more of those Things

[veek]

73. I believe there is a lesson in every event that is part of my life. Learned this in a concrete way from my best friend, who has also taught me many other things.
74. Said best friend is a professional massage therapist, hates the word "masseuse," and rightly so. We lived together for a bit over a year, and invited people to our house for food and massage. Especially musicians, especially those in the folk-rock, grassroots-fanbase circuit: it was the best way we knew how to thank them for the music they'd gifted us with. Several took us up on it. It was fun.
75. I met Cee through following a band I liked, called Moxy Fruvous. We followed them, Deadhead-style, for a while; in fact, their fanbase called themselves Fruheads. Through Fruvous, I also met the above-mentioned person I was engaged to, so they were a pretty substantial part of my life. They are not touring now, are on an extended hiatus. It is not clear that they'll ever get back together, and I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing if they don't: they had stopped having fun, and it was showing on stage. They are now, reputedly, happily pursuing other musical projects, which aren't half bad, and I wish them the best.
76. I like walking. A lot. My favorite way to see cities is on foot. If I weren't so damn busy all the time, and lived in a city where this were actually possible, and if walking didn't take so long, I'd love to just walk everywhere.
77. I am a citygirl. I could imagine living in the middle of nowhere as a vacation -- would love to work on a farm for a month or a summer sometime -- but prefer to live in the middle of everything, and know that at any given moment more Stuff is going on than I'd ever be able to participate in. I have an intense dislike for suburbs: they feel culturally stifling, nothing ever happens there, and to get anywhere exciting takes forever.
78. The only house chore I actually like is washing the dishes. Especially if music is playing that I can sing along to.
79. I sing a LOT. Everywhere. In the shower, in my car, around the house. I have a decent, not entirely solid solo voice, but can blend well with many, and can certainly carry a tune. I was in choirs for the last three years of high school, and the later two of those years were spent in a wonderful, huge choir program with an amazing director. We went to competitions and won many times. And had fun doing it, and were not doing it for the competitions but for the fun of it. I miss that.
80. For a long time, due mostly to my mother's irrational love of all things French (the Russians have been rather obssessed with all things French for several generations now, indiscriminately), I had an aversion to learning the language and having anything to do with the culture for a long time. Despite this, I took four semesters of French in college, because intellectually I knew it would be useful, and somewhat to appease Mom. Two years ago (wow, that long...) a summer job teaching high school students abroad took me to Paris for three days... and, completely despite myself, I fell in love with it. Since then, I've been to Paris once again (for four days this time, and with more liberty to explore), and my interest in learning French better has increased. I'd love to live there sometime soon, for a year or so.
81. I speak Russian, English and Italian fluently. Italian worse than the other two, but I'm improving. If I were more conscientious about it, I know I could learn to speak in Real, Literary Italian. Perhaps I should live there (again) sometime, as well.
82. I spent New Year's in 1995/96 in a little coastal city called Salerno, in Italy, about an hour south of Naples. We (myself and my 4 new friends from the Rome hostel, whom I'd followed to Salerno instead of going to Naples as originally planned) had been to the Amalfi coast during the day on December 31st, and had purchased there the best citrus liquor I've ever had. Limoncello, which originates there, is a heavy, sweet after-dinner-type drink with an intense flavor; and there were varieties made with mandarines and oranges as well. We all stocked up on little bottles of it as gifts to bring back to the U.S. and came back to the hostel. The fish store on the corner was having a huge sale on the amazing number of mussels they wanted to get rid of; something like 3000 lire ($1.50-1.70) a kilo. So, um, we bought a kilo of mussels per person, made pasta with a mussel marinara sauce, and had that for New Year's dinner, with some amazing limoncello for dessert.
83. I suck at writing letters longhand. I got a lot of grief from my grandparents (and my mother, regarding writing to my grandparents) on that account when we immigrated. E-mail makes things a bit better, as my typing actually approximates the speed of my brane enough for the writing process not to be irritating.
84. That said, I've taken to writing academic stuff longhand, lately. It lets me gather my thoughts and formulate better what I want to say.
85. I look and act a lot like my father. I have his eyes and driving skills.
86. I love wearing long, flowy skirts. I think they suit me. Other than that, I have always been rather a tomboy. Less so in the last, say, six or seven years.
87. My mother thinks my fashion sense is atrocious, and generally disapproves of some of my lifestyle choices. This bothers me, but I will not change my value system unless there's a better reason for change than her disapproval.
88. I love juicy, soft peaches and ripe mangoes.
89. I think raw oysters are sublime, and one of the sexiest foods I've yet experienced.
90. My favorite place to food shop is a big noisy street market. Be it in Kishinev, Florence or Boston.
91. I am a completist. When almost done with a task, I tend to finish it quickly and feverishly, no matter how long it took me to get through the beginning and middle.
92. I cannot stand it when drivers do not use their turn signals to change lanes or make turns. Another pet peeve is hearing/reading people discuss things they don't know about in degrading terms, simply because a concept is foreign or doesn't pertain to them. One of those Things is polyamory. [Now ifMUDders will know when I am writing this.] I think, if I hear another person mention sleezy threesomes as the defining feature, or use the word "chyx" in connection with poly, I'll scream. Boy, that was a good use of number 92.
93. The only food I decidedly do not like at the moment are boiled onions. The notable exception to this are the onions in French onion soup. Mmmmm.
94. My favorite cheeses are sharp and soft. The softer gorgonzola; brie; camembert. Also, really great chevre. And fresh mozzarella. On the other hand, I will most often pass on any smoked cheese. But my favorite cheese of all is a "torta" - layered soft gorgonzola and mascarpone. That is yummy.
95. One of my most humbling moments in nature was when I stood inside the hollowed-out trunk of a redwood tree near San Jose, California, looked up and saw the sky.
96. I've never smoked a cigarette in my life. And never will. And will not live with a smoker. At all. Ever.
97. I tend to smile a lot, uncontrollably, in stressful situations. Even very very bad ones, when smiling isn't appropriate. It drives me crazy, is easy to misinterpret, but is really a way to release energy, I guess. I don't know what my body is thinking, those times.
98. My body tells me what nutrients it needs. When I am considering meal options, it usually doesn't take long to just know what I need to eat. It comes in general nutrient terms -- protein (meat/seafood), carbohydrates (pastapastapasta!! barring which, bread dipped in olive oil, or something), fresh vegetables, or whatever. I also get cravings for cheese and chocolate and other random foods, and will usually indulge myself enough for a taste but try (emphasis on "try") to not overdo it. Being around body-conscious people (not just the above-mentioned massage therapist) has helped heighten my awareness of myself, all of me, mentally and physically.
99. I don't want children now, or in the near future, but I do want children at some point. I think (and have evidence to support this opinion in the face of my nephew) that, when I am ready, I will make a good mother.
100. I don't mind changing diapers, and am not squeamish about blood.
101. There are more than 101 things that make me who I am. I contain multitudes.

Comments

[two-star.livejournal.com]

#92
Hrm. Well, said conversation is still in the recap buffer, and I see that I used the word chyk in there. Although not strictly in reference to polyamory, so I dunno.
Um, sorry? Also sorry if I said anything that sounded degrading. I truly did not mean to.

I don't think I can renounce the use of "chy[k|x]" as a term for adult female humans. It has a pretty neutral connotation to me. Unlike "chicks" which is rather sexist.