Weekend Assignment

Weekend Assignment 118: Share some favorite memories of July 4th. You can do it by telling a story or showing some of your favorite pictures of the day -- or both! Pretty simple, because, after all, all of here in the US have lots of July 4th memories.

For those of you in Canada, your favorite July 1st memories will do just fine.

Extra credit: Note your other favorite historical event that happened on July 4th (here's a list). Birthdays/deaths of notable people count as well.

Firstly, as you can tell, I rarely do these anymore (I used to do this every weekend). Now, onto the memories. (I've got two of them. Sorry, I couldn't pick just one.)

1-We always go to the same fireworks, even when we lived in a different town (half an hour from this one). It's a two day celebration (but we only go to the July 4th celebration, not the July 3rd-no fireworks at that one). There's bands and food and games and then, July 4th, fireworks. :) I have ALWAYS hated dancing in front of people but every year, without fail, I was dragged up out of my comfortable seat on the blanket, snacking on some thing we'd brought with us or on fried dough ::salivates:: Either my grandma or my mom would drag me up to dance with them to the covers the band was playing. (Never any original music. Ever. Just covers of songs you could dance to.) I'd barely move. I was so scared that everyone was looking at me that I couldn't dance. I didn't know how to. You see, I never had that carefree childs view that allowed me to just *dance*. I've always been too self-conscious. (Seriously. At my grandma's wedding reception, I cried because my mom made me dance.) But regardless, after a little while, I'd relax a bit, if I didn't sit back down, stubbornly. I still hate dancing but my parents never fought on the 4th of July. Not that I can remember. I'll always remember spreading out the blanket, eating those stupid snacks we brought with us, and being forced to dance. Until it got dark and Mom and I went to get fried dough. To this day, I *have* to get fried dough on the 4th and to this day I never finish it. That was longer than I expected.

2-One year, it kept raining off and on. It was a crapshoot if they'd still shoot off the fireworks. So we went home and got out *our* fireworks. Now, I live in New York. Where all fireworks are illegal. Sofirst we got out the sparklers and us kids (it was my family and my mom's best friend's family-my auntie Lori) played with them for a while til they were gone. (I, stupidly, touched the end of mine and burnt my fingers. Never made that mistake again.) Once it got dark enough, we took the larger fireworks out in the "back 40" (the unfenced in part of our yard) and Dad and Dan (aunt Lori's now ex-husband) set off the fireworks. They nearly set our neighbor's tree on fire too! After that, we went back inside for a bit. The cops kept coming by so we'd have to run inside. Finally, we decided to let off some more but this time women and children stayed on the porch (looking through the windows) while the men set off the fireworks. It was probably one of the most fun Independence Days I've had. It was also the year my dad picked on Jon for having an earring.

That's all I'm going to share.

Extra Credit: I'm a New York girl. I gotta pick the start of the construction on the Erie Canal in Rome, NY in 1817. What can I say? When some of your earliest memories include feeding ducks on the canal, you gotta pick it. Second favorite? NY got rid of slavery in 1827. :)

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Sugar rush::sugar high
   
2. Chemical::romance
3. Suspension::detention
4. Defending::offending
5. Conference::all-state
6. Dance::dance revolution
   
7. Weather::feather
8. Fuel::break
9. Heartbreak::jon
10. Insult::incest

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Displacement::anger
2. Grease monkey::mike
3. Vacancy::occupancy
4. Conquer::divide and
   
5. Payroll::paycheck
6. Personal::fate
7. Housewife::desperate
8. Lateral::cut
9. Tissue::kleenex
10. Multiplication::division

A Weekend with Patrick

Or a month of weekends with Patrick... whichever fits...

1. Do you have a Valentine this year?

I did. I had two. Maggie and Josh.

2. How will you spend the big day itself?

I spent it alone. I think.

3. What are you most allergic to? Do you have to take medication or avoid certain medication to stay well?

I'm allergic to seasonal stuff. I take allegra in allergy season.

4. Take this quiz (if you haven't already!): What temperment are you? (Thanks to Barb!)

You Have a Phlegmatic TemperamentMild mannered and laid back, you take life at a slow pace.
You are very consistent - both in emotions and actions.
You tend to absorb set backs easily. You are cool and collected.

It is difficult to offend you. You can remain composed and unemotional.
You are a great friend and lover. You don't demand much of others.
While you are quiet, you have a subtle wit that your friends know well.

At your worst, you are lazy and unwilling to work at anything.
You often get stuck in a rut, without aspirations or dreams.
You can get too dependent on others, setting yourself up for abandonment.

What Temperment Are You?

5. There is actually a town in my state of birth, South Carolina, called Ninety-Six. What's the most unusual place name in the your home state. (For home state, it can be where you live now or where you grew up.)

idk (i feel like i've done this before...)

6. How much money would you need to really feel secure?

idk. enough?

Monday Makegood



Oscar Wilde: The Portrait of Dorian Gray. You are a
horror novel from the world of dandies, rich
pretty boys, art and aesthetics, and
intellectual debates between ethical people
and decadent pleasure-seekers. You value
beauty and pleasure but realize their
dangers, as well.

Which literature classic are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Saturday Six
1. What is the most difficult aspect of your current job?

not having one

2. What is the easiest aspect of your job?

not having one

3. How many keys are there on your keyring right now? Are you able to recall exactly what every key on your keyring actually unlocks?

two. yes.

4. Take this quiz (if you haven't already!): What kind of an elitist are you?


Your CD collection is almost as big as your ego,
and you can most likely play an instrument or
three. You're a real hit at parties, but
you're SO above karaoke.What people love: You're instant entertainment.
Unless you play the obo.What people hate: Your tendency to sing louder than
the radio and compare everything to a
freaking song.

What Kind of Elitist Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
5. What is your least favorite ethnic food, and what makes it your least favorite?

idk

6. If you were a different person, but were to meet someone identical to who you are and how you behave right now, would you likely be friends with that person? Why or why not?

i don't know and hate questions like this

1. Have you given up anything for Lent? If so, what did you give up?

I typically break it but I've given up countless things. This year I'm going for red meat. I broke it once last night but I already knew I would be doing that. It was fabulous and for my birthday dinner. I'm Protestant and went to a Baptist church when I was younger so we typically thought it was a nice notion but didn't have to do it

2. How prepared is your bathroom? Not counting the one you currently have open, how many unopened units of the following do you have waiting in your cabinets?
A. Tubes of Toothpaste -a bunch of sample sized ones
B. Sticks of Deoderant -none
C. Packs of Toilet Paper -packs? none
D. Bars of Soap -idk. 2 or 3?

3. Has a commercial for any specific medication ever prompted you to visit your doctor to discuss either the illness or symptoms the advertised product treats? If so, did you ask the doctor to prescribe that specific medication?

not really

4. Take this quiz (if you haven't already!): What part of fall are you? (Hey, since Spring is almost here, why not!)

You Are Changing LeavesPretty, but soon dead.

What Part of Fall Are You?

5. Which is more full right now at your home: your kitchen trash bag, your vacuum cleaner bag, your wallet, your stomach, or your car's fuel tank?

either my stomach or my trash bag.

6. If the blog gods imposed some new law that says you could only participate in one regularly-scheduled meme per week, other than the Saturday Six, Sunday Seven or Tuesday Two, which one would you choose? (Leave a link to the most recent edition if you wish!)

prolly unconcious mutterings. they amuse me.


THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
Name up to seven books you own that you've read more than once.

1. The Notebook by Sparks
2. Chicken Soup for the Soul of America
3. Magic by Tami Hoag
4. A Walk to Remember by Sparks
5. A Bend in the Road by Sparks

There are others but I can't remember them right now.

Monday Madness

Week One I missed
1. What is the best (and worst) Valentines gift you have ever received?

best-chocolates, crush cans, and balloons from friends and family
worst-the year i got nothing

2. What is the best (and worst) Valentines gift you have ever given?

best-crush cans
worst-kiddie valentines

3. In the past, have you ever sent or received an anonymous Valentines Card? If so, do you now know who sent you the card? And if you've sent one, does the person you sent a card to know it was from you?

nope

4. Have you ever sent an anonymous Valentines and got together with that person afterwards?

never sent one

5. Do you make special plans for Valentines, or is it just another commercial plan to make people spend money?

i dont make plans b/c i'm always single

6. Do you buy, or make, traditional gifts, like red roses and chocolates, or do you like to be different?

i typically just give kiddie valentines

7. Do you think you are with that special someone, are you waiting for that special someone, or is there 'the one that got away'?

i'm waiting for someone special and there is only "the one who hurt me twice that i went back to but never dated" and "the one i dated but shouldnt have"

Week two I missed
Pick a letter from the alphabet, and then make a list of all the boy (or girl), (or both) names, that you can think of, which start with that letter.

I pick G and both.

First boys.
Garrett
Gary
Garth

Now girls.
Gwenyth
Guinevere
Genivive

Wow my head is lost today. That's all I've got.

Week Three I missed
1. What time of year do you blog the most?

It doesn't depend much on time of year but more on what's going on in my life.

2. What time of year do you seem to blog the least?

See above.

3. What time of DAY do you do your most blogging?

Afternoon-evening.

4. When blog-hopping, do you tend to look at your blogroll list (or fave blogs) to see which ones have been updated, or do you visit your faves on a regular basis regardless?

I check my bloglines and then read some but not all of the ones updated.

5. Do you change your blogroll often?

No

6. How many times a day, after writing a new post, do you check for new comments?

A time or three.

7. Do you leave comments on others' blogs, or are you more of a lurker?

I'm a lurker lately. Sorry, y'all.

Week Four I missed
1. How many hobbies do you have?

Idk. A couple?

2. Name at least one of your hobbies.

Writing short stories and poetry

3. What do you like about your hobby?

It lets me escape.

4. What keeps you from spending more time on any one of your hobbies?

Schoolwork and lack of creativity.

5. Do you have any hobbies that you haven't taken up yet, but would like to?

Knitting

6. Have you ever decided to give up a hobby? If so, why?

Not really.

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Upgrade::downgrade
2. Happy ending::fairy tale
   
3. Stale::dale
4. Tripping::lipping
5. Working::out
6. Explicit::content
7. Happy place::find a happy place *nemo*
   
8. Tornado::whorlwind
9. Medication::supply
10. Muppet::puppet, show

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Baby step::honey, baby step
   
2. Wasted::totally wasted
   
3. Reggie::dabbs
4. Pitiful::exsistence
5. Acting out::today
6. Tomato::tomahto
7. Bad night::good night
   
8. Trip::road trip
   
9. Finance charges::suck
10. Sport::track