The Pyrenees---Southern France

The Pyrenees---Southern France

Thursday, April 21, 2011

I Ain't Never Been Called "Stylish" Before

        

         Lisa Ricard Claro just received the "Stylish Blogger" award.  She included 7 facts about herself, and then invited all the bloggers she follows to accept the award.  Since it's black (and black is slimming) and since my posts are sometimes a bit fatty and run long, I jumped at the opportunity to improve the look of my blog. (Thank you very much, Lisa!)

         Before you read the 7 things about me, check out the tidbits about Lisa and read her post.

Here are my 7 things: (You might get a short nap out of the list!)

1.  I once worked at a restaurant that had an extensive wine list, which is where the situation became sticky, resulting in me only working there for one day. After the first day of training, where I was expected to be able to describe dozens of kinds of wines with phrases like, "a hint of oak," or "an aftertaste of juniper," * I knew I would never be able to sniff/taste/fake that kind of expertise. I quit without ever waiting on a single table there.

(* I made up the one about juniper.)

2.  My favorite job when I was younger was with Dairy Queen. I was 16, could eat anything I wanted and still stay slim, and never got sick of chocolate (even though my parents were sure the allure would wear off). I never really mastered the little "curly-Q" top to finish off the ice cream cones and sundaes, but I did master the art of "Oh-you-wanted-a-strawberry sundae-and-not-a-hot-fudge-one?" which meant that I could put the "mistake" in the walk-in cooler and gobble it down later.

3. One of my favorite "musicals" is Flashdance. Yes, I know the dialogue is wretched, and yes, the acting is sometimes atrocious, but I love the music, and the dancing makes me envious...

4.  One of my favorite sad movies is The Widow of Saint-Pierre with Juliette Binoche and Daniel Auteuil. The acting is sublime, the photography is marvelous, and the story is achingly beautiful. (It has subtitles, so no knitting while you watch it.)

5.  One summer I worked at Yellowstone Park at a gift shop. I was 17, and figured it would be a way to see a different part of the country. I occasionally "gave away" post cards to the cute, personable guys...(I think too much time has elapsed for them to press charges.)

6.  My all-time favorite "gnome" movie is The Full Monty. It's actually one of my favorites no matter what the category. When the garden gnome/job interview scene comes on, or when Hot Chocolate's song "I Believe in Miracles" begins to play, I almost shriek, I get so excited. (Yes, some of the British dialogue is difficult to understand, but what you cannot figure out is not the important stuff. You won't get lost, considering the dialogue you lose. Trust me.)

7.  My first teaching job was with a vocational school in a very poor part of the city. I had a 3-hour "lecture" period every day. (It was a childcare class--our students would theorhetically be able to open up their own daycare home after "graduation." ) I would type up my talk, almost word-for-word (I was so nervous every day, worried I would falter in my instruction), and as the lecture progressed every day, I would nervously roll, and unroll my notes.  My hands would get so sweaty, when I picked up the chalk, it would break. When the other teacher would use the same classroom in the afternoon, she'd comment on all the new, long pieces of chalk she had put out--they always ended up much shorter.  I'd always blame the students for breaking them.

And now I'd like to pass the award onto 10-15 of my blogging friends. (Please leave a comment to let me know you've accepted the award, so I can read 7 things about you!)

*  Donna Volkenannt and her blog
* Becky Povich and her blog
* Janel Gradowski and her gems
* T'Mara Goodsell and her blog
* Linda O'Connell and her blog
* C. Hope Clark and her blog
* Doug Savage and his chickens
* Dianna Graveman and her blog
* Shay and her poetry
* Scott and his blog
* Clara Gillow Clark and her blog
* Barb and her musings
* Katie Gates and her blog
* OJ Gonzalez-Cazares and her blog
* Pat Hensley and her lessons via her blog

Congratulations, award-winners. I'm looking forward to getting to know you a bit better...

14 comments:

  1. So glad you accepted the award! It is great to learn more about you. I laughed at the DQ boo-boos, because when I waitressed at Pizza Hut (I was 18) we did the same thing! "Oh, I'm so sorry. You wanted a thin crust?" Ha! Unfortunately, my love of the pie has never waned.

    The Flashdance soundtrack is great, though I don't remember too much about the movie (sorry). I spent many aerobics sessions sweating to "What a Feeling."

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  2. Dianna--You're quite welcome.

    Lisa--The movie is very forgettable in a lot of ways, although Cynthia Rhodes (the pregnant dancer-girl in "Dirty Dancing) is in it and is a fantastic dancer.

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  3. Hi Sioux, I'm so honored to receive this blog award from you! Actually, you'll be able to read at least seven things about me in an interview next week on Donna Volkennant's blog! How timely is that?

    It was fun reading about you! Loved the addition of juniper and your gift for fiction! We also love Juliette Binoche and Daniel Auteuil, but I don't think I've seen that particular movie, so thanks for the recommendation!

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  4. Thanks for passing this award on to me! Loved learning about you. :)

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  5. Thank you so much, Sioux. I love stuff like this. I will be back to read your seven things!

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  6. Thank you so much for the honor, Sioux! I'm hoping to get my seven things posted in the coming week. Enjoyed yours--I too love The Full Monty and Flashdance. Even had the album. I'd put on my workout wear and do that little mini-jogging-in-place-thing because it was the only move I could do.

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  7. Flashdance, wow, you took me back. Sioux, I thank you for this award and will get to it as soon as I can.

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  8. Tammy--I couldn't even do the jogging in place. My feet tripped over each other.

    Linda---Glad I could help you with a blast from the past via Flashdance!

    Janel--Thanks. Will we get to learn 7 things about YOU?

    Fireblossom---When you're feeling up to it (How's Bosco?), perhaps you can get one of your writing genies to write 7 things about you...

    Clara Gillow Clark--I'm looking forward to reading the interview. Donna does a great job with those.

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  9. As threatened, I came back. ("And we're glad she did!" Wasn't that a commercial, about 50,000 years ago, for something or other?)

    I love Flashdance. Love it love it, though I can't get through it without cursing Jennifer Beals for being so ridiculously perfect. I thought, give her twenty years, she'll be a hag. Um....she is STILL drop dead gorgeous. The nerve of some people!

    That French flick sounds lovely. I am going to add it if Netflix has it. My favorite movie ever is a French movie called Jeux D'Enfants, English title Love Me If You Dare.

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  10. Fireblossom--Cynthia Rhodes (the blonde dancer friend) is more perfect (in my opinion), AND she did her own dancing.

    Beware! The movie is very sad (I love depressing movies) so if you're looking for a feel-good movie, avoid that one. I have not seen Jeux D'Enfants. Thanks for the recommendation.

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  11. What is a "feel-good movie"???

    You speak of such strange things.

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  12. Sioux,
    Thank you so much for this prestigious award. I promise to do my best to live up to it.
    I will let you know when I post the 7 things about me.
    donna

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  13. hi Sioux! slowly but surely I came to pick up my stylish award, yei!! Now I have to dress up for the occasion and sport it on my blog proudly!! Thanks tons!!

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