(prompt from here)
There are few things I love more than lists. I think it's because one of the hardest parts of writing is the transitions. When you're having a conversation with someone about coconuts and you say "Hey, did you hear about those kangaroos in Africa?" out of the blue, that segue makes perfect sense to you, because your brain just made a dozen different connections in a few seconds, but it leaves your listener completely in the dark, and it's pretty hard to explain all the steps between coconuts and African kangaroos to someone outside of your own head. Even when I'm speaking, I'll interrupt myself with a new sentence (think Miss Bates in Emma) because I'm already skipping ahead to a different thought. Lists tidy all that up nicely, because I can just jump around however I want and no one is the wiser. And, in the spirit of listing, I'm not even going to transition into mine.
10 Activities I Love (in no particular order)
1. Reading
Yeah, you're all really surprised. Every painfully awkward interaction I have with an actual person (and there are so, so many) makes me want to run to a library--or somewhere no one can talk to/call me--and read until I've repaired the snooty literature barrier that keeps me from being traumatized by real life. I prefer fictional people to 99% of actual people, and I think it's because the conversation is fairly one-sided. When was the last time a book character got annoyed because you forgot its birthday? Exactly.
2. Playing card and/or board games
Being embarrassingly uncoordinated, the threat of playing kickball or ultimate frisbee or volleyball makes me develop instant and non-threatening ailments like headaches and cramps and anything else that can reasonably excuse me from the activity without having to openly admit that I'm really, really awful at physical games. Those games frustrate me, so I love playing sit-down games even more, where Spoons is about as physical as it gets. Settlers of Catan? Phase 10? Apples to Apples? Trivial Pursuit? Scrabble? Those are my favorite Sunday activities.
3. Thrifting
Brag time: I am awesome at thrifting. You get things with so much more character, AND it's eco-friendly, AND you save a ton of money. My apartment is almost entirely decorated with thrifted things--old maps, old frames, old books, etc. I love it. Plus, vintage clothes are my favorite. My entire collection of skinny belts is thrifted, because they were "in" two decades ago and now older people are getting rid of them. Lace? Yep. Floral prints? Also yes. High-waisted skirts? Definitely. Fashion recycles.
4. Scuba diving
I don't get to go very often (read: never), mostly because Ricky isn't certified (yet) and so I don't have a dive buddy, but I'm so glad I spent the money in college to get my open water certification. Being underwater is magical and peaceful and wonderful. Ricky and I did a pool dive recently (which I need to write a post on), and it reminded me of how much I really miss open water diving.
5. Going to shows
One of my regrets from living in VA was not going to the Blackfriars Playhouse ("the world's only recreation of Shakespeare's indoor theater") more often. The performances were wonderful--I saw "King Lear" and "A Christmas Carol" there and just loved them. Ricky and I are huge on live theater, and it's unfortunate that we live in a place where most shows are just so expensive. I think theater performances are my favorite dates, especially the more casual shows like Shakespeare in the Park.
6. Listening to NPR
I hated the radio until I discovered our NPR station, and now I can't listen to anything else. For those of you who avoid it because you're afraid it's either all doom-and-gloom or all politics (or maybe just all boring), listen to some of the nighttime shows like Radiolab or Humankind (I'm not sure if all public radio stations carry those special programs, or just mine), or the weekend shows like Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!, Car Talk, or This American Life. I love driving home from class at night and listening to Humankind. There's something so personal about good radio stories.
7. Petting my cats
The world would be a better place if everyone had a kitty to snuggle.
8. Dressing up
I don't mean that in a "put on a nice dress and makeup" way, although I enjoy that as well--I mean it in an "elementary school costume party" way. I get excited about putting together the perfect outfit, and getting my hair just right, and taking pictures--it's so much fun! I loved being Hermione/Bellatrix for various Harry Potter midnight showings, and poofing (a.k.a. brushing) my hair for my lion costume at Halloween, and I look forward to every event where costuming is appropriate. It's such a fun, creative outlet.
9. Singing in a choir
I never thought I'd miss this as much as I do. I keep trying to join the community choir, but they rehearse on Monday nights, and I always have class then--I'm shooting for next spring. Singing alto in church by yourself is all well and good, but I miss being surrounded by different parts, and singing hymns on Sundays isn't the same as performing choral pieces for an audience. Chamber Choir in college was a great experience.
10. Visiting historical sites
When Ricky and I lived in VA, we would pull off of back highways for no reason other than to walk around Civil War battlegrounds. We drove an hour and a half out to Appomattox just to be there, and made sure we went to Philadelphia before we moved to Florida. I loved visiting the old plantations in Charleston, walking the Freedom Trail in Boston, and touring ancient cathedrals in England. There isn't much of that where we live now--just a lot of swamp--and it's a bit weird to me. I love museums and all, but it's so much more exciting standing in the actual place where an event occurred.
---
25 weeks left!
There are few things I love more than lists. I think it's because one of the hardest parts of writing is the transitions. When you're having a conversation with someone about coconuts and you say "Hey, did you hear about those kangaroos in Africa?" out of the blue, that segue makes perfect sense to you, because your brain just made a dozen different connections in a few seconds, but it leaves your listener completely in the dark, and it's pretty hard to explain all the steps between coconuts and African kangaroos to someone outside of your own head. Even when I'm speaking, I'll interrupt myself with a new sentence (think Miss Bates in Emma) because I'm already skipping ahead to a different thought. Lists tidy all that up nicely, because I can just jump around however I want and no one is the wiser. And, in the spirit of listing, I'm not even going to transition into mine.
10 Activities I Love (in no particular order)
1. Reading
Yeah, you're all really surprised. Every painfully awkward interaction I have with an actual person (and there are so, so many) makes me want to run to a library--or somewhere no one can talk to/call me--and read until I've repaired the snooty literature barrier that keeps me from being traumatized by real life. I prefer fictional people to 99% of actual people, and I think it's because the conversation is fairly one-sided. When was the last time a book character got annoyed because you forgot its birthday? Exactly.
2. Playing card and/or board games
Being embarrassingly uncoordinated, the threat of playing kickball or ultimate frisbee or volleyball makes me develop instant and non-threatening ailments like headaches and cramps and anything else that can reasonably excuse me from the activity without having to openly admit that I'm really, really awful at physical games. Those games frustrate me, so I love playing sit-down games even more, where Spoons is about as physical as it gets. Settlers of Catan? Phase 10? Apples to Apples? Trivial Pursuit? Scrabble? Those are my favorite Sunday activities.
3. Thrifting
Brag time: I am awesome at thrifting. You get things with so much more character, AND it's eco-friendly, AND you save a ton of money. My apartment is almost entirely decorated with thrifted things--old maps, old frames, old books, etc. I love it. Plus, vintage clothes are my favorite. My entire collection of skinny belts is thrifted, because they were "in" two decades ago and now older people are getting rid of them. Lace? Yep. Floral prints? Also yes. High-waisted skirts? Definitely. Fashion recycles.
4. Scuba diving
I don't get to go very often (read: never), mostly because Ricky isn't certified (yet) and so I don't have a dive buddy, but I'm so glad I spent the money in college to get my open water certification. Being underwater is magical and peaceful and wonderful. Ricky and I did a pool dive recently (which I need to write a post on), and it reminded me of how much I really miss open water diving.
5. Going to shows
One of my regrets from living in VA was not going to the Blackfriars Playhouse ("the world's only recreation of Shakespeare's indoor theater") more often. The performances were wonderful--I saw "King Lear" and "A Christmas Carol" there and just loved them. Ricky and I are huge on live theater, and it's unfortunate that we live in a place where most shows are just so expensive. I think theater performances are my favorite dates, especially the more casual shows like Shakespeare in the Park.
6. Listening to NPR
I hated the radio until I discovered our NPR station, and now I can't listen to anything else. For those of you who avoid it because you're afraid it's either all doom-and-gloom or all politics (or maybe just all boring), listen to some of the nighttime shows like Radiolab or Humankind (I'm not sure if all public radio stations carry those special programs, or just mine), or the weekend shows like Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!, Car Talk, or This American Life. I love driving home from class at night and listening to Humankind. There's something so personal about good radio stories.
7. Petting my cats
The world would be a better place if everyone had a kitty to snuggle.
8. Dressing up
I don't mean that in a "put on a nice dress and makeup" way, although I enjoy that as well--I mean it in an "elementary school costume party" way. I get excited about putting together the perfect outfit, and getting my hair just right, and taking pictures--it's so much fun! I loved being Hermione/Bellatrix for various Harry Potter midnight showings, and poofing (a.k.a. brushing) my hair for my lion costume at Halloween, and I look forward to every event where costuming is appropriate. It's such a fun, creative outlet.
9. Singing in a choir
I never thought I'd miss this as much as I do. I keep trying to join the community choir, but they rehearse on Monday nights, and I always have class then--I'm shooting for next spring. Singing alto in church by yourself is all well and good, but I miss being surrounded by different parts, and singing hymns on Sundays isn't the same as performing choral pieces for an audience. Chamber Choir in college was a great experience.
10. Visiting historical sites
When Ricky and I lived in VA, we would pull off of back highways for no reason other than to walk around Civil War battlegrounds. We drove an hour and a half out to Appomattox just to be there, and made sure we went to Philadelphia before we moved to Florida. I loved visiting the old plantations in Charleston, walking the Freedom Trail in Boston, and touring ancient cathedrals in England. There isn't much of that where we live now--just a lot of swamp--and it's a bit weird to me. I love museums and all, but it's so much more exciting standing in the actual place where an event occurred.
---
25 weeks left!
Have you listened to Coast to Coast on NPR (I think that's what it's called)? I think it's on in the wee hours of the morning because my Dad listens to it on his way to work (which he drives to in the wee hours of the morning). It's people calling in talking about UFOs and Bigfoot and ghost sightings and psychic experiences, all in absolute seriousness. I haven't listened to it in a while due to my passion for sleeping a lot (maybe I can listen to it more once Molly is born) so I don't know if it's still on or what. You know what, I'm not even totally sure if it's on NPR. It might just be on just some random AM radio station. It's awesome, though.
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