la meme

Birthday wish number one.

Anyway, I really don't have much to say... so instead I'm going to answer all the 'Questions of the Day' that Vox has spit out so far (FYI, they've given me 4 more invites if anyone wants 'em. Just let me know your e-mail address). Whee.

As a youngster, when you scrounged together enough change to get some candy, what did you buy?
Hm. I think my favorites were Warheads, Nerds, and anything of the gummy persuasion.

What's the last thing you changed your mind about?
Literally the last thing, or the most important last thing? The most important thing was changing my mind about moving to DC. The actual last thing was my decision to waste time filling out these questions instead of reading.

What was the first album (record, cassette or CD) you purchased with your own money?
I believe, to the best of my recollection, it was U2's Achtung Baby circa age 12.

If you had a time machine and could travel anywhere in time, where would you go and why?
Paris during La Belle Époque. I'd love to run around drinking absinthe with the bohemians. Or, 1940s Hollywood (same as above, but substitute champagne and Golden Age film stars).

If someone was visiting your town for the first time, what would be the one place you'd tell them they just had to go see.
That really depends on what they're into. I think the Eastman House is the most obvious answer--and for good reason--but not everyone is into museums. Mount Hope Cemetery can be a beautiful place to wander and look for famous graves or try to sneak a peek inside the abandoned church.

Do you believe in ghosts? Follow-up question: What's the most supernatural experience you've ever had?
I don't not believe in them. I've never had an experience with anything supernatural, but I'm completely freaked out by the idea of ghosts. Even, like, ghosts of relatives. No thank you.

What's your favorite board game?
Scrabble!

What's your favorite season?
Autumn, without a doubt. I love all my autumn clothes, I love the smell of the fallen leaves and the briskness of the air, I love mulled cider and pumpkin pie, I love my birthday and Thanksgiving. I love simply everything about autumn (except, of course, that it is a harbinger of winter).

What's the best movie sequel ever made?
Uh. Probably the Godfather Part II, although I consider that more of a 'second volume' than a sequel. And its goodness is mitigated a little by the pile of tripe that is Part III.

What's your favorite song of 2006?
Oh geez, I don't know. What came out this year?

What's the best thing about 3-day weekends?
I usually allow myself a 'freebie' day to sit around doing absolutely nothing without feeling guilty about it.

What was the first rock concert you ever attended? (We know, they're not called "rock concerts" anymore, but still...)
Hm. I think it was Weezer at the Horozontal Boogie Bar in 1995.

What's your favorite family tradition?
We don't really have a lot of traditions, but I do love getting together for Thanksgiving dinner.

What's the oldest thing you own? Where did you get it from? Significance?
Probably my dresser, which I think was my great-grandmother's. I like it, it's kind of deco.

If I was to hand you $10,000 and the only condition of the gift was that you had to spend it -- and spend it completely -- within the next hour, what would you spend it on?
I'd put it toward my student loans. That would take care of $10,000 right quick.

You're given one dish to cook or bake: what's your signature recipe?
Ooh. Tough one. Even though I haven't made them in years, people were always a fan of the chocolate pots and they're dead easy to make.

Do you have a nickname or a name certain people call you? Where did it originate?
The British lot call me 'Leenie,' but I have no idea of its origins. Very strange, as no one in the states calls me that.

What famous person do people say you resemble? Comparison pictures, please.
I've never been told that I look like a celebrity.

What song was the number one song on the charts the day you were born? How about the day you turned 21? What do you think about the song?
The day I was born: Queen - "Another One Bites the Dust" - meh. Not one of their best.
The day I turned 21: Jennifer Lopez f/ Ja Rule - "I'm Real (Murder Remix)" - I actually kind of liked that song at the time. I haven't heard it since my days at the Holiday, though. :P

Has there been a book that has changed your life? Maybe just a little bit?
Bien sur! Le Petit Prince! I'd have to throw The Unbearable Lightness of Being in there as well.

What was your favorite arcade game growing up? What's your favorite game now?
When I was little it was Pitfall for the Atari. Now... I couldn't care less.

What's your worst travelling story? Horrible airport experience? Seasickness?
There are two. Number one, being stranded overnight in a train station in Crewe because I missed my overnight sleeper train to Glasgow. Number two, sleeping under the breakwall in Ullapool Harbor because I didn't realize that my hostel had a curfew and was locked out. Both were very, very cold and uncomfortable nights.

What's the most extreme weather you've been in? A memorable storm? Heat wave? Or something else?
I suppose Rochester's ice storm was fairly extreme. Nothing like a hurricane, to be sure, but really rather unpleasant.

Soda? Cola? Pop? What do you say? Any other regional words that set you apart?
I used to say 'pop,' but now I say 'soda.'

Play any instrument or speak any language, which do you choose?
I'd love to be flawlessly fluent in French.

If you could open any sort of restaurant, what would it be like?
I'd rather open a bar. It'd be really swanky and loungy, but without being kitschy or ironic (or, for that matter, pretentious). Obviously it would have a drool-worthy jukebox and not a single television set in sight. Lots of tables, though. With those little candles in nubby red glass jars.

What or who is your favorite product mascot? Why?
I can tell you my least favorite mascot, and that's the Snuggle Bear. Although that's a long-standing hatred, and it's very possible that the Nasonex Bee will hold the title if he's still around a year from now. *shudder*

If you could get someone in your life to start a blog, who would it be and why?
Phen. He always has adventures.

When you were younger, were there any game shows that you religiously watched and wanted to be a contestant on?
When I was young I loved all the really cheesy game shows, like "Press Your Luck" and "Win, Lose, or Draw!". I don't think I necessarily wanted to be a contestant on them, but I watched them all the time.

What's your morning beverage of choice? Coffee, tea, juice? Homemade or store-bought?
If I'm feeling rich it's a Starbuck's grande sugar-free, fat-free hazelnut latte. If I am feeling... notsorich... Dunkin' Donuts vanilla spice coffee with skim milk and one Splenda.

How well do you know your next-door neighbors?
I don't, really. At all. I don't even know their names.

When was the last time you had to speak in front of a group? How did you feel?
It's been aaages. I had to do a presentation on my honors project in front of one of my advisor's classes in college. I felt... well, mostly hungover, since it was at 8am.

What was the last wedding you went to? Were you in the wedding?
Rach & Pete's wedding in May. No, I was not in it.

Tell us a little something about your first car. Do you have any photos you can share?
The Thunderchicken! 1989 Ford Thunderbird in navy blue, handed down to me from my parents in 2001. It's the car I drove in high school, though, so really I'd been cruising around in it since 1996. It died a very speedy death in the summer of 2002.

What albums are in heavy rotation for you right now?
The Jayhawks - Tomorrow the Green Grass
Various Artists - Ocean's 12 Soundtrack
DeVotchKa - How It Ends
Nouvelle Vague - Nouvelle Vague

What was (or is) your favorite subject in school?
I liked AP Psychology a lot. English was fun, depending on the teacher. In college it was clearly history.

What's the nerdiest thing about you?
90% of the time I'd rather stay in and read than go out.

Are there any snacks, food or candy that are no longer made that you desperately miss?
I don't know if they're still made or not, but I haven't seen any since Louie's Sweet Shoppe closed... clove flavored stick candy. I wonder if they have them at the model Louie's in the Strong Museum. Hmm. Ooh and cherry phosphates!

What movie would you really recommend renting or seeing this weekend?
I just rented Heathers, which was great.

What books are on your nightstand?
1776 - David McCullough
Take the Cannoli: Stories From the New World - Sarah Vowell
A Sorrow Beyond Dreams - Peter Handke
a GRE Prep Book
Diners, Bowling Alleys, and Trailer Parks: Chasing the American Dream in Postwar Consumer Culture - Andrew Hurley

Who's your favorite movie villain?
I don't know if this counts, but I always adored-despised the preppie, rich asshole roles that James Spader was cast in during the 80s. Pretty in Pink? Less Than Zero? So good.

What is your browser's default home page set to?
Excite.com.

What's your favorite way to keep in touch? Phone, snail mail, email, text message, _____?
Well, I prefer snail mail but generally no one is interested in writing back (with a few exceptions) so it tends to come down to e-mail or phone.

What song or lyrics are stuck in your head at the moment? What album is it from?
"Recommendation" by Mirah, from the album Advisory Committee. Last night, though, I couldn't get "Do Your Ears Hang Low" out of my head. NO idea why that popped into my tired little brain, but it drove me nuts. :P