09 October 2006
Oh dear, a picture of me (you should feel free to start leaving comments about how young I look -- I don't like it, but I'm used to it). I have a couple of projects on the go which require a self portrait. To go with the photo, here's an old meme favourite which I couldn't be bothered to do until today:
100 Things About Me (Which You May or May Not Have Already Known)
1. My birthday is December 22nd.
2. This is why my website is twelve22.org; I’m always confused when other people are surprised to learn this. I can’t help wondering what they thought it stood for.
3. I was brought home from the hospital on Christmas day in a giant Christmas stocking.
4. The first time I can remember reading was when I started reading bits of the newspaper to my mother one morning. The paper was upside-down from my vantage point. I think I was four.
5. There was a scratch-and-sniff ‘Forget Me Not’ My Little Pony sticker on the door of my first bedroom (ages 0-5). Forget me not, indeed.
6. I took piano lessons for two or three years, beginning when I was about seven (I think). I didn’t like playing the little songs from the lesson books.
7. So I quit. And I taught myself to play Fur Elise and then Moonlight Sonata. Much better.
8. I own my grandmother’s old piano, which she gave to me when she moved to Florida. It’s nothing special, but it suits me perfectly, and I wouldn’t trade it for a Steinway.
9. I also play clarinet and tenor + alto sax.
10. And guitar.
11. I taught myself guitar my freshman year of university. First I borrowed a dorm-mate’s guitar, then I bought a cheap Hohner. Now I own a Martin, which I keep in its case, to preserve the delicious smell.
12. The first song I learned on guitar was Blackbird.
13. I play by finger picking, not strumming, and I’m very clumsy with pick/plectrum.
14. I’m a vegetarian.
15. For three years, I was a lacto-vegetarian, which meant I didn’t eat eggs either. I missed donuts.
16. Now I eat eggs, but only if they’re free range, from a nice farm.
17. I usually buy Cotswold Legbar eggs, which have pastel-coloured shells and orange-y yolks. Bright, white-shelled eggs with light yellow yolks creep me out.
18. I’m very proud of my domestic skills, which are more in the sewing/baking department than, say, cleaning.
19. I think everybody should be allowed to choose what sort of man/woman/man-woman one wants to be, but strong domestic skills equate with strong womanhood in my mind.
20. Probably because I’ve been brainwashed by The Man.
21. I find authors like Stephen Pinker and Matt Ridley very interesting. I love to read about the play between nature and nurture.
22. If I do another degree, I might get a master’s in educational psychology. I’m fascinated by things like developmental linguistics and theories of learning.
23. I take most of my photos with a Nikon D70, which is the perfect camera for me.
24. Before the D70, I had an old HP digicam, which was about as big as a brick and slightly less advanced.
25. I also own a Nikon N65 (film SLR), a Lomo, a Holga, and I used my parents’ Olympus OM10 for a while as well.
26. I count my calories. Every day (near enough), I write down the calorie content of everything I eat.
27. I don’t find this to be time consuming or annoying. I’d spend a lot more time worrying about over-eating if I didn’t have a record.
28. I run four times a week, about 3-5k (2-3 miles) each time.
29. When I started running, I could only go for about 60 seconds at a time.
30. It’s stupid when Nike say it, but ‘Just Do It’ is a very good motto. This is how I became a vegetarian years ago and how I started running just six months ago. Don’t think about the rest of your life; just think about doing this one thing right now.
31. I like to have a cup of tea and a (two finger) Kit Kat for my elevenses, though I take mine at ten.
32. I’m younger than people usually think I am, based on personality.
33. I’m older than most people probably think I am, based on how I look. Someday I will probably be grateful for this.
34. I’m usually hyper-aware of the things I say and (especially) write. I hate rereading my words and finding them pompous, and I try very carefully to not come off as a know-it-all.
35. That said, being proud of my skills and the way I live my life shouldn’t make me a snob.
36. This is a recurring problem for me, though – people thinking I have a superiority complex.
37. I don’t. I promise you: I really, really don’t.
38. I have had nine hamsters in my life. Their names were: Hammie, Cinnamon, Ferdie, Dusty, Baby, Tails, Picke, The Rat, and Monty.
39. I don’t have my driver’s license.
40. I got my instructional permit when I was fifteen and just never got around to the road test. It’s since expired, and I haven’t needed a car in London.
41. I will need to get my license now that I’m moving back to the States.
42. I can name all fifty states in alphabetical order.
43. Because of this, my greatest desire is for somebody to issue a state-naming challenge, so I can leave the competition in my dust.
44. I have seen Paul McCartney in concert four times.
45. One of those times, I waited outside the stadium with a friend and got a photo of Sir Paul as he entered through the ‘secret’ back door.
46. Yes, I’m a big fan. But not crazed.
47. I’ve seen Simon and Garfunkel in concert together, and I’ve also seen them each in concert solo.
48. I thought they were both better as solo acts than together.
49. I’m good at tidying a room up, but not at keeping it tidy.
50. I was originally a computer science major at university.
51. Then marketing.
52. Before settling on English.
53. With one or two exceptions, I thought my English teachers in school were full of it, and I never enjoyed my Lit classes.
54. Instead, I liked math and science.
55. And was voted ‘Most Likely to Become a Mathematician’ in high school.
56. And yet I majored in English. My college professors were (for the most part) much better than the teachers I had in school, and I really had fun with my major.
57. When I settled on an English degree, I did so thinking I should enjoy myself while at university, even if it meant my job prospects would be slim to none.
58. It turned out for the best, obviously, as I’m now a publisher.
59. I trust my ability to make big decisions. I might take a long time to finally come to a conclusion, but I think a justifiable decision is usually the right one.
60. Pothos are my favourite house plants.
61. Like a lot of creative types (I think), I’m always worried I’ll be ‘found out’ – that people will realize the things I do and make aren’t as clever as they originally thought.
62. I do not suffer fools gladly. I expect people to make an effort.
63. I think perhaps the above gives the impression I referred to in #36, but I’d have to say that expecting people to live up to their potential is hardly snobbery.
64. I remember being about eleven, promising to myself that I would never forget that my dream was to have a horse.
65. I haven’t forgotten.
66. I don’t walk over glass floors in malls.
67. I worked in a school-aged day care for three years while I was in school and university. It’s still the most emotionally fulfilling job I’ve had, on a social level.
68. Before that, I worked at Sears for a couple of years.
69. That was the second least fulfilling job I’ve had.
70. But it fostered my love for home fashion (the department I worked in).
71. I tend to wake up between 5:30 and 6:00 in the morning.
72. But when I was in university, I rarely went to bed before midnight and slept much later as a result.
73. I’m 5’8”. And a half.
74. My favourite Indian restaurant is in Minnesota.
75. I like to force my family to go there on my birthday, but last year it was closed. That made me sad.
76. I feel very awkward about receiving presents, especially when I have to open them in front of the giver.
77. But I like giving presents and making the receiver open them in front of me.
78. I tend to give presents that are lots of little things in one big package.
79. And these are also the kind of presents I like receiving, if you were wondering.
80. I almost always make at least a portion of a gift by hand, which is actually much more stressful than just spending money on something store-bought. Oh well.
81. I long for a well-fitting pair of thick wool trousers. Grey, brown, pinstriped, I don’t care.
82. English people don’t think I sound English. Americans think I sound funny. I wonder if my accent would fit in in Canada.
83. I was quite ill (with digestive issues) for about a year, and I rarely felt well enough to eat anything more adventurous than potato waffles.
84. One day, I started feeling better and had a bowl of vegetable soup with corn chips. This still seems like a very health-giving meal because of that connection.
85. I studied in Edinburgh for a semester.
86. Edinburgh is my favourite city, and I love a good Scottish accent.
87. I take my tea like a ‘Northern miner.’ Very strong with a heaped spoonful of sugar.
88. Actually, I often put a little milk in as well, but only because I can’t drink tea when it’s scalding hot.
89. Tea should be accompanied by a Kit Kat (as previously mentioned) or a couple of ginger biscuits.
90. I’m considering starting a little notebook in which I can rate different brands of ginger biscuits. I feel I am well qualified for this task.
91. When I first started my blog, six years ago, I made a point to update every day. Clearly, I no longer hold myself to this standard.
92. I’ve always had lots of little moles on my face and body, but I didn’t have freckles until about five years ago.
93. I think I’m a fairly funny person in real life, but I often have a hard time expressing humour in writing without it sounding contrived. So I apologize if I sound over earnest at times. I’m not really like that.
94. I’m low maintenance – it doesn’t take much to amuse me.
95. I’m high maintenance – I like to have things just so.
96. I can touch type, but it’s not exactly as they teach you in keyboarding class. I only use the right-hand shift key and use my left hand to press the ‘Y’ button.
97. I can write backwards/mirrored. I taught myself to do this to keep from being bored in general education classes in university.
98. I like dark chocolate best and don’t believe white chocolate is really chocolate at all.
99. I have a great memory when it comes to situations/conversations/details, but really have a difficult time remembering to complete tasks, even ones I’d enjoy.
100. I don’t feel like the same person I was in school or even university, and I wonder who I’ll be in another five/ten/fifteen years.
100. I don’t feel like the same person I was in school or even university, and I wonder who I’ll be in another five/ten/fifteen years.
You still seem all right and Pretty Neat, though. ;) I don't feel like the same person either. It weirds me out a little and makes me wonder if I was more interesting before. Hmm.
posted by jessie at October 9, 2006 08:21 PM
22 is my favorite number. my birthday is oct 22, my brother's is aug 22, and i'm 22 months older than he. i once went out with a guy whose birthday was september 22 and whose sister was march 22, and i was convinced for several days that we'd be married - but we only made it two dates.
posted by katie e. at October 9, 2006 10:12 PM
I have something in common with you :) I also look very young. I'm 25 and most people say I look like a 16 year old girl. Everyone tells me that's supposed to be a good thing and I think it might be, someday... I hate when people look at me and think I'm a child when I'm a woman alredy!
posted by anaromerodesign at October 9, 2006 10:35 PM
The trick with white chocolate is to realise that it isn't chocolate.
It still can be a wonderful thing. Not chocolate, but wonderful nonetheless. It's hard to realise this if you are trying to class it as chocolate.
Nigella's white chocolate "blonde" brownies are great (try adding a pinch of garam masala – sounds odd but really it works wonders). And that is speaking as someone who hasn’t got the sweetest of teeth. Also recommended are white chocolate chip and zucchini muffins (if only because the white chocolate means you can seen green flecks which is fun, if you are in the mood).
posted by alice at October 10, 2006 12:05 AM
Mind divulging the name of that Indian restaurant? Also, I wholeheartedly agree with #98 and can relate to #99 except that in my case, it's not that I can't remember to finish tasks. It's that I can't remember where the hell my car keys are. Maybe once you're back in the States, have a driver's license, and own a car you'll have that problem as well.
posted by Sarah at October 10, 2006 01:28 AM
Ummmm.... that was trippy.
Reading your list, there were waaaaay too many thing that we have in common. Weird, small details.
Of course, you are more like a snapshot of myself a few years ago... no driver's license, counting calories, taught myself to play guitar, worried that people won't find my creativity clever, moles on my face, looking young, vegetarian, playing piano, then quitting, then teaching myself, being both high and low maintenance... the list goes on.
Are you the British version of me ? :) Nice to meet you.
posted by Briana at October 10, 2006 05:45 AM
Hi Anna! Hmmm, yes, I was wondering about the twelve22 thing... I didn't guess your birthday. Thanks for taking the time to do this, and to post your photo! It's nice to get to know you better! FYI, I might look a little younger than my 40 years (I hope) but everyone always comments about my baby voice. When phone solicitors ask me, "Is your mother home, honey?" I say "No, she lives in Florida!"
posted by Momma Pajama at October 10, 2006 01:53 PM
Hi Anna - thanks for posting the photo, it's nice to be able to put a face to the "voice". And a great list too. And guess what? My parcel finally arrived yesterday, it HAD been opened by customs. I am so glad, I had been starting to lose hope and had been shooting my postman very dirty looks. Thank you so much - it is all gorgeous and I can't wait to tuck into the Rolos for "elevenses" :)
posted by suzy at October 11, 2006 01:28 AM
You look lovely. It was nice learning more about you. Good luck with the book! I can't wait!
posted by Adriana at October 11, 2006 01:33 AM
Is there any chance that your favorite Indian restaurant is in St. Louis Park? That's where mine is! I now live in Chicago. I'm fairly close to a major Indian community with many restaurants, but none of them measure up to the gold standard.
posted by Jodi at October 11, 2006 03:17 PM
I think you look both youthful and wise. And Minnesota does have some great Indian food, don't we?
Lovely list, lovely blog, etc. etc.
posted by Jennifer at October 11, 2006 07:03 PM
#30... thank you for reminding me of that.
posted by Juti at October 11, 2006 11:24 PM
Doh! Being amazingly dense I hadn't worked out that your blog name was your birthday. Though maybe it's because you do that weird American thing of putting the month before the day. Maybe I'd have worked it out if you'd been called twentytwo12.org (though it doesn't sound half as snappy).
I completely sympathize with how you're feeling at the moment. We're now leaving for Seattle on the 4th and I too am faced with a To Do list as long as your arm. I also LOVED the bit about you coming home in a Christmas stocking...
Good luck with all the departure preparations.
posted by paola at October 15, 2006 10:24 PM
Paola -- I actually don't do the American date thing ; it's just as you said -- twelve22 just sounds better. I've been filling out various American forms recently, and I'm sure I've probably told somebody to start my policy on the 10th of the 24th month!
posted by Anna at October 16, 2006 05:55 AM
Hi Anna,
My name is Maria Ines and I serendipitously came across your site while googling images of peonies. I live in Los Angeles in a great little loft that is like a magical treehouse. It has french doors that open up to little balconies each with a big pot of geraniums and from the other windows all I see is a majestic california sycamore tree with its great big leaves and the sunlight shining throught them. Right now have a tall vase with 5 of the most beautiful fully-open peonies in slightly different hues of pink.
I so loved your picture of the pink peonies in that gorgeous blue jar that I went into your site. I have to say that you are an incredibly creative and talented woman. I also share a love of photography and cooking and really appreciate everything that you create in your kitchen and garden, and how you capture them through your camera. Love the way you use natural light in your images and how you capture the feeling of the moment.
I recently started my own business, a boutique branding and marketing copmany and have never been happier. I work from home too, which is great because it gives the time to cook and be creative and use my time at my own leisure. Too bad you don't live here! I feel that we would be good friends and I would learn sooo much from you!
Thank you for sharing your talents with us! :-) After looking at some of your archives I went to make myself a cup of tea with some yummy bread with honey.
As far as dark chocolate is concerned, if you come accross 70% cacao Chocolate Santander(colombian), get it! (they sell it at Whole Foods). It is sublimely good.
Alright Anna, send you my best wishes and look forward to seeing what yummy things you whip up in your kitchen soon!
all the very best,
Maria Ines
posted by Maria Ines Llodra at July 3, 2008 05:16 PM