NaBloPoMo: with self-consciousness and Q & A

I'm a little worried that all I'm going to be able to write about for the next month is about what I'm going to write about. I guess that isn't entirely true. Chickenone and Edj have given me a couple of suggestions and every Monday is taken care of with the Sleeping with Bread meme.

It is just that ever since yesterday afternoon I feel like a college student again.

A college student with a paper due.

A paper she isn't prepared to write.

Do you remember that feeling? The low level anxiety and the feigned nonchalance as you go through your day. It is the equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears and singing "La La La" when someone is telling you something you don't want to hear. And I'm thinking about going back to school? For a graduate degree? What? I may need to reconsider that idea.

I guess I'll start with Edj's suggestions. Over at my 100 things list, she posted a comment asking me the following questions from statements on that list. They are posted in the order she asked them.

76. I have jokingly considered getting a tatto but probably never will.

Edj: What type of tattoo would you get?

Mary-LUE: Hmmm... I've think I've only ever gotten as far as the joking about getting one. I think it would need to be something that only a few people would "get." For example, a reference to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy such as a towel or the number 42. Another idea would be something from a Charles Williams book like a lion or a Fool. I like being a little obscure and different. Although our pastor at church this past Sunday morning actually asked everyone if they were familiar with The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and a lot of people raised their hands. I may have to scratch that off of my potential tatoo list for being too popular. If I did get a tatoo, it would go somewhere, though, where only God, my husband and I could see it.

98. Chocolate is a necessity, not an option.

Edj: What KIND of chocolate is a necessity?

Mary-LUE: Almost any kind of chocolate will do. As I've grown older, I'm not so hot on inexpensive milk chocolate. Dark chocolate is the best but it can just be regular dark chocolate. 80% cocoa content is not necessary even though I do like that, too. I love chocolate candy, hot chocolate, mochas, cake, pie, ice cream, brownies. Mmmmm.... brownies. To borrow a saying from a friend, I can't eat brownies like a lady.

55. When inspiration strikes, I give the best presents.

Edj: What is the best, most inspired present you have ever given (or at least an example of one)? Gotten?

Mary-LUE: This is a hard one for me to answer because, while I apparently felt comfortable enough to brag about it on my 100 things list, I feel a little obnoxious writing about it here. However, the type of thing I am likely to do is like this:

• I may be with a friend in a store where she see's a beautiful cross shadow box. She may decide not to spend the money on it now but her birthday might be just a day or two away. I might run into her brother and his fiancee at the same shopping mall--while I am with my friend--and frantically text message while no one is looking a message to the fiancee explaining what the box is, where it is and urging them to get it for her. Although I didn't actually buy the present for her, I am responsible for her getting the present she wanted. Said friend might be very surprised to receive that box the very next day. Or,
• I might hear a friend commenting that she likes a particular photo that was taken for possible use on a church project. I might go to the friend who worked with the photographer and ask to get the negative of the picture so a group of us could go in to get the picture processed and buy a gift certificate for a frame shop so she can frame it exactly as she wants to.

As far as presents that I have received, I think I'm a little hard to buy for. I am always happy with anything I receive but people have told me that it is hard to know what to get for me. That said, I think the best types of presents I have received can be represented by the following:

• A card I received from a friend for no particular reason. It was a beautiful card that contained within it some lovely thoughts on our friendship. I still have that card.
• My husband, on my fortieth birthday, went above and beyond the call of duty to record some of his songs. Now, you must know that I asked him to do that. However, all I asked for was an instrumental recording of his playing acoustic guitar. What I received were songs that he had rearranged, recorded the acoustic guitar, SANG on them, and snuck in a couple of friends to do back up vocals. All in all, quite a project for which I was quite oblivious to the goings-on as it was being done.
• Also for my fortieth birthday, three friends put together a trip to Colorado for a three day weekend. It was especially meaningful because two of those friends had moved away and it required a lot of effort to coordinate husbands, etc. The gift of quality time is definitely my preferred love language for receiving love.

Any other questions?

Until tomorrow,

Mary

2 down, 28 to go