what the heck is a meme?

Okay, this is my first ever meme ... didn't even know what a meme was until a few minutes ago when I read this same list on Liz's blog.... hmmm I, too, have to wonder at this strange list. You're supposed to answer just Yes or No without any explanation. I found myself really wanting to explain my answers. Hedging maybe. Or just wanting to justify. Like #1 & #2: "yes, but only when I was totally alone" ... or #34 -- "yes, but only once. Once was enough!" that kind of answer. The kind of answer that says, well - yes I did that, but it was a long, looonnnnggg time ago, so it really wasn't all that bad ... lol ... so I am cheating by adding a few qualifiers...


Copyright Maureen Shaughnessy 2006

Am I a good girl or a bad girl? Does it matter?
Nahhhhh... I'm just who I am and I kinda like who I am.
So here goes with this silliness:

Have you ever
1. Taken a picture completely naked? yes. wasn't easy, believe me
2. Danced in front of a mirror naked? yes. latin music really does it for me. you ought to try it sometime.
3. Told a lie? yes. didn't like that i did, though
4. Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back? yes
5. Been arrested? nope - knock on wood ...
6. Seen someone die? yes. my grandmother. it was one of the most transforming experiences of my life.
7. Kissed a picture? yes - i'm embarassed to say. and when i was a toddler, i did something metaphorically like kissing a picture. while my mom was napping i got into her purse and drew with her red lipstick on the photos she carried in her wallet. she forgave me. a few years ago, mom sent me one of the photos she had saved that had lipstick smeared all over it. it was the one of my dad holding me.
8. Slept in until 5pm? yes when i was really really depressed i did that often
9. Had sex at work (on the clock)? yes a long long long time ago
10. Fallen asleep at work/school? yes -- i used to fall asleep in Suzallo Libray at UW ... i'd wake up with my cheek in a puddle of drool, hoping nobody had noticed. lol
11. Held a snake? yes ... lots of times. the feeling is like nothing else. they are so smooth and surprisingly warm.
12. Ran a red light? yes at 4:00 am when nobody else was on the road
13. Been suspended from school? no, though i was sent home once for refusing to wear shoes in highschool, and for wearing my skirt too long (huh?)
14. Pole danced? no - what the heck is that?
15. Been fired from a job? nope - i quit one job right before they were going to fire me, though. i'd been trying to quit that one for two years. it was about time!
16. Sang karaoke? no
17. Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? yes. unfortunately too many times
18. Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? yes - not fun!
19. Laughed until you peed? yes - wait til you hit the ripe age of 50 ... ;-)
20. Caught a snowflake on your tongue? yes ... many times -- once after not having anything to drink for three days - that was the most delicious snowflake ever!
21. Kissed in the rain? yes - i hope i'm still kissing my soulmate in the rain when we're in our 90s
22. Had sex in the rain? yes -- same as above. heheh
23. Sang in the shower? yes and the bath tub and the hot tub and ...
24. Gave your private parts a nickname? no, why would I want to do that?
25. Ever gone to school/work without underwear? yes. i went through a phase ...
26. Sat on a roof top? yes -- we used to sneak up on the rooftops of campus buildings at UW. They lock the doors to the roofs now. I've had meals on rooftops, too - the most memorable was a formal dinner with some friends on a "highrise" office building in my town.
27. Played chicken? no
28. Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on? no
29. Broken a bone? nope - i must have strong bones because i've done lots of stupid things that should have ended up with a broken bone.
30. Flashed someone? no
31. Mooned someone? no
32. Shaved your head? no, but i have considered doing it in solidarity with friends who have had breast cancer...
33. Slept naked? yes all the time! pjs just get bunched up - besides it feels so good to have at least 8 hours when i don't have to wear anything!
34. Blacked out from drinking? yes - a long long long time ago and i'm not proud of it.
35. Played a prank on someone? yes ... our kids. heheh. some of the pranks they still don't know about. this one is good for a couple of blog posts. ;-)
36. Had a gym membership? yes - you know how the clubs make you sign away your life for a whole year or more? i lasted for two months but had to keep paying for a year. bleh! never again.
37. Felt like killing someone? no. really. i'm 98% pacifist. the other 2% the closest i've felt to killing someone was my ex -- i wanted to buy him a one-way ticket off-planet.
38. Cried over someone you were in love with? yes. i've had my heart broken too many times.
39. Had Mexican jumping beans for pets? yes. i didn't really bond with them, though. i lost them in some corner of the house after a couple of days.
40. Been in a band? yes. had to quit because being a single mom was interferring with practice and touring. loved it while it lasted, though.
41. Shot a gun? no. see #37
42. Shot a bow and arrow? no. #37
43. Played strip poker? no. i can't keep a straight face. i didn't want to impose the consequences of that on my friends.
44. Donated blood? yes -- it does not hurt. it's a good thing to do.
45. Ever jump out of an airplane? nope - not something that appeals to me at all!
46. Been to more than 10 countries? no - only 8. sigh.

I guess one good thing that could come of posting/thinking-about a list of questions like these is that it looks like pretty good fodder for a bunch of short stories. For every question above that I answered "yes" to ... there is a story inside me waiting to jump out. Maybe even for a few of the "no" answers. I have my work cut out for me I can see.