Things I Like: Writing

I have liked to tell stories for as long as I can remember. When I was little, they were usually stories about cats and mice and...well, there were a lot of cats and mice, and a mouse named Kat, too. A few years back, I remember looking through the schoolwork my mom had kept of mine, and I was surprised just how many stories I used to write.

Now, there are a lot less cats and mice in my stories, but I think I have done my five-year-old self well. My stories are still adventurous and exciting, and one day, I hope to write a novel (or eight). Who knows, maybe I will even pop out a book about a mouse named Kat?

Things I Like: Elephants

I have an elephant thing. It really started after everything that happened. I was feeling overwhelmed, and my dad said to me: How do you eat an elephant?"

I am sure my answer involved tears, crying and frustration. My dad, however, calmly said, "One bite at a time."

I think I laughed, but at that point, whatever I had ahead of me didn't seem so difficult. I would just have to take it one bite at a timne.

Things I Like: Red Gravy

I was talking to two regulars today at the bar. We were talking about heritage, and I told them I was Italian. One of the guys was Italian, too, so we started to banter over macaroni, meatballs and red gravy. It was too cute.

I love being Italian, but not just that, I love being New York Italian. It's like we have our own language, a strange mix of Italian, English, Yiddish and old wives tales. We chatted how we didn't know what pasta was--it was all macaroni, and meatballs are cooked in the gravy, which is red not brown. I like that, how you can find commality in the strangest of places.

Later, a little girl was ordering and couldn't pronounce the menu item. So I repeated it back to her, "Galamari and an order of Orikette--little ears?" She pronounced it back the way I said it, it was really cute. Adults usually ignore my pronunciation and say it how it's spelled: "Fried Calamari and Orecchiette." Hee.

Things I Like: Superheroes

I was planning on talking about my secret love of action films and superheroes, but I think I will just post this video instead. :)

Things I Like: Superheroes (really)

Okay, now I will talk about superheroes. I have always loved a good action film, but I have really enjoyed the recent superhero trend in movies and media. Batman, X-men, Spiderman--their stories are so convoluted and complex and...really, really interesting. I can spend hours on wikipedia and TVtropes just reading about storylines, histories and character arcs. It is really incredible how intrinsic superhero comics are.

I think writing for an ongoing round robin about superheroes has encouraged my interest in the genre, too. With trileaderroses, frenchroast and horkbizarre, I write about the misadventures of a team of superheroes. We've been working on it for years now, and there are still plenty of stories to tell about our characters.

Things I Like: Singstar and Karaoke

I like to think of myself as a karaoke gift to the world. I am not a terribly talented vocalist, but gosh-darn-it I have fun on stage (and I pick songs that everyone can sing with me, heee).

My parents recently invested in Singstar for the family. We downloaded a few songs and played it one weekend while I was visiting them. It was...really fun. Even my dad got in on it, singing with my brother in a couple of duets. I was pleasantly surprised by my family singing along--my sister, who has a gorgeous voice but never sings for anyone, sand back-up vocals. By which I mean I held the mic angled toward her while I sang so that it picked her voice up. :D

We sang the Beatles, Britney Spears, Ray Charles...lots and lots of fun karaoke songs. It was a really memorable time, and I am happy we had it.

Have you have played Singstar, or gone to a Karaoke bar? What is your favorite song to sing? To listen to?

Things I Like: Jewelry

I like jewelry. Wait, let me rephrase that: I like sparkley things. I spend hours looking at jewelry and charms on etsy, thinking about the things I would buy if I had money. Sometimes, I do buy them (see chimera_fancies), sometimes I save them to my ever-growing favorites list, and sometimes I forfeit all subtley and show off the sparkley things I want to my friends and family.

Things I Like: Sleep

My freshman year od college, I started taking afternoon naps again. It was awesome. I would come home from class and pass out in my dormroom.

I rememebr reading an article once that compared college kids to kindergartners, and one of the main points was naptime. Mmmm...sleep. zZzZzZz

Things I Like: Iced Coffee

College also introduced me to iced coffee. Yum. I recently learned how to make it at home by cold brewing it, which is perfection. It tastes like starbucks. Starbucks and saving money. Recipe below a la Small Notebook

The night before, start with 1/4 cup of coarse ground coffee, and add 1 cup of cold filtered water.
The next morning add 1 more cup of water.
Strain and pour into a chilled glass over ice (makes two glasses).

I double this make it up in a large water bottle. Then, when I am ready to have it in the morning, I mix up some simple syrup in a coffee mug in the microwave. I do 2tsp sugar to 2 tsp water and microwave on high for about thirty seconds, and then just dump it over the ice before the coffee. I like added a bit of milk to mine, too.

Image credit JennGee at Etsy--click the image to visit her shop and check out her fantastic coffee corsets.

Things I Like: Talking about Myself

If you could ask me one question, what would it be?

Things I Like: Action Flicks

I already talked about superheroes, but now I want to talk about action movies.

I am such a dude when it comes to movies.

I love exciting, heartpounding, blow-stuff-up action flicks.

Some of my favorites are Jurassic Park, Die Hard, Airforce One, Independence Day, The Dark Knight...the lsit goes on and on.

What are your favorite action flicks?

Things I Like: Ben and Jerrys

I am craving ice cream at 5:30 in the morning. Haha, I am so weird. And tired.

So my favorite Ben and Jerry's flavor is Caramel Sutra. Mmm...I could eat it every day. Maybe I will have ice cream for breakfast.

Things I Like: Sci-Fi Original Movies

Two Words: Aztec Rex.

Things I Like: YouTube

I have been using YouTube a lot this Blogathon, haven't I? I guess it is
something I like, too. I remember when it first got popular while I was in
college--oh, man, I could spend hours finding videos.

Since I have already shared a few of my YouTube finds, why don't you
link me to a few of your favorites?

Speaking of which, I have been watching the Very
Potter Musical to help keep me awake until 9!

Things I Like: Harry Potter

Way back at 5:00, Tina wrote about Harry Potter already, but I am going to write about it again. I think what I like most about harry Potter is that Ms. Rowling created this amazing, inspiring world that encourages others to create. From fan fiction to Wizard Rock to musicals, fans come up with hilarious, amazing stuff. Whether you are a fan of the books or not, I think it certainly says something that the novels allow for such...unique creativity.

Also? I'm Happy as a Squirrel as long as I'm with Mr. Quirrel.

Things I Like: Singing in the Car

I don't just like singing in the car, I love it. I sing loudly, with the volume all the way up, and at stop lights I drum the beats against my steering wheel. Driversby look at me like I'm a lunatic. It's freeing to sing in the car, and it passes the time on long rides. I pop in a CD or tune the radio to a 80s, 90s and today station and got at it.

I will admit, though, that sometimes I wear sunglasses to hide my identity. I'm like the singing-in-the-car-ninja-spy, that way.

Things I Like: Magnetic Poetry

I have a magnetic poetry set I got for Christmas one year. It's the haiku set, so there are a lot of naturely things. It's fun to play with. Currently, my poetry magnets read:

Dandilions dream of almost spring
they whisper beneath early morning snow
let us bloom in this wild concrete garden
make insects sing of thunder and dawn
and call the moon above

Using this site, create your own magnetic poem and read (type?) it to me below.

Almost there!

Just half an hour to go! And I am most excited about sleep.

Hurray!

We did it! Oh, man, my bed is looking so welcoming. I haven't felt like this since I pulled all-nighters in college.

Before i crash, I want to thank my guest bloggers one more time and to thank all of you and everyone who read and replied to my entries and everyone who blogged this year. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Now, to get in some sleep before work tonight.