Six things

I was tagged by Miss Janey a couple of days ago, and I've been wracking my brain since then to come up with six moderately interesting random facts about myself - oh the pressure! Anyway, there's a list of rules to be followed here:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself. (See below)
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them. (See further below...)
5. Let each person know they've been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

And in no particular order, six random things about me:

1) Someone died in my house, but that doesn't particularly weird me out. I live in a 1917 worker's cottage in a 'village' built around a former cotton mill. Several years ago, I participated in a home tour for the village, so that descendants of the former mill workers could see what all us new folks had done with the houses. I learned that people just love to tell you about their relative dying - in your house! Honestly, I'd already lived here for several years at that point, and nothing particularly supernatural had happened, so...no big deal.

2) My maternal grandfather came from a town called Hanging Limb in Tennessee. Swear to God. My parents, my sister, and I were all born in Michigan, but my mom's side of the family is originally from the South. Hanging Limb specifically, in my grandfather's case.

3) My Swedish Art Deco sofa is named Ingrid, after Ingrid Bergman. I know, it's weird. What can I say?


4) Ream-o-Rama and I were housemates in the early 90's when we both lived in Charleston, SC, and Smithy is actually her cousin. We lived in a funky (affordable) duplex near the Citadel, and threw at least one big party. (My memory is a little hazy now.) There was one especially outraged British neighbor who knocked on the door during the party, and trilled in horror that there was a man uuuuurinating in our front yard. Oh dear, way to class up the neighborhood. Oh, this came later, but ask her about the Devil Cow, I dare you.

5) The picture in my profile of me with the chimp was taken by my talented friend, Louis Cahill. A couple years ago, I got to tag along with him and his wife Kathy to visit behind the scenes at a smallish traveling circus, while Louis did a photo shoot with some of the animal keepers and their animals. He took my picture with Ricky, a 3 or 4 year old juvenile chimp. Later on in the photo shoot, some other folks and I were bystanders when a pair of Ricky's mature chimp family members attacked my friend Louis. 'Attacked by chimps' might sound kinda funny haha until you see it happen. Those were some cunning, powerfully strong, opportunistic bitches. They literally bided their time, and waited for the right opportunity to charge after him. He got banged up, and literally lost his shirt, but was very lucky not have been more injured. Even the camera survived.

6) On that same circus visit, I got to feed an elephant, and later on ride one. It was scary and completely amazing at the same time. And it was probably one of the most unusual things I've done in an otherwise pretty ordinary life. Ever since then, I've been fascinated by elephants.

Now, I'm a little stumped by who to tag next. An awful lot of the blogs I follow have zillions of comments, and aren't likely to see my little tag. Or in the case of Miss Janey and MrPenee, they've already played the game. But we'll give it a whirl and see what happens. I'll cheat a bit and tag back Reamorama, Monkeyshines, Reclaiming Miss Havisham, Architect Design, Maison 21, and Kwana Writes.

In Which I Swoon; or Covet-Worthy Objects

Detail of French Art Deco 1930's oak sideboard with marble top

Who would I be if I had this amazing piece of furniture art?

Surely having a such a massive, beautifully crafted, utterly utterly French statement piece would automatically convey a slimmer, younger, more glamorous appearance just by being around it? It would just have to have a fabulosity aura around it, don't you think?

I mean, I think you'd practically be required to drink martinis or gorgeous little cockails out a perfect cocktail shaker if you were standing nearby. Perhaps a glass of wine would be allowable, but certainly nothing so prosaic as beer would be allowed within a 20' radius.

Horrible photo, but can you see how big that sideboard is?! Look for the black and white marble top below the verdigris figures. It must be 7' long!

And if one simply had to smoke, then tiny dark cigarettes would be the deal, and only if they were taken out of a beautiful silver cigarette case, and lit by only the most stylish of lighters. You can be sure that anything happening in the same room with this piece would be an event.

Or perhaps it's 10 years later, and you think that exotic figurative designs on furniture are so over. You want something a little more abstract, bit less decadent and a bit more refined. Fewer gin martinis, more Manhattans and scotch. The return of the tailored, fitted waistline and knee length hemlines. A little something like this just might fit the mood:

1940's Art Deco Dresser with inlay and brass rope drawer pulls, part of a 7 piece set

Sideboard and Dresser both available at Antiques and Beyond.

All pure fantasy of course, but YUM!

Bettie Page

She will be missed.
Rest in Peace.

Vampire Weekend

You know, when life gets weird, sometimes it just pays to drop off the radar for a little while....

First, I was berated by a homeless man - for being an uptight white woman who wouldn't give him any money, and for having (a little) gray in my hair.

*What?!?*

I mean, all I said was 'no' and kept walking, and for that he got personal about some gray hair?! Stinky bastard - at least I didn't say that out loud!

Then, only a week later, I'd had a rough week at work and wanted to just chill out come Friday night. So I stopped at my regular bookstore, and was wandering the aisles somewhat aimlessly. At some point, I glanced around and noticed a guy a few aisles away. Didn't think much of it at first, but something seemed off. So I wander a little further away, and glance back.

And holy crap, the pervy bastard is um, ahem....fully exposed and wanking in the middle of Borders Books. After I stopped giggling with nerves, I told one of the employees, and security escorted him out. I am an unabashed book nerd, so this was really unsettling. I mean bookstores are my happy place, so that's just....nasty.

That same weekend, I also went with a friend who does dog rescue to check out a situation in AL. The short version is, the owner had some hard times befall her, so she needed to find new homes for her eight Great Danes - 8!! And oh, by the way, she lives in a cabin in the woods, and doesn't have heat in the house. She's got shower curtains across the doors so the dogs can come and go. Arggghhhh!

me with Cinderella, one of the 'Alabama 8'

So, let's just say that there were nine kinds of crazy going on with the dog owner, and the do-gooding families that came to check out the dogs for possible adoption. Four of the eight dogs did get adopted, but....it just, it...wasn't good. It was a very good reminder of why I don't do dog rescue stuff any more. I promptly went home, locked the door, fixed a stiff drink, and curled up with my own dogs.

Is it any wonder that by the time Thanksgiving week rolled around, I'd had it with crazy? Sure I still had to go to Thanksgiving dinner with my family, but that seemed do-able - with alcohol. So, on a whim, I started the first book in the Twilight series, just to see what all the fuss was about. I thought, "Oh sure, teenager falls in love with a vampire, blah blah blah. And what's all this crap about sparkling?"

Five days, four books, and one movie later, I finally came up for air.

And ya know, I feel a lot better.

Twilight: Bella and Edward

Let me just say that the Twilight series isn't good, exactly. No matter what your age, if you're a reasonably independent-woman sort, much of it will make you screech with rage and/or befuddlement. But it's very very entertaining escapism - especially when real life is throwing (literal) wankers and Alabama rednecks your way, ya know?

Damn, I'm still a teenager - at least in my head.

I'd had no idea how huge the whole Twilight thing was until the movie hype started a few months ago. If you're old, with, like, gray in your hair and stuff, and don't know about it all, there's oodles of fandom sites out there. And they are absolutely rabid about the books, and the casting of the movie, and they take it all very seriously.

Actors Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, from Twilight

On the other hand, if you're like me and feel rather sheepish about liking the books, despite how silly some of it is, then please please check out the awesome Cleolinda's take on everything Twilight, especially her three theories on why it's so popular. It's a snarkfest, in a good, fan-ish way.

Oh, and yes, to be completely nerdy, Vampire Weekend (the band) was in my cd player all weekend.