My favorite magazine, Vanity Fair, has a feature every issue called the Proust Questionnaire. You can look at some of the archives here. I decided to fill one out myself while waiting for my last client of the night.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Being off work for several days, a clean house, a stocked kitchen, and low maintenance people to spend time with.
What is your greatest fear?
Whales in the ocean, someone I love dying. (not in that order)
Which living person do you most admire?
Obama!
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Not speaking up when I should.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Constant drama, one-upmanship.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Magazines! I buy 10,000 a month.
What is your favorite journey?
Driving to Nebraska to see my family.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Trendiness
On what occasion do you lie?
To spare someone’s feelings. Or to get out of trouble.
What do you dislike most about your appearance?
Well, I hate it when my brother calls me “Cheeks”. And he is talking about the ones on my face.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
All the bad ones…
What is your greatest regret?
Not having more confidence in myself in high school and college.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Nicholas. And diet coke.
Which talent would you most like to have?
To play the piano extroidanarily well.
What is your current state of mind?
I’m on vacation mode all the way.
If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be?
Not as much distance. Also maybe make some of them less funny than me.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Passing my LMFT exam, after taking it 8 days before my wedding and was stressed to the max.
If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
A writer.
If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be?
Shiloh Jolie-Pitt. That kid’s living the life.
What is your most treasured possession?
My engagement ring.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Being alone when you REALLY don’t want to be.
What is your favorite occupation?
I always like the idea of teaching, but in the end couldn’t imagine myself doing it.
What is your most marked characteristic?
Red hair.
What is the quality you most like in a man?
Will laugh at my jokes.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Bad language.
What do you most value in your friends?
Sense of humor
Who are your favorite writers?
Irwin Shaw, Marian Keyes, Chaim Potok, Larry McMurtry, JK Rowling
Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Thomas Jordache from Rich Man, Poor Man or Lee from East of Eden.
What is it that you most dislike?
People who scoop the punchline.
How would you like to die?
When I’m feeling selfish – before any of my friends and family so I don’t have to endure their deaths. When I’m feeling generous – pulling children out of a burning building.
What is your motto?
I’ll borrow one from my hero, Mary Pipher: “Get more rest, do good work, take things a day at a time, and find some people to love.”
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
proust questionnaire
Sunday, November 23, 2008
i feel so inexperienced after doing this...
Stole this from The Sheila Variations. Makes me feel like I haven't done much with my life. Maybe I should do stuff other than see 4 movies in a weekend? Nah.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life (maybe. See #64)
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day
Thursday, October 30, 2008
true story
10-29-08 approx. 7:00pm at work -
me: I've had this watch for 6 years and I've never had to change the battery.
10-30-08 approx. 1:45pm at work-
coworker: what time is it?
me: 11:30 am. wait. shit.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
sigh...
Reason Number 8,444,332,435 I am glad I'm married to Nicholas:
He put the latest episodes of the Shield and Gossip Girl on my flash drive so I could watch them at work and he included a note that said:
The Shield Episode 8....this shit is CRAZY! I love you wifey!
(oh and I put some show called Gossip Girl on there.)
xoxo-
Nick (not GG)
Dreamy isn't he? Referencing Gossip Girl? Granted he won't ever do it again since I'm making it public, but ya'll know I have to keep it real over here at the Fossey house.
Monday, October 20, 2008
1 year down...
Today, our marriage is one year old! 366 days ago Nick and I said "I do". (Thanks leap year!) Originally I planned to publish our very own "Wedding Story" a la TLC, but I know no will read it all the way through. Instead here are some favorite memories of our big day, in bullet points.
The Rehearsal Dinner:
- The wedding rehearsal was the most relaxing fun day of my life. It was so fun and casual and LOW STRESS.
- My 8 year old cousin making a speech at the rehearsal dinner. She said something like, "we never expected Benay to get married...or speak Spanish."
- Nick's grandmother planting a slightly tipsy kiss on Beacon, the best man.
- Dancing all night at Cookies, the world's smallest bar, with all the people I loved.
- A drunken rendition of "Son of a Preacher Man" sung by yours truly.
- Waking up early, early and driving from the hotel to Nick's house where I crawled into bed with him for a few minutes. I knew we wouldn't be alone the rest of the day. Plus I wanted to make sure he still wanted to go through with it.
- Putting on my BRIDE tank top, finally!
- Going down to the lobby to meet the girls so we could go to brunch and the salon and seeing a white stretch limo arriving to pick us up! A surprise from my brother and my mom.
- Giving gifts to the bridesmaids at lunch.
- Having my mom give me a surprise gift, a pretty bracelet.
- Seeing Nick before the ceremony and crying like an idiot.
- Take picture after picture.
- Being surrounded by all of our friends and family made me realize why people have weddings.
- Right before walking down the aisle, feeling panicky and short of breath.
- Tyler calming us down with some jokes.
- Tyler and mom flipping my veil over and kissing me on the cheek.
- Reazling that my shoes are killing my feet.
- Actually listening to the wedding message from my dad, and being in awe that this was happening to me.
- Trying to figure out a way to slip off my shoes, like Audrey Hepburn did in Roman Holiday.
- Nick's beautiful vows to me, hand written and so well thought out.
- My blubbering, incoherent vows, completely on the fly.
- TJ's song being interrupted by the train.
- Being pronounced husband and wife and being showered with rose petals!
- Taking my shoes off immediately after making it back down the aisle.
- A tearful hug from Soni.
- Spending time alone with Nick in the bride's room and taking some pictures.
- "I think you just got pregnant from that kiss." - our photographer after some steamy shots against the barn.
- Being announced to the Monday Night Football theme. The things we do for love.
- The first dance. I wanted it to go on forever.
- Dancing with dad. I don't know what we talked about but the pictures show us laughing. As usual.
- The cake. So good. So sad we didn't get to eat more.
- The toasts! Beacon's was SO sweet and of course Soni's made me cry.
- Gary's song to the newlyweds.
- Greeting everyone in the barn; getting hugged and kissed more in a day than I had in years.
- Dancing with everyone to Footloose and Love Shack, my faves.
- The last dance of Twist and Shout; felt a sudden pang of sadness that it was over.
- Taking our last picture by the Surrey in the barn.
- Seeing the decorated car. Sheesh.
- Continuing the party at the Skirvin.
- Opening the gift from Nick's groomspeople: Rockband! Or at least the promise of Rockband in a Hannah Montana singing card.
- Waking up the next morning with a sense of huge relief and a huge let down, until I remembered there were presents to open!
Nick:
Do you also promise now to take Benay, to be your wife, loving her as she is and continuing to love her as she grows into the woman she will be?
Do you promise to share with her your joys, sufferings, fears, victories and share in her joys, sufferings, fears, and victories as well?
Do you promise to be faithful to her, in body, mind, and heart, and to make the decisions daily to keep yourself faithful?
Do you promise to treat her with patience and respect, listening deeply to her, and accepting her influence in your life?
Benay:
Do you also promise now to take Nick, to be your husband, loving him as he is and continuing to love him as he grows into the man he will be?
Do you promise to share with him your joys, sufferings, fears, victories and share in his joys, sufferings, fears, and victories as well?
Do you promise to be faithful to him, in body, mind, and heart, and to make the decisions daily to keep yourself faithful?
Do you promise to treat him with patience and respect, listening deeply to him, and accepting his influence in your life?
Exchange of rings
Do you have rings as symbols of your promises?
Please place the ring on her finger and repeat after me.
With this ring
I devote myself to you
Until death separates us
I am your husband
And you are my wife.
With this ring
I devote myself to you
Until death separates us
You am my husband
And I are your wife.
I love you Nicholas!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
hormones?
Whenever Jerry from the yellow team on the Biggest Loser does ANYTHING: run, limp, laugh, cry, I get choked up. I just feel so sorry for him and I don't know why. When he and Colleen were trying to decide who goes home, I was a blubbering, quivering mess. What the hell is wrong with me?
Saturday, September 13, 2008
men i wish were my grandfathers
You read correctly. I was not blessed to be close to my grandfathers. One of them lived on the other side of the country and died when I was in high school and the other one was a jerk. So, today, I was watching Sports Night, an amazing TV show that only ran for 2 seasons. And there was a scene where one of the associate producers Natalie was upset about a break up and her managing editor, Isaac, played by Robert Guillaume (who you might remember from the show Benson). Anyway, so Isaac cradles Natalie in his arms and smiles and says, "It's okay. It's okay, baby."
And I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried a little and I thought, "Aw, I wish Isaac was my grandfather." So I started thinking about other men I wished were my grandfather. Let me preface this by saying, I want these characters to by my grandfather. The actual actors could be alcoholic, self-absorbed losers. I already mentioned the first one, but I'll give you a visual.
He looks so trustworthy, doesn't he?
An obvious choice. The episode where watches his twin grandchildren is one of the greatest episodes of all of television. Don't even get me started on his relationship with Olivia.
Honorable mention to Heathcliff's father, Russell.
Richard Gilmore from the Gilmore Girls. I know he can be kind of stuffy, but there are some very tender moments with Rory. They both like to read, they like old-timey music. I bet I could totally bond with Richard.
This one is a bit of a reach, considering this man has a possible drinking problem and uses terrible language. However, Lester Freamon, from The Wire exudes wisdom and love to all who know him. He shows kindness to the stripper/prostitute, he gives tough love to his detectives, and his is beloved by all. Especially in the Fossey/Owens/Nguyen households.
I'd want Lester to be my grandfather or the President of the United States.
