Getting invited to the cool kids' table ROCKS.

Yep; we did one of these not long ago (okay, like two weeks), but they're kind of fun, they help me get back into the bloggin' mood, and they're good for filler posts.  The lovely Christina over at South to Southwest tagged me in her list, and it's just bad manners not to respond when you're asked a question... so here goes!

1. What's on your Christmas wish-list?

From a sensible standpoint, gifts of a monetary nature are always welcome.  The plan is to start back to school in January, so a little boost to the checking account couldn't hurt!  But since this is Christmas we're talkin' about, and the idea is to wish for things we wouldn't ordinarily get for ourselves... I'd like sessions with a personal trainer, some fancy expensive shoes, and jewelry.  Who says no to that!?

2. Do you have any tattoos?

I do!  Two, in fact.  The first is a starfish on my hip.  My sister and I planned forever to get it right... we knew we wanted matching ones for our first foray into getting inked!  They are mirror images; mine is on my left hip, hers is on the right.  We picked a starfish because we knew we wanted something aquatic and something with a good story behind it.  Anthropologist & philosopher Loren Eiseley published a 16-page essay titled The Star Thrower in 1969, which has been adapted by motivational speakers into a "call to action" fable.  It goes something like this:  

An old man is walking the beach one morning and sees a young boy off in the distance, dancing along the water's edge.  As he draws nearer, he sees that the boy is not dancing, but instead is repeatedly bending over, picking things up one at a time, and then throwing them into the ocean.  Confused, the man asks the boy what he's doing.
"Throwing starfish into the ocean," the boy says.  "The tide's going out and if these starfish are stranded on the beach, they'll die."
"But there are hundreds of them!" the man protests.  "And the tide is going out so quickly!  How can you possibly make a difference?"
The boy thinks quietly for a moment, then bends, picks up another starfish, and flings it into the water.  
"I made a difference to that one."

It's my permanent reminder of the power of one. 

The other tattoo is a seahorse, along my rib cage on my right side.  Pirates and sailors believed seahorses were symbols of protection; they are also symbolic of grace and persistence under pressure or change.  I got it Labor Day Weekend of 2008, in keeping with my aquatic theme.  As it turned out, though, 2008 was a pretty rocky year:  I turned 30, lost a beloved grandparent, and called off my wedding all in the time between Father's Day and Thanksgiving.  I like to think there was some divine intervention at work when I decided on the seahorse; I didn't know it at the time, but I was going to need that protection, grace and persistence like never before.  

3. What's your favorite book? 
This may be one of the hardest questions for me to answer.  My response is different almost every time, depending on how I'm feeling that day.  I read just about everything, so it's hard to select just one favorite across genres, but these two always leap to the forefront.

Such a Pretty Fat, by Jen Lancaster.  A memoir that delves into chick-lit territory, this is actually her third book.  I'd recommend her entire oeuvre (and for God's sake, go read her blog), but this is the one that I found first and can relate to most, so it's at the top of my list.  

A Separate Peace, by John Knowles.  It's on almost every high school required reading list for a reason:  it's a damn good story.

4. What's your worst habit? 

Oh man; I could write a book.  Actually, that's it.  I could write a book; that is, if I could break myself of the tendency to procrastinate. The lag in my posts here is all the proof you need!

5. If you could live anywhere, where would you move to?

Right now, I'm pretty happy as-is.  I moved to the 'bus last winter (...my goodness, almost a year already?) and I am not relishing the thought of another move any time soon.  I love central Ohio; it's got everything I could want or need.  We have four seasons:  Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter, and Road Construction.  We have big city excitement and a small-town sense of community.  We have world-class dining and shopping (seriously; the world HQ for the entire Limited Brands roster is 15 miles from my apartment).  

I love the Carolinas, though.  That's where my favorite vacations have been and where I want to take my own children someday... that's where my heart would move me.  

6.  Have you ever met any celebrities?

Run-ins with famous people??  Now you're speakin' my language, sister!!  I saw Neil Diamond in the Nashville airport once; I waited for an autograph (and got one) after a Chris Isaak show; most recently, I was onsite for the taping of an episode of Food Feuds with Iron Chef Michael Symon (look for me in the crowd on the SkyWay/Swenson's burger battle episode, set to air on Thanksgiving night!).

But the most awesome encounter with celebrity was in 1999:  I was home for the summer before the start of my senior year at Miami, and... you know what?  Words don't do it justice.  I'll dig up the picture and post it here; it's totally worth the wait.  

7. What is your guilty pleasure food?

YES.  Kidding!  (Sort of.)  I like to try new things whenever I can, but if it's comfort and familiarity I'm looking for, it's this:

Fritos plus Lawson's Chip Dip = best salty fattening snack EVER.

It has to be Lawson's.  Northeast Ohio kids will totally back me up on this.

8. What is your all time favorite picture of you?

I love this picture.  I am having a fabulous hair night, my smile is killer... oh, and the guy is pretty much the love of my life, so that one more for the "pro" column.

So there we have it.  Fun stuff!

Don't worry:  we'll get back to "real" posts ASAP.  I have a bunch of ideas already in the works....