Random Dozen Meme

Catchy title, don't you think? I'm so glad Lid thought of it! I'm very happy that Lid is hosting this fun meme where we get to answer truly random questions because it satisfies that need in me to harness my randomness at times for the good of all. Participating in this meme is sort of like performing a public service, isn't it? ISN'T IT?!

Well then...



1. On an average, how often do you splurge and buy something for yourself?
Do chocolate and Cheetos count? Other than that, the last time I bought something was in July. We knew our friend was coming in August and could bring things from the U.S. for us. I bought fabric, GLORIOUS fabric, and used books on eBay. 

2. Are you more like Hall or Oates? Just kidding. Real question: What is the last creative project you began/finished? Feel free to post a pic of it. 
 The last one I finished I forgot to take a photo of before I put it in an envelope and sent it to Skoots1Mom after she won a little giveaway on my blog. My current projects are for Christmas. Not sure if I'll get them done in time or not, and they're only tiny little wall quilts. TINY. But I'm doing a number of different techniques that are time consuming. I don't really want to show much until it's finished but here's a close-up so you can see the fun I've been having, trying out the different embroidery stitches on my Pfaff.

3. OK, Goldie Locks, do you consider your house too big, too little or juuuust right?
No house will be big enough until I have a dedicated craft room. LOL  For years the crafting area was the living/dining area wherever we lived. In our current house I have a table in the study where my sewing machine resides and I can sew whenever I feel like it. Mostly. As long as we don't have a guest in that room. There's no place to store all my fabric and other quilting paraphernalia, so they remain in plastic bins of assorted sizes, stacked here and there. I still have to use the dining table if I need to spread out.

4. What is your favorite outdoor chore?
Taking photos of chores my husband has done?

5. If you knew that cigarette smoking was not bad for your health but would be a weight loss tool, would you use it? Why or why not?
NO! Icky smell, yellow teeth, stained fingers...need I say more? Aside from which, smoke of any kind is the major trigger for my asthma. NOT WORTH IT!

6. On a road trip, would you rather drive or ride?
Definitely ride. Not a fan of the driving.
Besides I make a much better back seat driver :-)

7. What do you consider a trivial pursuit?
Doing nothing but sitting around gossiping. That.Would.Drive.Me.Nuts.
Reading a book or watching a movie that doesn't hold my attention.

[Note the oh, so subtle segue into the next question...it would make my high school English teach SO proud.]

8. This weekend, we downloaded the movie "Duplicity" with Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. Within 5 minutes, I was bored and annoyed, but I kept watching 5-10 minutes at a time hoping it would get better between small chores. I finally gave up and Jorge watched it alone, and then regretted wasting that time because he disliked it intensely, too. So ... how long do you watch a movie or read a book before giving up on it?
I used to HAVE to finish any book I started. No longer; if it doesn't grab me in the first 2-3 chapters, I have no qualms about putting it down. With a movie I might go half an hour, certainly no more and probably much less. Life's just too short for TRIVIAL PURSUITS.

[Bada-bing! Just tied that up with a pretty little yellow bow :-)]

9. Is there a song that you really love but are embarrassed to admit because it's not cool or it's racy or because it's by Hall and Oates?
I've long been a fan of cheesy country, where the guy loses his wife, his dog, his truck and *gasp* his guitar... Just love that bluegrass banjo and lyrics like bad poetry which can be so depressing but when sung with an uplifting twang makes you happy anyway. Such as this old Hank Williams song:

Your cheating heart will make you weep
You’ll cry and cry and try to sleep
But sleep won’t come the whole night through
Your cheating heart will tell on you


When tears come down like falling rain
You’ll toss around and call my name
You’re gonna walk that floor the way I do
Your cheating heart will tell on you


Your cheating heart will pine someday
And crave the love you threw away
The time will come when you’ll be blue
Your cheating heart will tell on you


When tears come down like falling rain
You’ll toss around and call my name
You’re gonna walk that floor the way I do
Your cheating heart will tell on you

The lyrics alone can't convey the twang, so I give you 15 seconds from one of the kings of bluegrass...

Now tell me that didn't make you smile.

10. On a scale of 1-10 (10 = extremely) how spontaneous are you?
Two.
On a good day. 

11. Are you a food and/or beverage snob?
Why yes, yes I am!
I determined long ago that if a calorie was going to pass by my lips it had better be good. This prejudice extends to all major food groups, but especially chocolate. I have been known to pass up mediocre chocolate without batting an eyelash. I'd rather not have coffee than drink bad coffee. On the other hand, I love me some junk food so obviously I'm not that big of a food snob.

Now step away from the Cheetos. They're mine!

12. Who/What are you trying to control in your life? (I hear people gulping and see them sweating in anticipation of how to answer this one.)
Only EVERYTHING.

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The whatever-you-call-it English thing I hosted last night went okay. Besides our co-workers' two youngest (one is in 6th grade, one in 9th), three ladies came. Their skill level runs the gamut from fairly fluent to middle-of-the-road to speaks-no-English-and-understands-only-a-little. My Spanish tutor said it would be best if the participants were somewhat at the same level.

It was never my intention to TEACH English. I simply want to do for them like Graciela has done for me with Spanish: provide a comfortable space and place to practice their English.

The other issue was figuring out a time when everyone can make it (one had to leave half-way through last evening). There isn't one.

Obviously a few kinks to be worked out.

Oh, and I forgot to take a single photo.

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There's a big folklore dance competition happening this week, right here in Carlos Paz, with participants from other Latin America countries as well as Argentina. Our friend Abraham and his group will be competing tonight. These things start around 9 p.m. and often go into the wee hours of the morning. I cannot last that long so hopefully his group will perform near the beginning. I hope I remember to take photos because Abraham looks quite spiffy in his traditional gaucho costume.