodramatic, and I didn't understand why I was so emotional. Two weeks later, my mother would be given a terminal cancer diagnosis and our lives would be changed unimagineably. Of course, I couldn't have known that while I was making an emotional scene in the airport, but looking back it makes that moment much more poignant. - 2006
My husband and I now live in Florida with my mother and brother, and she finished her second course of chemotherapy the day before Thanksgiving. It's not that I'm ungrateful this year, it's just that everything I can think of to be grateful for has a bittersweet edge to it. I am grateful for this time to be here with my mother and brother, but I know my husband is very homesick this holiday season. I am terribly grateful that my mother-in-law seems to have won her battle against breast cancer (she was diagnosed in the spring of this year), but I also know I will never share that victory with my mother. I am grateful for my own health and that of my husband, but I know that as caregivers we're putting ourselves second, third and sometimes fourth and letting things slide that deserve attention. Again and again, I'm learning that you can be grateful and heartbroken at the same time.
