Where No Annie Has Gone Before

So, I go on the first long weekend of my 20-year academic career, rush home on this MLK celebratory day to do a phone interview with someone on the other side of the world on my now-ancient dissertation topic on which I may be one of the few living experts (it was a fabulous interview/conversation, and more on that another day), start three loads of laundry, open the wine, and finally respond to Inktopia, one of my bloggy peeps, who gave me a homework assignment that I think she wanted me to complete on my long weekend, but alas, she had to wait.

So here goes the Seven Things I Haven’t Said on This Here Blog:

1. I twirled the baton in elementary school, and the rifle in the “color guard” in the high school marching band. For those not in the know, that means very short skirts, and quite the sexy arms.
2. Yet, I tried to get a position playing the drums for the marching band, but was turned down because, get this, the drums were just too heavy for a girl like me, despite the strong, sexy arms. Sigh. This was 1976, ladies: read it and weep.
3. I’m the first member of my family to complete a B.A. (one uncle, a cousin, and my brother earned A.A’s). My niece and nephew are on track to be the 2^nd, and 3^rd. Needless to say it’s a bit difficult to explain what I DO for a living during family gatherings; yet, my family includes vet assistants, bookkeepers, machinists, hair dressers, cooks, firemen, computer techs and at least one mobster. 
4. I named my first cat after Holden Caulfield’s little sister, Phoebe.
5. I once lived with a man who looked and sounded like James Spader, circa Sex, Lies and Videotapes and Crash (the sex/car crash movie, not the L.A. one). I loved him. But he had issues.
6. I do not like to cook. Yes, I teach a class in food fiction, and I love to eat (there are not many foods I will not eat), but cooking? No. Never liked it, never will. I have not so fond memories of my poor mother, herself a reluctant cook, fighting with whatever meal she forced herself to make that night, and demanding that I learn to make a pot roast.  Yes, I remember now. That’s one food I do not like: pot roast.
7. I painted the walls of nearly every room in the house we bought over 5 years ago: one room is Tuscan yellow, another is a pale yellow; another is a light blue, and two are peach.  But I have never figured out what color to paint the hallway connecting all of those rooms: any advice?

If you’re reading this and haven’t been tagged by someone else in our nearly incestuous little bloggy world, consider yourself invited to play.

Extra Credit

An Extra Credit assignment from Inktopia (via Faemom, et al)

1. What’s your current obsession?  My honest answer is just too personal, so let’s go with a secondary obsession:  running.  I run daily now and feel and act most bitchy if I miss a day.
2. What’s you favorite color and why?  I really can’t answer that easily: it depends on what the object is. My Honda Civic is purple; my living room walls are peach; my home office walls are an Italian yellow; and in my closet, after black, the most common color is golden beige/ reds/blues.
3. What are you wearing today? Black hoodie sweater from Macy’s, Levis 512s, Dansko black clogs, and funny Life is Good socks with daisies on them. 
4. Why is today special? This morning I participated in the ½ marathon training run: 9 miles in the forest, in a May snowstorm.  And, I just finished grading midterms. Whew!
5. What would you like to learn to do?  Ballroom dance.
6. What’s for dinner today? Probably pasta and veggies.
7. What’s the last thing you bought? The Levis I’m wearing right now…
8. What are you listening to right now? The hum of the dishwasher and the dryer (I just finished grading midterms—I need silence for grading, alas).
9. What’s your most challenging goal right now? Writing that darn speech I am giving at the end of May (though I have a lovely list of ideas at least). 
10. What do you think about the person who tagged you? I’ve never met Ink, but we both believe we would have been the best of friends at age 13.
11. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?  On an ocean, a warm, swimmable ocean.   
12. What would you like to have in your hands right now?   A bowl of cookie dough ice cream. Or a completed speech.
13. What would you like to get rid of?  Insomnia, 10 more pounds, the dust bunnies under the bed (I’m just not good at giving one answer….)
14. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? Italy, on the ocean….maybe Sorrento or Cinque Terre.
15. What super power would you like to possess?  This one is tough since I’m not really familiar with all of the superpowers that exist in the world of super heroes.  I suppose Harry Potter’s wand with Hermione’s skill would do the trick, though.
16. What’s your favorite piece of clothing in your own closet? My Victoria’s Secret “biofit” black bra.
17. What’s your dream job? One that involves words, people and creativity and that takes me only about 4-6 hours a day to be considered a success.
18. If you had an unexpected $1000, what would you spend it on? Spa treatments for me and some friends (pedis, manis, massages—and champagne)
19. What do you find annoying? Cramps are annoying.  People who can only complain.  Incessantly barking dogs.
20. Describe your personal style.  In winter: Jeans, boots or clogs, snug sweaters, and either a long pashmina-like scarf or a fitted jacket. In summer: long skirts and tank tops.
21. What Broadway show would you want tickets to? [my replacement question since I don’t know enough about clothing designers] 9-5 or Hair or Desire Under the Elms: all being “revived” this month on Bway….
22. Whose closet would you want to raid?  Cutty’s on “House”: she dresses a bit wild for a hospital administrator!
23. What are you most proud of?  Right now, running 9 miles in the snow this morning, but with luck, by the end of June, running the ½ marathon, twice.  I’m also proud of my work in the classroom at times, but see #1.
24. The beautiful bloggers I’d like to know about are: To quote Ink, “everyone reading this!”

→ Now the rules of this tag:

1. Respond and rework: answer the questions on your blog, replace one question you dislike with a question of your own invention.

2. Tag 7 other people you would love to learn more about. I’m putting out a universal “tag” to all readers.