NS April 16th, 2009
From Jessica at This is Worthwhile, a meme that encompasses the past, present and future.
15 years ago today I would have been:
10 years ago today I would have been:
5 years ago today I would have been:
1 year ago today I would have been:
This year I am:
Today I:
Next year I hope:
In five years I hope:
What have you done and what do you want to be doing?
NS February 19th, 2009
I saw this meme about marriage on Dooce and thought I’d reproduce it here to give you a peek at how I live life with my other half, The Noble Husband.
What are your middle names?
Mine is Lyn; he doesn’t have one. I thought that was so strange and, frankly, disconcerting, for the first few years we were together. I had never heard of someone just not having a middle name. Not at all, not even an initial. Nada.
The funny thing is, he really wants a middle name and we’re always trying to think of a suitable one for him. I think the one being favoured at the moment is Jasper. I have no idea why. Personally, I think Thaddeus suits him better but he gives me a dirty look every time I mention it.
How long have you been together?
We’ve beeen together for 10 and a half years and married for nine. Our anniversary was just a couple weeks ago. We got married in 2000, which is really very convenient for remembering this.
How long did you know each other before you started dating?
Umm…a week? Maybe two.
Who asked whom out?
It’s hard to say. Techinically he asked me out first but he also asked my flatmates along so I’m not sure if it counts. But I say it does and this is my meme so that’s that.
How old are each of you?
I’m 29 and he will be 35 in a few short days. Once he hit 30, he enjoyed telling me regularly that the silver lining in that depressing cloud was that he still had a wife in her 20s, which made him feel younger. Now that I’m approaching the big 3-0, I think he’s liable to have a mid-life crisis.
Whose siblings do you see the most?
Strangely enough, mine, even though my sister lives in Chicago (an eight hour flight away) and his brother lives in Brussels (a two hour train ride away).
Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
The dynamics of our relationship changed drastically when I quit my job and became a stay-at-home parent. We no longer feel equal financially, socially or professionally, which sometimes bleeds over into not feeling equal in our partnership at home. He feels overworked and unappreciated and I feel the same. It’s an issue we struggle with constantly but we’re keeping our heads above water for the most part.
Did you go to the same school?
No.
Are you from the same home town?
That’s a negative, Ghostrider. He’s a la-di-da city boy, born in Paris and raised in London; I was born in Podunk, USA and raised in Podunker.
Who is smarter?
That’s really hard to say because we’re both pretty smart and well-rounded. He’s considerably better at math, science and spatial-awareness stuff but I’m more well-read with superior written and verbal communication skills. Hey, we’re like a walking, talking, educational gender stereotype! But yeah, I think we both took an IQ test one time and he was a couple points ahead of me so I’d have to say him.
Who is the most sensitive?
That would be me.
Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Probably Giraffe, or at various independently-owned Thai and Indian restaurants in the area. It’s not often we go out to eat as a couple so we like to switch it up when we do.
Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Depends on what point of reference you use. If you mean farthest from the UK it would have to be Mexico, but we were living in the US at the time so it wasn’t that far. From the UK while living here it would have to be Bosnia, I think.
Who has the craziest exes?
Neither of us have truly ‘crazy’ exes but my ex-boyfriend became a little unbalanced after we broke up. I started dating TNH very shortly afterwards and didn’t want to hurt my ex by telling him I was dating someone new so soon. TNH and I had both just dropped some acid and were on our way out the door when my in-the-Navy-and-loves-a-good-fight ex showed up on my doorstep, demanding an explanation for why I dumped him. I made TNH hide inside while I tried desperately to get rid of him before I started laughing uncontrollably or tracing rainbows on his face. He left in the nick of time.
Who has the worst temper?
I have destroyed a computer monitor, a filing cabinet, a toiletries tower and a metal bin while in a rage. I think it’s safe to say I do.
Who does the cooking?
90% him. He even makes my sandwiches for me on the weekends.
Who is the neat-freak?
I actually get turned on when I see TNH cleaning without being asked.
Who is more stubborn?
Me. By a long shot.
Who hogs the bed?
Him. All 6’4″ with super-long legs of him. I, on the other hand, can sleep on a strip of bed the size of Nicole Richie’s thigh.
Who wakes up earlier?
It was me for a loooong time but for a few months now he’s been getting up early with The Noble Child and letting me sleep a bit later since I’m up with the baby in the middle of the night a couple times.
Where was your first date?
Our first date alone (not in a group at the pub) was at a Mexican restaurant in Germany for my birthday, followed by shots of tequila and whiskey at a rowdy Irish bar. He had to come find me passed out in the toilets a little while later. Romantic, eh?
Who is more jealous?
I was quite jealous when we were in our long-distance relationship but I was only 19 at the time so it’s not surprising, really. Now neither of us are. Not a jot.
How long did it take to get serious?
As long as it took for the third ecstasy tablet to kick in. Ba-dum-dum! Just a little joke, people. I’d say about a month.
Who eats more?
He can eat more at one sitting but I’m a snacker. I eat all day long.
Who does the laundry?
Me. He tries to help sometimes but it usually just creates more work for me because everything gets all wrinkly and then I have to iron, which I avoid at all costs. Besides, laundry is something I don’t actually mind doing. There’s something cathartic about folding clothes.
Who’s better with the computer?
He’s the IT professional. I am merely a ‘user’.
Who drives when you are together?
He doesn’t have a driver’s license in the UK so right now it’s always me. Though when we lived in the US and both drove, we would get into some godawful fights when he was behind the wheel so I tried to drive whenever possible.
I tag A Free Man, Charlotte, More Than Just a Mother, Strawberry, and Courtney.
NS February 17th, 2009
My blogging buddy and fellow expat Charlotte, of the brilliant Charlotte’s Web, interviewed me for this meme making the rounds and so here are my answers to her five astute questions. If you’d like to be interviewed by yours truly, please leave a comment and I will email my own burning questions to you. Then answer them on your own blog, linking back to me when you do so. Here goes!
1. How are you finding the transition from being the parent of one child to being the parent of two?
Better than I expected, actually. I’m much more relaxed about the baby stuff and I’m used to the interrupted sleep this time around so number two’s arrival didn’t rock my world so much as number one’s did. One thing that I haven’t done so well with is not letting my temper flare when the baby is screeching and the toddler starts throwing a tantrum. When both are going at the same time I start to lose my marbles.
2. You took a blogging break for a few weeks at the beginning of the year. Did that ease your soul, or were you desperate to get back and see what was going on in your absence?
When I took that break it felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. No blogging, no reading of blogs, no gathering of info for blog fodder…it was a vacation I needed. It wasn’t the blogging that was a problem, it was me. I’d gotten into a funk and it was manifesting itself as blog addiction – rooted to my sofa, unsmiling, going through my RSS feeds like it was my duty, not a pleasure. It was a way to avoid my real-life stresses. The mini-break was just what I needed to tackle those stresses, recharge and come back with a fresh outlook. I will not hesitate to do so again if I feel that I begin to slide back into that depressing pattern.
3. What do you love best about living in the UK? What do you love least?
I love many things about Britain but lately my favourite has been the sense of history one gets just looking around. Maybe it’s because I just finished reading ‘Pillars of the Earth’, which is set in the 12th century and mentions places and castles that are STILL here today. The other day I was in Richmond Park taking photographs of this massive, ancient, twisted tree and thought about the centuries upon centuries that people have likely stood in the same spot and wondered at England’s beauty. It’s an amazing, humbling feeling, one that you just don’t get when you come from such a young country as the USA.
My least favourite thing about Britain is the ‘mind your own business’ mindset that means neighbours never talk to each other, kids causing trouble go unscolded, and someone in need of help goes unaided. It’s immensely sad because the British are actually a very warm, caring people…they’ve just been conditioned not to show it too often.
4. England is a very small island. Discuss.
It is indeed a small island, which makes it all the more amazing that it has had such a global influence. It also means that distance here is exaggerated beyond all comprehension to someone from a more vast land. I remember when I first moved here and wasn’t very good on my geography outside of London, I would often ask someone how far away certain cities in the Midlands or the North were and I would be told “Oh, it’s faaaaar away. It would take you ages to get there.” With further probing I would discover it was all of a two hour drive. TWO HOURS. I used to drive that far just to get my favourite tacos for lunch. These people have no concept of real distance and open spaces. That’s how small it is.
5. Budget is no object. Describe your dream holiday.
Three days partying with my husband on a beach in Goa or Thailand in the warm sun with cold beer. Going barefoot in the sand, having hours-long philosophical and political discussions with interesting people I’ve never met and will never meet again. Immersing myself in music and another culture, completely hedonistic and with zero responsibilities. After three days I would tire of this, however, especially since I am not a huge ‘beach person’. I would indulge my inner introvert and jet over to northern Sweden in winter and hire a log cabin in a remote forest. A roaring fire, an endless library of books, good food and wine and a comfortable window seat where I can write and write and write while gazing out at snow falling on trees, completely silent. A bit of snowshoeing, long walks in the forest and the ocassional visit from friends who just pop in for a cup of coffee and a chat before leaving me again.
NS November 12th, 2008
I could just smother Charlotte in sloppy kisses for giving me some blog fodder today. Bless you, sweet woman.
The rules:
1. List the last 10 commenters* on your blog.
2. If you’re on the list, you’re tagged.
The list:
1. Tabitha of Gramercy Riff
2. Chris of A Free Man
3. Emily of Telecommuter Talk
4. Marcy of Zoesmom
5. Andrea of Conversations With Self
6. Grace of What If No One’s Watching?
7. Charlotte of Charlotte’s Web
8. Jen of Jen’s Den
9. Joanna of J. Lucy Muses
10. Chloe of The Mindful Home
Now for the questions:
1. What’s your favourite post from number 3’s blog?
It has to be Emily’s fantastically funny and engaging story of meeting what appears to be David Sedaris. But is it really him?
2. Has number 10 taken any pictures that moved you?
Yes. This one of Chloe nursing her daughter reminds me why we do this for our children and how beautiful and special those moments are.
3. Does number 6 reply to comments on his blog?
Usually, yes.
4. Which part of blogland is number 2 from?
I don’t think you can pigeonhole Chris into one category. He is a: parent, husband, scientist, expat, college football nut, music fanatic… A man of many talents!
5. If you could give one piece of advice to number 7, what would it be?
Put out another edition of Tales From the Web, please! No pressure or anything though, Charlotte.
6. Have you ever tried something from number 9’s blog?
I’m a fairly new reader of Joanna’s blog so I can’t say that I have but I’m sure she will inspire me to try something she has recommended or done one day soon!
7. Has number 1 blogged something that inspired you?
Tabitha makes traveling and experiencing new cultures a priority in her life and she is unafraid to jump in and get her feet wet, even in nations where she doesn’t speak the language. I hope I can do the same someday, when I am better able to travel.
8. How often do you comment on number 4’s blog?
Probably not as much as I should since I read Marcy’s blog regularly. Maybe twice a month? Shameful, I know. I’m having trouble commenting on many people’s blogs these days due to lack of a third hand with which to type while holding the baby. Intelligent design really screwed that one up!
9. Do you wait for number 8 to post excitedly?
Yep! Jen’s is one of the very first I go to when I open my RSS reader. I’m also waiting to see her in the flesh excitedly…it’s been too long.
10. How did number 5’s blog change your life?
Having a sister who is so kind, generous, smart, fun and witty has changed my life immeasurably. Her blog is just along for the ride.
*I didn’t include those who commented but either have no blog or didn’t leave a link
NS November 6th, 2008
Becky at Musings From The Sofa gave me an ‘I Love Your Blog’ award (See it over on the sidebar, looking all pretty?) and so now I am to nominate seven other bloggers whose sites I love. With well over 50 blogs on my Google reader, it’s a tough choice but here are some that have been particular favourites lately. In no particular order, my nominees are:
The rules for passing this award on are as follows:
1. Add the logo of the award to your blog
2. Add a link to the person who awarded it to you.
3. Nominate at least seven other blog.
4. Add links to those blogs on your blog.
I look forward to hearing your acceptance speeches…
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