Finally. After months of deliberation and bickering on the part of Marc and myself ("Fergus? I think that name comes with a complimentary black eye."), Olivia, without the assistance of the 50,000 Baby Names!!! book, nails it.

Bathtub. Bathtub Mayes.

Finally. A post that does not contain a video.

But it does include a meme.

I have done this before in another post, but Shannon tagged me [About a week and a half ago] and I think not responding to a meme brings you seven years of bad luck or something like that, so I guess I will get up off my blog-duff and post something.

Ten weird, random facts, habits or goals about yourself...

1. I have to keep to the same post-shower grooming technique every time I get cleaned up. I dry off, wrap hair in towel, brush teeth, put on moisturizer, put on deodorant, etc...it's all done in exactly the same sequence each and every time or I get a bit agitated.

2. I can never, ever remember what sour kraut is called. I see it...and draw a blank. I want some...but I can't remember what it's called. I get ready to ask Olivia if she'll have some for lunch...and have to ponder for at least 15 seconds before I can come up with it. Every time.

3. I have a perfectly clear memory of our Siamese cat using a brass spittoon as a litter box once. My mother insists this never happened.

4. I come to your house and have a meal with you? I'd love to help with the dishes, but the sponge by your sink gives me the heebie jeebies. Big time. Even at my mom's house, which is spotless, the sponge...it freaks me out.

5. When I was little, I wrote a story about a seagull. I wanted some alliteration for its name, but Simon just seemed too obvious, too pedestrian. So, he became Semen. Semen the Seagull.

6. I feel physical pain when watching people on TV be embarrassed. ON TV. NOT REAL PEOPLE. Whatever.

7. I used to think that I "hated" water and rarely, if ever, drank it.

8. I had a bright-red heart-shaped birthmark on my chest, but it faded.

9. I love an ellipsis. I use it (them?) way too much and not always properly.

10. I would like to go to a silent retreat. I think passing a weekend without saying a word sounds both damn near impossible and completely glorious.

An indicator of my mood today...

Marc: Can I get you a shot of espresso, honey? Upside your head?

I always miss NYC more on Sundays.



(Shannon, I'm working on the meme. Trying to figure out which of my weirdness is appropriate for public consumption.)

Amy Tenderich has a good post over at Diabetes Mine on the news of the FDA's recent, controversial study of the use of insulin pumps by teens. She points out some of the information that the FDA did NOT include and offers a link to one of the many recent studies which contradicts that of the FDA.

I think that just watching this video probably counts as my 30 minutes of daily exercise.