19 June 2009
Memeing Like a Maniac

Filed under five

A big raspberry to readers of this space who dislike this kind of thing. I am (obviously) a fan.

(stolen from malia, who got it from tenseteacher)

Where did you take your profile pic?
The one I use most was taken while sitting at my desk. I held my point-and-shoot in one hand and pointed it at myself with the MacBook in between. I like it. My students don’t get why I like it. “It makes you look kind of psycho,” they say. Yep.

What exactly are you wearing right now?
Walking shorts purchased from Walmart and a blue Hawaii shirt from Walgreens. That’s about it.

What is your current problem?
Not enough money to do everything I want. Also, my house is a mess. But it’s summer vacation so problems are sorta relative.

What makes you happy most?
My life is largely devoid of real happiness lately, so what really makes me happy is the memory of some of my really happy days. Of course, that usually leads to my being really depressed, but whatever.

What’s the name of the song that you’re listening to?
Right now, I am listening to the Rack at TheSixtyOne.com and the current song is Dahna Rowe’s “Hide.” It’s pretty good. I hearted it when it was brand-new but not many others have followed suit.

Any celebrity you would marry?
I will only marry a walking Christian, and I honestly don’t know of too many celebrities who fit that description. Lisa Whelchel and Victoria Jackson are already married, but I think I’d marry either of them. Ooh, what about Kristin Chenowith?

Name someone with the same birthday as you.
Marilyn Manson and I came into this world only a few hours apart.

Have you ever sung in front of a large audience?
If a hundred people counts as large, then yes. I’ve led worship at a few things, and sang Steve Camp’s “He Covers Me” with an accompaniment track in church. Oh, and I played and sang “Forever Young” at a senior thing a little more than ten years ago.

Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity?
I have been told more than once that I look like Matt Catingub, but that was when he had long hair. He doesn’t anymore.

Do you speak any other languages?
Not really. I could survive on my Japanese, but barely.

Has anyone you’ve been really close with passed away?
Yes. My classmates Jami and Teri.

Do you ever watch MTV?
Like Malia, I grew up in front of MTV. Haven’t watched it at all recently, though.

What’s something that really annoys you?
Loud laughers in cafes.

Middle name:
Ken. It’s not the English Ken; it’s the Japanese Ken. Means healthy.

Nickname(s):
I get called Scrivener by a lot of people. There is also a very tiny group of guys, classmates all, who call me Hitcher. After that C. Thomas Howell character.

Current location:
In my car in a parking lot.

Eye color:
Dark brown.

Do you get along with your parent(s):
Yes. Mostly.

Are your parents married/separated/divorced?
My folks have been married for 41 years. Amazingly. They recently traveled to Japan together and agree that it was a really good trip. This makes me happy.

Do you have any siblings?
I have a sister two years younger.

Ice Cream:
Ice cream is almost my religion, after Jesus, baseball, and rock and roll.

Season:
There is nothing better than summer in Hawaii when you are a high-school teacher. I am so mellow now I’ll bet I don’t even have a pulse.

Shampoo/conditioner:
I use this stuff from Avalon Organics. Scented with rosemary. I love the smell of my own hair.

Dance in the shower?
No, not for a while. Used to all the time, though.

Do you write on your hand?
Frequently. It’s tough to lose a hand.

Call people back?
I am awful, awful, awful about this. Gotta get better.

Believe in love?
Of course, but love has kicked me around lately.

Any bad habits?
I slurp my food. I don’t even know I do it most of the time.

Any mental health issues?
Occasional insomnia. Low-grade depression in all likelihood.

Broken a bone?
Yes, I’ve broken my left elbow twice. Both times were from jumping out of trees.

Sprained stuff?
I have a bad rotator cuff in my right shoulder.

Had physical therapy?
No. I’m considering it for my shoulder, though.

Gotten stitches?
Yes, in my back from that time in tenth grade when I went through the classroom window.

Taken painkillers?
When I got my wisdoms out, I was given Tylenol with Codeine and Vicodin. I took one of the Tylenols but that made me feel worse than any pain in my mouth (and actually, I had very little pain in my mouth) and when it wore off I decided I didn’t need anymore. Never even touched the Vicodin and both bottles are still in my medicine cabinet.

Gone scuba diving or snorkeling?
I snorkled a lot when I was in college. I’m mildly afraid of scuba.

Been stung by a bee?
A few times. It’s not pleasant but it’s not a big deal.

Thrown up at the dentist?
No way. I think that would scar me for life.

Sworn in front of your parents?
Yes, in front of my mom a couple of times when I was a teen. I wasn’t proud of it and wish I could take it back. Especially now that I don’t swear at all.

Had detention?
Shyeah. Many, many detentions. When I was in intermediate and high school, you got Saturday detentions for accumulating more than three unexcused tardies per quarter. I avoided that for almost the entire six years I was there but got one on the Saturday of my senior prom. It was fine, ’cause Reid had one too so I rode in with him and he took me home right after.

Last movie seen?
Imagine That with Eddie Murphy. It didn’t suck and it had its moments, but the end did suck and I cannot recommend it.

Last three people to text you?
One of my former students whose band was playing Friday night, Sophie who wanted to know if I was around, and Jocelyn who responded to my message inviting her to have some pancakes with me. She lives in L.A., of course.

Last person you called?
Reid on Tuesday.

Last person you hugged?
Okay, this is weird. I went for late-night izakaya with Penny, Kristi, and Mochigirl. Our server was one of Mochigirl’s Twitter friends. She was a great server and super friendly and nice. The very next day, I was sitting in front of a Jamba Juice and she walked right by. She froze in her tracks, we looked at each other, and I said, “This is so weird.” So we chatted briefly and as she was about to go, she came over, hugged me, and gave me one of those kisses meant to hover over your cheek. So yeah.

Last person you tackled?
Almost surely a student, but I don’t remember where or when.

Last thing you touched?
Besides the keys on this keyboard? The map light.

Last thing you ate?
A hamburger and fries at Zippy’s.

Last thing you drank?
A grande vanilla nonfat steamer.

Last thing you said?
“I’ll have a grande vanilla nonfat steamer.”

Were you named after anyone?
My first name is a variant of my father’s name. My middle name is a variant of my mother’s brother’s name.

When was the last time you cried?
I admit I got a little teary during parts of Imagine That on Tuesday.

Do you like your handwriting?
I used to, but you know how your normal handwriting looks one way and your rushed handwriting looks another way? My normal handwriting now looks the way my rushed handwriting used to, and my rushed handwriting is embarrassing. I gotta work on this.

What is your favorite lunch meat?
Roasted turkey breast. Corned beef next.

Do you have kids?
I have nearly a thousand.

If you were another person, would you be friends with you?
Yes. I’d buy me a Diet Pepsi. I wrote a play called Buy Me a Diet Pepsi based on this idea. And “Buy Me a Diet Pepsi” was a paraphrase of something Nick (Scott Valentine? Was that his name?) said to Mr. Keaton on Family Ties.

Do you use sarcasm?
Pssh. Sarcasm is the crutch of the unimaginative. Or something like that. And I use it far, far too frequently.

Do you still have your tonsils?
Yes.

Would you bungee jump?
Heck no.

What is your favorite cereal?
My favorite is Honey Bunches of Oats but the cereal I eat almost all the time is Kashi Go-Lean Crunch. Tastes like Super Sugar Crisp, but not as sweet. Yes, I know it’s not called that anymore.

Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?
Almost never.

What is your favorite number?
Pi. My favorite whole numbers are 12 and 32.

What is the first thing you notice about a person?
Hair.

Red or pink?
Red.

What is your least favorite thing about yourself?
My consistent lack of follow-through.

Whom do you miss the most?
R.

What are you looking forward to about tomorrow?
Nap time.

What are you listening to right now?
Also from the Rack, Raccoon Fink’s “Phobia.” It’s not very good.

If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Midnight blue.

Favorite smells?
Gingerbread and R’s hair.

Favorite sports to watch?
Baseball.

Hair color?
Mine? It’s black.

Do you wear contacts?
I used to, but it’s been many years.

Favorite food?
Rice.

Scary movies or happy endings?
I hate scary movies. Give me the happy ending.

Summer or winter?
Summer!

Hugs or kisses?
Contrary to popular belief (mostly perpetuated by me), I like them both. But there is a time and a place for each, and I believe that especially in Hawaii, we have forgotten that. I like kissing (hi Rosanne ). I like hugging. I just don’t like them anywhere and any time.

What book are you reading now?
Believe it or not, I’m reading Through the Storm by Lynn Spears. Yes. Brittney’s mom.

What’s on your mouse pad?
The Jamba Juice logo.

What did you watch on TV last night?
Frazier.

Favorite sounds?
Children’s laughter.

Rolling Stones or Beatles?
The Beatles and it’s not. Even. Close.

What is the farthest you have been from home?
Cooperstown, New York.

Do you have a special talent?
I am a very, very good proofreader.

Where were you born?
In a big pink military hospital on a rock in the middle of the Pacific.

Who was your favorite teacher?
Mrs. Wong, to whom I just wrote a letter (she doesn’t do email) this evening. PKO was second.

What’s your secret?
I say everything I say with confidence, and people seldom call me on it.

What’s your biggest goal/dream?
My biggest fantasy-level dream is to win the Newbery Medal.

2009-06-19  ::  me