Thursday, January 29, 2009

alright, alright I'll do it... 25 random things meme

So I've been tagged several times for this meme but haven't done it. ;-) Call me perverse. Or uncooperative! (I've been given a couple of bloggy awards too but haven't managed yet to pass them along either... bad me).

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you can write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged.

1. I usually ignore requests on Facebook that involve applications been added to my profile and that access my information plus my friend's information. Don't be offended if I do, it's nothing personal.

2. One good stimulating thing about working in a library is the variety of the human condition that you get to see, especially when working down on the public library desk.

Case in point: the Duck Man

I was working late one night when he came in, all loose limbed and preceded by a bow wave of alcohol fumes. He wanted recipes for duck so that seemed easy enough. As I began looking for poultry cookbooks he told me his sorry story. His pet duck had been run over before his eyes that morning and he was quite upset, tears were beginning to well up. I made sympathetic comments, thinking to myself that perhaps this was perhaps why the application of aqua vitae had been so liberal.
"I want to cook a beautiful recipe with [the duck] to celebrate it's life, and to give [the duck] a good send off" he said.
I made some affirming noises while trying to supress my hysterical laughter inside. He was concerned about the duck's girlfriend because "they mate for life you know" and he'd had to hide the body because the GF duck was wandering around calling for her partner. I wasn't so sure that ducks actually did mate for life as such but refrained from commenting. Meantime, I'd pulled up a few appropriate books for the man and wrote down some numbers.
"So, here are some call numbers where you'll find books for duck recipes. Do you want to pick them out yourself or shall I take you there?" I asked. He gave a sheepish smile and asked me to show him where they were. So off we go to the shelves - one brisk, librarian followed by one wiggly, inebriated Duck Man.
"You're really nice," he said, "Do you have to work here all night? Would you like to go for coffee or something?"
"Um.. yeah" I said, the aforementioned hysterics threatening to emerge again. "I have to stay here, but thanks anyway."
We reached the shelves and I found the cook books. "Here you go," I said, attempting to hand the man the books, "Try looking in the index for duck and see what you find."
It rapidly became obvious that using an index was the class he missed at school so I found some recipes for him and set them on the floor for him to browse. I quickly escaped to desk only to discover him following me back!
So I endured another half and hour of the Duck man's life story. How he was going to have a hangi for his neighbours and invite all the kids too (but "we're not having alcohol you know"), and "I live in a great nieghbourhood, we're just like family! Do you live in a great neighbourhood? Where do you live?" I gesture vaguely, up the hill somewhere. Finally he decided his duck recipe would be the one I originally suggested (one involving peaches, cardamon and long stewing) so he copied it down with my pencil and some paper I gave him. Off he went, somewhat happier I think and with profuse thanks.
Some days I love my job. Seriously - I'm not being sarcastic. I mean, where else could you help someone in sorrow, get hit on in a non-threatening way and have the person leave happier than when they arrive?

3. My favourite colours are green, red and some blues. But green has the edge.

4. I had chicken pox when I was 35.

5. I don't really like other people helping me in the kitchen unless it's my sisters, Dad, or my friends Nel, Anne or Gail. It's nothing personal. I have things mapped in my mind and I like to do it my way. But you're welcome to come and talk to me while I do it.

6. I like to nuture people with food. Come to my house and I will want to feed you. But I'm hopeless at tidiness at home.

7. When I was learning "running writing" (cursive) my Dad commented that my g-ma had very nice writing so I wanted to imitate her. I still like writing copperplate style and using fountain pens.

8. I have a photic sneeze response.

9. I don't get the Vampire thing. Kinda glad Twilight didn't get voted onto the book list. ;-) Sorry gals!

10. I like music but I'm not a music listener as such. I prefer quietness.

11. I hated going to sleep as a kid. I could even sleep standing up. My daughter appears to have inherited this. Bother.

12. I used to be a night owl but now I pay for it if I don't get a good night sleep.

13. I love kitchen, fabric, scrapbooking and foodie stores. But I dislike clothes shopping.

14. I'm mostly a live by the rules person - maybe because I'm the first born? I always dismount at pedestrian crossings when I'm on my bike. But some library rules are stupid so at work I'm not often the one who is laying down the law.

15. I want to make plum sauce tonight.

16. I wish I knew more about some scripting languages related to web work, plus stuff about how to make database driven websites. But I can't seem to learn from those huge books we've got in the collection. I need a class or something.

17. I like my bamboo underpants. I also like my undies with banana prints on them. They are my happy pants.

18. I craved salty things when pregnant with my son and sweet things when pregnant with my daughter.

19. I sometimes dream I'm speaking fluent French.

20. My school calculator still works.

21. I have a collection of kina skeletons in a range of sizes.

22. I'm dreading my kids being teenagers. I don't "get" teenagers. I hope I grow into it.

23. I love the feel of clean sheets.

24. I like the smell of freshly cut grass.

25. There is a monarch caterpillar chrysalis hanging from my outside water tap.

There!
Not tagging anyone. But if you really want to and feel left out, please consider yourself tagged.

10 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:03 pm

    This is great Penny! I love the duck man story! And I smiled at your favourite underwear! I also agree with you on being glad Twilight didn't make it onto the book club list. TFS.

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  2. Ditto re Twilight :)

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  3. hehehehehe... I think the duck man story will keep me smiling all day!
    Wonder if he'll bring you in some?

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  4. This is fabulous, Penny, just love the duck man story!

    Don't need to do this because, OMG, I am sure you are my long lost twin/kindred spirit (my answers are almost identical - the photic sneezing, not getting the vampire thing and having no desire to read the Twilight books, fear of teenagers, the sleep thing as a child and now need a decent sleep to function (though I still don't sleep much), plum sauce is to die for, I wear bamboo undies too, lol (& love to knit with the new bamboo yarns), hate clothes shopping but love the others, I use a fountain pen and take pride in my cursive writing style (taught myself to do calligraphy years ago too) and still morn that they no longer teach it in schools... and ON...

    Thank you :)

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  5. i think i read 5 of these on FB today! (and have thus far resisting playing along.)

    love your duck man story! also love duck. mmmmmm.

    i had to read twilight for a book group and finished it in 2 days. it's not world-changing or anything, but i really liked it. i do like teenagers, however, so the teen angst/love story was right up my alley.

    i'm a first born, but not so much a rules-follower. i didn't even know a person was supposed to dismount for peds! (perhaps not in the US?) i'm sort of a wild-child urban biker, tho;)

    (as to the cold-bum question, someone thoughtfully put a cushion on the ice-sculpted chair, so it was a nonissue:)

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  6. I've been tagged for this one too, I might get around to it one day.

    I voted for Twilight (don't throw things at me!) because I work in a SF/F bookshop and I feel like I ought to have read it just so I know what all the fuss is about. I can't quite bring myself to do it so I was totally hoping to be forced into it by the book circle, but in the end I'm glad it didn't make the list :P

    My school calculator still works too and I have no memory of ever having changed the battery. No, it's not solar powered.

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  7. Loved the duckman story! Only slightly gutted by the lack of Twilight (I will probably read anyway although I have the feeling it will annoy me (more specifically the main female character).

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  8. Ahh ... Some of your answers I just nodded my head to and thought yep that's you! lol
    What a hoot about the duck man. Snort snort!
    And how funny you and L being able to sleep standing up :-)

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  9. Duckman's Awesome.
    As a fellow librarian I know your pain.
    Being in the central city we also get our fair share of kooky. At least they mostly stick to the public libraries.

    It's pretty quiet here today so I'm thankful to be spending some time catching up on things
    Woo.

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  10. Love your list - I too don't get the vampire thing and would not have read Twilight except... ran out of reading in Rarotonga and had to borrow Twilight from Miss 13. I was surprised by it- actually OK - not earth shattering but ok

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