Friday, May 12, 2006

four things

My boys don't go to the neighbourhood school as they are in the French Immersion stream (there's only a couple of these schools in the district), and sometimes getting them there and back can be an exercise in creative problem-solving. Well, since #1 son is now a terrible ... I mean terrific ... teenager and has a tube-a-week hair gel habit (thanks, Cherrypie) he no longer rides his bike due to overwhelming fear of helmet hair. So I have usurped his trusty steed and today accompanied #2 son to his school. After I've picked him up today I will have clocked 20 hill kilometres and probably have new muscles to, um, appreciate. The biggest problem with this brilliant idea is that the dog doesn't get his run. Another tragic suburban tale of woe.

As you can see, I'm grasping at straws in an effort to kick loose my writer's block. While visiting Chitty's blog this morning, I saw that he has as little interest in being au courant as I do and finally did that sad, faded old 'four things' meme long after its 'use by' date. Well, last place is better than falling into a ditch crying, and it's a bunch more words to add to my blog.

Needless to say, there's no one left to tag.

Four jobs I've had in my life:
1. teacher (too many variations on this theme to include)
2. photographic printer (in the dark ages of the mini lab)
3. closed-caption editor
4. trainee framer (lasted 3 weeks and the people were so horrific that I had nightmares about it for 6 months)

Four films I would watch over and over (this category is way too hard so I just chose ones from my collection):
1. The English Patient
2. Dr. Strangelove
3. Annie Hall
4. Babe

Four places I have lived:
1. Victoria, B.C.
2. London
3. Larisa, Greece
4. Rossland, B.C.

Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. House
2. Six Feet Under
3. endless reruns of Law and Order
4. Grey's Anatomy (flavour of the month)

Four places I've been on vacation:
1. three of the four corners of Europe (over many months)
2. Mazatlan, Mexico
3. Cowichan Lake, B.C.
4. Orlando, Florida

Four websites I visit often:
1. Quotes of the Day
2. various art dealers
3. IMDb
4. Bloglines to point me towards my favourite updated blogs

Four of my favourite foods (this category is also too hard so I limited it to desserts):
1. cheesecake of all persuasions
2. ice cream of all persuasions
3. dark chocolate in any of its forms (do you detect a theme?)
4. trifle the way I make it

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. NYC at the MOMA
2. on safari somewhere in Africa
3. Provence
4. a hot bath

And on that note, I have things to do...

Addendum (after the hot bath): You don't have to like dance to love this. Apparently Judson Laipply has a Masters in Human Movement. Don't you just love New Age education?

16 Comments:

Blogger Cherrypie said...

20km and not flat? I bow down to you, Andrea.

And I understand all about the helmet hair thing.

I'm now going off to dance like a mad thing after watching that link. It was fun xx

PS. Thanks for the poem.

12/5/06 11:31 a.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Cute picture of you & your Son ! I love black clothing as well, just thought I'd throw that out there ! :)

12/5/06 12:47 p.m.  
Blogger Susan Schwake said...

cute photo! nice hair... hey now i know more about you here! all this tag stuff and no one ever tags me.
pout!

12/5/06 5:33 p.m.  
Blogger andrea said...

Cherrypie: And now I hurt. (BTW I had fun with the Tigger poem though it was more than a little off-the-cuff...)

Sheri: You don't have to think too hard with black, which is always a bonus.

Susan: I TAG YOU! (Now I don't have to be last. Yay!)

12/5/06 5:46 p.m.  
Blogger andy said...

I hope you don't get as many punctures as I had yesterday - THREE in one day!!!! I think it was an omen telling me to get that motorbike :-)

13/5/06 12:22 a.m.  
Blogger Caroline said...

Four comments:

1. You'll still need to run if you want to avoid biker's legs - my brother used to cycle everywhere and as a consequence could NOT walk!

2. I've always imagined writer's blocks to be like the pillory's that in Medieval times people were stuck outside in and then had rotten veg thrown at them by their neighbours.

3. I've got some overripe tomatoes handy!

4. Today's Guardian magazine had an article on moving to Canada - Jim read it... but said we ought to visit before getting too excited about the idea... of course that has got me too excited about the idea... ;-)

13/5/06 6:59 a.m.  
Blogger justin said...

Hi Andrea,
Looking from your list of favourite puddies, I see that you've got a sweet tooth. What's in your trifle then?
I'm a savoury person myself, though I'd eat up anything on your list as well.
As for writer's block, what would you like to be writing about?

13/5/06 1:37 p.m.  
Blogger andrea said...

Andy, Caroline and Justin: three of the four corners of the UK in one fell swoop!

Andy: Only one puncture. :(

Caroline: Sometimes writing a blog feels like those pillories, too. Please choose a salad instead. :)

Justin: Custard from scratch, lots of whipping cream, toasted almonds and maraschino cherries, blackcurrant jam, and lady fingers soaked in sherry. One of these days I'll even use expensive sherry. My mouth waters just thinking about it... Must be time to make a batch of homemade cookies instead...

13/5/06 1:53 p.m.  
Blogger Brian the Mennonite said...

Desserts with booze...sounds like something for next family gathering in Winkler. NOT. I, on the other hand, would love to have the recipe and a photo to mimick your presentation.

13/5/06 4:26 p.m.  
Blogger CeCe said...

Captions editor?!?! How do I get me one of those jobs?!?! Sign me up!

13/5/06 10:49 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great list! I love reading these, you can find out so much about a person.

Loved the pic of you and your son on bikes. I see your son is "growing out the hair" too. Well mine, is still in the asking stage. I haven't decided yet. :)

a.

14/5/06 6:56 a.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Happy Mother's Day Andrea! Thanks for sharing, your trifle sounds to die for! And your son looks like a cutie pie. Thanks for the cool dance vid, it is now in my favourites. All the best.

14/5/06 9:43 a.m.  
Blogger kyknoord said...

Pity the helmet isn't also black to complete the look.

14/5/06 10:42 p.m.  
Blogger Reluctant Nomad said...

What is it with today's teenage sons and gel??? When I was that age, the idea of gel on the hair would have been instantly dismissed as 'sissy'!!

'The English Patient' was on TV this past weekend but I didn't watch it even though I was planning to. That means that I've STILL not seen it!

15/5/06 12:58 a.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey, you know my boy is starting in French Immersion in the fall. I don't even speak french, nor does my husband. I'm a little concerned about that, but we really want him to learn it. Do you think it can work out for him without French speaking parents?

15/5/06 11:39 a.m.  
Blogger andrea said...

Brian: Are you sure you want to give up your first-born male child for a mere trifle? :)

Cece: *closed* captions editor (for film and video for the deaf). Still interested? :)

Andrea: I have one of each. It's the long and short of it.

Kaya: Thanks. Did you dance?

Kyknoord: Tsk tsk. Can't you see that the black and red are all carefully thought out and the helmet matches the *bike*. You need to go to remedial fashion school.

Nomad: You're not talking Bryl Cream are you? As for The English patient, I've seen it so often now that I start crying at the beginning of the movie, in anticipation! :)

Krista: My kids are in the Late stream, starting in Grade 6, as opposed to the one starting in Kindergarten. I highly recommend it as a better alternative. My own French is good enough to help them through the first year and a half or so, then they're on their own...

15/5/06 1:04 p.m.  

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