Thursday, July 12, 2007

Friday Cemetery Blogging


Howdy. These are interview questions that Patti sent me. If you would like some questions of your own to answer, leave a note in the comments or send me an email.

1. How is your bike riding going? So far, so good. I'm still doing it. I haven't lost any weight, but my cholesterol is down and my checkbook is fatter. I'm averaging 3-4 days a week. Haven't done the full five days yet. I love riding to work - it's normally cool and breezy. Riding home is hellacious. Do you remember the little old oatmeal eaters? I've noticed the last couple of weeks that they are watching me as much as I am watching them. Next week I may wave.

2. I know you are a fan of Art Buchwald. What do you find most inspiring about him? I learned a whole lot from reading Art Buchwald, starting as a 10 year old kid. He taught me all I know about mid-20th century political history. Seriously. I never had a class in high school or college that covered that particular period. Art Buchwald taught me that politics are damn funny. Politics are still my favorite spectator sport, thanks to Art's early influence. Now that local politics have a direct and lasting impact on my daily life and continued employment, I have tempered my love of their hilarity a bit. When the election on Tuesday decides who you'll be working for on Wednesday, it can sometimes be a bit of a nail-biter. But I still love it. I blame Buchwald for that. (And I learned lots of things about lots and lots of sex scandals that I bet my mom and dad wouldn't have approved of. It took me a really long time to figure out what the heck Chappaquiddick was.)

3. Describe your self, lifestyle and circumstances in High School: Interesting timing on this question. Jackson has always said that I remind him of Julia Styles in the movie 10 Things I Hate About You. A couple of weeks ago, a couple of other people told me the same thing. I decided I would finally watch the movie. I loved it! I mentioned it to my sister-in-law and she immediately said - you guessed it - that I remind her of Julia Styles in that movie. Much as I would like to claim that was me in high school, it's not. I was actually kind of quiet. I had a lot of fun, but I enjoyed staying at home to read a good book on Saturday night way more than hanging out with all the other kids on the town square, watching the traffic light change colors. My frame of reference was totally different from that of my peers, and that was fine with me. I was the preacher's kid and I wasn't even particularly rebellious. When I wasn't in school, I was doing manual labor at the City Grocery and Deli. I was a band geek, and, OF COURSE, I was the yearbook editor. (I contend that most bloggers were on the yearbook staff at some point during high school.) That's me in the hat, c. 1989, back row, second from left:










I wore hats a lot. (The girl in the wheelchair? She's the same one from this story.)

4. Let's say you could go to any theatrical production in the world. Money is no object. Where would you go? I would go to the theatre in London, for sure! I don't know what I would see...Spamalot, maybe? (Help me! I'm bein' repressed!) I love going to plays, but I haven't been to any big time shows, other than the Phantom of the Opera (which I reeeeally enjoyed!) I love to go watch kids in high school one act play competitions or to check out our local university's theatre department. Every great once in a while we go to a production in Big Flat City and a little more regularly we wander down off the Caprock to see whatever is happening at the Cereal City theatre.

5. What is the most uncomfortable pair of shoes you own? When do you wear them? These are my favorite least comfortable shoes. I had to search the far back reaches of my closet to find them because I have not found an occasion that was worth it for me to wear them in the last couple of years. I've wanted a pair of Dr. Scholl's Exercise Sandals since about 1979. I thought they were so cool on my older cousins and their friends. They finally came back into style when I was college. I hopped right out and bought me a pair. I love the way the wood feels smooth and cool on my feet. Unfortunately, these are half-assed shoes. I tend to kick off any shoe without at least a strap across the back when I walk. It's a pain in the rear with most shoes. It's a pain in the foot with these shoes. Every freakin' time I wear them, I manage to do that and bring my heel or arch down on the sharp wooden edge of these suckers. Damn, it hurts. Almost enough to bring tears. They should change the name to Dr. Sheol's Exercise Sandals.





14 comments:

jonboy said...

High school .... thank God those days are over. We never did get beepers and emergency flashers for Bs wheelchair.

Kathryn said...

Oh...we have the same least comfortable footwear, except that mine were Moshulu rather than Scholl...but utter agony!
Yearbooks have only hit the UK in the past decade or so...My school leaving kids have them, but not in my day, which is kind of sad :-(

Princess of Everything (and then some) said...

I have heard her utter some mean words while wearing those shoes.

I love the retro pic!

Lori said...

Interesting stuff! I'll have to look more into Art Buchwald. He's only hovered at the outskirts of my scattered focus of things. Love the picture! It's hard to pull off the hat thing and you do it well.

So identify with the Dr. Scholl's. I wanted a pair sooooo bad. But they do hurt worse than a bottom soled popped blister on hot asphalt!! I do believe that wherever Dr. Scholl is, the git, he's rolling around doubled up in laughter.

Beth said...

Whoa - that's some serious late 80's Texas hair...

One of my life's greatest disappointments was NOT being selected to be on the yearbook staff. I had a lot of successes in my life, but that was not one of them. It was devastating (it seemed to have a lot to do with popularity and knowing the right folks, and apparently I didn't fit in...) So I've always thought that I blogged out of repressed desire to be on the yearbook staff...

zorra said...

I am totally with you on the Dr. Scholl's. I remeber accidentally kicking one half off while trying to run, and taking it in the instep!

Can't remember...was it in eleventh grade or twelfth that I was features editor of the yearbook...

If politics is your favorite spectator sport, aren't you glad you're in Texas??

spookyrach said...

Oh, Kathryn. Sorry you missed out on yearbooks. They are a lot of fun.

PG - Thanks! I don't wear those kinds of hats much anymore, I can't get away with 'em at work - makes me look too much like a drug dealer wannabe.

Beth - You are hereby appointed Honorary Yearbook Editor.

Zorra - Three words fer ya: Billy Sol Estes.

annie said...

I agree about the Dr. Scholl's shoes! Trying to walk too fast for the shoes is a painful experience.

It appears Beth and I are exceptions to your contentions about bloggers being former yearbook staffers.I wasn't on the yearbook staff either, didn't have sense enough to WANT to be on it back then!

spookyrach said...

I bet you secretly wanted to be on the yearbook staff, annie, but you just didn't know it! *grins*

Lori said...

It's OK Annie, I wasn't on the yearbook staff either. But then I had been skipped a grade for the second time and was having a hard time just remembering everyone's names.

little david said...

Ha-ha! I get the "Dr. Sheol" part! And I was NOT on the yearbook staff. Well, OK, I did some cartoons for the school paper, but that's not the same thing. Oh, yeah, and there was that unauthorized student newspaper during my seminary days.

Mary Beth said...

I was on the yearbook but just for a year. The advisor was a squirrel. I of course was totally cool!

And I hate those damn Dr. Scholl's!

I'd love some questions if you have any for me.

:)

Mile High Pixie said...

I have a pair of Dr. Scholl's Termite Bait Sandals that I only wear while working out on my deck so I don't get supermarket foot from walking around in the dust. In the meantime, I'll think of you when I see Spamalot when it comes to Denver in October. I already bought tickets.

Cyn Huddleston said...

You have pretty feet. Mine are hideous. They were the thing that I hated most about me when I was at that age when you hate something about you. But you have pretty feet.
Now I just hate you.;)