Is it that time again? I remember doing these via email in the lab of the Reading/Writing Center at BYU Hawaii back in 1999. Plus ça change I guess.
- What is your current obsession?
Edward: Well, my studies but not by choice. Uschi of course who is due to be born anytime in the next four weeks.
These are all bland but not-untrue answers, but here's the true truth: I'm fascinated with conspiracy theorists. More accurately, I'm interested in the psychology of the pursuit of esoteric knowledge. I think that the hunt for secret knowledge is a deeply seeded driver for a lot of the human condition and conspiracy theorists more than any other group believe that 'they' have discovered the true secret about 'how the world works.' But like I said, there are strong impulses toward this in other facets. (e.g. Everyone has that friend, or had that friend in the 90's, who had to be the first to be into an obscure band/writer/artist/trend. They wanted to have something that no one else had.)
Meridth: It would be easy for me to say Uschi and Art. Both of which are true. But I've also really been enjoying being a blog spy lately. I am super voyeuristic by nature. I love waiting for hours at the airport. I get to stare at people and listen into conversations and there's nothing they can do about it. Bwa ha ha ha! I definitely find it interesting what people choose to reveal about themselves or their lives. What can I say? I'm nosy.
- What do you hate the most that everybody else seems to love?
Edward: I donno. That's kind of a dumb question. I might come back when I'm done and replace this with my question. If not, and until then, I'll just say...dry heat. Give be humidity and stop that blasted sun from roasting my pate.
Meridth: The Twilight Series. Sorry world. First off, I have never really liked girly girl stuff. I didn't like these types of books when I was growing up. I have to say that they were compelling enough for me to read the series. I was compelled by two reasons. First, I am a sucker for fantasy. How dreadful is that? But really, who doesn't want to love a story about modern vampires? Second I'm a bit OCD about having to finish what I start. (Talk about ridiculous dedication). So being that I have read the books I feel like I can comfortably say... they suck. The writing feels so amateurish. Stephanie Meyer is always using cliches like "Bella turned on her heel" or "her heart broke into a million pieces." Also, for some reason whenever someone in the book is feeling lusty or full of gooey love, their eyes always have to "smolder." Blech.
- What are you wearing today?
Edward: Like right now? A pair of shorts. Sorry, but that's all. I get warm doing my homework. I had a friend whose dad was all hirsute and he always hung around sans shirt and I never got it. I'm gonna be that guy. Thanks Ken.
Meridth: PJs. When you are blimpish or rotund in nature... it really is important to be comfortable. That is until you take your dog for a walk and you don't want the neighbors to see your stinky, bra-less self.- What's for dinner?
Meridth needed (NEEDED) a whopper and I opted for chinese noodles and garbanzo salad with vinegar and mint. Quick, full of fiber, sodium and monosodium glutamate. (That's bad.)
Meridth: Yum.
- What would you eat for your last meal?
Edward: Honestly, I think I'd skip it if I knew I was gonna die. I mean your body releases your bowels after you expire and I don't want to hinder the clean-up any more than necessary. Plus I wouldn't want to die with a full stomach, all heavy and burpy. I wanna go without thinking about my GI tract.
Meridth: That's what he said.
- What's the last thing you bought?
Edward: The aforementioned Whopper hamburger value meal. (I remember when I discovered the word 'aforementioned.' 10th grade maybe? It was a popular one in my papers for Mrs. Strickler's 11th grade English. I just couldn't believe all those words got mashed together like that.)
- What are you listening to right now?
Edward: Okay Stereogum, one of those hipster music websites, commissioned a number of obscure indie-type musicians to do covers from the 1995 classic Björk's Post. (It's a free download available here.) But caveat emptor ladies and gentlemen: this compilation is dreadful and I'm only dutifully listening to it out of a quixotic sense of obligation. I wish Meridth were here to make me turn it off. I'm totally deleting it, nothing 'possibly maybe' about it, as soon as I'm done.
Also: they did another covering OK Computer. I'm pretty sure it's awful too but, one man's trash...
Meridth: I heard the tail-end of that so-called music. It really was that awful.
- What do you think of the person that tagged you?
I think Jenn and Justin both are pillars of the community, real salt a'the earth people with the sort of gumption and commanding dignity and personal hygiene that are the hallmarks of great men like Napoleon, Mustafa Ataturk and Grimace. Indeed, what IS not to like?
Meridth: Often Edward and I have friends that are much cooler, way more interesting, and much more higher in the social status of life. We cling to these people like leaches. Thanks Jenn and Justin. You make us look good.
- If you could have a house, fully paid for, and totally furnished anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Edward: Meridth would say London and I am inclined to agree, but I was thinking about Khartoum, the capital of the Sudan. I mean alright, there may or may not be a genocide taking place in the south of the country, and a handful of US diplomats were murdered there by Black September in the seventies and it was an early HQ for al-Qa'ida, but if you can get past all that, a spacious dacha maybe on a vineyard overlooking the Blue Nile, we'd live like colonial raj. It'd be awesome. Plus the Sudanese are really cool people.
Meridth: I have a hard time getting past all that. Let's stick with London.
Edward: That or Fort Wayne.
Meridth: Fort Wayne's right out.
- What is one of your hobbies?
Edward: I voraciously read. I like rucking. (i.e. carrying a heavy pack some dreadful distance.) It's a kind of self-flagellation
Meridth: Wikipedia is a hobby of yours. Let's be honest.
Edward: True. I'll look something up and then just follow the links until the necessary amount of time has effectively been wasted, hopping from topic to topic like Frogger.
Meridth: My hobbies are my obsessions. Uschi, Art, I would have to include reading as well, and unfortunately the Internet.
What are your favorite smells?
Meridth: Fruity smells. Smells definitely have been a big issue during this pregnancy. They are the main reason why I projectile vomited the first 6.5 months. The smells I mainly hated were Edward's gym clothes sitting in our car and chicken.
Edward: Um. I donno...dumb question again. Favorite smells? Like to smell in exclusion of other smells? I like the smells athat are associated with what I'm doing. Like cooking. Great smells! But If I'm working out, hiking or in the shower, me no like-y.
What is your favorite color?
Meridth: "Red no blue!" Actually I like all colors as long as they're complimented nicely with other colors. But I have a pretty serious aversion to pink. Ironically for those familiar with my art... I do use pink. Sometimes it's a necessary evil.
Edward: I gravitate toward earth tones in dress. I like different colors in art. Again, like smells, I like color where I find it.
What is your favorite piece of clothing in your wardrobe?
Edward: There's a grey tee I've had since 2002. Good stuff.
Meridth: The chaco sandals that my puffy feet barely squeeze into. Thank goodness for adjustable straps.
What is your dream job?
Edward: Donno. Ice cream man, but I'd only end up eating my own wares.
Meridth: I've been doing okay as a freelance illustrator (magazine work, portraits, logos)... but I would like to publish some Picture Books or Middlegrade novels AND get payed lots of money for it.
Describe your personal style.
Meridth: I use to take this very seriously. My style was very very important. I guess the important rule to me is minimal effort plus interesting colors and retro clothing. Minimal effort I've got down... but Edward and I haven't had the ducats to upgrade our wardrobe for awhile now. We're currently a step up from hobos (thanks to the laundry machine).
Edward: I used to have a real thing against any shirt that had words or stripes. It was all solid colors for me. I still have an allergic reaction against tee shirts with witty slogans.
What are you going to do after this?
Meridth: Walk the dog and get back to that one illustration I'm illustrating. :)
Edward: Well, now that a day and a half has passed and it's now 5:53 on the morning of the 7th, I'll be taking a shower getting dressed and going to work.
What inspires you?
Meridth: Pretty broad question. I cried in Coraline because the design was so phenomenal. Whenever I see something beautiful I always have a longing that I could have been part of that project or desires to create something equally awe-inspiring.
Edward: Inspires me to do what? Go on a three-state killing spree? You can't wait for inspiration, sometimes you just have to grind through a block. At least that's how I've had to approach writing.
Who was the last person you kissed?
Meridth: My boyfriend.
Edward: 'Scuse me while I kiss the sky/this guy.
What delighted you most today?
Edward: RADAR.
Meridth: Toast.
What is something you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t done yet?
Edward: Do gravy shots.
Meridth: Visit all the National Parks.
New Question: Which was your favorite Beatle? George, Paul, John or Ringo? And, of course, why?
Meridth: I used to be a big fan of John, mainly because I love all of the odd songs that he writes like, I am the Walrus and Mean Mr. Mustard. That is until I found out what a big a-hole he was to his oldest son and first wife and many others in general. If the song Run For Your Life doesn't give you a window in his soul I don't know what is. ("Run for your life if you can, little girl, Hide your head in the sand, little girl, catch ya with another man, that's the end, little girl.") So needless to say post High School I switched over to Paul. He's written some really beautiful songs like Yesterday, Hey Jude that he wrote for John's older son, Julian, in sympathy because of his parent's nasty divorce and lack of John's presence in his life.
Edward: I always liked the apocryphal 'fifth Beatle', who may or may not have actually existed in a tangible way. Fame always attracts hangers-on. But seriously, I loved Paul's work with MJ in the 1980's. The girl is mine.
We tag: Tim. Our fantastically blogless friend. Whatcha gonna do about it, huh, Tim?
